How To Know If You’re Really Saved,
How To Know If You’re Really Saved
By Dr. Robert Jeffress

Many of us were taught how to share our faith in a program called Evangelism Explosion, begun by the late Presbyterian pastor Dr. D James Kennedy. When talking to someone who might not be a Christian, Dr. Kennedy suggested two questions to help diagnose a person’s spiritual condition. First, “Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die today, you would go to heaven?” The second question is, “Suppose you were to die today and stand before God, and He were to say to you, ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?’” What would you say? Ninety-nine percent of people would cite good things they had done that should play some part in their salvation.
Of course, we easily dismiss such a claim by citing verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
But does that mean God has no interest in our thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes? Such an idea is hard to really believe—because, in fact, it is false.
A constant theme of the New Testament is this: While no one is saved by good works, we are saved for good works. There is an inseparable link between our faith and our works.
The apostle Paul—the champion of grace—believed that. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul concludes his belief about the relationship between faith and works by declaring, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works.
And that is the consistent teaching of the New Testament: Paul declares that works apart from God’s grace lead to spiritual death. On the other hand, the book of James declares that faith without works is a dead, non-existent faith.
That is the theme of this letter, which we are going to begin studying today. Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone. Where there is saving faith, there will be visible works. Or, to put it another way: where there is faith, there will be fruit; where there is no fruit, there is no faith.
1. Two Observations About James
- James is Practical
Reading James is a bit like listening to a series of sermons—good sermons that keep your attention. Like a good preacher, James addresses us directly and pointedly: “Do not be deceived” (James 1:16), “Are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow?” (James 2:20), and “Come now” (James 4:13).
- James Appears Problematic
The epistle of James has caused heartburn for many students of the Bible, including the great reformer Martin Luther, who believed that James should have never been included in the Bible. Luther called it an “epistle of straw.” There is nothing said about the cross, the resurrection, or salvation.
But are the critics correct? Does James teach a gospel of works? No, he doesn’t. I think the critics and many well-meaning believers misread and misunderstood the Epistle of James because it’s unlike the other New Testament letters. We’re going to explore the uniqueness of James’s letter in this sermon series and, in the process, learn what it means to be mature followers of Jesus Christ.
2. Author: A Man Called James (James 1:1)
Like most first-century letter writers and 21st-century college professors who make sure students are in the right class, James introduces himself by identifying to whom he’s writing. He writes, “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.” (James 1:1).
We know the author of this letter is James. The only problem is that there are at least five men in the New Testament named James.
- James, the father of Judas (Luke 6:16)
- James, the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3)
- James, “the Less” or “the younger” (Mark 15:40)
- James, the brother of John (Mark 3:17, Matthew 10:2; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13)
- James, “the Just” (Galatians 1:19, Matthew13:55)
Getting to Know James
- James, the brother (Matthew 13:55-56; Acts 1:14)
- James, the pastor (Acts 12:17)
- James, the writer (James 1:1)
- James, the martyr
- James was the pastor of the Jerusalem church as early as AD 44 when Peter was miraculously rescued from prison (Acts 12:17). He served in that position for nearly 20 years, before his death in AD 62. James died a martyr’s death, faithful to his Lord and Savior—and brother—Jesus Christ.
3. James: The Letter
Since James was the pastor of the Jerusalem church, he most likely wrote his letter from there. And based on the fact he wrote to Jewish believers scattered across the Roman world (James 1:1), encouraging them to endure hardships (James 1:2-12), he must have written during a troubling time.
Most scholars date the epistle between AD 45–48, which fits nicely with historical events happening in Jerusalem at the time that caused believers to flee Judea. First, was a general persecution of Christians (c. AD 41–44), leading to the martyrdom of the apostle James (AD 44), the brother of John, and the imprisonment of Peter (Acts 12:1–5).
Second, the Judean famine (c. AD 46–47) resulting in terrible financial stress on the church in Jerusalem, prompting believers in Antioch to collect money for their beleaguered brothers and sister in Jerusalem, which Paul and Barnabas delivered.
To make matters worse for these Jewish Christians was the fact that they were Jewish, resulting in hostilities among their Gentile neighbors within the countries they found themselves, and they were Christians, resulting in rejection by their own countrymen.
- Unique Characteristics of James
James comes across more like a series of sermons. It opens with a customary salutation but lacks personal references and doesn’t include a closing benediction we’re used to seeing with other epistles.
The tone of the letter lends itself to public readings and is authoritative. One scholar counted 54 imperatives in the 108 verses that make up the epistle—“an average of one call for action in every other verse!”
Also noteworthy is the Jewish nature of the letter. Coupled with that, there are more figures of speech and analogies in James than in Paul’s epistles combined. There are also more allusions to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount than to any other New Testament letters combined.
Next to Paul’s personal letter to Philemon, the letter of James is the least theological in terms of doctrine than any other New Testament epistle. It’s also the most practical in terms of applications lying on the surface, like golden nuggets sparkling in a clear creek.
- The Purpose of James (1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:12)
As you read the epistle of James, you’ll discover these Jewish believers were struggling in their personal lives and in their church fellowship. The root cause of their difficulties was spiritual immaturity. Not unlike the Corinthian Christians (1 Corinthians 3:2) or the Jewish Christians addressed in Hebrews 5:12, these believers should have been eating spiritual ribeye steaks but instead were still feeding on spiritual milk.
- The Topics of James
To say the letter of James is the most practical of the New Testament epistles isn’t to say the others are impractical. James, like the book of Proverbs, has little to nothing to say about the way to God, but it does describe our walk with God.
James is saying that the authenticity of our faith can be determined by some specific tests like:
- Our Response to Trials (James 1:2-12)
- Our Response to Temptations (James 1:13-18)
- Our Obedience to the Word (James 1:19-27)
- Our Attitude Toward the Wealthy (James 2:1-13)
- Our Response to God’s Commands (James 2:14-26)
- Our Speech (James 3:1-12)
- Our Desire for True Wisdom (James 3:13-18)
- Our Humility (James 4:1-17)
- Our Attitude Toward Money (James 5:1-6)
- Our Response to Illness (James 5:13-18)
- Our Desire to Restore Sinners (James 5:19-20)
4. An Application from James
- Faith Alone Saves (Acts 15:6-11; 19)
No one earns God’s forgiveness; it is received through grace. How do I know James believed that? Acts 15 records one of the earliest theological debates in the church: Do Gentiles who come to faith in Christ need to be circumcised? A group of false teachers began teaching that, and Paul argued against them, so they held a meeting at the Jerusalem church, where James was the pastor.
- Faith That Saves Is Never Alone (James 2:26)
“If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” There should be. Faith alone saves, but faith that saves is never alone. Where there is saving faith, there will also be spiritual fruit.
That’s the message of James.
Full Passage: James 1:1 and Selected Verses