Am I Really a Christian? - Part 1

I'd place a pretty safe bet that at one time or another every Christian has doubted their salvation. Am I really saved? We think of our sin and feel that someone who sins this much or struggles with that kind of sin couldn't possibly be saved. But these are just lies of the enemy. So how do I know if I'm really a Christian?

Well, in a great book Mom and I just finished called The Gospel for Real Life, the author, Jerry Bridges, talks about how to have confident assurance in our salvation. "The Scriptures show us three means by which God assures that we do have eternal life," he says, "1) the promises of His Word, 2) the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, and 3) the transforming work of the Spirit in our lives." Over the next few days, I want to share some quotes from the book about each of these extremely relevant things.

The Promises of His Word
In The Gospel for Real Life, Bridges offers four promises of God from Scripture and then takes a look at how they give us confident assurance in our salvation.

• "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Isaiah 55:1).
• "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17).
• "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37)
• "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13)

"Have you ever responded to the gracious invitations of Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 22:17? One who is thirsty and one who has no money are simply metaphorical expressions for a person who realizes his or her need for a Savior. They are pictures of one who renounces any confidence at all in his own good works as the way to a right relationship with God. Does this describe you? Have you come to the place where you realize that you have no spiritual "money" with which to "buy" eternal life? Have you come as one who is spiritually thirsty, longing for that right relationship with God? Then God has promised you that you will drink freely of the gift of the water of life. Consider the promise of Romans 10:13. Have you called on the name of the Lord? Have you, in recognition of your own sinfulness, called on Jesus alone to be your Savior? Look at the gracious words of Jesus in John 6:37: "Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away." If you have truly come to Him, sincerely asking Him to be your Savior, He will not drive you away."