This morning I read a post by John Piper entitled The Agonizing Problem of the Assurance of Salvation.  It was the most insightful commentary that I have read on the subject ever. It deals with the heart of the question of salvation.  Simply, am I truly saved and not self-deceiving myself or just believing in God to assuage my fears of hell. I mean how do we come to terms with scripture such as in Matthew 7:21-23 where it says that many will not enter the kingdom even though they proclaim to have not only believed but even prophesied in the Lord's name? There is  a test of three questions that can help you determine whether salvation has come to you or not.

1. Do you believe that the fact that Christ died on the cross for our sins is something truly glorious and wonderful? This can be realized when the gospel is preached.

2. Is it because you think that His dying on the cross for our sins is wonderful that you accept Him as your Savior or is it because you are merely trying to avoid the bad consequences of not believing in Him?
In other words, are you resting in the light in the gospel of the glory of Christ? To accomplish this, we should always pray that God enlighten our eyes.

3. Do we love each other? In John, it says that we can know that we have passed from death to light if we love one another.

Ultimately, salvation is a gift from God.  I agree with Pastor Piper when he closes by commanding us to pray that it (this precious gift of salvation) may abound among us.