Can you want to be saved and not be?

When Jehovah's Witnesses come knocking on my door, I welcome them with open arms. Then I ask them about their success rate from intruding in people's lives. Not too good. They think that they can work themselves to heaven. I then explain the Gospel to them and that the best way to spread the Gospel is to your friends , family, and acquaintances. They will receive you much better than a stranger and be more receptive to what you have to say. They will be even more receptive when they observe the love that is in your heart for God and people (including yourself). Don't judge yourself by the trials you go through but by the degree of confidence you have that you are a child of God and He will always be there with you through trials and through them help you to grow. Do what God wants you to do which is to love Him and those He loves which is everyone else including you. If you have that love, you will know because you feel it. It's like God created humanity with a free will and the ability to reproduce like kind. Unfortunately , they proved a defective heart (which guided their behavior). All descendants of Adam and Eve are born with this defect.

Romans 5: 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

In the Father's kingdom there is perfect justice and mercy. The wages of sin is death and punishment. Since we are born with a defective heart that leads us to sin, we are all doomed. His choices are save everyone, save no one, or save a few. If He saved everyone, their would not be perfect Justice in His kingdom. If He saved no one, He would not be a merciful God. His only option is to save a few throughout the history of mankind.
The Father's plan was to have a human who was sinless to obediently expose himself to the punishment of death so that life will be owed to Him because of the perfect Justice which is demanded by the Father.

I'm wondering, if its possible for God to ignore your pleas for salvation and willingness to be his? I know salvation isnt based on works but it still feels like I'm not doing enough or am enough to be saved, or the things I cant do are holding me back from it.

Hey Koji,

I'm sorry to bump an older thread...

Was just wondering how you've been doing lately?

I hope your recovery is going well!

Hey Koji,

I'm sorry to bump an older thread...

Was just wondering how you've been doing lately?

I hope your recovery is going well!

I am legitimately concerned about my salvation. Thankfully there are people here willing to help. I am grateful to them and I have no deceitful intentions if that's what you mean. I have very few places to turn to to discuss these type of questions. If I'm going to get heckled here I will find another Christian forum.

Can you want to go into a candy store without going in?? hehe Your will decides your outcome.

I'm wondering, if its possible for God to ignore your pleas for salvation and willingness to be his? I know salvation isn't based on works but it still feels like I'm not doing enough or am enough to be saved, or the things I cant do are holding me back from it.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:44

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

Neither you nor anyone else could come to Christ unless the Father is doing the drawing.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship c through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves"

"In him we were also chosen, e having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

The word 'proorizo' translated as 'predestined' means to 'mark out before hand,' and that before the world began. The believer doesn't just decide one day that he/she is going to believe in Christ, but was chosen and marked out before the world began, to be holy and blameless in His sight. Not that we are holy and blameless in our own right, but when we believed we were credited with the Lord's righteousness and reconciled to God through Christ. As we continue from faith to faith, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. Furthermore, other scriptures state that those whom God chose, their names were written in the book of life before the world began. Likewise, there were names that weren't written.

"But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

If you are already a believer, then spend time in His word and in prayer. Pray that God would bless you with the opportunity for good works. Just remember that we are not saved by them. Rather seek to do good works to glorify God in the name of our Lord Jesus. And He also says that by our good works, that we are building up our treasures in heaven.

And as another poster already said, you could never do enough good works to be saved. It is our faith in what Christ did that saves us.

Well than I definitely pray that I'm one of the chosen I know I cant earn my way (which is a good thing) I'm just very emotional sometimes 😭

What that means good Kojikun is Let us say I ask you to go with me to a store,you want to go to a store anyway then you will go with me is the point.What one wants badly enough to do,no matter what others say, you will do as you wish. And this dear brothers and sisters is the beginning of a leader,not a follower! I will make my own gain and mistakes,and never have to say I should never have listened to him or her! This is also the start of ones true character to me.

Thank you so much ! 😭🙏 That made me tear up 😭❤❤❤

Koji,

My goodness. With all the medical challenges you have already been through and are going through now, it's no wonder why you feel so anxious and weary. I certainly would be, too.

There is actually a lot that you share in your posts that I can relate to. I grew up in, and am still part of, church denominations that believe someone can be of the faith, but choose to walk away. On the other hand, I have very dear friends whom I highly respect who believe in once saved, always saved, but after years of studying on my own, I have never been able to accept that for my own self. This is NOT a criticism to anyone who believes in once saved, always saved -- it's just something that for me, personally, has never "stuck." In all honesty, it's probably for my own protection because like you, I struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts.

I wish I could bring myself to believe in once saved, always saved, but if I truly did, I would then see suicide as a viable option. Instead, I was raised to believe that it is an immediate ticket to hell.

When I was in Lutheran school, we used to ask our pastors and teachers questions such as: If a Christian (let's raise the stakes and say it's a pastor,) is purposely speeding in his car (clearly sinning by breaking the law,) then gets into a crash and dies, will he still go to heaven?

If I could go back, I would give the story a modern-day twist -- If a married pastor was text flirting with his young secretary whom he had a crush on but had not committed a physical sin with (yet,) then got into a crash and died, would he still go to heaven?

The pastors and teachers could never give us a straight answer. All they could say was, "God knows your heart; God is sovereign; God will make a just judgment."

From what I understand, my friends who believe in once saved, always saved, would say that if either or both of the pastors were truly saved then nothing could keep them from entering into heaven; but if they didn't go to heaven, that just means they were never saved to begin with.

I try to understand, and I try to accept, but something holds me back, too. I'm not sure what that is.

Because of things like this, I struggle with the assurance of salvation constantly, just like you. And I would struggle even more so if I had been through half of what you've been through and was facing a life-threatening medical condition, especially at such ay oung age. You are extremely courageous, and my heart truly goes out to you. I'm sorry I can't offer much wisdom about the physical obstacles you are fighting, but I am very familiar with what you describe as your spiritual battle.

I'm sorry that this post might not be very helpful -- Cinder and Platosgirl gave you some excellent feedback, so I hope what they said helps.

I truly apologize for not being able to write something more upbeat, but what I really wanted to express is that you are not the only one who struggles with such thoughts -- not at all.

I will keep you in my prayers -- that God will give you peace, excellent medical care, healing, and reassurance that you are His child, because of your heart's desire to follow Him -- and nothing will keep you from His presence.

God bless you, Koji, and please keep us posted on how things are going.

I'm wondering, if its possible for God to ignore your pleas for salvation and willingness to be his? I know salvation isnt based on works but it still feels like I'm not doing enough or am enough to be saved, or the things I cant do are holding me back from it.