David believes he has everlasting life and will never perish, based on Jesus’ promise in John 3:16. Yet when he evangelizes family and friends, he does not share the message of John 3:16. Instead, he shares 1 Cor 15:3-4 about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
Why would he do that? Why wouldn’t he share the message that he himself believes concerning the promise of everlasting life?
The reason is simple. David does not believe that the promise of everlasting life is the saving message. He believes that it is the sanctifying message. In other words, he believes that assurance of everlasting life is a discipleship issue, not a salvation issue.
David believes that anyone who believes that Jesus died on the cross for his sins and rose bodily from the dead is born again and eternally secure—even if he does not believe he is born again and eternally secure, even if he believes that he must persevere in faith and good works to keep his salvation or to win “final salvation.”
Now, David will discuss the promise of life with people who profess faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. But it is only after they have come to believe what he understands as the saving message that he shares what he treats as the sanctifying message. And if they reject the message of everlasting life that cannot be lost, he is comforted by the fact that they are saved once and for all, even though they don’t believe they are.
A friend named Charles lives in a part of the U.S. where most churches are Lutheran. He once asked, “Bob, is it okay if I avoid talking about Jesus’ promise of everlasting life that cannot be lost, and simply talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection? I find that Lutherans are very receptive to Jesus’ death and resurrection, but that they are not receptive to eternal security.”
My answer to him was that he can’t avoid the promise of life, since that would leave out the saving message.
The question everyone needs to ask is: What is the saving message? What must I do to be saved? Obviously, we share what we consider to be the saving message. If that message does not include assurance that your salvation is irrevocable, then why share that? You’d risk offending someone who otherwise would be receptive to the true saving message.
But since the promise of life is the heart of Jesus’ saving message, that is the message we must share if we want to share the saving message.
I know many people with master’s degrees and doctorates from leading conservative seminaries who are sure of their own salvation, but who don’t share assurance of everlasting life when they evangelize, since they see it similarly to the way they might view a sunroof on a car. The sunroof is nice, but not necessary. Better to get the car without the sunroof than not get the car at all.
But what if the choice is between a car with an engine versus one without? The engine is an essential component. Without the engine, the car won’t work. In the same way, the promise of everlasting life is the essential element in evangelism.
It saddens me that there are people who believe the saving message but don’t share it when they evangelize. However, I do rejoice that they believe and have everlasting life. And I rejoice that they do tell those whom they disciple about the promise of everlasting life.i
Keep grace in focus, and you will know what the saving message is.
i Of course, they can’t disciple everyone they evangelize. So, they never share the promise of life with many of the people they evangelize. And when they do share the promise of life with those they disciple, they often give out false assurance. They explain verses like John 11:25-27 and then say, “Because you believe in Jesus, you will never die spiritually. You are eternally secure, even if you do not believe you are.” Plus, those who do gain assurance by believing the promise of life will not think it is part of the saving message. So, they won’t share it when they evangelize either. The cycle will continue.
