How do you tell if you're saved as someone with scrupulosity? [closed]

Question

In Matthew 7:21, Christ says:

"Not everyone who says Lord Lord will inherit the Kingdom"

How do you tell if you're a goat or Lamb?

Answer 1

Short Answer: I've heard it said this way: The kind of faith that grace saves is the kind of faith that obeys.

1. Believe

Acts 16:31 - So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

2. Do the will of God

Matthew 7:21-23 - “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

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A similar question was asked by a jailor:

Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi, beaten and chained (Acts 16:23-24). Despite their pain, they sang songs to God (Acts 16:25). At midnight, while they were praying, an earthquake shook the prison, breaking their chains and opening the doors (Acts 16:26). The jailer, seeing the open doors, thought the prisoners had escaped. Knowing he’d be killed for losing prisoners, he was about to kill himself (Acts 16:27). But Paul shouted out, telling him not to harm himself because all the prisoners were still there (Acts 16:28).

Relieved, the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) They told him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your family” (Acts 16:31). The jailer and his whole family believed in Jesus and were saved (Acts 16:32-34). He took Paul out of jail, cleaned his wounds, and they shared a meal together (Acts 16:33-34).

The Bible teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. This means trusting in Jesus and what He has done rather than relying on our own efforts or goodness. It’s about having a personal relationship with Jesus, believing in His sacrifice for our sins, and living a life that reflects our faith and commitment to Him.

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You question was, how do you tell if you're a goat or Lamb?

Your question stems from the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31-46, where the righteous are likened to sheep who will inherit the kingdom of God, while the unrighteous are likened to goats who will be cast into everlasting fire.

How can we be righteous like the sheep?

Scrpture says in Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It’s about whether one lives in accordance with Romans 10:9-10 (being a “lamb”) or not (being a “goat”).

Answer 2

Jesus said the most important scripture was Deuteronomy 6:4&5 which says "Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might". And love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18)

Aside from these the important thing is to find and receive the correct baptism.

I addressed what that is years ago on a different website in response to people who were assuming (according to the logic of men I would argue) that it was first necessary for one or more of the apostles to be baptized by Jesus before they could baptize others. Here is my response: Jesus himself did not administer the actual dunking of baptism because He has another duty in all baptisms

that duty is to officially “witness” the baptism

while He was present on earth the apostles baptized only in His presence (note when He sent out the 70 to heal and cast out demons they were not instructed to baptize)

the reason Peter instructed all to be baptized in the name of “Jesus” is to invoke His active presence as “witness” to the baptism and that has not changed to this very day

while He was present in the flesh baptism wasn’t done calling upon His name since He was standing right there

just as on the Day of Atonement when the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies and called upon the Name the presence of God came upon it in a pillar of fire………so is his presence called through baptism in the name of “Jesus”

John says there are three that bear witness…the Spirit, the blood and water

it is the Spirit as High Priest of Christianity that sprinkles this blood witness and therefore it is first and foremost necessary to call upon the “Name” so He is present

previous to the day of Pentecost the Spirit of the Lord came “upon” the prophets of old, but only after Pentecost did the Spirit enter “in” the followers of Jesus

when the Spirit enters into a human this mode of manifestation to man is called the “Holy Spirit” and it should be noted the Bible consistently uses the term in connection with manifestation to or through a human (the Holy Spirit is a form of manifestation of the Father….not a separate person of the godhead)

when the angel announced to Mary she was to bear Jesus his words were that the Holy Spirit would come “upon” her and that the power of the Most High would overshadow her and THEREFORE that Holy Thing shall be “CALLED” Son of God

in other word since begotten by God it was technically “called” the Son

but as Jesus said repeatedly the Divinity indwelling that temple was the Father Himself

it is mind staggering that the Creator of all took on a human form thus becoming the creation (this is the Son of God who said “it is the Father within Me that does the works”)

so ……..the words “Hear all Israel the Lord is your God, the Lord is one” have had their meaning corrupted over time

the scripture says “he who BELIEVES and is BAPTIZED shall be saved”

once a person is lead by the Spirit to the truth of the godhead he can then call upon the Name of the ONE God who revealed Himself to man by these modes of manifestation (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) which is JESUS in order to be saved by baptism

any believer can baptize it doesn’t require an individual “ordained by men”

what it requires is to call upon “Jesus” by His Name to have His presence as a “witness”

Answer 3

Answer

Jesus Christ said, “The tree is known by the fruit” (Mat 12:33) and “For there is not a good tree that produces bad fruit, nor a bad tree that produces good fruit” (Luke 6:43).

Explanation

So, now, the OP question needs to be rephrased: “how do I know whether the fruit I produce is good or bad?”

Frankly, I don’t know!

But I know one thing:

“Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now” (Phlp 3:13-16).

Jesus Christ also said:

“It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, 'We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty'" (Luke 17:10).

Some Clues

Having said all the above, however, we have some clues to know whether we are in line with God.

"Because of this, take up all of the armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand. Then stand firm, "having girded your loins about with truth"(1) and having put "on the breastplate of righteousness"(2) and having shod the feet with the preparation of the "gospel of peace"(3). Above all, taking up the shield of faith(4), with which you will be able to quench all the darts of the evil one being kindled. Also, take "the helmet of salvation(5)," and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God(6); through all prayer and petition, praying at all times in the Spirit, and watching to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints” (Eph 6:13-18).

(1) Truth = “Your Word is Truth” (John 17:17). So, Scripture is truth.

(2) Righteousness = “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or obedience to righteousness?” (Rom 6:16). [But sin is transgression of God’s Will expressed in His commandments according to 1 John 3:4. So, righteousness is obedience to God’s Will expressed in His commandments. Jesus Christ also said, ‘If you want to enter life, keep the commandments’ (Mat 19:17)]. Hence, the saints “worked out righteousness” (Heb 11:33)

(3) Gospel = “the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12).

(4) Faith = “Now faith is the essence of things being hoped, the evidence of things not having been seen” (Heb 11:1). “Then faith is of hearing, and hearing through the Word of God” (Rom 10:17). “But are you willing to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works (not Works of Law) is dead?” (James 2:20).

(5) Salvation = “So that, my beloved, as you always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phlp 2:12).

(6) Word of God = “For the Word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12). “But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).

Thus we see that the Armor of God begins and ends with Scripture.

Matthew 7

My answer would be incomplete without a mention of Matthew’s chapter 7 as it is referred to by the OP.

I am not judging anyone personally but the fact is that Matthew 7:21-23, in my understanding, is referring to people who claim themselves as born again Christians who proclaim the gospel in Jesus’ name and do powerful miracles. They advocate a faith alone life and teach that Jesus nailed God’s commandments on the cross.

Jesus knows them and acknowledges them well:

“For there is no one who shall do a work of power (miracles) in My name, yet be able to speak evil of Me quickly” (Mark 9:39).

So, let me analyze Matthew’s verses:

Mat 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but the ones who do the will of My Father in Heaven.”

[How do we know the Will of the Father, except through His commandments? So Jesus acknowledges that there are people who profess to be Christians yet they do not obey God]

Mat 7:22 – “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many works of power (miracles)?”

[It is significant that Jesus does not deny them any of these works! They, indeed, did prophesy in His name, cast out demons and did several miracles. Then what could be the problem?]

Mat 7:23 – “And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; "depart from Me, those working lawlessness!"

[These people acknowledge Jesus as their Lord; they profess Him and do miracles in Jesus’ name. Yet, in Jesus’ own words, they have one important problem: they profess law-lessness which is equivalent to saying Jesus has nailed the Law on the cross]

Conclusion

A safe way to remain Christian is to constantly test our own convictions and understandings.

“Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not yourselves perceive that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?” (2 Cor 13:5).

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Answer 4

A lot of wolves here. They couldn’t wait to jump on this one.

God literally calls it a free gift, unearned undeserved, received by faith/trust in the finished work of Christ alone(He fulfilled the law on your behalf, He took your sins away by shedding His blood on the cross, and He rose from the dead for your justification). If you require a man to do something or stop doing something, it is conditional and no longer a free gift. “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved “. Did he say make Jesus lord of your life? or repent of your sins?.. No. Your are saved and eternally sealed the moment you Trust Him alone apart from anything else.

Answer 5

Matthew 7:21 is a wonderful example of Greek humor using the vocative case. Masculine nouns such as Lord in the vocative case always end with ε, which explains why when speaking to a waiter at a Greek restaurant you would politely speak to them using the word κύριε.

Κύριος and κύριε are indistinguishable in meaning when using the vocative case. Jesus is speaking, so it’s the vocative case. Κύριος is often used as a pseudonym for YHWH in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) however the LXX is not typically written in the vocative case. So now you can understand where the scrupulous people argue back and forth with theology.

Everyone was saved during the crucifixion. Whether or not they want salvation IS NOT their choice. What you choose to do with your salvation is your choice. Do good things for people.