saved for the 5th time/born again for the 7th time christain/125th alter call

[shiningstar84]

Hello Ladies,
I have a serious question. I am really confused about this and I hope someone can help me. If someone is a christian and happen to start slacking/falling off and then realize they messed up and want to make ammends with God do they have to get saved again? In other words, is once saved always saved true, and if so why do people get "saved" so many times? What are the causes? Is there a # of times a person can backslide before they will no longer be forgiven? What are your views on people that go that have been saved 5 times and are still sinning? Does rededicating your life to God have to involve walking to the alter for the 12th time? Can it just be you and God or does it have to be you, God, and the church?

 

[mkh_77]

Personally, that would have to be between me and God.

 

[foxxymami]

I agree with mkh. As long as it is from your heart, you can pray to God in private.

 

[poetist]

I believe that once you are saved you are always saved. Basically being saved means being "born again." When you are first born in the physical realm, ie - the day your mother gave birth to you, it's a one time thing. Then when you are born again of the spiritual realm I believe it to be a one time thing. Of course no one is going to be perfect once born again. You will fall many times, but they key is that you have a personal relationship with God as part of His family. What you do to atone for falling out of His will is personal, but I don't think that you have to be saved again.

 

[MissYocairis]

Hello Ladies,
I have a serious question. I am really confused about this and I hope someone can help me. If someone is a christian and happen to start slacking/falling off and then realize they messed up and want to make ammends with God do they have to get saved again? In other words, is once saved always saved true, and if so why do people get "saved" so many times? What are the causes? Is there a # of times a person can backslide before they will no longer be forgiven? What are your views on people that go that have been saved 5 times and are still sinning? Does rededicating your life to God have to involve walking to the alter for the 12th time? Can it just be you and God or does it have to be you, God, and the church?

I used to ask this question constantly as a child. Never got an answer.

 

[phynestone]

I think it's between them and God. Doesn't it say in the Bible that if someone sins against us 77 times, we forgive them 77 times? Don't we all fall short of the glory at times? Being a Christian doesn't mean we're perfect but I also think we need to make sincere strides towards our living a clean life.

 

[shalom]

Once you have been born again by the holy spirit God that's it. If you backslide the word of God instructs us to repent so that God can forgive us of sin. This can be done in private with just you and God.

I have seen some people who have backslid and wanted to rededicate their lives to the Lord go to the altar for the altar call to receive prayer.

 

[JuJuBoo]

okay...

If Jesus Christ is truely "Lord of your life", you shouldn't have to ask the question "How many times can I backslide?" Accepting Christ as Lord over your life is not mearly a commitment--there a CONVICTION that sets in place--a conviction to do what God says.

"You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. " I John 3:4 If you claim yourself a Christian and continue to live in sin, calling on God's grace every Sunday for the sin you commited and the sin you KNOW your about to commit that next Friday, I think you need to sit down and redefine what "LORDSHIP" means to you. What does it means to TRUELY call Jesus not only your Savior but LORD over your life?

Romans 6:14-18 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

So anyway, yes, I believe once you're born again, you're born again PERIOD and you won't have to go up to the alter every sunday. HOWEVER I quote all this scripture to say if you need to "rededicate" your life to the Lord EVERY SUNDAY, have you truely made Christ Lord over your life??? The definition of repentance isn't just simply saying "I'm sorry and I'm going to try my hardest not to sin." No, repentance is "I'm sorry, I'm turning my back to sin, and taking steps to walk in the path of righteousness & purity." YES all Christians make mistakes and YES Christians sin....but if you deliberately go on sinning and rely on God's miraculous grace ALLL the time....you have NOT made Jesus Lord over your life.

As far as the church goes, Jesus said "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it"...we need that church community and family around to support us if we're going to walk this walk out right.

 

[redeemed516]

okay...

If Jesus Christ is truely "Lord of your life", you shouldn't have to ask the question "How many times can I backslide?" Accepting Christ as Lord over your life is not mearly a commitment--there a CONVICTION that sets in place--a conviction to do what God says.

"You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. " I John 3:4 If you claim yourself a Christian and continue to live in sin, calling on God's grace every Sunday for the sin you commited and the sin you KNOW your about to commit that next Friday, I think you need to sit down and redefine what "LORDSHIP" means to you. What does it means to TRUELY call Jesus not only your Savior but LORD over your life?

Romans 6:14-18 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

So anyway, yes, I believe once you're born again, you're born again PERIOD and you won't have to go up to the alter every sunday. HOWEVER I quote all this scripture to say if you need to "rededicate" your life to the Lord EVERY SUNDAY, have you truely made Christ Lord over your life??? The definition of repentance isn't just simply saying "I'm sorry and I'm going to try my hardest not to sin." No, repentance is "I'm sorry, I'm turning my back to sin, and taking steps to walk in the path of righteousness & purity." YES all Christians make mistakes and YES Christians sin....but if you deliberately go on sinning and rely on God's miraculous grace ALLL the time....you have NOT made Jesus Lord over your life.

As far as the church goes, Jesus said "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it"...we need that church community and family around to support us if we're going to walk this walk out right.

I agree with most of what you said. I do believe that it is OK to rededicate your life to the Lord EVERY SUNDAY. Who knows the Lord may have revealed another area to that person where they feel they need to make a recommitment every Sunday. Just because you see someone at the alter every Sunday is not a cause to question their sincerity or dedication to the Lord. It is a reason for US to pray for them. We don't know what the next person might be experiencing. I do believe ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED. The bible says (and i paraphrase) that if you are the Lord's (saved) nothing can seperate you from the love of God. The bible also says that we've all sinned and fallen short of His glory. So maybe we all need to be at the alter each and every Sunday because no one is perfect enough to say they don't need it.

 

[Supergirl]

Ladies, you've answered well.

My input:

Backsliding does not make a saved person unsaved. There is no need to repeatedly "get saved" because you can't lose it. The Bible says that the only unforgiveable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I'm not even real sure of what that means. But other than that, God's forgiveness is limitless. The Word says that we are to forgive someone up to 70 times 7 in one day. That would be 490 times in one day if necessary. So I am sure that God's forgiveness is at least that, if not exceeding.

Rededication is something that can be done without going up to the altar. Alot of people are driven by emotion to go up to the altar anyway.