Posted on 01/04/2013 7:15:20 AM PST by xzins
11 Biblical Tests of Genuine Salvation -
In 1746, about six years after the Great Awakening, in which Jonathan Edwards was the primary instrument of God to preach the gospel and bring about the greatest revival in American history thus far, Edwards wrote A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections. He wrote it to deal with a problem not unlike one we face today: the matter of evidence for true conversion. Many people want the blessings of salvation, especially eternal security, but no more.
In the explosive drama of the Great Awakening, it seemed as though conversions were occurring in great numbers. However, it didn't take long to realize that some people claimed conversions that were not real. While various excesses and heightened emotional experiences were common, scores of people didn't demonstrate any evidence in their lives to verify their claim to know and love Jesus Christ, which led critics to attack the Great Awakening, contending it was nothing but a big emotional bath without any true conversions.
Thus, partly in defense of true conversion and partly to expose false conversion, Jonathan Edwards took up his pen. He came to this simple conclusion. The supreme proof of a true conversion is what he called "holy affections," which are a zeal for holy things and a longing after God and personal holiness. He made a careful distinction between saving versus common operations of the Holy Spirit. Saving operations obviously produce salvation. Common operations of the Holy Spirit, he said, "may sober, arrest and convict men, and may even bring them to what at first appears to be repentance and faith, yet these influences fall short of inward saving renewal" (lain H. Murray, Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography [Carlisle, Pa.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987], p. 255).
How can you tell whether the Holy Spirit has performed a saving operation? As the principle evidence of life is motion, Edwards wrote, so the principle evidence of saving grace is holy practice (pp. 262-63). He said true salvation always produces an abiding change of nature in a true convert. Therefore, whenever holiness of life does not accompany a confession of conversion, it must be understood that this individual is not a Christian.
In the very year Edwards' treatise was published, popular teaching asserted that, to the contrary, the only real evidence of true salvation is a feeling based on an experience--usually the experience at the moment of the alleged conversion. That teaching introduces the prevalent but erroneous concept that a person's true spiritual state is known by a past experience rather than a present pursuit of holiness. Edwards flatly contradicted that notion: "Assurance is never to be enjoyed on the basis of a past experience. There is need of the present and continuing work of the Holy Spirit ... [in] giving assurance" (p. 265). This is no esoteric theological debate: the substance of your assurance is at stake.
A number of New Testament writers, of course, were very concerned about this matter of true salvation, as was our Lord Jesus Himself. The apostle John dedicated his first letter to the subject, stating his theme at the end: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Throughout the letter is a series of tests to determine whether you possess eternal life. If you don't pass these tests, you'll know where you stand and what you need to do. If you do, you'll have reason to enjoy your eternal salvation with great assurance.
1- Do You Enjoy Fellowship with Christ and the Father?Jesus is Lord!
This is an essential element in true salvation and the first test John presented. Look with me at chapter 1, which begins: "We [John and his fellow apostles] have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (vv. 2-3). Obviously he was going beyond just the earthly acquaintance he had with Jesus because he had no such earthly acquaintance with the Father. Rather, he was presently enjoying communion with the living God and the living Christ.
Now at first you might be tempted to think, Well, good for John, but his was not an isolated experience. In 1 John 5:1, he says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him" (emphasis added). It is characteristic of any believer to love God and Christ. It is a sign of the holy affections Jonathan Edwards spoke of. A relationship with God is basic to salvation. It is what we as believers were called to. "God is faithful," Paul says, "through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor 1:9).
Paul described what that fellowship meant to him personally: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20). There's something very experiential about that truth--it's not just a cold fact that we as believers have divine life living in us; there's an experience to be enjoyed in knowing God intimately.
Jesus implied as much when He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10: 10). If He had just said, "I came that you may have life," we could conclude He was talking only about His gracious provision of eternal life. By adding that life could be abundant, Jesus was moving into the dimension of experience. The Christian life is a rich life. We're meant to experience joy, peace, love, and purpose. When someone who's about to be baptized testifies about coming to Christ, you won't hear, "The fact is, folks, I'm saved, and I'm just here to announce that." Invariably the person will describe to you the feeling--the overwhelming sense of forgiveness and purpose in his or her life.
Here's a taste of the abundant life Scripture describes in terms of our fellowship with the Lord. The "God of all comfort" (2 Cor 1:3); "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5:10); the God who supplies all [our] needs according to His riches in Christ (Phil. 4:19); the God who leads us to speak to one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to Him (Eph 5:19); the God to whom we cry "Abba! Father!" (Rom 8:15) like little children to the daddy we adore; the God we draw near to in time of trouble (Heb 4:16)--He Himself so greatly enriches us. Our fellowship with Him is the abundant life we experience.
Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed Their presence? Do you have a love for Them that draws you to Their presence? Have you experienced the sweet communion of prayer--the exhilarating joy of talking to the living God? Have you experienced the refreshing, almost overwhelming sense of grace that comes upon you when you discover a new truth in His Word? If you have, then you have experienced the fellowship of salvation.
I was just wondering at what point am I able to take back what I turned over to God. In other words, am I even able to take it back?
I imagine one would not want to if one had a honest conversion.. The question came up in conversation over a decade ago and I always wondered about it.
By the way, I was not trying to refute your initial post.
Amen, amen and amen! Thank you for your merciful grace Father!
My personal belief, wino, and I believe it is biblical, is that we cannot snatch ourselves from Christ’s hands.
My recourse, then, for explaining those whose lives simply deny they are Christians, is that they never really believed in the first place.
Paul calls it “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the death.” It is talking about a sincere faith that both outwardly acknowledges Jesus as Lord and inwardly clings to Him in the deepest part of our being.
Is there another kind of “believe” that doesn’t meet that standard? I think there is. I tend to view it as “cognitive assent to a notion.”
Thanks, Mitch. I appreciate the kindness in your note.
Good answer. It came about because I was questioning the actions of another friend.
His point was the Lord has me right where he wants me or can use me. Its hard to be used by the Spirit to do good works if one is not humble
Fifth Edition of the Lexicon of FreeRepublic * * A helpful FR dictionary for newcomers * *
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/673536/posts
bflr = bump for later read
The link is many years old and I seem to recall running across a more recent one, but this is the one I have bookmarked. I need to update my bookmarks.
Thanks Mom, I added that link to my favorites.
Bookmark for later read.
Bookmark for later read.
Well stated.
Thank you.
Thanks for the ping!
We can define these three pillars as follows:
2. The Total Depravity of Humanity: Human beings are born sinners with a sinful nature we inherited from Adam. We are born condemned, and our personal actions and choices only worsen our condemnation. We are dead in our sins and trespasses against God and His law. We are slaves to sin. On our own, we can do nothing that pleases God or has any real spiritual value. This does not mean that we are all as bad as we can possibly be. God’s common grace restrains us from total chaos. Yet, we are thoroughly corrupted at every level of our being: mind, body, heart and soul.
3. The Complete Sufficiency of Christ: The only hope such sinful people have of salvation lies entirely in the work of Christ on our behalf. Jesus’ sinless life, perfect and sacrificial death and glorious resurrection accomplished our salvation in its entirety. The whole basis for our forgiveness and acceptance by God is the work of Christ. We add nothing to this work by our own actions or decisions. Christ and Christ alone is our entire salvation.
I'm not sure all the Corinthians in the church were saved nor do I belive Paul thought so as well given his many rebukes to them. Especially this:
2Co 13:3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.
2Co 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2Co 13:6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
Put another way, if Christ came to us and said, ""Do you want to go away as well?" would we answer, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
That is the test.
What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?...Depart from me; for I am a sinful man,O Lord.......I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
(2 Samuel 9:8,Luke 5:8,Hebrews 13:5)
Amen to that! However that desperatly wicked and deceitfull heart that still has way too much sway on the mind wants nothing other than to avoid God's Word because it slowly but surely is coming to the realization that that word is indeed going to put it to the sword.It is deceitfull and it will cloak itself in all sorts of seemingly Godly works to that end.
"...have come to know..."
Such a small statement but that right there is the whole box and dice of "the work of God".Something we must do in order to cease from our own works and be found in Him not having our own righteousness but instead be submitting ourselves to His righteousness.(and as an added benefit we are guaranteed that we will never fall if we do it)
That's not to sound cocky but rather is the result of doing that work.To become "persuaded that He IS able"
Given the many warnings in the New Testament against false believers trying to deceive the church, it seems it ought to be obvious that mouthing words claiming belief are not what saves us, but the life giving and life changing baptism of the Holy Spirit. Does anyone believe the constant indwelling presence of Holy God in our lives will not compel us to live differently, and to feel differently from before?
Thanks for the series to come. I’m on the Arminian side, but it is early & I’ve been sick the last few days and besides those arguments aren’t the point of the thread.
On a societal side, has it ever been more obvious that America is NOT a nation dominated by Christians?
Put another way, if Christ came to us and said, ""Do you want to go away as well?" would we answer, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
Exactly. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. It's a good thing God looks on the heart.
And those verses represent the key thrust of this thread/series.
I see no problem with following through with Paul's instruction.
I agree with you...
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