Almost Saved

[AbideWithMe]

Well not knowing this church, nothing I say can be 100% accurate. Like you said, I’m just using what information I have.

Being an Arminian myself and having been influenced by the Wesleyan tradition, I know that many of us use “saved” and “salvation” terminology as shorthand for the entire Christian experience. Being “saved” means being a Christian. It doesn’t mean there is not a possibility that you might fall away or that you never have to confess and repent of sins again. It simply means that you have had a conversion experience and are working your salvation out with fear and trembling. So with that definiton of “saved” in mind I deduce from the billboard slogan that its talking about being a serious, committed, and devout Christian in contrast to being someone who is lax or lukewarm toward their faith.

That’s pretty much how I would take the sign. I don’t usually use “saved” terminology myself, but when I hear it I know that, as Itwin said, it’s “shorthand”.

Speaking for myself, I did have a profound conversion experience, as many Evangelicals have had, and I think because of the depth of that experience we tend to wrongly assume all people should have something similar as a hallmark of a genuine faith. It didn’t take me long to realize that not everyone needs that kind radical realignment job, though.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Off topic:
One time, about seven years ago I looked up at their billboard and saw Donna Douglas from the Beverly Hillbillies staring down at me (The billboard is right by a gas station). She was coming to the church to do an inspirational seminar of some sort. Being originally from Pennsylvania, I asked a friend of mine “I thought people in West Virginia were insulted at being called hillbillies”. “Oh no”, he said, “we wear it as a badge of honor”.

I have to laugh at this. Being from Pennsylvania, too, I thought West Virginians would be insulted at being called hillbillies.

 

[Nicea325]

So here I am driving down the street and I drive by this Protestant ecclesial community church and there on the billboard, yes a billboard, why don’t Catholic Christians start putting up billboards?

I recall the days when I was young driving by our local movie theatre with the marquee you could see the feature of the day…War of the Worlds, no not Tom Cruise, the original…actually my aunt worked at the local theatre, but that was then and this is now…what happened to those days…

anyway so I am driving down the street and there on the church marquee…kinda sounds ominous, the church marquee…there it says this…

“Almost saved is like being Totally lost”

Some thoughts.

Almost Saved?

How does someone think up the notion of "Almost Saved’ and then put it on a marquee?

I got saved, well I am almost saved…nah I thought you were saved…no I am almost saved…well what’s holding you up…dunno…sometimes I feel saved and sometimes I don’t then when I do I wonder if I am and then of course…

Almost saved. What’s up with that?

And what advantage will any parish gain by incorporating a billboard?

 

[Telstar]

well, golly, I did use billboard, thank you…I was thinking marquee and wrote billboard. Forgive me for I am human.

LOL… I thought I saw it in the first post, but I had to go back to check it, to see where the reference actually started. I thought it was pretty funny.

 

[dcana]

Yes I am with you. The old school teaching.



Things like why would St Paul tell the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. Why would he tell the Romans who have been grafted into the Olive Tree (which we know is Christ) showing that they WERE saved, but that they will be cut off from the olive tree just like the unbelieving Jews were if they do not continue in kindness. Why would he say this if it were not true.



But most important I am with you on, Only God knows and will judge us.



Paul said it the best. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by You, or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me!!

Paul did say it best. Notice that Paul says that he does not even judge himself now, in the present, much less can he judge himself in the future, most importantly at the moment of his death. Our “problem” is that we don’t know the future, including how our attitudes and beliefs will change in the future and how we will be influenced by experiences (that we don’t even know of). We don’t know if we will give up our faith in Christ tomorrow, in a year, or in thirty years, or if we will give up the “race” St. Paul talks about at some point in the future because we find it too hard, or for any other possible reason. We don’t even know if we will wake up tomorrow. If you say that you do and that you would **never **fall back into sin or “give up the race” I would laugh at you and say that you are deceiving yourself. Hasn’t every “backslider,” for lack of a better term, said the exact same thing? Only God knows the future. That’s a primary reason we cannot have an absolute “assurance” of salvation, IMO. There is nothing - that is, nothing external - that can pull us out of His hands, now or in the future, as Scripture says (what can separate us from the love of Christ?..), but we can always jump out.

It seems like around here, every Protestant church has either a ‘fancy’ electronic sign, like you might see in front of a bank, except instead of interest rates they have times of services and there is no temperature reported (I think) I don’t really pay them any attention. Or else they have one of those older-style signs where you have to manually put up whatever you want to say using letters on cards. These usually have some general Christian platitude or times for guest lecturers, always Dr. so-and-so. Some of our Catholic churches have Mass times but I’ve never seen one with some kind of “message” displayed. I’d go with something simple like “Jesus lives here,” or maybe “Come (or Welcome) to the Church founded by Jesus Christ.”

 

[CopticChristian]

That’s pretty much how I would take the sign. I don’t usually use “saved” terminology myself, but when I hear it I know that, as Itwin said, it’s “shorthand”.

Speaking for myself, I did have a profound conversion experience, as many Evangelicals have had, and I think because of the depth of that experience we tend to wrongly assume all people should have something similar as a hallmark of a genuine faith. It didn’t take me long to realize that not everyone needs that kind radical realignment job, though.

A hallmark of genuine faith.

A hallmark of ingenuine faith.

A landmark of genuine faith.
A recognition of geniune faith.

Tell me what this means. Can you trip on a hallmark of genuine faith? Tell me if you can step on a hallmark of genuine faith or put a pound of genuine faith in a wheelbarrow or see, touch, feel smell a hallmark of genuine faith?

Explain what this means to you.

 

[AbideWithMe]

A hallmark of genuine faith.

A hallmark of ingenuine faith.

A landmark of genuine faith.
A recognition of geniune faith.

Tell me what this means. Can you trip on a hallmark of genuine faith? Tell me if you can step on a hallmark of genuine faith or put a pound of genuine faith in a wheelbarrow or see, touch, feel smell a hallmark of genuine faith?

Explain what this means to you.

CopticChristian----

I live on a farm and it’s spring, which means my day has been long and tiring (but good). So please excuse me for not having the energy to play word games. What are you asking? —the definition and origin of the word “hallmark”?

 

[CopticChristian]

CopticChristian----

I live on a farm and it’s spring, which means my day has been long and tiring (but good). So please excuse me for not having the energy to play word games. What are you asking? —the definition and origin of the word “hallmark”?

Naaaah let’s just go with qualifying “Faith”…genuine, ingenuine, significant,

For genuine Faith is the substance of things genuinely hoped for the sbustance of things not seen…

Why are you qualifying Faith by claiming a hallmark as it is something to be looked for, hoped for, expected or whatever and then suggest that Faith can be genuine for if it is then it can be ingenuine. Then who is to decide if it is genuine? God or someone. If God then why bother qualifying it.

 

[CopticChristian]

CopticChristian----

I live on a farm and it’s spring, which means my day has been long and tiring (but good). So please excuse me for not having the energy to play word games. What are you asking? —the definition and origin of the word “hallmark”?

A man lived on a farm. He grew corn. Every year he took his corn for sale. Some he ate. Everyone loved his corn. His corn stalks grew high and when the wind came the stalks would blow in the breeze.

Another man grew cabbage. Not everyone liked cabbage but his cabbage was the best. You could see in the farm rows and rows of cabbage. His family used his cabbage and many bought his cabbage.

They met at the local market selling their cabbage and corn. The man that sold corn took his corn and sold most of it. The rest that was not chosen he took and fed to the pigs.

The man that sold cabbage did the same. He was bitter and he was angry because not all of his cabbage sold.

The man that sold the corn asked the man that sold the cabbage why he was bitter. The man that sold the cabbage said that some of his cabbage was genuine cabbage that people bought and he found that the cabbage that did not sell was ingenuine.

The man that sold the corn said “how can you say that the cabbage you sell is ingenuine”…did God not create our world? Yes. Do all crops grow the same? Yes. Then your toil and your work is the same? Yes. The crops that grow are all the same are they not? Well Yes. The only difference is that some buy and some do not. Does buying make my corn or your cabbage not corn or cabbage? Well No. Then continue to farm and find use for the cabbage that does not sell as I do with my corn. God created our world and the crops we grow are tilled with the same effort. It is not for us to decide what is good, bad or ingenuine for they are all genuine crops from the ground. Make use of what you have, be happy, sell what you can and find other uses for the rest.

They both left the market happy.

 

[AbideWithMe]

CopticChristian—

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.

 

[ltwin]

CopticChristian—

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.

Something about the impossibility of telling genuine cabbage from ingenuine cabbage. Or that there is no such thing as ingenuine cabbage. Or something to do with genuine or ingenuine faith or cabbage or corn or something.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Something about the impossibility of telling genuine cabbage from ingenuine cabbage. Or that there is no such thing as ingenuine cabbage. Or something to do with genuine or ingenuine faith or cabbage or corn or something.

I get it now.

“By their cabbages you shall know them.”

“Wisdom is proved right by her cabbages.”

“A bad cabbage patch cannot bear good cabbages.”

 

[CopticChristian]

Something about the impossibility of telling genuine cabbage from ingenuine cabbage. Or that there is no such thing as ingenuine cabbage. Or something to do with genuine or ingenuine faith or cabbage or corn or something.

Praise the Lord you got it.

 

[CopticChristian]

I get it now.

“By their cabbages you shall know them.”

“Wisdom is proved right by her cabbages.”

“A bad cabbage patch cannot bear good cabbages.”

I am overwhelmed you too understand. It was well worth the effort.

Personally I like my cabbage with potatoes. The Irish call this Colcannon. If you are interested this is a genuine Irish dish. Now corn on the other hand makes a good chowder but for the life of me when it comes to New England or Manhattan style I really like the Manhattan style as it is similar to Pepper Pot soup. It is hard to find. Did you know that Scotch Broth and Pepper Pot Soups, both made by Campbell, no not the Campbellites, but by Campbell that I used to eat as a child are difficult to find in the stores?

 

[AbideWithMe]

I am overwhelmed you too understand. It was well worth the effort.

Personally I like my cabbage with potatoes. The Irish call this Colcannon. If you are interested this is a genuine Irish dish. Now corn on the other hand makes a good chowder but for the life of me when it comes to New England or Manhattan style I really like the Manhattan style as it is similar to Pepper Pot soup. It is hard to find. Did you know that Scotch Broth and Pepper Pot Soups, both made by Campbell, no not the Campbellites, but by Campbell that I used to eat as a child are difficult to find in the stores?

I’ve never had Pepper Pot Soup, whether made by Campbell or not, but I have met one of the Campbell Soup heiresses at the Devon Horse Show in Devon, PA. I also once ran into William Shatner (Captain Kirk) there and he was very nice.

 

[CopticChristian]

I’ve never had Pepper Pot Soup, whether made by Campbell or not, but I have met one of the Campbell Soup heiresses at the Devon Horse Show in Devon, PA. I also once ran into William Shatner (Captain Kirk) there and he was very nice.

The Wrigley mansion is here in Phoenix. It is where the Wrigleys spent part of their life. They had mansions in Catalina, Phoenix and Chicago. They travelled to and fro to each. I met one of the Wrigleys playing piano at the brunch.

Did the Campbell heiress or William Shatner look genuine?

 

[AbideWithMe]

Did the Campbell heiress or William Shatner look genuine?

LOL, indeed they did.

 

[CopticChristian]

LOL, indeed they did.

Then I would consider this to be a hallmark of something that is visible and can be seen!

 

[hn160]

There is no such thing as almost saved, you are saved when you are Baptized, nothing else’s is needed, no altar calls or re-baptism. Christ did it all on the cross on Good Friday.

 

[CopticChristian]

There is no such thing as almost saved, you are saved when you are Baptized, nothing else’s is needed, no altar calls or re-baptism. Christ did it all on the cross on Good Friday.

So then according to the OP you would not be totally lost.