060. May I know that I am saved, and if so, on what authority?
May I know that I am saved, and if so, on what authority?
If you really are saved you may know it on the authority of God’s Word. God says in John 3:36 : “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” You know whether you believe on the Son or not. If you do believe on the Son you know you have everlasting life because God here says so in so many words.
Again, 1 John 5:11-12 : “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.” For one who believes on the Son to doubt he has life is to make God a liar. We are told this in so many words in the preceding verse, where we read: “He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.”
Furthermore, anyone who has received Jesus as his Savior and Lord and King may know that he is a child of God. God says so in so many words in John 1:12 : “But as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” If you have received Jesus, you have a right to call yourself a child of God. You have no right to doubt that you are a child of God.
Again, every one that believes on Jesus has a right to know that he is justified, that his sins are all forgiven, and that God counts him righteous in Christ. He has a right to know it on the very best ground, namely, because God says so. We read in Acts 13:38-39 : “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things.” Notice, it says: “All that believe are justified.” You know whether you believe or not. If you do believe on Jesus, God says you are justified. Many people doubt their salvation because they look at their feelings instead of looking at the Word of God. It is not a question at all whether you feel that you are a child of God, it is simply a question of what God says, and if you look at your feelings instead of the Word of God, you make God a liar for the sake of your own feelings.
God caused one book of the Bible to be written for the very purpose that every one that believes on the Son of God might know that he has eternal life (1 John 5:13): “These things (are) written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” If God caused a book to be written that we might know it, then certainly we may know it, and the verse teaches us that the way to know it is from what is “written.” The first thing to be sure of is that you really do believe on Jesus, that you really have received Him as your Savior, surrendered to Him as your Lord and master, confessed Him as such publicly before the world. When sure of that you may be absolutely sure that you are saved, that you have eternal life, that your sins are all forgiven, that you are a child of God.