"We Cut The Board Three Times And It's Still Too Short!"

If you the reader have a little imagination, you can most likely envision a three stooges kind of scene by reading the title of this post. Sadly, I actually did see a board get cut several times and still measure up short, imagine that! What's even more sad though to me is that I've seen people go up the aisle and "get saved" multiple times and still doubt their salvation. My heart breaks to see this scenario.
In 2 Corinithians we are called to examine our faith, to make sure we are genuinely saved. "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 5:13
What are we looking for when we examine ourselves? Well, it can't be just our good works or our walking uprightly for Christ said : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also ouwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." -Matthew 23:27-28 OUCH!
Maybe our ivolvement in the church? Seriously if someone spends that much time ]in church they must be saved, right? Well Christ again said : “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. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" -Matthew 7:21-23
One more try, what if they claim to believe in God? James says: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!" Ok that won't work as a proof of salvation, for the demons are assuredly not saved.

Ok, wow...I see why people are going up and getting "saved" repeatedly, how can we know our conversion was genuine, this looks discouraging. Well..back to our Authority.

A true Christian has a real repentance from their sins; "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." -2 Corinithians 7:10
"If we say we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10

They have a desire to see God glorified; "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31
Thus says the LORD:“ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,Let not the mighty man glory in his might,Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. " -Jeremiah 9:23-24

They will experiance sanctification and seperation from the world; "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." -1 Corinthians 2:12
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." -1 John 2:15-17

These are but a few fruits of a genuine faith in the Lord, a saving faith through Christ Jesus. If there are any doubts of your salvation, please do examine yourself, compare yourself to Scripture, for it is what condemns us, not us it. It is sharper than a two edged sword. Examine yourself, see if you are indeed a new creature, see if the old has died, with the sinful habits and ungodliness. Look back and see "have I grown past certain things, am I growing even a little in godliness?"
Afterwards, if you need to repent of sins and turn to Christ, please do. Put on Christ, don't just claim Him, abide in Him. Don't tear yourself down constantly and worry about not growing enough, not doing enough. You never will do enough, EVER. So cling to the wonderful, amazing grace of our Lord.
Cutting a board three times will not help you if it's already too short, going down the aisle and getting saved three times doesn't work either. You were either saved the first time, or not saved at all yet. You need only to be saved once, for our salvation was bought with a price and once given is not taken away.

Weild your swords dear brothers and sisters, defend the Truth, live a Christ centered, set apart life for God's glory.