“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” the Bible says (Romans 10:9, NIV). This is a very familiar verse within Christendom. Every week, people throughout the breadth of this land accept Christ as their Savior by obeying what this verse says.
So here is an interesting question: How do I know that in the end I won’t be ashamed? In other words, how do I know that the naysayers are wrong who try and tell me that my faith in Christ is in vain because all men simply live for awhile, die, and then go back to the dust, end of story? Or how can I be sure that the day I accepted Christ as my Savior that God actually granted me salvation, since He didn’t give me any sign of confirmation?
Well, for me, that’s an easy one. You see, the Bible says that “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed” (v.11, KJV).
In other words, we have a sure salvation. Let me give you several reasons why that is the case. First and foremost, we are not saved by our works. If our deeds were the means by which we are saved, it would be hopeless for us all. None of us can do enough good to merit the Lord’s salvation. But we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). That means when we place our faith in Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, as opposed to our own works, God grants us salvation.
Secondly, God is not trying to make it hard for men to be saved. Rather, He is the one who took extreme measures to provide a means for us to be saved when we were hopelessly lost, remember? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Hence, God is an advocate for our salvation.
Thirdly, we have a sure salvation because God cannot lie (see Titus 1:2). Note, I did not say God will not lie. The referenced verse says He cannot lie. Hear what I am saying. If God has provided a means for our salvation-- which He has; and if He has provided a prescription for salvation--which He has; and if we have truly obeyed His instructions, it’s not possible for Him to renege on His promise.
I wrote this post particularly for those of you who have repented of your sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, but you still wrestle with uncertainty about your salvation. May the Lord grant you perfect peace in this area. Remember, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.”
Copyright © 2011 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 8, 2011
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2 comments:
It's been a while since I commented, but I do read all your posts. I, too, believe in "once saved always saved".
I follow you on ExposeYourBlog.
DB,
Good to hear from you. Actually, I was not thinking about "once saved always saved," when I wrote this post. I was just writing from the standpoint of accepting that a person was genuinely saved but he was still wrestling with the scenario I addressed.
As for "once saved always saved," it can mean different things to different people. As for me, I only consider true believers as those who remain in the faith until the end. My basis for that conviction is 1 John 2:19--"They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."
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