“From Lost To Saved”

Thursday, February 16, 2017

How do you know you are saved?

Sincerely,
Wanting Proof

Dear Wanting Proof,

You know you are saved when you have done what the Bible says you must do to be saved.  No matter what topic, if you take the sum of what God tells you on that subject, you will have the truth (Ps 119:160).  Let’s look at the sum of what God says on the subject of salvation:

1. Hear the Word.  Faith comes through hearing, and hearing comes through the Word of God (Rom 10:17).  Until someone hears God’s Word, they are incapable of obeying it.
2. Believe the Word.  It is impossible for someone to become a christian unless they believe that Jesus is the Savior and Son of God (Jhn 20:31, Acts 16:31, Jhn 3:16).
3. Repent of your sins.  ‘Repent’ means to ‘change your mind’.  That change of mind always involves a change of action as well.  Repentance is when we change our mind about what is important and submit ourselves to Jesus and His Word.  Repentance is a necessity of salvation (Mk 6:12, Lk 13:5, Lk 15:7).
4. Confess Jesus to others.  If we have sworn our allegiance to Jesus, we must be prepared to publicly confess Him as our Lord.  If we won’t confess Jesus before men, He won’t confess us before God (Matt 10:32-33, Lk 12:8-9).
5. Be baptized in the name of Jesus for salvation.  Many groups baptize people, but very few baptize people for the right reasons.  Baptism isn’t merely an “outward showing of an inward faith” or “for membership”.  Baptism is what saves us (1 Pet 3:21).  Baptism is the point where someone goes from being lost to saved because they are buried and resurrected with Christ (Rom 6:4-5).  Baptism is the final requirement to become a christian (Acts 2:37-38, Mk 16:16, Acts 2:41).  There is not a single example of someone becoming a christian without baptism.  Baptism is just as necessary as the other four requirements.

After that, there remains nothing else but to find a faithful congregation to assemble with (Heb 10:24) that teaches God’s Word and God’s Word only (see “Finding a Church” for more details) and to continue to grow in knowledge and practice of God’s Word (1 Pet 2:2).

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