How can I know for sure that I am a Christian?
The frequency of this question over the years has been staggering. Initially, we might falsely assume that the concern signals weakness. The reality, though, is that most Christians doubt at some point whether they are truly born again. From the youngest to the oldest, from the newest convert to the seasoned saint, churchgoers of all kinds sometimes struggle with questions about their salvation.
RELATED: Check out more articles on faith and culture from pastor Adam Dooley.
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The famed preacher Charles Spurgeon began his ministry in London, England at age 17 and remained in the pastorate until his death at 57. If you are unfamiliar, Spurgeon was the Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and Tom Brady of pastors during the late 1800s.
Long before the modern mega church movement, more than 6,000 congregants crowded into services in order to hear him preach. At 27, he shared a message before 23,000 people without any electronic amplification. Newspapers around the world printed his sermons weekly. Today, those collected messages fill 63 volumes, making him the most prolific author in the history of Christendom.
Yet, at the height of his spiritual power and popularity, Spurgeon shared an honest confession in his autobiography, “I felt at that time very weary and very sad and very heavy at heart; I began to doubt in my own mind whether I really enjoyed the things which I preached to others” (Autobiography, Vol. 2). Likewise, in his Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon lamented, “There are times when the believer questions whether he has ever been converted at all, and fears that all his religious experience has been a mistake.”
Remarkably, the greatest preacher since biblical times wrestled with seasons of doubt, too.
‘Greatest evidence’
Testimonies like these reassure us that we are not alone in our struggles but do little to guide us toward clarity.
So, what is the greatest evidence that an individual has experienced genuine salvation?
In a word, obedience.
More than mere outward conformity, true obedience flows out of our inward transformation.
God not only expects us to keep His commandments, but He also empowers us to do so by writing His law on our hearts (Jer. 31:31–34). Grace encompasses both the gift of forgiveness and the means of perseverance.
No wonder Jesus insisted, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Ultimately, the thin line between religious hypocrisy and sincere affection for Christ is a heartfelt willingness to obey what God says. At the conclusion of His Sermon on the Mount, our Savior even warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matt. 7:21).
Difficult times
Admittedly, the subject of personal holiness has, in many ways, fallen on difficult times. On the one hand, some erroneously teach that Christians can reach a state of moral perfection, always obeying everything that Scripture teaches.
Yet, an honest reading of the Bible does not bear out such lofty expectations (1 John 1:8-10).
Additionally, the failed efforts and lifestyles of biblical saints stand in stark contrast to any quest for unblemished purity. Abraham’s lying, Jacob’s deceptions, David’s adultery, Solomon’s hedonism, and Jonah’s selfishness illustrate our shortcomings. Peter’s hunger to be the greatest in God’s Kingdom, his threefold denial of Jesus, and his capitulation to legalism in Galatia all prove that we continue to fall short of God’s standards even after we are born again.
On the other hand, though, are those who readily admit their flaws but quickly jettison any talk of personal obedience or holiness as legalistic. For these, loving God becomes a substitute for adherence to any and all scriptural commands.
The idea is that we simply love God rather than obey, as if the former contradicts the latter. To the contrary, according to the Bible, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
None of this means that an unbeliever can obey one time in order to be saved, nor that a believer becomes unsaved after committing a single transgression. The point is that Christians display a pattern of life change. “By this we know that we are in Him,” wrote the Apostle John (1 John 2:5). Or, to simplify, the more you obey God the more assurance you will have that you belong to Him.
As your love for God grows, so does your obedience, giving you increased confidence that your faith and commitment are real.
Good works may not be the cause of our relationship with the Almighty, but they are the consequence of it.
Expression of love
Scripture describes faith in God that fails to produce life change as dead and worthless (James 2:14-26), even as it encourages us to look for deeds appropriate to repentance (Acts 26:20).
Jesus Himself explained, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32).”
The key to avoiding legalism here is understanding good works an expression of love to our heavenly Father (2 John 6).
The world says, “I’ll do what I want to get what I want.” Lust says, “I’ll do you want to get what I want.” But only love says, “I’ll do what God wants to get what He wants.”
Seeking the Lord’s will above our own is the greatest witness of love for Him. Openly celebrating or continually practicing sinful behavior is entirely contrary to saving faith, no matter how passionately we insist otherwise. Frankly, doing so is the opposite of loving our Savior.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Adam B. Dooley is pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee, and author of “Hope When Life Unravels and Exalting Jesus in 1-2 Chronicles.”
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