church – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

Estimated Reading Time: 6min

One of the doubts I hear a lot from other believers is wondering whether they are truly saved or not. Are they really going to make it to Heaven? How do they know for sure that they are really saved and they won’t end up standing in front of Jesus with him saying “depart from me, I do not know you”?

While there are some very clear indicators of the fruit of salvation that Scripture shows us to look out for, there is also one overarching truth that can be a quick guide for the niggle of doubt for a believer.

Salvation is the free choice of acknowledging the blood sacrifice of Jesus to take our place of punishment. Often likened to a court room drama where we are the ones on trial with a death penalty called out on our guilt. Then, Jesus stands up, though he had nothing to do with our crimes, and takes the chair in our place. While I don’t mind that analogy, I think we miss what comes after by focussing only on that part of the story.

The next part is what we do afterwards. We don’t just go back out into the world and continue living how we want to, putting ourselves first, our ambitions and goals above anything that Jesus’ own Father asks of us. Instead, we are now owned by God, because he paid for us.

I believe that we are losing the severity of the decision to put Jesus first in our lives, and to recognize Him as the Lord (or ruler) over our lives. We are voluntarily deciding to be a servant. We are saying to God the Father, I see what your Son did in going to the chair in my place, so now, as you have paid for me, I am going to serve in your house. You are in charge of my life, because you paid for it.

The good part about this decision, is that God is not another human with motives that are cruel and self serving. Instead, he doesn’t treat you like a servant, but like a son or daughter. Instead of living a life as a slave who has no rights, He sees you like family and treats you as such. Not only did you choose to give up your own life, but God gives you a royal one instead.

When that is the decision you make, you cannot help by have a transformation in your life.

The way that you live changes.

The way that you think changes.

The way that you treat other people changes.

The way that you view God and His church changes.

Everything changes. You are no longer the person you were before you were saved. Your life is different. People around you can see that you are not who you were. You are not who the rest of the world is. If you see in your life the fruit of living as a royal member of God’s family, with all the benefits and responsibilities that entails, you have had transformation in your life.

Don’t get me wrong, saved believers can get things wrong, go backwards, make mistakes and miss the mark. In fact, we do it all the time. When you feel convicted about going another more selfish direction, that’s a sign that you have been transformed. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you wouldn’t blink an eye to do something that serves your own interests. Now, you have God pulling you back onto the path that is best for you and those around you to travel on.

While there are many examples in Scripture of what a walk with God can look like (both good and bad), if you can look at your life as a whole and see a transformation into becoming like Jesus (we aren’t perfect, my friends, but we’re trying our best to walk as He did) you don’t have to let doubt creep into your life and steal away the joy that comes with Salvation.

You have hope in what is unseen that you are saved, you will see Jesus, and you will spend eternity with Him. Any doubts that come in after your Salvation caused transformation, is an attempt from the enemy to drag you down. To drown you in doubt, lead you to decisions you shouldn’t make, and mindsets that become strongholds to drag you down.

When doubts begin to form if you’re really saved, and you wonder if you’re part of God’s family, look to the fruit of your life and see if it matches what Scripture tells us believers will look like. Dive into the Word that guides us. Line up your life to what it says. Check if you’ve undergone transformation and speak to someone you trust. Someone who is longer on the journey with Christ than you. Someone who walks with you in your life, is leading and discipling you.

God loves you, and I hope you have a church family to walk through this journey of life that we are on.

See You in the Adventures!

Furious Fiction is a short story workout for a writer!
I hope you enjoy this CGSP Short Story that was entered in a recent FURIOUS FICTION.

All of my family were out there. I could see them through a small crack that I wedged open in the door. They’re waiting for me. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck as I paced the small back room of the large church. This event wouldn’t get started until I went out in front of all those people.

I know I shouldn’t be afraid of my own family and friends, but this wasn’t just an everyday event. It was an ending. Or a beginning, depending on how you wanted to look at it. All we knew was coming to an end; there wasn’t any way around it.

Of course, I could always leave and not deal with it all. I could Jump over the chairs, and head for the large doors at the back of the room. I shook my head, quickly discarding the idea, and turned back to my earrings on the small table. If I was going out there, I was going to look my best.

My hands shaking, I attempted to poke one through my right ear. The sweat was all over my hands now, and I tried to wipe one hand on my clothes. The earring flipped out of my hand and rolled under the table. Groaning, I shuffled onto my knees and narrowed my eyes as I searched for the small, pearl earring.

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“Aha!” I yelled out loud as I spotted it, wedged between the back, table leg, and the wall. I yanked it free and stood to my feet, slipping it into my ear.
“Susan, are you ready?” My cousin Emily asked through the door. “We’re all waiting for you to start this thing.”
I sighed. “Just a minute Emily,” I said.
Great; it was time now.

How was I going to do this? How was I going to honour the man out there? Nothing I could ever say could portray my feelings about him. I felt for the notes in my pocket, then nodded and sucked in a deep breath. I was going to do this service; no matter what.

As I got myself together, I opened the door and smiled at Emily. She cut the lights to the room behind me, and we walked closer to the doors. I listened quietly for my queue. As I walked towards the front of the church, the butterflies pounded in my chest and stomach. I wasn’t used to being in front of a crowd like this.

As I finally made my last step towards the pastor at the front, he gave me a wink. I turned and stared at the man who I wanted to honour; my groom.

Furious Fiction is a fun story competition to stretch yourself and write less than 500 words in 55 hours. This story was to take place in either a wedding, or a funeral. I wanted to try and get BOTH as a possibility as you were reading; right up until the very end.
If you want to enter Furious Fiction, check out the AWC website for all the details.

See You in The Adventures!
Christy Grace