"Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it." (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Joe had asked Jesus to come into his life many times but was never sure of his salvation. "How can I be sure I'm a Christian and will go to heaven when I die?" he asked.
I explained that it was not enough to ask Jesus to come to live within us and forgive our sins. We must believe that He will do exactly what He promised to do. By faith, we must be able to say, "I know that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead and that He will come into my life and change me if I ask Him to. I know that He will make me His child and never leave me because all of these are promises from God's holy, inspired Word. Therefore, I believe the promise of Ephesians 2:8,9 - that I attain salvation through trust in Christ."
Through the years I have seen thousands of individuals profess faith in Christ after hearing or reading John 1:12, (KJV) "But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God," and Revelation 3:20, where Jesus promised, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (NAS). But not everyone with whom I have prayed has received the assurance of salvation. The reason? It is not enough to ask Christ into our lives; we must believe His promise, "For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8, NAS).
TODAY'S ACTION POINT: Have I been asking Jesus Christ into my life frequently through the years, but am not sure He is there, not sure of eternal life, or that I would go to heaven if I died today? If so, I will pray, "Right now, Lord Jesus, whatever may have taken place in my life prior to this moment, I want to declare that I believe in You as my Savior and wish to follow You as my Lord. So, for the last time, I invite You to come into my life. Forgive my sins; cleanse me; make me the kind of person You want me to be. By faith in You and in the authority of Your inspired Word, I now acknowledge that You live within me, and I believe Your promise, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'* Therefore, I will never insult You by asking You to into my life again, but will hereafter thank You daily that You indwell me, that I have eternal life and that through the enabling of Your power I can live a supernatural life. *Hebrews 13:5, NAS.
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