The Only List That Matters

“And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12 NLT)

It’s interesting to note that when the Titanic departed on its maiden voyage the passengers were divided into first class, second class, third class, and crew, but after it sunk only two categories mattered: those who were saved and those who were lost. We can argue theology or points of view all day long, but in the end all that matters is: am I saved or lost?

So, the logical questions then become: Can I know for sure which list I’m on? And, if so, HOW do I know? There are lots of opinions and certainly once we die it will become crystal clear, but then it’s too late. What if there’d been a questionnaire distributed to each passenger on the Titanic as they left the port that said: “In the unlikely event that this ship should sink, would you be killed or would you live? Would you be lost or saved from the freezing water?”

Yes, of course, I realize that is ludicrous, but what would most people say? Their expectation would be that surely, they’d be saved, but could they know for sure? No, they could not; however, the Bible is clear that those who have the Son have life and those who don’t have the Son do not have life. Seems pretty straightforward, right? But is it?

What does it mean to “have the Son?” What does it mean to “not have the Son?” The Bible speaks of certain components or elements that should be present if we’re to have a saving relationship with Jesus. Romans 10:9 for example says: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The writer of the Hebrew letter wrote in 11:6: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”

Balance that with James 2:19 that says: “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” Then, at least for me, some of the most frightening verses in the Bible, found in Matthew 7:22-23: “On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.’”

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list of verses, but my point is only to illustrate that we can search and know all the right verses and still not know Jesus in a saving way. So, how can we know? To me it’s pretty simple. On December 18, 1993, I had a conversion experience. I was converted from being single to being married.

When I’m tempted to believe I’m not married I have only to look at the ring on my finger, but even more convincing than that, I feast my eyes on my beautiful bride with whom I live every day of my life. Have there been days I haven’t been the perfect husband? Duh, yeh, like EVERY day! And though I’ve had to ask forgiveness and regroup many times, I know I’m still married because the relationship with my wife is still intact.

In a similar way, I can point to a day in the Spring of 1963 when I realized my sin debt was more than I could ever pay, and I knelt at an altar of prayer, confessed my sin, and invited Jesus to be the Lord of my life. That confession began a journey that has continued through the years to this day. How do I know? Because my commitment isn’t past, it’s present.

Have I always been faithful? I wish I had been. Have I sinned since that day? Regretfully, yes, I have. So, on what basis do I profess that I know I’m saved? Not on my faithfulness, but on the faithfulness of my Savior who promised He would never leave or forsake me; He would always be a very present help in time of need; who forgave and continues to forgive as I continually yield my life to Him on a moment-by-moment basis.

Let’s look at this from another angle in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊