Can we be sure of our own salvation?

I am writing this post in response to Phil's comment
'We must never presume we are to be saved'
on my post 'Encouragement'.

I think the Bible DOES give us assurance of our salvation, if we believe in Christ and persevere until the end.

Firstly, our salvation does not depend upon our own works. Our salvation, our means of being acceptable in God's sight, comes through Christ's perfection. It means that when we choose to trust in Jesus, God sees Jesus' holiness in place of our sinfulness. God forgives us and cleanses us through Christ's blood, the unique ransom for our sins. Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8), there is never any doubt about whether His sacrifice is enough for us. The writer of Hebrews is at pains to emphasise this to his Jewish audience, who were used to making regular animal sacrifices as part of the covenant system:

'Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.' Heb 7:27

'He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.' Heb 9:12

'But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb 9:26

Jesus' death and resurrection were planned by God from the beginning as His means of redeeming His people. So if we ever sin and shy away from God, thinking that we have sinned too much to be forgiven, this is actually a form of pride. We need to accept that Jesus' blood is enough to pay for our sins past, present and future. This brings fantastic freedom from guilt, and this is why the gospel is 'good news'.

So becoming a Christian is all about arriving at the point where you recognise that you can't save yourself, accepting Jesus' sacrifice for you, and deciding to put your faith and trust in Him and walk His way for the rest of your days.

It is important to remember that true faith is always lived out:

'In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'
James 2:17

Our assurance of our own salvation comes from these two things:
1. Are we trusting in Jesus' blood to cleanse us from our sin?
2. Are we living each day for Jesus, continuing in our faith?

If you can answer yes to both questions, then even if you are struggling with sin or various doubts, you are still a Christian. It is if you are living totally against God, with no repentance, that you need to be worried about your salvation.

Paul writes to the Colossians:

'Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.' Colossians 1:21-23

Note the emphasis here. God does all the saving- He reconciles you by Christ's death to make you perfect in His sight- but we must continue in faith throughout our lives. Our faith is not just a prayer of confession when we are 12 years old; it is the daily living out of the Christian life.

100 things to do before you die... the search for fulfilment

Dave Freeman, the 47 year old author of '100 Things to do before you Die', died this week from hitting his head at his home in California. John Harlow & Roger Waite wrote an article in 'The Sunday Times' entitled 'Life as a List', discussing why the concept of 100 Things became so popular. Freeman opens his book saying:

'Life is a short journey. How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on Earth before you pack your bags for the very last time?'

That is very much an attitude treasured in modern culture. We want to live life to the full while we can.

Well the Bible talks about living life to the full too- but in a different way. The Bible tells us that life is not just the 80 or so years you have on earth. Every human being has an eternal soul, and the life you have after death is actually a lot more important than the life on earth, because it is eternal.

Jesus said,
'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.' John 10:10-11

In dying on the cross, Jesus was laying down His life in order that human beings could enjoy life to the full. You see, all of us are born with an invisible ball and chain around our feet. We go through life pretty unaware of it, but when we die, it's because the ball and chain finally caught up with us.

The ball and chain is sin. We are weighed down by our guilt for turning our backs on God, and the only way to live life to the full is to have the ball and chain removed.

On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for our guilty rebellion. He has the key to unlock your chain... but you have to ask Him. You have to acknowledge that the ball and chain exist. You need to realise how much you need Jesus.

Once you come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, you experience true freedom. The ball and chain are taken off and flung away, and you are free to live life to the full now, and in eternity. The Bible talks about heaven, not as a fluffy white-clouded place, but about a real home for God's people where we can be with God forever with no suffering or pain (see Revelation 21). It puts our earthly life into perspective.

You see, the paradox of Freeman's 100 Things philosophy is that you can't ever get real fulfilment from doing really amazing things here on earth. Simon Reeve is quoted in this article as saying:

'because we all have such limited free time we rely on planes to whisk us to a place where we've been told we can have an extraordinary experience. Usually that just involves standing alongside a thousand other tourists.'

My family recently went to Lake Garda in Italy and this is certainly what they said! (Although of course it is very beautiful there.)

Even Freeman himself admitted that spending all your time hunting for Eden can ruin paradise for you.

The message of the Bible is that you can't find fulfilment anywhere else except in God. He offers us everything we need- Jesus explained this once by using a metaphor of water:

'whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' John 4:13

We were created to have a relationship with God. Only when that relationship is restored through our forgiveness in Jesus, can we truly be made whole. That is where true fulfilment lies.

Why we should love Jesus -1 Peter 1

We, as God's people, have been 'chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father... for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood' (2). We have been chosen to be forgiven, by Jesus Christ's perfect offering and precious blood. The key for loving Jesus more has to be found in understanding more our sinful depravity, His holiness, and the enormity of what happened on the cross for our redemption. We have been redeemed 'with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect' (19). A lamb willingly slaughtered for our salvation.

The second key to loving Jesus more in this chapter is found in the resurrection. God has 'given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade' (3-4). The risen Jesus gives us hope, certain hope, of eternal life and an amazing future in heaven. When Jesus returns those who trust in Him will have praise, glory and honour for their love for Him (7). And that puts us now into a state of 'inexpressible and glorious joy' (8), for we are receiving salvation (9) and eagerly anticipate the 'grace to be given... when Jesus Christ is revealed' (13). The triumph of the resurrection helps us to love Jesus more as we focus on our eternal home and the final victory over Satan, the day when all trials will end.

Who is Jesus? -John 1

At the start of his gospel, John wants to make it crystal clear to us who Jesus Christ is. Why? Because it's the key to knowing Him and loving Him. And it stops us from dismissing Him as a man, eccentric or unusual as He may be.

For Jesus, John claims, was no mere man, but the Word, who was with God and who was God through all eternity (1-2). Jesus created the universe with God the Father (3); He is the source of life (4), and He humbled Himself to come to the earth He created, and suffered rejection there (10-11).

'Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God' (12). Why did Jesus, the mighty Creator of the universe, bother to come down to earth? To make it possible for YOU to become a child of God. It's not our natural status- we are children of sin. But Jesus was prepared to endure rejection by some, in order to give life to others who would accept Him.

What a cost it was, for the glory of the Son of God to be transformed and hidden in human flesh (14). And He didn't come down for a sinister purpose- to 'catch us out'- but offering grace and truth (14). Jesus came to make God known to us (18). That's so incredible, showing such amazing love and compassion, that it provokes us to stop, look and love Jesus. If you were in His position, would YOU have come to earth to save one like yourself? Ugly with sinful selfish thoughts and behaviour? Think long and hard. The answer is: 'probably not'.