HOW CAN I KNOW IF I AM SAVED?
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| 1. |
Romans
8:16 tells us: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God:" First and foremost, we have the
unshakable testimony from within us! The indwelling Holy Spirit
of God constantly reassures us that we belong to Jesus Christ.
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| 2. |
The
entire book of First John was written as a "test" for determining
the reality of salvation. Verse three of Chapter one tells us: "That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father,
and with his Son Jesus Christ." The fellowship enjoyed by genuine
Christians is proof positive of salvation. Those who claim Christ,
but yet rarely attend church to worship God and associate with other
believers, are possibly fooling themselves! A backslidden Christian
can stay out of church and away from other believers, but I can
guarantee you from first-hand experience that there will never be
a time when you will be comfortable with it! On the other side of
the coin, verse 8 teaches us that if we deny the existence of sin
within us, the Truth is not in us. Verse 3 of Chapter two teaches
us that we are genuine and growing in grace and knowledge of Christ,
if we keep His commandments. Verse 10 teaches us that we are of
Christ if we love the brethren. Verse 15 teaches us that if anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. "Worldly
Christians" is almost a contradiction in terms and those who claim
Christ, but yet cling to the value system of this world - are suspect.
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| 3. |
1
John 5:13 informs us that the entire Book of 1 John was written
so that we can know that we possess eternal life in Christ. Do you
know for absolute certainty that, if you were to die tonight, you
would go to Heaven?
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| 4. |
The
Word of God teaches that the Bible is incomprehensible to the "natural
man"-the unsaved individual. It is a spiritual book and the unsaved
person is not only spiritually blind, but 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells
us that he is incapable of knowing that which is spiritually discerned.
Do you understand the Bible? Does it make sense to you and speak
to your heart? Does it convict you of your sin and teach you the
right way?
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| 5. |
The
Bible is very clear that an unregenerate individual will not seek
God (Romans 3:11). Are you painfully aware of your sinful nature
and cry out to God from your heart for forgiveness when you sin?
If so, this is one of the signs of having been born again.
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| 6. |
The
Bible says that an unregenerate individual is a slave of Satan and
incapable of doing anything about it (Ephesians 2:2). Have you been
able to turn your back upon this world and its sinful ways? Are
all of your close friends Christians? If you have been born again,
your unsaved friends will drop you like a bad habit! (Just as an
illustration, spray a small amount of "WD-40" lubricant on a surface
wet with water and watch how fast the water retreats! A genuine
dose of salvation is like the WD-40 where reprobate buddies are
concerned.)
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| 7. |
Do
you love--really love--Christians and would rather be with them
than anyone else? Can you meet a total stranger, find out that they
are a believer, and then have instant fellowship with them? Is there
"something" in your heart that draws you to them and establishes
a closeness which cannot be explained any other way? [We alluded
to this feature in Paragraph 2, above]
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| 8. |
Do
you actually enjoy giving to the Lord's work? Do you give generously
of your time, talent, and treasury?
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| 9. |
Do
you sin less now than you did prior to receiving Christ?
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| 10. |
Have
other people seen the "fruit of the Spirit" at work in your life?
That is, can they see genuine love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
etc., (Galatians 5:22), being wrought in and through you by God's
Holy Spirit? Do they sense that you are a different person from
the one you used to be?
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| 11. |
Have
you experienced persecution because of your faith in Christ? (Former
friends who back away because of your testimony for Christ, are
a subtle form of persecution).
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| 12. |
Are
you eagerly expecting and anticipating the any-moment return of
Jesus Christ for His Church?
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