I AM SAVED:
HOW CAN WE KNOW?
By Max Solbrekken, D.D.
You may ask: “How can we know
that we are saved, born-again and ready for Heaven? Here are some of the ways
that we can know for sure that we belong to Jesus Christ and are saved
eternally.”
“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.” (1 John 5: 10). “The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom.8: 16)
“If ye love Me keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you.” (John 14:15-18)
“There is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
“But if that same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, dwell in you, He that raised up JESUS from the dead shall also quicken (make life in) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that liveth in you.” (Rom. 8: 1,2,9-11)
2. By the Authority of the Holy Scriptures!
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim.3:14-16)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom.10: 9,10)
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both savethyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim.4: 16)
3. By a Changed Life!
“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5: 17)
Everything becomes new when we put our trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour! We receive a new NATURE, new DESIRES, new GOALS, and a totally new LIFESTYLE!
The Bible affirms this great truth: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE having escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1: 3,4)
4. By a New Love for God, His Word & His Church!
God – “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt.22: 37); “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4: 19)
His Word – “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119: 97).
His Church – “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb.10: 25)
5. By our Love for the Brethren!
“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
"For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that Wicked One, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
“We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3: 10-14, 16)
6. Because He has Given us the Holy Spirit!
“Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4: 13). “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11: 13)
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spake of the Spirit, which the that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7: 37-39)
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth: Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 13: 16-18)
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14: 26)
"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (John 11,14-16)
7. By our Confession of Christ as Saviour!
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come: and even now already is it in the world. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ” (1 John 4: 2,3,13);
“And they overcame him by the BLOOD of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev.12: 11); “And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost.” (1 Cor.12: 3)
8. By the Burden for Lost Souls!
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8: 36-37);
“And He (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 15-16)
“Brethren my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be SAVED. How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
“And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10: 1,13-15)
9. By the Chastisement of the Lord!
"For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Heb.12: 6-8)
10. By our Hatred of Sin & Evil!
“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of His saints; he delivereth them out of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalms 97: 10);
“O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalms 119: 97, 160). “Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. I hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do I love.” (Psalms119: 104,163)
“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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2: 15-17)
“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.” (1 Cor.9: 26,27)
11. By a Love of the Truth!
“Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14: 6); “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” (1 John 3: 19,20)
“But speaking the TRUTH in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man TRUTH with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” (Eph.4: 15,25)
“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalms 25: 10); “His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” (Psalms 91: 4); “Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” (Psalms 23: 23); “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” (2 Cor.13: 8);
“For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph.5: 9); “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with TRUTH...” (Eph. 6: 13-14)
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Tim.2: 15);
“Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. Ever learning, and never able to come unto the knowledge of the truth...so do these also resist the TRUTH, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” (2 Tim.5,7,8)
12. By our Longing for Christ’s Return!
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye appear with Him in glory.” (Col.3: 2-4)
“And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (2 Peter 5: 4); “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1: 7,8); “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Heb.9:28)
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2: 11-14)
WE KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST!
We who have received Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour KNOW that we KNOW, that we are BORN AGAIN and baptized into the 'Body of Christ’! We were immediately grafted into the Vine, became “children of God” and “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”!
And when we received the 'Baptism of the Holy Ghost’, we were sealed with that 'Holy Spirit of Promise’! And for as long as we remain faithful in believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, “No man can pluck us out of the Father’s hand."
Our salvation is personally guaranteed by our Lord Himself. The Bible states emphatically that the Blessed Holy Spirit is the Guarantor of our salvation until He returns for us in the rapture of the Church or the hour of our departure from this life through death into His eternal presence! Read these eternal promises from His Holy Word and rejoice in them:
“My sheep hear 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.” (John 10: 27-29)
“In Whom also we have obtained an INHERITANCE, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his Own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the EARNEST (down payment) of our inheritance UNTIL the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (Eph.1: 11-14)
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the Day of Redemption.” (Eph.4: 30)
THREE QUESTIONS ARISE!
Who or what is the “purchased possession” that is to be sealed? Believers in Christ are His possession whom He has purchased with His precious blood. We are the purchased possession!
The day of redemption for us is the moment we stand in His presence at death or the rapture of His Church. Our inheritance is ETERNAL LIFE with our Blessed Lord and all the redeemed of all ages! Hallelujah!
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
He hath purchased with His own BLOOD.” (Acts 20: 28)
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor.6: 19,20)
“And hereby we do KNOW that we KNOW Him if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby KNOW we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” (1 John 2: 3-6)
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Gal.3: 26,27; 4: 6,7)
“But if the Spirit of Him (Almighty God) that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed is us.” (Rom.8: 11, 14-18)
May God richly bless you and keep you in His perfect will and in His tender loving care, my precious brother and sister in Christ! Amen.
