Test for Salvation?

This article on test of salvation was written by my friend Preston Greene, so I am going to sit back with my popcorn this time and watch. 🙂  If you’d like to read his book, you can get it Here on Amazon, or comment here and he’ll email you a free pdf copy.

So many have their own tests for salvation or proof of ‘genuine conversion’.  They seem to miss the simple truth because religion has convoluted the gospel, and corrupted minds from the simplicity that is in Christ.  I am afraid many may be those who are left behind as they are counting on their good works as part of their salvation (no matter how they doth protest otherwise).  Good works are not a proof of salvation.  Many good people out there doing awfully good works.  Will good works save them from the wages of sin?

By Preston Greene

Test for salvation

The TEST for salvation is not a typical “grade” system……it is “PASS or FAIL”.

We are constantly graded on things to see how good we are compared to others.

As a schoolkid, we receive grades to measure our performance. An A is good; an F…..not so much.

Later on in school years it becomes a number, 97% is better then 82%, which is better then 70%.

We also have our yearly reviews for work. Do we exceed expectations, meet them, or are we below them??

How about fun quizes on facebook: Where do you rate on identifying these one hit wonders from the 80’s? You’re at the top with 9 out of 10.

How about internet (phone) connections? Who has the highest percent coverage?

Sports? – Highest BA, ball possession, FT percentage, QB rating, etc.

Pick just about anything, you will see it!!!!

One of the only times I have heard of a PASS/FAIL grading system is in College Accounting. On a final exam, all of these booking scenarios had to be ledgered (it took hours) and at the end, the books HAD to balance. IF you got it correct, you passed. IF you didn’t, you failed.

– There is no percentage: you either got 100% or a 0%
– There is no grade of B, C, D, E or F. you either got it PERFECT or you failed
– There is no difference between meeting expectations and exceeding them in this situation. They are one and the same. Simply “meeting expectations” is PERFECTION.

Just as this Accounting class, PASS/FAIL is the grading system when salvation is the context.

The “passing grade” for heaven (and avoiding and eternity in a literal lake of fire) is PERFECTION. you need to keep Gods laws at a 100% accuracy rate. Like the PASS/FAIL for College Accounting…..

– There is no..”97% is better then 72%
– There is no…”Well a B is pretty good, better then a D”.
– There is no…”I’m promotable, i got a 3.75 out of 4 on my review”.
– There is no…”I’m an all star in baseball, I batted .362″.

This is a concept that is completely MISSED by those trying to earn their way to heaven by their works; by their behavior. You don’t have to be “good” or even “pretty good”; you MUST be PERFECT. you either PASS or you FAIL.

The person who keeps Gods laws at a 95% rate is just as much a FAILURE as the person who keeps them at a 50% rate (when salvation is the context).—- (Rev. 21:27)

The Bible says….

– There is NONE good, no not one (Rom 3:12).
– For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).
– Jesus said, why callest me thou good…there is NONE good but God (Mark 10:18).

Basically the bible says we are ALL failures. Nobody “passes” (except Christ of course). “Nobody means YOU”. Well. Me too.

IT is this PASS/FAIL concept that many seem to miss. “You mean that homosexual, that murderer, that thief, that _____, is the same as me???????   YUP!!!! when salvation is the context….YOU ARE THE SAME. It is a PASS/FAIL grading system, and buddy………..YOU FAILED……even at 99.9%………YES….in this test 99.9% is failure….this test is a pass/fail test.

Since we are ALL failures in this PASS/FAIL grading system and there is NOTHING you can do to make yourself PERFECT—–resulting in spending an eternity in a literal LAKE OF FIRE….the only solution is to TRUST Christ and His payment for YOUR wrongdoings.

Jesus (Gods only Son, God in the flesh) was PERFECT (a lamb without spot or blemish). Once you trust HIM and His payment for your sin (He died for your sins), you get Jesus’s PERFECTION imputed to you.

I failed. But the one who actually passed (Christ) has given to me…..HIS PASSING GRADE….as a “free gift”. We cant earn it, if we could, we would be able to boast about it. But the bible says salvation is not of works, so no man can boast (Eph 2:8-9)

Salvation is not a typical grading system, it is PASS/FAIL.

Perfection is “passing” for heaven. Since we have all failed. We are ALL in the same FAILING situation. There is no difference between a “good”, “pretty good” or “bad” person….we are ALL failures (no if’s, and’s an especially no “but’s”)

Trust in the ONLY one who has EVER “passed” this test. Trust Christ and Him crucified.

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable GIFT.   2 Cor 9:15