What would be your answer to these two questions: 1) Are you a Christian? (Someone who believes in Jesus Christ alone for salvation?) If so, how do you know you are saved? I have asked these questions in my Bible classes. Some of the answers were good, and others were confused and uncertain. Must a new believer only hope, strive, wish, or even despair about being saved? Is there a reliable and believable answer? Yes! Yes and Yes! Indeed!
Every new believer in Christ can know they have eternal life because of: 1) the direct statements from the Word of God, 2) the witness of the Holy Spirit in the soul, and 3) the clear evidence of a new life that has been affected by the fact the new believer has truly received Jesus Christ as the exclusive Savior. The direct statements from the Word of God must be encouraging to the new believer in Christ. Here are a few of the many verses which will tell what the Bible says about assurance of salvation. For your information there are almost 100 references in the book of John that address the true issue of salvation. One hundred and fifty New Testament verses affirm the clear message that eternal life is a gift and may be received by a simple act of faith in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please carefully examine a few of the verses which declare what the Bible says about assurance of salvation:
“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 (judgment); but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
“These things have I written unto you, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
“In hope (confidence according to the promise) of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).
John 5:24 declares that, “If we believe in Christ as our Savior, we actually possess eternal life. ” 1 John 5:13 tells us that this portion of the Bible “has been written to give the believer assurance” of that life. And Titus 1:2 clearly states that this life has been given to us by God, (not ourselves) who cannot lie. Not everyone believes the Bible, but I respectfully ask should you place your trust on what the Word of God declares or on something else? Since assurance affirmatively rests on what the Bible says, we must believe it is the very Word of God. In examining God’s Word, we find many Scriptures that declare and affirm a certain salvation. Let me ask, “How may we be certain that the Bible is His Word?” Consider the following facts that give evidence within the Bible itself and from experience. The Bible claims to be the Word of God, and throughout the Scriptures, we find many instances where the Bible declares it’s very words are the Words of God. Remarks such as “God said, God spake” and “The Lord commanded” are found throughout the Old Testament. (Genesis 1:3, Exodus 20:1; Joshua 14:5; or the first verse in a number of chapters in Leviticus). In the New Testament Jesus and the apostles testified to the fact that the Bible is God’s word. (Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 1:16, 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).
“These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me” (Luke 24: 44).
“Men and brethren, this Scriptures must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus” (Acts 1:16).
“All Scriptures is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
The Bible is proved to be the Word of God. Note: The unity of the Bible. God has spoken in different ages, over a period of more than 1600 years (see Hebrews 1:1,2). He also spoke through men of different countries and languages, of different occupations and walks of life. Yet the Bible is one book it presents the one theme of redemption throughout its glorious pages. It shows that God spoke through “holy men of God” as they were “moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Fulfilled Prophecy
Hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about the coming Savior, the Jew, and the Gentile nations have been literally fulfilled. Only God could have known these things before they came to pass. Example, in about 700 B.C. Isaiah foretold the virgin birth of Christ, and Micah prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2). Archaeology confirms the Bible and silences the critics. The ruins of the walls of Jericho have been found, verifying the Bible record of the destruction of that ancient city (Joshua 6). This is only one of many such proofs that the Bible is accurate and true.
The Test of Time
The Bible has stood the test of the ages. Sword, fires, atheism, paganism, defiance, and false prophets. All have failed to destroy the message of the Word of God.
The Holy Scriptures are in extreme demand. The Bible is the consistent best seller; teeming millions are sold each year, and millions read through its pages day by day and year after year. Sin is denounced over and over again within its holy pages. Evil in all of its forms is neither hidden nor tolerated in the Scriptures. Man would tend to gloss over sins and failures and make heroes out of tyrants. God saw the sin of Moses and kept him from leading Israel into Canaan. He was one of the greatest of Old Testament characters; yet God portrayed his failures as well as his life of obedience (Exodus 20:7-13).
The Power of the Holy Spirit to Change Lives
God’s Word has the power to transform lives utterly marred by sin. The writer of this message was imprisoned for a serious crime, but after 61 years of service and growth, he continues to communicate the message of the amazing grace of God. The message of the gospel is clearly declared in this blog which is identified as richesfromthecastle.com. Over 70 messages are available for reference, study, and growth. Thousands of souls in Africa and other countries have received Bibles, booklets, manuals, and other materials from the messenger of this blog of grace.
The second reason for assurance of salvation is: The Witness of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). The Holy Spirit is not a mystical phantom. He is a Person, a member of the Royal family–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not a passing influence as incorrectly believed by some. The Bible identifies Him as God; and He is co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. The new believer’s body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit”(1 Corinthians 6:19,20). The believer is wise when there is a perpetual consciousness of His mighty presence and power. This awareness should be day by day and moment by moment.
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13).
You can clearly see that it is the Holy Spirit Himself that bears “witness with our spirit, that we are children of God”(Romans 8:16). How does the Holy Spirit bear witness? He is the believer’s Teacher.
“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you” (John 14:26, 15:26,27, 16:12 -15).
The Holy Spirit is the believer’s comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).
The Holy Spirit is the believer’s guide (John 16:13; Romans 8:1,14).
The Holy Spirit is the believer’s Helper and Intercessor (Romans 8:26, 27).
The living reality of the Christian way of life is to know you are a new species created in Christ Jesus and have the high privilege of knowing the joy and presence of the Holy Spirit. Please be increasingly aware of this completely new life. The indwelling Holy Spirit will give you a new awareness of a new and much better life to be lived moment by moment and day by day. Stop, look, and listen to what has happened since you placed all of your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. The moment you placed all of your trust in Jesus Christ, you received eternal life and perfect righteousness in Him, not in yourself, by yourself, or because of yourself. It was all because of Him and His amazing grace that was extended amazingly to you.
This new transformed life will give you true meaning, purpose, and definition. By His grace you will live as a creature with true meaning who has been found by God and forever delivered from eternal damnation. Your life will take on more meaning and purpose than you have ever realized. You will begin to see that you are a person of incalculable worth, dignity, and meaning. Why? Because you now have something you did not have before. You have the highest position ever known by mankind. You have a new and exalted position in Christ. In Christ, you have been made righteous. You have not
and cannot make yourself righteous. If you begin now and leave perfectly for the rest of your life, the best you could accomplish would only result in a higher volume of filthy rags of self-righteousness. This inferior effort will only lead to human good that is far inferior to the righteousness that God requires which is perfect and absolute. Perfect righteousness cannot be obtained by any human being or by the best human efforts. The perfection He requires is the kind of righteousness that His righteousness requires Him to require. Perfect righteousness must be imputed by the perfect Savior who completely satisfied the justice and righteousness of God by His finished work on the cross. To have this perfect righteousness the believer must place complete trust in the person of Jesus Christ who is the unique person of the Godhead.
The new believer must incessantly look unto Jesus and realize that He is the Highest Mountain, the greatest example, and our faithful guide. Assurance of salvation may not be realized by constantly examining our human condition as we are certain to fail from time to time. However, our unfailing Savior lives in us, and His reality is made alive by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Our position is secure in Christ and can be no higher. The wise believer must see himself in this exalted position and work this exalted position into his lowly human condition. This is the means of growth and development as a maturing and responsible believer in Christ. This occupation with our exalted position in Christ will cause the believer to focus on the indwelling and living Savior and not on imperfect human efforts that consistently fall short of the absolute requirements of God.
The sheep follow the Shepherd and the Shepherd guides and cares for the sheep. When we as the sheep of His pasture look to Him, we will be fed, protected, and safe.
To be prepared for heaven one must be born again. This is a transaction that is different from conversion as conversion is simply a human act of turning about. It can be done many times and even a believer like Peter can be converted.
“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
Being born again is a different and once for all experience. There is no repetition whatever in being born again as there is no ability to improve on the perfection that is forever centered in the believer who has placed all of his trust in the person of Christ. Many new converts who have been influence by sensational or emotional pleadings have heard nothing but appeals for improved human behavior. These appeals are often followed by an immediate or urgent requirement to come forward in public confession. Such misled individuals can hardly be expected to come under the same gracious keeping of God, as the one who has already come to Him through Jesus Christ. This eternal salvation only comes to the one who has fully rested in the saving grace that is revealed in His victorious Son. Salvation in Christ is sure and forever! The Bible is clear in its declarations.
“Verily, verily I say unto you he that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
I urge you to believe this absolute and eternal truth and confidently rejoice in it.
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
How does one become a child of God?
“For we are all the children of God by means of faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).
The merit in faith is not in faith in and of itself. The merit in faith is its object. Jesus Christ must be the object of meritorious faith. Without faith in Him there is absolutely no worthy object for salvation. This is why Paul
declared to the Philippian jailer,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
