I am surprised at the teachings and thoughts of various people about their salvation. Some would say that only God knows those who are saved. Some would assert that no one knows if they are truly saved. Some would even go as far as saying our salvation requires that we work for it.
While I agree that only God knows those who can enter His rest, He surely did not leave us hanging and groping in the dark regarding our salvation. He has made it as plain and distinguishable as white is from black and as fire is from ice.
Keys to look for
The Lord Jesus gave us the key to understanding if we are saved and have received the guarantee of our salvation, the Holy Spirit.
"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:7-8)
Jesus said that as proof of the wind, "you hear its sound." It's the same with being born again by the Spirit of God: You see signs proving one's salvation.
I know that some will definitely argue with these signs, but I am not writing this article to have a debate. With this, I hope that all of us would be serious in our relationship with God and in making sure that we are really saved by faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
Signs of salvation
Here are some signs we need to see if we are saved.
1. A new heart
"Also, I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
Those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will receive a new heart that's sensitive to God. Whereas before we met Christ and submitted to His Lordship we were stubborn and rebellious against God, when we surrender ourselves to Him we become receptive to Him, long for His Word and presence in our lives, and seek to please Him always.
2. Obedience from a genuine love for God
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:27)
Sinful people naturally disobey God, even without knowing it. When we get saved, however, God puts His Holy Spirit in us to transform us and make us holy like Him. If we are saved, we will find ourselves doing things in obedience to God always.
3. A new direction
"Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts." (Galatians 5:24)
Those who are saved will definitely know where Jesus saved them from and will turn their backs. Repentance is key to salvation, and those who are saved will have genuinely repented of their sins.
There's more
These three aren't the only signs to watch out for, but they're very basic. We'll look at some more in another time.
