I got a bit of feedback on my testimony (both publicly and privately) in regards to false conversions/salvation. Some people have noticed similarities between their conversions and one or more of my false conversions, leading them to ask themselves: "Am I really saved?"
This is likely one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself. "Am I really, truly, a Christian?" The answer is vital, and it's one you need to know.
Is it possible to know if you're saved or not? Some say that you won't find out until you die, and that there's no way of knowing. My position is that you can know whether you're saved or not, and that finding out is one of the most important things you'll ever do.
But before I talk about assurance of salvation, I want to talk about false assurance. I touched on this slightly in my testimony. Here I am going to list some common sources of false assurance.
"My parents/pastor/friends say I'm a Christian" A lot of people thought I was a Christian when I really wasn't. The truth is, the state of your soul can only be known by two people: You, and God. This is between you and Him. The only people who can see inside your heart are God and yourself, so you two are the only ones who can know your heart's condition. "Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart."
Now if you truly are a Christian, other people should be able to tell by watching you. Your faith should be evident in the way you act and talk. However, this can be faked. I know, because I've done it.
"God has worked in and/or through my life. He wouldn't do that if I weren't saved" Some people say that God "can't use you" unless you're saved, and others conclude that if God has worked in or through their lives, then it must be because they're saved. Sorry, but that's just not true. You don't need to be saved for God to use you. Remember Pharaoh? The Bible is littered with examples of people who were not saved, and yet were used by God in His plan. Just because God is accomplishing good things in or through your life does not mean you are saved.
"I'm a good person; I've never killed anybody." No offense, but you're not a good person. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and that includes you. Sure, you may not have killed somebody, but "He who keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point is guilty of all" (James 2:10). And the wages of sin is death, regardless of how "big" or "little" that sin is.
"I go to church every Sunday and I read my Bible and pray and give money to missions and evangelize and engage atheists in online debates and stand outside abortion clinics and..." This does not make you a Christian. I did all of these things pre-salvation. Sure, these are all very Christian activities, but they do not make you a Christian. Nothing you do makes you a Christian. The actions of God upon your heart are what make you a Christian. The things you do are only a by-product, the evidence of the work Christ has done within you. But as I said before, this can be faked.
There are many sources of false assurance for the false believer, but these were just the more popular ones I've heard (as well as used).
Now, don't get me wrong. If you are a Christian, than your parents/pastor/friends should be able to tell, God should be working in and through your life, you shouldn't murder people, and should go to church and all that other stuff. My point is that you can't be sure of your salvation because of any of those things.
How can you be sure of your salvation? I'll talk about that in the next post.
