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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
Many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in t...
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Singapore Moses
Supporter
The salvation is both a present reality and a future prospect. Apostle John writes, "We KNOW that we have passed from death to life" and "We KNOW that we are of God" (1 Jn 3:14; 5:19). When you receive Christ and believe on Him you are given the right to become a child of God (Jn 1:12). You are saved (Acts 16:31). Your sins are forgiven and you are washed by the blood of Jesus (Rev 1:5). This assurance is yours by the Holy Spirit. He bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God (Rom 8:16). For this purpose He primarily employs the written Word of God (Jn 20:31). There will be certain positive indications when a person is saved. The guilt is gone and there is the joy of Salvation. A new love for God and His Word is born. Prayer becomes a delight. A desire to live holy is manifest. The very outlook on life is changed. Fellowship with the children of God is pleasant. A burden for the salvation of others is usually felt. These things may not manifest to the full measure, but as a newborn child you will start growing in these things. Salvation actually belongs to three tenses. Salvation past is deliverance from the penalty of sin (Rom 6:23). Salvation present is deliverance from the power of sin (Rom 6:14). And salvation future is deliverance from the very presence of sin (Rev 21:27). Salvation today is not absence of temptations. Therefore don't be alarmed at the increasing measure of temptations. Temptation is not sin, only yielding to temptation is. The devil is a liar (Jn 8:44). Turn a deaf ear to him. Suppose you fall in a temptation he will immediately whisper that you are no more a child of God (Rom 8:33,34). But remember you don't lose your sonship if you sin. Only the fellowship with God is affected. Confess the sin and be cleansed at once (1 Jn 1:7-9). You are safe and secure in the hands of God. No one can snatch you away (Jn 10:28,29). Rejoice in the Lord!
Galen Smith
Supporter
Although some people claim that we can never know for sure we are saved until we pass God’s future judgment, Scripture says we can be confident we are saved. In fact, the Apostle John even wrote his first letter to help folks know they are saved. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so you may know that you have eternal life.” There are two common ways to tell whether or not you are saved. One is to look at the evidence of your life to see whether it measures up to the scriptural expectations of those who are saved. There are certain evidences that should help confirm our salvation. Perhaps the greatest concentration of them is found in 1 John, so here is a list of those: 1 John 1:6-7; 1 John 2:3-5a; 1 John 2:5b-6; 1 John 2:9-11; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 2:23; 1 John 3:6; 1 John 3:9-10; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:7-8; 1 John 4:13; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 5:4; 1 John 5:11-12; 1 John 5:18. If we walk (or live) in the light, obey God’s commands, love other believers, do not love the world systems, do not continually keep sinning, acknowledge the Son, overcome the world and believe Jesus is God’s Son and the Messiah, then we have good indication that we are saved. Other evidences are found throughout the New Testament. The difficulty with this method is knowing to what degree we need to meet these standards. Since none of us does so perfectly, how well must we do at them? Scripture does not tell us that. The second method is not so much evidential as it is subjective. We must first understand how the Bible tells us we can be saved, and then we examine ourselves to see whether we meet the requirements for salvation. Very simply, the Bible says all people have sinned, and sin separates them from the holy God. Furthermore, if sin is not dealt with, it results in eternal punishment. Unfortunately, people are totally incapable of doing anything to remedy this situation. But God’s plan was to send his Son to this earth to become human like us, and to remedy our awful situation. Since Jesus was perfect and never sinned, he did not need to be punished for his own sin (he had none). That made him a perfect substitute for us. The Bible says Jesus took upon himself the responsibility for our sin, and when he died on the cross he was punished in our place. His death on our behalf satisfied God’s holy judgment, and as evidence of this Jesus was raised from the grave. Because he paid the penalty for our sin, we now have the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift, the only condition being that we believe in Jesus Christ and the saving work he accomplished for us. By trusting in him to save us, and not in our own goodness or noble efforts (which all fall short), we receive the salvation he died to provide for us. So, if we wish to know if we are saved, we look inwardly and ask, “Am I trusting fully in Christ and his work on my behalf?” If so, then based upon the promise of God we can know we are saved. Comparing these two methods, it seems to me that the second is perhaps better for assessing our own standing before God, whereas the evidential method is probably best for assessing the salvation of others. However, both can be useful in gaining confidence that we are saved.
Andy Mangus
Supporter
My very short answer is this: Read, study, meditate and absorb God's Holy Word! Learn His eternal Truth! Spend time being "in the arms of our Lord and Savior, resting IN His Blessed assurance found ONLY IN the Promises of our "Father whom art in Heaven"! God's promises are Holy, Righteous and Just! Spend time with our blessed Savior in prayer, word and direction found only IN HIS book of Life...The Very Word of God! "His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a delight unto my soul!" JESUS CHRIST is sitting at the right hand of Our Father in Heaven watching over you and hearing your prayers, knowing all of your circumstances and "will guide, guard and direct your very pathways unto all Truth by you asking by faith in prayer IN HIS NAME! "....IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST our Lord, I pray! AMEN! "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine..oh what a forethought His Glory Divine!" (Old Gospel Hymn) "Jesus loves me, this I know! For The Bible tells me so..." (Old Sunday school hymn) ***Very appropriate, for we are all God's children! And we all need to tell God daily how so very much we love Him!*** "Praise God that He provided a Savior! And, His name is Jesus Christ!" ~~Andy~~
Kelly Yochum
Supporter
How can I be sure of my Salvation? Have I admitted that I am a sinner? Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:20, 23 KJV Have I admitted the need for Jesus Sacrifice on the Cross to Save me? Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Romans 3:25 KJV Have I professed my belief before man(kind)? That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 10:9-11 KJV If I can answer "yes" to these questions, then I KNOW I have Salvation. Now what? Baptism. While some argue that baptism is unnecessary, I ask this: Was Christ baptized? In the New Testament, was anyone NOT immediately baptized, including Paul? The "Thief on the cross" was still saved under the Old Testament. Heb 9: 16-17 I cannot, by Faith, tell someone baptism is not necessary. Further, most, if not all, people that claim this, are baptized. Knowing that I am Saved, by GOD'S Grace, through Faith, I know I can come to HIM as a son, and, HE Will help me, even with doubts. Read HIS Word; Pray Always, and Walk through this life no matter your circumstance, in Assurance that What awaits us is beyond imagination. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:1-7 KJV
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
When I was in high school and had another friend on our football team, we were both interested in watching a professional football team. Our dads were pilots, so one time they rented a four-seater private plane, and we flew from Scottsdale, Arizona, to San Diego, California to watch a pro football game. The flight over was BUMPY! And scary! That was partly because it was over the Rocky Mountains or some similarly high mountains. Dr. J. Vernon McGee relates a similar story: “A very simple and homely illustration will show that God wants us to enjoy and be assured of our salvation. Traveling by air is something I do only in an emergency. Candidly, I have never enjoyed an airplane trip; I lack assurance and confidence in this method of travel. Pictures of train wrecks and statistics of highway fatalities do not increase my relish for air travel. “A trip from Los Angeles, California, to Phoenix, Arizona, only made matters worse. On the way over and on the way back, the trip to me was hazardous. It was a summer Saturday morning on the way over. The intense heat of the desert was threading its way into the cool fog of Southern California between the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio mountains. The plane hit rough air and began to bounce around. Then the pilot found that the higher he went, the rougher it got; he leveled off and went through the pass at what appeared to be about 10,000 feet. At times, the plane would drop, and it seemed to me that it would never stop. I grabbed the seat in front of me and held on for dear life. Of course, the seat in front of me was dropping just at fast as the one in which I was sitting! A fellow traveler aboard, who had been around the world by air several times, stated that this was the roughest trip he had ever experienced. I concurred with him thoroughly, for it surely was my roughest trip — and, as I felt then, my last trip by air. “Across the aisle from me sat a man who was a former pilot. He was asleep by the time the plane took to the air. He was merely annoyed at all the disturbance and turned over and went back to sleep. He had flown many missions over Germany during World War II. When we landed and commented on the rough trip, he simply smiled and confessed that he had enjoyed it all. Frankly, I did not enjoy one minute of it. “Now, I was as safe as that man. Whatever security the plane offered was mine as well as his. We both had faith enough to enter the plane, but he had the faith, understanding, and experience to enjoy the trip. He had assurance, but I did not. What could have been a pleasant experience for me was a sad ordeal! “My friend, God wants you to enjoy your salvation. His “plane” cannot fall, and you do not have to hold on to the seat in front of you. He holds you! “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29) “He never lets go. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your salvation. Someone has said, ‘All the way to heaven is heaven.’”
Mark Vestal
Supporter
God requires perfection in order to be in His presence. Have you lived a righteous enough life for God? Have you done enough 'good' in your lifetime to be accepted by Him? Have you truly removed ALL sin from your life in order to please God? Whatever level of righteousness that you consider yourself to have, or lack thereof, there is a truth that requires your belief in order to please Him: Jesus Christ lived the righteous and perfect life for you. He then gave His perfect life to be the sufficient payment to God for the forgiveness of all of your sin debt. Although Christ was dead and buried, God raised Him from the tomb on the third day, and left our sins, imperfection and death behind. He did this all for you, so that you too may have a new and eternal life in Him by simply believing this good news. Do you believe in Christ's payment for you, or do you believe that it will be by your efforts that God will redeem you? It is when you believe that it was by the completed work of Jesus Christ and because of God's love for you that you are then saved. You have been purchased by Him for eternity. You are accounted as the righteousness of God in Christ upon belief, and sealed with the holy Spirit of promise until Christ comes to redeem His purchased possession. You are a joint-heir with Christ and have been gifted all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. You have been promised to receive a new and glorified body, and to be reunited with fellow believers someday in the clouds. Your new spiritual identity in Christ allows the Spirit of God to guide you in the remainder of this life through God's written Word. You now have the authority to work for God and share this wonderful news with others as a minister of reconciliation. When you remove the burden of living a life of perfection and without sin, and place your faith on Jesus Christ performing that life and payment of sin for you, you receive God's free unmerited gift of salvation. It is through the perfect life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that God wants you to place your faith in (not yourself). Living a life more righteously for God comes from the truth in His love for you that believers see in Christ on the cross.
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