How Can I Be Sure I'M Saved? Do I Need A Special Feeling?

🔥The Assurance of Salvation in Focus:

Salvation is a gift from God. Scripture teaches that the assurance of salvation (knowing we are saved) is not dependent on a special feeling or emotional experience but is grounded in the truth of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit when they believe the message, which seals us and acts as a pledge guaranteeing our inheritance until “the redemption of the purchased possession (Ephesians 1:13-14).” God has purchased us and we are His possession. We are sealed, marking us as His own.

Meanwhile, the Spirit that seals us is a pledge, or a “foretaste” of what is to come, our inheritance, when God takes possession of those that He purchased. The Bible tells us that we were sealed in this way when we believed the Gospel. This word is a divine assurance of our eternal security in Christ.

The biblical understanding is that when we believe the Gospel, we receive the “precious faith.” This faith we receive is the faith of the Son of God, a precious faith that is more valuable than gold (1 Peter 1:7).

Our continuance in the faith is not something we generate on our own, but is sustained in us by God’s power in the Spirit of sonship. The Spirit of sonship testifies within us, affirming that we are children of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). This is why, no matter what people say and what life throws at us, we believe the Gospel day after day. This is the source of our insurance- that we believe this message. It is the evidence that we have received the precious faith and have been sealed by God. This assurance is not based on our feelings but on the unchanging truth of God's word and His faithfulness to perform what He has spoken.

đźš«Summary of Related Misconceptions:

â–ş Claim: Assurance of salvation requires a special feeling or emotional experience.

However, scripture teaches the opposite. The assurance of salvation is based on the gospel message and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, not on subjective experiences (Ephesians 1:13-14).

â–ş Claim: Believers can lose their faith and thus their salvation.

This view misunderstands the biblical principle that once we have believed the gospel, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and this faith is not something we can lose. It is the eternal life given to us by God (John 10:28-29).

⚖️What Scripture Actually Says:

The Bible clearly states that the assurance of salvation comes from believing in the gospel and being sealed by the Holy Spirit. This sealing is a guarantee of our inheritance and a foretaste of the eternal life we have in Christ. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. This testimony is the foundation of our assurance (Romans 8:16). The faith we have is the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). This faith is incorruptible. It will be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7).

đź’ˇCorrect Understanding from Scripture:

  1. Faith as a Gift: The faith we have is a precious gift from God, not something we produce on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." We believed the Gospel. (This is something the natural man is capable of doing.) But this Gospel becomes the faith we have received, sustained by the witness of the Spirit within us.
    Practical Application: Rest in the assurance that your faith is a gift from God, not dependent on your efforts.
  2. Sealed by the Spirit: Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
    Practical Application: Trust in the security of your salvation, knowing the Holy Spirit is your seal.
  3. Spirit of Sonship: The Spirit testifies that we are children of God, assuring our identity in Christ (Romans 8:16). "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
    Practical Application: Embrace your identity as a child of God, assured by the Spirit's testimony.
  4. Eternal Life as Assurance: Believing in the gospel assures us of eternal life, which cannot be lost (John 10:28-29). "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
    Practical Application: Live confidently in the assurance of eternal life, secure in Christ's promise.
  5. The Gospel as the Foundation: The assurance of salvation is based on the gospel message, not on feelings or experiences (Romans 1:16). "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes."
    Practical Application: Focus on the truth of the gospel as the foundation of your faith.

🧠Implications/Damage of Misunderstanding:

  • Doubt and Insecurity: Relying on feelings for assurance can lead to doubt and insecurity about one's salvation.
  • Works-Based Assurance: Believing that salvation can be lost promotes a works-based mentality, contradicting the gospel of grace.

🩸True Grace/Application Brings You to Christ:

  1. Christ as the Source of Assurance: Understanding that assurance comes from Christ and His finished work on the cross leads us to rest in Him (Hebrews 4:16).
  2. Grace as the Foundation: Recognizing that salvation is by grace through faith brings us closer to Christ, who is the embodiment of grace.

🛑Final Takeaways:

  1. Assurance of salvation is based on the gospel and the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).
  2. When we believed the Gospel, we also received “the faith.” It is incorruptible (1 Peter 1:7).