What are some ways to be certain that I know Jesus as my Savior and Lord?

Acts 2:21“‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Romans 10:9If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Colossians 1:23You must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Hebrews 10:22Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

If we believe that Jesus saves us from sin, confess our sins to him, and acknowledge that he is Lord of all, then we become his born again and adopted children; he transforms us into new people inside. Sin will no longer control us, and we are guaranteed eternal life with God. Jesus is our Savior and Lord. We know this is true because that is what God has promised, and God always keeps his promises. Although our relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives begins at a moment in time, we should have an active, daily trust in Jesus Christ that continues and grows throughout our lives.

1 John 3:24Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

1 John 4:13God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

The moment we trusted Christ as Savior, God gave us his Holy Spirit to assure us of our relationship with him.

John 8:51“I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”

Romans 8:15-16So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

1 John 2:3-6We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

We can be certain of our relationship with Christ because of our new motives—we are committed to living as Jesus did.

1 John 3:9Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

1 John 3:19, 24Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God . . . Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

1 John 5:18We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

When Jesus becomes our Savior and Lord, we begin a lifestyle of obedience. When Jesus saves someone, he changes all of that person, not just his or her story. We should think often about how our lives have changed since being saved. Seeing God’s work in us will give us assurance of salvation.

Matthew 7:16-20“You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act . . . A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit . . . Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

Galatians 5:22-23The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

A changed life, one that reflects Jesus’ character, should assure us that we do, in fact, know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Christlikeness is bringing our character into sync with the character of Christ.

1 John 2:10Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.

1 John 3:14, 17If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. . . . If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

1 John 4:7Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.

Our love for others proves the reality of our relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord. Just as a tree produces fruit, so our lives produce good things—not the least of which is love. When people see the fruit of love, they recognize that the Holy Spirit is controlling our character.