How Can We Know That We Have Been Saved by God?

Have you ever wondered whether or not you were truly saved? Perhaps you have wondered whether or not a close friend or family member who professes faith in Christ is saved, despite the way the live. Believe it or not the Bible does give us some ways to test ourselves and give us some assurance of our salvation. We will examine some of the scriptures that speak to this subject and hopefully show that not only can you see evidence of salvation in your own life, but you should also see it in the lives of other professing Christians. In 1 John chapter 5 verse 13 we read: "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." The book of 1 John contains series of "tests" that we can apply both to ourselves and to others in order to determine whether or not evidence of salvation is present. For example, 1 John 1:3-6 says: "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." This is a very simple and straightforward description of someone who has been saved. We must understand, however, that this is not referring to someone becoming perfect. Saved people continue to struggle with sin but on the other hand they have been given a new nature and therefore will have a desire to live in a new way. They will begin to hate their former sinful ways, and begin to love God and His commandments and do their best to follow them. If we see a profession Christian living in continual sin with no regard to their actions and no conviction of sin, we can be fairly certain that they have not been saved based on the above passage of scripture. Verse 15 of chapter 1 says: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father (God) is not in them." If we see a so-called Christian who is more concerned and in love with the things of this world rather than the things of God, we can be fairly sure that they are not saved. This is because those who indeed have the love of God in them will not love the world, but instead will hate it. These are just a couple of the many "tests" that can be viewed in the book of 1 John. It would do you well to read this entire book and put yourself to the test, because it is entirely possible that you have thought yourself saved for many years and yet there is no real change in your life. If this is the case, you should take great heed to the book of 1 John, for it was written so that we might know that we have eternal life.