Posted on 01/04/2013 7:15:20 AM PST by xzins
11 Biblical Tests of Genuine Salvation -
In 1746, about six years after the Great Awakening, in which Jonathan Edwards was the primary instrument of God to preach the gospel and bring about the greatest revival in American history thus far, Edwards wrote A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections. He wrote it to deal with a problem not unlike one we face today: the matter of evidence for true conversion. Many people want the blessings of salvation, especially eternal security, but no more.
In the explosive drama of the Great Awakening, it seemed as though conversions were occurring in great numbers. However, it didn't take long to realize that some people claimed conversions that were not real. While various excesses and heightened emotional experiences were common, scores of people didn't demonstrate any evidence in their lives to verify their claim to know and love Jesus Christ, which led critics to attack the Great Awakening, contending it was nothing but a big emotional bath without any true conversions.
Thus, partly in defense of true conversion and partly to expose false conversion, Jonathan Edwards took up his pen. He came to this simple conclusion. The supreme proof of a true conversion is what he called "holy affections," which are a zeal for holy things and a longing after God and personal holiness. He made a careful distinction between saving versus common operations of the Holy Spirit. Saving operations obviously produce salvation. Common operations of the Holy Spirit, he said, "may sober, arrest and convict men, and may even bring them to what at first appears to be repentance and faith, yet these influences fall short of inward saving renewal" (lain H. Murray, Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography [Carlisle, Pa.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987], p. 255).
How can you tell whether the Holy Spirit has performed a saving operation? As the principle evidence of life is motion, Edwards wrote, so the principle evidence of saving grace is holy practice (pp. 262-63). He said true salvation always produces an abiding change of nature in a true convert. Therefore, whenever holiness of life does not accompany a confession of conversion, it must be understood that this individual is not a Christian.
In the very year Edwards' treatise was published, popular teaching asserted that, to the contrary, the only real evidence of true salvation is a feeling based on an experience--usually the experience at the moment of the alleged conversion. That teaching introduces the prevalent but erroneous concept that a person's true spiritual state is known by a past experience rather than a present pursuit of holiness. Edwards flatly contradicted that notion: "Assurance is never to be enjoyed on the basis of a past experience. There is need of the present and continuing work of the Holy Spirit ... [in] giving assurance" (p. 265). This is no esoteric theological debate: the substance of your assurance is at stake.
A number of New Testament writers, of course, were very concerned about this matter of true salvation, as was our Lord Jesus Himself. The apostle John dedicated his first letter to the subject, stating his theme at the end: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Throughout the letter is a series of tests to determine whether you possess eternal life. If you don't pass these tests, you'll know where you stand and what you need to do. If you do, you'll have reason to enjoy your eternal salvation with great assurance.
1- Do You Enjoy Fellowship with Christ and the Father?Jesus is Lord!
This is an essential element in true salvation and the first test John presented. Look with me at chapter 1, which begins: "We [John and his fellow apostles] have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (vv. 2-3). Obviously he was going beyond just the earthly acquaintance he had with Jesus because he had no such earthly acquaintance with the Father. Rather, he was presently enjoying communion with the living God and the living Christ.
Now at first you might be tempted to think, Well, good for John, but his was not an isolated experience. In 1 John 5:1, he says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him" (emphasis added). It is characteristic of any believer to love God and Christ. It is a sign of the holy affections Jonathan Edwards spoke of. A relationship with God is basic to salvation. It is what we as believers were called to. "God is faithful," Paul says, "through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor 1:9).
Paul described what that fellowship meant to him personally: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20). There's something very experiential about that truth--it's not just a cold fact that we as believers have divine life living in us; there's an experience to be enjoyed in knowing God intimately.
Jesus implied as much when He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10: 10). If He had just said, "I came that you may have life," we could conclude He was talking only about His gracious provision of eternal life. By adding that life could be abundant, Jesus was moving into the dimension of experience. The Christian life is a rich life. We're meant to experience joy, peace, love, and purpose. When someone who's about to be baptized testifies about coming to Christ, you won't hear, "The fact is, folks, I'm saved, and I'm just here to announce that." Invariably the person will describe to you the feeling--the overwhelming sense of forgiveness and purpose in his or her life.
Here's a taste of the abundant life Scripture describes in terms of our fellowship with the Lord. The "God of all comfort" (2 Cor 1:3); "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5:10); the God who supplies all [our] needs according to His riches in Christ (Phil. 4:19); the God who leads us to speak to one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to Him (Eph 5:19); the God to whom we cry "Abba! Father!" (Rom 8:15) like little children to the daddy we adore; the God we draw near to in time of trouble (Heb 4:16)--He Himself so greatly enriches us. Our fellowship with Him is the abundant life we experience.
Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed Their presence? Do you have a love for Them that draws you to Their presence? Have you experienced the sweet communion of prayer--the exhilarating joy of talking to the living God? Have you experienced the refreshing, almost overwhelming sense of grace that comes upon you when you discover a new truth in His Word? If you have, then you have experienced the fellowship of salvation.
He is a Calvinist, but no Calvinist would reject Sola Fide; it is one of their basic principles.
So far as being selected by God, even free-will Christians believe that. "Those He foreknew, He predestined."
It is possible both to examine oneself and not become a Pharisee. The Apostle Paul says, "a man ought to examine himself..."
John says:
"1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. "
"If we confess our sins..." assumes that we have reflected and realized our sin.
Of Course we must examine ourselves. It is part of the Christian Walk.
But we must be very careful, in going through a “Checklist” that we do not succumb to legalism.
Funny Story:
I was in the 4th grade, and the rather inept public school teacher was explaining about the Puritans. Of COURSE, I asked: “What’s a Puritan?”
Teacher: They were Calvinists.
Me: What’s a Calvinist?
Teacher: Someone who believes in predestination.
Me: What’s predestination?
Teacher; That’s the belief that God has already decided who’s going to heaven and who’s going to hell.
Me: Then why be good? if you’re going to hell anyway, why not just do whatever you want to?
The teacher then just sputtered “I’m SURE that’s NOT what Calvin had in mind!’ and changed the subject. I was always a troublemaker, I guess, and now I’m a FReeper. (and a CHRISTIAN!)LOL!
Happy New Year, FRiend, and thank you for your service!
:-)
Interesting list. With arguably the exception of #3 none of them are work based related. If one goes to the website MacArthur points out how even #3 is that we want to be obedient because of our gratitute for what Christ has done.
It's all about a relationship, not works.
Or that we make "not going through a checklist" into a legalism.
However, this article is about each of us examining the authenticity of our OWN salvation. John says that those who are His have fellowship with Him.
“Otherwise, I’d have to ditch half the family.”
Wait a minute, just wait a minute. There are only 11 statements. I don’t see anything there about having to love one’s family. You can’t just change testing to suit a personal cross. Next thing you’ll be requiring is that we have to love Presbyterians or worse, Episcopalians.
I'm a Calvinist. I became a Calvinist about 5 years ago. What I have learned is that God is VERY, VERY GOOD and I am VERY, VERY EVIL. It's not much more complicated than that.
Presbyterians, yes, but Episcopalians require a special dispensation.
And incense.
There is no check list to check over. It is the Holy Spirit working in us and through us believers until the day Christ comes for us. Everything else that needs to be "checked off some list" are WORKS, performed by man to pat himself on the back with and once again FEEL worthy of God's acceptance.
Alright, maybe the Presbyterians, but they have to be single malt, pre-trib, Presbyterians; no blended, mid-trib, post-trib or amills. They steal your libations and start endless fights.
Longer than 5 years...right?? Weren't you part of the Calvin Wars, the GRPL and all that here on FR? That was every bit of 5 years and some.
Nor any preterist Presbyterians.
After all, the pre and the ter are both already in the name.
PREsbyTERians.
I might consider presbyteriist.
Hmmmmm...that’s a good question. You might be right. I went back to my home page and noticed that I started on FR in 2003. I remember my “conversion” :O) with Dr. E and Dr. SteveJ but I can’t quite recall when I embraced the TULIP. As far as the Calvin Wars, that seems to have been going on forever. Was there ever a time when that didn’t take place?
10 years here?!? Thanks for reminding me how old I’m getting. :O)
You hit that one spot on! Well done!
I meant to point out how old you've been looking lately.
:>)
I used to have hair....
Let me take just a slight bit of issue with the "even myself" part.
Paul says in 2 Co 13: 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you. 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
If you're going to ping this out, please add my name to the list.
While various excesses and heightened emotional experiences were common, scores of people didn't demonstrate any evidence in their lives to verify their claim to know and love Jesus Christ, which led critics to attack the Great Awakening, contending it was nothing but a big emotional bath without any true conversions.
This still seems to be the case in many groups I've encountered and in some churches and denominations as well.
This is a weakness of televangelists. There is lots of show but there's no way to determine if what happens is of God because there's no follow up.
I’m thinking, after reading these posts, that many people are confused about the purpose of this thread and series.
It’s not about how to get saved, which IS very simple, but about examining the evidence of salvation.
I used to have eyesight....
(Was on amazon looking for reading glasses in an aluminum tube so I can carry them around in my pocket. Was filling my chainsaw with gas this morning, and was better able to hear that it was nearly full than see that it was nearly full. “I don’t want to hear Wales dead... I want to SEE Wales dead.”.)
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