CERTAIN

How to be certain of our salvation

• Called to Him - We feel drawn to Him.

It is impossible for an unbeliever to feel drawn. If you feel compelled to believe, it is evidence God has drawn you. (also see John 3:37, 15:16; Romans 1:18-23, 3:9-11; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Matthew 16:17)

John 6:44

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.

• Engaged in faith - We have turned to Him in trust.

Have you called on His name? Have you openly declared that Jesus is the Son of God? If we have exercised faith, we can trust God to follow through on His part. He is faithful and He will not fail.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 NLT

He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. [9] God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Remorse - We are grieved by our rebellion.

When we commit sin or fail in an opportunity for good, we feel an appropriate amount of guilt.

Ephesians 4:30 NLT

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

• Turn from alternatives - Our trust is in Him alone.

We don’t place our confidence in a pastor or church or religion. Our hope is not even based on our own performance. Jesus alone is the source of our hope.

Acts 4:12 NLT

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

• Ability to say “no” - We are not obligated to sin.

As long as we live, we will struggle with sin and impulses of the flesh. But in Christ, we have the ability to say “no” to our sinful nature.

Romans 8:12 NLT

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

• Inner witness - God’s Spirit provides an internal witness.

Because we live such busy and distracted lives and because the Holy Spirit speaks to us at the level of our thoughts, His inner witness can be difficult to determine with certainty. It is necessary to practice periods of quiet and solitude to hear the Spirit speak to us. Get still and listen for the Spirit’s affirmation.

Romans 8:16 NLT

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

• New nature and fruit - We leave a trail of evidence.

While it is true that we continue to be hassled by our sinful nature, the evidence of our behavior demonstrates a new trajectory and path. We don’t live perfectly but there is a trail of evidence we can point to. Good deeds and desires are not the way we earn salvation but they are evidence that salvation has occurred. We recognize an urge to do good.

Galatians 5:16-26 NLT

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. [17] The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. [18] But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. [19] When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. [22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. [25] Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. [26] Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Romans 15:13 NLT

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.