"HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE I AM SAVED?"
Often I am asked how a person is to really know that they are "saved." Salvation is the central theme of Scripture. Salvation is synonymous with Redemption, and tells the story of God reconciling fallen/sinful mankind unto Himself. Salvation speaks of complete forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness transforming a human spirit.
Here are some overview points of Salvation that Evangelical theologians generally agree on:
- Salvation is the most complicated subject in Holy Scripture.
- Salvation is available for anyone/everyone.
- Salvation is appropriated with simple access, through faith in Christ alone.
- Salvation is not to be reduced to a prayer or ceremony.
- Salvation does indeed happen in a moment and your salvation won’t be “lost”.
- Salvation is marked by a life of faith, constant until the end of their lives.
- Salvation is a posture of repentance and faith that begins in a “moment” but is “maintained” and “grows” for the rest of a person’s life.
On one hand salvation is the easiest thing to secure.
Acts 16:30-31 KJV [The Guard said] … Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And [Paul] said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and though shalt be saved…”
On the other hand, the following texts seem to steal away the comfort and confidence of one's salvation, creating anxiety around whether they are in or out when it comes to eternal security.
Matthew 7:17-29 NKJV Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor [can] a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
1 John 2:1-6 NKJV My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Luke 13:22-30 NKJV And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 "When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' 26 "then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' 27 "But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' 28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 "They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 "And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."
These scriptures can scare the heebee geebees out of people. What did Jesus mean? How do you reconcile these texts with others that are very simplistic? How do you know that a person's faith actually "took?" What if a person's life doesn't change; morally, ethically and emotionally? How do we judge if someone we know is saved, or playing religious games?
In 2014 I preached a series to help address this topic and help set hearts at peace. Below are the videos. You probably owe it to yourselves to put this question to rest so you can move on in a powerful intimacy with God.
One of my favorite books that addresses this topic is "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart" by JD Greear (click graphic below to view and order).
MESSAGES IN THE BREAK FREE SERIES:
I also did a series on Forgiveness that covers God's forgiveness of us, our forgiveness of ourselves and then our forgiveness of others. The titles linked below are correlated with each week video below the titles.
02 - How Does God FEEL When He Looks at Me?
03 - Introduction to Forgiving Others