The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Doctrinal pride and cold formalism

Where do you draw the line as in When is a person actually saved? While I was reading through the earlier posts in the thread I was thinking that it didn't match up biblically to expect a person to be up on doctrine to be saved. The woman at the well had a pretty good handle on current theology--as do most atheists and intellectual, er, agnostics?--but she wasn't saved until she actually met Christ and believed him. The Holy Spirit moves a person to Salvation--often in spite of the best efforts of a person or Church. That person believes--or not. (I never could get past that petal on the much maligned tulip.) And most of the aforementioned unsaved theologians have studied up so they can bash Christians making them tough nuts to crack.

That said once they do experience salvation, they're saved. Not that my opinion is going to matter that much when it comes down to sorting sheep from goats, but there you have it.

I think that its also pretty normal to see a newly minted Christian ready to take in the Word of God with both hands. Good doctrine, discipleship and all that too--if not there's a problem.