Who will be "Saved?"

I was talking with a person this week who said they had been "saved."  I was happy to hear it, though I wondered what they meant by saying that.  And it caused me to consider what the Bible says about who will be saved.  One thing for sure that I know about the subject: it won't be me who decides whether you will be saved or not; nor you for me. 

We are all familiar with the passage in John 3:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Thus, we see that one must believe in Him.  But that raises the question of what does "believe" involve.  He goes on to discuss this subject in more detail in the following verses.  In verse 20, He says, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Here we see that one not only believes, but he lives in such a way that he does truth and lives in the light.  Evil people love darkness, live in the dark, so that what they are doing may be kept secret from others.

Jesus said in John 14, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  And in chapter 15, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love."  Believing in Jesus means being a follower, doing what He said we should be doing.

And Jesus said, toward the end of Matthew 7, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  We must be fruit bearing.  And, "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 practise lawlessness!' " 

This is sobering teaching, but it comes directly from the mouth of the Lord; and each of us must pay close attention to what He is saying to us.  And each of us, from our own personal commitment, will decide if we are among the "saved."

Thanks for reading.  You are important.