Are You Truly Saved?

Text: Luke 13: 22-27

"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”-Luke 13:23-24.”For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved-Romans 10:13

In our text, Jesus said that many will seek to enter salvation and will not be able to. There are many reasons for this, but it is not because God refused salvation to anyone. "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men . . ." (Titus. 2:11) and God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter. 3:9). Repentance means change of mind from our ways to God’s way of doing things as espoused by Jesus in the Word of God or else we are working in iniquity.

There is an effort involved in obtaining salvation. The effort is not for the purpose of earning salvation. That is a free gift (Romans. 5:15); but we do have to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy. 6:12). Faith in the blood of Jesus Christ through the finished work on the Cross and the grace of God (Jesus’ goodness) is what saves us - not our own goodness - and Satan is constantly trying to destroy our faith.(Luke 22:31-32). We have to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3). True salvation is not just mental assent, but a real heart-felt commitment that empowers us to walk in righteousness and constantly overcome the entreaties and trickery of the enemy to yield back to sinful living. Jesus saved us from sin, so we should not encourage or go back to it. Sin dethrones the believer from the position of kings and priests to the position of slaves and separates us from the Source of our blessings.(Galatians.4:1-3)
The grace (favor) for salvation can only reign in our lives through righteousness and reverence for God. (Romans 5:21). We become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus at salvation and it is our responsibility to walk according to our new nature in Christ by our dependence on the help of the Holy Spirit.(Romans 8:1,11)

1.Salvation is Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ:2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Many people today think that going to church and associating with Christians will provide them with salvation. Some people think that they are Christians because their parents were. But salvation is having a personal relationship with the Lord. It is reconciliation with God, the Father through Jesus Christ. You cannot inherit salvation through the natural birth process. "You must be born again."
We can be rest assured that all those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (right standing with God) shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."How can we be reconciled to God, and be redeemed from the power of Sin which separated us from God? You are redeemed by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Activity: If you are set for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: "Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again!"

2.Spiritual Exercises for the truly born again Christian:1 Timothy 4:6-8,2 Timothy 2:19

Once you are born again there are certain regular exercises you need to do to maintain your relationship with Jesus Christ and make you stronger in the Lord and better coordinated to serve the Lord and enables you to enjoy the benefits of salvation under contention from the enemy. These include but not limited to:

a) Daily studying, praying the Word of God and Meditating the Word of God( 1 Timothy 4:13-15):This would make us shed our worldly concerns and grow closer to God which is where we want to be.

b) Regular scriptural fasting: This would enable us to take control of our physical and emotional urges and to take command of our bodies (1 Corinthian 9:27). Remember the flesh is warring against the spirit and they are contrary one to another.

c) Practice giving to the poor regularly: Sharing with the poor will help them and rid us of the desire to have things and for material wealth. It will increase the fruit of our righteousness (2 Cor. 9:8-10).