I’m thinking, after reading these posts, that many people are confused about the purpose of this thread and series.
It’s not about how to get saved, which IS very simple, but about examining the evidence of salvation.
I agree. In these “tests” MacArthur is pushing us to do some soul-searching.
It is hard to examine our own life and ask if our salvation was authentic. It’s too easy to dismiss the biblical reminders of what authentic faith looks like.
And it’s very hard to admit we don’t like what we see when we do examine ourselves.
Paul says, “Should we go on sinning so that grace may abound? May it never be!”
In other words, believers are repulsed by the very notion of abusing grace.
It certainly cannot be denied that even the most spiritual of believers today fall short of God's standards, nor is there a true lack of spirituality among today's Christians. BUt the question is: How do we measure our spirituality? And how can we know that we are doing what God wants us to do and are approved workman for Him? How do others (believers and non-believers) perceive us? Look at the Corinthians for example.
Paul called them UNspiritual babes (1 Cor. 3:1) and rebuked them for their carnality, for their "envying, and strife, and divisions" (1 Cor.3 :3), for their immorality (1 Cor. 5:1), for their dishonesty and oppression of each other (1 Cor. 6:7,8), for their unfaithfulness in giving (1 Cor. 9:11-14), for their selfishness and pride (1 Cor. 11:21,22), and told them: "And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned!" (1 Cor. 5:2, 4:18).
Yet this SAME Corinthian church, at this SAME time, ABOUNDED in miraculous gifts (1 Cor. 1:7, 12:8-11, 14:12, 18,26).
If these Corinthians had received an "11 Biblical Tests of Genuine Salvation", how would they have scored? They were saved believers, don't forget. And how would others have scored them? Would they believe these Corinthians were saved?
There is more to the subject, but I'll leave it at this for a moment..:)