There are many videos on YouTube and many blogs/websites that purpose to address questions such as, "Am I saved?" or "How to know if I am saved?" But there is no reason any saved person would need to wonder about that.
What is salvation? It's redemption from the bondage of sin (John 8:34-36, Romans 6:4-7, 16-18). Redemption is release from bondage by the payment of a ransom. In the context of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that payment is his blood that He shed on the cross (e.g. Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 2 Peter 2:1). When people believe that Jesus shed his blood to save them personally, then that payment is personally applied for their release from bondage to sin when they repent and believe in Jesus (Acts 20:20-21). They come out of the devil's snare (or death trap) that they are in before being saved (2 Timothy 2:26, Acts 26:18). A new life comes for the person who gets saved and is now "in Christ," and no longer under condemnation because of sin precisely (Romans 8:1-2). That new life is given by the power of God. It's a miracle. A "new birth" or regeneration occurs (Titus 3:3-7). That's a real experience, not something a person has to try to hold on to "by faith" and wrestle with his/her mind about whether it happened or not. If it happened, there will be evidences of that and a testimony (Revelation 12:11) that goes along with it.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Someone who was a prisoner and gets released out of jail does not need anyone to tell him/her, "Hey, you are not in jail now, look around, no jail cell." Or "Answer these 3 questions and you will know if you are in jail or not." That's ridiculous. Why? Because the person who is saved has tasted freedom. Freedom is not captivity. The experience of freedom is not the experience of bondage/slavery. It's only the truth out of Jesus' mouth that can set people free from sin when they become obedient to Him. That means submission to God's will, not doing one's own will anymore and choosing to serve self and sin rather than choosing to serve God.
John 8:31-36
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Salvation isn't a mindset that you get into because you have understood a few things from the Bible. It's the reality — in this present age — of no longer being a slave of sin!
Romans 6:16-18
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
A saved person is a slave of righteousness. It's the complete opposite of being a slave of sin. What does a slave of righteousness do? Righteousness, not sin (these are opposites and they don't mix). False teachings will have you understand that Jesus covers your sins with his righteousness... But what about the part of Him coming into the world to save you from your sins, pulling you out of the death trap of sin? So, you have to ask, who is the "Jesus" who has saved you, the Son of God that the Bible speaks of or another "Jesus," a "false Christ" that has been presented to you, as the Bible also warns against those (Matthew 24:4-5, 2 Corinthians 11:4).
1 John 3:6-8
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
What we see everywhere because of the false teachings that abound (2 Timothy 4:3-4) is people wondering to various degrees if they are saved and others who want to argue about freedom while still sitting in the death trap of sin. The scriptures say they do not love the truth so that they may be saved, but instead have pleasure in unrighteousness/sin (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
Saved people hate sin enough to keep themselves away from it by God's grace. The grace of God at work in one's life means sin no longer has power over that person (Romans 6:1-2, 14). So, when the reality is that one is living under the power of sin, the reality of being saved by grace and being free from sin is not there. The two opposite things can't co-exist.
Jesus also says that a slave does not remain in the house forever (John 8:35). Being in the house of God as free from sin/saved indeed then going back to being a slave of sin is a no-no. It's possible but it's a no-no (2 Peter 2:20-22). That's all Jesus is saying. In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus addressed backsliders and told them to repent or they would perish (cf. Revelation 2:5, 2:16, 2:22, 3:3, 3:19). They would not be saved in the end just because they had been saved once, although they have failed to walk the walk of a Christian thereafter. John 15:4-6 teaches the same lesson about abiding in Jesus and failing to abide in Jesus.
One
can always find a person that thinks prison life was better than being a
free man or woman, and then finds his/her way back into prison. But the
best "life" that person will have will be "life in prison," and inevitably, death will
follow --not eternal life. Eternal life is guaranteed for those who have
and maintain a (saving) relationship with Jesus Christ until the end
(physical death or Jesus' second coming). Jesus warned people about
dying in their sins (John 8:24). That means having denied Him, because
He didn't come into the world for people to die in their sins, but to be
saved from their sins (Matthew 1:21) as they get born again and the works of the devil are destroyed in their own lives (1 John 3:8-9).
Faith in Jesus means obedience to Him/submission to God and faithfulness in that.
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,
Luke 6:46-49
46 “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to me, and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
John 12:46-48
46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commandments.
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
There is no Christianity or salvation apart from obedience to God (the opposite of sinning).
Revelation 14:12
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, who are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
The grace of God is an empowerment from God to walk in his ways faithfully to the end, until Jesus comes back for his people. They will be found ready like the wise virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) only if they have been saved by grace and have walked in that grace (not sin) until his return. Grace is not a cover for ongoing sin. Ongoing rebellion in the heart that produces the fruit of continuing to sin (knowing right from wrong and continuing to do wrong) is a contradiction to freedom from sin/salvation (John 8:36).
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, 12 instructing us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Sinners have to cleanse their hands and purify their hearts to be saved. They have to be in 100% agreement with God about recognizing sin as evil that God hates and turning away from it. That's the call to repentance.
See also:
Freedom From Sin
Saved From What?
Willful Sins and Unintentional Sins
Is Repentance Just a Change of Mind?
The Essence of Faith
Suffer The Cross To Overcome Addictions
The Great Tribulation
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