Salvation Summaries

What is the spiritual condition of a person who is not a Christian compared to one who is?

I think many people may be surprised to learn that what separates a non-Christian from a Christian is more than a belief or faith in the Lord; there are real and important spiritual differences. This means that if you, at some point in your life, are asked whether you’re a Christian, or if you simply wonder whether you are, it will be difficult to accurately answer this question unless you know your spiritual condition.

In Colossians, Paul details the spiritual condition of a person before becoming saved, and after, and I’ve listed these below.     

Not a Christian (before becoming saved)

• You are an enemy of God (1:21).  This will likely be tough for most people to accept, as society and the media tell us that God is a God of love, that He loves everyone, and because of this, no one would be an enemy of God (except Satan, or really bad people, like those who murder others). But the Bible is clear that God’s wrath is upon sinners, and everyone is born a sinner (which includes you, and me).  Because we are sinners, we have evil thoughts, and do evil things. Yes, God’s Son sacrificed his life to forgive the sins of sinners, but those sins are not forgiven until one has faith in the Son.  Without faith in the Lord, a person remains an enemy of a loving God. This is true regardless of whether a person is an atheist, an agnostic, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, or part of any other religion.

• You are separated from God by your evil thoughts and actions (1:21). The NAS version says it this way “you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds…”   We normally don’t think of ourselves in this way, but that is how the Bible describes the spiritual condition of people who are not saved. From a spiritual standpoint, non-believers are not only separated from God, they are hostile toward Him (in a spiritual sense). Let me give you two examples that could potentially reflect this inner hostility.  First, whenever a person swears, what name is often used?  Is it Mohammed, Buddha?  No. The Lord’s name is used.  For some, this may show their anger, and even hatred, towards God, even if a person doesn’t think of it in that way.  Second, if you are a non-believer who does not go to church, and a “Bible-toting Christian” comes up to you to talk to you about God, what is your first reaction?  “Get away!” You then quickly grab your can of Christian repellent and spray it on this stranger to remove him or her from your premises.  Right? It’s simply true that many non-Christians are “turned off” by Christians (and even Jews), and their beliefs (in creation not evolution, in protecting life rather than abortion, in marriage being defined as a union between one man and one woman, etc.), and I believe the reason for this is spiritual – it’s the spiritual hostility that the Bible talks about.

• You are spiritually dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature has not been cut away (2:13).

Christian (after becoming saved) 

• You have been brought back as a friend of God via Christ’s death on the cross (2:22)

• You have  been brought into the presence of God (2:22)

• You have been circumcised spiritually (the cutting away of your sinful nature) (2:11)

• You were buried with Christ when you were baptized and raised to a new life with Him upon trusting in Him (2:12-13)

• You have died with Christ, who set you free from the evil powers of the world (2:20)

• God made you alive with Christ

• God forgave all of your sins (2:13)

• Christ is your real life now.

As you can see, a lot goes on “behind the scenes” when a person becomes saved. A huge spiritual change takes place, and this is what counts in terms of whether a person is a Christian or a non-Christian.

Now at this point some of you might be asking, “so how do I know whether these spiritual changes have taken place in me?”

One way to know is to go back to the list in my last blog and see how Paul described the Colossian believers.  If your relatives or friends would describe you in this way, then you would have assurance that a spiritual change has taken place in you.

Or, you can read the list of characteristics (fruits of the Holy Spirit) in Galatians 5:22 that describe how a Christian acts, and compare yourself to this list.  If you exhibit a number of these characteristics, you can be assured of your salvation.

There’s another way, and I’m speaking from personal experience here, but a believer simply knows that a change has taken place. How?  You are no longer offended when someone talks to you about God, and you have a longing to learn more about Jesus, who saved you.

How are Christians to live?

Over and over we read in the Bible that Christians are to live (or “walk”) in a way that honors and pleases the Lord. Christians are not to live for themselves.  Let me repeat that. Christians are not to live for themselves, but for the Lord. Why? A true Christian dies to himself or herself and surrenders his/her life to Christ. A true Christian becomes a “bond-servant” or a willing slave to the Lord…to do whatever He may want you to do.

In Colossians, Paul provides a laundry list of how Christians should act or behave (after becoming a Christian), and I’ve included a number of them below.  If you are a Christian, compare your actions to the list below as a self-evaluation to see how well you are doing. Personally, I’m failing in several areas, so I need to “pick up the pace” if I am to finish the Christian race well.

• Set your sights on the realities of heaven
• Put to death the sinful earthly thinks that are lurking within you.  Examples include:sexual sin, impurity, lust, shameful desires (this includes homosexuality), idolatry, anger, race, malicious behavior, slander, bad language, speaking falsely to others
• Clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience
• Forgive those who offend you
• Wear love as your most important piece of clothing
• Live in peace
• Always be thankful
• Christ’s words should always live in your heart to make you wise
• Sing Psalms, hymns to God with a thankful heart
• In whatever you do or say, let it be representative of the Lord Jesus