16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Many people believe that we are regenerated before we receive Christ as Savior. They believe that God's grace is irresistible for those whom God has chosen. Yes, those who believe this know that salvation is all grace for they believe there isn't enough good within us to choose salvation if God did not put that good there. There was a time in my life that I believed this. Observing people resist the Holy Spirit convinced me that this couldn't be true. Realizing God's love for whoever believed in Him made salvation available to everyone. Knowing God as a just God meant that those who could not be saved also could not be condemned.
Believing that it was my decision to receive Christ did not take away God's grace. I would be lost if not for God's grace. It was His grace to bring me to Himself. It was His grace to put people in my life to tell me the gospel. It was His grace to bring me to conviction. It was not my goodness that saved me. It was His grace. Realizing I needed Him wasn't a measure of goodness. It was something I did because I was convicted and chose not to resist.
I have heard many people tell me that they doubt their salvation. I don't know why. I suppose they expect a physical change from a spiritual decision. Maybe they expect an emotional change from a spiritual decision. I don't understand why they can't expect a spiritual change from a spiritual decision.
The spirit of the new believer comes alive when he or she trusts in Christ as Savior. This spirit is able to converse with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit identifies with God as God. The Spirit reveals to our spirits we belong to Jesus. He tells us that we are children of God. The Spirit could not converse with our spirits until we made the decision. He was like someone standing on the inside of a house beckoning us to come in where it was warm. We could not converse until we came inside. We had to make that decision on our own no matter how forceful or convincing the Spirit was. Once we were in the house conversation started. Identification grew. We were told we were adopted by God. We know we are His children because the highest authority is telling us that we are.
I suppose thinking I can come in a house by my own volition leads me to think I can leave the house of my own volition. That would never assure me of my salvation. It would make me doubt how much I really meant it when I made a commitment to Christ. It might make me think there are levels of commitment. Thus, I might get close but never truly trust in Christ. That would mean that I am really trusting in what I did for my salvation.
I don't know I am saved because I was forced to believe. I don't know I am saved because of what I did alone. I know I am saved because the Spirit tells me I am saved. I don't have to try to be saved. I am. I know it. God says so. That's enough for me.
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