How are you supposed to know if you have been saved? This is something I've been worrying about lately. I have no idea whether Jesus will return in my life or when I die, so I'd like to know somehow if I have earned Salvation into Heaven. I hear Christians say that they are "saved". Are you saved by trusting in Jesus, or by repentance? Recently I've had scary thoughts about dying and seeing God he looks at my life and is disgusted and throws me into the lake of fire. Obviously, I don't want this to happen. How can I be sure that I have been saved? I feel confused.
How to know if you've been saved?
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The first thing is to recognize that you are a sinner and unable to do anything to save yourself. Jesus came to heal the sick, not the well. He came to give water to the thirsty. Are you sick? Are you thirsty? Romans 3:10-12 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Do you include yourself in this list?
If you do, Romans 3:23-25 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
Romans 5 - the whole chapter is a mountaintop chapter in a mountaintop book 5:6-11 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die, But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
The above is so exhilarating, if you will take the entire meaning of this into your heart. While we were YET enemies, God loved us and died for us.
This means we repent after salvation, not before. We can't bring Him a thing. The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags. The best thing we can do is like a piece of garbage. We come to Him just as we are, filth and all. His blood is what cleans us, and we repent and change after being converted. God does not ask a person who is unsaved to do a thing, except to believe.
Romans 10: 9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Being saved is not intellectual, it is not agreeing in your head with the tenets of Christianity, it is having a conversion experience. There is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. I have heard it put this way- I can know all about George Washington. I can read books about him, first hand accounts, his letters- but I can't KNOW George Washington. I can know all about him, but he is dead. I can't know him as a person. A person can know all about God, read the Bible, believe it is God's word, and know all about Jesus without KNOWING Jesus. The difference between George Washington and Jesus is that Jesus is not dead, but very much alive and very much a person you can know.
Belief is in the heart, not the head. It is so simple, children are able to be saved.
I am sorry for the long post, but I can not think of how to edit it down to a more concise explanation.
I hope you are able to find the peace in Jesus that passes understanding.
If you do, Romans 3:23-25 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
Romans 5 - the whole chapter is a mountaintop chapter in a mountaintop book 5:6-11 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die, But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
The above is so exhilarating, if you will take the entire meaning of this into your heart. While we were YET enemies, God loved us and died for us.
This means we repent after salvation, not before. We can't bring Him a thing. The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags. The best thing we can do is like a piece of garbage. We come to Him just as we are, filth and all. His blood is what cleans us, and we repent and change after being converted. God does not ask a person who is unsaved to do a thing, except to believe. Romans 10: 9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Being saved is not intellectual, it is not agreeing in your head with the tenets of Christianity, it is having a conversion experience. There is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. I have heard it put this way- I can know all about George Washington. I can read books about him, first hand accounts, his letters- but I can't KNOW George Washington. I can know all about him, but he is dead. I can't know him as a person. A person can know all about God, read the Bible, believe it is God's word, and know all about Jesus without KNOWING Jesus. The difference between George Washington and Jesus is that Jesus is not dead, but very much alive and very much a person you can know.
Belief is in the heart, not the head. It is so simple, children are able to be saved.
I am sorry for the long post, but I can not think of how to edit it down to a more concise explanation.
I hope you are able to find the peace in Jesus that passes understanding.
This website should help:
2 Ways to Know You Are Saved | J.D. GREEAR
...And if you don't know how to be saved:
How to Be Saved Through Jesus Christ: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
2 Ways to Know You Are Saved | J.D. GREEAR
...And if you don't know how to be saved:
How to Be Saved Through Jesus Christ: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
Salvation is not something anyone can earn. We are saved by grace through faith in the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. Grace is unmerited favor, faith a gift from God; all comes from His everlasting goodness. If you have accepted that the pouring out of Jesus' righteous blood on the cross has paid the debt for your sins, then at the end of this age, when all are resurrected and judged, believers, who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life, will pass from death to life, while those with no faith, those who rejected the offer of a more abundant life from the author of life, will be judged and condemned under the law, for they have refused the gift of grace, and they shall pass into the second death. We are exhorted to work out our salvation with fear, but that does not mean you are to stay in fear, for perfect love casts out fear. Fear is simply the beginning of wisdom. Please pray for a better understanding of the love of Jesus.
Are you in any kind of Bible study? Do you listen regularly to any expositors? It seems like you are in need of regular exposure to sound teaching. Here is a good site, where you might benefit from exploring some of the audio archives https://soundcloud.com/backtothebiblecanada
Are you in any kind of Bible study? Do you listen regularly to any expositors? It seems like you are in need of regular exposure to sound teaching. Here is a good site, where you might benefit from exploring some of the audio archives
https://soundcloud.com/backtothebiblecanada
The fact you are concerned if your saved shows you are, someone who isn't saved wouldn't care if they were saved or not, also God is not a giant being with fiery eyes looking to waste people he is kind and gentle patient and only wants you to know you don't need to be afraid. He wants to be someone you can always talk to without worry of condemnation or him looking down on you in shame like your own personal diary he wants you to run into his arms when you are scared or feel weak he wants you to go to him for encouragement and to know you are cared about even when your closest family doesn't understand
In the Bible we have so many verses with the right answers on your question we can find the next one in KJVRomans8;14-16 14.For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15.For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Ab-ba Father, 16.The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God;
John 6:40 - For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
1 John 5:11 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5:11 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
You don't. He shed blood for us. It helps with our sins, but you're not saved until you're judged.
He shed blood for us. It helps with our sins, but you're not saved until you're judged.
John 5:24 - Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Three tenses of salvation: We have been saved from the PENALTY of sin (justification); we are being saved from the POWER of sin (ongoing sanctification); we will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin (glorification).
What do you think salvation is for?
To be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
In a sense salvation is learning to walk with Christ and in His ways.
So we know we know Him because we obey His commands.
So it is not a shock when we die, because we know Christ and His ways.
So in a strange way we are not saved because we are saved, but because we know
Christ and walk in His ways we already have entered in to heaven and the Kingdom.
So I suggest read the gospels, and start to listen to Christ and His word.
Your heart will soon know where your fellowship lies.
And the Lord will not look upon your life badly but as a true follower of His ways.
Ezek 18:21-26
To be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
In a sense salvation is learning to walk with Christ and in His ways.
So we know we know Him because we obey His commands.
So it is not a shock when we die, because we know Christ and His ways.
So in a strange way we are not saved because we are saved, but because we know
Christ and walk in His ways we already have entered in to heaven and the Kingdom.
So I suggest read the gospels, and start to listen to Christ and His word.
Your heart will soon know where your fellowship lies.
And the Lord will not look upon your life badly but as a true follower of His ways.
Ezek 18:21-26
This statement is false. You know you're saved when you confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and you commit your life to Him. This "you're not saved until you're judged" nonsense is exactly that: nonsense..
You don't. He shed blood for us. It helps with our sins, but you're not saved until you're judged.
He shed blood for us. It helps with our sins, but you're not saved until you're judged.
These answers seem too complicated for me.
As I understand it, believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God's one and only human born Son, that he died on the cross in your place, that three days later God raised Him for the dead, then ask Him to forgive you and to come into your life and make you a new person.
As best as I can tell from studying the Bible for the last 40 years, this is all you have to do.
The next step is to turn your heart toward God. Start by loving and thanking Jesus for taking your place on the cross. As you love and worship Jesus in your heart you grow more into who God created you to be.
There is a world more to follow, but if you keep the above as your compass setting you will always be heading in the right direction.
As I understand it, believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God's one and only human born Son, that he died on the cross in your place, that three days later God raised Him for the dead, then ask Him to forgive you and to come into your life and make you a new person.
As best as I can tell from studying the Bible for the last 40 years, this is all you have to do.
The next step is to turn your heart toward God. Start by loving and thanking Jesus for taking your place on the cross. As you love and worship Jesus in your heart you grow more into who God created you to be.
There is a world more to follow, but if you keep the above as your compass setting you will always be heading in the right direction.
Many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these thing can be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.
How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.
God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Have you repented? Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your eternal salvation.
How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.
God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Have you repented? Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your eternal salvation.
Guys calm down. That passage simply means, that I quoted, if you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins, it's enough. That's is the will of the Father! That's how you get judged! Jesus died for sinners because we all were, but you need to admit he did die for you. Jesus saves us when he comes back and when the world gets judged in Revelation! You're supposed to look forward to being judged not run away from it! It will be a happy day. The guy claiming to know Jesus is a liar! Jesus knows us, not the other way around. You don't understand Jesus and neither do I! Please understand the text before you cut me down.
***(praying) *** if you accepted Christ as your Savior and confessed your sins to Him you are saved---- now our feelings are another thing----- sometimes we don't feel saved, but we really are--- I recommend you spend more time in prayer and the Bible--- don't waste too much time on t.v. and Social Media--- hang out with people close too God...
C
This can be somewhat disheartening but understand that when you convince yourself you have been saved (having that giddy feeling) it could very well be the opposite meaning you may have sealed yourself in sin and that the Holy Spirit stops convicting you. There is a huge theological flaw in Protestant theology by going to Jesus and the bible alone. Read up and study the history of the Catholic Church and your eyes will surely be opened. God Bless you!