How Do I Know That I Am Saved?
That's a great question, and I'm going to answer
it by referring to the Bible, because we'll always find the truth in
God's word.
We'll start with Romans 10:9, which says, "If you
confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Not, "You might be
saved," or "You could be saved." But, "You will be saved."
What does it mean to believe in your heart? Well,
it's more than just an intellectual thing. It's more than just saying
Jesus was a great teacher or even saying that Jesus was God's Son. To
believe means to trust him with your life, to give him your heart and
soul, to be willing to follow him for the rest of your life.
The verse also says we should "confess" that
Jesus is Lord. That simply means telling others that you follow Jesus.
Now, telling people about Jesus doesn't make you a Christian, but it is
evidence that you are a Christian.
Another good verse is Ephesians 2:8, which says,
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith." You can't earn
salvation. That's what "grace" means. It's God's unmerited favor. You
cannot earn God's love. It's not for sale. It's a gift he wants to give
you. And it's a gift you accept through faith, and faith alone.
Now turn to Revelation 3:20, where Jesus says, "I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Ask yourself,
"Have I opened the door and invited Jesus into my life?" He promises
that if we invite him in, he will come in. And if you've taken that
step, you can know that you're saved. (See 1 John 5:11-12.)
People sometimes get confused because they base
their faith on their feelings. I think "feel" is one of the most
dangerous words in Christianity. Our feelings can be affected by
circumstances, by our health, by the humidity, by how much sunlight we
get. A lot of things affect your feelings that have nothing do with
whether or not you are a Christian. You are a Christian based not on
your feelings, but on the promises of Jesus and the words of Scripture,
period.
Finally, look at John 10:27-29, where Jesus says
that no one can snatch us out of his hand. That's the punch line. We are
in Jesus' grip of love and faithfulness, and his grip is so strong,
there isn't anything that could get us out of that grip.
Dawson McAllister is a popular youth speaker with Shepherd
Ministries.