Salvation Is Not Just A Feeling, But A Knowing!
By Abraham Israel
Salvation is not just a feeling that comes and goes, but it is a firm knowing conviction deep with in our spirit-man. I was born again at the age of seven when I approached God to tell Him that I am sinner in need of salvation, as I closed my eyes I saw a vision in which Jesus was hanging before me, wounded and bleeding all over His body. I saw the crown of thorns which was placed for all the bad thoughts I had ever thought, His hands were nailed for the bad things my hands did, His feet were pierced by nail for all the sinful evil places my feet carried me, he was pierced at His side with a spear which made blood and water to pour out which finally confirmed that Jesus died for my sins and was raised for my justification (Rom 4:25). While I saw the vision, my heart melted deep within me, tears flowed freely not as a sign of sympathy for Jesus but for the fact that my sinfulness had caused such a vicarious death of Jesus who knew no sin but became sin for me (2 Cor 5:21).
The water and blood that came out of the side of Jesus when he was pierced with a spear spiritually symbolized the baptism of Jesus in which He became our righteousness and the death of Jesus on the Cross in which our sins were forever forgiven by God once and for all time (John 19:34; Matt 3:15; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:20; Eph 1:7). So apostle John says that there are three that bears witness of our salvation on earth, "the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one." (1 John 5:8). As we have seen above the water and the blood justifies us and bears witness within us by our faith in it, but the most important witness is the Spirit of God who will speak within us that we are saved because we have believed in Jesus (1 John 5:10; 3:24). The Spirit of God who had spoken that we are saved from sin, will also speak to us that we have now become God's own children (Rom 8:16). This is the most important testimony of conviction that every believer on earth should have. Apostle Paul talked to all believers about this subject and exhorted saying, "5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified." (2 Cor 13:5-6). In other words, Apostle Paul was saying, if you are not sure whether you are saved, test yourself by the testimony which the Spirit of God gives within you. If you have not got the testimony of the Spirit that you are saved from sin and have become God's child, then you are not really saved (Rom 8:9). But those who are saved and have lost the assurance must know that we cannot be lost again (Eph 1:13-14; John 10:28-29; Rom 8:38-29).
After I was saved at the age of seven, then I had this testimony of the Spirit within me that I was saved. Great joy, peace and righteousness flooded in to my childish soul (Rom 14:17). But growing up during those times, I lost the assurance of salvation many many times till I became an adult. Some people who are not grounded in sound doctrine teach that when we sin and lose the assurance of salvation, then we become lost in sin again. This unbiblical wrong doctrine leads us to unnecessary fear of going to hell because of our works. We are saved by Jesus apart from our own works and so what we do cannot affect our salvation really but can only show up to a certain degree that we are saved (Eph 2:8-9). A righteousness apart from works has been put in to our spiritual bank account of heaven when we are first saved, and from that moment of salvation God sees us rich through the riches of Christ deposited in our spiritual bank account of heaven, and not as filthy spiritual beggars in rags who are in need of righteousness (Rom 4:5-6; Isa 64:6).
Because of such doctrine taught to me, I used to go to retreats to regain salvation again and again. In the retreats, a strong word of repentance for salvation will be preached after which I will ask God sorry again and will restitute the wrong I have done to again come in to the so called new experience of salvation in which the joy of repentance will stay with me for a while and I would sink in to the old life of sin after a period of time.
As this elementary principles of repentance from dead works and faith towards God became a routine to me (Heb 6:1-2), when I entered in to teen age, sin strongly took control of me and I became a hypocrite after a year or two in to my teen age. I would feel miserable for the wrong evil and lustful things I would indulge in during that time, but I hardened my heart more and more towards God, not knowing that all I need to get back to God was to confess my sins as soon as possible to God (1 John 1:7, 9; Heb 10:19, 22-23).
Finally when I started to enter my twenties, God mercifully in His faithfulness allowed a severe bodily infirmity and a thorn in the flesh through hyper thyroid abnormality (Psa 119:67, 71, 75; 2 Cor 12:8-10). Because of severe infirmity I began to seek God in desperation (Gal 4:13-14). At this time God began to reveal to me how the mercies of God have saved me without any of the works that I have done (Titus 2:4-5). In the midst of all my affliction, the joy of salvation began to engulf me all around. The peace of God that comes knowing we have peace with God already through Jesus Christ then brought an assurance of salvation that had stood the test of times after that even until now (Php 4:6-7; Rom 5:1). From that time onwards I have taken the shield of faith with which I have been able to quench the fiery missiles of unbelief, doubt, wrong doctrines of men, sinful behavior and evil thoughts of the wicked one (Eph 6:16-17).
Further as days and years went on, I have stood by the word of God and nothing but the Bible I have allowed to convince me about eternal things. I thank God and praise Him for having revealed His truth and Himself to me through His word which I truly love in my life now. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) became my motto in life as I depended on God by faith to put all the weight of questions on Him and received the answers of life to guide me in the ways of God.
Today I ask all my dear friends, do you know within you that you are saved? Do you have the testimony of God within you? Have you heard the Spirit of God assure you within your spirit-man that you are saved and have now become a child of God? If your answer to the above questions are a no, today I ask you to pray with me this following prayer by faith towards God, and I can assure you that the God in heaven who responded to me by giving assurance of salvation within me will now give it within you.
Say this from you heart sincerely, "Dear God, I am a sinner in need of salvation. I deserve hell for all the sins I have done, but I thank you that by your love you have sent Jesus your only begotten Son and have promised that if I believe in Him, I will not perish in hell fire but will have everlasting life (John 3:16). Now I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour who has taken my sin during His baptism and made me righteousness of God forever, and then He carried my sins on to the Cross two thousand years ago and shed His sinless blood to forgive all my past, present and future sins forever (Heb 10:12, 17, 19, 22; Eph 4:32). Thank you for saving me from sins by giving me salvation as a gift apart from my works (Eph 2:8-9). Help me serve you and walk in the good works prepared before hand which you had planned for me to walk and be a example to all the people around me (Eph 2:10). Help me to look to your word to find assurance of salvation whenever I slip off because of sin and face any kind of doubt or unbelief regarding my salvation. May 'only the Scriptures,' be my motto from now onwards. In Jesus name I pray!!! Praise the Lord!!!"
Now that you are saved, ask the Holy Spirit to give you assurance that you are saved and that you are a child of God! I bet you, sure He will. Rejoice in your salvation from now onwards, because your destiny has forever been changed. For those of you who have been saved in the past and have lost the assurance because of your doubt and unbelief, from today never again doubt your salvation by your behavior because salvation is a gift that God has given to you apart from your behavior by your belief in His word. So may you doubt your doubts based on your belief in the word of God that never changes forever, but remain firm in faith on the word of God and you will overcome all unbelief and doubts that arises to test and shake your faith and finally make you miserable (Matt 24:35). When you continually live by faith in the word of God, you will begin to experience more and more the abundant life of joy and peace which Jesus has promised to give irrespective of the circumstances you go through in you lives journey (John 10:10; Php 4:4). So enjoy your journey of your walk with God day by day!
Much Blessings....
The water and blood that came out of the side of Jesus when he was pierced with a spear spiritually symbolized the baptism of Jesus in which He became our righteousness and the death of Jesus on the Cross in which our sins were forever forgiven by God once and for all time (John 19:34; Matt 3:15; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:20; Eph 1:7). So apostle John says that there are three that bears witness of our salvation on earth, "the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one." (1 John 5:8). As we have seen above the water and the blood justifies us and bears witness within us by our faith in it, but the most important witness is the Spirit of God who will speak within us that we are saved because we have believed in Jesus (1 John 5:10; 3:24). The Spirit of God who had spoken that we are saved from sin, will also speak to us that we have now become God's own children (Rom 8:16). This is the most important testimony of conviction that every believer on earth should have. Apostle Paul talked to all believers about this subject and exhorted saying, "5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified." (2 Cor 13:5-6). In other words, Apostle Paul was saying, if you are not sure whether you are saved, test yourself by the testimony which the Spirit of God gives within you. If you have not got the testimony of the Spirit that you are saved from sin and have become God's child, then you are not really saved (Rom 8:9). But those who are saved and have lost the assurance must know that we cannot be lost again (Eph 1:13-14; John 10:28-29; Rom 8:38-29).
After I was saved at the age of seven, then I had this testimony of the Spirit within me that I was saved. Great joy, peace and righteousness flooded in to my childish soul (Rom 14:17). But growing up during those times, I lost the assurance of salvation many many times till I became an adult. Some people who are not grounded in sound doctrine teach that when we sin and lose the assurance of salvation, then we become lost in sin again. This unbiblical wrong doctrine leads us to unnecessary fear of going to hell because of our works. We are saved by Jesus apart from our own works and so what we do cannot affect our salvation really but can only show up to a certain degree that we are saved (Eph 2:8-9). A righteousness apart from works has been put in to our spiritual bank account of heaven when we are first saved, and from that moment of salvation God sees us rich through the riches of Christ deposited in our spiritual bank account of heaven, and not as filthy spiritual beggars in rags who are in need of righteousness (Rom 4:5-6; Isa 64:6).
Because of such doctrine taught to me, I used to go to retreats to regain salvation again and again. In the retreats, a strong word of repentance for salvation will be preached after which I will ask God sorry again and will restitute the wrong I have done to again come in to the so called new experience of salvation in which the joy of repentance will stay with me for a while and I would sink in to the old life of sin after a period of time.
As this elementary principles of repentance from dead works and faith towards God became a routine to me (Heb 6:1-2), when I entered in to teen age, sin strongly took control of me and I became a hypocrite after a year or two in to my teen age. I would feel miserable for the wrong evil and lustful things I would indulge in during that time, but I hardened my heart more and more towards God, not knowing that all I need to get back to God was to confess my sins as soon as possible to God (1 John 1:7, 9; Heb 10:19, 22-23).
Finally when I started to enter my twenties, God mercifully in His faithfulness allowed a severe bodily infirmity and a thorn in the flesh through hyper thyroid abnormality (Psa 119:67, 71, 75; 2 Cor 12:8-10). Because of severe infirmity I began to seek God in desperation (Gal 4:13-14). At this time God began to reveal to me how the mercies of God have saved me without any of the works that I have done (Titus 2:4-5). In the midst of all my affliction, the joy of salvation began to engulf me all around. The peace of God that comes knowing we have peace with God already through Jesus Christ then brought an assurance of salvation that had stood the test of times after that even until now (Php 4:6-7; Rom 5:1). From that time onwards I have taken the shield of faith with which I have been able to quench the fiery missiles of unbelief, doubt, wrong doctrines of men, sinful behavior and evil thoughts of the wicked one (Eph 6:16-17).
Further as days and years went on, I have stood by the word of God and nothing but the Bible I have allowed to convince me about eternal things. I thank God and praise Him for having revealed His truth and Himself to me through His word which I truly love in my life now. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) became my motto in life as I depended on God by faith to put all the weight of questions on Him and received the answers of life to guide me in the ways of God.
Today I ask all my dear friends, do you know within you that you are saved? Do you have the testimony of God within you? Have you heard the Spirit of God assure you within your spirit-man that you are saved and have now become a child of God? If your answer to the above questions are a no, today I ask you to pray with me this following prayer by faith towards God, and I can assure you that the God in heaven who responded to me by giving assurance of salvation within me will now give it within you.
Say this from you heart sincerely, "Dear God, I am a sinner in need of salvation. I deserve hell for all the sins I have done, but I thank you that by your love you have sent Jesus your only begotten Son and have promised that if I believe in Him, I will not perish in hell fire but will have everlasting life (John 3:16). Now I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour who has taken my sin during His baptism and made me righteousness of God forever, and then He carried my sins on to the Cross two thousand years ago and shed His sinless blood to forgive all my past, present and future sins forever (Heb 10:12, 17, 19, 22; Eph 4:32). Thank you for saving me from sins by giving me salvation as a gift apart from my works (Eph 2:8-9). Help me serve you and walk in the good works prepared before hand which you had planned for me to walk and be a example to all the people around me (Eph 2:10). Help me to look to your word to find assurance of salvation whenever I slip off because of sin and face any kind of doubt or unbelief regarding my salvation. May 'only the Scriptures,' be my motto from now onwards. In Jesus name I pray!!! Praise the Lord!!!"
Now that you are saved, ask the Holy Spirit to give you assurance that you are saved and that you are a child of God! I bet you, sure He will. Rejoice in your salvation from now onwards, because your destiny has forever been changed. For those of you who have been saved in the past and have lost the assurance because of your doubt and unbelief, from today never again doubt your salvation by your behavior because salvation is a gift that God has given to you apart from your behavior by your belief in His word. So may you doubt your doubts based on your belief in the word of God that never changes forever, but remain firm in faith on the word of God and you will overcome all unbelief and doubts that arises to test and shake your faith and finally make you miserable (Matt 24:35). When you continually live by faith in the word of God, you will begin to experience more and more the abundant life of joy and peace which Jesus has promised to give irrespective of the circumstances you go through in you lives journey (John 10:10; Php 4:4). So enjoy your journey of your walk with God day by day!
Much Blessings....
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