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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!
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