Assurance of our Salvation

One of the greatest assets we can have as believers in Christ is the assurance of our salvation.  This assurance comes through the words of Jesus Himself who extends to all who believe in Him, “whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)  This incredible promise from God to us is what can truly give us freedom from this world that is often filled with difficulty and trouble.  It is the one commodity that extends hope in the midst of life’s uncertainties and the inevitability of physical death. And yet unfortunately for some believers, there remains a doubt and a lack of confidence in God’s promise to us of heaven.  

Our frequent struggle of with our sinful nature and personal weakness can eclipse the hope of glory that God wants to pour into our hearts.  For some, there is a nagging question whether God’s promise of eternal life will extend to me at the end of life’s journey. Fortunately, God has given us assurance of eternal life in His word.   

This assurance will ultimately come to us when we accept what God has promised to us in His word by faith.  This means that rather than making our own doubts and struggle and sense of our own worth at the center of our confidence of eternal life, we will need to shift our focus by faith to what God has promised in His word.  And here is the amazing transformation that happens when I do that:  my confidence in eternity will grow and I will ultimately gain greater victory over sin. While there are many passages in the Bible that can help us gain assurance of salvation, let us focus on just a few verses in this blog.   

In I Peter 1:3-5, we read that “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation….”

Notice several phrases throughout these verses.  First the salvation we have in Christ is not dependent on us, but “according to His great mercy.”  In other words, what has guaranteed us eternal life is not our good works or our ability to gain a right standing before God, but what God did through Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf.  It is through His shed blood that we have gained forgiveness and a right standing before God.  (Rom 3:21-26) Another interesting aspect of this verse is that it is God who “caused us to be born again.”  

Again, not something that we have secured for ourselves, but when we trusted Christ, God through His Holy Spirit has given us new life.  Before Christ we were dead in our sins and trespasses, but now in Him we are born again and have been made alive in Christ.  (Eph 2:1-9) Finally, notice who is keeping this great salvation for us, not us, but God:  it is “God’s power” that is guarding this salvation, which is “kept in heaven for you.”   

Peter describes it as an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”  As we accept this awesome promise of eternal life from God, than not only will our hope well up in a future resurrection, but that hope will give us an abounding confidence and joy as we pass through this life.  Oh yes, “amazing grace how sweet the sound… through many dangers, toils and snares… this grace will lead us home.”   If your interested in another article about our eternal security check out CARM’s article here.