Have you ever had doubts that you were even saved? Maybe you feel that way now. If so, here‘s how you can have confidence in salvation.

Saved From What?

Have you ever had doubts that you were even saved? Maybe you feel that way now. If so, here‘s how you can have confidence in salvation. First of all, what is it that we’re actually saved from? The answer is God! More specifically, we are saved from “the wrath of God [which] is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18), and that includes all who have rejected Christ in their lifetime. The psalmist said, “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs” (Psalm 75:8). It was even while “we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10). So we are not simply saved from eternal death in hell fire, we are saved from the wrath of God which was poured out on Christ for our sake (Rom 5:1).

Falling Away?

The Bible speaks about the perseverance of the saints, but really, it’s God’s persevering the saints, for without His divine hand in our life, believe, me, we would fall away and stay away. It’s heartbreaking to me that many believers think they can be saved and then lose their salvation. What a way to live and what a fearful thing it is. It’s like your rolling the dice, hoping you’ll be saved at the time Christ arrives or you die suddenly. Sadly, many in the church do not believe that a person can be saved and stay saved. The author of Hebrews wrote, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Heb 6:4-6). That sounds scary doesn’t it, but wait, we can’t stop there. A few verses read out of context can create a pretext, and often a false one. Paul contrasts the earlier “falling away” people with us who believe by saying, “Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation” (Heb 6:9). Did you read that?! In our case, Paul feels sure of better things; better things for those of us who salvation belongs to, and that’s all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 10:9-13).

The Good Shepherd

When I used to walk my child across the street to school, I didn’t tell him, “Okay, hang onto my hand.” No. I held onto his hand and not the other way around. My handgrip is stronger and more secure than his, and so is God’s. Notice Jesus’ saying to us all:

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

John 10:28-29 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

John 6:39 “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

The Apostle Paul was “sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). Anything in creation includes Satan, demons, others, and even us. We cannot lose what we did not gain; salvation is from God alone (John 3:3-7; Acts 4:12), and eternal life is just that, eternal (John 3:16). Anything short of that shows it was never eternal to begin with. Jesus did not say whoever believes in me, will not perish, but have eternal life…unless they blow it. John 3:16 is God’s unconditional promise of eternal life and not life for just a few days or weeks.

Conclusion

Jude wrote “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ,” but it must be noted that the word “for” is “by” so it is in fact, “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1). What Jesus keeps, Jesus keeps for good, right?! Paul truly believed God and was “convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim1:12b).

The Book of Life

Is your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life? God warns us that “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15). God is angry at the sinner (or the unsaved) every single day and since “God is a righteous judge, a God who feels indignation every day” (Psalm 7:11), so we must repent of our sins if we haven’t already done so. Then, we need to confess our sins before God and put our trust in the Savior and be saved (Rom 10:9-13, Acts 4:12). I have done so already. Have you trusted in the Savior my friend? If not, I plead with you to do so, right at this very moment (2 Cor 6:2), because we’re all one heartbeat…one breath…one accident from meeting our God. He will either be your King (Rev 20:12-15) or He will be your Judge (Rev 20:12-15).

Here is some related reading for you: Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? A Biblical Analysis

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: eternal security, Perseverance Of The Saints, Salvation, Sealed, security