Was I really saved as a child? Billy Graham responds

I think Billy Graham is a fine man. To be in the public eye for more than 50 years without any major scandal speaks volumes about the character of the man. Graham is often know as the "pastor to the President" since he has been a regular fixture at the White House for decades. There's no doubt in my mind that Billy Graham is as sincere as any preacher can be. That said, let's take a look at a letter from his website that was originally run in his "My Answer by Billy Graham" newspaper column.

Q: When I was a child (about 8, I think), I asked Jesus to come into my life. I'm older now, but down inside I've always worried that my childish commitment wasn't enough, and I wonder if I'm really saved. What do you think? — A.K.

A: Dear A.K.,
If you sincerely asked Christ to come into your life—even if you were too young to understand everything that it meant—then He heard your prayer and saved you from that moment on. The Bible's promise is clear: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

Do you remember the way Jesus welcomed children who wanted to come to Him? On one occasion, His disciples tried to hold them back. But the Bible says that "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 10:14). He rewarded them for their childlike faith.

The real question, however, is this: Are you—right now—trusting Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for you for your salvation? In other words, don't focus just on the past and whether or not you truly gave your life to Jesus then. Focus instead on Christ and what He did for you, and be sure your trust is in Him. If you are uncertain, decisively commit your life to Him now.

Then make it your goal to walk with Christ every day. Just as children should grow into adults, so God wants us to grow and mature in our understanding and faith.

So what is the answer to the person's question? Are they saved, or are they not? On the one hand, Graham reassures the writer that Jesus "heard your prayer (at age 8) and saved you from that moment on", but later in Graham's response he advises, "If you are uncertain, decisively commit your life to Him now." So which is it? Childhood conversions are very common in America, but no one really seems to have drilled-down into this phenomenon to learn just what childhood conversions really constitute. Some of you will think I'm arrogant to make the following statement, but if my arrogance causes just one person to reconsider their possibly erroneous relationship with Jesus Christ, I'll take the chance.

I believe that "youth conversions" should be considered for what they are: something that a youth does. When an 8 year-old boy promises his girlfriend next door that he will marry her someday, do we consider that to be a binding contract? Of course not- we fully realize that a child can't make any major commitments. Can an 8 year-old make a profession of faith in all sincerity? Certainly, but I believe God considers this a "temporary pass". Our loving God fully realizes the insecurity of children growing up in an uncertain world. For many of us "older" Christians, we can remember pastors talking about the fire of Hell and how non-believers will go there. A kid with any kind of sense at all wants to be sure he will avoid that sort of misery, so he makes a profession of faith.

I'd love to know just how many atheists are in the world today that made a profession of faith as a child. The Southern Baptist's "once saved, always saved" doctrine has always puzzled me. On the one hand, their belief in eternal security is simply a given within their denomination, but what do they say if an example like the atheist comes up for discussion? Their response is quick and simple: "Oh, he was never really saved to begin with". It would seem to me that eternal security, at least in this type of example, is far from eternal, and certainly not very secure. If, as the Southern Baptists maintain, a person can be "mistaken" in their belief that they're saved, then what can we do to be sure we're really saved? Billy Graham suggests to the writer of the letter above: "If you are uncertain, decisively commit your life to Him now." I think that's good advice, and it's something we all should do on a regular basis. I've heard preachers say, "If a person has doubt about their Salvation and they keep going back to God asking to be saved, God will get upset with them." Bull. We seem to think that God is on some sort of limited work day and that if someone adds something else to his "in box" he'll get mad. I would guess that God appreciates a believer checking up on his Salvation now and then. What will you do if you get a flat tire today? The most common answer will be, "I'll put my spare tire on". That's exactly what my answer would be, but there's just one thing: Is my spare tire flat too? When is the last time you checked your spare? I've got 120,000 miles on my current truck and the spare's never been on the ground, so I don't really know if it's good or not. I should check up on it just like checking with God on the status of my Salvation. Some of you might think this is offensive to God, but listen to what God said in the words of Jesus Christ:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

You can slice it and dice it all you want, but we Christians serve a God who isn't buffaloed by empty words. This is where the rubber meets the road, and it's high time for moldy Christians to have a reality check. Get mad, write me angry emails, do whatever you feel that you need to do.....but once you're finished with your tirade, talk to God. He'll be glad to hear from you.