This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth~ 1st Timothy 2:3-4
We live in a time and place where it is blessedly easy to know the answers to a lot of life’s questions.
Anyone with a laptop and/or a phone can know exactly how much money he or she has in the bank anytime—day-or-night. Even a person completely ignorant of history can discover in seconds who the POTUS was in 1926 (Calvin Coolidge in case you’re too lazy to Google). A small sample of blood will reveal all sorts of interesting things about a person. Including their general state of health, chromosomal make-up, nation of origin and whether or not they have recently eaten lead paint chips
The modern era clearly has its perks.
However, other questions remain unanswered. The brightest scientific minds of our day still cannot explain why we have turbulence or what makes magnets work or how birds know to migrate or even how our brains store and retrieve memory. No one but God knows why we dream or even what a dream is or why we all get a little nutso if we go too many nights without dreaming.
Sigh.
Some spiritual questions are even tougher to answer.
No one has ever been able to explain to my satisfaction why God sometimes feels distant and other times He feels close. No one knows why some prayers go unanswered and others don’t, or why some people suffer a lot while others suffer less.
But in my experience the most vexing personal question of all for many believers is whether or not they really are a Christian.
Most of us know that becoming a Christian is not simply something that happens, nor is it something we are born into. Contrary to popular belief simply attending a church or a small group, serving on a ministry team, or even praying a “salvation prayer” does not guarantee that one has passed from a state of spiritual death to spiritual life.
Knowing for certain matters for at least three reasons.
First, assurance of salvation is not a subject that is discussed in many churches these days; as a result many are left with questions that eat at them. Secondly, Jesus warned his followers that on Judgment Day (yes, it’s a real thing, Matthew 11:24, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11-12), there will be many who mistakenly assume they are Christians until it’s too late to do anything about it (Matthew 7:21, Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 7:13-14).
Yikes.
And finally,
It matters because if the Bible is true (and I believe it is) then eternity will be long and it’s good to know where we will be and what we will be doing when you get there. Sadly, the signs of salvation tend to be subtle, but there are at least four clear indicators of a person is an authentic Christian. Those signs are:
1. Authentic Christians hate to sin-
One of the surest signs of salvation is a yearning to please God and do His will. This means genuine Christians do not like to sin nor do they typically sin intentionally. This doesn’t mean Christians never sin (1st John 1:10). It does mean that for a Christian, sin is typically followed by remorse, repentance and a sincere desire to do better next time (2nd Corinthians 7:10).
2. Authentic Christians do what it takes to grow-
Attending a Bible study or a church service does not make anyone a Christian, nor does it make Christians “more saved”. That said, church and Bible studies are where we worship God, learn about our faith, become accountable to other believers, and are challenged to grow-up in our thinking and behavior (1st Corinthians 13:11.) Consequently, all Christians ought to attend church and Bible studies.
3. Authentic Christians love people and care about their eternal destiny-
Love for God and love for people is the identifying mark of a Jesus follower (1st John). However, authentic biblical love is more complex than the squishy, syrupy Hallmark Channel kind love we have all become accustomed to. Authentic Christian love is concerned for the feelings of others but it is also honest enough to tell people the truth about where their choices will lead (Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:25).
4. Authentic Christians don’t quit- Hebrews 12:1
Authentic Christians do not quit serving God, loving people, and going to church just because some nitwit said something hurtful or God did not answer a prayer the way they felt He should. Authentic Christians know that they are soldiers in a spiritual war and soldiers don’t desert over hurt feelings and petty disappointments (2nd Timothy 2:3-4). Perseverance is and will always be the surest sign of salvation.
The Apostle Peter encouraged his readers to make certain of their “calling and election” in Christ (2nd Peter 1:3-10). We do this by being mindful about how we live (Colossians 2:6-7, Ephesians 5:15). Doing so leads to a life of personal peace and spiritual victory.
