Am I really saved?

Interview with Pastor Su Wenfeng about the assurance of rebirth

Article/2016 "Creating Literature" Los Angeles Literary Camp Interview Team: Chen Yunru (lead writer), Hu Jialin, Wu Jinyun, Chen Liyuan, Lan Yili, Wang Yaozhong

During the 2016 US presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump made many strange remarks. On February 18, when Trump announced his U.S. immigration policy, he emphasized that if he were elected president of the United States, he would be the greatest representative of Christians in a long time. Catholic Pope Francis said Trump "doesn't deserve to be a Christian." Trump responded: "It's shameful to question other people's faith!"

Who is a true Christian? What is the assurance that a believer is born again and saved? Can the church confirm whether a professed believer is truly saved? If church members and even co-workers do not know whether they are born again and saved, what consequences will it bring to individuals and the church? All these may seem abstract and general, but in fact, clear teachings can be found in the Bible. On a midsummer morning in 2016, Pastor Su Wenfeng, a senior literary worker and founder of the "Overseas Campus" organization, accepted an interview with us in Los Angeles, USA. He has participated in evangelical ministry for Chinese students and scholars for many years, studied the history of Chinese churches, observed the founding and growth of many overseas Chinese churches, and shared his thoughts on the above series of issues.

▲Pastor Su Wenfeng.

Question: How did you know you were born again and saved?

Su:I grew up in a strict Christian family in Taiwan. I went to church with my parents and family to worship God since I was a child. There was always a family altar at home, and I read the Bible, pray, and sang hymns every day... As a third-generation Christian, under the request and guidance of his parents, he naturally developed unchanging religious habits; however, when he was young, these activities were just a manifestation of obedience to his parents.

It wasn’t until I was in the first grade of junior high school that I heard Pauline Hamilton, an American missionary known as “Grandma Han”, challenge during a campus gospel fellowship summer camp when she was preaching: “Many of you have been attending church since childhood. , you think you are Christians, but in fact you are not really reborn and saved, you are just nominally saved! You need to know clearly that you are sinners, sincerely confess your sins and repent, and make changes in your life. If not, I will pray to God that you will not be able to sleep tonight. Get some sleep!"

Grandma Han’s words deeply touched my heart, like a wake-up call! Because I had never thought about this issue seriously at the time. Although I considered myself a Christian, I often fought with my classmates and lied to my parents... That night I thoroughly examined myself before God, cried and confessed my sins to Him, and asked Him to forgive me and to help me become a truly reborn and saved Christian.

This prayer, more than half a century later, is still fresh in my memory. Although I didn't seem to see any vision after praying that night, when I got up the next morning, I suddenly felt that the sky was particularly clear and blue, and the vegetation seemed particularly fresh and beautiful. The feeling of reading the Bible and listening to sermons is also different. It seems that there is an indescribable freshness and every sentence has new light. Looking back now, it must be the work of the Holy Spirit that renews the inner life!

Question: Does your experience like this mean that you have “assurance of salvation”? What exactly does “assurance of salvation” mean?

Su:My experience should be classified as "confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart", and possessing the basic understanding and actions that a saved person should have. I am absolutely convinced that I am a born again and saved person. After returning home from the camp, my parents, brothers and sisters also saw obvious changes in my life.

However, not everyone will have a rebirth and salvation experience similar to mine. Some people can’t remember exactly which day, which meeting, or under what circumstances they made a decision to pray, but they and their family and friends will feel that their new life is full of light, love, and spiritual appetite. There is joy and peace, and there is aversion to sin. These are phenomena common to those who are reborn and saved. They gradually arise from the heart, and are not religious appearances like mine before.

Question: From your answer, it seems like you avoid using the phrase “assurance of salvation,” right?

Su:Your observation is correct. "Assurance" is a legal term, applicable to courts that "finalize the case and acquit"; while "rebirth and salvation" is a restoration of the relationship between God and man, a new creation of the old life, and the joy of being reborn. , the certification of the son's identity after the prodigal son returns, is also the correction of the inner worldview, the adjustment of values, the reconstruction of the outlook on life, etc. "Rebirth", "salvation", "repentance", "conversion", "new creation", "rebirth", etc. in the Bible actually use different words to describe this wonderful and real experience. It is often "knowledge". "They don't know why they are"; just like a baby who doesn't know its identity and status until it grows up.

Question: The reason why we discuss the four words "assurance of salvation" is because some people are not sure whether they are really saved. Why not sure? Firstly, this person may still be unclear about the biblical truth about rebirth and salvation; secondly, the failures and weaknesses in life make him feel that he does not feel like a person who has been regenerated and saved.

Su:What exactly does it mean to be “saved”? John 1:12 says: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” There are two important actions in this. First, it is “believe”. Not only do you have a correct understanding rationally, but you also have a deeper trust (depend on) emotionally. When difficulties, dangers, and temptations come, I can trust Him, trust Him, and rely solely on Him. This is a concrete action. The other is reception. Just like when Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, met Jesus on the road, he not only listened to Jesus speak on the sycamore tree, but also immediately welcomed Jesus into his home with joy, lived, ate and drank with Jesus, so that he saw that he was really a sinner, and regarded him as a sinner. Specific acts of repentance to prove that you are saved; so Jesus declared: "Today salvation has come to this house."

To be saved means to be released from the bondage of evil people, bad habits, evil thoughts, sins, and the world, and to gain the "freedom not to sin" as Augustine said; it is also to be vindicated from the sinner's status, to be declared righteous, and to be restored. The position of being a child of God.

Question: So what is “assurance”?

Su:This can be viewed from three aspects:

1. Evidence from the Bible:1 John 1:9 says: "...God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As long as we sincerely "confess our sins" and are determined to turn around If we bear the fruit of repentance, He will forgive and cleanse us. In addition, in John 3:16: "...that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Those who truly believe in Jesus will be saved if they confess with their mouth and believe in their heart (see Romans 10:10 ). Even in the face of adversity and persecution, he still has the courage to admit that he belongs to Christ. These many words in the Bible provide eternal assurance and principles of salvation, because we believe that God’s words are settled in heaven and will never change.

Second, it is a change in life and thinking:The most important thing is to transform from a "people-centered worldview" to a "God-centered worldview", to understand yourself, others, the world, and behave according to the standards and principles of biblical truth.

3. A big change in life goals:When a person is saved and reborn, there will be a 180-degree turn from the "humanistic" to the "divine". As Paul said in the New Testament: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20). Therefore, whether we study or work, we are all doing it to fulfill God’s commission and plan for us. When I didn’t know God before, I studied or worked just to have a better future/money career, or to prove my abilities and worth. But now everything is based on God, and whether we eat or drink is done to glorify God. For example, when I was in college, I was very sure that I would offer my body as a living sacrifice and walk the path of the Lord throughout my life. Therefore, the sovereignty of life no longer belongs to oneself but to God. This is “new birth” and is the evidence of true salvation. At that time, almost all the Christian college students I knew were like this and took it for granted.

Question: In this case, if a person calls himself a "Christian" but does not know whether he is saved, what might be the main problem?

Su:This requires first defining what it means to be "unclear whether you are saved" - that is, you have not truly experienced or recognized that you are a sinner and need to be saved. When we talk about rebirth and salvation, we don’t just mean biblical evidence and life and changes in life, but it starts with sincere confession and repentance. When preaching the gospel, people are often reluctant to accept the mention that we are “sinners.” This is because without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (see John 16:8). . Therefore, clearly and thoroughly understanding that you are a sinner and must be reborn in the light of God is the key to salvation.

We not only have to admit our sins rationally, as the Bible says: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But we have to further understand that I am really a "sinner who often doesn't even know that he is a sinner." "The sinner!" Because I have knowledge, ideals, and character... Therefore, my cultivation has clouded my view of "I am a sinner."

If in the church, believers do not know about rebirth and salvation, and only confess their sins superficially during baptism, and then receive various service equipment, discipleship training, and even go to seminary for further studies, this will become self-deception, because this is what they do in the church. Building on a false foundation.

In other words, if we are not clear about rebirth and salvation, the more meetings we attend, the more we know the Bible, the more we preach, and the more we have service experiences, the easier it will be for us to be blinded by our true situation. Such people only rationally believe that there is God, believe in the Bible, and believe that this is a meaningful belief, but they do not come to the Lord every day, see that they are sinners, and admit that they need His enlightenment and salvation!

Pastor Song Shangjie, a senior believer in the faith, must emphasize the need to confess sins in his sermons, and it should be specific confession, repentance, and apology, not general confession! He asked the congregation not only to admit that "everyone in the world has sinned, so I am also a sinner", but also to ask the Holy Spirit to always illuminate my concept and life, so that I can know my own truth and no longer be self-centered!

Question: If true confession is the key to being reborn and saved, can the church set up a mechanism to confirm whether a person is truly saved? If believers or co-workers do not know whether they are born again and saved, what impact will it have on the church?

Su:The world view, values, and outlook on life have an absolute impact on the development of a person's beliefs. At the same time, a person's changes and growth can also be seen from his three outlooks. A mature Christian, or a growing follower of Christ, will make others see that he/she has a constantly renewing vitality in the four major aspects of life, namely: "relationship with God", "relationship with self" relationship”, “relationship with people” and “relationship with things”. Especially when this person encounters a major choice, a big test in life, or even a life-or-death situation, the true nature of his/her life will be revealed. The pastors and co-workers of the church must pray particularly earnestly and observe particularly keenly in this regard, so as to prevent false believers and false teachers in sheep’s clothing from sneaking into the church to become co-workers or leaders and causing uncontrollable chaos. as a result of.

▲The interview team with Pastor Su Wenfeng and Mrs. Zheng Qiying (front row, first and second from left).

Side note

In order to share this vital issue and to guide and encourage the younger generation of writers, Pastor Su Wenfeng specially set aside time in his extremely busy schedule. At dawn on July 29, he and his wife set off from their home in Torrance City for a long drive. When I was young, I went to Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean to lead a spiritual practice at the "Genesis Writing Training Bookstore" writing camp, and accepted group interviews with interview class students. His words were thoughtful and candid, allowing the students to think deeply and explore this topic again through a rare face-to-face dialogue with Pastor Su. In addition to being refreshed and refreshed by the spring breeze, it seems that I am walking out of the misunderstandings of faith and the fog of thought with him, and I am glad to see the sunshine of truth.

The following is a new reminder after our interview with Pastor Su:

Without the assurance of rebirth, the value of one’s life will often not be affirmed.
Without the assurance of rebirth, we will not be able to accept others with the love and vision of Christ.
Without the assurance of rebirth, one will often doubt the authenticity of the Bible.
Without the assurance of rebirth, one must always compromise morally.
Without the assurance of rebirth, it will be difficult to stand firm in suffering and setbacks.
Without the assurance of rebirth, it will be difficult to sacrifice oneself for the Lord in family and church service.
Without the assurance of rebirth, it will be difficult to focus on eternity with a transcendent perspective.