Proof of salvation

“God, who knows the heart, shows that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.” Acts 15:8
In Acts 15 we have a major turning-point in the history of the church. This was the so-called council at Jerusalem, when the apostles gathered together to consider the question, can Gentiles be saved without becoming Jews first? Until this point the issue had not really arisen; most of the believers were Jews (either Israelites, or Gentiles who had converted to Judaism) who subsequently came to believe in Jesus.
Thankfully, the issue was resolved. Peter, who had recently been used by God to preach the gospel to Cornelius (Acts 10), stepped up in support of Paul and Barnabas’ ministry among the Gentiles and declared that it was indeed possible for Gentiles to be saved without becoming Jews first. Another question arises: how do you know someone is saved? Peter gives us the answer: if the Holy Spirit is resident in their heart, it obviously means that God has accepted them for salvation.
We can’t judge a person’s heart and motives – only God can. But we can look for fruit in their life. If the Holy Spirit is resident in their heart, then His fruit should be being produced (Gal. 5:22-23). This is the hallmark of a believer – not the fact that they go to church, or have been baptised in water, or that they give money to Christian charities. Nor is it whether they speak in tongues. We can also test ourselves by the same measure: how much fruit of the Holy Spirit is being produced in our lives? Are we fruitful in these things – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – or are we fruitless? Is the Holy Spirit at home in your heart?