Can a person accept Jesus Christ as Lord and still be unsaved?

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Answers to Bible Questions

Scriptures are from the KJV of the Bible

(Q)  Can a person accept Jesus Christ as Lord and still be unsaved?

(A) Yes, a person can accept Jesus Christ as Lord and still be unsaved. You might ask; how can that be? Well, a lot of unsaved people roam the earth thinking they are right with God, but they are not. Some people assume they are saved just by asking Jesus to come into their heart. But, does asking Jesus to come into your heart really save you?

Many people remain unconvinced about their own salvation because of a fear they have left something undone, or did not say something right, are not worthy enough, or have not done the right thing to be accepted by God.

Perhaps this is you! You want to do right, and want to be saved, but do not know for certain if you really are saved. What you need to know is the gospel of Christ.

If you claim to know the gospel and still do not know if you are saved, you have been told the wrong gospel. Perhaps you have been told salvation comes by some of the following “gospels:”

– Believing Jesus is the Son of God
– Loving the Lord
– Following Jesus
– Keeping the commandments
– Loving your neighbor
– Praying the sinner’s prayer
– Asking Jesus to come into your heart
– Making him Lord of your life
– Maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus
– Naming the name of Christ
– Being filled with the Holy Spirit; or feeling his presence?

If you believe any of the above statements saved you; you were told wrong. Your doubts testify to the inadequacy of any of these “gospels” to bring the knowledge of salvation. Have you loved the Lord enough? Don’t the devils also believe Jesus is the Son of God, James 2:19? How do you know Jesus accepted your invitation for Him to come into your heart? Is salvation really by uttering a name?

Though what you heard may have had an element of Biblical truth in them, you are still left wondering how you know you are saved even after knowing or believing these “gospels”. This is because they do not describe the gospel that saves.

Salvation is not a matter of you accepting Christianity, Christ, God, or the Bible. Salvation is given only to the ones who are ACCEPTED BY GOD. There is a huge difference between you accepting God, and God accepting you.

You can accept God, but why should God accept you? The Lord is Not Trying to Be Accepted by anyone.

The Saviour is not asking; “Is my salvation acceptable to you?” The Judge does not turn to the criminal and ask, “Do you accept my judgment?” The Truth does not beg the question, “Do you accept me to be true?”

Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour and there is none else beside him. All men are destined to die, and we need Him to live. We need to be accepted by God. God does not count it a worthy thing to be accepted by you.

Never in the Bible does God beg men to accept him, but there are many times when men beg God to accept them.

They knew that God was the judge of all, and he must find them worthy if they are to receive righteousness, forgiveness, life, and the peace of salvation.

So, on what basis does God find us worthy and acceptable to Him?

If it is on the basis of our righteous behavior, wise choices, or love toward others, who of us could be worthy unless God grades us all on a curve? We may be esteemed among men, but would we be able to hold our own in the sight of God who knows all our secrets? NO, no one is worthy in God’s sight!

 The Bible condemns all self-righteousness.

“There is none righteous, no, not one” – Romans 3:10.

“by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” – Romans 3:21.

“all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23.

We must understand that we are totally unacceptable to God. We are all sinners and unworthy to be accepted by a perfectly righteous God. Even if you accept Him, He cannot accept you.

So how Can God Accept Us?

Why should God be merciful and gracious to sinners? How can he be merciful to sinners?

The answer is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for our sins, and rose from the dead so that his righteousness could be imputed to all that believe.

Sinners cannot save themselves or make themselves worthy enough for God to save them. Salvation is not for the righteous or the good, but for the unrighteous and the ungodly. Remember, there is none righteous in God’s sight, and all have fallen short of God’s glorious standard.

Salvation of sinners is accomplished through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. God manifest in the flesh died innocently in the place of sinners shedding his blood as a sacrifice for sins. He rose from the dead three days later defeating the power of death and offering his finished work as the means of salvation to all men.

Salvation is not proven by our own efforts, but in the righteousness of God in Christ when he died for our sins, rose from the dead, and offers salvation freely to sinners who need it. Proof of salvation is found in the gospel of Christ. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself by the cross.

“To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” – Romans 3:25

We will be saved “if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” – Romans 4:24-25

This is the gospel of Christ; it is the preaching of the cross. Christ is God, and he did everything necessary to save men through his death and resurrection. His work is the proof of salvation.

If his work is the proof of your salvation, then you have peace with God and eternal life. You are no longer trying to provide proof. God has provided it by his grace in Christ.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1

“…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

We need the righteousness of Christ dwelling in us if we are to be accepted by God.

“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” – Romans 3:26

Christ is the Judge. Christ is the Saviour. Christ is acceptable to God. We are not. Salvation must be in Christ.

When you face the Lord, it will not be a question of whether you have accepted him, but rather if he has accepted you.

The Lord is not trying to be accepted by you, and there is no way you can be accepted by God without Christ.

If you put your trust, faith and belief in Christ, and his finished work at Calvary; dying and resurrecting for your salvation, you will be accepted in the one God loves: his only begotten Son.

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”- Ephesians 1:6

God will accept YOU, if you have the righteousness of CHRIST dwelling in you; DO YOU?

Have a good day,

Maranatha (Lord Come)

John