So, how do I know that I won’t be one of those people who claim to be a Christian and yet find out on judgment day that I was completely wrong?
I’ve been studying the book of Romans and here are some nuggets I’ve picked up from reading my Bible along with John MacArthur’s commentary on the book of Romans. (A good, trustworthy Bible commentary is an excellent resource to really go in-depth in your study. I highly recommend John MacArthur!)
We know from Scripture that no one is right before God on their own. Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 says, “No one is righteous—not even one.” If you aren’t as good as God, you aren’t acceptable to God.
Ask yourself these 8 questions and be completely honest with your answers.
- Do I love God and His Word and do I glorify Him with my life?
Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”
Psalm 1:2 “But they (believers) delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”
I Chronicles 16:25 “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;”
To love someone is to spend time with them and truly listen to them. Love is an action word. Who has first place in your life? God’s Word is His love letter to us. Read it.
What is the direction of your life? Do others watch you and listen to you and know you are different? Do you act like the bride of Christ and honor Him?
2) Have I repented of my sin and do I hate sin?
To confess is to acknowledge your sin and be in agreement with God that your sin is wrong. Repentance is to make a decision to turn from your sin—to go the opposite direction. Are you sorry for your sin, or are you mostly just sorry when you get caught? Psalm 51 is David’s confession of his sin. He tells God, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.”
Sin is evil. Sin cost God His Son’s life. He takes it very seriously. He abhors it and we should too.
3) Do I spend time in real prayer?
By real prayer, I mean more than a sentence here and there of “God I need this” or “God I need that”; although occasionally that’s OK, too. We should pray without ceasing and let our requests be made known to God. It should be habitual to continually be in communion with God. But do you really spend time thanking Him, praising Him and seeking answers from Him and not just giving Him your request list? Do you pray with your Bible open so that you can hear (by reading) what He has to say?
4) Am I humble?
Does my sin convict me and show me how unworthy I am of His grace? Am I willing to suffer and give up what I want for Christ’s sake? Or is my sin/selfishness more important to me? We live in a self-saturated society. It’s all about what makes me feel good/feel happy. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
5) Do I love others selflessly?
Is your life marked by a loving spirit? Do you love others as I John 4:7-8 commands? “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
6) Am I separated from the world?
I John 2:15-17: 15 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
What excites you? Hollywood? Do you know more about sports, music and movie stars (idols) than you do about the Bible and the life of Jesus? Who are your heroes? What does your life reflect?
7) Am I growing spiritually?
Do you read the Bible daily? Are you trying to get to know God better? Everyone makes time for what’s important. Is growing closer to God important to you? Do you want to know what He has to say about how to live your life? Be careful who you listen to—many false teachers are speaking heresy. You have to KNOW what the Bible says in order to spot counterfeit teaching.
8) Do I live in obedience to Scripture?
Love = obedience. John 14:15 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. I John 2:3-6 3 “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
While works do not save us, they are evidence of a life that has been transformed. James 2:14 14” What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?”
To obey the commands, you have to know the commands. Again, read your Bible. Your good deeds (works) should glorify God, not you.
Matt 7:21-23 are some of the most terrifying verses in the Bible to me. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
These people did good works. They called Jesus “Lord”. But HE didn’t know THEM. They didn’t spend time with Him. They knew ABOUT Him, but they didn’t have a personal relationship with Him.
Personal relationship is the bottom line. Do you have the kind of relationship with Jesus Christ that you can say you truly know Him and what pleases Him and He truly knows you and speaks to you? You must read Scripture. Know what you believe, why you believe it and know how to communicate it effectively.
Jude 24-25 “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
If you have never trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or if you believe in Jesus, but your life does not show evidence that you are a child of God, please reach out through my email address to find out how you can have assurance that you are a Christian.