How Can I Know I'm Saved?

How Intimate and Personal
is Your Relationship with God?

How do you know that you’re saved and that you have a relationship with Him? Which of these would you say best characterizes your relationship with the Lord Jesus?

Minute - every waking minute.

Hourly - frequently during the day.

Daily - sometime during each day.

Weekly - perhaps associated with religious services.

Monthly - occasionally through the year.

Yearly - on occasions like Christmas, Easter or the anniversary of a loved one’s death.

Seldom - during a crisis such as a death in the family or a financial reversal.

Are you positive you will live with Him in Heaven forever? Suppose you were in an accident. At the gate of Heaven you are asked: “Why should you be admitted?” What would you say?

The Bible says: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

You can have an intimate relationship with God now, and be sure you will live with Him in Heaven forever.

The best news you will ever hear is that God loves you and has made it possible for you to have eternal life! This raises a number of questions:

What is eternal life?

How does it express itself?

Why don’t more people have it?

How does a person get it?

Eternal Life is Knowing God.

This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

In the Bible, God reveals His inner self. He reveals He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the Almighty Creator of all things.

God Made Us in His Own Image.

For this reason, man is a personal, spiritual being with a moral sense of right and wrong, and he has the ability to worship, love and communicate.

Knowing the only True God means having an intimate, personal relationship with Him - not just knowing about Him.

How does eternal life express itself?

Eternal Life is Expressed Through Loving Relationships.

The first and great Commandment is: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

A person’s love for God must show itself in love for people. “Anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

But our ability to have truly loving relationships has been altered by sin.

Sin was Caused by Our Disobedience.

Disobedience is doing what God says is wrong - in act, attitude or thought. “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). “Anyone who looks lustfully... has already committed adultery in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

Disobedience is not doing what God says is right. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17).

God requires perfection. Jesus told us that God’s standard for us is that we: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The problem is that because of our fallen condition (the consequence of our disobedience), we are incapable of the standards of God.

How does sin alter relationships?

Sin Separates Us from God and Damages Our Ability to Relate to People.

Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isa. 59:2). God must now relate to us as our righteous Judge instead of our loving Father.

When we are not rightly related to God, our ability to properly relate to people is damaged. We grieve God by disobeying His laws. We hurt each other. We especially hurt ourselves. Even the relationships we consider “loving” are often characterized by selfishness and driven by our own personal wants. Our ability to simply “love” has been corrupted.

The only answer to this problem is Jesus.

Jesus is the Mediator.

There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men” (1 Tim. 2:5-6).

Not only is He true man, He is also true God. The prophet Isaiah, looking forward to His birth 800 years before it happened said: “To us a child is born, to us a son is given... and he will be called Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6).

As True God He has equal deity with the Father and His payment for man’s sin had infinite value. As True Man, He had perfect sympathy with humanity and could pay for man’s sins.

What did He do for us?

He Did Everything Necessary to Restore Relationships. He Lived the Perfect Life!

The apostle Peter declared, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

After thirty-three years of living perfectly, what did Jesus do?

Jesus Died.

He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

He forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you... He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s Cross” (Col. 2:13,14 LB).

Then what happened?

He Came Out of the Grave Alive!

Luke declared: “He showed himself to these men (the Apostles) and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days” (Acts 1:3).

This is the most important and one of the best attested facts of history. Now it is possible to receive eternal life.

Because you receive a restored relationship both your mind and your heart can truly change.

But doesn’t everyone (or most everyone) get into Heaven anyway?

The Resurrection Demonstrated that Mankind was in Need of a Savior.

1 Cor. 15:17 says that “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

The fact that Jesus rose from the grave authenticated His words. Anyone can say that they are the Son of God, but only Jesus’ claim was validated by the Father raising Him from death. Jesus said “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). The idea that everyone will get into Heaven because God is “loving” demonstrates both a misunderstanding of the nature of love, and neglects to consider that He is also a just God.

In order to dwell forever in perfection, then imperfection (sin) must be repented of and forsaken. God could not be just and loving yet allow the perfection of Heaven to be destroyed by our fallenness - that would make Heaven imperfect for those who dwell there. If the standards of Heaven were no higher than those of earth, then not only would there be the same suffering that occurs on earth, but it would be eternal suffering. In short, Heaven would become Hell. That is why the first step of salvation is repentance - the decision to turn from failed human standards and understanding and to embrace God’s. As a matter of fact, the first word that Jesus, John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ preached, was “Repent”.

Changing Your Mind is not Being Sorry for Getting Caught - Changing Your Mind is Being Sorry for Doing Wrong, Turning from it with God's Help and Receiving Jesus as Lord.

Repentance isn't what saves us, it is rather the first step in the process of our becoming like Christ - of our transformation from being “at home” in the world, to being prepared for the perfection of Heaven.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8,9)

Changing your mind about doing wrong is necessary! God’s holy nature will not allow Him to forgive sin without it. But to be sorry for past wrong cannot undo it.

The relationship is restored through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ - by believing that what He did on the cross was enough to cleanse you of all your sins, and by recognizing that you are incapable of forgiveness through your own works. The justice of God was satisfied by the sacrifice of His Son, and is imparted to those who choose to receive it.

But why doesn’t God just make us all perfect when we die so that we can all go to Heaven?

Eternal Life is Given to Those Who Choose to Receive it.

If you put a gun to someone’s head and told them to marry you or die, then you might gain a spouse, but not a loving relationship. In the same way, God will not force a relationship with Him on you just because He has the power to do so. John 1:12 says that “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. By definition, a love relationship must be freely chosen.

But how can I be sure that if I trust in Him that I will enter into such a relationship?

Living Faith is not Merely Blind Belief.

It is not a blind leap in the dark.

It is based on the promises of the Bible that have actually happened in history - the facts that Jesus lived a perfect life, died, and then came out of the grave alive.

After Jesus returned from the dead He said to Thomas, “Reach out your hand, and put it into my side; and stop doubting and believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27,28)

It is not simply a “feeling” - living faith also produces evidence in your life that it exists.

Living Faith is not Merely Intellectual Belief.

Merely knowing facts about a celebrity doesn’t mean that you know them. If you met that person, no matter how much information you knew about them, you’d still need to be introduced.

Merely knowing about Jesus in your mind is not the same as having an intimate, personal relationship with Him; anymore than thinking about food satisfies hunger.

Living Faith is not Momentary Belief.

Jesus taught us to depend on God for needs in the daily life. He urged us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But there is more to life than things that are seen: “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

What then is Living Faith?

Living Faith is Relying on Jesus Christ Alone for Your Eternal Life.

The apostle John said, “God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus said: “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Living faith is not belief without evidence, but it is commitment to Jesus Christ without reservation.

What happens when I trust?

You Receive Eternal Life.

God enters into a new intimate personal relationship with you. He provides life that has power. He also provides life that has purpose.

Do you feel this makes sense? Would you like to enter this new relationship with Jesus and receive eternal life now?

This is the most important decision you will ever make in your life.

SIN alters the ability to have loving relationships. SIN is disobedience. It separates us from God and damages our ability to relate to people.

Do you acknowledge that you have sinned?

JESUS is the only answer to this problem. He is the only mediator. He did everything necessary to restore relationships. He lived the perfect life, died, and came out of the grave alive.

Do you acknowledge that Jesus is the only answer to the problem of sin in your life?

YOUR MIND MUST CHANGE before you receive a restored relationship. This is not simply being sorry for getting caught doing wrong. It means turning from your way of doing things (with God’s help) and making Jesus Lord over every part of your life. Repentance literally means to stop going in one direction, to turn around, and to walk in the opposite direction.

Are you willing to turn from whatever is not pleasing to him?

LIVING FAITH restores the relationship with God. Living faith is not mere blind belief, intellectual belief or momentary belief. Living faith is relying on Jesus Christ alone for your eternal life. Is this what you want?

How do you receive eternal life?

EXPRESS your trust in Christ by sincerely praying the following and God will give you eternal life.

Lord, I have sinned. I am sorry for my sins. With your help I want to turn from my sin. Take control of my life. Help me be a responsible growing member of your family in a local church. Lord, I want eternal life. I want an intimate, personal relationship with you that will never end. I want to know for certain that I will live with you in Heaven forever. In Jesus’ name I pray.

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God cannot lie! These words are true! On the basis of His promise and your sincere response, you now have eternal life!

IF someone asks you “Do you have an intimate, personal relationship with God?”, what would you say?

IF you were to depart this world tonight, where would you open your eyes? IF at the gate of Heaven you were asked why should you be admitted, how would you reply?

IF you truly trust in Christ alone, at the gate of Heaven then... the Lord will say to you: “Enter good and faithful servant...”

When you trust Christ, He not only is your Lord and God, He also wants to be your Best Friend. If you truly trust Christ, you will want to do all you can to be His friend. Get involved in a local fellowship of believers and allow the Lord through His Word, His Spirit, and His Church to mold the new life He has given you into the image of His Son Jesus.

Special thanks to Best News Booklet
by Archie Parrish