How can we be assured of our salvation

It is normal for a Christian to have occasional doubts about salvation. Persistent doubts, however, are a source of major concern. And although no doubts should be ignored, chronic worries about salvation must be resolved. Conversely, it is typical for non-Christians to think they are safe when they are not and for them to have a vain hope—a false assurance of salvation. Where do we turn for assurance? Oddly enough, even though we learn about God and Jesus and salvation in the Bible, Christians are tempted to go to other things for assurance of biblical salvation.

They will look to experiences or rituals or parents or pastors for assurance. But the Bible not only tells about salvation, it tells us where to look for assurance of salvation. Beyond that, Romans tells us that assurance of salvation may be experienced partly through the internal work of the Holy Spirit convincing Christians that they are children of God. Although this is a biblical and precious experience available to Christians, it is sometimes problematic. So Scripture tells us of another source of assurance:.

Assurance may be experienced partly through the presence of the attitudes and actions the Bible says will accompany salvation. If you are concerned about the assurance of your salvation, the book of the Bible you want to read and reread is the first letter of the apostle John.

As we noted earlier, the expressed purpose of this letter is to help believers gain the assurance of salvation. In 1 John we are told of at least ten attitudes and actions that consistently characterize Christians only. So if you want to know if you are going to Heaven, examine yourself in the light of these evidences of true Christianity.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. Particularly note verse 7. It says two things are true of us if we walk with God in the light. The second one is that we are forgiven of our sins.

It goes beyond mere socializing, although Christians do a lot of that, too. Biblical fellowship includes discussing and participating together in the intimacies of Christian living, such as prayer, Bible study, ministry, and especially discussion about God and the things of God. Does this describe you?

If you love exchanging insights about the Bible and Christian living, if you hunger to learn from other believers so you can grow in grace and get closer to Christ and live more in obedience to Him, then you are a believer.

They emphasize how their faith is a private thing. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. This involves more than just a willingness to acknowledge that on occasion we have been wrong. Growing Christians are scarcely able to do or think anything without seeing their sin in it.

They know that if sin were blue, everything they said, did, or thought would be at least some shade of blue. They recognize the selfishness in their hearts, even when they do the best and most benevolent of deeds. They know the sinfulness of their thought lives right in the midst of some of their most Christlike actions. They are aware of the darkness of the sin inside them when they outwardly model goodness and light.

They know that even when they are closest to Christ and most like Christ, sin is still splattered over them like mud. The convicting Spirit shows them that their sin is more than just human failure; it is sin against the Word and the love of God. In it he said this about the awareness of sin as a sign of salvation:. Many people struggle with the certainty of their salvation, especially new believers. How can we know where we stand with God?

The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars:. First, assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture. We can know Jesus has received us because, quite simply, He said so! When the Bible speaks, God speaks. And what God said, He will surely do. He will save all who call upon Jesus Christ.

You have His word on it. Second, assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Of course, the seat in front of me was dropping just at fast as the one in which I was sitting! A fellow traveler aboard, who had been around the world by air several times, stated that this was the roughest trip he had ever experienced. I concurred with him thoroughly, for it surely was my roughest trip — and, as I felt then, my last trip by air. Across the aisle from me sat a man who was a former pilot.

He was asleep by the time the plane took to the air. He was merely annoyed at all the disturbance and turned over and went back to sleep. When we landed and commented on the rough trip, he simply smiled and confessed that he had enjoyed it all. Frankly, I did not enjoy one minute of it. Now, I was as safe as that man. Whatever security the plane offered was mine as well as his. We both had faith enough to enter the plane, but he had the faith, understanding, and experience to enjoy the trip.

He had assurance, but I did not. What could have been a pleasant experience for me was a sad ordeal! My friend, God wants you to enjoy your salvation. He holds you! My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John He never lets go. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your salvation. There are many reasons why believers do not have the assurance of their salvation. Let us look at some of the principal ones. Some are frightened souls who received the gospel in trembling and fear.

The gospel was presented partially, and they were not told that they could have any assurance. There is always a serious doubt whether folk like this have ever been saved.

The instability and inconsistency of the lives of many who live in the atmosphere of uncertainty do not reveal a thoroughgoing conversion.

It is interesting to note what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians concerning the preaching of the gospel in their city:. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. The gospel that produces changed lives comes in much assurance. Many who lack assurance are sincere, but they have actually never been born again.

We did not get the assurance of our salvation last week; we got saved. They were thrilled as they related their experience in going home the week before and getting down on their knees and actually receiving Christ as Savior; this experience gave them assurance. Some depend upon an emotional experience, and they do not have the knowledge of their salvation. The gospel has not been given to them accurately, and they merely rest upon an emotional upheaval.

If the experience was significant, then they fall back upon it to fortify their faith. When the emotional experience wears thin and there is not much to rest upon, then doubts and uncertainty creep in to make the heart disturbed. Many of these people do not know the assurance that there is in the gospel:. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.

Colossians Again, permit me to resort to a personal experience to clarify this point. One Easter Sunday, two couples came forward at the invitation. One couple was overcome with emotion; the other couple was stoical. The elders who dealt with them could not get a clear statement from the emotional couple because they were weeping so.

The contrast was so great that some even doubted the genuineness of the couple who shed no tears. However, time proved that emotion was no indication of a real experience of conversion, for the emotional couple were pulled out of one ism shortly after that incident and then became involved in a second ism.

The couple who seemed to have no emotional experience at all grew in grace and the knowledge of Christ. It became a joy to see them take their regular places in the services of the church. Unconfessed sin in the life of a believer is the greatest single factor in robbing one of the assurance of salvation. God wants us to have the full assurance of faith; this comes experientially through fellowship with God.

Sin breaks our fellowship, and this, in time, sets up a chain reaction that breaks our assurance. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. We can bluff our way through before others by putting up a front that all is well.

We dread the light because it makes us more conscious of our doubts. God is still our Father nonetheless, and a conviction of sin is pretty good evidence. We have lost our fellowship — not our salvation. The Christian should come to the light, which is the Word of God. It reveals our sin, but it also shows us the remedy.

The blood of Christ is still potent, and it is the basis of forgiveness for the sins of a child of God. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. The believer who walks in the light and discovers sin in his life knows that the blood of Christ keeps on cleansing him from sin; consequently, he goes in confession to Him:.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Immediately, fellowship is restored for the sinning saint. The family fellowship is resumed and confidence and assurance are restored. You see, the child of God is always disturbed by sin in his life, as he knows it breaks fellowship with God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth [practices] not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Deliberate and continual sinning, without remorse or without repentance, is a clear indication that one has not come into the place of sonship. The child of God is distressed, disturbed, and distraught by the presence of sin. He hates the sin in his life and longs to be delivered from it.

The presence of sin robs him of his assurance. The legitimate child of God can never compromise with the sin in his life. And by this we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He wants to know the will of God, and therefore he wants to know the Word of God. So he goes where he can hear the Word of God:.

Oh, how love I thy law! It is my mediation all the day…. I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love…. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. Psalm , , He finds that he not only has an appetite for the Word of God, but he also begins to understand it, and thereby growth takes place:.

But he that is spiritual judgeth [understands] all things, yet he himself is judged [understood] of no man. There are other tests that indicate to a trembling but trusting heart that he or she is a child of God.

God urges us to make the tests so that we may have assurance:. Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves. Know ye not yourselves how Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are discredited? A reality in prayer is evidence that we are children of God. There is a very remarkable statement in this connection made in the third chapter of 1 John:.

And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. As the child of God approaches the Father, a holy boldness confirms the heart. This is not presumption — it is the assurance that a child has in approaching a father.

However, sin or some other impediment may make us hesitant and reluctant to approach the Father. God does not hear us because of our reluctance but because of Christ, and He hears us regardless of our condition:. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. I remembered my heart being broken at a church camp when I realized Jesus had died for my sin.

I came home from that weekend bursting with joy. No one grows into conversion. But we all do grow in our comprehension of conversion. Doubts over the procedure. They focus on the process instead of the promise.

An ongoing struggle with sin. Those who have an ongoing struggle with sin are more likely to doubt their salvation. See Becoming Clean. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. Comments Beautifully said Debbie and honestly this is probably the most important question each of us can settle, once and for all in our lives. I agree, Ann. Thank you, my friend. Debbie, This is beautifully said and powerfully written.

Love and honor, Ann Johnson. Wow, Toni. I have goosebumps! God was seeking you and found you. Great and insightful post, Debbie. This will help a lot of people. I agree Julie. That is the reason we have assurance.