Iron Sharpens Iron, Men Strengthen Men

A friend of mine recently posed a question to me that I found very interesting. He asked me “how do you know if you are truly saved? How do you know if you are REALLY a Christian? This guy was genuinely struggling with whether or not he had actually been saved, or was this completely in his head.

For those of you not familiar when I refer to “saved”. This is what happens when we accept Christ into our hearts and He comes to inhabit or live in us. Being saved means we gain eternal life with Him.

But, back to the question at hand; Is it possible to be saved only in your head, and not in your heart?

The easy answer is no, you cant be saved just in your head and how do I know this? Because a truly saved person is changed from the inside out. They are renewed inside, they are different because of that renewal.

J. A. Motyer said it this way, “No one can walk with God without giving himself to a determined pursuit of good.” 

If you just think you are saved and yet you are still on the same path as before, then I would question the validity of your experience. I am not trying to be harsh, but at the same time, God does not inhabit a heart that doesn’t want Him to be there. 

A better way to say this is you can’t profess Christianity and still have a solid foothold in this world. The two do not, can not, and will not EVER coexist. God wants all of you or none of you and He will not share especially with the enemy.

When your heart has been changed by Him, you will have a desire to pursue good things…and there will be a battle inside of you when you come into conflict with your old way of thinking. That conflict is God inside you reminding you that you are not the same person anymore.

I can also tell you this on solid authority; when you give your life to God, and He comes to live in your heart; because of that personal choice you made, the enemy will triple and quadruple the attacks on you to ensure your experience does not last. When you have lived your life away from God, and then in humility, give your life over to Him…that is when things can get interesting.

Again, this is not a scare tactic, I simply want to present you with the truth. It is critical you are aware that the enemy will not give you up easily. Be prepared for the battle that is coming. But recognize the more you lean into God, there will be challenges in your life. But please…read this scripture today guys:

…Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

We were not promised an easy life by signing on with Christ. What He did promise was on life’s journey, that He will never lead us or forget about us. David said it this way in Psalm 23, “…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid, because you are right there with me.”

Guys, our God inhabits those of us who truly seek Him and that is the foundation of your salvation. Those of us who pursue the narrow path and are intentional about doing good in this life; I applaud you for your fortitude and I believe in my heart there are a bunch of you out there, just everyday, doing your version of life and serving Him.

Until next time Guys,

IMS Team

Motyer, J. A., The Message of Amos, Intervarsity Press, 1974