What happens to a person when the Lord saves him or her? Is there any power in that experience? Or is the subject of salvation no more than religious jargon? This episode addresses three life-changing effects of a genuine salvation experience.
In his first epistle, John writes these words: “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” (1 John 2:3-4, KJV).
Now that’s blunt...
What happens to a person when the Lord saves him or her? Is there any power in that experience? Or is the subject of salvation no more than religious jargon? This episode addresses three life-changing effects of a genuine salvation experience.
In his first epistle, John writes these words: “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” (1 John 2:3-4, KJV).
Now that’s blunt language. But it does not get any clearer than that. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become born again through faith. Through that born-again experience, our life radically changes. We become a new creation; old things are passed away; all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because of that transformation, John can write so emphatically in the two verses above.
Somebody may argue that although he lives like he doesn’t know God, the truth is that he does know Him. But according to what John writes, the way you know that you know God is that you keep His commandments. And if you don’t, you are lying. We conclude then that one of the ways salvation changes your life is that you will thereafter keep the Lord’s commandments.
It's important to note that the message in these verses is not that you MUST keep the Lord’s commandments to be saved. Rather, because you are saved, you WILL keep His commandments. In this episode, Evangelist Frank King addresses two other powerful ways salvation changes your life.
Examine Yourself, Not Others
According to John, no one who claims to know the Lord is an exception to what he states above. Nevertheless, the cited obedience may or may not be reflected in the lives of babes in Christ. One the other hand, we should not preoccupy ourselves with judging other believers’ relationship with the Lord.
Please note the first part of John’s words above. He says, “Hereby WE do know that WE know him.” In other words, it's not how we know others know Him, but how we know we know Him. Accordingly, the main objective of this episode is for us to look at ourselves and not others. We should view ourselves in the mirror of the Word. Then we must decide if the person we see really knows God or is merely a religious churchgoer. If it is the latter, we must take the necessary corrective action.
What’s the big deal about knowing if you really know the Lord? The most important decision you need to address in this life is where you will spend eternity. Jesus asks the question, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36, KJV).
Jesus’ question is relevant because of the value of your soul. Your soul is priceless. Your soul is immortal. It involves your emotions and your will. Your soul is who you are. Even gaining this entire world—if you could--is not worth losing your soul.
What’s so amazing about the incredible ways salvation changes your life is God’s simple plan for experiencing these life-changing benefits. Simply put, you must repent of your sins, confess Christ as Lord, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead.
