How Can I Be Sure?
How Can I Be Sure I’m A Christian?
“How do I know my decision to accept Christ is for real? Was it more than just an emotional, spur-of-the-moment thing?” Manyhave asked themselves such questions, assuming the certainty of their salvation is based on feelings. There are many faithful churchgoers who have received Christ some time in the past, but who, because of lack of adequate information, are not sure they are Christians. The following lesson is given to help you see clearly how a person can have an assurance of their salvation.
Having an assurance of your salvation comes as a result of a total commitment of your life to the person of Jesus Christ. This commitment involves the intellect, the emotions and the will.
INTELLECTUAL COMMITMENT
In order to have an assurance that you are a Christian you must have a clear, intellectual understanding of what is involved.
What do Mark 1:1 and John 10:30 teach about who Jesus is? (for added information see John 1:1, 14, 14:6-7)
According to 1 Peter 2:24, what has Jesus done that no other person could do? (see also 1 Corinthians 15:3)
Read 1 Corinthians 15:17. Why is it so important to a Christian that Jesus was raised from the dead? (Romans 1:4, 1 Peter 1:3)
Where would you be right now if Jesus had never been raised?
What does John 1:12 say about our response to these facts?
Briefly explain your personal experience in ‘receiving’ Christ? What is involved in ‘receiving’?
In order to become a Christian, then, you must honestly face the claims of scripture concerning Jesus and believe that He is God, that He died for your sins and was buried, that He rose again, and that He wants to come into your life and be your Lord and Savior.
EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT
“Being sure you are a Christian definitely involves the emotions because man is an emotional creature by nature. An emotion is a feeling or a reaction to a specific act, event or experience. A wrong understanding of the place of emotions in our receiving Christ has caused many people to be confused about their relationship with God.”
Although our emotions are involved in our commitment to Christ, we must not depend on them for our assurance of salvation.
How might one’s emotions cause him to doubt that He is a Christian?
What do Ephesians 2:8-9 say about our part of salvation and God’s part?
According to Romans 10:9-10, how does Christ enter a persons life?
There is a place for emotions in our Christian experience and all will experience them in varying degrees, but we must always remember that we are to live by faith in God and His promises as written in His word (John 20:30-31). We are not to be seeking an emotional response.
VOLITIONAL COMMITMENT
In addition to the intellectual and emotional commitment, becoming a Christian also involves a commitment of the will.
Explain how you think a person’s self-will can keep him from a personal faith in Christ.
How does Revelation 3:20 relate to a person’s commitment of their will to Christ?
What do you think it means in a very practical way, to commit your life to Christ?
EVIDENCE THAT YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN
Jesus said that not everyone who called Him Lord was really a Christian. Just because a person prayed a prayer or is active in a
church does not guarantee that Christ is in their life (Matthew 7:21- 23). Because a person can be deceived, God has given us some points of evaluation for ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 commands us to “examine ourselves” to see whether we are in the faith or not. The following scriptures from 1 John tell us how we can know we are a Christian.
Read the following verses and write down how you can know you are a Christian. What are the marks of a true believer?
1 John 1:6-7
1 John 1:8-10
1 John 2:3-4
1 John 2:5
1 John 2:15-17
1 John 2:29
1 John 3:5-6, 9
1 John 3:14-15
1 John 3:24
1 John 4:7-8, 16, 20
1 John 4:13
1 John 4:15, 5:1
1 John 5:11-14
CONCLUSION:
Based on the preceding study, how would you say that a person can know for sure if they are a Christian?