Are You Saved?

For believers that's an easy questions. Yes, I am saved. But the fact is, many people are not sure. I bring this up, because yesterday, I asked my mother if she was saved. Her response was "I think I am." She also went on to talk about not going to church even though she believed in God.

People, believing in God and going to church will not get you into heaven. Only accepting Jesus as the saviour will. I wish when I was talking with my mom that I had better presented this. If you do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are saved, then you are not saved. I know this sounds harsh, but uncertainty will lead you straight to hell.

Does going to church make you saved? Heck no. When the rapture comes, many church goers will be left behind. Why? Because God does not listen to our words, he sees deep into our hearts and knows our mind. He knows when we have turned our lives over to Him. When I lived in Virginia, my house was next door to the Beal's. They didn't go to church, but were saved by the blood of Christ. How do I know? Each day they lived out Christ's mandate. They served others, including me with a heart that reflected Jesus. I hope that one day other see in me what many saw in them.

What about believing in God? Will that get you the golden ticket? No. Even Satan believes in Christ. And, he's not going to heaven so what makes us think believing will get us in? Many "believers" go to Hell also. ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED WILL BE WITH THE SAVIOUR!

I can tell you right now that I am not the best christian in the world. God is still molding me and correcting me when I step outside of His good and perfect will. But I can tell you for sure that I am saved. I will see my Jesus when I pass from this life to the next. And while I am here on earth, I commit myself to growing in Him.

How does that happen? Well step one is to talk with God. He doesn't want a surface relationship with you. He knows that you are a sinner. He wants to know the ups and downs of your day. He wants to hear your hearts desires. He wants you to come to Him for everything - good or bad. At the end of this, I'll list the prayer that leads you to Him.

Second, read the Bible. God left us a life manual. He intends for us to use it. In it is living water. With those words, he breaths new life into all of us.

Third, put into practice all that God is showing you. As your relationship grows with with God, he will start to show you things in your life that are not pleasing to Him. A lot of times, this means stepping out in faith. One thing he is helping me with is trusting Him financially. Daniel and I live on a teachers salary. If you know how much a teacher gets paid, then you know how challenging it can be to run a budget for a family of four. On top of that, we've had some medical bills from the delivery and Ashton that were more than we expected. Plus, the kids and I are all needing visits with the cardiologist to check out our hearts. Our insurance does not cover all of that. Right now, we are working hard to pay all of that off as soon as possible. On top of that, God is pushing Daniel and I forward in the adoption front.

All of this is part of normal life. But, I get really nervous seeing it all on paper. I have a great amount of head knowledge that God will take care of all of that, but my heart still worries about it. On top of that, we've been letting some of that eat into our tithes. This month, Daniel and I decided to go ahead and pay our full tithe. And guess what, we are now going to get back enough money from taxes to pay off our car and have some left over to replenish our rainy day fund. There is also good chance that the hospital will reduce our medical bills. In fact, just a few minutes ago, Daniel received an offer to tutor a kid 3 days a week for $30 an hour. Within the next few months, that will allow us to pay off the rest of the medical bills and start the savings fund for a new car. I really believe that God has blessed us with these extras because of our desire to honor his call to give 10% of our income.

The bible has also showed me how to be a better wife, mother and friend. The money portion above is just the most recent example. But in reality, he shows me new things each day. Open your bible today and pray that He leads you to the areas that will help you serve Him better.

I encourage you to start your walk with Him today. That walk begins when you ask Him to become the Lord of your life. One simple, heartfelt prayer will do that today:

Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

If you pray this prayer with honesty and sincerity then you are saved. Some feel differently right after the prayer and some don't. But as you walk around, you will begin to see that the Holy Spirit is convicting you of things you need to change and putting a desire to grow in your relationship with the Lord. Do not ignore this desired. Fully give yourself to this and start to learn all you can about the God who saves. You will not regret it.