5 August 2010 (Chamashee/Teruah)
Day #143, 5934 AM
John's Salvation Test
How to Know Whether You Are Saved
Both those those who have never been sure whether they are saved or not, as well as those who once knew but have forgotten, can know whether they are saved or not by doing what Kay Arthur calls the '1 John Test'. All you do is go to the First Epistle (Letter) of John and search out all the times the verb 'know' is used and you will find, in most cases, signs of whether a person is actually saved or not and still walking in that salvation. So why don't we do that exercise today?
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Elohim (God) is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:3-6, NKJV).
"By this we know that we love the children of Elohim (God), when we love Elohim (God) and keep His commandments. For this is the love of Elohim (God), that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2-3, NKJV).
Here, then, are two important indications whether we are saved or not. If we are genuinely saved we will be doing two things:
- 1. Obeying the commandments (mitzvot);
- 2. Walking (living) as Christ walked (lived); and
- 3. Loving Elohim (God).
These will need some clarification.
"He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:10-11, NKJV).
"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14-1, NKJV).
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of Elohim (God); and everyone who loves is born of Elohim (God) and knows Elohim (God). He who does not love does not know Elohim (God), for Elohim (God) is love" (1 John 4:7-8, NKJV).
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation will have a particular heart-disposition (genuine ahavah or love) towards others of the faith and toward people in general:
- 4. He will love fellow believers, never hate them, and indeed all people.
Hatred, anger or irritation with other people is therefore a sign that something is wrong with our salvation.
"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Yah'shua (Jesus) is the Messiah (Christ)?" (1 John 2:20-22, NKJV).
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation knows who Yah'shua the Messiah and what Truth (Emet) is:
- 5. He possesses an anointing enabling him to discern truth and to freely testify that Yah'shua is the Messiah.
Some one who is easily confused about the truth and isn't really sure whether Yah'shus is the Messiah (Christ) or Elohim (God) likely isn't saved:
"If you know that He (Yah'shua) is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him" (1 John 2:29, NKJV).
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation will desire to, and actually practice, and enjoy, righteousness and the Christian lifestyle.
- 6. He loves what is right and everything that Yah'shua stands for.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation discovers that the word (those who are not saved) does not understand him at all because he operates (to them) out a totally alien spiritual dimension:
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of Elohim (God)! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of Elohim (God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3, NKJV).
The love that the saved soul receives from the Father separates him out from the world which pursues an entirely different kind of 'love', and one of the characteristics of divine love is that it drives the one who is saved to pursue purity and purification in all aspects of behaviour and living:
- 7. He is misunderstood by the world because he passionately seeks purity in his life and living.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation is not lawless, but eagerly seeks to obey the Torah:
"We know that whoever is born of Elohim (God) does not sin; but he who has been born of Elohim (God) keeps (guards) himself, and the wicked one does not touch him" (1 John 5:18, NKJV).
"Whoever commits sin also commits Torahlessness (lawlessness), and sin is Torahlessness (lawlessness). And Torahlessness (lawlessness). And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin" (1 John 3:4-6a, NKJV).
The Amplified version expands the sense by saying that lawlessness is "the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect; being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will".
- 8. He loves and obeys the Torah (Law or commandments) and therefore does not knowingly or willingly sin.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation responds with loving and redemption action when he sees a brother in need:
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (1 John 3:16-17, NKJV).
"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him" (1 John 3:18-19, NKJV).
This means a constant willingness to give for the benefit of a brother or sister, down to our very lives, materially or otherwise, and not to just make empty promises with our mouth.
- 9. He is willing to lay down his life for the brethren and to share his worldly goods and other resources.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation possesses the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) because he is also walking in the commandments or Torah:
"Now he who keeps His commandments (mitzvot) abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Ruach (Spirit) whom He has given us" (1 John 3:24, NKJV).
It is the Ruach (Spirit) which enables us to live the commandments because in our own strength we cannot.
- 10. He is supernaturally enabled to obey the commandments and therefore knows he has the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit).
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation is able to confess and witness that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is Elohim (God) in the flesh, that is, that He is incarnated Deity:
"By this you know the Ruach haElohim (Spirit of God): Every spirit that confesses that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) has come in the flesh is of Elohim (God), and every spirit that does not confess that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) has come in the flesh is not of Elohim (God)" (1 John 4:2-3, NKJV).
This isn't, if course, merely repeating the words parrot-fashion - a confession involves your heart, your whole being.
- 11. He knows with his whole being that Yah'shua is Elohim incarnate and joyfully confesses it to the world.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation hears and receives the testimomy of genuine (as opposed to the many counterfeit) apostles:
"We are of Elohim (God). He who knows Elohim (God) hears us (apostles); he who is not of Elohim (God) does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (1 John 4:6, NKJV).
Genuine apostles speak nothing but Emet (Truth) and so draw those who seek after the same.
- 12. He responds to genuine apostles and can discern between saving truth and the error that damns.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation possesses the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) and as a result is conscious that Yah'shua is dwelling in him:
"By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Ruach (Spirit)" (1 John 4:12-13, NKJV).
There is a qualitative difference between someone who has the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) and someone who has other spirits because the one who is saved is aware that he is not alone:
- 13. He knows that Yah'shua (Jesus) is living inside him because of the activity of the Ruach (Spirit) in him.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation overcomes the world, meaning, he resists and overpowers the temptation to imitate the world and its lifestyle:
"For whatever is born of Elohim (God) overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith (trusting). Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yah'shua (Jesus) is the Son of Elohim (God)?" (1 John 5:3-5, NKJV).
To so overcome means having an active faith, clinging onto Yah'shua in every situation and not relying on your own flesh or carnal nature.
- 14. He successfully resists the pull of the world to imitate its lifestyle and behaviours because he trusts in Messiah.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation doesn't just make one confession at an evangelistic crusade or at a church altar but continues to trust in the Messiah each and every day:
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of Elohim (God), that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of Elohim (God)" (1 John 5:13, NKJV).
The assurance of eternal life comes from this daily trusting that leads to obedience.
- 15. He continues to trust in Messiah after his initial salvation and as a result knows he has eternal life.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation knows that Yahweh hears his prayers:
"And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15, NKJV).
A saved soul gets his prayers answered, maybe not all of them (depending whether they are Ruach- or flesh-directed), but at least enough to know that he can continue trusting his Saviour.
- 16. He experiences answered prayer and knows Yahweh hears him.
Someone who is saved and walking in that salvation is accutely aware that the whole planet is drenched in sin because he is made aware of Emet (Truth):
"We know that we are of Elohim (God), and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of Elohim (God) has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). This is the true Elohim (God) and eternal life" (1 John 5:19-20, NKJV).
Only the true Elohim can impart this knowledge which is itself assurance that the true believer possesses eternal life.
- 17. He is very conscious of the sin that engulfs the world and that this understanding comes directly from Messiah IN him.
I would suggest that these are pretty good evidences of salvation. The fact that you have not passed every test listed here doesn't necessarily mean that you were never saved but it may mean that you have wandered out of that salvation, but you should have experienced all at some time. If the former is true, all that is required is recongition that you have wandered, and a decision to return within that salvation by recentering your life in Christ through repentance. Once you do, your behaviours and habits will readjust to the right way of living which comes from trusting Messiah and obeying the commandments.
Since we all need to be constantly making minor (and sometimes major) adjustments to our lives, now is the time to get into action. Make a decision to get right with Yahweh again, trust, and do what you need to do practically to order up your life. Do it now, not tomorrow:
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor.6:2, NKJV).
Further Reading
[1] How Do I Get Eternal Life?
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