how to know you're really saved?

When I got married I had faith that my bride would make a good wife. The more our relationship grows, the more faith (confidence) I have in her. I have faith in my wife that wherever the Lord calls me (even if it be to some of the most troublesome spots in the world) that my wife will follow me. I have faith that my wife will never leave me. Our relationship is strong. The more you know your spouse, the stronger your relationship is, the more faith you have.

In the same way, when I got saved I got married. I am part of the bride of Christ. The more I spend in the Word and develop a relationship with Christ the more confidence or faith I am able to put in Christ and in His Word. Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. What is your relationship like with Jesus Christ? How much faith or confidence are you able to put in His promises, in His Word? This all depends on your relationship with Him, and the amount of time that you spend in His Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
DHK

 

That is wonderful testimony and may God Bles you richly.

But I ask again....

If that faith comes from you and God gives you the Gift of eternal life via the Holy Spirit in you, can you then at a point in the future withdraw your faith and God will withdraw the Gift?


God Bless!

 

No, there is an initial saving faith where I, by faith, accepted the gift of God, which is eternal life. There are two important things to consider here. One is that when God gives a gift he doesn't take it back again. A gift by definition is a gift. If he took it from you after having given it to you he would be a thief--contrary to the nature of God.

Seocndly, that which is eternal can never be lost by definition of the word eternal. As soon as eternal life is lost, it ceases as eternal life and has become temporary life in the past. That would put God in the place of a liar, for the gift of God is eternal life, not temporary life. Eternal means eternal, thus it can never be taken away, it cannot be lost, it cannot cease. The definition of the Word and the nature of God won't allow it.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
DHK

 

Amen! DHK

It is refreshing to hear others who understand what a Gift is!

The only point I differ from you is about the faith part which is why I questioned you.

I see the scriptures like this.

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God"

The key word being " comes ". Where does it come from?

I say it comes from God, but not against our free will, but because we invited it.

I believe the Holy Spirit convicts the hearer that what he/she is hearing is Truth. At this point the person is not saved yet.

The Father is drawing the person to the Truth that is in the Son. The person is still not saved yet.

When the hearer decides 'Yes I believe' and calls on Jesus Christ, then that person recieves the Gift of the Holy Spirit, which is Living Water, which is Eternal Life, which is full of Faith, and is then saved forever!

This faith then remains forever and it is not of ourselves but of the Spirit which dwells within us.

You see, I don't believe that saving faith can come from me. If so I would fail at some point to remain faithful. The source of my saving faith must come from God otherwise I would fail. If this saving faith comes from me, then it is me who is saving myself by my own faith.

I would have something to boast about. "I have faith!"

If I realize the only reason I have that faith is because God gave it to me, then all I can say as a witness to others is "I asked God for faith and God freely gave it to me".

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast".

"Grace, saved, faith" I believe this is the order of "saved". "Grace" abd "faith" being the book ends and all three together "not of yourselves".

If saving faith is of me, then wouldn't I need to work at keeping it? If not, then what keeps it going if not the Spirit of Christ within me?

If saving faith is only an initial event which grants me eternal life through recieving the Gift, then that means that my faith could cease and the Gift would remain.

But you and I know from our own lives that even when we are stuck in the valleys of life there stands our faith in Christ. Sometimes we doubt but faith always remains. How does it always remain? I believe that it remains because Jesus Christ remains in us and He is the source of that continuing saving faith.

"Faith comes by hearing"

"Comes" from where? If from me, then I already had it! It comes from God, from His word both written and spoken and through Holy Spirit conviction.

Your thoughts?

God Bless!

 

"Faith comes from where"
Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. The answer is in the verse.
You are right about salvation. It is all of God. It is by the grace of God, and only by the grace of God that we are saved. To that end, after hears the Word of God, the Holy Spirit must convict the person of his sin, and his need of a Saviour. Jesus Himself, speaking of the Holy Spirit, said: "and when He is come He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." On the Day of Pentecost, "they were pricked in their heart" (convicted) because of the preaching of Peter. So the Holy Spirit does His Work in connection with the Word of God.
But after a person hears the Word of God, and after he is convicted of the Holy Spirit, the choice is still his to make. The Philippian jailor did not have to "believe" (or have faith) on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. It was his choice. He made up his mind whether to accept or reject even though the Holy Spirit was urging Him to do so. Thankfully he did.

On the other hand the rich young ruler did not. The Holy Spirit may have been working. But the love of his money worked a greater influence on this man than that of the Holy Spirit. He decided of his own volition not to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and walked away sorrowful. "How hardly shall a rich man enter into the Kingdom of God."
DHK

 

I agree with what you said DHK.

My point is in the faith part.

"By grace are ye saved through faith"

Let's talk about this faith part.

Is this faith in Christ part of the indwelling Gift?

Or, is this faith generated from myself?

If we conclude that it is generated from myself after hearing the Word and being convicted, then what happens if I withdraw my faith?

Now if it is impossible for me to withdraw my faith, then it is no longer I who is generating this faith but God who dwells in me, correct?

I hope you do not think I am trying to confuse this issue. I am searching for the correct doctrine concerning this faith concept. Is it from God or is it from me?

And like I said, if it is from me, then what if I withdraw my faith in Christ, and say, follow Islam or something? If this is not possible, then it must be God dwelling in me through the rebirth which keeps my faith in Christ forever, no?

Maybe it is like this. All people have the ability to exercise faith in something or someone. If one hears the word of God and is convicted of Truth, then chooses to place faith in Jesus Christ, this then causes an act of God, the rebirth, Jesus Christ enters in via the Holy Spirit thus securing that faith and sustaining that faith forever.

Does this sound like what must take place? Since you and I both understand that once a person receives the Gift of eternal life that it cannot be undone, then faith must become secured also by the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer.

What do you think? Faith is a fruit of the Spirit.

God Bless!

 

John 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Jesus, making a play on words, said that the only work a man could do (in respect to salvation), was to believe (have faith), "on him whom he hath sent."
Thus Jesus indicates that the belief or faith comes from oneself. "What might WE DO?"
"This is the work of God that ye BELIEVE"

The indwelling gift is the Holy Spirit which comes and indwells every believer as a result of the faith that he has put in Christ.

What happens if "you withdraw your faith." Nothing. Every person has "lapses of faith." We become discouraged. John the Baptist came to that point in his life when he questioned whether or not Christ was the Messiah. Did he "withdraw his faith?" What about Peter when he denied the Lord three times? If anything was a withdrawal of faith that was. Even after that time, Peter again became discouraged and told the disciples, "I go a fishing." He was discouraged. It was another lapse in his faith. But Christ had actually never forsaken him. Though we are unfaithful, he remains faithful--always. Faithful--full of faith.

If a person is truly saved, he won't apostasize. If he turns to Islam it only shows that he never beieved in the first place. Once a person is saved the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within and then begins to change that person's life. If there is no change it is doubtful that that person is saved. Christ changes us. He transforms our lives to be more like Him. This is the teaching of the First John.

1 John 2:3-4 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.

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
DHK

 

Good stuff DHK,

I am just trying to pin this down.

The scripture declares that the Just shall live by faith. "Live by faith" as opposed to having a saving faith moment.

I know that my faith is tried, and when it is I might wonder if what I have believed is even true. But in those moments it is Christ in me which lifts me up, brings me back, preserves my faith. Therefore, I believe that once a person is born again it then becomes a fruit of the Spirit which sustains that saving faith in Christ. Otherwise I think we would all believe for awhile and then give up!

God Bless!

 

steaver,

YES to the question you asked.

Acts 13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

Ordained according to the will of God, not man's free will.

 

Did God give Adam and Eve a choice between eternal life and eternal death?

If yes, then these two had a free will choice.

If no, what then was the purpose of God allowing evil to influence them?

God Bless!

 

Steaver, HisMercy,

I agree with you that we are saved by grace through faith.

My question is why do you say 'I am saved' and not 'I believe I am saved'. Faith is God's gift through the Holy Spirit. Why do you bypass the Holy Spirit?

When somebody says 'I believe I am saved' I see that the guy has faith. When somebody says 'I am saved' I am thinking: "Is this guy God? Grace belongs to God and only God can proclaim somebody has the grace. How come he/she skips the faith part?"

 

If you ask me of my salvation and I answer: "I believe I am saved," that puts an element of doubt in one's mind. No, I know that I am saved. I can safely say that, "I am saved."

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

There is not "guess so," "hope so," "maybe," about this. I know that I am saved.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."
"Verily, verily I say unto you: he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life."

I am saved. I have eternal life. I have passed from death unto life (present tense). There is no question in my mind that I am saved and that my sins are forgiven--past, present and future.

I know this by faith. Faith that is based on the Word of God.
DHK

 

DHK,

your example John 5:13 has the word 'believe' twice in it. Does 'I have faith I am saved' sounds better than 'I believe I am saved'?
Remember, it's by grace through faith. Why do you underestimate the faith? Why are you affraid to admit that the faith is what we have. Is there another way how you can express that you are saved by faith?

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For by grace are ye saved. Salvation is by grace--the grace of God. "Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow."
Jesus shed His blood on the cross and paid the penalty that I deserved. There is nothing that I can do to merit eternal life. It is ALL of the grace of God. It is entirely a gift that I must accept by faith.
By faith I accept His gift of eternal life. It was provided by His grace. I accept it through faith. Faith and reason work together. I am not afraid to admit that it is the faith that we have. That is what I have been emphasizing. It is we that must put our faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our choice to either accept or reject Him. Belief is an active word. It is not just an intellectual assent.

James said: "Ye believe in God thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble." Their belief is not saving belief. It is only the belief that God exists, that God has power, etc. They have not put their faith in God to do what God has promised, i.e., to save them.

Certainly it is the grace of God that saves. Salvation is all of grace. It is God's gift to mankind. "God so loved the world..." However if I don't accept that gracious gift by faith, I will forever be condemned. Thus I am saved by grace through faith.
DHK

 

Janosik,

"I am saved" is absolutely an honest and correct biblical statement for the "believer" to make.

If someone asked me "how do you know that you are saved?" then I can explain using the scriptures and this would include explaining "born again".

"Born again" includes "repentance, prayer, faith, Holy Spirit, saved"

I don't understand why you would think that when you here someone say they are saved it would make you think "is this guy God".

Would it be ok for one to say "I have been saved by God"?

God Bless!

 

Steaver,

when you say 'I am saved' it sounds like it's done deal. The grace comes from God. How do you know it was given to you? My point is that we have faith that we are saved. So it would be ok to say 'I believe I have been saved by God'

 

Janosik,
What do you think?
If you ask if I am married, and I answer you and say: "I believe I am married."
Salvation is the same way.
DHK

 

DHK,

with all the respect it's not the same.

You were at your marriage. You can say 'I am married'.

Salvation is given to you by God. You don't have any direct evidence of your salavation. You experience your salvation by faith.

 

I was there when I was saved. I can tell you the exact year, month, day, and even time. I know the circumstances, where I was, who was present, etc. I know what happened. It was one of the most (if not the most important) events of my life. I trusted Christ as my Saviour. I became part of the Bride of Christ. In essence I entered into marriage with Him. I know for sure, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that if I were to die right now that I would go to Heaven. I have no doubt about that. It would be ridiculous for me to say that "I believe I am married," and thus just as ridiculous to say, "I believe I am saved." I know I am saved." I have no doubts.
DHK

 

DHK,

just read your post again. It's like: 'I... I... I... I...' You used 'I' more than 14 times. Where did you skip Him? His grace? That's not a proof.