When we are talking about becoming a Christian or being a Christian, we must not leave the Holy Spirit out of the discussion. In his gospel, the Apostle John speaks of the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation from the very beginning of the discussion.
In plain language, a profession of faith that is not supported by the practical application of that faith is not a profession of faith at all and is useless for purposes of salvation.
Just who is a Christian? Is there a litmus test we might use to determine whether a person is truly a child of God?
When Jesus refers to the rock in Matthew 7 (and again in Luke 6) to whom or what is He making reference?
To simply believe that Jesus is Lord or is the Son of God is not sufficient to gain salvation. There are thousands or maybe millions of people in church (and not in church) who profess to be Christians bound for heaven simply on the basis that they believe.
The knowledge of sin in a biblical sense comes from a personal encounter with the word, or the Word, of God. Thus the first step in repentance is not sorrow for sin, but revelation – a decision made, not by man, but by God.
Part 2: The first step in repentance is not admitting one is a sinner, but having a personal encounter with the living Christ.
There is no Scripture that requires anyone to admit they are a sinner before they can be saved. Even Baptists believe that there is nothing a person has to do before they are saved.
Pastor Dan's Post 