I don't think I'm saved

[Tom1961]

I believe that love is all about relationships. We were created by God to have a relationship with him.

Did I have a ceremony to marry my wife and then say "ok, see you around"? Do we do that to God? Are we baptized and then stop trying to build our relationship with our creator?

A relationship is built over time. If I want to make my wife happy, I can give her a back rub. She loves those. Is this a "work" in my relationship with her? Isn't her smile enough of a payment for my effort. Don't we want to do "works" to please our God and build our relationship with Him.

There is no love without choice. We have free will to decide if we want to have a relationship with him through the Grace of Jesus our Savior. He will not force himself on us. Read scripture, pray each day and grant him permission to work in your life, ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As you learn that all of his commandments are meant to protect you as well as glorify Him, you will overcome more and more of the sin in your life. As you grow closer to your Lord and Savior you will discover that you will find joy in pleasing Him.

Galatians 5:22 reads: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Those are they keys to spiritual growth.

 

[Steve Husting]

Salvation is by faith alone. If you accepted the gospel as a free ticket out of hell, as you state on page 1, then you have not taken the first step: believe on Jesus. You can do all the works that are mentioned on these pages and never get saved because salvation is by faith in Jesus alone, not in any works you do to save yourself. Faith is not belief plus works. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). There are no works in there. Works come in after you are saved, and they are expressions of the salvation they have received.

You can do the things suggested in these pages in order to place yourself under the spout where the blessing comes out, but they can't substitute for faith in Jesus, only point to Him who saves. Read the Bible so you know Who to have faith in. Listen to Bible sermons by good preachers so you know Who to believe in. Sin is a spiritual problem needed a spiritual solution. Jesus and His finished work is the solution. "It is finished," Jesus said on the cross, and that means that faith in Him will save you, and you will be placed in Christ Jesus. In Christ, you will be "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6), forgiven in Him (Ephesians 1:7), be without condemnation in Him (Romans 8:1), and might "become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). All the blessings of the Christian faith are found in Him (Ephesians 1:3), "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It is after you are saved that much of the advice on these pages will make more sense. They are things any saved, washed, regenerated, redeemed saint would do anyway. When you believe in Jesus, you will know; you will have spiritual desires which will grow over time because at salvation, you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), "and old things will pass away, behold all things have become new."

You are doing a good thing by being frank about your lack of spiritual desire. You will do a good thing by seeking to have faith in Jesus. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:9). So do everything you can to be under the preaching of the Word or reading it, humbling yourself before God with the desire to hear God speaking to you words that you might believe and respond. Through the Word you will hear; through hearing God speak to you, and you will believe.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9), so your pursuit is not foolishness as some think, nor is it a vain exercise.