During one of our weekly discussions we talked about if you could really know for sure, I mean absolutely sure, that you were saved and a child of God. He had a great answer, "First, I always ask people if they love Jesus with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and with all their strength?" (Mark 12:30) Most people will usually respond with a candid, "No". All of us can quickly recall deficiencies in our affection for Jesus Christ, because if we loved Christ perfectly, we would obey Him in all things. This is simply not the case for the majority of the human race.
His second question went like this, "So do you love Jesus like you should?" If the first answer was no, then the second answer also had to be no because even though we are supposed to love Him perfectly, we don't. In this area of our lives rests the tension that we often experience in regard to our salvation.
His final question was, "Then do you love Jesus at all?" (And he would quickly preface this question to emphasize that he was asking about our love for the biblical Christ, the one we encounter when we read our Holy Bible.) In this question he was seeking to discover did we love the salvation experience, our ministry, our church culture, our blessings and stature in life, or did we truly love Jesus?
If you answer "Yes" to that question, even if it is not at the level that we know Christ requires, it is a demonstration of the regeneration of our heart and soul. We cannot manufacture by ourselves a love and affection for Jesus Christ, that can only come from God. "For God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5)
If God's Spirit witnesses to our spirit then it is accepted that we are children of God. Check out this scripture, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . . " (Romans 8:16)
Let's bring this into a more practical framework:
Pretend that there were three individuals who made "decisions" to follow Jesus Christ. Now, fast forward ten years and the first of those individuals live in rampant sin but claims, "I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I walked the aisle, prayed the sinner's prayer, accepted the free gift of grace from God, and punched my ticket to heaven."
Meanwhile, the second individual made a similar decision to follow Jesus, but eventually walked away from their faith and decided not to believe.
Finally, the third individual was completely different. Sin was present in their life at times, but not as a rampant lifestyle. They humbly acknowledge shortcomings but could confidently point to the fruit of the Spirit as being present in them (Galatians 5:22-23). Their life is not marked by perfection, but a definite progression in holiness, righteous living, devotion to Jesus, and love for others.
All three made decisions. All three claim to be Christians. Which one is?
In the book of Romans, Paul writes these words, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes . . . "
The word "believes" used in the scripture above, means to have faith or to entrust, and comes from the Greek word "pistis" that means persuasion or conviction. This passage could be read as saying, "to everyone who is continually believing" or in broader (but still accurate) terms, "to everyone who continues to walk in deeply persuaded convictions that Jesus Christ is Lord!"
Belief is not merely belief. It is a life that demonstrates the fruits of change, the evidence that the Spirit of God is transforming that person into the character of Jesus Christ. That is the reality of a follower of Christ.
The bottom line is that the truly saved will stay saved. Back when I was a teenager, the term "Backsliding" was used for people who "lost their salvation." But the fact is, based on the Scriptures, they were never genuinely saved. The parable of the Four Soils (Matthew 13:1-23) are a reminder that some will look saved, but in the end, they weren’t. (See HERE for more details)
If you genuinely believe something, you won't just say you believe it. Your actions will back up your words. If you care about your boyfriend, than you will spend time getting to know him, what he likes, what his dreams and goals are, and how you can grow closer together. That is why we use the term, "Relationship" to define our walk with Jesus Christ. Quick test: If you are not reading your Bible, fellowshipping with other believers, praying on a regular basis, and confessing your daily sins, chances are that you are either not saved, or very far removed from the passion and conviction you once possessed about your relationship with Jesus. If this pattern of behavior continues, for months or years, then is clear to the question, "Are you truly a child of God?" Jesus clearly taught that if we love Him, we will obey Him. (John 15:15)
True believers care about sin, not because they like committing it, but because they want to deal with it. Confession and repentance is one of the marks of genuine faith. Those who are following after Jesus bring their sin and shame to His feet claiming, "I repent! I hate this sin that keeps waging war against my soul. Please forgive me. Help me escape it." This does not mean that their lives are perfect, see the examples of David, Jonah, Peter, Abraham, Solomon, Lot, etc. But it does mean there is more evidence in their lives that they are a follower of God versus an absence of faith.
Here are some other benchmarks that the Bible gives us to check out whether or not we are children of God
Your love for others is increasing (1 John 3:14)
You hunger for God's word (1 Peter 2:2)
You are filled with a desire to see others saved (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
You love to serve the body of Christ with good works (Eph. 2:10; 1 Peter 4:7-11)
You experience the discipline of God (Hebrews 12:6-8; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 11:5)
[This may seem crazy, but experiencing the discipline of God means that He loves you! Only a cruel parent lets their child run into harm's way. God's correction is done with love. Like a gracious Father, He is not content to let His children continue in sin that harms them. He guides the truly saved as a faithful shepherd guides his, even if that means using the "staff" sometimes to correct their crooked path.]
You are bearing the fruit of the Spirit; persevering to the end (Luke 6:43; Galatians 5:22)
[Bad trees don't produce good fruit. Good trees don't produce bad fruit. So it is for people as well. A fake Christian will be known by false fruit or no fruit at all. A genuine believer will look at the list in Galatians 5:22-23 and by God's grace rejoice saying, "My life looks like that more than it used to!" In the end, they’ll have witnessed God finishing the work He began in them when their earthly life ends and they meet Christ face to face (Philippians 1:16).]
It may be hard to face certain realities in your life, but the wise and prudent Christian finds comfort in Paul's words to Corinthians when he exhorted them, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
The bottom line is that the truly saved will stay saved. Back when I was a teenager, the term "Backsliding" was used for people who "lost their salvation." But the fact is, based on the Scriptures, they were never genuinely saved. The parable of the Four Soils (Matthew 13:1-23) are a reminder that some will look saved, but in the end, they weren’t. (See HERE for more details)
So I pray that you find comfort or conviction in the words above, and that you will take the time to truly sift our your faith journey for their is no higher calling, no more worthy investment that you can spend all of your resources to achieve.
