How? How do I know I’m saved?
Every believer wants to be assured of their eternal salvation. Even those who believe in another god apart from the God of the Bible. Hey, even atheists want to be sure of what they’ve placed their faith in.
All believers in Christ should know that there is no other God than the God of the Bible. And as far as atheists are concerned, well, they’ve placed their faith in man. Of course, beliefs in other gods or no God at all are both huge errors that by witnessing we hope to rectify.
Let’s take a look at how God looks at His salvation plan which is available to everyone. When did God first start dealing with you?
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4)
God chose us “the elect” before the foundation of the world. That’s when God began dealing with each and every one of us. Believers are God’s “elect.”
“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” John 15:16. God has moved us into the position of a believer. How did He do that? Keep reading.
God’s offer of salvation is given to everyone (John 3:16, 3:36, 5:24, Romans 10:9, 13.), but the lost “choose” to remain lost. I want to make that statement as plain as I can. It’s a choice of ours to either believe or not.
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14)
God draws us to hear the gospel, “he called you by our gospel.” If when we hear it we believe “the truth”, this moves us into the position of being God’s “elect.” On the other hand, many of those who God draws to hear His gospel (and He draws everyone) refuse to believe, they are lost because they refused to believe His truth.
Either way God chose us to come and hear His word. How do you know you have been “elected” by God to Salvation? By your response to His gospel that He drew you to hear. Did you all get that? God is the initiator of our being drawn. He does the drawing.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” 1 Peter 1:2, only means you heard the truth of the gospel and you believed. We either respond in the affirmative or the negative but everyone is drawn to hear. The “elect” hear and believe. It’s a simple yes answer.
I’m not actually attempting to get into arguments with the Calvinists here. I don’t believe there’s any reason for those who diligently study their Bibles to come away with such a huge misunderstanding when it comes to foreknowledge, predestination, and the elect. So as far as I’m concerned, there should be no debate of whether or not some of us are predestined to be saved and others aren’t.
Yes, there are those who are God’s elect, and there are many who are not God’s elect. Why? God has made it abundantly clear that everyone is invited into his family (John 3:16). It’s just that some choose to turn down his invitation, and God knows who they are and He knew them, and their choice, before the foundation of the world. Yes there are many arrogant and foolish people who after receiving the truth, “their invitation,” refuse to say “Yes, I believe.”
Some of these foolish people actually become so belligerent with God that they begin to blaspheme Him and spew hateful words at Him as they willfully return His invitation. In other words their refusal often times contains more than just a no thank you God. Hence these foolish, arrogant, belligerent people remain in their sins, thus they are not His elect, but they are perishing.
But what of those who’ve said yes to God? Those who’ve heard His gospel message and believed. Those are who God calls His “elect.” What is it that gives them their sense of security? It’s simple. All those who’ve heard the gospel and believed are immediately sealed with the Holy Spirit, and that’s a promise from God. Those of us who are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit are no longer under the power of the enemy.
So we learn that all believers fall under the banner of the “elect” of God. But all believers don’t feel the same way about their salvation. Some bask in the assurance of God’s gift of salvation and go about their lives seemingly fearless, almost as though they can’t be bothered about any attack from the enemy. These folks fully grasp the truth. When they are attacked their faith is so strong that they’ve learned how to overcome the enemy. These people know God will fight the battle.
Others, once justified, don’t give their salvation much thought at all. After their conversion there’s nothing else that brings out any signs that they were ever justified. Thus the enemy doesn’t see much reason in attacking them. After all, they probably aren’t doing any witnessing and they show little to no concern in producing and living a fruit filled Christian life.
Then there are the worry warts; those who think they’ve lost their salvation for some sin they committed after becoming a believer. These are the folks who listen to the false teachings of those who contradict God and teach that you can lose your salvation. Until they learn to listen to God instead of the naysayers they’ll be miserable. Many live a useless Christian life unable to break away from the condemnation of the enemy. Condemnation is laid on believers by Satan and his followers and sometimes by the brethren who’ve misinterpreted their Bibles, but never by the Holy Spirit.
This next group are the born again believers who cannot seem to grasp the fact that even though they feel they’re born again, there’s a nagging suspicion which tugs at their heart telling them they aren’t really saved at all. “Yes, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for my sins, and that He arose three days later and sits at the right hand of God. I’ve repented of my sins and asked Him to rule and reign in my heart. And I believe that with all my heart. But, I still have doubts now and then about my salvation. Why?” That “but” is a security killer.
All believers go through ups and downs in their walk with the Lord. Doubting one’s salvation from time to time can eventually strip a believer of his/her joy, In some believers lives doubt seems to be a frequent, sometimes habitual occurrence. In some cases it’s a quick downer and the believer is back up and walking in fellowship with the Lord. With others the downer last through their entire Christian walk because they’ve never learned how to overcome the enemy’s attacks. (Read Ephesians 6 for your allotment of armor).
Here’s what I see happening to these folks. They are allowing Satan to plant in their mind, a pattern of guilt and fear. Through his prodding he’s convinced them to question their salvation. It’s amazing to me just how many believers write and tell me they doubt their salvation. Satan is very good at stealing the joy we have in Christ. By placing doubt in our mind he’s gotten us to doubt even our own beliefs, our own faith, and our security in Christ.
Everyone reading this commentary must understand at least this one part. When we neglect God’s word we become most vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. But when we take on a daily routine of Bible reading and study we remain much more secure and avoid those horrible darts of self defeat. Just a few paragraphs each day will do wonders in fighting off those enemy darts.
Read more if you can of course, but even a page or two a day will help. Always pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit before you begin your Bible reading. Do this in the morning and you have put on the armor of God to help you through the entire day.
Believers have the Holy Spirit sealed within them. If we weren’t sealed with God’s Holy Spirit we would have plenty to worry about. This seal gives us the ability to rest in the knowledge that we are completely secure in God’s hands and that we have no reason to doubt our salvation, or fear our eternal destination.
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32).
Remember my brethren, God delights in keeping His promises, and He promises to keep you in His hands.
If we continue to allow the enemy to place doubt in our minds we will, sooner or later, feel we’ve lost our salvation, or at the least live a miserable Christian life. This is the enemy’s purpose when it comes to believers, and he’s perfected his craft to nth degree. Understand, Satan can’t do anything to those who believe. He has no power over us unless we allow him that power. Why? Because we belong to Christ. We are living in Christ. We are God’s “elect.” We are completely secure when it comes to our salvation. All the elect will go to heaven either in the Rapture of the Church or by passing from this life through death.
If you are worried about whether or not you’ve lost your salvation, or that you might lose it, you’ll be of no effect as a witness for God. That’s where Satan hopes you’ll end up, and that’s the purpose for the doubt, the condemnation, the guilt he bombards us with every day hoping to catch at least some of us in his snare.
The emails I receive indicate that he’s been very successful. Think about it, if we don’t or won’t witness to others about the good news of Jesus the Messiah, Satan will keep those souls in his camp. Oh sure you’re still saved but what about the person who gets overlooked when it comes to being witnessed to, all because of your fear and preoccupation with losing your salvation?
Don’t fall for the enemy’s lies. That’s all they are. Satan is the father of all lies. And all those who tell you a born again believer can lose their salvation, for whatever reason, are doing Satan’s work for him, whether they know it or not. Don’t listen to them. Just keep reading your Bibles and studying. Allow the Holy Spirit of God to dwell in your mind and teach you God’s word. He’s a much better teacher than those who only want to bring you under condemnation.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1).
Saved! And I know it! If you’re born-again claim your security and stop allowing the enemy to get a foothold.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
God bless you all,
Ron Graham