When the Bible speaks of salvation, it does so in
paradigm-shifting and life-altering terms. Jesus described it as having “passed
from death to life” (John 5:24). Salvation is nothing less than a rescue
wherein God delivers us “from the dominion of darkness” and brings us into
another kingdom – “the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). Those who are truly saved are new creations
in Christ, and “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2
Corinthians 5:17).
But if salvation is new life in Christ, a new life in which
the believer enjoys peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and assurance of heaven,
how sure can we be that we have that life?
In my last post I suggested a diagram which describes people
in four different “boxes,” based on two barriers – a salvation barrier (saved
or not saved), and an “assurance” barrier – sure of heaven, or not sure. So my question for this post is, can we live in Box 4? Can we be sure of heaven?
The answer is yes. But assurance of salvation comes from
1) persevering in obedience and holiness, and 2) trusting in God’s promises to
protect and keep us. Scriptural assurance is based on both human responsibility
and divine sovereignty. In this post I want to focus on the human responsibility side of things.
Let me be clear: persevering in obedience and holiness does NOT mean that you earn salvation by any action or work on your part. The Bible is emphatic: For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:10). The truth is that all the works of salvation have all been performed by Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9, emphasis added).
Let me be clear: persevering in obedience and holiness does NOT mean that you earn salvation by any action or work on your part. The Bible is emphatic: For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:10). The truth is that all the works of salvation have all been performed by Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9, emphasis added).
But being assured that
you’re saved and put right with God does involve seeing “fruit” – evidence of
this new life. Anyone can claim to be a Christian. But without a track record of obeying Christ's commands and progressing in a life of holiness, Scriptural assurance is not possible. The Apostle John put it this way: And by this we know that we
have come to know him, if we keep his commandments (1 John 2:3, emphasis added). The truest measure of new life in Christ is not a "birth certificate" (a recorded decision) but a "pulse" - the steady, ongoing beat of following Christ.
Next time I want to talk more about this "pulse" of our new
life in Christ.
