Six Things You Think Can Save You But Can’t
“Christian” is a term that Americans regularly overapply. It has become an umbrella term for any and all denominations and individuals that want to identify under the banner of Christianity. Meanwhile, many of these “Christians” have core beliefs that contradict one another. One of the foundational issues that we can often see creating confusion among all the different kinds of “Christians” is salvation. In other words, how do we get to Heaven? Today I’d like to examine six things that, despite the insistence of many, cannot save you.
1. Church Membership Can’t Save
As a pastor’s wife, you might think that I would be pushing church membership on you. Well, sure, I’d love to see Christians committing to Bible-preaching churches and serving in the local body. That sounds wonderful!
Go To Church
You may have heard people arguing against attending church or becoming a member of one because of a myriad of reasons. Some people have experienced hurts in the church while others see it as a man-made capitalistic venture. (Ha! Say that at my small rural church…) Still, others view church membership as an unbiblical practice. I would argue that gathering together as a body of believers in some organized way is absolutely supported in the Scriptures. Don’t agree? Take a look at Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 20:28-30, or Romans 12:4-5 for starters. All that said, though, I don’t think membership is the key to a Christian life.
Membership Isn’t Enough
The real issue has to do with whether or not church membership can save you. No. It can’t. Anyone can belong to a church. Membership, in and of itself, does not change you into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). None of us can do anything to work our way into salvation.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Titus 3:5
2. Baptism Can’t Save
Baptism is a frequent flyer in the false teachings crowd. It’s either deemed completely unnecessary or it is considered a requirement for salvation. Spoiler: Both of those beliefs are wrong.
Yes, Get Baptized
If baptism won’t save you then why do it, right? Jesus commanded us to do it. Really, that should be enough reason.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (emphasis mine)
Matthew 28: 19-20
Additionally, we use baptism as an outward display of the inward change we have experienced through salvation. It’s a declaration that we serve Christ and have joined the body of Christ (the Church). Even the manner of baptism shows our fellowship with Him. Christians are fully submerged in water to illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.
Got Questions has an easy-to-understand breakdown of baptism. Take a look if you want more explanation.
Baptism Doesn’t Save
Saving A Thief
To begin, I would be remiss if I didn’t use the ultimate example from the Bible of salvation having no causal relationship with baptism. In Luke 23:33-43, we see the well-known story of the thief on the cross. Jesus was crucified beside two thieves. One of them mocked Jesus but the other thief rebuked the mocker, responding in faith to the Lord. Jesus told this repentant thief on the cross, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). No baptism necessary. The thief was saved by his faith through the grace of Jesus Christ. No additional work was required.
Not By Works
Quickly, let’s take a look at what baptism is when we depend on it for our salvation. It is a work because anything we do to earn our salvation is a work. You will see that this idea of works-based salvation is a recurring theme in beliefs people put their hope in to save them that, sadly for them, simply can’t save. Arguably, the best verses to refute a works-based salvation are in Ephesians.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Get baptized in obedience to the Lord, but don’t look at it as your ticket to Heaven.
3. Having Always Been A Christian Can’t Save
Have you heard this before? “I’ve always been a Christian.” I assume the person usually means that they’ve been a Christian a long time, for most of her life, but I think a lot of people might actually mean always.
I had a conversation many years ago about how I came to know the Lord with an atheist friend and a Christian friend. My atheist friend was open to hearing my testimony, so I gave her the highlights.
My friend asked me if Christians must have a moment when they go from death to life (my words, not hers). I said, “Of course!”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (emphasis mine)
John 5:24
My Christian friend who had been listening up to this point jumped in to disagree. She said she had “always been a Christian.” She didn’t appear to believe she had passed from death to life through salvation in Christ. Rather, she seemed to believe she had been born spiritually alive all along.
Can You Always Have Been A Christian?
The problem with my friend’s understanding of her faith was the always part. Scripture tells us that we are dead in our trespasses (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13). Romans 5:12 states that we have sin in the world and death for everyone because of the Adam’s sin. Through our sinful lives we are separated from a holy God (Ephesians 4:18), and we must be born again to be reconciled to God (John 3:3).
As you can see, no one has always been a Christian no matter how they feel or what their upbringing was like. In fact, that brings me to my next point.
4. Being Raised In A Christian Family Can’t Save
This ineffective pathway to salvation is an interesting take on works-based salvation. Not only is the individual counting on works to get her to Heaven, but she’s technically counting on the works and spiritual standing of a relative to rub off on her. Perhaps we can refer to this as “trickle-down salvation?”
Nothing anyone does, family or otherwise, can make you enter Heaven. Sure, people can share the gospel, but they can’t save you, themselves. Only God can do that.
Of all the ways people think they will get to Heaven, this idea of being saved by proxy is the most ridiculous to me. In what other circumstances does this logic apply? Proximity to certain kinds people won’t give me their attributes, and I won’t inherit the consequences of their actions.
Each person must receive salvation through the perfect work of Jesus Christ on her own. Take a look at Romans.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13
It’s a simple verse, isn’t it? Whosoever calls on Him. This is not an instruction to call out to Jesus for the salvation of everyone. Instead, it’s an invitation for everyone to call upon the Lord for her own salvation.
5. Denying That You Sin Can’t Save
You might be thinking, “Julie, no one would have the audacity to claim she doesn’t ever sin!” But, yes, yes people do make this claim.
A Southern Baptist church I attended for awhile had a divisive group in it that contradicted the pastor fairly regularly and the Word of God on occasion, too. At a Bible study, one of the women from this faction shared that she didn’t understand when Christians said they sinned. She believed that Christians no longer sinned, otherwise, they weren’t truly believers. The irony of her alleged sinlessness was lost on her as she gossiped and attempted to stir strife in the church…
We Are Sinners Before And After Christ Saves Us
Romans 3:10 says there is not one righteous person. Not one! It is the sinful state into which we are all born. That sin separates us from God and will lead to an eternity in Hell. Thankfully, God didn’t leave us in that situation.
Christ’s work on the cross as the unblemished (sinless) lamb was the perfect sacrifice to end all blood sacrifices, and His resurrection defeated death. His righteousness can cover our sins and make us fit to enter the presence of God. Notice what is missing here, though. Our sinlessness. Our work to earn salvation. Ya’ll, none of us are ever going to master a sinless life. If you’re trying, give it up.
Our relationship with sin changes after being saved. We should hate it. We ought to strive to obey God and serve Him in our lives. Certainly, we will sin less frequently than we did before because our lives will be characterized by confession and repentance of sin rather than living in ongoing sin. But yet, we will sin. I can know this for sure because John tells us so.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:8-10
You see, we don’t have license to sin, but we will sin on occasion. And praise God, He will forgive us!
We can’t be saved by living a sinless life because that would be works-based salvation, and it just isn’t possible for us to live without any sin at all.
6. Being A Good Person Can’t Save
“I’m a pretty good person” is a classic response to the question, “Do you think you’ll go to Heaven when you die?” Of course, she will go to Heaven because it’s not like she’s Hitler… He’s always the metric of evil we measure things by. Have you ever noticed that? It’s weird. Anyway.
There’s No Such Thing As A Good Person
What is a good person? We know one when see one. People used to say I was such a good person and definitely going to Heaven because I worked with struggling kids in public school. Lean in for a secret. I was not a good person.
Maybe I was a “good person” by man-made standards, but I had still broken God’s Law. I was a sinner in need of salvation. No good works I did would help me. In fact, the Bible says exactly what value our good works have.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Isaiah 64:6
We bring nothing to the table but our sin, ladies. Jesus did the work, and all we have to do is receive His gift of salvation.
We Are “Bad” Enough For Hell
Sometimes people accept that they are not necessarily a “good” person so to speak, but they will list all the people who are worse and definitely in Hell. So, how could the “not-so-bad” people go to the same place as the “awful” people? This argument relies on the ability to be good enough to get into Heaven.
God will not allow any sin into His presence. Not a bit of sin. That’s why we need Jesus to step in for us and cover our sin with the sacrifice of His blood. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” A plain reading of this verse makes it clear that if we are not saved, then we do not enter Heaven. If we do not enter Heaven, we must spend eternity in Hell.
Our lives that are good by man’s measurement will never reach the sinless goodness that God requires. That can only be achieved through salvation through Christ Jesus.
Jesus Can Save
I’ve laid out a lot of information about our sin nature and the consequences of our sin. So, what do we do? Is all hope lost? Not at all.
In John 14:6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We can’t be reconciled to God through any other means than Jesus. Stop looking for another path. No job, good deed, other god, or self-realization is going to lead to salvation. Jesus is it.
Who can He save? He came for us all. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Whosoever! It can be anyone who believes.
You don’t have to hope you’re “good with God.” You can know. If you believe in the work Jesus did on the cross and that He did it for you, too, then you can know the sweet gift of salvation. Repent of your sin (turn away from it) and believe today.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:9-10
Final Thought
My final thought is quite simple. I implore you to investigate why you think you are a Christian. Are you relying on something you or some other person did? Or are you fully reliant on the sacrificial gift of Jesus? If you aren’t sure, then please reach out to someone you can trust like a pastor or spiritually mature person in your life to have this conversation. It might be the difference between life and death.
What are your thoughts on these false paths to salvation?
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