LET'S BE SURE
Does a person have to wait until death to find out whether he will make it to Heaven? Many so-called Christians say, "Well, I hope I will," or, "I think I have as good a chance as the next person." But Paul the Apostle was able to say, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12).
Is this kind of assurance possible? The answer is "yes" and there are reasons for it!
1. God has put it down in writing.
"This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye HAVE eternal life" (1 John 5:11-13).
We know the importance of having things written down. All our contracts, guarantees, and insurance policies are in writing so that we can know exactly where we stand and what we can count on.
In the Bible God has told us exactly what He has done for us in Christ. He tells us that He has provided a complete salvation. This salvation saves us if we repent of sin and put our trust in Christ. God's Word is our guarantee. We simply believe what God says, and He is as good as His word. It is absolutely trustworthy.
2. Salvation is by grace.
This means that salvation is God's free gift. It is not earned, deserved, or bought. We contribute nothing toward it. The bible says, "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
I meet people almost every day who have a totally wrong idea about salvation. They believe that one day they will stand before God, and He will have big scales in His hands. They think that on these scales He will put all their deeds-the good deeds on one side and the bad ones on the other. If the good deeds outweigh the bad, the person is in! This may seem like a logical method, but it could not be further from the truth.
Salvation is an outright gift to the underserving. We are all guilty sinners and all the good deeds in the world could not subtract from our guilt. It is the blood of Christ that blots out our sins.
Because salvation is a gift we can be sure of it.
3. Salvation is available to all.
God thought of every individual when He provided salvation. He intended for you to be saved. "The Lord .. is .. not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Al; are welcome. The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). You can have assurance because salvation is for you.
4. Salvation is definite.
Salvation is not a process that takes years of memorization, training, or ritual. It is as near as faith. The dying thief was saved on the cross. Paul was saved on the road to Damascus. Salvation can come to your life at this moment, for "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2).
The moment we repent and believe, God save us. Because it is as definite as that, we can be sure of it.
5. Salvation is complete.
Christ made a one hundred percent provision. All the good things that we may do after we are saved cannot add anything to the salvation Christ purchased with His blood. He said, "It is finished."
I have no other hope than Christ, and He is all I need.
6. Salvation brings with it a witness.
We read in John 5:10, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." Again, in Romans 8:16, we are told, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." One feels his kinship to God. No person, however religious, should be satisfied without this inner witness. It is more than a feeling; it is a type of knowledge that God gives to those who believe His Word and receive His Son.
Every truly saved person will have this assurance-
and there is nothing like being sure!
