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How do we know if we are Saved or Reborned?
Posted : 12 Dec, 2010 07:29 AM
How do we know if we are Saved or Reborned?
The question comes up from time to time as to whether or not a person is really "saved," and/or really "born again." Some need to take self-inventory of their spiritual condition, because it is possible that God is warning them that they are not really saved and/or spiritually born again. Christianity is not a religion. God gives us free will on his earth to do what we please. He left to us the Holy Spirit. This separates us from all religions in developing a personal relationship with him.
So we now know there is only one way for us to receive salvation and make it into heaven; that is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But how do we actually receive the gift of salvation? Surely there is some sort of process we have to go through, right? Nope, no process but God did give all of us our own free will and ability to make decisions. Therefore, we must make a personal choice to trust Jesus and accept His invitation. We can accept His gift of salvation and "confess with our hearts that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved".(Romans 10:9). So the question is what choice will you make? Do you know what choice your friends and family have made? Here is a quick recap:
1) Admit you and I are sinners we cannot make up for our sins on our own 2) Make a decision to turn away from your sins and repent. 3) Have faith and believe that even though you did not see Jesus crucified for your sins that it did happen and he later was resurrected(rose from the grave) and ascended to heaven. 4) ASK Jesus to come into your heart and through this receive the Holy Spirit to live inside you and guide you.
Is there a difference between being "saved" and "born again?" No. You can't truly be saved unless you become born again, and you can't truly be born again and not be saved.
How do we receive the Holy Spirit? By Communicating and Learning (Prayer and the Holy Bible). The more you give him the more he will give you!
It�s the same process as when we meet a new individual you like for the first time!
Many Christians attends Church for all the wrong reasons! When I am forced to do something or try to manipulate me, I will refuse or condemn it. However, if I desire to do something, my heart and mind will make it come to pass.
When someone comes to me in love and kindness wanting me to do something or to purchase something my heart and mind will hear what they are trying to accomplish. I analyze, dwell on it, look at the Benefits and then with my own free will, I decide and choose what is best for me.
Christianity works on this same principle. Our own free will God gives us.
The problem or confusion sometimes comes, however, with people who may have prayed "the sinners prayer," (or sometimes referred to as a "prayer of salvation"), attend church regularly and maybe even join a church, for instance ... and there is no obvious Christ-like change being manifested in their life as time passes (commonly known as Godly, Christ-like, Holy Spirit fruit manifesting in their life). Though they may confess Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they continue to go on sinning just like before, seeking God's continual forgiveness, but never engaging in true repentance (which means: change! ... not just continually asking for God's forgiveness and leaving it at that) for their criminal acts against God (which is what sin really is, in the highest extent) and/or serious obedience to the commands of the New Testament (The New Covenant).
Trying to keep it simple (though it is not so seemingly simple at all in many cases, I realize), from a balanced Biblical perspective ... the person who does not genuinely manifest any Godly fruit in due season using the New Testament Bible as their measuring device in which to judge their thoughts and actions . . . that person is not saved, neither is that person truly born again. They are only hoping they are. They are self-deceived, sadly.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." -- Matthew 7:21
Over-riding the above . . . God is the sole Judge of who will make it to heaven and those who will not. God knows the heart of each of us, and no mere human can see what God sees, or knows. Yet confusion abounds about this issue, and so I will make my best attempt to try to do the topic some justice that God will not fault me for at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Please allow me to build on hopefully a proper foundation, as we address this topic of being "saved" and "born again," and spiritual issues related to it. My prayer and heart's desire is that the Holy Spirit pours out His grace upon me in doing so, so I do not confuse people anymore than what they already may be.
Salvation (or becoming "saved") is a free gift. Becoming spiritually born again is also a free gift. Both are not something you or I do on our own exclusively. God the Father draws us to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and we submit to that drawing. We don't make a decision to follow Jesus Christ solely on our own ... whereby the Holy Spirit then suddenly just shows up to help us in our spiritual relationship with Christ. It's the other way around. The Father first draws us through the Holy Spirit -- we then begin to submit to His drawing (and experience teaches us this "drawing process" can be over a long period of time for many -- a short period of time for others). We get some understanding from the following scriptures of how this spiritual process works:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:44 (NKJV)
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." -- John 6:63 (NKJV)
"And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." -- John 14:16-17 (NKJV)
There are some 42 direct or indirect references in the New Testament Bible concerning being "saved." There are some nine direct or indirect references in the New Testament Bible concerning being "born again" or "born of God".
It is important to build on a solid foundation when building a house, Jesus told us in Matthew 7:26. If we build on sand, sooner or later we'll be in trouble. To build a proper foundation on rock-solid ground, one must first understand what God's definition of being "Saved" is. This becomes the first brick in our foundation, and the most important brick! If we build too quickly on this brick, we will get in trouble sooner or later, and our spiritual house will be shaky.
I encourage you to NEVER forget this definition of "SAVED": Delivered from God's punishment for your sins.
It's that simple! To add to this definition . . . or alter it in any way . . . will make the devil's heart very glad. And I mean very glad.
By the definition just given, how then must I meet God's requirement to have His punishment removed from me?
The answer is simple, yet in the beginning, seemingly unbelievable! Simple in definition, because God wants it that way. Seemingly unbelievable, because at first it sounds almost too good to be true!
This is where Satan hisses and spits venom in rage. He wants no one understanding, let alone believing . . . just how good this Good News is about how easy it is to have God's wrath and subsequent punishment (judgment) removed from us for our sins.
When technically does one become "Saved"? When one prays "the sinner's prayer?" When one confesses out loud "that Jesus is their Lord and Savior?" When one "asks Jesus to come into their heart and save them from their sins?" When one simply asks God "for forgiveness?"
You may find this hard to accept, but it's not nearly as important when you made dialogue with God to forgive you of your sins as it was coming to understand why He would even want to forgive you in the first place. Furthermore, it was not nearly as important how or where you went about (or will be, if you haven't yet) asking God to forgive you of your sins as it is understanding that a legal binding contract will be the final word on a matter if opinion differs.
Please allow me to explain. A clearly written legal contract will hold up every time in the courts of the land. A legal contract is the highest form of executing one's will there is on planet Earth. Guess what God has given humanity expressing His highest will? A legal contract. God would not give you and I a means of expressing our highest will about legal matters that is any different than His. Otherwise how could we possibly know what God wants us to know about Him?
What then is God's legal contract to you and I? You probably already know the answer: His Holy Bible. God has spelled out His highest will for you and I by giving us this important document, or spiritually legal contract. Yet to understand this legal document clearly, it takes some effort on our part.
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." -- John 16:13-15 (NKJV)
God has His representatives and means to help us understand this legal contract, and Satan has his representatives and means to help us keep from understanding this legal contract. In fact, Satan's representatives and means have been so successful that many people have lived and died on this planet never realizing a legal contract even existed from God on this planet. Yet this author takes the position that not one person will spend eternity in hell without first being given the opportunity to somehow reject the author of God's eternal, legally binding contract. For those who do not know who the author is, His name is Jesus Christ (See: Hebrews 12:2). The Holy Spirit flowed through human beings to pen the words of the Holy Scriptures, but only as God the Father and Jesus Christ guided Him. (See: 2 Timothy 3:16).
There has been a "spiritual courtroom battle" that has raged on day and night since God and Satan (anti-God) went nose to nose over who has claim and right to your and my soul and spirit for eternity. God's legal contract will never pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His legal contract will not. (See: Mark 13:31).
Witnessing Scriptures
Here we have assembled some of our favorite verses about witnessing.
We invite you to read, enjoy, and be inspired by these verses whenever you would like to be strengthened in your commitment to witnessing for the Lord.
Let�s begin with Christ�s authority over and role in Salvation:
Jesus said to him,
�I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.�
� John 14:6 (NKJV)
�Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him,
and he with Me.�
� Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
Now let�s turn to what Jesus had to say about witnessing:
�Therefore whoever confesses Me before men,
him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.�
� Matthew 10:32 (NKJV)
�Go home to your friends,
and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you,
and how He has had compassion on you.�
� Mark: 5:19 (NKJV)
�The works that I do in My Father�s name,
they bear witness of Me.�
� John 10:25 (NKJV)
But when He saw the multitudes,
He was moved with compassion for them,
because they were weary and scattered,
like sheep having no shepherd.
Then He said to His disciples,
�The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest.�
� Matthew 9:36-38 (NKJV)
�Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, �.�
� Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
He said to him the third time,
�Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?�
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,
�Do you love Me?�
And he said to Him, �Lord, You know all things;
You know that I love You.�
Jesus said to him, �Feed My sheep.�
� John 21:17 (NKJV)
�And he who does not take his cross
and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.�
� Matthew 10:38 (NKJV)
�More than that, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and keep it!�
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