Does Someone Need to Accept the Trinity to be Saved?

[abcaines]

A bit explanation...

I was at a Young Life camp listening to a counselor explain to another camper about how Jesus' death on the cross payed for all sins ever committed and all sins to be committed. All of a sudden, I realized what it meant to believe on Christ as my Savior and have my sins forgiven. I had been hearing the Gospel for years but couldn't get my mind around it. It was as if the blinders were removed and the Gospel finally made sense to me. I received Christ at that point. This was in the summer of 1981.

It wasn't until 1983 when I was attending Bellevue Baptist Church and I saw a flyer from their servicemen's ministry which read in part, "Come worship Jesus." I asked why they worship Jesus, "Shouldn't we worship only God?" I said. The head of the ministry explained to me that Jesus IS God.

I had never heard of that before but I accepted what he said and have been a believer in the doctrine of the Trinity ever since.

Over the years I have come to understand why the Trinity is an essential doctrine. However, for the first couple years of my life as a believer, I never embraced it... I never gave any thought at all.

Was salvation actually withheld from me until I became a believer in the Trinity even though I had believed on the Lord for my salvation nearly two years prior?

 

[Bob H]

Yes

 

[abcaines]

Yes

Care to elaborate? Was I actually saved at the moment I said ok to the guy's explanation or when I believed?

 

[Bob H]

Being ignorant of the doctrine is one thing. Denying it is another.

 

[abcaines]

Being ignorant of the doctrine is one thing. Denying it is another.

Fair enough. Suppose I had fallen in with JWs instead of Baptists. What then?

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

We’ve had a couple of semi-elderly JW ladies stopping by our house on about a monthly basis. They started out really trying to proselytize to my wife, but being more on the shy side, they didn’t get far with her. I, on the other hand, haven’t minded engaging them for a few minutes each visit.

Before conversing with them in the past few months, I didn’t really know much about Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I have learned a major doctrinal difference between a Baptist and a JW is the Trinity.

I will admit that a few weeks ago I made a comment to my wife about the fact that I would find it difficult to believe that God would allow these two sweet, fervent ladies to burn in hell for eternity just because they have a different interpretation of the Bible. My wife, on the other hand, said my comment wasn’t scripturally accurate. Technically, she’s correct, but realistically, I believe only God knows these matters. I’d never want to be a JW, but like many of them, I’m a product of my environment, which is Baptist. If I had been born and bred JW, I’d probably be typing away on a JW forum right now instead of the Fundamental Forums.

 

[Ransom]

Was salvation actually withheld from me until I became a believer in the Trinity even though I had believed on the Lord for my salvation nearly two years prior?

No, because perfect theological knowledge isn't a prerequisite to salvation.

But once you are taught properly about the Trinity, if you reject it, other Christians might have legitimate questions about your obedience.

 

[Ekklesian]

A bit explanation...

I was at a Young Life camp listening to a counselor explain to another camper about how Jesus' death on the cross payed for all sins ever committed and all sins to be committed. All of a sudden, I realized what it meant to believe on Christ as my Savior and have my sins forgiven. I had been hearing the Gospel for years but couldn't get my mind around it. It was as if the blinders were removed and the Gospel finally made sense to me. I received Christ at that point. This was in the summer of 1981.

It wasn't until 1983 when I was attending Bellevue Baptist Church and I saw a flyer from their servicemen's ministry which read in part, "Come worship Jesus." I asked why they worship Jesus, "Shouldn't we worship only God?" I said. The head of the ministry explained to me that Jesus IS God.

I had never heard of that before but I accepted what he said and have been a believer in the doctrine of the Trinity ever since.

Over the years I have come to understand why the Trinity is an essential doctrine. However, for the first couple years of my life as a believer, I never embraced it... I never gave any thought at all.

Was salvation actually withheld from me until I became a believer in the Trinity even though I had believed on the Lord for my salvation nearly two years prior?

No. It is a Person that saves, not a doctrine. You believed that Jesus is, and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, despite the cloudy glass through which you were seeing Him.

And even though you now know the name (not names) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, you're still looking at Him through cloudy glass, He's just a little bit closer, that's all. We are all still so far away from seeing Him as He is that it renders trust in our own perceptions to be a vain pursuit. Our trust must be in Him, and in His power to save alone.

 

[Ekklesian]

I will admit that a few weeks ago I made a comment to my wife about the fact that I would find it difficult to believe that God would allow these two sweet, fervent ladies to burn in hell for eternity just because they have a different interpretation of the Bible. My wife, on the other hand, said my comment wasn’t scripturally accurate. Technically, she’s correct, but realistically, I believe only God knows these matters. I’d never want to be a JW, but like many of them, I’m a product of my environment, which is Baptist. If I had been born and bred JW, I’d probably be typing away on a JW forum right now instead of the Fundamental Forums.

I believe God has elect in every erroneous faction that names Christ. I think, however, that in most cases, if not all, He will bring them out eventually.

You are right to marginalize the role of your nurturing and your own understanding, though you should be thankful for it. We are never saved through orthodoxy. It is always through faith. Israel had the orthodoxy, and yet:

I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.​

​

Salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. - Romans 9:16

 

[AverageJoe]

A bit explanation...

I was at a Young Life camp listening to a counselor explain to another camper about how Jesus' death on the cross payed for all sins ever committed and all sins to be committed. All of a sudden, I realized what it meant to believe on Christ as my Savior and have my sins forgiven. I had been hearing the Gospel for years but couldn't get my mind around it. It was as if the blinders were removed and the Gospel finally made sense to me. I received Christ at that point. This was in the summer of 1981.

It wasn't until 1983 when I was attending Bellevue Baptist Church and I saw a flyer from their servicemen's ministry which read in part, "Come worship Jesus." I asked why they worship Jesus, "Shouldn't we worship only God?" I said. The head of the ministry explained to me that Jesus IS God.

I had never heard of that before but I accepted what he said and have been a believer in the doctrine of the Trinity ever since.

Over the years I have come to understand why the Trinity is an essential doctrine. However, for the first couple years of my life as a believer, I never embraced it... I never gave any thought at all.

Was salvation actually withheld from me until I became a believer in the Trinity even though I had believed on the Lord for my salvation nearly two years prior?

No. One doesn't have to totally understand salvation, the Trinity, God and his attributes, etc, to be saved. Anyone who tells you different only need take a look at the thief on the cross, the Philippian jailer, and any other number of testimonies given in Scripture to see this.

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

No. One doesn't have to totally understand salvation, the Trinity, God and his attributes, etc, to be saved. Anyone who tells you different only need take a look at the thief on the cross, the Philippian jailer, and any other number of testimonies given in Scripture to see this.

Agreed…but how about someone who believes in nearly everything else in the Bible, but rejects the idea of the trinity, such as JW’s?

 

[Ransom]

Agreed…but how about someone who believes in nearly everything else in the Bible, but rejects the idea of the trinity, such as JW’s?

JWs are not merely ignorant of the truth. They know the truth, and they reject it for an idol fo their own making.

 

[Bob H]

Fair enough. Suppose I had fallen in with JWs instead of Baptists. What then?

But ya didn't..... God is good

 

[ALAYMAN]

I wrestled with the concept of Christology for a short time after I was first saved because I was only a babe in Christ I’m not exposed to the truths of Christianity at all, and ignorant of the word. I didn’t understand Christ’s equality with God the Father and Spirit until I heard the word of God in a more full orbed sense, but once I heard the explanation of who Christ is in His complete eternality and divinity I accepted that truth.

 

[abcaines]

I started this thread because of the trinitarian debate going on in the other thread.

I do frequently ponder my conversion in light of my Christology at the time. I understood the importance of a proper view of who Christ is very quickly after I began to be discipled. Seriously, how much Christology can a person handle when they are just coming to terms with their own sin?

I fully believe my conversion happened in June of 1981 though for a lot of years I pointed to March of 1983. The reason why I began pointing to the earlier date is because of what I have come to realize is the work of the Holy Spirit. First, the way my eyes were opened in an instant when I had not been able to grasp the concept of the Gospel prior, is the primary evidence of His working. Next, though I was not receiving any consistent training in the Word, I suddenly had a basic understanding that I had not had before. I remember hearing an excerpt from a sermon preached by Billy Graham and though I still thought of him as a religious nut, I had to confess he was making sense. Then, when I finally heard consistent teaching from the Word prior to March of 83, it was alive... it struck a chord with me. Stuff that only the Holy Spirit can do in a person. My immediate acceptance of "Jesus IS God" could have only come from the Holy Spirit.

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

I believe God has elect in every erroneous faction that names Christ. I think, however, that in most cases, if not all, He will bring them out eventually.

You’ll have to flesh this out a little bit more. JW’s reject Christ, yet Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet.

 

[Baptist Renegade]

Yes

Being ignorant of the doctrine is one thing. Denying it is another.

With your second comment, I think you corrected yourself. I believe that you must understand that Jesus is God, acknowledge his Lordship, and that God raised him from the Dead (Rom 10:9-13) but you do not have to understand all of the nuances of the doctrine of the Godhead.

I recall Curtis Hutson telling a story of a missionary leading some tribesman to the Lord and he was ecstatic about being saved but the next day, he came back to the missionary saying "What was his name again?" because he couldn't remember the name of Jesus! Perhaps there was some "Ecclesiastical Embellishment" in his story but it sure sounds plausible!

Bottom line is you can be ignorant about a good number of things and still be saved! I do not think you could truly be saved AND adamantly deny the trinity, the deity of Christ, or the exclusivity of Christ's substitutionary atonement!

I still believed in the "Theory of Evolution" after I was saved and even argued about it with this guy who was "mentoring" me shortly after becoming an IFB. He gave me the most brilliant argument that had me convinced: "Why not just believe the word of God that the world was created in 7 days?" I couldn't argue with that and from then on, I was a creationist!

 

[Bob H]

Bottom line is you can be ignorant about a good number of things and still be saved! I do not think you could truly be saved AND adamantly deny the trinity, the deity of Christ, or the exclusivity of Christ's substitutionary atonement!

That's pretty miuch what I said and meant. BTW, it's good to hear from you again my "old" FFF friend. Hope things are well with you and yours

 

[ALAYMAN]

You’ll have to flesh this out a little bit more. JW’s reject Christ, yet Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet.

Both reject Christ as the eternal Son of God, and both are lost.

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

 

[Ekklesian]

You’ll have to flesh this out a little bit more. JW’s reject Christ, yet Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet.

There's nothing to flesh out, unless it's the doctrine of election, which you evidently don't agree with.

First, they don't reject Christ per se, they reject His divinity. They still teach that Jesus died for sin, and was raised from the dead. They have a much better christology than the Muslims do.

Every 'Christian' cult rejects some truth about Christ, and teaches some wacky thing about Him, but that doesn't change His Person, and it doesn't shorten His arm. It's a Person that saves, not a doctrine.

I'm not saying the pews of the cults are filled with His elect, but He has some in them.