How To Be Sure
You Are Saved
Colin Melbourne
© 05-08 Born-Again-Christian.info
Part II of III
God's Word tells us what happens when anyone receives the LORD Jesus Christ as Saviour. He gives living proof to each believer that they are saved. Make sure you have the Bible evidence.
In Part I we studied what Scripture says you have to do to be saved. Salvation is a gift, obtained only by God's grace through heart faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. We discovered what saving faith is, and who Christ really is. In Part II we examine the evidence that comes with genuine biblical salvation.
Eternal Life
God came to us from Heaven and declared,
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I tell you the truth; he who believes has eternal life. Jn. 10:10b, 6:47 Holy Bible, NIV
Ever since the Fall people have craved eternal life, the reason is obvious: it is what you were made for.
Alchemists and apothecaries concocted elixirs, wizards played magic tricks, and priests of religion invented rituals, in fruitless attempts to gain everlasting life. Adam and Eve forfeited divine Life when they doubted God's Word; as a result each of us is born dead to God, separated from His Life by our sinful human nature. We have existence, but not Life, real Life, eternal life. Only when a sinner repents and believes in Jesus does, God's Life enter them, forming a new creation, a righteous child of God.
Every born again believer understands this Scripture from personal experience:
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 Jn. 5:11-12
Ephesians chapter two describes how we are all dead in sin and following Satan, subjects of God's wrath, until we are born of God: When this happens,
Because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. Eph. 2:4-5
Has that occurred in you yet? When it does you will know for certain that you have eternal life, Christ in you.
Sometimes, whilst out evangelizing, cults like Mormons and JWs get jealous and challenge with questions like, 'How do you know you're saved, what authority do you have?'
It is a wonderful thrill to announce to them the authority of the Two Witnesses.
The first witness is the Word of God that declares Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, Lk. 19:10, 1 Tim. 1:15, Lk. 9:56 and that everyone who truly believes in Him is declared righteous, forgiven and saved. Ro. 3:21-24, Jn. 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, Ac. 10:43
That is glorious sufficiency, but we also have the testimony of the Holy Spirit within, the inner witness, the seal of God's Spirit who gives us holy boldness for occasions such as this. Oh Alleluia! And the Glory glows in your heart, He stands up inside His little child and whispers,
'I'm here Son, love them, and give 'em 1 John 5:10-12.'
And you feed them the Truth with such joy that they cannot bear to look into your face.
Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
One chap persisted, 'But how do you know for sure?'
My reply, 'Because I was there when He saved me: and He's here inside right now!'
The chorus of that redemption song, I Serve A Risen Saviour, explains it like this:
He lives... He lives... Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives... He lives... salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
That's not hope-so salvation, but know-so salvation, with real life. Eternal life from God. Have you got it now?
Love
God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Ro. 5:5b
The instant a sinner repents and receives Christ as LORD and Saviour God's Love floods their heart. It's from Heaven; divine love is light years apart from human love. The new child of God is bathed in God's unconditional love: Have you had a love bath yet? It is an overwhelming, humbling, and serene experience: and just the beginning.
We love because He first loved us. The result of this divine love exploding in your heart is that you too begin to love everyone as God loves you. It is amazing to discover that you can love people you don't even like. Saints know what I'm describing don't you?
The world talks about 'making love', but you can't 'make love'; it's just there, in a believer's heart waiting for you to give out unconditionally. And when you dare to love the unlovely and wicked, oh what blessing He pours into your lap.
A friend of mine, who gave up everything to follow Jesus, described God's response.
'Stop it Lord', he chuckled, 'I just can't take anymore blessing!'
Imagine that. Unbearable blessing from God. He wants to bless you like that today.
Every child of God has this love in the core of their being after they are saved. Here's the proof,
We know we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 Jn. 3:4
This love is real, unfeigned, and following it gives us further evidence of our salvation,
Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. 1 Jn. 3:18-19
E. W. Kenyon sums it up perfectly in his anointed book, The New Kind of Love:
"I have come to believe in Love. I believe it is best to let it govern my life. I have come to believe that it is the best method of ruling a home, a business, and a government
Not only is it best, but it is your way. It is the way you are going to walk regardless of how anyone else walks; you are going to walk the Love way, and when you do, you discover you are living in the Love Realm.
Your home is in Love.
Whenever you step out of Love, you step into darkness and unhappiness, and so you have learned to stay in the Love way.
You found that living in Love is actually living in the highest, sweetest fellowship with the Father.
It is actually living with Him.
He has come into you."
Got it?
