Salvation isn’t about how we feel or what we do—it’s fully secured by faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. When we believe and accept God’s promises, the Holy Spirit seals us, transforms our hearts, and guarantees we are eternally His.
Assurance of salvation comes from trusting in what Jesus has done, not from our actions, feelings, or perfection. Salvation has always been by faith in God, as seen with Abraham, Noah, and others who trusted God’s promises (Genesis 15:6; Genesis 6-7). The promise of salvation was fulfilled through Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Now, all who respond to Jesus’ offer of salvation are saved (John 1:12). Salvation is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and secure because of His work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). Nothing can take away our salvation once we are saved (John 10:28-29). We can be assured of our salvation by knowing and trusting what God’s Word says about salvation (1 John 5:13). We can also be assured of our salvation by the ongoing heart transformation that the Spirit produces (2 Corinthians 5:17). We desire to sin less, our heart desires what God wants, and our words and actions follow (Galatians 5:22-24). Doubts, struggles, or sin do not negate our salvation; what matters is our belief in Christ as our Savior and the acceptance of His forgiveness. Maintaining fellowship with other believers and spending time in God’s Word helps our spiritual growth, even when we are struggling. Ultimately, confidence in salvation rests on faith in God’s promises and the truth of biblical salvation, not on fleeting emotions or personal performance.
The Bible tells us that salvation is by grace through faith. Faith is the understanding, belief, and acceptance of what the Bible says is the grace of God that saves. So what does the Bible say about what saves us:
We are sinners; we do, think, and feel things that are not what God wants from us.
God will judge sinners—punish them for their sins.
Sin is wrong, and we don’t want to be wrong or associated with sin anymore.
We need forgiveness from God so He will not judge/punish us.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to Earth to become human.
Jesus lived a perfect life.
Jesus died on the cross, voluntarily taking the judgment/punishment for our sins.
Because Jesus was sinless, He was the perfect sacrifice and rose to life again.
Jesus offers forgiveness to us.
We accept Jesus’ offer to forgive us and lead us away from sin.
If you accept these truths, the Bible says you are saved. That doesn't mean you won’t struggle from time to time to truly believe you are saved. However, just because we doubt or have sinned does not mean we are not saved. As we grow in our faith and remind ourselves of what God’s Word says, we can see the Holy Spirit at work, reminding us of the assurance we have in Christ. He will also continue to transform us from the inside out, aligning our heart better with His, providing us with more assurance of our salvation. In church, we learn more about Jesus, His Word, and can support each other. When you're discouraged or even doubting, other believers can build you up again.
Assurance of salvation doesn’t depend on your actions or emotions—it rests on your faith in the truths of biblical salvation: Jesus died for our sins, and if we believe in Him, we are saved and cannot lose our salvation. If you truly believe and accept these truths, you can be confident that you are saved.