Today we are continuing with the question of how do we know we are saved? If you wonder if you are saved or not, the Bible gives us some clear indications. In the previous posts of this series we discussed how a person is saved and what happens when we are saved. One of the first questions to ask yourself is “has there been a change in your life?” If there hasn’t been, go to God and ask Him to reveal those things that are keeping you from Him. Then ask Him to forgive you of your sins and accept the grace He has offered to you. In the previous post, we discussed the assurances and promises God has provided for His children, for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Now we look at those red flags to watch out for in ourselves. This is not about judging others but looking into ourselves to see if that change from salvation has taken place and to discern any falsehoods that are being taught in this world (which I have written about in the past). So let’s dive in!
1 John 2:21-25
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
John’s first letter to the church lays out what the traits are of a believer and what is not. This is the heart of every believer; knowing the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, who gave Himself as a ransom for us, paid for our sins through dying on the cross, who rose from the dead, and lives. Praise God for that! Whoever does not believe denies this truth.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
God’s word is full of power. It convicts us and it saves us. It shows us wisdom and righteousness. Many do not believe the word because it reveals the darkness in them. Many try to steer you away from the truth. Many are blinded by the world and the devil and choose not to believe and seek for self satisfaction.
1 John 2:9-11
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Jesus said that the world will know we are His disciples if we love one another. When asked what the greatest commandment was, He said to love God and love others. The love that we show demonstrates that we are His and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. When we are saved, there is a change in our heart. The Bible says we are to forgive as we have been forgiven. We have the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22). Our heart is where our treasure is.
1 John 3:16-21
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
Many say they are Christians, but do not show it. Jesus tells us there will be sheep in wolves’ clothing and tares among wheat. In other words, being part of a church does not save you. Doing good deeds does not save you. This almost contradicts what I have been saying, but God knows our hearts and it is where our heart is that will determine if we are saved or not. Are we doing these things to try to earn favor with God or with people? Or are we doing the things God wants us to do because we love Him with all our heart and have that desire in our hearts to do good works for His glory?
Matthew 7:21-27
“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. 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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
This always used to be a hard one for me. If all these people do great things, how do I know I am saved? But notice their responses. It was all about what they did. It wasn’t about a relationship with Christ, which is clear when Jesus said I never knew you. Jesus is concerned with your heart. Salvation is through Him and Him alone. It is what He did on the cross and in the tomb that brings us to salvation. It is His grace through our faith in Him that saves us, not anything we did to earn it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
We are saved by grace. God’s gift to us. God promised eternal life to all who believe. In the next post we will discuss more on how we know without a doubt we are saved. Have a blessed day and see you then!
My Daily Scriptures 