"Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they” (Matthew 6:26-27). How much more does he love you? Birds go from place to place, unwary of the means of what the Creator created. This verse reminds me of my faith. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 109:105)." This discovery was when I surrendered everything to him in some of my darker times. Lying there, drowning in tears, and trusting him in the unknown steps ahead.
Unconditional love was not in my vocabulary until later in life. I remember looking out the window around the age of 9, wondering when my biological Father was coming to pick me up; empty promises and confusion stirred up. During that time, I recall inappropriate gestures made by a family member and inappropriate comments like "I could see you being a stripper one day." And I will not unhear the disturbance of cursing, seeing a gun pointed at someone in the house, and seeing my first glance of misrepresentation of women and men getting paid to show off their bodies. I moved from place to place, school to school, with no stability other than my mom fighting every moment to give everything to show her love for me. I fought between the lies of the enemy, moments from the past, and the truth of the revelation of hope I experienced when I was 13 at the very same place where scars were imprinted on my heart. My identity in Christ began, but the walk in the relationship continued. My yes was not just an experience but a decision to follow his way, forsaking my own desires to live my life to become more like Jesus.
For example, I made a vow to stay celibate in marriage, and I kept that vow with his strength. However, the uphill battle of longing for attention was evident in how I spoke, played games, and teased others. Purity is more profound than what some of the world may say, and I struggled and hurt men throughout my life who did not deserve to take on my pain. Jesus took it on the cross. I did not realize until later in life that I needed help with the pain inflicted in my childhood. Jesus worked through others to reveal the unconditional love he had shown me throughout the journey and walk with him. It is a challenging, yet beautiful, healing walk on earth until the day he judges me.
This story brings me to the main point of the article: “How do I know I am saved?” Some people use the term "once saved, always saved." I know because I was one of those people. As I have grown in love with understanding and seeking his presence, I have learned that the saying has confused many more than helped. But why draft this article? A while ago, I went out to lunch with someone who raised their hand in church, proclaiming she gave her life to Christ. It prompted me to ask her at lunch, "What did it mean to you when you raised your hand at church? Do you believe in your heart you surrendered your life to Jesus?" Her answer was close to this, "No, I thought it was like that in every church and it was something I should do." She also said, "I just like positive energy." I pondered on that answer, but I was not surprised. As a Christian, I began to realize how imperative it is to explain what surrendering to Jesus means and its impact on my life.
Being born again has a deeper meaning than going to an altar, caused by an emotional movement that gives someone gratification in the moment. Living for Jesus starts with proclaiming that he died and rose again, but it is not the stopping point. The weight of the Gospel is the very definition of sacrifice, love, and the gift of spending eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Below are verses and explanations I hope help to illuminate the depth of what I am conveying.
We must first understand that God created the world, and we are created in his image (Genesis 1:27-28).
Second, who is the enemy? In Genesis 3, Satan (the fallen angel who represents evil, and the one who is out to kill, steal, and destroy (1st Peter 5:8) tempts God's creation, and Eve falls into temptation, which then leads her and Adam to be exposed (not pure). The disobedience from God's instruction led to the first act of sin and the first consequence of sin that has continued throughout generations. "For all have sinned and fall short by the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Third, who is the son of God, and why do we need him? 1st Peter 2:24. He is many things, but most importantly, he lived a life without sin, died for our sins, and made way for us to dwell in the presence of God. He is the only man to live in human form and not sin. He performed miracle after miracle, but his blood shed for us is the greatest miracle of all. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and moment in history that gave us the freedom to spend eternal life with him.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The meaning of believe according to the Greek is the word "pisteuo", a verb. It can mean more than just believing or acknowledging something in one's mind but clinging to it. According to the logos app, it means putting your trust in something or someone. The English language could have different context from the Greek, so it is imperative to study both languages. I am speaking for myself, too. As I have grown with Jesus, I have desired to know more about Greek and the difference in meaning.
Fourth, once he died and rose again, he sent us the Holy Spirit to help and convict/comfort us when we say yes to following him. He seals us until the day of absolution. For study on the Holy Spirit, read on these verses: John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14.
If the Holy Spirit is in you, then the gifts of the spirits will reflect your life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Fifth, ask “do I choose life with Jesus or apart from him?” We all have lived for our selfish desires at some point, but this life has a purpose. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Our purpose is to glorify God, have relationships with others, and go out and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 19:26).
It is imperative to understand the two greatest commandments the Lord gives us in the Bible, which is alive now (Hebrews 4:12) just as it was then. Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).
1 Thessalonians 4:7: "For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.” Ask yourself, "Am I looking for Jesus every day by living in a relationship with him, or am I on a path choosing how I want to live?" Jesus, in the Gospel, says, "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them" (John 14:21).
We will never live perfectly, but we should yearn to strive to live looking more like Jesus every day. His forgiveness for our sins, and no matter what has been done, his blood wipes it clean.
Lastly, if we choose to live a life apart from God, he gives us that choice, but Hell is real. That is where God is not. “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
Once saved, always saved is the wrong question to ask or statement to be said. Is my life reflecting Jesus’ words and what he has asked of his followers? Am I spending time with him through prayer, fasting, and reading the Bible? He desires our hearts, but not just part of it; he wants it all. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21). We will be judged one day before God. "Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven" (Mathew 7:21). Do I want to hear, "depart from me?" Do you?
In conclusion, again this does not mean we live perfectly, but we should desire want what God wants. We can only do that by getting to know the one who created us. We should not want to continue to live in sin when it does not glorify Christ. Committing and living in or for our desires are two separate things. Ask yourself, “do I believe like Satan (James 2:19), or do I cling to/trust Jesus?” When the Holy Spirit lives in me, the Bible is open, and I am in prayer, special revelation begins to unravel even when it seems daunting. One of the places I would recommend starting is the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) where Jesus led me on my journey, realizing a relationship with him is most important for experiencing unconditional love and the God who sacrificed everything for me.
There is much more in-depth information that I would recommend reading along with the Bible for a perspective HERE
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