Part IV: Are you saved?

Are you one of God's children?

This is by far the most important question you can ask yourself. Did Christ save you from your sin? Or in different terms, are you born-again? You may have heard the term "born again Christian" before, but do you know what it means? Is it a reality in your life?

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)

You see, from these verses, that if you are planning on Heaven, being "born again" is NOT AN OPTION. Remember, in Part II, when I mentioned that we were sinners by birth, well that is why the Lord requires a Second Birth. You see, when you were born physically (from your mother), you were born under the condemnation of sin, you were therefore "spiritually dead". When a person is "born again", he is born spiritually!

"And you hath he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1)

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13)

So how does a person become "born again"? How does a person get saved?

"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)

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19)

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

First thing you have to understand from these verses is that salvation isn't attained by any kind of work. You can't DO anything to save your soul. It is a gracious gift of God. Secondly, a person who truly desires to be saved understands he/she must "repent". Repentance means "changing your mind", more specifically, changing your mind about sin. A person who wants to continue sinning their way through life, doesn't want to be "saved". Thirdly, it is by faith, by believing in Christ that people are saved. Now this faith isn't just believing that there was or is a Jesus out there; even demons believe that there is a Jesus out there. No, no, believing here is more like saying: "I believe in you". Get it? When you tell a friend that you believe in him/her, you are not telling them that you believe that he/she exists, you are saying that you have faith in them, that you trust him/her. That's how you must come to trust Christ, both as Saviour and as Lord. But...

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14a)

In order to have faith in Christ, you have to know Him. Logical right? And if you want to know him, you'll have to...

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6)

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

That's right, if you want to know the Lord, you'll have to seek Him. Now in this church age, God doesn't physically appear to any person. So where do you seek him? Easy...

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation" (Isaiah 52:7a)

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17)

The Bible my friends! Reading and hearing the preaching of the Word of God is how a man or a woman, today, can seek God. The Bible is the means by which we can know who God is, and what He requires of His children. The testimony of the Bible is what God uses to save His people from their sin.

So the conclusion of the matter, dear readers: do you know the Lord Jesus Christ (the Christ of the Bible, not some false concept of Jesus you may have learned from a false religion or philosophy)? Are you born again? Are you leading a HOLY, GOD-HONORING LIFE (in this life). Are you sure you are going to God's HOLY Heaven when this life comes to an end, to glorify God forever? Remember, there is NO PURGATORY. It's Heaven or it's the Lake of Fire: either the Son of God has saved you and you are going to Heaven, or the Lord Jesus Christ hasn't saved you, meaning you will suffer for your own sin in Hell forever.

If the answers to the questions above are "no" or "I'm not sure", don't waste your time. Seek God while you can! You don't know how long God will give you life, you don't know when Christ will return to judge the Earth in righteousness. Wipe the dust of your Bibles! Find and go to a Bible believing, Bible preaching church! Whatever you do, SEEK THE LORD!

Don't harden your hearts, friends. Don't put it off for a later time (a later time may never come). Take these posts SERIOUSLY, what you decide to do with all this will determine your spiritual destiny for this life, AND THE ONE TO COME.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)