197. How Can I Know That I Am Saved?

[00:00:08] Welcome friends to Making Disciples. My name is Cris and I am your host. It's really lovely to have you with me today

[00:00:16] How are you doing?

[00:00:17] How is your evening after noon morning whenever you're listening to this?

[00:00:23] How are you doing?

[00:00:25] Hope you're doing okay in this new years we drift into February

[00:00:31] And the weather hopefully just starts to change a little bit. I hope and pray that you're doing okay

[00:00:36] Well welcome to you if you are one of our new listeners

[00:00:41] Warm warm welcome now today's episode is gonna be answering another question that we have received from one of our listeners

[00:00:51] Lady called Dawn has messaged in

[00:00:53] And she has some really good question. How can I know that I?

[00:00:58] Saved how can I know that I am safe? What a great question to ask and it's one of those where we don't always

[00:01:06] Know

[00:01:08] ourselves the quick answer to that question. How do I know that I'm saved?

[00:01:11] You know, it could be that thing comes saved but I'm not as you saved

[00:01:15] And I don't want I need to do to be saved

[00:01:17] You know like I passed

[00:01:19] If I got the certificate and now I'll park the club on my am I in?

[00:01:23] On am I not and I'm missing out and I don't even realize it yet so great question from Dawn about how can I know that I am saved

[00:01:32] I mentioned this last week lent is faster approaching

[00:01:35] Prentice to Jesus for today's walking the way of Jesus great book to journey through during lents

[00:01:40] That might be something of interest to you and just to encourage you if you've not spoken to a church leader or somebody yet about using making disciples lent

[00:01:48] Fulent in your church do that

[00:01:50] Hey could we be using making disciples the the workbook as a part of our

[00:01:56] Season of lent you know worth mentioning on even in the last few days

[00:02:00] Before before lent kicks off

[00:02:03] So friends here we go we're gonna jump in and we're gonna explore today. How can I know that I am saved?

[00:02:10] If this episode or any of our episodes ever raises more questions for you

[00:02:15] You can't get the answers to through your own small groups

[00:02:18] Church leader Christian friends

[00:02:21] Then do message us, you know do say I don't there's something you said that I'm not yeah

[00:02:25] Don't get it. We know why what's that about?

[00:02:28] Don't leave yourself unsure

[00:02:31] Just ask I think particularly I talk about this one. How can I know that I'm saved if you're left with more questions at the end?

[00:02:37] Or you are worried about anything that I say oh my gosh, I don't know where I am now

[00:02:42] Do you know am I saved then what I would say is yeah you're very welcome to to message us here

[00:02:48] But you've got lots of Christian friends around you. I'm sure or people that you could ask as well

[00:02:54] And get there opinion get their thoughts on what we're talking about today

[00:02:59] So here we go how can I know that I am saved great question here from dawn. Let's jump straight

[00:03:16] How do I know that I'm saved just a great question

[00:03:20] Just a great question now some of us have had a moment in our lives

[00:03:26] Where we have said yeah

[00:03:28] I believe this I'm in I'm gonna live my life by this and you've prayed a prayer and you know in that moment

[00:03:35] Something has changed something has shifted

[00:03:39] And they say because there's something that's happened you feel it you sense that you know it

[00:03:45] You've experienced something that's made you go yeah, I know there was a difference in that moment when I

[00:03:51] Some of us we haven't necessarily had that you know you've grown up in the church you've always believed you've always been something's been a part of you

[00:03:58] And

[00:04:00] Me you know you may end up going on. Am I saved that?

[00:04:03] I just believe this and I don't I've never actually prayed a prayer. I've never I've given myself to Jesus

[00:04:08] Great these are just great questions

[00:04:11] So let me introduce us to the topic for a second then I'm gonna take us to use some Bible passages

[00:04:17] Then I'm gonna talk to us about some evidence you know some evidence of genuine faith in our lives

[00:04:21] Then I'm gonna look at doubt you know what could cause us to question this and how we might overcome that doubt

[00:04:27] So that's the journey that we're gonna go on today. So let me just introduce the topic for a moment

[00:04:32] How can I know that I am saved and

[00:04:35] The one the major things that we want to talk about around this question is something called the assurance of

[00:04:43] Salvation and many

[00:04:46] Christians will wrestle at some point with this question of I might actually saved

[00:04:53] And one of the ways of approaching this is to have assurance of your salvation to have confirmation

[00:05:05] Of your salvation and

[00:05:07] Many of us will question at some point in our lives if you're questioning or have questioned

[00:05:12] Are you questioning the future am I saved be aware lots of questions go through that we wrestle at some point with this question

[00:05:20] You know it's a part of I decide what you've journey I guess of a deepening out understanding a knowledge

[00:05:26] And one of the ways that we overcome this question is with the assurance of salvation

[00:05:34] So I want to encourage you in this episode that if you have at some point in your life said yesterdays us

[00:05:44] Either as a child or as an adult it doesn't matter when

[00:05:49] If you've said yes to his hope his grace is mercy the forgiveness of sins then you are saved and

[00:05:58] Be assured of that salvation be assured of that salvation there may be times when you struggle

[00:06:07] You have doubts

[00:06:09] But friends have hope that in Jesus you have the true freedom

[00:06:14] The freedom found in salvation

[00:06:17] So let's look at some core biblical

[00:06:20] Passengers here that will just help us to think through this idea of biblical assurance

[00:06:27] So the first one is from Ephesians 2 verses 8 to 9 where it says we're saved by grace

[00:06:34] Through faith and not

[00:06:36] Works so Paul here is talking to the church in Ephesus and he's really outlining what it means to be saved and what he's saying here is this we're saved by the grace of God

[00:06:51] Through having faith in him so by choosing to have faith in Jesus

[00:06:57] We are saved by his grace and we are not friends saved by works. We are not saved by

[00:07:05] Being talented or attractive or

[00:07:10] Clever or working hard are doing lots or serving lots

[00:07:17] We are saved by his grace through faith

[00:07:21] Not through works now we also know that you have to work out our salvation so we you know

[00:07:26] We we work once we are saved we kind of then working it out. What does this look like how do I live this out?

[00:07:31] What does this look like on a Wednesday afternoon

[00:07:34] What does this look like on my Saturday morning so we're working at our salvation but it's not faith by works

[00:07:41] We can then explore one John 5 11 13 where in this passage it says those who believe in Jesus can

[00:07:48] No they have a turn of life

[00:07:51] Those who believe in Jesus can know they have a turn of life

[00:07:56] belief in Jesus knowing

[00:07:58] Jesus

[00:07:59] Getting to know the voice of Jesus if you are someone who has said

[00:08:06] Yes to Jesus you believe in Jesus you believe he died and rose again for you

[00:08:12] If you believe that he is on your side and he was he died and rose again for you

[00:08:19] Then you can know you are saved

[00:08:21] If you are getting to know his voice better

[00:08:26] To hear his voice and be attentive to his voice getting to become friends with Jesus not just knowing of

[00:08:33] Jesus

[00:08:34] So in that we have this eternal life, this eternal relationship

[00:08:39] Well then friends you can be assured of your salvation you can be sure that you are saved because it's about getting to know

[00:08:46] Jesus and

[00:08:47] This is the John 10 20 7 28

[00:08:50] It's one of my favorite little verses

[00:08:51] Jesus gives eternal life to his sheep who hear his voice and follow him

[00:08:56] So in the passage he says you do I know you and do you know my voice

[00:09:02] Do you know my leading so those of us

[00:09:06] That are getting to know Jesus as the shepherd who we hear his voice and we go where he's telling us ago

[00:09:12] We're following him and we're attentive to him

[00:09:15] Then we can only hear his voice because we're saved

[00:09:18] We can only hear his direction in our lives because we are saved

[00:09:23] So this is what it means to have assurance it's knowing that because of

[00:09:29] Grace through faith

[00:09:31] Knowing that we believe in Jesus and what he's done for us

[00:09:36] Being able to hear his voice and follow his voice all of this just gives us this assurance

[00:09:43] That we are saved that will be a part of his saved people

[00:09:49] So then right okay, so we we know

[00:09:54] What it means to have this assurance in faith of Jesus and what he has done

[00:10:00] But friends ask this question. What is the evidence then of

[00:10:03] genuine faith

[00:10:05] What is the evidence then of our faith? What do we see of this that makes us go yes

[00:10:11] This is genuine here this isn't something's manipulative it's not something that's pretending

[00:10:16] It's like a sergeant playing along. This is genuine

[00:10:20] So if you think about in terms of internal evidence and then external evidence

[00:10:26] So what is the evidence of genuine faith in Jesus? Well, let's talk about the internal evidence first

[00:10:34] And you know Roman's a he talks about the spirit bears witness in our spirits

[00:10:39] The spirit is bearing witness

[00:10:41] within us so things like

[00:10:45] You know being convicted of our sins knowing that we are sinners

[00:10:50] That is evidence of genuine faith that's evidence the spirit is at work and the spirit is convicting us

[00:10:56] Make it as real eyes. Yeah

[00:10:58] The stools in in here that needs to be dealt with

[00:11:01] This internal desire to obey God

[00:11:05] One thing internally to be somebody that honors the Lord

[00:11:12] That is somebody who'd with genuine faith and then finally to see life

[00:11:19] Change if if internally you have this desire to see your life change

[00:11:24] See others life changed see your community change friends that's evidence of genuine faith

[00:11:30] Faith that Jesus will make a difference and will transform lives

[00:11:35] So the internals are things like the conviction of sin a desire to obey God to see your life transformed

[00:11:42] That's all internal evidence of genuine faith

[00:11:46] So what about the external evidence then what about other things that we do in our lives that bear the fruit

[00:11:55] And reveal true

[00:11:57] Uh true repentance of life that's truly lived for God, okay?

[00:12:01] So what's the external evidence?

[00:12:03] Lastly evidence of love

[00:12:06] The evidence of compassion

[00:12:08] The evidence of desiring righteousness and obedience to Jesus over time wanting to be obedient to him

[00:12:18] The fruits the spirit love joe peace patients faithful to self control. You know the fruits of the spirit

[00:12:26] Are the external evidence of a genuine internal faith

[00:12:30] The fruits the spirit is the overflow of God's working our lives

[00:12:35] Becoming a life that is now changed and lived differently

[00:12:39] So you have the internals and the externals that both communicate this genuine

[00:12:44] Faith and the externals like you know love

[00:12:48] obedience

[00:12:49] Prayer faithfulness of those kind of things so the evidence of genuine faith is the internals and the externals

[00:12:57] So what we don't we talked about assurance we've talked about the Bible in terms of what the Bible has to say about

[00:13:05] Salvation assurance we've talked about what is genuine faith and do we actually have genuine faith?

[00:13:11] I can't I would just add in there if I if anything I've said there's material

[00:13:14] I'm not sure. Do I have genuine faith then in a minute

[00:13:17] I'm just gonna get us to pray a prayer anyway

[00:13:19] Where we can recommit ourselves to Jesus to recommit ourselves to his salvation

[00:13:23] If you'd never prayed to prayer like that before then this may be the first time and it may be the moment where you've said yes to Jesus for the first time

[00:13:30] And that's super exciting

[00:13:32] Let's just talk about doubt though for a moment. So

[00:13:36] What are the promises?

[00:13:37] Some point in your Christian life you're gonna say

[00:13:39] Am I really saved am I really done what it is needed

[00:13:43] To be saved if I actually achieved what needs to be achieved

[00:13:47] to be saved and

[00:13:50] And doubt sets in and we said say I don't know am I might actually saved I can't work out if I'm saved or not

[00:13:57] doubt sets in so

[00:13:59] Things that cause us to doubt our salvation

[00:14:03] Sin

[00:14:04] Sin causes are I really saved because I'm still sinning

[00:14:08] I'm still doing similar things to what I've done before. Oh, I'm doing different things now

[00:14:12] But it's still sinful things

[00:14:14] So sin concoses to doubt or hard circumstances and concoses to question

[00:14:19] Salvation you know we're going through a lot life's really hard

[00:14:23] There's there's medical issues as health issues as marriage issues as life issues as debt issues

[00:14:28] I'm I really saved because life is really difficult right now and if I was saved

[00:14:34] I'm sure life would be easier friends Jesus never promises us to see that when we're saved life would be easy

[00:14:40] He says when you're saved I will be with you and that that's the difference

[00:14:45] So sin causes doubt

[00:14:48] Hard circumstances can leave us to doubt

[00:14:51] The enemy has schemes and plans to lie to you and cause you to not trust that you are saved

[00:14:58] Not as evil under the evil one lost a challenge the goodness of God

[00:15:04] And we see this right the way back in the garden of Eden without a man, you know

[00:15:08] Basically Satan is saying to Adam Eve I think God might have lied to you about this apple thing

[00:15:14] And you know how do you know that if you eat the apple that actually you're not going to become as powerful as him

[00:15:19] even one loves to trick us

[00:15:22] He loves to scheme and plot and have lies

[00:15:26] So what causes to doubt sin?

[00:15:28] Hard circumstances to hurt hard circumstances but also the enemy the enemy loves to trick us

[00:15:36] The other thing is I would say one of the reasons why some of us can doubt is this we struggle to accept God's grace

[00:15:42] Rather than relying on good works

[00:15:45] many of us find it easier

[00:15:48] to rely on

[00:15:50] Works

[00:15:51] Then God's grace because it feels more controllable to us we would draw that if we could

[00:15:57] Do community service and know that we're saved

[00:16:01] Then to rely on the grace of Jesus we would draw the pay a bill

[00:16:05] do our time

[00:16:07] Show ourselves as good by

[00:16:10] Serving harder doing more

[00:16:13] But actually it's by grace and and therefore some of a struggle to accept it because grace is really hard to grab hold of

[00:16:21] What's doing community service is so easy to go I'll do my fall with community service and then I'm saved

[00:16:27] Let me let me serve people for a month and now be saved

[00:16:31] That's easier it's easier for us to deal with

[00:16:34] But it's not it's by the grace of God and therefore because it's so difficult to grab hold of some of us will that will cause us to doubt

[00:16:42] How do we overcome doubts?

[00:16:44] Well, I think one of the things as four things. I want to say number one

[00:16:46] We have to recall the fundamental promises that the gospel give us

[00:16:51] This it's saved by grace and not by faith. We have to remember us remember the promises

[00:16:57] That is given to us about our faith the promise that that through

[00:17:02] Faith in Jesus we receive His grace and we are saved

[00:17:07] So we have to hold on to the promises that we know to be true

[00:17:13] Secondly, sometimes friends we have to preach truth to our own hearts

[00:17:17] You are who you are in Jesus Christ

[00:17:20] Everybody else is gonna tell you different but you preach to yourself who they I am who I am in Jesus Christ

[00:17:27] It's every day it's preaching to ourselves when you're looking them mirror you are gonna think today

[00:17:33] That you're not good enough you're gonna think today that you're not worthy enough

[00:17:36] But let me tell the person in the mirror

[00:17:39] You are saved through faith by the grace of Jesus not because you've worked hard

[00:17:45] Strive hard enough. I behaved well enough but because of his grace

[00:17:49] So you have to preach yourself every day reminding yourself of what is true

[00:17:54] Thirdly I say this we need to receive comfort that's can only be provided by Jesus

[00:18:01] So some 94 verse 19 says this I love this when anxiety is great within me

[00:18:06] Your consolation brought me joy

[00:18:11] When anxiety was great within me your consolation brought me joy receiving the comfort

[00:18:17] That's only found in Jesus nothing else up there is gonna comfort you

[00:18:24] Only Jesus can comfort you and when you're riddled with anxiety or riddled with doubts

[00:18:30] You're riddled with worry

[00:18:31] Remember this it's only through the consolation of Jesus Christ that brings us joy

[00:18:37] Only him that can relieve

[00:18:40] Other anxiety relieve those questions in those doubts

[00:18:45] And the fourth thing is I would say we need to renew our mindset trust

[00:18:52] Jesus has finished work we have to trust

[00:18:55] Jesus to overcome doubt

[00:18:58] The end of the day we've just got to trust Jesus if Jesus is good news

[00:19:04] Then trust him he knows what he's doing

[00:19:08] So he says I saved am I saved?

[00:19:11] What we're doing in that question is we're not trusting

[00:19:14] Jesus and we have to trust Jesus and say I'm gonna choose to trust him

[00:19:19] Even though I'm struggling maybe to see the fruit so I'll struggle to see how God is at work here

[00:19:24] I'll struggle to see the fruit of my salvation I'm gonna hold on to Jesus because he's good news

[00:19:31] So

[00:19:33] In conclusion friends

[00:19:36] This assurance of salvation it can be a process and it's a process that can be strengthened

[00:19:43] By preaching to yourselves holding onto the promises holding onto the comfort of who Jesus is

[00:19:50] And his finished work on the cross and through that we can hold onto the assurance that we are saved

[00:20:00] I'd also say this I our identity is secure in Jesus

[00:20:05] Does it matter what ups and downs calm?

[00:20:08] Does it matter how you feel about your salvation?

[00:20:12] Your salvation is not determined by how you feel your salvation is determined by the goodness of Jesus

[00:20:19] And what he has done for us on the cross so your identities secure in Jesus even if you have a blue blue monday

[00:20:28] Even if you have a bad month or a bad season your salvation

[00:20:33] is not weakened because of your feelings my last point would be this

[00:20:41] Friends to have a ongoing faith to have in your

[00:20:47] To really have this assurance in your salvation it requires you

[00:20:55] To maintain it now I don't mean the maintaining of your salvation

[00:21:01] I'm talking about the maintenance of your faith

[00:21:05] We are faith to grow your faith to go forwards for you to become more secure in your salvation

[00:21:13] Trusting in Jesus more it will require you to work at it. It will require you to engage with God on it

[00:21:23] to engage with others about the questions that you have

[00:21:27] asking them for

[00:21:30] Concrete evidence of the fruit forms of God in your life, you know

[00:21:34] It will take that endurance will require you

[00:21:38] To do some work

[00:21:40] Add to trust in him in maybe greater capacity going forwards

[00:21:46] So how can I know I am saved friends you are saved by grace and faith not because of good works

[00:21:55] Through believing in Jesus we are saved and have eternal life

[00:22:00] Jesus gives eternal life

[00:22:02] to his sheep and we learn to hear his voice to hear the voice of the shepherd and

[00:22:11] Genuine faith has internal and external evidence the external evidence

[00:22:18] Is you know loving others compassion to others care for others serving others being generous to others

[00:22:25] The internals is run the conviction of sin did this desire to obey Jesus and to have your life changed

[00:22:31] So friends I hope that's helpful. Dawn. I hope that is helpful for you. How can I know that I'm saved?

[00:22:38] But what I'd love to do is just end us with a prayer

[00:22:41] For those of us questioning am I saved?

[00:22:43] Am I

[00:22:45] saved in Jesus? Then let's pray prayer and let's make that happen and then you know yeah, I've done it

[00:22:52] I've said what I need to say to God. So let's pray God

[00:22:57] We know that we are sinners

[00:23:01] We know that whatever we do whatever striving we do

[00:23:05] Always seems to leave us in a worse situation with more exhausted

[00:23:10] We're more tired we're more anxious

[00:23:13] Our sinfulness leads us

[00:23:16] To exhaustion we are done our book it is empty. There's nothing left

[00:23:22] We don't have anything left to offer and we turn to you and we say Lord through your son Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection

[00:23:30] Would you take my sins would you take my life would you take all that is broken?

[00:23:36] And would you practice your resurrection?

[00:23:39] Would I go from death to life? Would I wake up and become who it is that you have designed me to be?

[00:23:47] So we say yes to Jesus we say yes to His forgiveness

[00:23:51] And we ask to His new life and we ask that you might fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may know your presence

[00:23:57] May know your voice

[00:23:59] So Lord forgive us save us in the name of Jesus

[00:24:03] And form us more now into the likeness of your Son Jesus

[00:24:09] That we may be assured of our salvation

[00:24:12] And know that we are living for Him and His kingdom

[00:24:16] We pray that in Jesus name, not the same said

[00:24:20] Amen

[00:24:21] Friends, until next time Grace and peace have a great week and we'll catch up soon