I, like you, take great issue with those who claim to be Christian but do not follow Christ's commands. You brought out several good points in your letter. As I share these thought with you, I will try to be candid, for Jesus Christ was candid when he spoke. (Not to compare myself with the Lord, for I fall far short of Him.)
I am a Biblical Literalist, meaning I accept the Bible for what it clearly says and teachers. I do not adhere to the concept of "spiritualizing" everything in Scripture. Some say, "Sure the Bible says that, but it really means..." That is a dangerous position - - God is very capable of writing what He means. The old cliche, "When the plain sense of Scripture makes good sense, seek no other sense," seek no other sense, "is a good rule to follow. May I also add, it matters not what I believe about the Bible, nor how some church may interpret the Bible. The Bible doesn't need men to interpret it, it needs men to believe it and act upon it.
Since the Bible is our rule of faith and practice, let me address your questions with Scripture. My intent is not to be "preachy" but rather to demonstrate where the authority lies in answering your questions. So, enough of that. Now you know where I'm coming from.
The question you directly asked me pertained to "being saved." It is difficult to cover the whole concept briefly, so it may take quite a bit of space. Here goes...
The term "saved" is a Scriptural word. It comes from several places in the New Testament. In Acts 16 the Philippian Jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Possibly he was thinking about a physical help, but the answer given was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (vs 31). The term is used also in LK 7:50, Jn 3:17, Jn 10:9, Acts 2:21, Acts 2:47, Acts 4:12, Rom 5:9, Rom 10:13. Altogether the word "saved" is used 59 times in the New Testament, though not all refer to the spiritual aspect of saving.
So we see that the concept of being "saved" is not a new idea. Nor did it just arrive in the 70's. Great old-time preachers like H.A. Ironside, C.H. Spurgeon, Bob Jones, Billy Sunday, and many more preached about being "saved." The term came into vogue because of the mis-use of the term "born again" in the early 70's. Just as it was popular to have a "born again" experience (term used loosely) in the early 70's, so now-a-days it is popular to use the word "saved".
Today, many people refer to being "saved" without understanding the true meaning of the word. Most church people who claim to be "saved" simply mean they have prayed a prayer to "receive Jesus." As you stated in your letter, this doesn't necessarily mean they have turned from sin and turned unto Christ. It may mean that someone told them to "pray this prayer or you will go to hell," so they prayed it.
The concept of salvation (i.e. "being saved") in the Bible is predicted by the teaching that all have sin (Romans 3:23, 5:8 et al.) This means each person has turned FROM GOD TO his own way (Isaiah 53). Therefore one must be "saved" from the eternal punishment of that sin. Salvation involves repentance, as you pointed out in your letter. Salvation is, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, "how ye turned TO God FROM idols to serve the living and true God," (1 Thess 1:9). Salvation involves TURNING from sin (repentance) and to God (that is, to God's way of salvation Jesus Christ (John 14:6)).
This brings up another interesting question, which you probably have already considered. When one gets "saved" -- turns to God from the world's way -- does this mean he will no longer sin? No. Even the great apostle Paul, in Romans 7:14-25, says, "When I would do good, evil is present with me." This is no novice speaking. However, he recognized that sin is always a temptation. Does that mean he is going to hell because he sinned? No. First John 1:9 tells the Christian to "confess" our sin to be again cleansed (but not again saved!)
There are several passages which speak of how a Christian is to deal with sin. Romans 8:1-2 says, "...Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" The point is, Christians DO NOT have permission to freely sin after their salvation. You are right in your letter!
I know I've gone long for a first-time letter, but please permit me one last verse. First John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." Simply put, those who turn back into the world never really had saving faith in Jesus Christ. IF they had, they would have continued! (The issue of a Christian backsliding into sin is a whole other topic which I won't deal with here.)
The other matter worth mentioning is this discussion is that of being saved by obeying the 10 commandments. Some believe that it is possible to obey the Bible and, thus, obtain for themselves eternal salvation. This, too, is incorrect. Verses like Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us it is impossible to "work" our way to heaven. Salvation is a free gift. The ONLY condition is that it must be accepted as a gift. One who is trusting his works (his goodness, his baptism, his church attendance, his... you get the point) is not trusting Christ. It may sound contradictory to say this along with the fact that Christians should not sin, but it is not. Romans 4:4-5 describes righteousness which is by FAITH. This righteousness comes by faith and is followed by (good) works Ephesians 2:10.
So, there you have it Cordell. There is much more to say, but this is it in a nutshell. A person is saved by faith in Christ alone. NO, a person who is saved will NOT treat sin lightly. He WILL obey the teachings of Christ. He WILL obey the Bible. When he does sin, God has made a way to restore the fellowship with Him which was lost. That way is confession to God (another interesting topic).
Let me know what you think. Your comments are welcome. I look forward to corresponding with you more in the future as time permits.
Sincerely,
Jon Barr