One of my favorite questions we received for our Q & A series was, "How do I know I'm really a Christian?".  Having asked this question myself on a number of occasions, I thought I'd respond to it here on my blog.

To begin with, here are some common reasons people doubt their salvation:

1. They want to feel something.
Being a Christian does not require that you always feel like a Christian.

2. They are struggling with certain sins.
Being a Christian does not require perfect performance.  It is by grace, through faith that we are saved.

3. They can't recall the exact date, time, and place.
I know many great Christians who can't point to an exact experience, but who are clearly followers of Christ.

4. They feel like they haven't done enough.
We're not saved by what we contribute, but by what Christ has done.

So how can you really know?  I'm convinced that Scripture tells us we can know that we are saved.

I write these things to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John clearly suggests that we can know for certain that we are Christians, and that we have eternal life.  Earlier in 1st John he gives us three keys telling us how we can know.

1. We have remorse for sin, and desire holiness.
No one who has been born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him...

John's not suggesting that we will never sin again, but that we will not continue to live in patterns of unconfessed sin.  He suggests that because God's seed lives in us we will desire what God wants rather than what we want.

2. We are growing in our love for God & others.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love.
While you might not always feel like you're a Christian, you can have an assurance that you are.

I'd simply say that if you lack these in your life to ask youself if the following is true:

1. I've confessed my sin, and understand that it separates me from God.
2. I've trusted in Jesus alone for my salvation.
3. I've put my faith in Jesus, and am not relying on my works or good deeds to save me.

How about you?  Have you ever questioned your salvation?

We're in the middle of a three week series called Q & A at BridgeWay. Each week we're answering 3-5 of your top questions, but with over 120 questions, and only three weeks...well you get the idea. Yesterday I responded to the question, "Can a Christian get a tattoo?". Today I'm going to be addressing another one of the questions that I'm not going to be able to get to on Sundays.

Cutting Room Floor Question #2: Can a Christian go dancing?

Just like the question on tattoos, there are two camps on this questions, and both of them use scripture to support their opinion. I'm going to suggest that the Bible is actually pretty clear on this one.

The Bible speaks directly to the issue of dancing in Ecclesiastes.

There is a...time to mourn and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:4

Case closed right? Well not quite.

There are actually different kinds of dancing in the Bible, and not all of them are good.

1. Good dancing.

Let them praise his name with dancing…

Psalm 149:3

When (the older son) came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luke 15:25

The Bible demonstrates that there are at least 3-4 times for dancing. Clearly dancing in worship to God is a good thing, it was also common at significant religious festivals. Significant events are also times for dancing, for example: weddings, celebrations, graduations, or my personal favorite - when someone finds there way back to God. This last example is exactly what was being celebrated in the story of the Prodagal Son in Luke 15.

Question: when was the last time you partied and danced because someone found their way back to God?

2. Bad Dancing (and I'm not talking about the Superbowl Shuffle)

…the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised…to give her whatever she asked.

Matthew 14:6-7

I'm going to guess that Herodias' daughter wasn't line dancing or dancing because someone came to faith. Clearly this was an overly sexual and seductive dance for someone who was not her husband.

So here's what I'd suggest:

1st - Avoid dancing when it puts you in a dangerous environment. Simply put don't go dancing in overly sexualized environments where you're likely to face sexual temptation.

2nd - Avoid dancing when it stirs up sinfully sexual feeling. If you're a single person, I'd avoid any dancing that led to sexual temptation...even it you're engaged to the person. If you're married, don't allow yourself to dance with anyone who's not your spouse...but if you want to dance with your spouse, I say stir it up baby.

So what about you? Have you seen examples of both good and bad dancing? What good dancing have you experienced? What bad dancing have you experienced? I'll share my experience with both in the comments later in the day.