Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and will dine with him,
and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20 (NAS)
“Dear Anabel, I have never been sure of my salvation. I’m truly sorry for the wrong things I’ve done and I want to change. I did everything I was supposed to do, but how can I really know? I believe I was sincerely seeking. I didn’t feel anything like some people say they do. I just want to rest in the truth that I am saved. Can you help me?”
I think so. First of all. One of the most important things that you must accept is this: Your feelings cannot think – they just FEEL. Many people allow their feelings to control them. They have never seen, or refuse to accept, the fact that their emotions do not have the capacity to think! So your salvation decision cannot – indeed must not – be based on how you feel about it.
With that basic truth understood, let’s use a visual aid to help us understand this very important decision. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Let’s try it.
To begin with, let me ask you some questions. (I’ll answer for you with the correct answers. Good deal, huh?).
“Tell me what you did in making this request to be saved.”
“I followed Revelation 3:20. I asked Jesus to come into my heart.”
“This means that you believe in Jesus, you acknowledge Him as Savior, and trust Him as Lord. Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what you believe about Him.”
“Basically I believe He was born in a manger; that He lived here on earth for thirty some years; that He was crucified; and that He arose from the grave.”
“The Bible says that (1) if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and (2) believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom.10: 9). You have acknowledged Him as Lord and believe that He arose from the grave. Is this correct?”
“Yes.”
“You have met those two requirements. You are saved.” God said so.
“How can I know?”
Let me show you what happened to you when you made that decision – the most important decision you will ever make.
Step 1: Get a business-size window envelope. Get a picture of Jesus small enough to fit into this envelope.
Step 2: On the front of the envelope in the upper left-hand corner print your name with a heavy marker.
Step 3: Take the picture of Jesus and place it in the envelope so that the picture of Jesus can be seen in the window making this statement as you do: “I asked Jesus to come into my heart”. Repeat that statement again, reading Revelation 3:20 as you do. Say once more slowly and emphatically. “I asked Jesus to come into my heart!”
Question: “Where is Jesus now?”
Answer: “He is in me!”
Question: “How do you know that?”
Answer: “I invited Him to come in and He did!” [1] YES! Be excited! Look at the envelope and point out where Jesus is.
Step 4: “Jesus has come into your heart and He will never leave. He is in there forever!” [2] Say that: “Jesus came into MY heart and He will always be there!” Seal the envelope. Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus lives in your heart and will never ever leave? He is in there to stay forever! Look at the “truth”. You are holding it in your hand.
There are many scriptures that validate this teaching, but the important lesson we want to see and thus believe is that this is an irrevocable decision. It does not depend on anything that you do or don’t do. Perhaps you didn’t feel anything. There were no outward signs that your salvation was for real. But it is! You have accepted as truth His word.
Now punch a hole in the upper left corner of the envelope and thread yarn through that hole. Hang the envelope from the ceiling light where it can be seen. Thank the Lord every time you look at this envelope. “Thank You, Lord for my salvation – for coming into my life and staying with me forever.”
Now you can REST ASSURED – can’t you?
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His son. He who has the Son has the life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
These things I have written to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God,
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
I JOHN 5:11-13
This simple exercise will help anyone who is insecure in their salvation decision. It is great to use with children: “He’s only eight years old. There’s no way he can comprehend the magnitude of what he has done – asking Christ to ‘come into his heart’. It is just too much!” Go through this picture story with him slowly and answer any questions.
[1] Rev. 3:20, I Cor. 3:16, Gal. 4:6
[2] John 10:28, Heb. 13:5c, Deut. 31: 6, 8