Bulletin Articles
Bulletin Article for January 07, 2024
“Can I Know That I Am Saved?”
Matt Craig –c/o Folsom church of Christ, Folsom, CA
Can I know that I am saved? It appears to be a simple question, and one that I am sure many Christians would be quick to answer with an astounding, “YES!” But dig a little deeper, and ask how do you know that you’re saved? Then, it can be a little challenging for those who learned the first principles of becoming a Christian but have failed to mature spiritually. Those of us who have put on Christ through baptism should understand that this is the beginning point of the journey in the life of a Christian, and from that point forward each of us individually chooses how we live our life, whether in service to God, or to ourselves. So how can I know that I am saved? Here are a few points that can help us answer that question.
I can know that I am saved when I understand the need to love God. In Luke 10:25-28, the lawyer asked Jesus, “What must he do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him what is written in the law, and the lawyer replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, love your neighbor as yourself,” to which Jesus said, “you have answered correctly,” and then proceeded to give the account of the good Samaritan. It requires more than just saying, “I love you.” It requires a total commitment of oneself to God, and to treat EVERYONE as you would treat yourself.
I can know that I am saved when I understand that love requires action on my part. In John 14:15-18, Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” This is not a set of tasks that we check off to earn our salvation, but a willingness to do whatever God asks us to do because we love him. In 1John 3: 11-24, John tells us that if we love God we will love each other, and to let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.
I can know that I am saved when I understand that I must not love the world or the things in it more than I love God. In 1John 2:15-17, John warns us not to love the world and the things of the world, because if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. If we love to participate in the things of the world, which is contrary to the true nature of the Father, how can we have fellowship with Him?
I can know that I am saved when I understand that I cannot be saved by doing it by myself. In John 15:1-8, Jesus uses the illustration of the vine and the branches. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches cannot bear fruit on it’s own but has to be part of the vine. We as Christians need to understand that we are a part of the body (the church), and when we recognize that we are doing this for God’s glory, and not our own self-interest, then the bearing of fruit will take care of itself.
I can know that I am saved when I understand that I cannot give up and that I need to keep trying by drawing nearer to God, by encouraging others, by loving my brothers and sisters, and by doing good works. In Hebrews 10:19-31, the writer encourages the brethren to draw nearer to God by being an active participant, and not a passive participant. A relationship requires active participation to grow and nurture a relationship. We accomplish this one step at a time. If we become passive or stagnant, we will tend to fall back into the world, which will result in a fearful expectation of the judgment.
These are only a few practical illustrations that will help us answer the question “how can I know that I am saved.” The challenge is to not only understand these things, but to put them into action.
