Why Most People Who Think They’re Saved Aren’t

[bdavidc]

(John 8:12–20)

In John 8:12, Jesus made a clear and powerful statement, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” This wasn’t poetic language, it was a spiritual line in the sand. Jesus was speaking to people who had religious knowledge but no relationship with the truth. They were standing in darkness, and the Light of the world was right in front of them offering life, but they resisted.

This passage shows how dangerous it is to be religious on the outside while still lost on the inside. These people had the Scriptures, the temple, and traditions, but they refused to follow Christ. And Jesus warned them plainly, if they did not believe in Him, they would die in their sins. That means standing before God with a lifetime of guilt still on your record, unforgiven and unwashed. It means entering eternity with no Savior and no hope.

What led to that judgment? Pride. Unbelief. A stubborn love for sin and darkness. Jesus was not vague, He told them the truth over and over. Yet in John 8:19, they still asked, “Where is your Father?” They weren’t looking for truth, they were dodging it. And it happens today just like it did then. Many are content with religious talk, spiritual curiosity, or moral living, but they reject the only One who can actually forgive sin.

Jesus didn’t say to admire Him, He said to follow Him. And those who follow Him will not walk in darkness. But following means believing. It means surrendering. It means admitting that you need Him because you cannot save yourself. If you don’t come to Him, you remain where you are, and if you die in that condition, you will die in your sins. That is not fear-mongering, that is the plain teaching of Jesus.

The world offers endless distractions, philosophies, and arguments, but none of them can cleanse your sin. Jesus alone is the light of the world. If you truly believe He is who He claimed to be, then you will turn from sin and trust Him. And when you do, He gives you life, light, and the forgiveness your soul needs. But if you harden your heart, delay your response, or continue to trust in your own goodness, you will face judgment with full responsibility for your sin.

The good news is this, you don’t have to die in your sin. You can turn to Christ right now. He is the light, and He still calls sinners out of darkness into life. Don’t be like those who stood in front of the Savior and argued. Come to Him while there is still time. The warning is clear, the gospel is true, and the door is open. Step into the light, or you will die in your sin.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings to you @bdavidc

Everything Jesus Said is Powerful,there is even Power in His Name - it is by that very same Power we can choose to resist Temptation and not transgress when we Choose Him as our Lord and Savior,ask Forgiveness and Be FREE indeed!

I certainly understand your Message but it is an Invitation,Good News and an Encouraging Word more so than judgement or condemnation .... we must always remember in Delivering the Message to not be judgmental as your title suggests just like in Luke 18:9-14

The Word of God Reminds us of the pharisee who was " proud" he was not like the tax collector praying beside him- he thanked God for being better than him yet the tax collector humbly asked God's Mercy.....  Humility is Pleasing to God,let us pray that people Humble themselves before the Foot of the Cross with a softened heart to Receive the Word of God

I only hope to Encourage every single unbeliever that you don't have to wash your clothes before you go to the laundrymat.... you come just as you are,a filthy rag .... just BELIEVE .... with Christ Abiding in you  you become a New  Creature in Christ

With love in Christ,Kwik

 

 

[timf]

I used to lead a bible study in a juvenile detention facility. There would usually be a group of 20 teen age boys. I would ask to see the hands of everyone who had been confirmed and most would raise their hands. I would then ask to see the hands of anyone who knew what that meant. I seldom saw a hand raised. Most go through the religion machine with no connection to their real life. For them "believing" is an acknowledgement or agreement. This falls short of the trust that defines faith.

[farouk]

1 hour ago, timf said:

I used to lead a bible study in a juvenile detention facility. There would usually be a group of 20 teen age boys. I would ask to see the hands of everyone who had been confirmed and most would raise their hands. I would then ask to see the hands of anyone who knew what that meant. I seldom saw a hand raised. Most go through the religion machine with no connection to their real life. For them "believing" is an acknowledgement or agreement. This falls short of the trust that defines faith.

Prayer and the Scriptures are vital; these are healthy tests of whether what one says s/he believes really stands up to scrutiny.

[Alive]

8 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings to you @bdavidc

Everything Jesus Said is Powerful,there is even Power in His Name - it is by that very same Power we can choose to resist Temptation and not transgress when we Choose Him as our Lord and Savior,ask Forgiveness and Be FREE indeed!

I certainly understand your Message but it is an Invitation,Good News and an Encouraging Word more so than judgement or condemnation .... we must always remember in Delivering the Message to not be judgmental as your title suggests just like in Luke 18:9-14

The Word of God Reminds us of the pharisee who was " proud" he was not like the tax collector praying beside him- he thanked God for being better than him yet the tax collector humbly asked God's Mercy.....  Humility is Pleasing to God,let us pray that people Humble themselves before the Foot of the Cross with a softened heart to Receive the Word of God

I only hope to Encourage every single unbeliever that you don't have to wash your clothes before you go to the laundrymat.... you come just as you are,a filthy rag .... just BELIEVE .... with Christ Abiding in you  you become a New  Creature in Christ

With love in Christ,Kwik

 

 

Exactly and well said. Worthy is meant for fruitful conversation but even more important is encouraging and loving folks that stop by. Just as the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, so should we be.

[farouk]

5 minutes ago, Alive said:

Exactly and well said. Worthy is meant for fruitful conversation but even more important is encouraging and loving folks that stop by. Just as the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, so should we be.

Good to develop a pastoral heart.

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (2 Corinthians 1.3-4)

[farouk]

11 hours ago, bdavidc said:

(John 8:12–20)

In John 8:12, Jesus made a clear and powerful statement, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” This wasn’t poetic language, it was a spiritual line in the sand. Jesus was speaking to people who had religious knowledge but no relationship with the truth. They were standing in darkness, and the Light of the world was right in front of them offering life, but they resisted.

This passage shows how dangerous it is to be religious on the outside while still lost on the inside. These people had the Scriptures, the temple, and traditions, but they refused to follow Christ. And Jesus warned them plainly, if they did not believe in Him, they would die in their sins. That means standing before God with a lifetime of guilt still on your record, unforgiven and unwashed. It means entering eternity with no Savior and no hope.

What led to that judgment? Pride. Unbelief. A stubborn love for sin and darkness. Jesus was not vague, He told them the truth over and over. Yet in John 8:19, they still asked, “Where is your Father?” They weren’t looking for truth, they were dodging it. And it happens today just like it did then. Many are content with religious talk, spiritual curiosity, or moral living, but they reject the only One who can actually forgive sin.

Jesus didn’t say to admire Him, He said to follow Him. And those who follow Him will not walk in darkness. But following means believing. It means surrendering. It means admitting that you need Him because you cannot save yourself. If you don’t come to Him, you remain where you are, and if you die in that condition, you will die in your sins. That is not fear-mongering, that is the plain teaching of Jesus.

The world offers endless distractions, philosophies, and arguments, but none of them can cleanse your sin. Jesus alone is the light of the world. If you truly believe He is who He claimed to be, then you will turn from sin and trust Him. And when you do, He gives you life, light, and the forgiveness your soul needs. But if you harden your heart, delay your response, or continue to trust in your own goodness, you will face judgment with full responsibility for your sin.

The good news is this, you don’t have to die in your sin. You can turn to Christ right now. He is the light, and He still calls sinners out of darkness into life. Don’t be like those who stood in front of the Savior and argued. Come to Him while there is still time. The warning is clear, the gospel is true, and the door is open. Step into the light, or you will die in your sin.

I love how themes around light are taken up again by the Apostle John in his First Epistle...

[bdavidc]

23 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings to you @bdavidc

Everything Jesus Said is Powerful,there is even Power in His Name - it is by that very same Power we can choose to resist Temptation and not transgress when we Choose Him as our Lord and Savior,ask Forgiveness and Be FREE indeed!

I certainly understand your Message but it is an Invitation,Good News and an Encouraging Word more so than judgement or condemnation .... we must always remember in Delivering the Message to not be judgmental as your title suggests just like in Luke 18:9-14

The Word of God Reminds us of the pharisee who was " proud" he was not like the tax collector praying beside him- he thanked God for being better than him yet the tax collector humbly asked God's Mercy.....  Humility is Pleasing to God,let us pray that people Humble themselves before the Foot of the Cross with a softened heart to Receive the Word of God

I only hope to Encourage every single unbeliever that you don't have to wash your clothes before you go to the laundrymat.... you come just as you are,a filthy rag .... just BELIEVE .... with Christ Abiding in you  you become a New  Creature in Christ

With love in Christ,Kwik

I appreciate your heart and the desire to encourage others to come to Christ, and I agree that salvation is by grace through faith and that we come just as we are. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” No one earns their way to God, and no one needs to clean themselves up before coming to Him.

At the same time, the purpose of my message is not to condemn but to wake people up before it is too late. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves.” Jesus gave many warnings, including in Matthew 7:21–23, where many who called Him Lord were cast out because their faith was not real. This is not about pride or self-righteousness, it is about sounding the alarm out of love, because the Bible says that most people are on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13–14).

I agree that we must speak with humility. Galatians 6:1 reminds us to restore others in a spirit of meekness. But warning people about false assurance and calling them to genuine repentance is not judgmental, it is biblical love. I’m not trying to put anyone down, I’m pleading with those who have a false sense of security to examine their hearts and come to true saving faith in Jesus Christ before it’s too late.

[bdavidc]

15 hours ago, Alive said:

Exactly and well said. Worthy is meant for fruitful conversation but even more important is encouraging and loving folks that stop by. Just as the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, so should we be.

It’s true that we are called to encourage and love others, but genuine love must be rooted in truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter in John 14:26, but He is also the Spirit of truth, and John 16:8 says He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That means part of His work is to warn, correct, and lead people to repentance, not just to comfort.

If we only speak what makes people feel good and avoid the hard truths of Scripture, we are not being faithful. 2 Timothy 4:2–3 commands us to “preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” We’re living in that time now.

The whole Bible is inspired by God, not just the comforting parts. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. People need to believe the entire Word of God, not just the parts that make them feel safe. Real fruit comes from abiding in the truth, even when it cuts deep. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is a sword that pierces the heart. If we truly care about people, we will give them the whole truth so they can be truly saved and walk in the light.

[kwikphilly]

4 hours ago, bdavidc said:

I appreciate your heart and the desire to encourage others to come to Christ, and I agree that salvation is by grace through faith and that we come just as we are. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” No one earns their way to God, and no one needs to clean themselves up before coming to Him.

At the same time, the purpose of my message is not to condemn but to wake people up before it is too late. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves.” Jesus gave many warnings, including in Matthew 7:21–23, where many who called Him Lord were cast out because their faith was not real. This is not about pride or self-righteousness, it is about sounding the alarm out of love, because the Bible says that most people are on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13–14).

I agree that we must speak with humility. Galatians 6:1 reminds us to restore others in a spirit of meekness. But warning people about false assurance and calling them to genuine repentance is not judgmental, it is biblical love. I’m not trying to put anyone down, I’m pleading with those who have a false sense of security to examine their hearts and come to true saving faith in Jesus Christ before it’s too late.

Blessings to you

That is right and sure sounds much better- it's not always  the easiest thing to convey what is laid upon our hearts by writing in a post- often times it can come across differently than intended and that's the good part about comments and having more than one  " witness" to clarify,correct,confirm and AGREE( or not,lol) so  that our readers can get a clear perspective.We are many members of the Same Body but One Head- our Precious Jesus! Hallelujah!

4 hours ago, bdavidc said:

It’s true that we are called to encourage and love others, but genuine love must be rooted in truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter in John 14:26, but He is also the Spirit of truth, and John 16:8 says He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That means part of His work is to warn, correct, and lead people to repentance, not just to comfort.

If we only speak what makes people feel good and avoid the hard truths of Scripture, we are not being faithful. 2 Timothy 4:2–3 commands us to “preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” We’re living in that time now.

The whole Bible is inspired by God, not just the comforting parts. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. People need to believe the entire Word of God, not just the parts that make them feel safe. Real fruit comes from abiding in the truth, even when it cuts deep. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is a sword that pierces the heart. If we truly care about people, we will give them the whole truth so they can be truly saved and walk in the light.

We don't come to tickle the ears of our readers,Heavens NO!Of course we do want to Comfort the broken hearted and Encourage the downtrodden but our main focus should always be to take captive our own thoughts & subject them to the Obedience of Christ,in this Way we do not hinder the Power of Holy Spirit ....You mentioned John 16:8 ,PERFECT reference of that POWER of Holy Spirit,the Power to Convict.....big difference between condemnation and Conviction. When a Christian feels guilt, worry,fear or doubt about whether or not he is Saved it's not characteristic of Holy Spirit ,it is however typical of another spirit and not of God

This Topic is in Bible Study and so if it's about folks questioning their own Salvation then we can reference the Word of God that they may Receive the Blessed Assurance of their Guarantee Seal of Redemption OR ask" Why do you think this way"- again Holy Spirit Convicts and so if there is no evidence of a New Creature then something is wrong but it's not our place to say " Nope,not Saved"- do you agree?

We have to consider many things like someone not Feeding their Spirit and there's no Growth,the flesh is weak etc etc.... Fire & Brimstone doesn't Convict a hardened heart- it's a complicated Topic,not everyone is Annointed to Pastor a congregation & people are deceived to think you run up to the Altar,repeat the " sinners prayer" & poof - Saved! I think this is more your point,isn't it

So there's always much to talk on the Topic of ' How do I know I am Saved ' or " How do I become Born Again but depends on who we are addressing how to Minister to each individual,doesn't it?

Ever speak with a so called atheist? It's like talking to a lamp,honestly--- and unless Holy Spirit is Softening that hardened heart and they are Convicted you may as well kick the dust from your feet to go where God's Word IS Received....it's not that much different speaking with a catholic( just for example) who been taught a false doctrine & believes he can earn God's Good Graces.....

So Faith Comes by Hearing,Hearing the Word of God- yes indeed but can I tell you that speaking ( what I call- Christianese) by that I mean  simply quoting verses of Scripture AT them-its speaking in the Love of Christ,leading by example & really listening so that Holy Spirit Can Answer through us- in His WAY that Reveals Himself to them

I think I've went on enough..... You began with John 18:12:20 Which in context is about Jesus Arrest & Trial- a record of the events up to His Crucification - Johns Gospel Shows Jesus LOVE- God the Son Gave His Life in place of ours.

For Bible Study we cannot just examine one verse of Scripture to say' This is Jesus Warning " when the entire Chapter John Identifies Jesus as Messiah and Rejecting Him is the unwillingness to be Obedient to God❤️