Questioning Your Salvation

2018-03-19

I am writing this to people who have clearly heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ but are questioning their salvation. Maybe you just heard the gospel for the first time, or maybe you have been a Christian for many years. You may be questioning because you have sin in your life or things are just not going your way. Maybe you do not feel like you are saved for whatever reason. I am writing this article to encourage both you and me of our salvation.

John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus truly was the Christ. Here is what happened:

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, (3) And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (4) Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: (5) The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (6) And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:2-6)

John was sitting in prison. John’s mother and Jesus’ mother were cousins (Luke 1:36). John spent his entire ministry career preaching that Jesus was the promised Christ that would save people from their sins. When John was arrested for preaching righteousness (Matthew 14:3), John had a lot of time to think about what had happened. Why are God’s people being persecuted? Wasn’t the Christ supposed to throw out these wicked rulers such as Herod, the man who arrested him? Why couldn’t Jesus get him out of prison?

Jesus gave John a reassuring answer to John, pointing to all the miracles He had done. We know from other parts of Scripture that one day Christ will return to judge His enemies, but in the meantime, He is patient that all people everywhere may turn to Him (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

Jesus Christ died on our behalf long before we were born. He rose from the dead. If we believe this truth, and truly trust that Christ died for us and rose again, then we are saved.

Notice He says, “Go and shew John again those things” (Matthew 11:4). Remember that you trusted Christ to save you, and you are not trusting in yourself. Think on these things:

  1. Salvation has nothing to do with what we do. Christ did everything for us. If we sin, we confess our sin, and move on (1 John 1:9). Christ already died for us. If we do good works, it does not make us more saved. The good works we do are from Christ anyway.
  2. Salvation has nothing to do with who we are in the flesh. Christ died for all. No matter who you are, you are saved if you believe on Jesus Christ. When we believe, we become a new creature, and our old spiritual us is no more.
  3. Salvation has nothing to do with our feelings. You might not “feel” saved. That does not change the fact that Jesus died for you and rose again. On the contrary, just because you “feel” saved does not mean that you are. Your salvation is based on fact, not feeling. It is faith in the historical fact that Christ died for you, and that He rose again, apart from all feelings or any other attribute intrinsic to us.
  4. Salvation has everything to do with Christ. Stop looking at who you are, what you do, and what you feel like, and look to Christ, who secured your salvation by Himself unilaterally.