Assurance of Faith

How do you know you’re a Christian?

So many times I've heard Christians wonder if they are really saved. Then they wonder if simply questioning their salvation means they were never saved to begin with. I admit, there have been times when I, myself, have wondered if I've taken my own salvation for granted. And I'm pretty sure I have.

I can't think of a scarier place to be than to "think" you've been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, but in actuality be destined for eternal separation from God. At least if someone openly rejects God and the work of His Son Jesus Christ he or she knows where they stand. To those who think it's impossible to say "I believe in Jesus" and still go to hell Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!'" Matthew 7:21-23.

Words by themselves are not enough to save. Jesus didn't come and tell his disciples "Just say that you believe in me and go live however you see fit." He said, "unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13:3. People are quick to accept a gospel of peace, love, forgiveness, mercy and I am very thankful that God is a good and loving God and that He is patient with me and willing to show His mercy and forgive my terrible, awful sins. But not as many people are willing to accept a gospel of repentance.

People do not want to think that there is anything wrong with them and they really don't like to be told what to do. They reject the counsel of health professionals who tell them they are overweight or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, etc. and that they will die soon if they do not change their lifestyles. It only makes sense that they also reject the message of one who tells them that they are sinners and will go to hell if they do not repent and follow Jesus.

It's no wonder that our sugar-coated gospel of "All you have to do is ask Jesus Christ into your heart" leaves so many American Christians feeling empty and wondering if they really are saved. But when you try to help them dismiss that fabrication and get them back to the truth, they cling to their old ideas like a security blanket. The problem is that people will go to great lengths to believe that they are ok without actually changing who they are or what they do. They don't want to hear the truth; they want to hear that they are going to be fine.

And when I say "people" dear Lord do not let me forget to include myself in that category. For I have lived the lie of thinking that I am better than some and therefore worthy of heaven. Only men such as myself are foolish enough to believe that measuring ourselves against worldly standards will tell me whether or not I am saved.

God knows better than that. He doesn't look at humanity and choose those who call themselves Christians and never murdered or robbed or raped or cheated or used foul language or had sex before marriage etc. He chooses those who repent from their old ways and follow Jesus.

Becoming a Christian is not simply a mental adjustment. It's also a behavioral adjustment. The Bible says this over and over again, but somehow we miss it. It doesn't get much clearer than in James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS." (emphasis added). James really hits the nail on the head: we are indeed deceived and don't know it. I can't believe how far off I have been. I've thought that just because I go to church every Sunday and read my Bible everyday it means that I am following God the right way. Not that there's anything wrong with any of these practices (I wish I actually read the Bible every day) but that's not what God's asked of me.If you're wondering whether or not you're really saved all you have to do is take the Word of God and examine yourself. 1 John 1:8-10 says that "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
So when Jesus says, "Repent" He is not talking about a one-time thing. We are to live lives of constant repentance. God has given us His Spirit to convict us of our sin (John 16:7-11). If we take time to listen, He will tell us where we have gone astray so that we can confess our sin and continue to repent and follow.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Not only is the gate narrow, but the path thereafter is also narrow. Our conversion is not a license to live our lives the way we want because God will forgive every sin anyway. It is the beginning of a life given wholly and entirely over to Him.

Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13,"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Do you want to know if you're saved? Ask yourself what you do when no one else is looking. If God is in you, He will work through you. I must ask myself, too: Am I bearing good fruit, or on Judgment Day will Jesus say "Away from me, I never knew you."

What an utterly devastating thing to hear at the end on that day of days: to live your entire life thinking that you're a "good Christian" and going to heaven only discover that the only one you were pleasing was yourself. Please, Lord let it not be so with me!