Last summer my oldest son (7 at the time) and I were reading a gospel tract for kids that explained how to know God and know you're going to heaven. We talked about sin and how without believing in God, sin separates us from God and keeps us from heaven after dying. My ds was very familiar with John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. During this time he felt like he was ready to believe in God and receive forgiveness through believing in Jesus' dying for his sins. What a wonderful day in his life - to be set free from sin and to become a child of God!
Since then, I've at times questioned whether he truly understood and believed / trusted completely in God to save him. I've looked for fruit of the Holy Spirit working in him and sometimes have wondered, is he really changed - a new creation like the Bible says he is?
In the last week at bedtime, he has been having fears that he isn't going to heaven. I used this opportunity to go over the basics of believing in God and to question him and reaffirm his commitment to God. I've also been able to teach about prayer and how he can pray and call on the Lord when he's afraid. Tonight I suggested that when he feels afraid he not only pray but that he also uses Bible verses he's learned to bring him to faith free him from fear. I don't know if this is coming up because we just moved or if the Lord is working in his life and he's becoming more aware of it.
Lately he does seem to be more sensitive to his need to ask for forgiveness for things as well as to thank people for things that he used to take for granted. It is good to begin to see some good fruit in his life. I pray that he would have true peace and true belief in God. I pray that this fruit would continue to grow in abundance! I pray that his faith would become more and more real to him each day!
If you're unsure of your own salvation, Here's a great site explaining how to know you're saved and a child of God!
