On Fire Insurance

A friend of mine recently lamented to me that her daughter had been cornered by a friend with the question, "but, how do you know you're saved?" The questioner, of course, wanted a "biblical" answer to this question. Perhaps you already see the folly in the question. Christianity is full of these kind of questions which are, frankly, the wrong questions. After listening to the story I suggested that perhaps this young man needed to evaluate his motives for asking his question. The question, "how do you know you're saved?" is not a question of one's relationship to God, but a question of fire insurance. In short, what he was really asking was, "how do you know you're not going to hell when you die?"

Somewhere along the line, Christians have become confused about what the Church is. A vast majority of protestant evangelical Christians are very concerned with "saving souls." I do believe their intentions are, at a basic level, good. Assuming all "unsaved" people go to hell, it is natural to try and rescue said people from the depths of Satan's Pit. Yet, we do not find a biblical answer to how one "knows" that they are saved. We could have a great, in-depth discussion of the verses that are used to support a systematic salvation plan. Yet, as I mentioned before, that misses the point entire.

Perhaps, instead of worrying about how people know they are saved, we should shift our focus to people's likeness to Jesus and the presence of the fruit of the spirit in their life. Perhaps, instead of demanding a doctrinal statement about salvation, we should observe a person to see if their way of life speaks to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This isn't to say that people need be perfect. Everyone fails to live up to the example of Jesus. Yet, I do believe that people who are truly seeking God will show a pursuit of such attitudes and attributes listed above.

Here's an interesting thought: what is easier to fake; the right answers or the right behaviors? I can have all of the right answers (words) in my head, ready to spew forth upon the asking of "how do you know you're saved?" It is infinitely harder to live the right answers when confronted with temptation, adversity, and violence.

Christianity is not about fire insurance. Following Jesus is about seeking him and the example he set forth.

Hieronymous Bosch, detail from right "Hell" panel in
The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1504)