“I Know I am Saved Because…”

Salvation is without a doubt life’s greatest question. Some would have you believe that you cannot really know that you are saved until you stand before Jesus on the day of judgment. There are others who give various answers as to how they know they are saved ranging from their own relatives experience, to their “pastor” told them they were saved, to their own personal inner feelings. But since salvation is life’s greatest question, the answer should be of the utmost importance to each one of us. Look at some of the ways people believe that they know that they are saved and see if one fits you .

“Well, if grandma wasn’t saved then there is no hope for any of us.”

Most every human being wants their grandma to be saved, including Mormons, orthodox Jews, and Wiccans (those who practice witchcraft). But the fact is that grandma is not the standard for God’s salvation. When Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside, He replied by saying that those who do the will of His Father in heaven were His mother and brothers (Matthew 12:48-50). Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, was a good woman of faith (2 Timothy 1:5). Lois was not Timothy’s standard for salvation. But she had taught Timothy God’s standard of salvation: “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15 ).

“My pastor told me that I was saved.”

“Pastors” have made mistakes. While speaking to the pastors of the church at Ephesus Paul warned them about pastors who would lead the disciples astray in Acts 20:30. He said, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” The Bereans had the correct idea in Acts 17:11. They carefully listened to the teaching of Paul. But then they searched the Scriptures daily to see if the apostle’s teaching was true. Peter warned about false teachers, saying, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (2 Peter 2:2).

"I know that I am saved because of the feeling I have in my heart.”

God gave man emotions. But emotions are not the standard for determining right or wrong, truthor error. When Israel saw the coat of many colors covered in blood he assumed that Joseph had been killed. He mourned for many days and would not be comforted (Genesis 37:32-35). But his emotions were in error. Joseph was not dead. Saul of Tarsus was filled with sincere zeal when he gave his consent to the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). In Acts 26:9, while speaking before king Agrippa, he said, "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” In verse 11 he said that he was enraged against the Christians. His emotions had blinded him to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. His feelings were real to him. But his emotional sincerity did not make it right. Facts determine emotions; emotions do not determine facts. If you know that you are saved by the feeling you have in your heart then you have it reversed. The Eunuch rejoiced after he was baptized in Acts 8:36-39.

God has given to us the correct answer to life’s greatest question in the Bible. Paul told Timothy, “That from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). He wrote the Roman and Corinthian Christians that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18). Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). In the next chapter he said, “The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63b).

The following verses are a list of things that Jesus taught about the way to salvation:

1.“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).

2.“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

3.“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 10:32-33).

4.“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

5.“Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'" (John 3:5).

There are certainly many contradictory ideas about the way of salvation in the world. But Jesus affirmed that He is the only way of salvation in John 14:6. Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

John states it very clearly in 1 John 2:3-5, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

You can know that you are saved. But grandma’s wisdom, man’s teaching, or your own inner feelings are not to be the standard by which God answers this question. The way to know is to search the Scriptures, for in them it tells of God’s way to salvation. He is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Have you placed your trust in God’s answer?

Steve Vice