ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

[KiwiChristian]

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

 

 

I think one of the questions most Christians ask themselves at least once in their lives is “am I saved?”. I know I have asked that very same question a lot more than once.

 

A good answer may look something like this:

 

Let's say that we are on a 20-foot boat out in the ocean. We are sailing along when we notice two men in the water. There is no other boat around, so it is obvious these two men are in trouble. We take a life preserver, tie it to a rope, and throw it to them. It lands just a few feet short. We start yelling and yelling for them to grab the life preserver, so we can pull them in. "Come on," we yell. "Grab it! Grab it!" One of the men, exhausted, reaches out his arm for the life preserver but falls short. "Grab it!"we yell again. He reaches again, and his arm plops down in the water from fatigue. The waves slap his face, but he tries again. The other man is simply floating face down in the water. He isn't struggling at all. But, the first man is trying for that life preserver. He is fighting against the ocean, the wind, and the waves, all which are greater than he is. That is when I ask the person, "Which one of the two men in the water is alive?" Always, the response is, "The one reaching for the life preserver." "Right," I say. "He is struggling for life. Dead people don't struggle for life . . . and spiritually dead people do not struggle against their sin. Only those who are dead, who have no life in them, do not struggle. The fact that you are struggling against your sin is one very good sign that you are very much alive in Christ. If you were not struggling at all, then it might be true that you weren't saved. But, since you war against your sins, then it sure sounds like you're saved to me." 

 

I have only recently discovered this analogy and it has been a huge blessing for me.

 

However. 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 the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these thing CAN be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.

 

 

II Timothy 1 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

I John 5 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

The keys words are that “ye may know that ye have eternal life”

 

 

 

 

Many Christians base their assurance of salvation upon personal FEELINGS.

 

The problem with this is that your feelings change.

 

One day you may feel saved. The next day due to circumstances, you may NOT feel saved.

 

You have something MORE than feelings to go by – the unchanging WORD OF GOD:

 

1 John 5: 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 

There Are THREE grounds for your assurance:

 

• The Person of GOD

 

–       Titus 1: 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; GOD CANNOT LIE – That settles that!

 

• The Promises of GOD

 

–       John 5: 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

–       John 6: 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

–       Romans 10: 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

 

• The Presence of GOD

 

–       Romans 5: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. God gives us His HOLY GHOST who dwells in our hearts.

–       Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

 

The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit (thru the Word of God) that we are in fact God’s children.

 

God’s witness of Jesus Christ has always been given in scripture which leads is substantiated in:

 

I John 5: 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

 

 

 

How may I know I am saved?

 

 

• I know I am saved because I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ

Acts 16: 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

• I know I am saved because I HATH the Son

I John 5: 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 

• I know I am saved because I have a love for the brethren.

I John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

 

• I know I am saved because I desire to keep God’s commandments.

I john 2: 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

 

• I know I am saved because I desire to turn from the World and all its sin.

I John 2: 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 

• I know I am saved because I am overcoming the World.

I John 5: 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 

• I know I am saved because I have the witness of the Spirit within me through the Word

I John 5: 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

 

• I know I am saved because my life is evidencing good fruit.

Matthew 7: 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 

• I know I am saved because I hear the Lord’s voice (through the word)

and desire to follow Him. John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they

follow me: