How I Moved From Doubting My Salvation To Assurance

It’s a wonderful feeling to know you are eternally saved!

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Assurance of eternal salvation is a wonderful thing! On the other hand, doubt and worry about your salvation can be deeply troubling. I know this from personal experience. Years ago, I struggled with the question, “Am I really saved?” Over time, I moved from doubting to assurance of salvation. In this article, I’d like to share with you how that happened. I hope it will help you and others.

Here are the key factors that helped me move from doubt to assurance:

1. Walking and talking with Jesus.

The first reason I found assurance is because I’ve walked and talked with Jesus in prayer. I’ve come to where I feel I truly know Him.

Perhaps others have had a different experience of assurance, but I think for me this has been profound.

Jesus said,

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10:27-30 NLT)

I’ve spent so much time in prayer and fellowship with Jesus, I feel I’ve come to know His voice. It’s a voice of love and assurance.

Isn’t this a wonderful promise in this passage “No one can snatch them away from me…” It’s His loving assurance that we are His, we know Him and we are safe with Him!

Even in challenging times, I know He is with me and that He loves me. I’ve come to understand that suffering is not His condemnation. Instead, I suffer just as He suffered in this broken world and one glorious day I’ll be released to His home forever! There I’ll know Him face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12)!

2. My study of Apologetics has convinced me that Christianity is verifiably true.

My assurance of salvation is far from just emotional! Over the years, I’ve been deeply encouraged by the study of Apologetics. What is that? It is defined as, “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”

The evidence for the claims of Christ are IMMENSE. You could study it for the rest of your life and continue to uncover evidence that verifies:

• The Bible’s historicity and miraculous nature

• The uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God the Son and Savior of the world

• The resurrection of Jesus from the dead

• The incredible impact of Jesus on history

These confirm my faith in Jesus Christ. And not only that, they have convinced me that it is far more reasonable to believe in Jesus than not to believe. In other words, it is more rational to believe that there is meaning, purpose and God’s plan behind the universe than to imagine that it all happened merely by chance without God.

Either position takes faith. But I’m convinced that it takes much more faith to deny Christianity than it does to believe it. This gives me intellectual assurance.

Note: If you’re interested in the study of apologetics, in addition to my own writings, I have several sources listed in my Recommended Resources page.

3. Because God’s Word is true, I have confidence that He saved me when I called on Him.

Based on my studies referenced in point 2, I’m convinced that God’s Word (the Bible) does not lie.

Thus, I believe its promise: “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NLT)

It doesn’t say you and I…

• “Might be saved”

• “Hopefully will be saved”

• “Someday could be saved if…”

No, God’s promise is that “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is a true and faithful promise. If I’m going to believe anyone, God is the One who I’ll believe.

I hope that if you don’t have assurance of your salvation, you’ll come to that place. It is certainly a great feeling.

To get started, please see my Salvation Page.

If you do or don’t have assurance, I’d love to hear from you in the comment area below.

You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• What Caused Me to Doubt My Salvation

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• Facing Death Fearlessly

• Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

• Podcast: Have I committed the unpardonable sin?

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Please DO Call Yourself A Christian If…

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In a recent blog, I wrote about “Please don’t call yourself a Christian if…” Now, in this article, I’d like to cover the opposite issue: “Please DO Call Yourself a Christian If…” The Bible says; “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.” (2 Corinthians 13:5a NLT) But how can we do that? How can we examine ourselves? For many years I wondered, “Am I a true believer. Or am I deluded? Will I find out the Lord doesn’t really love me some day?”

It was a heavy burden to carry and I needed assurance badly!

This is certainly an area that produces confusion and raises many questions:

• Does being a Christian mean being perfect?

• If we sin, do we lose our salvation?

• Can we be forgiven when we sin?

Here are three ways to examine yourself:

Please DO call yourself a Christian if:

1. You don’t pretend to be perfect, but work hard to be as Christ-like as you can.

Isn’t it great to know that to be a Christian doesn’t mean we must be perfect. Even the great Apostle Paul testified, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19 ESV)

The Apostle John wrote; “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 ESV)

However, this is not to say that we go merrily on our way sinning to our hearts content. Quite the opposite, the more we love Jesus, the more we want to please Him by being holy.

Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 ESV)

Our goal is to be holy like our Heavenly Father: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 ESV)

But when we stumble, we apply 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV)

Then, like a parent with a disobedient child, our loving Heavenly Father forgives us, as a good parent forgives a child. It removes a barrier to our fellowship.

So please DO call yourself a Christian if you know you’re not perfect, but it’s your goal to be as Christ-like as possible.

2. You find great joy in obeying Jesus and being as much like Him as possible.

“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:10-11 NLT)

True Christians don’t find Jesus’ commands burdensome. Instead, they find them joy -producing!

“My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30 ESV)

A lot of unbelievers think, “If I became a Christian, I’d have to give up so much that I enjoy. I just can’t do it.”

In fact, being a Christian is just the opposite: we know that whatever our Lord doesn’t want for us is not helpful for us. He never asks us to give up pleasures because He’s a cosmic killjoy. Instead, he wants us to have the most joy possible.

Like a parent who says “no” only because that parent wants to protect and provide the best for the child, our Heavenly Father only says “no” to protect us, to provide for us and give us maximum joy!

He often even takes away our desire for whatever is not good for us.

So please DO call yourself a Christian if you enjoy obeying Jesus and being like Him.

3. You know you’re saved by God’s grace, not your own goodness.

Please DO call yourself a Christian if you understand that it is Jesus who saves you and you cannot “save” yourself.

Many people are under the terribly mistaken notion that their goodness will get them into heaven. But true Christians know that, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

When this verse says, “for by grace,” the word “grace” means an unmerited gift. For example, an inheritance is an unmerited gift. We receive it just by being related to the person who dies. This happened both when Carolyn’s parents died and my parents died. We received an inheritance by the grace of our parents, because of our familial relationship.

The Bible says that when we receive the gift of salvation, we are adopted into God’s family: “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs.” (Romans 8:15-17a NLT)

We are “heirs” of the Almighty God of the Universe and what an inheritance we have!

To receive this inheritance, there is one thing we must do: we must receive salvation. The verse cited above says “For by grace are you saved through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8) Faith is the way we receive salvation.

Some never receive their inheritance; both their earthly and especially their heavenly inheritance. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13 ESV)

So please DO call yourself a Christian if you have been adopted as His child by His grace through faith in Christ.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• Facing Death Fearlessly

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• How to Prepare for Eternity Now and Face Death with Confidence Later

• Why it is Better to Spend Time at Funerals Than Parties

• Podcast: Does becoming a Christian require turning over a new leaf?

• Podcast: Will Christians be Held Accountable?

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

• Podcast: Isn’t Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?

• Podcast: Can salvation be received without the Gospel? (Inclusivism)

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Please Don’t Call Yourself A Christian If…

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Some of the worst “advertising” for Christ are the people who say they’re Christians but aren’t. The truth is, anyone can call themselves a Christian, whether they are or not. There is no restriction that can keep false believers at bay. In fact, Scripture said there would be false believers and even false prophets. (I wrote about one of Jesus’ most famous teachings on “Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing.”) So perhaps the only defense against this potential major turn-off is to ask: “Please don’t call yourself a Christian if…”

I’d like to examine three categories of false Christians. My hope is that if you fall into one of these three categories, that you please don’t call yourself a Christian. In my next blog, I’ll discuss the flip side of this equation: Please DO call yourself a Christian if…

The Bible says; “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.” (2 Corinthians 13:5a NLT) Here are three ways to examine yourself.

Please don’t call yourself a Christian if:

1. You live a non-Christian lifestyle.

Please don’t call yourself a Christian if you live a non-Christ-honoring lifestyle. You turn people away from Jesus.

People do this in many ways when they…

• Are dishonest in business or personal finances.

• Are rude and unloving to others.

• Support behaviors that are contrary to Scripture.

• And so on.

This is not to say that to become a Christian you just live a moral life, or that if you ever make a mistake, you can’t be a Christian.

Scripture is clear that Christians make mistakes. The difference between real and false Christians is habitual lifestyle. If we continue in sins without repentance and a change in behavior, it shows we’re not true Christians.

“And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.” (1 John 2:3-4 NLT)

So please don’t call yourself a Christian if you live a non-Christian lifestyle.

2. You don’t fully believe in and obey the Bible.

Please don’t call yourself a Christian if you think the Bible is not the infallible Word of God and our final guide for living.

The Bible says it is the final Word: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

Jesus believed and taught, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5:18 NLT)

While Scripture is meant to be authoritative and final, some think they can call themselves Christians, yet pick and choose what they want to believe and obey.

The problem is that if we think we can just pick and choose what to obey:

We make ourselves the final judge of right and wrong, truth and untruth. In other words, we make ourselves “gods.”We effectively create a system where “anything goes” because there are no absolutes. You believe and follow what you want and I follow what I want. The standard is effectively destroyed.

I’m aware that at this point some want to say, “It’s a matter of interpretation.” But most biblical issues are not just a matter of interpretation. The Bible is clear. People simply don’t like what it says, thus they try to argue around it. For example, see my article “What Scripture Says About Homosexuality: Uncut, Uncensored and Unedited.”

Please consider carefully the warning of 2 Peter 2:1-3:

“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.” (NLT)

So please don’t call yourself a Christian if you don’t believe in and obey the Bible.

3. You think you’ll get to heaven by being good.

Please don’t call yourself a Christian if you think you’ll get to heaven just by being “a good person.”

As a church planter, I visited hundreds of homes asking the question (with permission) “If you were to die today (God forbid) and to stand before God and He said, ‘Why should I allow you into heaven,’ how would you respond?

The clear majority of people, even if they said they were Christians, responded that they would tell God they had been “good enough.” They thought that their goodness was a lot better than their badness, thus, they should go to heaven instead of hell.

People are totally unaware that our “goodness” has nothing to do with our eternal destiny. In fact, the Bible says “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT)

So, what does God say can save us and send us to heaven when we die? It is what Jesus called being “born again.” In fact, He said, “you must be born again.” (John 3:3, 7)

The reason so many think they are Christians but don’t act like it, is that they have never actually gone through the process of becoming a Christian. They’ve never been “born again.”

We are “born again” when there is a spiritual transformation from the inside out.

The way to receive this spiritual transformation is described in Romans 10:9-10 “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (NLT)

But, you might ask, where does Christian living come in, which you said earlier is so important. The answer is that we live a Christian lifestyle in obedience to the Bible, not to be saved, but because we are saved. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 KJV)

Recently Carolyn and I celebrated our 37th anniversary. We did a few special things, not so that we could love each other and become married, but because we already love each other and are married. Likewise, we love and serve Jesus because we are saved and love Him, not to become saved.

So please don’t call yourself a Christian if you think your goodness will get you into heaven.

In my next article, I’ll look at the opposite question: Please do call yourself a Christian if…

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• Have You Written Your Own Bible?

• Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

• Is Donald Trump a Christian?

• Jesus Wasn’t Always “Seeker Sensitive”

• Video vlog: Twisting Scripture

• Podcast: Does salvation come only through faith in Christ? (exclusivism)

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth