How to Know If You're Saved: Change of Character

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

If this list describes your normal state, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25).

If this describes you, you are saved. Jesus saves out of the first list into the second list. If you find yourself in both lists, it is for one of the following reasons:

1) You are mistaking natural personality traits for part of the fruit of the Spirit. It is not. The fruit of the Spirit is the characteristics of God given to a person when he is saved.

2) You are saved, but are deliberately choosing to go back into the first list. Confess and forsake it right now.

3) You are naturally in the first list, but faking the second list. That is, you are a hypocrite. You are not saved.

Jesus Christ saves us out of the first list into the second list.

To be continued on Friday.

Excerpted from Assurances of Salvation, available at ccmbooks.org and Amazon.com.

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