How You Can Be Sure You Are a Christianনমুনা
Assurance of Salvation is Possible: Part 1
God's Word, the Holy Spirit and life change all provide confirmation of salvation.
You may say, "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died for my sins. Am I not a Christian?" You are not, if you have refused to surrender your will to Him.
Or you may say, "I heard a wonderful sermon, my emotions were stirred and I even responded to the invitation to go forward for counsel. Am I not a Christian?" You are not, if you have never relinquished the throne of your life, your will, to Christ.
How, then, can you be sure that you are a Christian?
There is a threefold confirmation that God gives to those who sincerely receive Jesus Christ into their lives.
1. External Witness of God's Word
The promise of God's Word, not your feelings, is your authority. His word is totally reliable. As a Christian you are to live by faith in the trustworthiness of God and His Word.
For years Martin Luther had attempted to earn his salvation by his dedication and good works. When he discovered that great biblical truth "The just shall live by faith," his life was dramatically changed, and he no longer labored for the assurance of his destiny in Christ. He believed what God's Word had to say and had assurance of his salvation.
It is not enough to ask Jesus into your life; you must believe He will come in as He promised. Faith says, "I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Faith says, "I know Jesus died for my sins." Faith says, "I know if I open my heart's door to Him, He will come in." Faith says, "When He comes in, I'll become a child of God." Faith says, "I know that, when I receive Jesus into my life, I will have eternal life."
God honors faith. He does not honor your invitation to Him to come in. It is your faith in Him and His promise that, if you open the door, He will come in that He honors. You can ask Jesus into your life a thousand times, and He will never come unless you believe, on the basis of His promise, that He will come. You can depend upon Him to keep His promise to come in if you ask Him in as an expression of faith.
About this Plan
The Christian life, as God intended it to be lived, is not a mere standard of performance, a code of ethics or a life of ritual, but a vital, personal relationship with the living creator God as He has revealed Himself to man through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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