I've lived a bad life

and only recently became a christian. I've done some pretty nasty things, and I'm not sure if i'm really and truly transformed...how will I know?

There are promises God has made about you. About anyone who is truly sorry for what they have done, and wants to start over.

God has forgiven you.
God has redeemed you -- paid the price for anything wrong you have done.
God has offered a fresh start.

It doesn't make sense, and we don't feel like we deserve this plan. But if we turn down the plan because it doesn't make sense, then we let go of what Christianity is. We are made new in Christ. Washed, clothed in righteousness.

It's a choice we have to keep making, to believe that this weird and generous promise is true.

Congratulations, by the way! And welcome to the forum.

The Bible is God's Word - it never changes - God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His Word says 'whosoever believes' - it has no ifs ands or buts after that statement.

His Word also says when you repent your sins are placed as far as the East is from the West - they have been thrown into the sea of forgetfulness - when you ask God to forgive a sin you have already repented of, God does not see it - it is not there - the slate is clean.

We are the only ones that remember our sins - forgiving ourselves is hard, but we just keep working on it - Just know that if you were sincere and have repented and ask Jesus into your heart to be the Lord of your life - you are saved - no ifs ands or buts.

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Be Blessed

SharonL and heron have put it so well! When you ask Jesus into your life, and put more and more trust into our fathers hands, you will know Jesus paid the price for yours and my sins. All that is left is for you to then let go of it and concentrate on keeping the law of love!

Congratulations and all the best in your new life! I'm sure the heavens are singing your praises!

If you really believe and have asked God for forgiveness and Christ to by Lord over your life, then you are saved and will be transformed by His Spirit. One of the ways to know is that you will feel the urge to turn from the bad things you wanted to do before and to do what's right instead. Just acknowledging the bad in your past and questioning your conscience to see if you are being transformed may be part of this.

Just know that Satan sometimes tries to tempt us away by making us question our salvation, so hold on to your faith and pray to God to fill your life even more when you have challenges. Sometimes being saved is very emotional, and we tend to doubt ourselves once the newness and emotions fade - that's when discipleship in Bible study and regular prayer and worship really help, to stay near to God and develop a strong and steady faith, independent of feelings or emotions.

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Hey J, I was in the same boat over 20 years ago when I became a Christian. Here's what happened to me that led me to believe something had really changed.

1) I chose to stop living the sinful life I had been living. If I even thought about some of the things I did before I was a Christian, I took the thoughts captive to Christ (see/click 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). If I continued to consider the sin in an unhealthy or sinful matter, I chose to ask forgiveness for doing do. The desire and the power to turn from your former ways and choose to do good instead on a regular basis is evidence of a transformed life and heart.

2) I hungered for God and His righteousness. After 20+ years of being a Christian, I can truly say that I am one of the very few Christian's I know that loves the Book of Leviticus. The reason, because I wanted to know how to please God and that's what much of Leviticus is about. What is right and what is wrong in His eyes. What He considers righteous and what He considers unrighteous.

3) I had a great desire to know God's Word. It did, for the first time, make sense to me after becoming a Christian.

4) I longed to be in the company of God's people to help me grow in my newfound faith.

5) I wanted to tell everyone I could about what happened to me so that they too might experience the wonder and joy of becoming a Christian.

6) After going back and reading 'Raine's post above, I wanted to add something else that I eventually came to realize was another bit of evidence that something had truly changed within me. Satan attacked me quickly and often, both in my thought life and even in my dreams. I had terrible thoughts and terrible dreams (like I had never had before as a non-Christian). The reason this is often evidence of a transformed life is that Satan does not want to let any of his own become God's own w/o a fight and he will (just as Raine stated) do everything he can to make you question and hopefully renounce your newfound faith. So be on guard.

If you'd like, there's a great book by C.S. Lewis called "The Screwtape Letters". It's a fiction where the main characters are demons and Lewis, through a series of short stories, demonstrates for the Christian the mind, intent, and perhaps most importantly, the methodology, of the "enemy". I HIGHLY recommend that a new Christian read it (though it would be a great read for anyone). Of course, when the "Enemy" is talked about in The Screwtape Letters, the characters in the book are using the term to refer to God (since they are demons).

Remember, that's what happened to me. Some people have experienced more, some less, some different. However, if you, who have been saved from much (as I was), fails to show any evidence of a transformed life in fairly short order after becoming born again, then I would surely pause and question the validity of that transformation. (see/ James 2:14)

Remember too that having a "transformed" life does not mean you will always lead a "perfect" life. In fact, in my case, the "perfect" life seems much more fleeting than present at times .. We are, as Martin Luther's Latin phrase so aptly states , "simul justus et peccator" ... "at the same time just and sinner", and we have two forces at war within us, our new spiritual nature that wants to love God and conform to His ways, and our old corrupt nature that is always trying to drag us back down into our lusts and pride (see Romans 7:14-25; 1 John 2:15-16)

Finally, let me join Heron in welcoming you both to the Family of God and to these boards as well ..

God bless! (Isaiah 6:24-25)

--David

How will you know that you are transformed? This is a very simple test. What motivates you now? I don't mean short-term, but what is your core motivation? Why do you do the things that you do? When I could see in my life that I longed to live for Christ and that the decisions I made were different because of it, that was evidence to me that I was changed.

Things are probably in the process of change, and that's the temptation the Evil Forces of this world are using to make your impact as tiny and shallow as possible.

I love SilverFire's answer ... what you base things on, what motivates you. Terrific answer.

As you grow, you'll change things. Christ was all over that redemption thing -- redeeming things means they'll be changed for the better. If you're not changing longterm, you have every right to question your faith, and Who and how you rely on Christ Jesus. But short term, you don't have a need to look for works. God's to be trusted, not your works. And redemption will go on your entire life -- Christianity is a life of constant response, reaction, change of thought, change of action, and thus redemption.

But works aren't the issue. Reliance on Another is the issue. Hang onto that thought of relying on Someone Who will always be able to do hugely more than you could ask for. And do it right.

I often say that once you believe, God will change your actions given time, growth and opportunity, by the moving of the Holy Spirit in you. I don't ask a first grader if he can build bridges yet.

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"... not an unconcerned sitting of God in heaven, from which He merely observes the things that are done in the world; but that all-active and all-concerned seatedness on His throne above, by which He governs the world which He Himself hath made." John Calvin
regeneration does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force, but spiritually revives, heals, reforms Canons of Dordt, 1.16


"Have I become your enemy by telling the truth?" Paul

Matthew 7:17-19, Romans 7:15-25, Galathians 5:17-26, 1 John 3:9,10

As Christians, we have the New Adam within us, but remember, we still exist in our Old Adam bodies that will continue to sin. God is transforming us until our deaths. Fear not because you have salvation by Christ's death and resurrection...even though you may fall, you have trust that your sins are forgiven by Him and will have eternal life. Therein lies the assurance, it's outside of yourself