How do I Know If I am Truly Saved?
As a pastor and an active witness for Christ the number one question I have been asked throughout the years is, “How do I know if I am truly saved?” That is a great question. It is a question of eternal consequences. This question left unanswered is deadly to the unbelieving and spiritually detrimental to the believer. This quest must be answered with love, genuine concern, and sound doctrine.
The short and simple answer is, you will know. The bible tells us in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Once one is saved God places His Holy Spirit within them to testify to them of their salvation. God will let us know through the witness of His Spirit within our lives.
However, simply telling people, you will know, isn’t a sufficient answer. Remember, Satan is a liar; and a good one at that. He will lie to those who are truly saved trying to place doubt in their minds to weaken them and bring them down so they are no longer beneficial to the service of the kingdom of God. He will also lie to the unbeliever giving them a false since of salvation. The one who is truly saved must rebuke this doubt and begin seeking God. His Holy Spirit will then bring assuring conformation to the believer. If one is unsaved God will bring conviction when they begin to seek Him, drawing them unto salvation.
John wrote in I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John stated here that his purpose for writing was to give assurance of salvation. For this reason we should take a good look at what it is that John wrote in I John to gain a better understanding.
Remember though, John isn’t telling us that these are things we need to do in order to earn salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. He is writing to people that he assumes are already saved, sharing with them what true Christianity looks like, for the purpose of building them up and strengthening their faith. The things that John writes should come as natural as breathing to the one who is truly saved. If one is wondering whether or not they are truly saved the must ask themselves these three questions.
Question #1: is Jesus the Lord of your life and as a result of Him being Lord are you living in obedience to Him?
John writes in I John 2:3-6, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” The one who is saved will keep His commandments. He will have died to self and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life.
Question #2: do you love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?
John made it abundantly clear that true Christians will love their brethren. He said in I John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” He said again in I John 4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” A third time in I John 5:1 he said, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
Question #3: Have you believed on the person and the work of Jesus to save you?
John wrote in I John 5:10, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.” The bible is abundantly clear that we are saved by placing our faith in the person and works of Jesus Christ. Our works of love and obedience come after we have beloved on Jesus. It is then that we receive the Holy Spirit and can act in God’s divine nature. Apart from our salvation that is received through faith by grace we will not have the ability nor desire to live in obedience to Him or love as He loves. Rusty Kuhn
The short and simple answer is, you will know. The bible tells us in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Once one is saved God places His Holy Spirit within them to testify to them of their salvation. God will let us know through the witness of His Spirit within our lives.
However, simply telling people, you will know, isn’t a sufficient answer. Remember, Satan is a liar; and a good one at that. He will lie to those who are truly saved trying to place doubt in their minds to weaken them and bring them down so they are no longer beneficial to the service of the kingdom of God. He will also lie to the unbeliever giving them a false since of salvation. The one who is truly saved must rebuke this doubt and begin seeking God. His Holy Spirit will then bring assuring conformation to the believer. If one is unsaved God will bring conviction when they begin to seek Him, drawing them unto salvation.
John wrote in I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John stated here that his purpose for writing was to give assurance of salvation. For this reason we should take a good look at what it is that John wrote in I John to gain a better understanding.
Remember though, John isn’t telling us that these are things we need to do in order to earn salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. He is writing to people that he assumes are already saved, sharing with them what true Christianity looks like, for the purpose of building them up and strengthening their faith. The things that John writes should come as natural as breathing to the one who is truly saved. If one is wondering whether or not they are truly saved the must ask themselves these three questions.
Question #1: is Jesus the Lord of your life and as a result of Him being Lord are you living in obedience to Him?
John writes in I John 2:3-6, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” The one who is saved will keep His commandments. He will have died to self and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life.
Question #2: do you love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?
John made it abundantly clear that true Christians will love their brethren. He said in I John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” He said again in I John 4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” A third time in I John 5:1 he said, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
Question #3: Have you believed on the person and the work of Jesus to save you?
John wrote in I John 5:10, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.” The bible is abundantly clear that we are saved by placing our faith in the person and works of Jesus Christ. Our works of love and obedience come after we have beloved on Jesus. It is then that we receive the Holy Spirit and can act in God’s divine nature. Apart from our salvation that is received through faith by grace we will not have the ability nor desire to live in obedience to Him or love as He loves. Rusty Kuhn
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