18. How can I have assurance of my salvation?
Some people are waiting for a particular feeling or experience before they dare to believe, personally and securely, that they have been saved for eternity. But your feelings are not a determining factor; feelings can even deceive you. When focusing on the notion of election and your feelings, you will always remain insecure ("what if I am not chosen?"). Even if you think you are one of the elect, it is possible to live in uncertainty all the time when you judge yourself by your feelings ("what if I am deceiving myself for eternity?"; "I don't always feel like I'm God's child"). This means you are still lacking the comfort and the joy of your salvation. You are still lacking the certainty of eternal security.
Don't judge yourself by your feelings, but believe and trust in God's reliability and the promises in His Word. If you live in this faith and trust (2 Corinthians 5:7), you will also begin to experience what you believe (John 14:21,23). Our salvation is not determined by our feelings, experiences or impressions, nor by our knowledge of sin or our piety; the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus at the cross is our solid ground and our faith in Him is the certainty by which we can know we are saved. This certainty is not in (or from) ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Romans 8:38a,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
- 2 Timothy 1:12b For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
- Hebrews 10:22,23 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
- Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- 1 John 5:12,13 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
- 1 John 5:19a And we know that we are of God