CAN PEOPLE TELL?

John 19:30

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I once heard this story about two men discussing how to get into Heaven. One was a Christian and the other didn't know Christ. The Christian asked, “Would you like to know the big difference between your religion and my faith?” The other man replied, “Sure, what is it?” The saved man said, “Yours has two letters in it, while mine has four. Yours says ‘Do’ while mine says ‘Done.’” Religion is man’s futile way of reaching up to connect with God, while the Christian faith is knowing that God’s reaching down to our sinful world. Men were saved from the perils of hell when Jesus completed God's work with His death upon the cross. Paul taught us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” You have to receive the gift of Jesus in your life as Savior and the basic work for your life will have been completed. Is God's finished work in your life apparent to those around you? Can people tell whether or not you're saved by grace?