Am I Really Saved?
To be mistaken is something very serious. A young man who shot his sister almost went crazy over it, but still the girl was dead. He was mistaken; he thought the revolver was not loaded. A man who was lost and perished in the mountains was mistaken; he thought he knew the way but he did not. Thousands of calamities are occurring because people are mistaken. The Bible warns us against being mistaken, or deceived in regard to our salvation.
It exhorts us to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith. Nowhere would a mistake be more serious than here, but such error is possible or we would not be so warned. With an eternal hell of punishment to be shunned and a heaven of bliss to be won, we dare not be careless as to our salvation. In these days, church membership and being saved are being mixed up. Many, feeling somewhat convicted of sin, join a church but do not really repent and get saved. This can be fatal. Just imagine, if you can, after all your church attending and work, waking up some morning and finding you are at the judgment seat of Christ, there to discover your mistake, and hear the sentence that sends you forever to the land of darkness and torment. Now is the time to ask the question, “Am I really saved?” and to be sure of your answer. It is quite evident that there are many with a profession without salvation. They have at some time been awakened, and instead of getting converted first, have simply joined a church and begun church attendance and church work. They may have church life, but no divine life. Spiritual preaching and prayer make them nervous. In short, they do not enjoy God or truth and prefer not to think about heaven or death. There is a real experience of salvation. Friend, unless you change that stilted church life for real salvation, you are as sure of hell as the lowest sinner. You may be more respectable than they, but you are traveling on the same road. Satan is as busy in the church as in the bar and cares little whether you come to hell with a whiskey bottle or a hymn book. There is no safety but in real, life-changing salvation through Jesus Christ.
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REAL salvation makes a change in us that fits us for heaven. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We must do His commandments, not just good works (Revelation 22:14), and everyone that desires to be a Christian must quit sin (2 Timothy 2:19). Real salvation saves us not only from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9), but also from sin itself. “Jesus… shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). And, “He taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). But how do we get and keep real salvation? Jesus and others instruct us in numerous places to “Repent”, to “Confess”, and to “Believe the Gospel”. A repentant person recognizes and admits his or her guilt before God, desires to do right, and seeks forgiveness. Repentance will cause the wicked (anyone that is still sinning) to forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and he will return to the Lord, who will have mercy upon him, and will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7). It is by repentance that we gain access to the mercy and grace of God that delivers us from the penalty and power of sin. We must believe the gospel …believe that God can and will do what He has promised in His word. Salvation brings us to God, and only sin can separate us from Him. Once saved, we must be faithful to continue in obedience to His word if we intend to keep this wonderful salvation. To trust in anything less than real salvation would be the most serious mistake you could ever make! Be sure you have the real thing!
It is a shame that the truth is mostly ignored. At times I feel like there are those who would drown out what you have stated. Or not care. Hence I am the first comment of the post. I do not know about you but at times I feel lonely spiritually. There are so many voices that are saying completely the opposite of what you have conveyed. Because of my more forward approach, really get blasted. I got blasted twice today on my post, “I am an honest liar, honestly.” But I still put up the comments.
If I could encourage you a little bit in your studies, explore what Paul calls the hope of Salvation. I think you will discover like me the notion of getting salvation and how we loose it is not the question. Instead it is how not to shipwreck our faith that could save us, if we endure to the end for Christ to bring us our salvation. If you go to my blog, check out the tab “got salvation” to wet your appetite on this study.
Just want to encourage you… there are more people than you realize who know that sinning Christianity is not the real thing. God has a people that have been delivered, and that are bringing forth good fruit. Ref. Matthew 7:15-23.