Can I Know I’m Saved?
Anyone concerned with eternity is concerned with the answer
to the question: “Can I know I’m saved?” People typically
choose one of two sources: One’s feelings and God’s Word.
Which is correct?
Body:
I.
One’s Feelings
·
A person may not feel they have anything seriously wrong
medically; but when they are tested, they have cancer.
·
A person may feel they are on the right highway to get to
their destination; but after looking at a map, discover they
are headed in the opposite direction.
·
Feelings are based upon information which may or may not be
correct. The apostle Paul felt that Christianity was
against God’s will so he tried to get rid of it. His
information was incorrect. (Acts
22:3-10)
·
A way might feel right but in reality be wrong and head to
death. (Proverbs
14:12)
·
Trusting one’s feelings for evidence of salvation is
foolish. (Proverbs
28:26)
·
A person can’t trust his own feelings or emotions to direct
how he is to live. (Jeremiah
10:23)
II.
The Word of God
·
A key text is found in the book of
Romans,
Chapter 8,
Verses 16,
17.
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we
are children of God. and if children, then heirs – heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with
Him, that we may also be glorified together.” NKJV
This tells us that from the testimony of two witnesses; one
can know that he is a child of God. These two witnesses are
God’s Spirit and man’s spirit. Notice it is not God’s
Spirit testifying to our spirit; but rather God’s Spirit
testifying along with our spirit.
·
What is the testimony or witness of God’s Spirit? First, it
is not given in feelings or emotions, not in an overriding
of our mind or will, not in forced direct influence or
control of our hearts, not in a special sign or intuition. Not a single person in the Bible ever claimed they were a
child of God by any of these things.
·
So how did the Spirit’s testimony come? By words!
Read
I Corinthians 2:9-13.
“But as it is written: Eye has not seen, not ear heard, Nor
have entered into the heart of man The things which God has
prepared for those who love Him.
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of
the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of
God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
might know the things that have been freely given to us by
God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s
wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual.”
NKJV
We have His written testimony.
·
God’s Spirit used inspired men to record this
testimony. (II
Peter 1:20-21)
These words are now Scripture. (II
Timothy 3:16-17)
·
Example: On the Day of Pentecost, sinners were convicted by
the Spirit’s testimony as preached by inspired apostles.
This was a fulfillment of Jesus’ words in
Matthew 10:20.
These words were recorded and are what we call
Acts,
Chapter 2.
·
We have learned about the Spirit’s witness or testimony.
Now what about man’s? The spirit of man bears witness as to
what a person has or has not done.
·
Listen to
I Peter 1:23.
We are born again [become a child of God] through the
Spirit’s Word. The Spirit has told us exactly what is
involved in becoming a child of God. He says that we become
children of God through faith when we are baptized into
Christ. (Galatians
3:26-27)
If you say, “I have not done that,” then the Spirit is
bearing witness with your spirit that you are not a child of
God.
Conclusion:
When God’s Spirit testifies through the inspired writings as
to what you must do to be saved and stay saved and your
spirit bears witness that you have met those conditions,
then the joint testimony of these two witnesses assures that
person of his salvation.
Bobby
Stafford
September 29, 2013
