Are You Really Saved?

John Newton, the man who penned the beloved hymn, Amazing Grace, once said that one of the wonders he expects to find in heaven is to miss some he had expected to see there. To consider the possibility of not truly being saved is a sobering thought to everyone who has heard and believed the gospel for salvation. There are instances in the Bible of those who have tasted the goodness of the word of God, yet have fallen away as false converts, proving they were never saved from the beginning. In Acts 8, Luke introduces us to a man called Simon. He practiced magic, amazing crowds in Samaria as one who supposedly had divine power. (v. 9-10) But when Philip came and preached the gospel, the people- including Simon- believed and were baptized. At first, there was no reason to doubt the authenticity of Simon’s conversion- he followed Philip, witnessed great works of God, and fully agreed with the gospel message- but in due time, Simon’s true nature was revealed to prove his false conversion. (v.13)

When the apostles heard that the Samaritans believed in the gospel, Peter and John came to lay their hands on them so they could receive the Holy Spirit.* As Simon saw the authority and mighty works of the apostles, his old nature resurfaced with thoughts and desires for his own glory. He remembered the attention he received from practicing magic, and he wanted to use the works of God to leverage himself again. Simon’s god was still the world, and he desired it more than anything else. When he offered Peter and John money to likewise receive their divine abilities, Peter sharply commanded Simon to repent, revealing his state of condemnation, and his need for salvation. (v.18-23)

Simon had never repented. Repentance is not merely a reflection on sin- it is a turning away from sin, and turning unto God for salvation. Have you truly repented? We might find ourselves trying to repent of all the individual sins we commit- sexual immorality, evil desire, worldliness, hatred- but even with continual repentance, we fall into the same sins. We find it impossible to repent of every sin, because we sin relentlessly beyond the scope of memory, consciousness, and time. Like the Pharisees, many turn to behavior modification in an attempt to establish one’s own righteousness, but this only earns Jesus’s condemnation. How then must we repent to see the fruit of genuine repentance? God’s first commandment is, You shall have no other gods before me. Every sin against God reveals an allegiance to anything other than God. It shows that we are still owned and controlled by something else- self, Satan, and the world. True repentance is a change in ownership. As Jesus becomes your Lord, King, and Master, He enables you to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

True repentance begets an appreciation for forgiveness. There was nothing we could have done to earn God’s forgiveness, but He saved us by His grace, making Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Cor 5:21) Because we have been forgiven, we no longer have fear of God, but we call Him Abba, Father, approaching His throne of grace at every time of need. (Matt 11:28) We trust in Jesus more than anyone or anything else, and we put our lives under His lordship. His Spirit dwells within us, empowering us towards sanctification through loving obedience. In His mercy, we confess our sins daily, knowing we have been forgiven once and for all, and we pray without ceasing, because our God hears and answers every prayer. (Jn 13:7-11, 1Thess 5:17) There is no blessing that can ever compare to this gift of salvation.

According to church history, Simon the apostate eventually became one of the founders of heretic gnosticism. He failed to repent, and therefore showed no fruit of genuine repentance. Repentance is a gift of God. Of the aforementioned surprises in heaven, John Newton claimed the greatest wonder of all would be to find himself there. Every one who repents and turns to Christ will experience the same sentiment, as they are welcomed by God to forever rejoice and praise Him for this amazing grace.