How Do I Know I Am Saved?

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us, whoever does the will of my Father. Faith is not earned, but it is exhibited by our devotion, obedience, and the continuation of building upon the faith that Christ gives. These are the things that matter, not what we do, as in works, or even the special relationship we have (James 1:22-25). The fact that God knows us and we can know Him is our true treasure. Our response is our growth in Him and making Him known to others (1 Cor. 8:2-3). Christ is the author and finisher of salvation to all who obey Him-so do you (Heb. 5:9)? Only those who obey from the heart will be delivered from their sin (Rom. 6:17-18)! Christ will come in judgment against those who do not obey His Gospel (2 Thess. 1:7-9)! So, what is your response? Don't rely just on feelings; where is your heart? We must take Jesus' sermon in Matthew 7 very seriously and, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6: 33; 7:21-23).

What is the Father's Will? It begins with the map of our salvation, His work; then, come our repentance and confession of Jesus as Lord by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21; Rom. 10:10). Subsequently, out of a response of gratitude, we must live our lives with character, determination, and love, and by faithful service to Christ (Rev. 2:10; 1 John 1:9). If your faith is not practiced, it will not last which would be a true sign that you never had it, or you have not let it dive deep enough into you to create the transforming action from your fallen, sinful state to redemption in the blood of the Lamb. These things are not up to our judgment. They are His. Your fruits will tell the true story to others around you.

This is all about the Blood of Jesus! The sacrificial death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ appeased the wrath of God for us. This is the map that we follow. Because He did this, we can receive salvation as well as the joy and honor of receiving forgiveness for our sins. God is more merciful with us than we could ever be with anyone else, or could ever deserve. No matter what we go through from persecution or loss, we could never even catch a glimpse of what Christ gave to us through grace (Matt. 5: 3-12; Rom. 5:9; Rev. 1:5-6). This is what should fuel our confidence and assurance. Our access to God gives us monumental opportunities and shows us the depth and magnitude of how much we have been saved from. We have the ability to be bold and go before God because He has saved us, renewed us, and empowered us. We do not earn or deserve this outpouring; it is a gift of love and grace. (Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 2:1-4; 4:15).

Our "full assurance of faith" is displayed by our commitment; so, our faith must not waver because we are trusting in and following Christ.

Salvation is not for us to just be saved and then sit in a pew; it is so we can be impacted and in turn be an impact on others. It is so we may be renewed, restored, empowered, and used. We have been transformed; our hearts and minds are changed and renewed when we receive Christ's work and gift of grace and we are thus released from a guilty conscience. It is all about who Christ is and what He has done, and that we have freedom because of His once-for-all sacrifice (Rom. 1:8-15; 1 Cor. 11:4; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:1; Philemon 4). So, we can hold fast to the hope, be unshakably confident-without doubt or hesitation-in our trust in Christ. The reason is because Christ is faithful, even when our friends and circumstances are not. Thus, our confidence is in Christ, not the people in the church or how we are tested or treated either inside or outside the church walls (Acts 21:26; Rom. 3:24-26; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 3:1-14; 6:18-20).