How Can You Know If You Are Saved??

1 John 4:13-16

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

One of the most under applied doctrines in the Christian faith is the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Today, John tells us how important the Spirit is in our relationship with God. It is the person of the Holy Spirit that testifies with our spirit, so we can know without a shadow of doubt we live in Him.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:14, "The Holy Spirit is a downpayment guaranteeing our future inheritance." Notice the word "guarantee". God does not want us to doubt where we are going when we die. A Christian should answer the question, "Do you know that you are going to go to heaven?", with, "Absolutely!" Some might say that is pretty presumptive, but our assumption is not based on what we have done, but what God has done. The gift of the Holy Spirit, which we received when we came to faith in Jesus, assures us that we are God's child. Our confidence is not in what we have done, or how strong of faith we have, but God's free and unmerited gift.

Martin Luther said this about the work of the Holy Spirit, "I cannot by my own effort or understanding come to know Jesus as Lord, but the Holy Spirit has called me and enlightened with His gifts. Day by day, He sanctifies me in the one true faith." Again we see it is God's work that leads us to believe in Jesus, through the gift of faith. So what is the benefit of knowing that our relationship with God is not something we earned or deserved, or need to continue to work for?

The benefit is this frees us up to love and serve God without any fear. "Perfect love casts out all fear", the first letter of John states. So the question for the day is do you know God? Do you realize it is God's work in you, as the Holy Spirit convicts of your need for the a Savior, and reveals the person and work of Jesus Christ?

One of the things we can be thankful for is all God has done for us! Make sure you include this in your Thanksgiving blessings this year!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more