No 9

(How can I know for sure that my neighbour is saved?)

This same question could be asked of a loved one, a friend or a co-worker. In short?..... You can’t know for sure. The Bible says in Luke 6:44a “For every tree is known by his own fruit” but people can have fake fruit. I know people who have signs of fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22 “....love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” but they are not saved because of that. If you were to go up and ask them – are you saved?; they would probably answer – Oh, I hope so. There are really only two people who know for sure if they are saved – God and themselves.

Then there is the flipside – If a friend or neighbour is saved, why doesn’t he or she come to church or read their Bibles? I also know of people who don’t do these essential things and could be saved. “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:” Matt 7:1,2. What it all comes down to is that this is a question that is very difficult, if not impossible to answer. You can observe someone’s actions and conclude that they are saved, but you can’t be sure. It’s a issue of the heart.

I believe that when we get to heaven, we will be very surprised to see who is there and who is not. I can hear myself now saying in heaven “Where is Aunt Matilda; she was such a good person and she never missed church?” Or also “Heh, my neighbour Freddie is here; he hardly ever went to church and he is divorced. Wow, the Lord sure works in strange ways.” The Lord is sovereign in the universe and He saves who He wants – Jesus said “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44. I am very happy that the burden of knowing who is saved and who is not is on God’s shoulders.