How Do We Know We Are Saved

by Rev. Richard A. Kent
(Sullivan, Indiana,USA)

Salvation – How do we know we are saved? Is it simply saying a prayer, or going thru a traditional ceremony? Is it attending our local church services faithfully, or giving to the needy.

Can a person do all of these things and still yet fall short of true salvation? What are the signs, if any, of a saved person? Is it possible for us to know that we are indeed Heaven bound?

Salvation is the saving of a lost individual- A person whom at one time knew nothing of the living God, A person who walked whether willingly or not a life style contradictory to holiness. To be saved would first be the opposite of this. When true salvation is given, such individual has had a one on one encounter with their creator.

They receive a revelation of truth that can not be denied. This encounter has begun a change that will mold a person into a vessel that our Lord and savior can use, and will one day walk with him in glory.

Let’s go deeper- Reading in 1 John ch.1 v 5-7: “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

What does this mean exactly?” It means that if we testify with our mouths that we serve Jesus, yet live a lifestyle other than God declared, then we lie even to ourselves, and are in darkness not the light.


When the working power of true salvation begins in a person there will be changes noticed. True salvation begins within a person. It is not a simple prayer, but many prayers. It is when a person totally yields themselves to the changing power of the Holy Spirit, and day by day grows their relationship with God.

We fully submit ourselves to his standard and will. Reading in 1John ch. 2-v3-5: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

How is our lifestyle today? Does it line up with the Lord’s will? Is the truth indeed in us, or have we been playing the religion game. Note: Christianity is not about a religion, but about a relationship with Jesus Christ that is real and tangible.

We must have a love for the truth of God, for in the last part of 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 10 it reads- They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Ignorance of God’s Word will not be an excuse, we are told to study. - 2Timothy2:15 “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

But through all this we can be assured we are saved. It is not in arrogance or vanity but as in I John 5:10 God says: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.”

The witness is God’s Spirit dwelling in us and witnessing that Jesus is the Lord; the Christ; the Son of God. So the Witness is God’s Spirit bearing witness with our human spirit that we have been born again.