One of the questions we often hear at 412teens is this: "How do I know if I really believe?" When someone says, "Just believe and trust in Jesus," what do they mean? What defines "enough" belief? How do you know if you truly trust Jesus? How do you know if you genuinely believe? Or believe how you "should"? Or if your repentance is real? The fear and anxiety of being a false convert is a scary but common one.
These issues can be tricky to untangle. In the end, there are two very important truths to realize. First, there is no such thing as a person who sincerely desires God who will not find Him (Romans 10:13). Second, God understands your heart and mind even better than you do (Psalm 139:13-16). Because of those two truths, we don't need to agonize over the tiny nuances of where we are in our faith. Whether we think we're lost, "almost saved," or "definitely saved," we should always seek to submit to His will. We don't need to reach some arbitrary goal line; God knows us perfectly, and He can handle those details for us.
Scripture says God puts evidence of Himself in nature and our personal experience (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1). We are told to "seek" what those things lead to (Matthew 7:7–8). That leads us to Scripture and believers, who can tell us what nature cannot (Matthew 28:19). That, in turn, leads us to saving faith and the influence of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:14). No one who follows that process in sincerity and humility will find themselves lost (John 6:37).
The "fruit" people speak of are traits we'd expect to see in the life of a saved believer. The fruit of the Spirit is part of what it means to be a true Christian believer, but it's not everything. Galatians 5:22–23 speaks of "love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] self-control." It helps to remember that these are referred to as "the fruit of the Spirit," not the "fruits," plural, of the Spirit. In other words, these verses do not say, "each of these, individually, is only accessible through God." What it's saying is that those who have a close walk with Christ demonstrate all of those to some extent.
But that doesn't mean real believers will never struggle. Or that they will never doubt. Or that they will all show immediate radical change in every aspect of life. God understands things about us that we ourselves can't grasp (Romans 8:26). Jesus knows what it's like to live as a human being (Hebrews 4:15). That's why we can approach Him with confidence, not fear, with issues like these (Hebrews 4:16). God is not setting up a series of tests and traps, looking for an excuse to turn away willing people—who aren't smart enough, or informed enough, or whatever else. He wants those who want Him (John 4:24). And those who want Him will find Him.
There are certainly degrees of intimacy with Christ. The best thing a person can do with doubts is to continue seeking Christ in prayer and study of His Word. Over time, that growing closeness will result in signs in your heart, mind, and life. And those will give you more and more confidence. There is no such thing as a person who sincerely wants to be saved who cannot be saved or will not be saved. In other words, don't worry if you are "saved enough." Just follow Him and everything will take care of itself.
How do you know if you truly trust Jesus? How do you know if you genuinely believe? There are two very important truths to realize: 1. There is no such thing as a person who sincerely desires God who will not find Him (Romans 10:13). 2. God understands your heart and mind even better than you do (Psalm 139:13-16). Because of those two truths, we don't need to agonize over the tiny nuances of where we are in our faith. Whether we think we're lost, "almost saved," or "definitely saved," we should always seek to submit to His will. We don't need to reach some arbitrary goal line; God knows us perfectly, and He can handle those details for us.
Jeff is a staff writer with Got Questions Ministries and used to be a mechanical engineer. When he's not accidentally setting things on fire in his workshop, or petting strange dogs, he loves helping people better understand God’s Word and how it applies to our lives. Jeff's calling is to untangle the "big picture" of Christian faith, making it easier to understand.
