Matthew 10:22 bothered me as a new Christians. It says, " All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." It was that part of "'stands firm to the end'" that stopped me in my tracks. I reasoned that my failure to continue proclaiming Jesus at any time would negate my salvation. I wondered if I would always be true. I wondered if that meant I could lose my salvation. Thankfully I discovered what salvation is really about. It doesn't make this verse less serious but it assures me of my final destination.
Salvation does not depend upon my works. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Obedience is evidence of salvation but it does not gain us salvation. I am not saved because I have worked so hard to obtain it. It is God's gift to those who will receive it.
God keeps His word. He said that we would be saved by the confession of our mouths and the belief in our hearts. Romans 10:9-11 (NIV)9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Some may say that our confession is an act of work but I know that it is an evidence of God's work within us. 1 John 4:2 (NIV)2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
God's Spirit identifies with us so that we know that we are saved. Romans 8:16 (NIV)16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. I know I belong to Him because my spirit agrees with His Spirit.
It is through my spirit and His Spirit that I receive spiritual things. I understand them because He reveals it through my spirit which has been made alive. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
I am saved because God loves me and nothing can take that away. Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore I know I am saved because I have received the faith God has for me to believe. I know I am saved because He gave salvation to me as a gift. I know I am saved because He always keeps His word. I know I am saved because my spirit agrees with His Spirit. I know I am saved because I understand spiritual things. I know I am saved because God's love cannot be taken away from me.
Do you know you are saved?
No comments:
Post a Comment