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Biblical_Counselor Captain
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 Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:03 pm
One of my co-workers and I almost had a full out battle. He is a Calvinist, and he claims to be saved. However, I asked him how can he be sure, and he gave me no answer. So I was meditating on a list of how to know that you are saved, but I thought of 10 warning signs that you might not be saved, and I thought I would share it here. If one or 2 of the things seem to describe you, it doesn't mean that you aren't saved. But evaluate yourself and examine yourself and see if there is anything between you and God. Remember, these are just warning signs.
1) You do not display the fruits of repentance. Repentance is a key and a primary factor in Salvation. You cannot have Salvation without repentance. Those 2 go hand and hand with each other. And it is not just a one time thing. Repentance should be almost daily. It is turning from sin, 180 degrees, and putting our trust on the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) You have no appetite for the Word. The Bible, which is the Word of God, is what we grow as Christians. It is like babies. They desire milk and they grow into healthy people. We need to desire the milk of the Word so we can grow into healthy Christians.
3) You do not display the fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:23 & 23). If you do not desire the fruits of the Spirit, you are not part of God's Kingdom, because the fruits of the Spirit is part of who God really is.
4) You are more concerned about the things of this world than the things that are in Heaven. Things of this World will vanish away, rust, and decay, but in Heaven, it is from everlasting to everlasting and it will not vanish away.
5) You do not examine yourself. We all have blind spots. It is part of being human. But we need to examine ourselves daily to see if we are in the faith. David often cried "Search my heart, Lord." We should do the same.
6) We try to impress the people with good works without the use of faith. In James 2:18, it says, "Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Works is obedience and faith in action. Faith and works go hand in hand. They are almost synonymous.
7) You have the wrong view on who Jesus really is. He is not some prophet. He is not a messenger. He is not Michael the Archangel. He is not just the Son of God. He is God in human flesh. He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He is the Savior of the World. Is He your Savior and Lord today?
8 ) You cannot think of one point of time in your life where you had that life saving experience. I know a lot of people claim that they were born and raised a Christian. They might have been raised in a Christian family, but the person needs to be born again. It is where that person passed from death unto life. It is taking a man that is worthless and a mess and been made whole in Christ and changing Him into His Glory.
9) You have a grudge against someone and it seems that it is impossible to forgive that person. Just remember: If we do not forgive one another's trespasses, God will not forgive ours. He want us to reconcile with one another, establish each other in the faith, and to exhort one another.
10) There is little to no difference between you and the world. The Bible says that we need to be separated and set apart from the world. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. " (Romans 12:2). We need to act differently, dress modestly, and talk differently than the world. Not to mention that the things that the World is concerned with should be what we are concerned with.
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:00 pm
REPENTANCE AND GRACE
by Cornelius R. Stam
Printer Friendly Version
When the sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit of the seriousness of sin and of judgment to come, and cries to the Lord to save him, he has, of course, repented, or changed his mind, as the Greek word signifies. Many of God's servants, however, considering only the fact that sinners need such a change of mind, conclude that the way to produce the greatest results in their ministry is to stress repentance.
Such should take note of the response to the three great calls to repentance by which the dispensation of the Law was brought to a close: John the Baptist called Israel to repentance but was beheaded as a result (Matt.3:1-12; 14:3-10). The Lord Jesus took up the cry where John had left off (4:17), but was crucified for it. After the resurrection He sent His disciples to preach "repentance and remission of sin...in His name" (Luke 24:47) but Jerusalem refused to repent and it was not long before blood again flowed, as Stephen was stoned to death and a great persecution followed (Acts 8:3).
The guilt of Israel's impenitence increased too, as the call to repentance was intensified, for while John's murder was permitted by the people, Christ's was demanded by them, and Stephen's was actually committed by them. Thus the so-called "Great Commission" was bogged down at the very start, for if Jerusalem and the covenant people refused to repent, what hope was there that the "nations" (Luke 24:47) would do so?
"But where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.5:20,21).
After calls to repentance had failed, the ascended Lord stooped down to save Saul, the chief of sinners, on the road to Damascus, in anything but a repentant mood. Not by threatening or dealing with him in judgment, but by speaking to him in the tenderest tones He showed him the glory of His grace. This "trophy of grace" was then sent forth to proclaim "the gospel of grace", and the merits of his crucified, glorified Lord.
This is why repentance was emphasized, indeed was the theme of God's message, from John until Paul, while grace, proclaimed through the cross and received by faith, gradually displaced it as the theme of God's message for "this present evil age" (Acts 20:24).
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