How Do I Know I'm A Christian (#154)

Though I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I wondered at times how to know for certain that I was a Christian.

I looked for a certain feeling inside that would assure me that "this is from God", but I found my feelings to be an unreliabel gauge of my faith. Then my pastor advised me to let the Bible guide my questions about faith. he gave me some texts to study and I was thrilled with what I found.

The most important thing I discoverd is that my salvation is not in my hands but in God's. He made me. He sent his Son Jesus to die for me. And he sends his Spirit to live within me. God doesn't let go. (Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:16)

I discovered that when God's Spirit works in me, several sure things happen:

1. I believe that Christ is who he says he is. (1 John 5:5-8)

2. I begin to live more like Jesus. (Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:22, 23)

3. I find help in dealing with daily problems. (Romans 8:28)

4. I find that my prayers are heard even before I express them myself. (Romans 8:26, 27)

5. I am able to serve God by serving others. (Acts 1:8; Romans 12:6)

6. I find that I've become part of God's plan to build up his church. (ephesians 4:12, 13)

My faith grew as I spent time in the Bible and in prayer. Now I know I'm a Christian, not because of how I feel, but because of what God has done and is continuing to do in my life.