Are All Believers in Jesus Presenting the Same Salvation Message?

By Deanna Huff, Th.M., Ph.D. | July 7, 2024

Paul warns Christians in Galatians 1:8, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” In light of this passage, I watched a pastor recently claim that if all believers in Jesus shared the gospel with three people who have never heard it over the next ten years, then the whole world could be reached for Christ. He is calling all believers in Jesus to unite for the sake of the Great Commission. Who are all believers in Jesus? He described all believers in Jesus as people of different denominations and organizations who believe in one God, believe in the Trinity, and believe Jesus died and rose again and is the Son of God. On the surface, this seems good, but do all believers in Jesus attest to the biblical salvation plan? Can all believers in Jesus unite to share the gospel if different salvific plans are presented? We should take heed of the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” All believers in Jesus cannot unite for the Great Commission of spreading the salvation message if the message is unbiblical.

False Beliefs

The Bible provides a reference point for an accurate picture of Jesus, salvation, and His followers. He warned his disciples that people would rise and mislead. From the beginning pages of the Bible, Adam and Eve were deceived. Satan distorted the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4-5, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” And Paul warns the church in Ephesus in Acts 20:29-31, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert.”

Shared Beliefs Don’t Indicate Same Team

The pastor mentioned earlier argued that if all believers in Jesus believe in one God, believe in the Trinity, and believe Jesus is the Son of God, then everyone can be on the same page. Although these statements are true of Jesus, they are not necessarily what unites all believers in Jesus. The Bible reveals that even the demons believe these things about Jesus. Consider the words of James 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” Another example can be observed between Jesus and the demons in Matthew 8:29. It states, “And they (the demons) cried out, saying, ‘What business do we have with each other, Son of God?’” Further in Luke 4:33, an unclean demon cried out to Jesus, “In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’” Satan himself believes in God and aspires to be like God. These examples indicate that belief in the claims of Jesus does not imply everyone is on the same team and are working toward the same end.

Shared Biblical Beliefs in the Way of Salvation

Different faiths and organizations can share beliefs and work for the good of a community in areas such as pro-family advancements, feeding the hungry, restoring education, and so on. However, the Great Commission is about Christian believers sharing the way of salvation with unbelievers. It is the message of faith alone in Christ. Martin Luther was clear in the matter: “The righteous shall live by faith.”[1] If the message of salvation deviates from the biblical salvation of Jesus, then all believers in Jesus are not on the same page. They cannot advance together if they have differing messages.

Jesus did pray in John 17:20 that his followers would be one and that unity comes in alignment with the Bible. Jesus indicates this unity in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in truth, for your Word is truth.” If there are people who say they follow Jesus but present different salvation paths, then they are two different salvations.

Jesus said the way of salvation comes through being born again, which involves repentance and faith in Him. In John 3:3, Jesus states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus reveals that man must be born again from above spiritually. People are first born into the sin of Adam. All people fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). People are dead in their sins but can be made alive in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

All believers in Jesus do not follow the biblical way of salvation. We knew this would happen because Jesus warned his people that false teachings would creep into the church to mislead many. The claims to believe in one God, believe in the Trinity, believe Jesus died, rose again, and is the Son of God are all significant, but if someone is calling people to unify to share in the Great Commission and some are presenting a different salvation then we must part ways to follow the way of the Bible. We can work together on many projects with different faiths to revitalize our city, but we cannot join hands for the Great Commission in sharing Christ with the world. Hebrews 10:10 states, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

About the Author

Deanna Huff, Th.M., Ph.D.: Associate Vice President of Spiritual Care and Outreach, Assistant Editor, Publisher, and Contributor

She has been teaching and training for the last twenty-five years equipping people to know their Christian faith and share it with others. Deanna has led many seminars for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Ladies Retreat, and the State Evangelism Conference. She taught high school students for ten years at Christian Heritage Academy, in Bible, Universal History, Apologetics and Philosophy. Deanna earned a Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. She holds a Master of Theology in Apologetics and Worldview from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma.

Deanna is an active member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church where she participates with her pastor in a worldview podcast called The Analysis. She also participates with her daughter in a podcast called but why should i care. She and her husband teach an adult Sunday school class discipling others in the faith.

Notes

[1] Editors of Christian History Magazine, ed., 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2000), 34.