Can I Be Sure I'm Saved? (Crucial Questions, #7)

by R.C. Sproul

Jesus says that His true brother is the one who does the will of the Father, not one who simply makes a decision to follow Him.

Martin Luther, said we are justified by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone.

True faith that connects us to Christ always manifests itself in works, and if there are no works on the right side of the equation, that tells us there is no faith on the left side of the equation. Sadly, if there is no faith on the left side of the equation, then there is no justification on the right side of

We get into the kingdom not because we make a decision, walk down an aisle, raise a hand, or sign a card. We get into the kingdom because there is true faith in our hearts.

Actually, one of the most

dangerous things we can do as Christians is to determine our theology by our experience, because no one's experience is normative for the Christian life. We have to determine our theology from the Word of God, not from what we feel.

We need to seek authentic knowledge of our salvation, not just some warm ...

To be born again means to be changed by the supernatural

operation of God the Holy Spirit. Understanding this is critical for our assurance of salvation.

So if a person can answer "Yes" when I ask whether he has an affection for Christ, even though he may not love Jesus as

much as he ought to (i.e., perfectly), that assures me the Spirit has done this transforming work in his soul. This is so because we do not have the power in our flesh to conjure up any true affection for Jesus

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It is critical to understand

that regeneration is something that the Holy Spirit does that really and truly changes a person; it changes the very disposition of his soul. If a person is truly regenerate and manifests faith, it is impossible for that person not to bring forth some measure of obedience.