Can a commitment to Christ save your soul?
Can a commitment to Christ save your soul, or does something have to happen to you first before you can live as a committed follower of Jesus Christ? This important question lies at the heart of the Christian faith.
What if Jesus had not died on the cross for our sins, but simply given us additional rules for holy living that essentially became an extension of the Ten Commandments? Could a commitment to Christ under that scenario save your soul? Could a commitment to loving one another as you love yourself wash away your sins?
The fact of the matter is that spiritual conversion must take place before a spiritual commitment to the Lord will be of any benefit. Your faith in Christ must come before your work for Christ because "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6), regardless of how many works you perform.
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If a person commits his life to Christ without first trusting Jesus as Savior, such a commitment does not deliver the forgiveness of sins. After all, "If righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).
Christians first receive Jesus as Savior. "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). You do not become born again by committing your life to Christ, but you do immediately commit your life to Christ the moment you are born again through faith.
You see, your spiritual commitment to Christ flows from your conversion, and not the other way around. Those who attempt to live a committed religious life without first being converted remain lost in their sin. You cannot work your way into God's family. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the Law, or by believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:2). No one receives the Holy Spirit by making a commitment to Jesus Christ.
Instead, in order to be saved, you basically make a commitment to the Gospel. That is, you become committed to relying upon Christ's sacrifice on the cross for salvation rather than relying upon your obedience to the Law. You believe the good news of the Gospel as you repent and turn away from sin, and you receive the free gift of salvation on the front end of your relationship with God.
"All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10). If you are relying upon your obedience to the Law in order to be saved, then you are not yet saved. If, on the other hand, you are relying upon the good news of the Gospel for salvation, then you are truly saved, forgiven, justified, redeemed and born again.
The Holy Spirit works the miracle of repentance in your heart at conversion, as well as the miracle of faith. "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Jesus said, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 1:6). God's family consists of "children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:13).
A person who does not have the Holy Spirit is unable to be truly committed to Jesus. And any commitment to Christ prior to conversion is merely a human attempt to turn Jesus into a new lawgiver, like Moses. In reality, "The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
What about someone who is not committed to living for the Lord? Is such a person saved? No. Why? Because everyone who has been brought into the kingdom of God through repentance and faith in Christ is instantly committed to living for their Lord and Savior. The fruit of faith is obedience.
"The obedience that comes from faith" (Romans 1:5) is a work of God in the heart and life of every believer. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you are trusting Christ alone for salvation, then you are a follower of Christ. Faith in Christ and repentance are flip sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.
What about a believer who is living with hidden sin? Can such a thing occur? Of course, but only to a certain extent. That is to say, believers come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and believers repent of their sins and turn to Christ to be forgiven. There is no peace in the heart of a Christian who is harboring a hidden sin.
In addition, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice of sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God" (Hebrews 10:26-27). Deliberate sin is an enemy of our soul.
Likewise, if we fall back into works righteousness after professing faith in Christ, we are in grave danger. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4).
Followers of Christ are committed to living for the Lord not in order to be saved, but because we have already been saved. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
So, can a commitment to Christ save your soul? No, but if you are saved, then you are definitely committed to living your life for Jesus. Those who are not committed to living for Christ are in the same category as those who are relying upon the Law for salvation rather than the Gospel.
Ultimately, there are only two groups of people in the world: those who are forgiven of their sins and committed to Christ, and those who remain lost in their sin and in need of the Savior. So, which group are you in?
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
