Salvation is the glorious work of God created to redeem His creation. It is the gift we receive that brings us into a right relationship with God. It is what leads us into sanctification–the process that grows us to be like Christ as we mature in the faith. In all of this, we can rejoice in His gift and proclaim it in our spheres of influence. At times, in the midst of the Good News, I have found myself doubting my salvation, wondering if I am really saved. Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever doubted your salvation? I am guessing that most of you have at some point in your walk with Christ. Today, I want to talk to you about the assurance of salvation.
Assurance means “freedom from doubt or full confidence in.” The assurance of salvation does not come from our personal feelings or experiences. It also does not come from what others say or what we do. The assurance of salvation comes from the absolute truth of God’s Word. One of those verses of truth is John 5:13, which tells us, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” God does not want us to live in doubt but in supreme confidence. There are several things we need to understand if we are to live in the assurance of our salvation.
First, we need understand that salvation depends on God’s character. When the apostle Paul was writing to Timothy, he told him, “–I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Paul is resting on God’s character to save him and keep him in His salvation. Paul understood that God is all-knowing– there is nothing He does not know. He understood that God is all-powerful–He can do whatever is possible. He is all-loving and will do what is best for His children. And He is unchanging, so He will never deviate from His Word. The assurance of our salvation is protected within the very character of God, and nothing nor no one can remove us, His children, from His hand.
The assurance of salvation also depends on God’s promises. If we can trust God’s character, and we can, then we can also trust His promises. Romans 4:20–21 speaks about this when it says, “with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able to perform.” God promises that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). All the promises of God are anchored in His perfect, unchanging character.
Finally, the assurance of salvation depends on the work of Christ, not our efforts. Luke 19:10 tells us, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” And 1 Timothy 1:15 says, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”
If our salvation depends on what we do, then we should be rightly concerned, but because our salvation depends on the character of God, the promises of God and the finished work of Christ on the cross, we can have supreme confidence in the gift that Christ has purchased for us. Go and live the life God has for you in boldness and truth.