Recently I read the following statement about the importance of the word Savior in evangelism: “Those who simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, being convinced that He died on the cross for their sins and rose again, have eternal life.”i
The words being emphasized explain what the author means by “Those who simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.”
He is saying that the bullseye in evangelism is “being convinced that Jesus died on the cross for [my] sins and rose again.” If I believe that, I have eternal life even if I do not believe I have eternal life.
But there is no promise made by the Lord Jesus or His apostles that those who believe He died on the cross for their sins and then rose from the dead are born again.ii Check the Gospel of John. Check the epistles.
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 does not teach that, either. In fact, 1 Cor 15:2 says, “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” That is a discipleship passage, not an evangelistic passage. The word saved in verse 2 refers to being spiritually healthy. Believers remain spiritually healthy only if we hold fast to the good news that since Jesus died and rose again, we who believe in Him will also be raised from the dead in glorified bodies (1 Cor 15:12–58).
Note what is not present in 1 Cor 15:1–4: the promise of everlasting life that cannot be lost, the name of Jesus, the cross, the blood of Christ, and the need to believe in Him for the gift of everlasting life. See this article (https://faithalone.org/blog/does-1-corinthians-151-11-contradict-john-316/) for more details.
If the statement quoted above were true, then nearly everyone in Christianity, including Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Arminians, and Calvinists would all be born again. In fact, even Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses would be brothers and sisters in Christ since they too believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose again.
While I wish that everyone in Christianity believed the message of John 3:16, the sad reality is that most do not. And there is no other way to have eternal life than to believe in the Giver for the gift of God, which is everlasting life that can’t be lost (John 4:10, 14, 25–26).
To be born again, we must believe that Jesus guarantees irrevocable everlasting life to all who believe in Him for that life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25–27; 20:31). That is the bullseye.
Believing that Jesus, by His death and resurrection, made me savable, is an important belief. That belief should lead to one’s believing Jesus’ promise of everlasting life that can never be lost to all who simply believe in Him.
Instead of inviting unbelievers to believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose again, something that approximately 65% of all Americans already believe,iii we should tell them that Jesus guarantees everlasting life that cannot be lost to all who simply believe in Him.
Here’s another way of looking at the word Savior: If you believe that Jesus is your Savior, but you do not believe that you are guaranteed to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom, then you do not believe the message of John 3:16 or John 11:26. To believe that He is your Savior today, but not forever unless you persevere in faith and good works, is to reject the promise of everlasting life. That is not faith in Christ. That is disbelief.
Keep grace in focus and you’ll not forget what the bullseye is in evangelism.
i GraceNotes 107, emphasis added.
ii Some mistakenly point to 1 Cor 15:1–4. But that is a discipleship passage, and the salvation in verse 1 refers to remaining spiritually healthy if we hold fast to the message of Christ crucified and risen. See here for further explanation.
iii A 2020 Pew Research Center study found that 65% of American adults identify as Christians. A 2023 Gallup survey found that 67% identify as Christians. A 2023 Lifeway Research study found that 66% of Americans believe the Jesus died on the cross and rose bodily from the dead.
