How Can I Know
Now I'm a Christian, a person whose sins have been forgiven by God and who lives according to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said: "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE
Your decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and to join yourself to worldwide millions of Christian people was the wisest choice you have ever made. You will be welcomed to the body of Christ as you worship God regularly in the church of your choice.
One of the first things you will notice, now that you are a Christian is the change in your nature. In response to your repentance for sin and commitment to follow Jesus Christ, the Lord has forgiven your sins and made you as clean and innocent toward God as if you were a newborn babe. Jesus called this being "born again." He said: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Another Bible verse says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As a "new creature" in Christ, you will now be a different kind of person than you were before. You will live a clean, fruitful, and worshipful life dedicated to the cause of Jesus Christ.
HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN?
You probably have observed already how confident other believers are in their Christian faith. There are three ways you can know for certain that you are a true Christian :
1. You Can Know by Faith.
Faith is knowing and having confidence in something for which you may see no immediate physical evidence. We believe in God even though we cannot see Him. We believe the Bible is the Word of God even though it was written thousands of years ago.
The Bible tells us: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). This is a positive, Biblical foundation on which you can build your faith.
Another important verse says: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
If you believe with all your heart in the promises of the Bible, you can know by faith that you are truly a Christian.
2. You Can Know by Fact.
If you have repented of your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you can know by fact that you are saved. It is not that you will someday be saved, but that you are saved from sin today.
Jesus said: "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life" (John 3:36). Salvation is a definite personal experience gained at a particular moment of time-the moment Jesus Christ cleanses you of your sins. It is not a process of becoming a Christian, but rather a state of being a son of God. The Bible says: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God" (1 John 3:2).
3. You Can Know by Feeling.
One of the thrilling signs that you are now a Christian is the joy you feel when you are with other Christians, when you read the Bible, when you sing the hymns and other songs of worship, when you pray to God, and when you hear the preaching of God's Word. The Bible says that the Spirit of God "bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).
QUESTIONS
Are you now a Christian? How did you become a Christian? How do you know that you are saved?
You have just made the most important decision of your life. Continue in your new faith by attending church regularly.
YOU HAVE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE
Your decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and to join yourself to worldwide millions of Christian people was the wisest choice you have ever made. You will be welcomed to the body of Christ as you worship God regularly in the church of your choice.
One of the first things you will notice, now that you are a Christian is the change in your nature. In response to your repentance for sin and commitment to follow Jesus Christ, the Lord has forgiven your sins and made you as clean and innocent toward God as if you were a newborn babe. Jesus called this being "born again." He said: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Another Bible verse says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As a "new creature" in Christ, you will now be a different kind of person than you were before. You will live a clean, fruitful, and worshipful life dedicated to the cause of Jesus Christ.
HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN?
You probably have observed already how confident other believers are in their Christian faith. There are three ways you can know for certain that you are a true Christian :
1. You Can Know by Faith.
Faith is knowing and having confidence in something for which you may see no immediate physical evidence. We believe in God even though we cannot see Him. We believe the Bible is the Word of God even though it was written thousands of years ago.
The Bible tells us: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). This is a positive, Biblical foundation on which you can build your faith.
Another important verse says: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
If you believe with all your heart in the promises of the Bible, you can know by faith that you are truly a Christian.
2. You Can Know by Fact.
If you have repented of your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you can know by fact that you are saved. It is not that you will someday be saved, but that you are saved from sin today.
Jesus said: "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life" (John 3:36). Salvation is a definite personal experience gained at a particular moment of time-the moment Jesus Christ cleanses you of your sins. It is not a process of becoming a Christian, but rather a state of being a son of God. The Bible says: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God" (1 John 3:2).
3. You Can Know by Feeling.
One of the thrilling signs that you are now a Christian is the joy you feel when you are with other Christians, when you read the Bible, when you sing the hymns and other songs of worship, when you pray to God, and when you hear the preaching of God's Word. The Bible says that the Spirit of God "bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).
QUESTIONS
Are you now a Christian? How did you become a Christian? How do you know that you are saved?
You have just made the most important decision of your life. Continue in your new faith by attending church regularly.
