When a baby is born everyone checks immediately to make sure it is alive and healthy. There are certain signs that show life: movement, crying, pulse, etc. The same is true spiritually. There are certain spiritual ‘signs’ that show us that we have been born into God’s family. It is very important to have assurance of your salvation for our enemy loves to put fear into us by telling us that we aren’t really going to heaven, that we aren’t one of God’s children. Those are lies. I John lists 5 ways we can know we have salvation.
1. BELIEF IN JESUS AS SAVIOR AND LORD
1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. A sign of spiritual life is a deep awareness that Jesus is God and Savior, that He is the One who provides salvation and it isn’t anything we do or deserve.
2. STRONG DESIRE TO OVERCOME SIN IN LIFE
1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. Along with new birth comes a different attitude to sin. We now know it is wrong and have a strong desire to stop. While we may struggle with certain sins, there should be a slow but steady progress in godliness. Gradually we become more and more like Jesus in what we think and do.
3. DOING WHAT GOD CONSIDERS RIGHT
1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. A baby doesn’t know just how to live the moment it is born, and neither do we who are born spiritually. It is a learning process, it takes growth. Growth is a sign of life. God says that those who are alive spiritually will grow spiritually. “GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. II Peter 3:18 “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” I Corinthians 3:1-3
4. LOVE FOR OTHER BELIEVERS
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. There will be a natural bond between those are in God’s family. We have the most important things in life in common. Usually there is instant rapport. We have a desire to spend time with and get to know other Christians. That is a joy and encouragement, for we are likeminded.
5. VICTORY OVER WORLDLY WAYS
1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. While victory over sin often comes slowly and gradually, as Christians we know that we have within us a Power greater than that which is in the world and we can experience God giving us victory over things that used to defeat us.
(If I can answer questions or offer personal counsel, or if you would like a free copy of my Spiritual Warfare Handbook, email me at Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org or download it from http://sw.christiantrainingonline.org/. My next book, Spiritual Warfare in the Bible, which is a more advanced treatment of spiritual warfare, is also available there for free.)