In the minds of secular Christians, there really are two types of Salvation… emanating from the mind and the heart. The first (the mind) is an intellectual acceptance that God is real, and being a good person is what is necessary for His approval. The second (the heart) is to desire to do the Lord’s will, even if we don’t understand, or disagree with His commands. To a large degree, the first is desiring Christ as Savior and the second is accepting Him as Lord.

My Daughter was Baptized Twice

An example in my own life is my youngest daughter. She was evangelized at a very young age by a neighbor child. We confirmed her understanding of the decision she made to follow Christ and subsequently she was baptized. Ten years later she decided to get baptized again. Why?

Given that the Bible demonstrates an order of Salvation and then the ordinance of Baptism, my daughter acknowledged that prior to her first baptism she had intellectually accepted the Christ as Savior, but had not accepted Him with her heart. She understood that God offered His Son on the cross to die for her sins as Savior and, perhaps to some degree, as Lord, but had not given in to Him with her heart.

Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Baptism Does Not Demonstrate a Changed Life

This is true of many Christians, especially those who are saved at an early age. Sometimes it is fostered by parents, wishing to breath easy that their prodigy, by way of their own behaviors, has born spiritual fruit. Pastors ask the questions and the answers are dutifully given by the child (or adolescent/adult), wishing to make the right impression and/or get others off their back….

• Are you a sinner? – Yes
• Is Jesus Christ your Savior? – Yes
• Is Jesus Lord of your life? – Yes
• Are you ready to turn from your sin? – Yes

There is no practical external set of questions at the time of baptism that can truly confirm salvation.

A heart change is seen over time, not through an emotional release in the moment. This is why James’ writing was so controversial and why the concept of “Lordship Salvation” was so repugnant to many in the Christian community.

James 2:26 - For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Secular Christianity is not Christian

Carnal Christians want to stop at Ephesians 2:8-9, focusing on God’s grace and our faith in Jesus Christ, and not have to actually demonstrate a “changed life” through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. There is a desire for “Easy Believism,” which does not require a deep understanding of the Bible and God’s commands to love and serve Him above all else. So, they make up a syncretistic religion that fits nicely into their social gospel worldview. Church, reading the Bible, sharing the Good News, deep spiritual fellowship with other believers, and prayer are all supposedly “performative” and not needed or even expected to be confident in eternal life in Heaven. So many shallow Christians have become inoculated with dead Christianity, latched to “love thy neighbor” as the sole purpose of God. A horizontal love within humanity (admittedly very important) without a vertical love and willingness to understand and follow the Creator of the universe is no salvation at all.

Matthew 7:22-23 - On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

The above description of a Christian is not what God intended. His greatest command was…

A Biblical Christian

Matthew 22:37-38 - And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

That love is demonstrated over time and cannot be accurately assessed between a “profession of faith” and baptism. Those who were part of God’s plan to seed and water a seeker’s desire to draw closer to God (1 Corinthians 3:7) need to continue in prayer and support, from a human perspective, to help insure the seed (their sharing the Good News) falls on “good soil” (Matthew 13:23).