HOW CAN I KNOW I AM SAVED?

(Based on the Alpha Talk How can we have Faith?)

What do you think is at the heart of Christianity?

“if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2Corinthians 5:17)

” Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, Jesus gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”(1John 5:13)

1) The Father keeps his promises even when we don’t.

 The difference between FACTS and PROMISES

 “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

 “No one can snatch [you] from my hand. My Father, who has given [you] to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch [you] out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29)

 2) Salvation rests on what the Son has done, not on how we feel.

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him, may not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 THE GREAT EXCHANGE: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Corinthians 5:21)

3. THE TRANSFORMING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 (i) He marks us as his own

“Having believed  you were marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13)

(ii) He brings a real conviction that we are children of God.

“the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16)

(iii) The Spirit begins to change us

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

 Have you experienced the transforming work of Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, for yourself?

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I want to know more:

• To Read: The Case Against Christ, Lee Strobel
• to Read: Who do you think you are?, Mark Driscoll
• To Read: The Reason for God, Tim Keller
• To view online: Two Ways to Live: http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/