How Do I Know I Am Saved?
Isn’t the salvation of God something wonderful? God swoops down from heaven to rescue us from ourselves, our flesh, our sin, and from Satan, that great Deceiver who would have us go through life lost and confused, cursing God, and spending all of eternity with him in hell. Jonathan Edwards, Puritan pastor, wrote:
"The creation of the world seems to have been especially for this end, that the eternal Son of God might obtain a spouse, towards whom He might, as it were, open and pour forth all that immense fountain of condescension, love, and grace that was in His heart, and that in this way God might be glorified.”
Besides giving me confidence in my position in Christ, besides teaching me that God wants me to be His, besides giving me great hope for the future—that melts my heart. What a God! What a Savior!
But not everyone feels or knows that confidence and hope for all of their days. Even the most mature believer can sometimes struggle with assurance of salvation.
Why would God want to rescue me? I keep sinning and breaking His trust.
I keep failing and falling in the flesh. Surely God can’t forgive me for the same sin over and over.
I don’t feel saved.
But what if…
First of all, one of the most helpful thoughts along this line is that our salvation is completely dependent upon the grace of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “FOR BY GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (I purposefully wrote this verse out in the ESV, rather than my typical KJV. Sometimes reading these very familiar verses in a little different translation helps us recognize their message more clearly.)
And since salvation is dependent upon God’s grace, not my efforts (good works, baptism, church attendance, offerings, service, or any other thing I can DO), then the eternal nature of my salvation is also dependent upon God’s grace, not upon any other thing that I could or could not do.
Many years ago, my mom was diagnosed with very serious liver cancer. It would take her life within three months of that diagnosis. My husband graciously and wisely sent me alone to spend a week with her. No kids. No interruptions. It was such a precious time for us. But I asked her during that time if she was afraid of dying. Her response surprised me a bit. “No,” she said, “I am not afraid of dying. But I am afraid of the pain between now and then.”
Why did that surprise me? Because I was not sure of my mom’s salvation. She didn’t attend church. She didn’t read her Bible. She didn’t have standards in her personal life. But she gave me a clear salvation testimony that day. She had accepted Christ as her Savior when she was a teenager, shortly before marrying my dad. And she had the fruit of not fearing death. She was confident in her standing with the Lord. What a comfort that was to my soul!
But after she died, I began to doubt her salvation. Maybe she had just said the words to a prayer and not really meant them? I didn’t see a lot of fruit in her life. What if her “security” was really a false hope?
God sweetly led me to Psalm 106. This Psalm is an account of the children of Israel’s wilderness wanderings and unfaithfulness to God’s commands. They betrayed Him. They left Him. They murmured and complained against Him. They refused to believe and trust Him when it was time to go into the Promised Land. And God gave them 40 years in the wilderness to think about those wrong choices. But when they cried to Him, He responded with mercy. Verses 44-45 demonstrate His faithful love and compassion for them:
“Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry: AND HE REMEMBERED FOR THEM HIS COVENANT, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.”
Their position as God’s chosen people was not dependent upon their response to God’s faithfulness and goodness; it was dependent upon God.
And neither is our salvation dependent upon our behavior, choices, actions, and reactions after salvation; it always has been and always will be dependent upon God and His faithfulness to keep His promises. And He alone is trustworthy.
Secondly, God gave us through the apostle John the book of I John, which He says was written “that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life” (I Jn. 5:13).
I recently took notes throughout the entire book of I John, and I found over 20 proofs that a person has indeed been saved. If you are a Christian, you will exhibit at least some of these proofs in your life. Keep in mind that known, unconfessed sin will mask these characteristics. But that’s not the way God designed His followers to live. If you confess and forsake this sin, God promises to forgive you and restore your relationship with Him. Sin does not cause us to lose our salvation, but it does keep us from enjoying the fulness of our relationship with God.
So let’s look at these proofs. Take time to consider your own heart and see where these fruits of salvation are evident.
A Christian will have fellowship with the Father (1:3).
A Christian will walk in the light. In other words, he will choose to obey God’s commands and he will have spiritual insight (1:7, 4:4-6).
A Christian will acknowledge that he still sins. A person who claims that he no longer sins is deceiving himself, and God calls him a liar (1:8). It’s important to note that we ought not remain in our sin, but rather confess and forsake it. And He promises to forgive us (1:9). Included with this thought is the promise that Jesus Christ the Righteous stands before the Father to intercede on behalf of those who believe in Him (2:1). Because He died and rose again, He has appeased God’s wrath for sin, and Jesus chooses to share that benefit with us. He advocates for us to the Father.
A Christian will obey God’s commands (2:3). The Father’s love is perfected in him.
A Christian will love his brethren in Christ (2:10; 3:14-16; 4:12; Jn. 13:35: 15:12). We love fellow believers best by serving them (Matt. 22:37-39),
A Christian will hate the things of the world (2:15-17). It’s impossible to love God and love the very antithesis of God, the world. This includes systems of belief, entertainment, and more.
A Christian will acknowledge and believe that Jesus is God (2:22-23; 4:15; 5:1). Many religions claim that Jesus was a good man or a prophet, but not God Himself. This is to deny Jesus’ claims about Himself, and would mean that Jesus is a liar. That would also mean He could not be a good man or prophet. No, clearly, Jesus is God.
A Christian will be taught by the Holy Spirit (2:27; Jn. 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit will illumine or enlighten a believer’s spiritual eyes so that he may understand the Scripture and God’s leading in his life.
A Christian will choose to do right (2:29) and will not remain in patterns of sin (3:7-10).
A Christian will purify his life (3:3). He is miserable when he is in sin, and will not be able to stay there indefinitely (Jn. 15:3).
A Christian will be hated by the world (3:13; Jn. 15:18-21). Jesus taught His followers that whatever the world thought of Him and did to Him, they would also do to His people. And as believers, we must remember that we are not greater than our Master. It is a privilege to suffer for His name and cause.
A Christian will possess assurance before God. His heart will not condemn him (3:20-21).
A Christian will experience answered prayer (3:22; 5:14-15; Jn. 15:17; 16:23-24). Remember that “no” and “wait” are both answers!
A Christian will demonstrate proofs of the Holy Spirit’s work in his life (3:24; 4:13). Some of these proofs are: (There are many other things the Spirit does, such as seal us for heaven. But this will be a good start!)
The Spirit comforts believers (Jn. 14:16).
The Spirit teaches all Truth (Jn. 14:17).
The Spirit reminds believers of Jesus’ commands (Jn. 14:26).
The Spirit gives peace (Jn. 14:27; 16:33).
The Spirit testifies of Jesus (Jn. 15:26-27). In other words, everything He teaches and leads believers to do, think, and be will support the purposes that Jesus gives us in the Word.
The Spirit reproves of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16:8-11). He convicts us when we sin, He encourages us when we do right, and He helps us know that we don’t need to fear eternal judgment because of God’s saving grace to us.
The Spirit guides believers. He helps us make right choices and wise decisions by bringing the Word to mind, by giving us peace when we are on the right path, and by removing that peace when we are not (Jn. 16:13).
15. A Christian will testify that Jesus is the Savior of the world (4:14).
16. A Christian will possess faith in God (5:4-5).
17. A Christian will believe God’s Word. (5:10-12)
18. A Christian will have protection from Satan (5:18).
19. A Christian will bear spiritual fruit. (Jn. 15:8; Gal. 5:22)
20. A Christian will have joy—not necessarily happiness (Jn. 15:11).
21. A Christian will be willing to suffer for Jesus’ name (Jn. 16:1-3).
This is an extensive—though not exhaustive—list, and it may seem overwhelming. If you are struggling with assurance of your salvation, I would recommend that you read John 15-16 and the book of I John (just 5 chapters). If you read one chapter per day, this will only take you one week. But read it slowly, carefully. Take notes. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Word and the impact it can have on your mind and heart. He will grant you peace and rest from your fears and worries about your eternal security.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” (Jn. 10:27-29)