1 John 5:13, I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.
The real you is a spirit in a body with a soul!
We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and God is a Spirit (John 4:24). 1 Thess. 5:23
Who can be saved?
2 Peter 3:9, He’s not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. examples: Rahab (a harlot... the lowest! saved and even part of the line of Christ). Abraham (friend of God, highest example of faith and trust in God.... yet still saved in the same way). Paul, chief of sinners.
When are you saved?
When you act on the grace and faith that God gives - Ephesians 2:8. It’s free to us, but was very costly to God. If it’s free, what is required of us? Accept. Believe. Our spirits are reborn when we stop trying to earn our own salvation with good works. We’re saved when we realize that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sin and receive Him into our lives as our personal Redeemer. “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 "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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 (-note, no one can make this decision for you!) Trust is always evidenced in some form of action. Even the demons believe and yet they are not saved. Three kinds of attitudes are needed for salvation: humility in that I am a sinner; belief that God loves me and gave His Son for me; a turning from self and sin to God. examples: the thief on the cross next to Jesus - Luke 23:42-43; the jailer, Acts16:25-34
Can you lose your salvation?
Our spirits are eternal -our spirits are saved when we are born again, not our soul or our body. Our spirits are in an eternal blood covenant with God’s Spirit. The only salvation you can lose is that of your soul and body: the salvation of our soul by giving our mind, our will and emotions to Satan and worldly influences, and of our bodies by sowing to the flesh (Gal. 6:8, 1 Cor. 3:17).
You might find this version of John 10:25-30 helpful: Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind."
According to the Bible, there is only one person who can fall from grace- the unbeliever who is attempting to work his way to heaven (one who refuses to be saved by grace). Galatians 5:4, You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Before you are saved, you are the keeper of your own soul, and you cannot do anything but fail in its keeping. But when you get saved, you turn your soul over to the protection of another--God. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul says: For the which cause I also suffer these things: for 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.
Philippians 1:6: being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 1:13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise
Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
John 1:12-13: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
If sin separates me from Christ - how much sin?? How far do you have to sin to break the security that you have in God? This is making your salvation depend on your personal faithfulness. Romans 8:35-39: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.
Evidence that you are saved (fruit, sanctification)
Sanctification is work (empowered by the Holy Spirit); it’s like peeling a potato: one layer at a time, a process, peeling away the desire to sin, fleeing temptation, pursuing holiness. Any part of your potato that has not been peeled is like areas of your life that have not been yielded to God. It is the salvation of your soul (James 1:21) - an ongoing salvation. There’s a continual battle between our spirit and our soul (1 Peter 2:11, Romans 8:6. Renew your mind, Romans 12:1-2. 2 Corinthians 2:4-5, taking your thoughts captive. Psalm 19:7 - the law of the Lord converts the soul. A greater awareness of right and wrong John 8:31 - a growing hunger and thirst for the Lord. note, much of James is speaking about sanctification (works, faith - being a doer, not just a hearer). Not one ounce of our obedience adds to our justification!! All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, Romans 8:14- another evidence, that you are being led in the direction of His will by the Holy Spirit.
What about those who said they were saved, but they show no fruit?
If someone’s life is not showing fruit it may be true that they are not genuinely saved. Remember that God sees the heart. It’s not our place to judge (to be like a Pharisee and haughtily look down on others who are not living according to God’s Word). If they’re still breathing, God still has a purpose for them! Don’t lose hope! Keep praying for them, and be a loving, kind, sincere example. For a plant to grow, it needs to have good soil, sunlight, rain, pruning, etc. So, it may also be true that they are not receiving the proper nourishment needed to grow and bear fruit. What helps a believer to grow? Being in God’s Word (read, study, memorize), spending time with Jesus (prayer), sitting under Godly teaching (church and other forms of Bible study help such as books, radio, internet), fellowship among other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), listening to the Holy Spirit’s convictions, etc. Someone who is truly saved and yet is walking in a way that is not honoring the Lord will face consequences for their life choices - lack of joy, a poor influence, chastening for their sin. The evidence of your faith is works (James, faith without works is dead)
What is the “unpardonable sin”?
Always remember that if you confess your sin, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The unpardonable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit by continually rejecting His conviction.The Pharisees saw Jesus’ works, heard His teaching... but their spirits were in opposition to Him. If you never repent and receive Christ, you will be eternally lost.
What about you?
Two pictures of an unsaved person: one who breaks all the laws and is bad (the younger brother in Jesus’ parable, Luke 15). The other who keeps all the rules and is good (the perfect, elder brother in Jesus’ parable - obeying to get things from God -God owes me). Both are lost. Both are alienated from their Father. Even if you obey all the rules and act like a “good girl”, it doesn’t mean you’re saved. what is the controlling passion of your heart? What is “God” to you? Who do you love?
False Religions
They all say that if you search hard enough and work hard enough, you will find God. But God came into the world to seek and to save us. Salvation is by His grace, not by our achievement. Because He accepts and loves us, we obey and love and serve Him.
Man has Sinned
Romans 3:23, all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
James 2:10, whoever keeps the Law as a whole but stumbles and offends in one single instance has become guilty of breaking all of it.
Sin Has Punishment
Romans 5:12, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus is the Only Way of Salvation
John 3:16, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Romans 5:8, God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Salvation - Believe in the heart, confess with the mouth
Romans 10:9, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:13, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
John 1:12, to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
