For Bible references in this video, check the description on YouTube.
If you're feeling unsure about your salvation or wondering if you accepted Christ in the "right" way, you're not alone. Many Christians seek assurance that their salvation is secure. The problem is that many look for assurance of their salvation in the wrong places.
It's tempting to start counting up all our spiritual "points" to help give us confidence that we're saved. We might start thinking, "I've done good things. I've been praying. God provided for me that one time. I do my best to avoid sin." Well, those are good things for sure. And they may be evidence that we've been saved. But they are not HOW we are saved.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." —Ephesians 2:8-9
This passage means that it is impossible to EARN our salvation by doing good things. Yes, good things are good! But good things don't grant salvation—only God can do that. We're saved due to the promises God has made—not based on our feelings or experiences.
So how can we know if God has given us salvation? Thankfully, the Bible gives us many, many ways to be clear if we've received salvation through Christ.
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who 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." —1 John 5:11–13
After we die, there are two options for our souls: eternal life or eternal death (Romans 6:23). To have eternal life is to be in God's presence forever, surrounded by all the goodness, light, and love that is Him (John 5:24). To have eternal death is to be separated from God forever, surrounded by darkness, evil, and pain (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). We have 100% control over the fate of our souls, and it's all dependent upon what we believe about Jesus.
"Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave 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, that you may know that you have eternal life." —John 5:10-13
"[Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." —John 1:11-13
"Receiving Jesus," "believing in Jesus," or "having the Son" all mean you have chosen to believe that everything the Bible says about Jesus is absolute truth (Romans 10:9-10):
"...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." —Romans 10:9-10
Eternal life is just that—eternal. Forever. Period. No one, not even YOU, can take Christ's God-given gift of salvation away. You can never mess up enough that God will revoke your salvation. Once you're His child, you're His forever.
"I [Jesus] give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can 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
God wants us to know that our salvation is a sure thing. Assurance means freedom from doubt. He knows how awful it would be for us to never know, to always wonder, to constantly worry if we're really saved. That's why the Bible is so clear about the plan of salvation—so there will be no question as to what is expected and what will happen.
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 8:38-39
God's Word is true. Trade in doubts for confident assurance. Our salvation is based solely on the perfect and complete plan God has provided for us through Jesus Christ. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Trust in Him alone for salvation from the penalty you owe for your sins. If you believe these things, then YES, you are saved!
God wants us to know that our salvation is a sure thing. Assurance means freedom from doubt. He knows how awful it would be for us to never know, to always wonder, to constantly worry if we're really saved. That's why the Bible is so clear about the plan of salvation. Our salvation is based solely on the perfect and complete plan God has provided for us through His Son. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Trust in Him alone for salvation from the penalty you owe for your sins. If you believe these things, then YES, you are saved!
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as 412teens on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
