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A Conversation About Being Saved
A woman with whom I was slightly acquainted approached me recently while I was working in the yard and said, “Can I ask you something?” “Sure,” I replied.
She asked, “Do you think I’m a Christian?” { That doesn’t happen every day! }
I said “I don’t know.” “Well, I pray all the time,” she said.
I told her, “Unfortunately, praying does not make one a Christian. In Proverbs God tells us that even prayers are an abomination to Him if His Word is ignored and not obeyed.” (Proverbs 28:9)
She then asked, “Do you think I’m a good person?”
“Absolutely not,” I said – with a smile.
“So, you think you’re a better person than me?”
“Nope. But I am A Christian.”
Her eyes opened up as If I had been caught. “Well, how do you know you’re a Christian?”
I said, “Because all my hopes for salvation rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, who bore my punishment for sin as my substitute, and I trust in that by faith alone, not considering anything good I’ve ever done or will ever do.”
She paused, and then said, “So, all I have to do is believe in Jesus, then I’m a Christian.”
“It depends,” I said. “If by ‘believing in Jesus’ you mean believing that He existed as a historical person, then no, that would not be enough.”
“Wait a minute,” she said, “On the one hand, you say all I have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and I’ll be saved, and on the other hand, you say believing He existed is not enough. You’re not making any sense.”
“If you are not a Christian, you will not truly believe in Jesus for salvation. Historical belief in His existence doesn’t save anyone. You may as well put your faith in Queen Elizabeth the II, or a dead turtle in the road. In either case, you would still not be saved. See, you must be born again to believe these things.”
“So, how do I do that? she asked. “How does someone get born again?”
“You can’t do it. No one can save themselves. It’s not up to us whether we are born again or not. It’s a total work of God.”
“Then no one can go to heaven!” she exclaimed.
“Not true, everyone and anyone who cries out to God for mercy and salvation by faith alone in Christ, will be saved. He promised that in the Bible. Those who truly desire to be saved will never be turned away.”
I fired off a few questions at her:
“Do you go to Church? “No, too many hypocrites.”
“Do you read the Bible?” “Not really. I mean, not in a long time.”
“Do you think you’re a good person?” “Yes, I do.”
“Do you hate your sin?” “I don’t sin that much. I mean, I’m not perfect by any means, but I don’t really sin that much.”
“Well, _____, I’m not God, but Scripture does tell us that we will know who is saved by their fruits, that is, evidence of being born again. And, based on your answers, I don’t see any evidence that you are saved at all.”
She stared at me, tilted her head and said, “Ok, thanks.” Then she walked away.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had opportunity to witness to another, and after it was all over, conversation ended, that you wished you had said something different, or hadn’t left something out? or not said something at all?
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to be perfect, because I’m sure not perfect now.
5 Pt. Salt 
I’d say well done.
Sounds like solid answers to me. Perhaps the only thing I might have done differently, if I was thinking clearly and quickly – would have been to invite more such conversations with her if she were willing. Main thing is, you were faithful with the facts.