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Assurance of Salvation

This topic comes up often when discussing other topics. It deserves to be addressed all by itself as it is an important subject.

 

Are you assured of your salvation? If so, why are you assured?

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by LucyP on October 23, 2011 at 2:05am

I was going to post this very question but discovered this already posted So 'bumping' it, so to speak.

Would love to hear more on this issue.

I read a great article here: http://bible.org/seriespage/assurance-salvation

I believe it covers a good many questions that may come upon new Christians (oh and indeed mature ones too!)

Wondering about my own assurance of salvation has made me consider does the very nature of thinking about it mean I am not saved? It is surely the basis of ones faith that God will never turn His back on us once we have given our lives to Him. But as the original post states, this subject comes up a lot on the forums, and so is worth exploring. Does assurance of ones salvation equate to the strength of ones faith?

Permalink Reply by Carla on October 23, 2011 at 8:55am

Hi Lucy,

Wondering about my own assurance of salvation has made me consider does the very nature of thinking about it mean I am not saved?

Sister, The very nature of thinking about it, I would think means you are saved.  People who don't care, don't think about it at all.  The bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. (see the book of 1 John to examine oneself).

It is indeed biblical and right to examine oneself.. But not to condemn oneself.. For there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 

God wants us to know we are saved. (1 John 5:11-13; John 1:12) and others.

God's Spirit testifies with our Spirit (Romans 8:16)

God will never let us go. (John 10:28,29; Romans 8:38,39) and others

 

For anyone who is trusting in Jesus alone for salvation...  They are saved.

 

Does assurance of ones salvation equate to the strength of ones faith?

The assurance of one's salvation could possibly equate to the strength of one's faith...  But I think that there may be different ways of saying that same thing. Biblically...

When we abide in Christ, HE abides in us.

When we do His will and live a Just life of righteousness through faith..  Living a life of sacrifice, it is like a sweet smelling aroma to our Lord.

When we put others before ourselves.. it is pleasing to HIm.

When we forgive, we are honoring Him.

When we are thankful.. we remember Him.

When we turn and Praise HIm... We give Him the Glory.

When we study, we show we want to learn more about Him.

When we pray, it shows we know He is faithful and we can trust Him.

When we worship, we are putting Him in His rightful place as Sovereign Lord, Maker, Creator over all things, and over us.

These works (and others) do not assure our salvation, but they give us assurance as His Spirit testifies with our Spirit that we are saved, and He is pleased. 

By doing these works... it's like we are proving it to ourselves...although works alone cannot saved...but they can offer and assurance. 

 

I think a good mental test is....when we are doing these works, who are we thinking about?  Are we thinking...wow, look at how good I am..  God really needs me in this community? 

OR 

Are we thinking.  I love the Lord, I want to bring Him Glory.  and then a prayer "Lord, this is all for You, please take my small offering and use me for your Kingdom purposes, Thank you Lord for including me in Your story"

 

Please do not understand that I am saying we must do these things to be saved..  that's not what I'm saying, because that would be a works based salvation...

We are saved by God's Grace, thru faith. 

I am saying that we do these things because we love our Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  We want to show people, We want others to see Jesus.  All at the cost of forsaking ourselves and the lives we once had...  Now we give it all up freely, joyfully, for Jesus.

 

We can trust that Jesus has the power to hold us, keep us, and bring us home safely..  The journey there may (probably will) be treacherous many (or most) times..  It's not a smooth ride,  we are guaranteed turbulance, but it is a secure landing... A Rock which cannot be moved.  Now that is assurance.  Our assurance is that Jesus is unchanging, Powerful, Mighty to Save, and Mighty to Hold us.  HE is always fair, always Just, Always compassionate, Always merciful, Slow to Anger and quick to forgive.  His Love is enduringly strong, and He is steadfastly sincere.  His Name is Above all names, and His Power is Incomprehensible.  If this is the ONE in whom you place your trust..  Throw all your doubts to the wind, and land in His outstretched arms... since you have said 'YES' to His free gift of Salvation, you are saved.  The next step for people is often... Now what?  That's a different conversation as we learn to apply what this now means in our lives as we learn to live it out day by day, moment by moment.

 

Blessings and Love in Christ, Carla

Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on October 23, 2011 at 7:03am

Lucy,

I think you might have doubts (placed there by Satan) but it's not that you're not saved. Satan is going to try to upset and confuse you every way that he knows and I'm sure he knows lots of way. I know a way to defeat him. Trust in the Lord, never doubting.

Blessings to you, Sister...

Rita

Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on October 24, 2011 at 6:05am

Hi LT,

 

I believe that the issue of salvation is THE most important issue/subject. 

 

I firmly believe that I am saved. Why? Because I believe that, as Carla points out, I have examined the scriptures to fully understand how to get saved and have applied the scriptures accordingly. 

 

There are differing views on how to get saved and I consider it very helpful to examine the scriptures in view of these differences so that I can either reinforce or revise my understanding of how to get saved - I am certainly open to working out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 NIV,KJV).

 

My current understanding of salvation according to the scriptures and the application of those scriptures in my life assures me of my salvation.

 

In Christ,

Desmond

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on October 24, 2011 at 6:39am

Desmond,

 

I agree and will add that we also receive the assurance from Holy Spirit.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on October 24, 2011 at 8:57am

Amen LT - excellent point.

"Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Cor.5:5 NIV

Permalink Reply by LucyP on October 24, 2011 at 9:34am

Amen from me too, excellent points all.

It is indeed biblical and right to examine oneself.. thank you Carla I had not read this before, I mean have read 1 John but as often didnt pick up on this.

Satan is going to try to upset and confuse you every way that he knows yes Rita, he tries, but

I see God working in my life and am assured Im His.

 

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on October 24, 2011 at 10:29am

I will echo some of the responses already given and give just a few reasons why I am assured of my salvation:

 

1. God is faithful. God has never left me nor forsaken me. I see his faithfulness in my life over and over again. I see his faithfulness in Scripture and I see his faithfulness in the lives’ of the world wide church. Even when we fail him miserably, God is faithful to correct us and pick us up. His faithfulness assures me my salvation.

 

2. The Spirit of God gives me witness in my Spirit that I am His. I am sure my beloved is mine and I am my beloved because we have a relationship, through which I am comforted, strengthen, enlightened etc...

 

3. I can understand the word. Only God's people can truly understand and enjoy the word for its spiritual contents. This assures me that I am his. That I belong to him and what He saids about me in scripture can be trusted. He saids that all those who repent and believe have eternal life, since He has never lied to me or to anyone in the whole world about anything, He is extremely trust worthy, consequently I know I am saved.

 

4. I love God and He loves me. I love him. I hate when I sin against him. I want to be in the Light as He is in the light, which assures me that I am his, because before I was born again, all I wanted was pretty insane. I am not the same person any more. God's call in my life is real and tangible and it gives me assurance of my salvation.  

 

I am a child of God because God assures me through his word that I am. That I have been transferred from the Kingdome of darkness to the Kingdome of light. So I would not be deceive otherwise, He has given me instructions in 1 John and other places of how to examine my faith, to know if I am truly His. After examining my life with His commands I am assure that I am saved. However there have been times when I have fallen into habitual sins and I still had assurance that I was his, because the conviction of the Holy Spirit was upon me.

 

Much more could be said, but that is all for now. :)

Permalink Reply by RoyW on April 20, 2012 at 2:42am

LT,

A couple of verses that come to mind that helps me are these:

2 Ti 1:12  That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. NIV

Heb 7:25  Therefore he is able to save completely  those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. NIV

I am only assured in Him. I know that Jesus accomplished every demand of God through His life, death and resurrection. I am most happy to know the Jesus not saves us, but that He saves us completely. I guess I would have to say that I am one of those who would fall under the category that if you could lose it, I would. I am completely confident that He will completely carry us home to be with Him. Praise His name.


Permalink Reply by Amanda on April 20, 2012 at 4:54am

I guess I would have to say that I am one of those who would fall under the category that if you could lose it, I would.

That's a scary thought ... that God's Word and the Holy Spirit both relieve and give us peace with. Thankfully.

Permalink Reply by RoyW on April 20, 2012 at 5:37am

Amen, I am confident of His salvation. I don't think we could ask Him to save us, receive that salvation and then be lost. We are either saved or not and I believe we are.

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on April 20, 2012 at 5:53am

Amen

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