HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED

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If there is one Bible topic that every believer must know, it should be Salvation. Salvation means being rescued from spiritual destruction and eternal separation from God. The Greek word for salvation is “sōzō,” which means to “rescue from danger or destruction” or “to deliver from the penalties of divine judgment.” This rescue is necessary because humanity has fallen into spiritual death, being separated from God through sin.

But what does it truly mean to be saved? How do we know if we are saved? What exactly are we being saved from? In this article, we will explore what salvation is, why it is necessary, and how one can be sure they are saved.

At its core, salvation means being rescued. In biblical terms, salvation is the process by which God rescues us from the ultimate danger: eternal separation from Him, which the Bible describes as the “second death” or the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). It is more than just an escape from punishment—it is being justified or declared “not guilty” from sin because there is Someone Who saved us from the penalty of sin. It is also the process of being restored to God, our spirit being quickened and receiving Eternal Life. Then our soul is transformed and ultimately, our body will be glorified. So salvation is the process of God saving our spirit, soul and body.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve’s sin led to spiritual death, the separation of their spirit from God. This is why we need salvation; without it, we remain spiritually dead, disconnected from the life that God offers.

There are three kinds of death mentioned in Scripture:

1. Spiritual Death – The separation of the spirit from fellowship with God. This is what happened when Adam and Eve sinned, they experienced spiritual death, which cut them off from their direct communion with God and all of us who are born in this world after that have dead spirits.

2. Physical Death – The separation of the soul and spirit from the body. This is the kind of death we are most familiar with. During physical death, the person’s body ceases to function and his/her soul and spirit separates from his/her body.

3. Death of the Soul (Second Death) – This refers to the separation of the soul from the spirit. When the wicked souls are thrown in the lake of fire, that fire will consume their souls and will eventually lead to their souls ceasing to exist or die (Eze. 18:20). Then their spirits will return to God Who gave it (Ecc. 12:7).

John 17:3: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Eternal Life is knowing God. The word “know” in that verse does not mean having a head knowledge of God. It means BECOMING ONE with God like a husband and wife becoming one flesh (see Gen. 4:1). There is only one source of Eternal Life, and that is God. If the Spirit of God becomes one with your spirit or indwelt your spirit, surely you have Eternal Life because nothing can kill the Spirit of God. So if It dwells in your spirit, surely nothing can kill your spirit. This should have been the purpose of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life there is the Spirit of God that if partaken, should have indwelt the spirits of Adam and Eve. Adam and Even should have possess Eternal Life. But it didn’t happen.

Now, this Tree of Life became flesh and dwelt among us. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why today, there is only one source of Eternal Life, He is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God Who became flesh:

1 John 5:11-12 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Adam and Eve have no Eternal Life when they were created. They should have partaken the Tree of Life in order to have It. The verses above are every clear: anyone who is not indwelt by the Lord Jesus Christ, does not have Eternal Life. We need to be indwelt by the Lord to be Eternal.

When Adam sinned, his spirit was separated from God, causing spiritual death. Humanity, as descendants of Adam, inherited this state of spiritual separation. This is why no one is born with an alive spirit—except for our Lord Jesus, Who is the second Adam. As Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Salvation is the process by which God quickens our dead spirit and brings us back life by the indwelling of His Spirit.

Salvation happens in three stages:

1. Justification (Past Salvation) – This is when we are saved from the penalty of sin. This is because our Lord Jesus Christ paid it all in the cross. We have not done anything to have this salvation. This is the salvation where you are sure that you will no longer go to hell or the lake of fire. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

2. Sanctification (Present Salvation) – This is the ongoing process of being saved from the power of sin. Through the transformation of our soul, sin has less and less hold in us. 1 Peter 1:9 refers to “the salvation of your souls,” which happens as we grow in Christ.

3. Glorification (Future Salvation) – This is the final stage where we will be saved from the presence of sin. This is when sin is no longer present in our body because our bodies have been glorified. Romans 13:11 says, “For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

Salvation is not just a one-time event; it is an ongoing process that involves the salvation of our the spirit, soul, and body. To know that you have been saved means knowing that you have been rescued from spiritual death and eternal separation from God which is trough the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus in the cross. It means to possess eternal life, which is being indwelt by the Spirit of God through our Jesus Christ.

If you believe in Christ, if your spirit has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, and if you see the evidence of spiritual growth and transformation in your life, then you can have confidence that you are saved. Salvation is more than a moment; it is a daily journey of growing closer to God, being shaped by His Spirit, and preparing for the future glorification when sin will be no more.