Everyone Knows I’m Saved—But Does God?
The question is: “Does God know you’re saved?” Let me explain.
Everyone Knows I’m Saved—But Does God?
Matthew 7:22-23
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…?’”
I had a dream once that startled me awake. Someone asked me a simple question: “Are you saved?”
I answered confidently, “I’m a pastor. I teach people about salvation every day.”
Their response cut straight through me. “They wouldn’t know that you’re saved by your preaching.”
Then they asked again, “Are you sure you’re saved?” I woke up thinking, “That’s ridiculous. Everyone knows I’m saved.”
But as the morning went on, I was haunted as another question emerged: What if that’s the wrong answer? Notice that in my dream I never answered the question. I didn’t say, “Yes, Christ saved me.”
I didn’t point to the cross. There was no mention of grace. I pointed to my ministry. That is exactly what the people in Matthew 7 did. When standing before Christ, they pointed to their works.
“We prophesied.”
“We cast out demons.”
“We performed miracles.”
They were all pointing to what they had done rather than what Christ had done. It is possible to become so identified with your Christian activity that we subtly replace faith with performance. We measure our standing with God by what we do for Him rather than what He did for us.
We are all prone to this. Teachers, pastors, board members, church members. That’s you and me.
We are missing the point. The question isn’t, “Do people know you go to church?” Or “Are you a pastor?”
The question is: “Does God know you’re saved?” Let me explain.
A wedding ring tells people you’re married, but the ring isn’t the marriage. It’s the thing that tells people you’re married. That’s what the world sees. Preaching, teaching, serving and attending church all point toward salvation, but they are not salvation itself.
Every believer should occasionally stop and answer this question: If someone asked me today why I am saved, would I point to Christ or to myself? Would I talk about His grace or my accomplishments?
Lord, keep me from trusting in anything but Jesus. Help me never to confuse service for salvation or ministry for a relationship with You. My confidence rests entirely in your finished work. Amen.
