How do you know you're saved?

[food4thought]

Thank you both of you for your help. You have for the time given me some encouragement.

I am glad I was able to help in some small way... one more thing I should have mentioned in my post, though, is that you should confess to God all known sin, for John tells us:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 NASB)

This does not mean that we are not forgiven if we don't confess, but it does mean that we can maintain a closer relationship and experience the presence of God more intimately when we confess our known sins to Him. This will help you in your prayers, I think.

God bless;
Michael

 

[31gH9N.9.]

Thank you, I will make sure to do this more.

 

[31gH9N.9.]

It is highly improbable that God wants you to be homeless and not honor your father and mother.

I know this was stated a while ago but I wanted to share where my trouble is with this conclusion. When Jesus was speaking to the multitudes and His mother and brothers were on the outside desiring to see Him, He taught that His family was really those who did the will of God. I have taken this to mean that He might be saying that when you become a Christian, your biological parents are no longer your parents and therefore I would no longer be held to honoring them by staying in touch with them.
Also the passage about the rich young ruler is the one that usually makes me think Jesus wants me to give up absolutely everything and be homeless before I can follow Him. I know that this is not a prerequisite for everyone, but how do I know it's not for me?

 

[nChrist]

I know this was stated a while ago but I wanted to share where my trouble is with this conclusion. When Jesus was speaking to the multitudes and His mother and brothers were on the outside desiring to see Him, He taught that His family was really those who did the will of God. I have taken this to mean that He might be saying that when you become a Christian, your biological parents are no longer your parents and therefore I would no longer be held to honoring them by staying in touch with them.
Also the passage about the rich young ruler is the one that usually makes me think Jesus wants me to give up absolutely everything and be homeless before I can follow Him. I know that this is not a prerequisite for everyone, but how do I know it's not for me?

I hope this helps you some. The Lord Jesus Christ was talking with Jews who were under the Law - before the Cross. There are numerous portions of Scripture that are confusing until you determine the setting and purpose. Example: a portion of Scripture states that you must hate your mother and father. This is called a comparative - in other words - in comparison to your love for God.

We are no longer living under the Law. The Lord Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross for our sins, was buried, but arose from the dead on the third day to be our living Lord and Saviour forever. This time frame we are living in is called the Age of Grace. Salvation is a Gift from God through His matchless Grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Saviour paid it all for us on the cross. We can't do anything to earn or deserve this beautiful Gift from God. We should give thanks every day for what Jesus Christ did for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Titus 3:4-7 KJV But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 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; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

[food4thought]

I know this was stated a while ago but I wanted to share where my trouble is with this conclusion. When Jesus was speaking to the multitudes and His mother and brothers were on the outside desiring to see Him, He taught that His family was really those who did the will of God. I have taken this to mean that He might be saying that when you become a Christian, your biological parents are no longer your parents and therefore I would no longer be held to honoring them by staying in touch with them.

Are your parents not following Christ?

Also the passage about the rich young ruler is the one that usually makes me think Jesus wants me to give up absolutely everything and be homeless before I can follow Him. I know that this is not a prerequisite for everyone, but how do I know it's not for me?

How did the Apostle Paul live while he was a missionary? He worked as a tentmaker to supply for his own needs so as not to be a burden upon those he preached to... and he had this to say to those who would follow Christ:

that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NKJV)

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 NKJV)

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28 NKJV)

 

[31gH9N.9.]

Are your parents not following Christ?

No. There is no one in my family who believes the Bible.

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

No. There is no one in my family who believes the Bible.

Did you try to explain salvation them ? Maybe they don't believe because they don't want to resign from thier sin or it might be that they don't have time for God , but they think that when they get old they will have time for him ?
They don't have to do anything else than just believe to be saved , tell them they don't need to go to church or do good deeds .

It would be really sad for you knowing that people who raised you are burning in hell while you are saved , maybe there is a way .

 

[31gH9N.9.]

I have told them, but I think that they just don't see the need since they don't believe in sin and it's consequences.

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

I have told them, but I think that they just don't see the need since they don't believe in sin and it's consequences.

Maybe they need some kind of proof for super natural.

Show them this site AccordingtotheScriptures.org :: 353 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Chance of one person even fullfilling 48 of these is greater than estimated amount of atoms in visible universe , plus rolling the chances every second for 15b years .

That means 350+ prophecy is just ridicolous chance to even think about it ,yet they were fullfilled by one man and he had only one chance to do them .

 

[31gH9N.9.]

*deleted

 

[1watchman]

Thank you, I will make sure to do this more.

Just be sure you have the Lord Jesus in your heart and are devoted to Him as your best Friend and Lord of your life ---study John 14 -KJV, friend.

 

[31gH9N.9.]

Just be sure you have the Lord Jesus in your heart and are devoted to Him as your best Friend and Lord of your life ---study John 14 -KJV, friend.

I was just thinking today that He is most definitely not my best friend (I mean this without disrespect, only that it is apparent by my thoughts and even actions sometimes that it is not true. I mean this more as a conviction that I have and that it is a grievous sin since Christ should be adored.)

My problem with devoting myself to Him is that in my head I am pretty much convinced that He will require me to do some unbiblical things in order to follow Him and that I must reject certain portions of scripture and fast all the time. It's an obstacle that seems completely impossible to get over and I've never met with something more disheartening. Even now while I write this my conscience tells me to "go to Jesus now and you'll find rest" and so I think O.K. I'm going to do it, then another persuasion says " ok, go be homeless, forsake your parents reject these portions of scripture or you can't come to Him." Then sometimes I think it's just that I've been sinning to much so my heart is hardened from gearing the truth so I think I should stop sinning and my head tells me that I have to stop eating. It's so confusing and I don't know how I haven't just given up yet.

 

[Danthemailman]

I never had assurance of salvation until I placed my faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation several years ago. Prior to my conversion, I was trusting in works for salvation and had absolutely no assistance of salvation.

1 John 5:11 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

 

[Danthemailman]

I never had assurance of salvation until I placed my faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation several years ago. Prior to my conversion, I was trusting in works for salvation and had absolutely no assurance of salvation.

1 John 5:11 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

 

[1watchman]

I was just thinking today that He is most definitely not my best friend (I mean this without disrespect, only that it is apparent by my thoughts and even actions sometimes that it is not true. I mean this more as a conviction that I have and that it is a grievous sin since Christ should be adored.)

My problem with devoting myself to Him is that in my head I am pretty much convinced that He will require me to do some unbiblical things in order to follow Him and that I must reject certain portions of scripture and fast all the time. It's an obstacle that seems completely impossible to get over and I've never met with something more disheartening. Even now while I write this my conscience tells me to "go to Jesus now and you'll find rest" and so I think O.K. I'm going to do it, then another persuasion says " ok, go be homeless, forsake your parents reject these portions of scripture or you can't come to Him." Then sometimes I think it's just that I've been sinning to much so my heart is hardened from gearing the truth so I think I should stop sinning and my head tells me that I have to stop eating. It's so confusing and I don't know how I haven't just given up yet.

Well, that surely sounds like Satan has a hold on your thoughts and you are allowing it, friend. Are you really convinced that God "...will require me to do some unbiblical things"? God would NEVER go contrary to His Word. Have you read the Bible as in the Gospels ---noting the book of John? Do you reject that as God's Word to you? If you allow Satan to deceive you, then you are willingly refusing what God has for you. I will pray for you, and hope you will change your present mind about God.

 

[31gH9N.9.]

Well, that surely sounds like Satan has a hold on your thoughts and you are allowing it, friend. Are you really convinced that God "...will require me to do some unbiblical things"? God would NEVER go contrary to His Word. Have you read the Bible as in the Gospels ---noting the book of John? Do you reject that as God's Word to you? If you allow Satan to deceive you, then you are willingly refusing what God has for you. I will pray for you, and hope you will change your present mind about God.

Thank you my friend that is very appreciated. I'm not tempted to reject the gospel of John fortunately. Sometimes I am tempted to reject Luke but I was just thinking today about how ridiculous that is to just be cutting out scripture in order to make it all fit some doctrine I've got made up in my mind. I would like to reiterate that I don't wish to doubt any scripture at all and this has been something I have been prayi g about and trying to study my way out of for a while now and my hopes are that these temptations will cease. I had these persuasions about a year or so ago and they eventually stopped and I became harrased that I had committed the unpardonable sin. I am now convinced that I have not, but the temptations to doubt inspiration and God's providence over the scripture came back and have been in full swing for about the space of 5 months.

 

[1watchman]

The ultimate solution is to be "born again" (rather than religious reasoning) and that is what God is telling us in John 3 & John 14 (and all of the Gospels and New Testament). With the Lord Jesus in your heart, and by communion with God through Him, the Father will seal you as a "child of God". Satan then will "flee" (note James 4:7). Trusting God and His Word should be a daily thing in all your walk and thoughts. Look up always!

 

[Pilgrim]

I was just thinking today that He is most definitely not my best friend (I mean this without disrespect, only that it is apparent by my thoughts and even actions sometimes that it is not true. I mean this more as a conviction that I have and that it is a grievous sin since Christ should be adored.)

My problem with devoting myself to Him is that in my head I am pretty much convinced that He will require me to do some unbiblical things in order to follow Him and that I must reject certain portions of scripture and fast all the time. It's an obstacle that seems completely impossible to get over and I've never met with something more disheartening. Even now while I write this my conscience tells me to "go to Jesus now and you'll find rest" and so I think O.K. I'm going to do it, then another persuasion says " ok, go be homeless, forsake your parents reject these portions of scripture or you can't come to Him." Then sometimes I think it's just that I've been sinning to much so my heart is hardened from gearing the truth so I think I should stop sinning and my head tells me that I have to stop eating. It's so confusing and I don't know how I haven't just given up yet.

Praying for you. God be with you.

 

[31gH9N.9.]

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[31gH9N.9.]

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