December 18, 2003. ת Assurance of Salvation.

Last night in Bible study, we asked how a person can know if he is saved or not. A relevant verse is Romans 10:9.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The problem is that it is not easy to know whether one really believes or not. Belief is testified by actions, and most people do not have simple and strong tests. I may say that I would stake my life on my belief, but I don't really have to. Matthew 7:21-23 says

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

And we know that many people are certain of absurd things. Lewis Carroll puts it well in "The Mad Gardener's Song":

He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'

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