Salvation
There are two commonly asked questions in regard to knowing if we are saved that are very important for us to have settled in our hearts. One is, "How can I know for sure that I have truly been saved?" The other is, "If I have been saved, can I lose my salvation?"
How To Know You Are Saved
1) Evidence of Salvation: How can we know for sure that we have genuinely been saved? Well, the Bible promises us in Romans 10:13 that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This is objective, absolute truth, and we can be sure that if we have done this in sincerity that God will keep His part of the promise and give us salvation. Then, according to the Bible, there are at least seven characteristics that are present in the life of a genuine believer. They are:
A) Witness of the Holy Spirit: 1 John 4:13 says, "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." God the Holy Spirit who resides in the heart of every true Christian lets us know if we truly have been saved.
B) Correct Doctrine of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ: A person cannot believe anything they want to believe about Jesus Christ and be a Christian (1 John 4:1-6). We must believe what the Bible says about Him if we want Him to save us.
C) Continuing in the Faith: 1 John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." The Bible teaches that he who continues to the end will be saved. These verses do not mean that a person can stop believing and lose their salvation because the Bible teaches that God keeps those who are His, but these verses are saying that if someone decisively and permanently leaves the faith that they were never genuine believers in the first place.
D) Love For One Another: 1 John 4:20 says, "If someone says, "˜I love God,"™ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
E) Obedience to God: 1 John 2:3 says, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments."
F) Spiritual Fruit: Jesus said, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:20). This does not mean that everyone will have the same amount of fruit or that we can fully judge a person"™s salvation based on what we see (because God only really knows), but it does mean that every true believer will be changed by the power of God and produce fruit to some degree (2 Corinthians 5:17).
G) Discipline from God: Hebrews 12:3-11 teaches us that all true children of God are chastened by the Lord in order for them to be provoked to obedience and restored fellowship with God.
2) Assurance of Salvation: Can a genuine believer ever lose his/her salvation? According to the Bible, the answer is no. Why?
A) God is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24 )
B) God gives us eternal life (John 5:24 )
C) We cannot be taken from God (John 10:28 )
D) Salvation is the work of God in us instead of our works (Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, if our works do not save us, they cannot cause us to lose our salvation.
E) We are sealed by the Holy Spirit who abides with us forever (Ephesians 4:30, John 14:16 ).
F) We are adopted children of God (Romans 8:16, Galatians 4:4-7). In biblical times an adopted child could not lose his inheritance. The same is true spiritually.
G) God guarantees that we will be glorified someday (Romans 8:30). The Holy Spirit is given to us as a down payment on the future glorification and inheritance that we will receive in heaven someday (Ephesians 1:14).
H) There is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
I) Our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).
J) It is not the Father"™s will that Jesus lose any that He has been given (John 6:39-40).
K) God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is faithful even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13).
L) Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them." "Save to the uttermost" means that God saves us completely and forever. Also, we cannot lose our salvation because Jesus is always interceding for us.
As we think about these questions, keep this quote by John MacArthur in mind. He says, "Security- is the Holy Spirit revealed fact that salvation is forever. Assurance- is one"™s confidence that he possesses eternal salvation." In other words, security is an