Am I Really Saved?

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Jimmy Engle

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Hi everyone. Before I ask this question if I am really saved, let me just explain my background and everything about me up until this point. I was born and raised a christian and I was baptised as a infant. I grew up going to church and bible studies but it never really sunk in. I used to hate going to church and being around other christians. I just wasn't interested. As I grew up into a teenager I stopped going to church. After some more time passed I started to doubt God really exsited and even believed until not long ago that he wasn't real and I thought that anyone that beleived he was was just ignorant. But then this wonderful thing happend. I watched a video of Paul Washer giving a sermon on youtube. The things he said opened up my eyes and that night I cried out to Jesus asking him to forgive me. I was the worst of the worst and I sinned everyday without caring or knowing and I asked him to save me from my sins and come into my life. Since then I have been going to church and I even started to read my bible. I plan on attending bible study at my church soon too. I noticed that I love church and I love other christians. I have a huge passion for God now and it is wonderful. But lately I question if I really am saved. I know a lot of people will just say to me that oh that is just satan trying to confuse you to get you to turn away but is it really? Most people when they get saved or become a born again christian have absolutely no doubt that they are saved and they know Jesus is within them. So if I was really saved then I shouldn't have any doubt right? It says in the bible somewhere that when you become a born again christian you become a new creature. Your life will change and you will start to hate the sinful things you once loved. This is true for me becuase I do hate many of the things I once enjoyed and my life has changed a lot in the past two weeks but at this moment I just have doubt that I am truly saved and it's eating me up inside. I also read that you have to repent and ask Jesus into your heart and truly mean it not from your head but from your heart. I was crying when I did this so I'm sure it came from my heart. I just don't know I feel so lost right now. Please if anyone reads this don't be afraid to respond with an answer. Feel free to email me too if you want. Thank you for your time.
 

Letsgofishing

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Hi everyone. Before I ask this question if I am really saved, let me just explain my background and everything about me up until this point. I was born and raised a christian and I was baptised as a infant. I grew up going to church and bible studies but it never really sunk in. I used to hate going to church and being around other christians. I just wasn't interested. As I grew up into a teenager I stopped going to church. After some more time passed I started to doubt God really exsited and even believed until not long ago that he wasn't real and I thought that anyone that beleived he was was just ignorant. But then this wonderful thing happend. I watched a video of Paul Washer giving a sermon on youtube. The things he said opened up my eyes and that night I cried out to Jesus asking him to forgive me. I was the worst of the worst and I sinned everyday without caring or knowing and I asked him to save me from my sins and come into my life. Since then I have been going to church and I even started to read my bible. I plan on attending bible study at my church soon too. I noticed that I love church and I love other christians. I have a huge passion for God now and it is wonderful. But lately I question if I really am saved. I know a lot of people will just say to me that oh that is just satan trying to confuse you to get you to turn away but is it really? Most people when they get saved or become a born again christian have absolutely no doubt that they are saved and they know Jesus is within them. So if I was really saved then I shouldn't have any doubt right? It says in the bible somewhere that when you become a born again christian you become a new creature. Your life will change and you will start to hate the sinful things you once loved. This is true for me becuase I do hate many of the things I once enjoyed and my life has changed a lot in the past two weeks but at this moment I just have doubt that I am truly saved and it's eating me up inside. I also read that you have to repent and ask Jesus into your heart and truly mean it not from your head but from your heart. I was crying when I did this so I'm sure it came from my heart. I just don't know I feel so lost right now. Please if anyone reads this don't be afraid to respond with an answer. Feel free to email me too if you want. Thank you for your time.
Jimmy you know how to gain salvation. You are already a step above the curb, becoming saved takes more than a half hearted prayer, it takes true belief in christ, followed by repentance, trying as hard as you can to turn your life around, to shape it like Gods.From what I read above it seems like you did both of those things, but remember repentace is not a one and done thing, you have to repent constantly, and attempt to constantly get closer to God. Moreover it seems from your post that you are seeing the proof of your salvation, becoming a new creation and turning your life around. When a christian feels lost like you do it is not because he is not saved it is because God is trying to tell him something.I have a hunch that God is telling you that you are missing one element of being a christian, reliance on God. I can honestly tell you that whenever I feel lost, whenever I feel weak, and powerless against sin and the world as you are feeling right now, it is because I am not relying on God, who is my strength, but relying on myself. You have turned your life toward Jesus, now its time to ask him to be your rock, your protection and your strength. Don't try to tackle this world by yourself,you are weak. But Christ has overcome the world, he has overcome sin, and he can give you the strength to keep on this narrow path. So pray to him right now that he can be your strength in all things, and rely on that strength. Psa 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.1 Cor 1:25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 2 Cor 12:9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ”—Matthew 6:24-34your brother in christRyan FitzPS. its a good thing your listening to Paul Washer, he's one of the few really good preachers speaking today.
 

Jimmy Engle

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Ryan, I appreciate that you took the time to answer my question. I have repented more times then I can count and I continue to do so. I did the research on what needs to be done to be saved and at one point I was totally convinced and had no doubt I was saved. Maybe your right and the reason I am feeling this doubt is do to the fact that I am not relying on God enough and until I do I will always feel this way. The only thing I can really do is keep believeing and repenting and just praying to God and try to conform my life to the gospel. According to the bible I should have salvation because I truly believe in God and I was sincere when I asked for forgiveness. I have shown the very same signs of being saved by turning away from sins and loving the things I used to hate and hating the things I used to love. Maybe I just stopped believing in my salvation. Paul Washer pretty much saved my life. He got me to listen and to open my heart. If it wasn't for his words I probably would have never found God.
 

Jordan

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Dear Jimmy,Some Christian girl on the internet told me about Christ and that is enough for me to begin my Christian journey and find God on my own. Jimmy, you do have salvation... God did promise he will save you. A covenant between you and God is a two-way commitment. You have to keep your part of the promise to make the save becomes fulfilled. God will never break His promise, but you can break your side of the promise. And if you do, the save becomes void. We all have free will to follow God or men. Truth or lies. (John 14:15) I'll put my salvation on God's Words.
 

gumby

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1st Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and god is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it"God loves you and he takes care of his children, really the only thing thats necisary is to have faith and continue reading the bible
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Jimmy Engle

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1st Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and god is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it"God loves you and he takes care of his children, really the only thing thats necisary is to have faith and continue reading the bible
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That is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to keep going to church and keep reading the bible and just pray to god on a daily basis. It says in the bible that the gate and path to heaven is narrow and if I stray off that narrow path god will discipline me and put me right back on it again. Once he begins a good work in you he will finish it. If I start reading and understanding the bible better and do my best to live my life how the bible says a christian should then there is no reason for me not to be saved...well if my thinking is right that is.
 

Letsgofishing

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That is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to keep going to church and keep reading the bible and just pray to god on a daily basis. It says in the bible that the gate and path to heaven is narrow and if I stray off that narrow path god will discipline me and put me right back on it again. Once he begins a good work in you he will finish it. If I start reading and understanding the bible better and do my best to live my life how the bible says a christian should then there is no reason for me not to be saved...well if my thinking is right that is.
take a look at that post above... your turning around your life for God, praying to him, trusting him for strength, being nourished by Gods word....that post right there is beautiful. you found christianity and your diving in...If I could have a faith like that.keep living in christ Jimmyyour brotherRyan Fitz
 

Jimmy Engle

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Thank you Ryan. I am now certain that I have been saved. I thought before that it would be like some kind of presence that you will feel and would know Jesus is with you but it's not. The proof that someone has been born again is through there actions. It is in my opinion that it is impossible for someone to become born again by there own free will. There is no way I can go from being how I was all my life and within one day be completely changed without some kind of supernatural happenings taken place. I mean look at what happened to me. A few weeks ago I didn't think about God at all. I thought that people were stupid for believing in some invisible God and that it was a big lie that everyone got fooled into believing. I sinned everyday without thinking about it and when I did think about it I didn't let it bother me. I didn't care. I didn't go to church. I never read the bible. I had no desire to read the bible. I despised people who were Christians. But in the matter of one hour all of that changed. I love church. If I had it my way I would live in it and just talk about God all day. I pray to him all the time. I like reading the bible now. I love other Christians. I really do. I have such a huge passion for God and it sickens me that I lived my whole life so far without him. But that's what Jesus does, he saves people from what they were. So for me to be confused about if I am saved I realize at this moment is just silly. No one can be changed like that on there own free will. Only the true Holy Spirit can accomplish something like this. I was the scum of the earth but he saved me
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I also noticed lately that I have this huge urge to tell people about how I got saved. I just want to run down to my church and stand before the whole congregation and just tell them my story and what has happened.
 

HammerStone

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Jimmy, I can only share what I've felt and what I've learned through the Word.One aspect where I often find disagreement with many modern Christians is the concept that everything becomes perfect once you're saved. They wildly cite verses such as Philipians 4:7:
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The problem is, it's not like that all.
Luke 12:51Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:Matthew 10:34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Any sincere Christian cannot come to you and say that life gets easier. In fact, I'll tell you upfront it tends to do the opposite. You will indeed be persecuted for his name's sake. However, nothing -- and I mean NOTHING -- can compare to that peace in your mind when you lay down at night. The peace only gets better as you are solidified. Knowing, not that you'll become a perfect man, but that when you mess up, you are forgiven by a God that endured death because He loved you so very much.It's not about life suddenly becoming easy or some supernatural confirmation. It's about God, and trust me, if you put in the work, you will develop a relationship with Him. If you want to understand more about why you're saved (and how), the blessed book of Romans is probably the best place to go. I'd go as far as saying it's Salvation 101 in the Bible. Capitalize on the energy; the flesh will ebb and flow like the tides, but your relationship with Father will only increase with your own study, devotion, and love.
 

Jimmy Engle

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Any sincere Christian cannot come to you and say that life gets easier. In fact, I'll tell you upfront it tends to do the opposite. You will indeed be persecuted for his name's sake.
I have heard this somewhere before and I believe it's true. Just look at the world and what it is. God despises the world and people who love worldly things. So I can only imagine how the world would respond to a true Christian.
 

Christina

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The very definition of faith is belief in things not seen ... In our world of instant gratification its hard sometimes to take notice of the quiet things going on in our spirit there are no bells and lights and whistles to tell us we are saved Just a feeling a knowing in our soul and we start to change we take one step forward 2 back on and on it goes but with every step forward we gain a stronger faith a better understanding of what its is to be a child of God ... the steps we take backward make us want to get back to walking forward again .... We know now that we do not like it back where we were its no longer a right fit, So don't doubt you are saved ..don't expect it to be easy without slip ups when you slip just let it make you more determined to go forward to him he's always there waiting no matter how many times you take that slip backwards he there's with open arms waiting for you. We just need to learn to trust that ... he knows we are imperfect full of faults always a step away from sin but he loves us in spite of our short comings all he wants back is our love ...How can we not love one so willing to put up with us
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Jimmy Engle

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The very definition of faith is belief in things not seen ... In our world of instant gratification its hard sometimes to take notice of the quiet things going on in our spirit there are no bells and lights and whistles to tell us we are saved Just a feeling a knowing in our soul and we start to change we take one step forward 2 back on and on it goes but with every step forward we gain a stronger faith a better understanding of what its is to be a child of God ... the steps we take backward make us want to get back to walking forward again .... We know now that we do not like it back where we were its no longer a right fit, So don't doubt you are saved ..don't expect it to be easy without slip ups when you slip just let it make you more determined to go forward to him he's always there waiting no matter how many times you take that slip backwards he there's with open arms waiting for you. We just need to learn to trust that ... he knows we are imperfect full of faults always a step away from sin but he loves us in spite of our short comings all he wants back is our love ...How can we not love one so willing to put up with us
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Thanks Christina for the kind words. Like I said in the previous post I don't doubt that I am saved any more because I show all the signs of a born again christian. As long as I keep a strong faith and repent for my sins and try to glorify the kingdom of heaven I am sure there will be salvation for me.
 

pia

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Hello Jimmy...........It is by your faith, in the truth that Jesus The Anointed acted as your substitute,that avails salvation to you.IT IS THE FREE GIFT OF GOD ! If you can believe that !...Everyone wants to add various tasks/laws etc. to this, not realizing that they're answering God with a :" No thank You God, I want to try to get saved by my own way, my own improvements, and I promise You I will try really really hard."You need to hear the truth by yourself, from Jesus' own lips, as He's quoted as saying:" The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, they are life." NOT THE WORDS YOU READ ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE.Seek Him with all of your heart, and then listen for Him ( un-busy your mind ) with open ears and a willing heart to listen.Also chances are, that if you doubt that you're saved, it's because you are......The enemy wouldn't have bothered telling you that you're not saved, until it becomes an issue.In His mighty Love Pia
 

Jimmy Engle

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Hello Jimmy...........It is by your faith, in the truth that Jesus The Anointed acted as your substitute,that avails salvation to you.IT IS THE FREE GIFT OF GOD ! If you can believe that !...Everyone wants to add various tasks/laws etc. to this, not realizing that they're answering God with a :" No thank You God, I want to try to get saved by my own way, my own improvements, and I promise You I will try really really hard."You need to hear the truth by yourself, from Jesus' own lips, as He's quoted as saying:" The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, they are life." NOT THE WORDS YOU READ ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE.Seek Him with all of your heart, and then listen for Him ( un-busy your mind ) with open ears and a willing heart to listen.Also chances are, that if you doubt that you're saved, it's because you are......The enemy wouldn't have bothered telling you that you're not saved, until it becomes an issue.In His mighty Love Pia
What you say is true. But I am not bothered by it because when I asked for forgiveness I gave myself to him. I asked Jesus to take control of my life because I cannot turn over a new leaf on my own. I believe he has done just that! When I was having doubt about being saved I realized something that I never thought about before. I realized that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a person such as myself to be so drastically changed in such a short amount of time on their own free will. This isn't just something that is temporary either...it's like I'm growing spiritually every day. I can't describe it but I can just feel it. I honestly don't think a person can go from being a worldly person like a was and a day later be completely disgusted with how I was living my life. It has to be something supernatural, there is just no other way to explain it. That is why I Praise God for such a wonderful gift
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pia

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Hi Jimmy.Amen!! Spot on, He keeps working in us, faithfully, till the end......As long as we cling to Him, and BELIEVE......Good on you!.......And His Love will never fail....GOD FAIL?????? NEVER!!!!!In Him Pia
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Jimmy Engle

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Hi Jimmy.Amen!! Spot on, He keeps working in us, faithfully, till the end......As long as we cling to Him, and BELIEVE......Good on you!.......And His Love will never fail....GOD FAIL?????? NEVER!!!!!In Him Pia
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I appreciate your comments. I really took the part where you talked about how people sometimes try to do things on their own without relying on God to heart. I think it's important to remember that you have to give yourself up to Jesus. I don't think he will help a person if they are still trying to do things on their own so I will keep that thought in mind.
 

pia

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Hi Jimmy.......Terrific ! Mind you I still find myself trying this or that. Losing oneself IN CHRIST may sound easy, but it's very very hard, because His way goes against EVERYTHING we've ever been taught, here in this world.One huge example is that we're taught from the cradle (almost), that we MUST learn to stand on our own two feet, and the expectations grow and grow the older we get. People say things like:" God helps those, who help themselves." without realizing that what they're saying is opposite to what Jesus said.Another really big one, is that we people ALWAYS want others punished for wrongdoing, and we feel justified because we think that's God's aim also, which again is not right. Mercy is and always was God's desire. To accept His mercy, and to give it wholeheartedly to those who are sincere....I could go on and on.I could no doubt write a whole novel about all the things The Lord has corrected me on these past 23 years, but He always does it in a way, so that I'm grateful...He has NEVER done it in any way condemning or judgmental, and quite frankly, we're the ones who get all flustered,offended and judgmental, NOT HIM ! You may not believe that, but you'll find out for yourselves sooner or later, and you'll wonder why you worried and frettet so very much ( not you personally perhaps,but many do just that ).Mostly because it makes us feel that we're pulling our weight, makes us feel good about ourselves, which is a huge trap.....We should NEVER, EVER feel good about ourselves ( our fleshly selves ), we are all wretched, blind, poor in truth and righteousness and most of all naked ( our spirit being without Him ). Only He can dress us, open our eyes and teach us... Even if we could do these things, we could never make ourselves perfect, we could try for a thousand years and still be imperfect.I'm so pleased that you so quickly received His Word in this matter, as most Christians struggle all of their lives , trying to improve themselves for God....What, Jesus isn't good enough for them? Do they really think that they themselves can do a better job, then the one Jesus already did, on their behalf?..Sorry that may have been a little harsh, I just get a bit angry, when those who are supposed to know these things, gets new Christians all knottet up inside..I've been there!!"Come to Me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you REST. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, because My burden is easy and My yoke is light." That is what Jesus is quoted as saying, does that agree with how most Christians are living? Well maybe it's about time we accept the reality of Jesus, here and now , since He's offering, and truly learn from Him, from His lips, since there are too many people to count these days, who claim to have received word from above, which in a lot of cases is nonsense , considering what's coming out of their mouths...Sadly these 'teachers' are often very charismatic and seem to know what they're talking about, but a little lie her and a little lie there ( whether they're aware of the lies or not ) can have a devastating effect on each and every person, who tries to live by these often impossible teachings.Sorry I'm going on too long again...All the very best to you.In His mighty Love Pia
 

Jimmy Engle

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It's kind of ironic because today in church we were going over the gospel Mark 4:35-41. When you apply that scripture to life it pretty much says that you have to have faith in Jesus. In the OT God commanded everything with his words and the same is true for Jesus. He is Lord of all things, people, nature, weather just EVERYTHING...the universe. So we have to try and not let our emotions of fear, panic, worry and so on allow us to lose faith. God controls all and if you have faith you will see that all will be okay. Also what you were saying about false teachers that tell you things that really just are not true is widespread in America (I'm sure you already knew that). The reason I am mentioning it is because today in church my pastor said that a some guy from Korea I think it was came to the states and after seeing how many of the churches worship he concluded that they should stop sending missionaries where he lives and start sending them over here because we are the ones who need help. Over there when they declare their faith in Jesus Christ you know it's true because they can die for saying that and some of them do which is horrible. But over here we are brain washed into believing that if we pray a prayer one time that we are saved. It doesn't say that anywhere in the Bible. I'm just thankful that my eyes were opened to the words of a person like Paul Washer instead of getting saved by some fake evangelist that just wants to get everyone to come forward so he can brag about how many people he helped saved.