[SARCASM] Well of course since a REAL Christian can't not bear fruit, and can't not be obedient, and always, automatically does everything his LORD says, I'd question my salvation.
Do I "really" believe?
Am I "truly" saved?
After all "If he's not LORD of all he's not LORD at all", right?[/SARCASM]
Well, the Lord is supposed to be the 'Lord' or 'master' of our lives (if we are truly saved.) Why should we call God 'Lord, Lord' if He really isn't the Lord of us or our lives?
"Truly saved" as opposed to "truly unsaved"?
Or "truly saved" as opposed to "falsly saved"?
The Bible speaks absolutely nothing of the latter.
So only the saved are commanded to make Christ "Lord of all".
The rest (truly unsaved) don't even have the Holy Spirit.
Have you yielded (truly) everything to His Lordship? Or are you a work in process, securely saved in eternity by the blood, yielding to his Spirit in holiness, striving to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and hoping for that blessed salvation when he renews our body?
I would spend some time in prayer and with Paul, beginning with the seventh chapter in Romans.
I would know that our Lord provided this scripture for our study.
I would also turn to Philippians 3:12 and continue walking with my Lord.
Lacy Evans,
So many people today claim to be saved or christians when in fact they are not. What I meant by 'truly saved' was those who are born again, or saved, and on their way to heaven. There is no such thing as being 'falsely saved' just like you said. But so many people claim to be saved today and that is why I say 'truly saved' and not just saved.
I hope that makes sense and I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear.
The reason I bring it up is because of the issue of whether or not one must be bearing fruit to know if he is saved.
Sometimes you can't tell the difference by expecting fruit. A saved person still has a free will and the flesh.
If he sins he needs to repent but it is not a salvation issue,
Your right. No one really knows who's saved and who isn't. It's between that person and God.
What do you mean by, "it is not a salvation issue?" Do you mean sin?
I mean that a man's assurance of salvation cannot be based on fruit or on personal holiness. I am not any less saved if I sin.
I am not any less saved if there is an area of my life which is not exactly under the Lordship of Christ.
Now, having said that, I am in danger of (possibly very severe) chastening if I sin.
But it is not a salvation issue, it is a family issue.
Thankyou for clearing that up for me Lacy Evans. I agree with you that salvation is not based on fruit or holiness. If it was, then salvation would be by works and there would have been no point for Jesus Christ to come down and die on the cross. Anyway... I also agree with you that you aren't "any less saved if you sin" because if that was the case then salvation wouldn't be eternal. Once again... thanks for clearing that up!
Paul makes your point for you quite clearly in Romans 7 and 8.
Weakness and struggle with sin is not a sign of a lack of salvation.
As a matter, it is a sign that one is saved.
The point at which one should worry is if they are doing those things they want to do when sinning and there has been no transformation in their minds at all.
We are to mortify the flesh through the spirit, not feed it.
If there is no struggle, then there is no holy spirit, and therefore, there is no salvation.
I agree with Joseph, the fight within is a sign of being saved and not a desire to be saved. The devil doesn't have to fight with one who already obeys his will.
An old preacher once said, "if you desire wrong and there is no little voice suggesting you do that which is right, you need to start over from the beginning and assure your own salvation".