DO YOU KNOW CHRIST?

Do you KNOW Jesus Christ? There are many people who CLAIM that they know Jesus Christ and hence have been saved from their past sins and have hope of eternal salvation, but they have no EVIDENCE to substantiate their claim. Their claim is based on an alleged "feeling" they speak about. They say that the only way that a person can KNOW that he is saved is by getting this strange "feeling." They allege that "when you get it, you will know it. No one will have to tell you." Of course, there is no Scripture that sustains the above claims. If you think that you know of a Scripture that teaches that one's "feelings" is evidence of salvation, please let me hear from you.

In 1 Jno. 5:13 we read: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." We learn from that passage how we may KNOW that we have eternal life. How? By the things written by inspired men. If you lay aside the Word of God, there is no way of KNOWING that ye have eternal life. In fact, there is no way of having eternal life if you set aside the Word of God. It is able to save your soul. (See Jas. 1:21). We read in 1 Jno. 2:3 "And hereby WE DO KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM, if we keep His commandments." How can we KNOW that we know Christ? John says, "HEREBY WE DO KNOW that we know Him, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." This doesn't sound like one MAY KNOW that he is saved by the way that he feels, does it? This is divine testimony. The "feeling" idea is human testimony. Which will you accept?

Now, how does the Scripture say that we may KNOW that we have eternal life? Friends, by keeping the commandments of Christ which are written. Your "feeling" does NOT indicate you have been saved. You must open God's Book and learn the com- mandments of Christ which are written. When you LEARN and OBEY them, it is then that you KNOW that you are saved.

We learn from Acts 16:31 that one must "BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ" in order to be saved. We learn from Acts 3:19 that one must "REPENT and be converted" in order to have his sins blotted out. Repentance is a change of heart (mind) that is wrought by godly sorrow that results in a change of life. We learn from Rom. 10:9,10 that "if thou shalt CONFESS with thy mouth the Lord Jesus...thou shalt be saved." We also learn from Acts 2:38 that one must "repent and BE BAPTIZED" in order to have his sins remitted. When a penitent believer is "baptized into Christ" (Gal. 3:27), he is THEN saved but not until then. The Lord adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47).

Friends, do not trust your "feelings" but believe and obey what is written and you can KNOW that you are saved.

By Carrol R. Sutton in The Instructor, Vol. 5, No. 9, Sept. 1968.

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