This need for spiritual food is evidenced by the fact that when the Christian is receiving truth from the Scripture, he flourishes. But when he, for whatever reason, neglects the nourishment of the Bible, he flounders.

 

A Love for Other Christians

Another evidence of salvation is love—not just for Christ, but also for other believers. The Apostle John writes, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death” (1 John 3:14). An intense longing for Christian fellowship is in the believer’s heart. The camaraderie of the saints is a joy that is full of heaven.

If there is no such desire, then the Bible makes no exceptions—the professing Christian is not truly redeemed.

An Inner Witness

The last evidence we will examine is called the “inner witness.” The Lord give each believer an inner witness called the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). This is the promise of the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit is poured out on all who believe. The Apostle Paul makes reference to the promise of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” It is this sealing that brings assurance that we are children of God. This assurance or inner witness is in most Christians almost immediately after believing. However, in some, for whatever reason, the inner witness of the Spirit does not happen immediately. In these cases, the professing believer should make sure the above evidences are there bearing testimony, and if so, he or she should go to the Lord believing his promise for this sealing of the Spirit.