Assurance of Salvation

ARE YOU SAVED? DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE?

I was an eight year old boy when I first went forward publicly to take Jesus as my Saviour and to experience forgiveness of sins. A person was preaching a simple message for the children and it was about how sin (the wrong things we do) makes our hearts unclean, but Jesus died on the cross so that by His precious blood He can wash away our sins. If we pray to Jesus He will come and forgive us. Then God will give us a beautiful place in Heaven. Even a child can understand the true way of salvation (Luke 18:17), yet a person won’t experience the reality of forgiveness of sins unless they open their heart to receive. With child-like faith I said, “Yes, I believe.”

Small children often know when they have done wrong and I felt there was darkness in my heart. I acknowledged that I needed to make peace with God. The person said that if you want to receive Jesus, you can pray a simple prayer to Him right now. When I prayed that prayer I felt wonderfully clean in my heart. From a young age I knew the reality of salvation and that receiving forgiveness of sins is real. The problem is that as we get older sin can have a more hardening affect, making people unwilling to have child-like faith.

If a person does not have an assurance of eternal life, even though they have responded to a gospel message, I would encourage them to go through the following list of sins and see if there are any areas where they still need repentance, forgiveness and cleansing. After that I would simply encourage them to put their faith in Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the Saviour and it is through faith in Him that we are saved. Many believers still have areas of darkness in their lives, holding them back from a full conversion experience. Please consider if you need to repent in any of the following areas:

Sexual immorality, which includes fornication (having a sexual relationship before marriage), adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, sodomy (the act of homosexuality), lesbianism, impurity, lust, pornography and lewdness. Sin includes drunkenness, debauchery, wild parties, depravity, idolatry (worshipping man-made gods), greed, stealing, swindling people of their money, hatred, murder (includes deliberate unnecessary abortion), jealousy, fits of rage, causing fights, malice, causing unnecessary divisions and quarrels, strife, deceit, filthy language, course joking, foolish talk, slander, gossip, lying, selfish ambition, arrogance and folly.

Sin also includes evil thoughts, disobedience to parents, bitterness, envy, being faithless, heartless, ruthless, ungrateful and unforgiving. The sin of witchcraft, which includes divination, sorcery, interpreting omens, lucky charms, horoscopes, hypnosis, casting spells, the wrong use of drugs, voodoo, white and black magic, being a medium or spiritist and consulting the dead. Sin includes being cowardly about following Jesus, denying the Sovereign Lordship of Christ, heresies and falsehoods (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, which are false cults), false religions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam), atheism, Freemasonry and the sin of backsliding.

(Scripture references: Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Mark 7:20-23; Acts 19:18-20; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 6:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-10; Revelation 21:8; 22:15).

People will lack a true assurance of salvation if they are deliberately walking in darkness or if they are failing to put their faith in Jesus Christ. The way of salvation is a narrow path, a difficult path and there are few that really find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Having recognized any sin you need to deal with before God, please look to the Lord Jesus and the price He has paid in taking your sins upon Himself to the cross. Jesus shed His holy, righteous blood to make atonement for your sin. To have a powerful, life-changing encounter with God you need to be completely honest and humble yourself before the Lord. You have got to deny yourself, take up your cross, which means you crucify sinful desires, and follow Jesus. Always remember:

Repentance From Sin + Faith In Jesus = Salvation

If you are unsure where you stand with God, repeat the following prayer and confess your sins to Him:

THE PRAYER OF A LOST SINNER FOR SALVATION

“Lord Jesus, I need You to save me. I know that I have sinned, but I don’t want to be lost. Thank You for dying on the cross and paying the penalty for my wicked ways. I confess these sins to You now…………… (name those sins).

I turn from them and I look for You to help me to walk the path of righteousness. I realize that my evil deeds are to blame for Your painful crucifixion, so I am truly sorry and I ask You to forgive me.

I believe the good news that You rose from the dead and that You are alive forever. I believe that You are watching me at this very moment, so I open the door of my life to receive You as my Lord and Saviour.

Come into my heart, take away my sins, and make me the kind of person You want me to be. I want to be Your friend. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit and let me overcome all the works of the devil. Come Holy Spirit.

Thank You for saving me and giving me assurance of a place in Heaven. I give all praise, honour and glory to Your holy name. Amen.”

‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9).

I have decided to follow Jesus all the days of my life!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever (your name) ______________________________

believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Date of birthday into God’s family: ________________________

(The day you accepted Jesus as your Saviour)

WELCOME TO GOD'S FAMILY