Grace in Focus — "How Can We Know if Someone Else is Saved?"

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Grace Evangelical Society (Philippe Sterling, Sam Maher)
Episode Length: ~13 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Philippe Sterling and Sam Maher tackle a foundational question in Free Grace theology: Is there any way to know if someone else is saved? Using the Epistle to the Galatians as a lens, they examine common assumptions about assurance, the relationship between belief and works, and the proper pastoral response to believers who may not always reflect their faith in outward behavior. The discussion emphasizes keeping grace at the forefront of community life and pastoral care.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question and the Galatians Example

• Listener asks: How can we assess if someone else is truly saved, especially when erroneous beliefs or behaviors are present, using the Galatians as an example? (00:54)
  • Galatians church included people misled by legalistic teachings, yet Paul addresses them as believers.

2. The Simple Criterion for Salvation

• Salvation is by faith alone.
  • "The only criterion for having everlasting life is simply believing the promise of Jesus for it. And the only criterion that we have in conversation with someone concerning that is simply their assertion of it." — Philippe Sterling (01:46)
  • Assurance is based on a person's testimony of faith, not their current behavior or growth.

3. Groups in Galatia: Legalistic Beliefs and Their Implications

• Two groups among the Galatian church:
  • Group 1: Claimed one must follow the law for everlasting life.
  • Group 2: Accepted faith for salvation but insisted on law-keeping (e.g., circumcision) for fellowship with God.
  • Both positions are incorrect; salvation remains based on faith alone, and legalism misapplies freedom in Christ.
    (03:54-05:33)

4. Fruit and Assurance: Not Our Role to Judge

• Works or lack thereof are not proof of salvation.
  • “That’s a determination that is never our responsibility to make... There’s no fruit or lack thereof that is a determiner of whether somebody has believed or not.” — Philippe Sterling (07:05)
• Community response: If someone falls into sin, restore them with humility—not as a judgment of their salvation, but out of love and care (07:05-09:09).

5. Pastoral Practice and Church Discipline

• Pastors should not question a person’s salvation on the basis of performance or participation.
  • Philippe Sterling shares from pastoral experience: “It’s never been my responsibility to ever make the determination individually or corporately saying, you all must not be believers or you must not be a believer because you’ve not engaged properly in the support of the church or in the service of the church...” (07:05-09:09)

6. Sharing the Gospel: Our Role vs. God’s Role

• We plant and water; God brings growth.
  • “So we help plant the seeds, we help water the seeds, but we have no part in the growth...” (09:43)
  • Our job is not to continually question another's faith after they confess belief, but to move forward in discipling them (10:16).

7. On Assurance: A Message of Hope

• Constantly questioning others’ salvation is counterproductive and depressing.
  • “I think assurance that we can feel for ourselves, I think that’s a blessing that God gives among believers...” (11:49)
  • Believers should trust others’ testimonies of faith and focus on community, discipleship, and restoration—not suspicion.

8. Practical Application: Living Out Grace

• If we see a fellow believer straying, the response is loving restoration, never condemnation regarding their status before God (11:08-11:49).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The only criterion for having everlasting life is simply believing the promise of Jesus for it.”
  — Philippe Sterling [01:46]

• “There’s no fruit or lack thereof that is a determiner of whether somebody has believed or not.”
  — Philippe Sterling [07:05]

• “It is never... my responsibility to ever make the determination individually or corporately saying, ‘You must not be believers because you have not engaged properly in the support of the church or in the service of the church.’”
  — Philippe Sterling [07:05-09:09]

• “We plant the seeds, we water the seeds, but we have no part in the growth, the actual growing of the plant or the fruit.”
  — Unidentified Host [09:43]

• “If they say, ‘I believe that I have everlasting life because Jesus is the Christ and he promises everlasting life,’ then I believe you. I don’t have a reason to not believe you.”
  — Unidentified Host [10:16]

• “A life of constantly questioning, ‘Do these people believe?... Are they really gonna go be with the Lord for eternity? Are they gonna go to hell?’ — I think is miserable. I think that’s depressing. I think assurance... is a blessing.”
  — Unidentified Host [11:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:54 — Introduction of listener question and context from Galatians
• 01:46 — Main criterion for assurance in others: their stated faith
• 03:54 — Groups in Galatia and modern parallels
• 05:33 — Christian liberty and walking by the Spirit
• 07:05 — Fruit, assurance, and the limits of pastoral responsibility
• 09:43 — Our role: planting, watering, not determining salvation
• 10:16 — Move from questioning to discipleship
• 11:08 — Proper church response to a straying believer
• 11:49 — Assurance in the church is a blessing, not a burden

Conclusion

This episode underscores a distinctively Free Grace approach: We cannot determine anyone else’s salvation based on performance, fruit, or ongoing belief; rather, we trust their testimony of faith in Christ. The call is to focus on grace, discipleship, humility, and hope—resisting the temptation to act as arbiters of another's eternal destiny.