Examine Yourself – Part 1 of 6, attributed to Billy Graham

You may carry a Bible in your hand, you may walk through the doors of a church every Sunday, you may wear the cross around your neck and even say grace before meals, but I stand before you today to declare this truth... none of that means you are truly saved. You think you're saved, but this proves you are not because salvation is not a performance, it's not a ritual, it's not a habit you picked up from your parents, or a culture you were born into. It is a radical transformation. It is a death and a resurrection and if your life doesn't bear the marks of that divine interruption, then I say this with love and urgency, you are not saved.

You may know the scriptures you may recite them with your mouth but if they have not cut your heart like a two-edged sword, if they have not wrecked your sin and rebuilt your soul, then you are simply playing religion and religion cannot save you. Only Christ can save you. Have you died to yourself, have you picked up your cross, have you followed Him? Not just in the light but through the valley of the shadow of death. Because if you haven't then I urge you, don't assume you're safe just because you feel spiritual. Feelings do not save, experiences do not save. Jesus saves, and He leaves a trail of evidence in the life He touches.

So I ask you, where's the evidence? Where is the hunger for holiness, where is the thirst for righteousness, where is the hatred of sin? Not just in others but in your own life. You say you're saved but you gossip without conviction, you lie when it's convenient, you harbor bitterness like it's a friend, and yet you sing hymns with hands raised high. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Salvation is not a decoration; it's a declaration of war against your flesh. When you are truly saved, you are not at peace with your sin, you are at war with it. You don't justify it, you crucify it. You don't hide it; you drag it into the light. You don't excuse it; you repent with tears.

You think because you cried at an altar years ago that you're good... you think tears saved you? No my friend. Repentance is not an emotion, it's a turning, it's a reformation of the soul, it is the breaking of your heart over the things that break God’s heart. When was the last time you wept over your sin? When was the last time you felt the weight of your rebellion against a holy God? If you cannot remember, then I plead with you, do not leave this moment unchanged. Do not walk out of this truth into a lie. Because there is a broad road, wide and easy, lined with church-goers and good people and it leads straight to destruction. Hell will be full of people who thought they were saved. Let that shake you. Let it sober you. Let it wake you up before it's too late. True salvation demands surrender... not partial surrender, not Sunday surrender, not emotional surrender... total surrender. It demands your whole life, laid down. It demands a crucified ego, a surrendered will, and a burning love for the Savior.

You say you believe in Jesus. The demons believe too, and they tremble. Mere belief does not save. Trust (in Him) saves; surrender (to Him) saves. The life laid at the feet of the cross covered in the blood, filled with the Spirit, burning with purpose... that is what proves salvation. Do you long to be in His presence or do you only run to Him when trouble comes? Do you seek His face or only His hand? Do you live for His glory or your own comfort? Because salvation doesn't just change your destination, it changes your desires. You don't hunger for sin the way you used to. You don't chase the world the way you used to. You don't speak the way you used to. Your old self is buried, and a new creation rises up. You're not saved just because you said a prayer. A prayer is not a magic spell. It is the cry of a heart that knows it is lost and throws itself at the mercy of God. Have you done that or did you just repeat some words and then live like nothing happened?

You think you're saved because you were baptized? Baptism is not a ritual; it is a funeral. It is a symbol that your old self has died. But if you were baptized and never changed, then you just got wet, that's all. There is no salvation in water alone. There is salvation in the blood. You think because people call you brother or sister in church that you're saved? Titles don't make you righteous; applause doesn't make you holy; popularity doesn't make you saved. Only Christ does. What do you do in secret when no one is watching; when the doors are closed, and the lights are off? That's where salvation is proven; that's where the real fruit shows up. And if you are saved, truly saved, you will bear fruit. Not just any fruit... the fruit of the Spirit; the fruit of obedience, the fruit of holiness.

...to be continued.