Mission Venture Ministries

Our salvation isn’t something we strive to earn. It’s a gift we are meant to receive as we see in the following verses:

Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. (1 John 5:10-15)

God gave us the Bible so we could know Him and live in ways that honor Him. He wants us to truly understand His teachings and how they apply to our life. Simply put, the Lord invites us to trust in Him with complete confidence.

Yet many of us know what it’s like to stumble into sin and immediately feel our assurance crumble. Regret and shame whisper their accusations: There’s no way I can be saved. If I were truly saved, I’d never have done such a thing. We find ourselves trapped in an exhausting cycle, questioning our salvation each time we fail rather than resting in what Christ has already accomplished.

But the Lord wants us to operate on the basis of truth, not feelings. Whenever our emotions contradict the Bible, we can trust that the Scriptures are reliable. In today’s passage, John writes with remarkable clarity, “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” (1 John 5:13). Notice he doesn’t say “hope” or “wonder about” – he says know.

When doubts or questions arise, God answers with His promises of security. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

Many of us struggle with lingering doubts about our salvation. To settle this question, let’s look at three truths the Lord wants believers to understand: 

1. God wants everyone to be saved. He calls all men and women to Himself, but there must be a response to His invitation. When we answer His call, the Father makes us part of His everlasting family (Romans 10:9-13).

2. God wants everyone to be saved by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares that our salvation is entirely the work of the Lord – His plan, His work, His gift. Our only part is faithfully receiving what He freely offers.

3. God wants everyone to be sure of their salvation. If doubt creeps in when you stumble, recognize that God isn’t the one planting those seeds of insecurity. He has already established the plan by which we can be saved, and He invites us to rest confidently in that finished work.

Salvation isn’t something we must re-earn with each fresh start. Rather, it’s a settled reality we can embrace confidently because: “All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:37-40). So lay your feelings of regret and shame before the Lord, and rest in the certainty that comes only with His truth.

Passages like John 3:16, 1 John 5:13, and Ephesians 1:13-14 all point to the complete certainty we can embrace. The next time you feel unsure, read these passages and ask the Spirit to anchor your faith in what the Lord has already accomplished. Amen!

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Source: In Touch Ministries – Dr. Charles Stanley