Here is R.C. Sproul, one of my favorite Bible teacher. In his teaching series called, “The Assurance of Salvation,” R.C. Sproul explains the four types of people when it comes to their understanding of salvation. This helped me greatly in identifying people when witnessing or sharing the gospel. By talking to them and listening to their beliefs, I am able to see the spiritual state they are in and understand how to pray for them. In summary, here are the four kinds of people when it comes to their understanding of the assurance of salvation:

1. Those who are unsaved and they know it.

2. Those who are saved and they know it.

3. Those who are saved and they don’t know it yet.

4. Those who are unsaved and they think that they are saved.

“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (1 Jn.5:11-12, NASB)