Messy Gospel, Week 11: Confident in Salvation

How we can be confident in our salvation

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul challenges believers to test yourself to see if you are in the faith.  Why?  Because the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  Culture cannot save you, family heritage cannot save you.  Neither will church attendance, sacrificial service or Bible memorization.  You make the claim to be saved, so did some people in Corinth and in Colossae as we have been studying on Sunday morning. 

So, answer Paul's challenge, test yourself to see if you are in the faith.  How do you know you are saved?  You may be tempted to list out all the things that you have done for Christ.  Matt 7:20-23 clearly says those external works are irrelevant to salvation.  You may quickly think of a point in time when you prayed a scripted prayer, asking Christ to save you.  This too can be deceiving as prayer is not the switch that activates salvation.  

Some people pray and are not saved, while others are saved without praying any scripted prayer (the thief on the cross next to Christ).  Maybe your mind goes to those who have affirmed your commitment to Christ.  This too can be misleading as man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).  What about that experience you had, all those emotions that made you so sincere, does that count for something?  Emotions are fickle reactions, not have no authority. 

How do you answer the challenge?  Salvation is not simply the result of praying a prayer or performing some external action (raising a hand, walking an aisle, signing a card). Works fail to provide security, verbal claims are suspect, affirmation can be misleading, experience is often subjective. 

How does Scripture say a believer will respond?  Scripture gives three tests, see how you do: 

Test one: What do you love that as an unbeliever you hated?  What do you hate that as an unbeliever you loved?  A believer will increasing run from sin and run toward Christ.  Your life will be a continual process of forsaking sin and deepening your relationship with Christ, His Word, and other believers.  If you do not love the world less and love Christ more today than last week, last month, last year... something is very wrong with your claim to faith!  (1 John 1:6-7; 1 John 2:15-16). 

Test two: Is there fruit in your life? Christians, by the Holy Spirit's continual work, will produce “fruit” in keeping with repentance (Galatians 5:22-23). These steps may be small at first, and may be slowed by sin, but sanctification (being made like Christ) will never stall completely (Philippians 1:6).  If Christ is in you, you will see a change in attitudes and actions. Read through the beattitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 and compare or contrast your life!  Are you broken over sin or simply irritated by its presence?  Are you drawn to God's Word or simply aware of its existence, etc?  Matthew 7:17 illustrates this with the good tree that bears good fruit. Any experience that does not result in the production of fruit is not salvation! 

Test three: Are you trusting in Christ alone for salvation?  Acts 4:12 says there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. And Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.   

Everyone making a claim to faith must pass the test.  How did you do?  What is the basis of your salvation? 

If you do not know Christ as Lord and Savior, then may today be the day you repent of sin and embrace Christ.  His death on the cross paid sins penalty full and complete. His resurrection from the grave proved His victory over sin and death.  May you know the forgiveness and peace from God that only comes through humble submission to Him.