We have two deferring theological beliefs. Can you lose your salvation or once saved, you will always be saved. These two beliefs are probably the most contested disagreements and can separate Christians and cause division in the church. Another may be: is it necessary to speak in tongues when receiving the Holy Spirit?

Could we be misleading people when we state that if they will say this prayer: I accept Jesus Christ as Lord, I ask for forgiveness, repent of my sins and I invite the Holy Spirit into my life? It doesn’t take much more than that but is everyone who says these words saved? Let us look at the following parable.

Mark 4:15 – 20 – “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

It is my belief that in three of the above illustrations in the above parable, if they received salvation, they lost it. I base that on a number of different Scriptures, especially: James 4:14 & 17 – “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

April, approximately 900 went up to the front of our church and confessed that they had received salvation. Were they all saved and did they receive the Holy Spirit? Only God knows! Of the four options in the above parable the first quickly lost it or never received salvation. The person who received salvation with joy, when trouble came they gave up. The third may have been living a Christian life for years when lust and temptation came along, they gave up their salvation. The last group was Christ followers to the end. Some believe once saved they may do most anything and still be saved. I believe this is going to the edge and is really questionable.

Matthew 7:21 tells me it isn’t so much about what I believe but how I live. I have mentioned previously that one of the greatest gifts I have received is contentment. Christ gives to me everything I need. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We must learn to be pleased with what God has allowed us to have. We must not allow what we do not have to be something that we must have. We must not envy what others have that we don’t. We must be careful to give God thanks for everything we have. This does not preclude us from having nice things, a good job, home, cars and others items. However, contentment means these material things are not must haves! I always remember the man given the five talents who made ten and his master said, good and faithful servant. To the man given one talent and buried it made the master angry. He took talent and gave it to the man who had made ten. Contentment does not mean laziness! We must do our very best in every endeavor and material things are only byproducts of our labor.

In the parable of the seed and soils I do not believe the first three ever found salvation or if they did, they gave it up to live as the world lives. The fourth grew and produced through obedience and doing God’s will and was the only one to find contentment in Christ. Now you be the judge. Did everyone in the parable find salvation and are all going to heaven?