How Biblical Evidence of Salvation can prevent False Conversions and the Heresy of Decisional Regeneration

It doesn't matter if you're Arminian or Calvinist or Restorationist...you can prevent false conversions. The problem isn't telling people to immediately repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ...the problem is telling people they're saved because of something they've done. Faithful Evangelical ministers examine seekers for Biblical evidence of supernatural regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Here are five evidences God has saved you.

1) You are Obedient to God's Word
2) You have Power Over Sin
3) You are Led of the Holy Spirit
4) You Bear Fruit of the Holy Spirit
5) You Love God's Word and God's People

The most you should tell a seeker is you think, based on the evidence, they are hopefully saved, but God only knows for sure. The Bible is clear: "Make your call and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

Many people are confused because they conflate the impossible with the necessary.
Pleasing God is impossible before he saves you, but living a holy life after He saves you is necessary evidence He has saved you.

"In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:10).

It's impossible to force or bribe God to save you, but a necessary result of God saving you is you'll bear good fruit. Whenever God supernaturally regenerates a heart and fills someone with the Holy Spirit, he will want to please God with a life of faith, working through love (Galatians 5:6). If you think you are saved, look for Biblical evidence.

If you want to take a simple test, CLICK HERE

Christ warned, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit", and "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit" (John 15:5), and "not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:17 and 7:21). John the baptist warned, "bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8). The Greek word translated "worthy" is axios, which is where we get the word axiom, which means self-evident proof. Other places the Greek word is used: "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37), "repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20).

The Apostle Paul warned, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified" (2 Corinthians 13:5),and "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10), and "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10), and " that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14), and "He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit ... those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:5-8).

The Apostle Peter warned, "Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

Most Evangelical ministers in America actively promote decisional regeneration. They do this by having sinners repeat a prayer and then by telling them if they sincerely repeated the prayer, they are born again. It's no better for Restorationists...the only difference is Restorationist ministers tell sinners, if they voluntarily get baptized in water, they are saved.

1) Obedient to the Word of God

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His Commandments" (1 John 2:3)

"Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22)

2) Power over sin

"God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able"
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

"In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:10)

3) Led of the Holy Spirit

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14)

"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16)

4) Fruit of the Holy Spirit

“Faith working through love … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:6-23).

"The kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.". (Romans 14:17)

5) Love for God's Word and God's People

“Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it” (Psalms 119:140).

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14)