Wrapping It Up

 

Over the past six weeks I've posted blogs from several different authors but with a focus on the same theme, "How to Know That You Are Saved." Today I would like to conclude this 'series' with my own thoughts on this subject. I'll lead with some abstract thoughts and then I'll conclude with a quick scripture overview of 1 John:

1) Doubting your salvation. If you are doubting your own salvation this can actually be a sign that you are a believer, or at the very least, on a sincere path to discover God. The enemy is not in the business of causing unbelievers to think about the topic of salvation, and he is definitely not wanting you to start applying your doubts to this situation. To reiterate, this is not a fool-proof test, but in my experience this mostly applies to believers who are struggling in challenging seasons of their life. 

2) When is the last time God has spoken to you? I've found that this is a good indicator if you are a believer because of your decision to meditate on what God is saying to you through His Word, His People, and His Church. If you are not reading your Bible, meeting with a small group of dedicated believers, or attending a Bible-believing Church, I think you are at best far away from God and at the worst, not a child of God.

3) Do you pray for others to know Christ personally? If you are a believer, you will rejoice when confronted with news of someone's decision to follow Christ, and will pray for those in your life that you know aren't living a life of faith. 

4) Are their fruits of God's Spirit in your life? Do you see areas of your life where God is working, in particular character issues and/or patterns of sin that have held you captive in the past? If you are praying and asking God to help you live a better life so that you can influence and grow His Kingdom that is a good indicator that you are a child of God's. 

5) Finally, do you obey God? Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey me." Obedience and seeking to please God is a strong marker that God is working in your life as one of His children. And another characteristic of a child of God is someone who is at odds with this world and its values.

Curious to see where you stand? Post something about Jesus Christ being the only way to salvation and then step back and observe the fireworks. If you love this world, and you are seeking to fill your days with the pleasures of this reality, I encourage you to do a deep dive into the desires of your heart. Here is an insightful quote to illustrate this point, "The early Christians were not fed to wild beasts because they thought Jesus was a helpful life coach or role model." - Michael Horton

How Do You Know if You’re Really Saved? (Part III)

by Keith Fong

The Doubting

There is no more common question in the church than, “How do I know I’m a Christian?” It is a question surrounded by much fear, asked with much longing, bursting from a heart starved for hope. If you have asked that question, I have written this series on assurance of salvation especially for you. 

In part 1, I defined assurance of faith. In part 2, I spoke to the Dead and the Deceived. This post, part 3, is for the Doubting and the Delighted. 

If this is you, there are ten-thousand wonderful things to say to you. But the first is this: the character of God is steadfast love.

God is a Father who Loves His Children

God is the Father of all believers, and He desires them to be assured of His love. Why does He do this? Because He is our heavenly Father. As a perfect Father, He desires for His children to be assured of their salvation. He is not holding out of us, keeping us at arm’s length, afraid to get too close. He knows literally everything about you—past, present, and future. And He is involved in literally everything in your life. He is loving you, dear child of God, all the day and night. He accomplishes this through many means, but I will cover just three. 

How Do You Know if You’re Really Saved? (Part II)

by Keith Fong

In our last post, I defined assurance as knowing you know and believe the gospel, as confidence in the reality of your salvation. That means, when it comes to assurance, there are only four kinds of people: 

In this post, I’ll discuss the Dead and the Deceived. 

I. The Dead

The dead are unbelievers who do not believe and who know they do not believe. Self-aware unbelievers need to hear one thing: you  need to know Jesus Christ—that He lived, and He died, and He rose to save sinners. This the gospel message: 

God: He is Creator: holy, just, wise, Almighty, Sovereign. He rules and He reigns and deserves all your love and obedience.

Man: You are a sinner, accountable to Him and yet a rebel deserving His wrath. It is not simply that you have broken a few commands but you have utterly rejected Him as the Lord of glory. For such offenses, you deserve death.

Response: And now, seeing the helplessness of your own state, the irresistible delightfulness and beauty of this Savior, you turn from your sin (that’s called repentance) cast yourself on His mercy (that’s called faith) to save your soul. Salvation is by grace alone (a free gift) alone, achieved by Christ alone (His finished work), received by faith alone (not your good works).

You must believe/trust/depend in this Savior. Knowing stories about Jesus is not enough. Living according to Christian morals is not enough. Being friends with Christians is not enough. Going to church will not save you. Jesus, the Savior, must save you. 

You can be forgiven not by becoming a better person, but by making your good outweigh your bad but simply by trusting/believing/having faith that Jesus death is enough. Christ came for sinners. That’s what every dead sinner must hear and must believe to be saved! 

How Do You Know if You’re Really Saved? (Part I)

by Keith Fong

I’ve been going to church before I was even born. While I was growing up, my parents took me to the same church every Sunday all the way until I moved out for college. And as I grew up going to church, I doubted my salvation constantly. Most Sundays, at the end of the sermon, my pastor would invite any unbelievers in the congregation to pray a prayer with him—a prayer of salvation—asking Jesus into their heart. I would always pray that prayer, just in case the last time “hadn’t worked.” 

But no matter how many times I prayed, and how earnestly I prayed it, if I was honest, I had no peace. Did it work that time? How could I know if I was really saved? I knew Jesus was a real person, that He really rose from the dead, but was I real? Was I really a Christian?