How Can A Christian Know That He Is Saved?
by Robert Waters
Introduction
I. First Need To See What Bible Says Regarding The Question Of Whether Or Not We Can
Know At All.
A. Passages: 2 Tim. 4:6-8 "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give
me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
1 Jn. 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
B. These passages should settle this question.
II. Everyone Who Believes That It Is Possible To Stand Justified Before God - Confident
That Heaven Awaits After Death, Should Be Very Much Interested In Learning How He
Can Obtain That Confidence.
A. In his first epistle, John tells us, "And by this we know him, if we keep his commandments."
(1 Jn. 2:3)
1. Most of you are familiar with this passage - we've heard it many times, but what does it really
mean? - Obey 10 Commandments? or perfection?
a. The commandments of Christ are not the 10 Commandments of the O.T.
1) Someone asked me, "If I keep the 10 Commandments, will I make to Heaven?"
2) Only nine of the 10 Commandments of the O.T. are taught in the N.T., but even if all 10 were taught,
we would still have to say that there is more living the Christian life ... much more.
b. The N.T. is better than O.T. - there was a remembrance of sin every year under the O.T.
(Heb. 10:3).
1) The N.T. is not a book of "Thou shalt not's"; it is called "The law of the Spirit of life"
whereas the O.T. is called "the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:6).
2) The commandments of Christ include everything that the N.T. teaches relative to personal
responsibility.
3) Does this mean that if we fail after having been diligent to keep the commandments
perfectly that we are lost?
i. Certainly not.
B. We are assured that if we "Walk in the light", we are "cleansed of all sin by the blood.."
(1 Jn. 1:6-7).
1. So now the question is, "How can I know that I'm "walking in the light"?
2. We have seen in previous studies that "walk in the light" means the same thing as
"practice the truth", (NKJB) and that perfection isn't a requirement.
Body
I. First Let Us Look At Some False Things (Ideas) Upon Which Some Base Their
Spiritual Security.
A. Feelings (emotions) are no proof that we are "walking in the light".
1. Nevertheless, the evidence that many point to, when trying to persuade someone that they
are saved, is their inner feelings.
a. When confronted with the N.T. plan of salvation, many refuse it stating that they are
already saved.
1) They say, "I'm already saved, I feel it in my heart and you can never convince me otherwise."
b. They make no appeal to the Bible - their feelings are, to them, enough.
2. What the Bible says about "feelings" is contrary to this popular belief.
a. The wise man said, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely,
he shall be delivered" (Prov. 28:26)
b. Again he said, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto
counsel is wise". (Prov. 12:15)
1) One who trusts in his feelings and does not "hearken unto counsel" (God's word) is
definitely described by this passage.
3. Common sense tells us that feelings can be deceptive.
Exp. a. A young man and woman can feel like they are in love and get married, only to find
out later that they were not in love.
a. Many divorces have occurred because people have trusted in their emotions (feelings).
b. Rather, they should have studied to learn what love is, how to find it, and how to keep it; and
then let their intellect do the selecting.
c. When selecting for marriage are based upon feelings alone, the marriage is almost sure
to be a troubled one because feelings can be deceptive.
b. Let me illustrate the point further: There is a possibility of you receiving good news (maybe
a job you had been hoping for), which would make you feel good at the time, but later you
learn that the message was false - that a mistake had been made.
1) Could it, then, be possible for one to be taught a doctrine regarding salvation and for him
to feel that he is saved, even though the doctrine was false?
2) You can see the point.
d. God made an example of a young prophet who disobeyed Him because he believed a
man who said he was a prophet and that God had told him that he (the young prophet) could
do a certain thing (which God had previously told him he could not) (1 Ki. 5:13).
1) He felt that he was right, but his feelings proved to be deceptive.
2) If a prophet could be deceived certainly we can be wrong even though we feel that we
are right.
4. Everyone has feelings and it is god to have a good feeling of confidence or to have spiritual
security, but feelings alone are no proof.
B. We cannot find out if we are "walking in the light" by checking church attendance records.
1. It is essential that we not forsake the assemblies (Heb. 10:25), but a perfect record of
attendance over the last 10 years or even 50 years is no proof of salvation.
2. Many brethren have come to equate faithfulness with regular attendance - if someone is
regular, he is faithful - if not, he is not faithful.
a. It doesn't seem to matter, to some, if a brother is caught up in a sinful habit that he will not
repent of, so long as he attends regularly.
b. Irregular attendance may well be evidence of unfaithfulness, but attendance is no proof of
faithfulness.
c. One can attend, and do so regularly, for several reasons:
1) Merely for social reasons - to make friends or to be with friends.
2) Out of habit.
i. One could have developed the habit, having been taken by parents while young, and
just kept the habit.
3) To help his business or to be benefited politically.
4) To find a girl friend or boy friend.
5) To please some member of his family, or perhaps a friend.
6) To be esteemed, or to receive glory from having preeminence over others; etc.
d. Even if one attends for all the right reasons and does so regularly, it is no proof of salvation
and we cannot have confidence based upon that alone.
C. One cannot be assured that he is "walking in the light" simply because he has rendered much
service in the past.
1. Some men, who were hard workers in their younger days, like to boast of the work that they
have done - the number baptized, etc.
a. It seems to give them comfort or assurance that they are in a saved condition now, even
though they have lost their zeal and love for lost souls.
b. We are taught to continue to be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10); and that we are to bear fruit
in our old age as well as young age.
1) The writer of Psalms, when speaking of the righteous, said, "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing" (Psa. 92:14)
2. A person who has been a Christian for many years ought to have grown to the point that he is
of greater service then ever before - provided there are no acute health problems.
a. Rather than place his confidence in the things that he has done in the past he ought to
continue to do them.
b. His experience and wisdom will make him better than ever before.
c. It is encouraging to see a worker for the Lord improve with age, but it is discouraging to
see those who have lost much of what they once were simply because of neglect and
indifference.
3. When such a one convinces himself that his past deeds will safe him, or keep him in the light,
he is deceiving himself.
III. The Only Criteria That We Have For Judging A Man Or Ourselves Is By The Fruit That
Is Brought Forth (Matt. 7:15-20) R E A D
A. Jesus knew that there would be false teachers so he warned the disciples about them and
then told them how to recognize them - how to tell them from the false ones.
B. In Luke 6:43-45, after having just discussed "judging" Jesus told them how that it is to be
done ( R E A D )
1. The kind of judging thetas condemned is where we go beyond that which we are allowed.
a. We can tell by one's fruit if he is living right, and we can tell by our own fruit if we are
living right.
b. But we are not the Judge, we merely use this criteria to help in carrying out our
responsibilities - this judgment is not final (1 Cor. 5:12).
2. "Reproving" is kind to "judging" and it is something that we are taught to do.
a. Before we can reprove anyone we must first judge that what they are doing, or failing to do,
is wrong (sins).
b. If one is overtaken in a fault those who are spiritual have the responsibility to try to restore
him (Gal. 6:1).
1) It would be useless to try to restore someone without getting the message to him that he
is in error.
2) When we do, he may accuse us of "judging" and not receive it in the spirit given, but we
still have that responsibility and he is wrong if he gets on the defensive.
3. When we judge ourselves, or another, the judgment is to be based upon the fruit that is brought
forth.
C. Let's talk about how we can tell by our own fruit if we, personally, are walking in the light or not.
1. Jesus said, "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit."
a. He wasn't saying that a bad orange tree can never have a good orange, nor was he saying
that there can never be a bad orange on a good orange tree.
b. He is simply saying that the way you tell whether a tree is a good tree or not is by the fruit
(used in the plural sense), or the general character of the tree.
1) No one is going to cut an apple tree down just because it has a few blemishes on an
apple now and then.
2) But if the fruit is no good, and there was no hope of a change, the tree would be
chopped down.
c. A tree doesn't have to bear bad fruit to be a bad tree; if it just doesn't bear fruit it is cut down.
d. The fruit tree illustrates the degrees of sin.
1) A tree can become rotten, which results in it being cut down and being cast into the fire.
2) But a tree can miss bearing fruit for a season, or it can have inferior fruit, for a season,
and then next season be bountiful in bearing good fruit.
e. The one who cares for fruit trees evaluates the production of each tree and he makes
judgment as to whether specific trees should be cut down or allowed another season to
prove themselves.
1) He uses wisdom in making his decisions.
2) He knows that every tree is not going to be perfect, and when a tree has problems he
seeks to correct it and gives it time to heal.
f. All that we've said about the trees and their fruits, and the keeper of the trees, is applicable
to the Christian and his fruits and God who care of us.
2. When the apostle Paul made the statement that he had "fought a good fight" and the he had
"kept the faith", spoke of his fruits.
a. He said, "I have fought a good fight'.
1) That is, he wasn't half hearted, he was a true fighter.
b. "I have kept the faith".
1) He never turned from it - he kept his faith the whole time.
3. When we talk about how much effort we must put forth in our service to God we often say,
"God expects us to do our best".
a. But then we are faced with the question, "What IS our best?"
b. We don't know what our best is! and I really doubt that there are any who do their best at
all times.
1) Some time or another we all fall short of the best that we could do.
c. What does the Bible say regarding this point?
1) It teaches that we are to be DILIGENT.
a) Webster says it is, "characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic application
and effort: Painstaking; syn. Busy".
b) Passages that teach diligence: Heb. 11:6; Phi. 3:13; 2 Pet. 3:14; 1:5; Prov. 4:23.
2) Paul used the phrase, "I press toward the mark" (Phi. 3:13).
a) One who wins in a race is one who presses toward the mark - he is diligent in his effort
to fight to win.
b) One who runs in a race must abide by the rules ("strive lawfully") if he is to win, else
he be disqualified.
c) This sometimes happens, but not every encroachment upon the rules is judged to be
worthy of disqualification.
4. Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23 ( please r e a d )
Conclusion
A. We hope that this study has been profitable toward helping each of us to know if we are in
a saved condition, or how to judge ourselves to know if we are walking in the light.
B. We are to examine ourselves: "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, prove yourselves" (2 Cor. 13:5)
1. It takes an honest heart for one to see himself as he really is.
a. The devil wants us to not admit to ourselves that anything we do is sin.
b. If we are not honest with ourselves then we deceive ourselves.
1) Jesus spoke of some who did this very thing: (Rev. 3:17). "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
2. If we study the word, rightly divide it, are honest with ourselves, worship in spirit and truth,
bear the fruit of the Spirit, we can be confident that we are waking in the light and that we
will receive the eternal reward if we continue to "press toward the mark".
C. Let's take a test:
1. AM I HONEST WITH MYSELF?
2. AM I DILIGENT?
3. HAVE I BEEN PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK?
If we've not been doing these things let us resolve to do so from now on.
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