Are you saved?

How would you answer that question? Many people have made a decision to follow Christ but struggle with the assurance of their salvation.  They continue to sin & wonder if maybe they are not really saved because they conclude if they were, they would not struggle with sin or disobedience. J.D. Greear has a great little book entitled, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart which deals with this subject.  Here are some helpful quotes from the book:

"Repentance and faith are heart postures you take toward the finished work of Christ."

"Salvation comes not because you prayed a prayer correctly, but because you have leaned the hopes of your soul on the finished work of Christ."

"Until you know that you are His and He is yours, your obedience will be limited."

"You will never have the strength to say "no" to sin until you realize the unconditional "yes" that God has given to you in Christ...That's what true obedience is--beyond merely adhering to a set of regulations; it is doing so because you deeply and truly love the One commanding you."

"So, far from killing our motivation for obedience or spiritual growth, assurance fuels it. Only confidence in God's commitment to you will inspire confidence in your commitment to Him. Only joy in what you know you possess in Him will enable you to leave everything else behind. Only knowing the love of God for you produces love for God in you."

"because only as we abide in Him--that is, rest in that assurance--will the fruits of righteousness grow in us."

"the only way to develop real love for God is to have fear removed. . .The gospel of God's grace creates in us the desire to obey."

"for God to exact one drop of punishment from the believer for his sin would be requiring two penalties for the same sin. Jesus suffered the full extent of God's judgment; all that is left for me (and you) is acceptance."

"At our church we say that you can summarize the gospel in four words: Jesus in my place."

"In Christ, there is nothing I could do that could make God love me more; nothing I have done that makes Him love me less."

"Don't try to find assurance from a prayer you prayed in the past; find assurance by resting in the present on what Jesus did in the past."

"Faith's sole object is the finished work of Christ."

"Our tears do not wash away our sin. Only Jesus' blood does."

"The struggle (with sin) is proof of their new nature. They fall often, but when they do, they always get up looking His direction."

"Don't grow discouraged at how slowly the plant seems to be growing. Quit focusing on that and focus on Jesus instead. Resting in His completed work is what grows you the fastest."

"Your obedience is less about duty and more about delight."

When you doubt: "The answer is relatively simple in that moment: keep believing the gospel. Keep your hand on the head of the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how you feel at any given moment, how encouraged or discouraged you feel about your spiritual progress, how hot or cold your love for Jesus, what you should be doing is always the same--resting in the gospel. Rest in His finished work. That's all you can do. It's all you need to do. It's all God commanded you to do."

"Assurance came to me by understanding more about the gospel. My faith has now found a resting place: the finished work of Christ.:

"Keep your eyes on Him. He is faithful. He said, "It is finished."