"3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."
1 John 2:3-6
No Room For Doubt
No Room For Doubt
When eternity is at stake, there's no room for doubt. With all the anxiety in the world today, there is certainly no reason to add yet another layer of concern to cause more anxiety. In fact, one of the benefits of knowing God and having a genuine relationship with Him is that you can let go of all of your worries (Philippians 4:6-7). So how can I be sure that I'm saved?
Is There Evidence Of One's Salvation?
The truth of the matter is that though many believe that Christianity is about blind faith, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Yes, it does take a step of faith to trust God for salvation. It does take a step of faith to give up your own way to follow Jesus, not really knowing what this will mean specifically to you. Yes, it does take a little faith to move towards a relationship with Jesus, but there indeed evidence of your salvation once you take that step of faith.
Remember the promise in Acts 2, which says, "38... “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." You see, when we repent of our sins and are baptized (see "What's Next"), we receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is our guarantee (the guarantee of our salvation). In Ephesians 1, we read "13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him." The Holy Spirit of God is the evidence of our salvation. When we see the evidence (or fruit ) of God's Holy Spirit in ourselves, we can be sure of our salvation.
So What Is The Fruit Of The Spirit?
Though the Holy Spirit does many works inside of us, let's identify the most common and most obvious things the Bibles tells us the Holy Spirit does in and for those who are saved. When we see the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will know that He lives in us and that we are indeed saved.
He Produces Spiritual Fruit?
One important aspect of the work the Holy Spirit does in us, is that He (the Holy Spirit that is) produces in us fruit that helps us do God's will and be emotionally happier and healthier. Galatians 5 tells us, "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." When we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, doing the things He tells us to do, responding the way He tells us to respond, and thinking on those things He teaches us, He will produce in us a Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. When you see this fruit began to blossom in yourself, you'll know the Holy Spirit is at work.
He Gives Us The Desire & The Power To Do What Pleases God
Due to our sinful natures, our fleshly wants and desires, and our tendency to be self-centered and lazy, we typically have no real desire to do what pleases God (things like serving others, giving to those in need, and teaching people about the Good News of Jesus). Furthermore, many of us don't have the power to do the things that need done. The power required might be as simple as the strength to help an elderly person mow their yard OR as big and miraculous as the healing power to heal someone who is sick (yes, God still does miracles through His people!) In Philippians 2, we read"13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." The Holy Spirit will not only give you a strong desire to do what pleases God (even sacrificial things), but He will give you the power to accomplish whatever might be put on your heart by God to do. When you realize that your desires are moving in the direction of serving God and doing the things that please Him, and you find yourself with the ability to see these tasks through to the end, you can be sure that God's Spirit is at work within you.
He Convicts Us When We Sin
Face it, as imperfect human beings, we don't always want to make good choices and we don't always recognize when we've messed up and done something the Bible would call sin. Sometimes we just FEEL like doing something that is wrong. Sometimes we say things that seem innocent enough, but really hurt others. The good news is that part of the Holy Spirit's work in us, is to convict us of sin. Jesus said in John 16, " 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (that is the Holy Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. " This means, when we do slip up and make mistakes from time to time, the Holy Spirit will get our attention and let us know what needs to be addressed.
He Gives Us At Least One Spiritual Gift To Do God's Work
When we do cross the line of salvation, and the Holy Spirit comes in and takes up residence inside of us, He gives us at least one (and possibly more than one) Spiritual Gift, which we are to use to build up the church in strength and numbers. In 1 Corinthians 12, we read "4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. " There are many different spiritual gifts, and we won't go into detail here; however, let's just say these gifts allow you to be supernaturally good at something that can build up the church. These gifts cover everything from prayer to the gift of healing. When you find yourself being able to do something supernaturally better than before you were saved, and it can be used to build up the church, you have probably discovered your spiritual gift, and thus, know that God's Spirit is inside!
He Teaches Us & Reminds Us Of Scripture
If you've ever tried to read the Bible before, and couldn't seem to grasp it's meaning, or couldn't find anything you could assimilate into your life, know that you're not alone. Many people, before they actually come to Jesus for salvation, have trouble understanding scripture. Why? Because they don't have the Holy Spirit inside of them, teaching them and helping them with application. In John 14, we read "26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." Jesus is telling us that the Holy Spirit's job, is to teach and help us understand what is being taught. The Holy Spirit brings life to scriptures, helps us to understand what they are telling us, and helps us know how to apply the truths to our daily lives. The Holy Spirit also brings these scriptures to mind when we need them in our daily life.
He Gives Us Specific Guidance When We Need It
Another thing the Holy Spirit does is provide individual, specific guidance to us as we live our lives and as we do God's work. Since we are spiritual beings, the Holy Spirit speaks to us, spirit-to-spirit, and gives us guidance. In Galatians 5, we read "16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives... 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." Sometimes, the Holy Spirit of God will tell us to avoid taking a particular route home from work, sometimes, He will tell us to go talk with someone or pray over someone in need, and sometimes He will tell us to do something, such as an act of service. When you begin to hear the Holy Spirit providing you with instruction and guiding you throughout the day, you'll know that He is indeed living in you!
So, How Can We Be Sure The Holy Spirit Is Living In US?
Our Obedience!
As we talked about previously, God proved to us throughout the Old Testament years, through the Law of Moses, that man just doesn't have the desire or the power to be fully obedient to God. Our sinful nature gets in the way, and we always end up falling flat on our faces when we are left to follow God with our own abilities. However, when we have the Holy Spirit of God inside of us, teaching us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him, guiding us, convicting us of sin, and reminding us of scripture at just the right time, we CAN BE OBEDIENT. We can't be perfect, but we can be obedient.
How is obedience different than perfection? Well, it's like when a parent gives a young child the order to clean their room. If that parent comes back in an hour, and the child is still watching the television and the room is still a mess, then the child was disobedient, and is likely in danger of punishment. However, if the parent comes back in an hour and the child is still working on the room, and it's clear that he's been trying even though there are toys pouring out of the toy box, the bed still looks about half made, and there are clothes still hanging out of the dresser drawers, the parent is not likely going to punish the child because he was obedient (though less than perfect). When God tells us to do something, He expects obedience, but not perfection. We CAN'T be perfect, but we CAN be obedient children!
In 1 John 2, we read “3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” What John is saying here is this, "if you really want to know if you are saved, you just need to look at your obedience to God's commandments. If you are being consistently obedient to God and His Word, then you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, helping you to stay on track, producing LOVE in you, and giving you the self-control to do what you should do and avoid those things you should not do. If you are living like Jesus, it's not because you're such a good person, it's because you have the Holy Spirit of the living God inside of you, helping you to live like Jesus! This is really the best way to tell if you are truly a Christ-follower, who is saved and headed for Heaven on the narrow path!
So, What Are The Pros & Cons of Following Jesus?
