What If I Examined Myself in the Light of the Bible and do NOT See Evidence of Salvation?

• But I have believed with my heart and confessed with my mouth. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - our hearts are wicked before Salvation and out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks. We must realize that God does ALL the work of salvation. The Bible teaches that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. Only the work done by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by the Holy Spirit in our hearts can save us.

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Matt 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Jam 2:19-20 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works [Works is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation] is dead?"

Acts 8:13, 21-23 "13Then Simon [the Sorcerer] himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.[this is the condition of all of us before Saved]"

• Only when we are given New Heart are we able to 'believe unto righteousness' and 'confess unto salvation'.

Luke 6:45-46 "45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? [following God's commandments is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation]"

Eze 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I [God] give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

• But I have "received" Christ as my Savior. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - We are only looking at John 1, verse 12 and missing out on verse 13. The people that are receiving him are already "born of God". verse 12 is the effect and verse 13 is the cause , not the other way around.

John 1:12-13 "But as many [those who are already 'born of God'] as received [as in recipients] him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

• Now I realize that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. what now? - God commands us to cleanup our sinful acts and turn from our sins and come to God with broken heart. God is a Merciful God and delights in Mercy. Remember that Obedience is NOT the cause of Salvation but God's Mercy and God's Grace.

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Jer 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Isa 55:6-7 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his [our] way, and the unrighteous man his [our] thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

• God gives Grace [Salvation] to the Humble. Who are the humble? These are the people that Hope and Wait on God for Salvation who realize that they do not deserve Salvation and nothing they can bring or do can get them right with God, including their humbleness. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Luke 15:18-24 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe [the robe of righteousness of Christ], and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."

Psa 34:18 "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Psa 62:7-8 "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

Rom 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

• Today is the day of Salvation, don't put it off to seek him. Turn away from your sins today. This doesn't mean that you have Salvation in the instant you started seeking him and turning away from your outward sin. Repentance is turning away from the inward Sin, which only God can turn us away from. Salvation or New Birth is instant but not in your hands and not in your time but in God's hand and God's time. Hope and Wait on Him for your Salvation.

Heb 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

2 Cor 6:2 "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured [helped] thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Lam 3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."