Doubting your Salvation?
It is perfectly normal to go through periods of doubting your salvation when you have recently been saved. Sometimes the best solution is to talk it over and pray with someone who you trust and can encourage you. We also need to trust in the Word of God and not the feelings we have in a given moment and so knowing the truth in scripture is important.
Faith
The opposite of doubt is faith. Faith is fundamental to a walk with our Lord and faith pleases the Lord. Hebrews 11:6. Faith is the conviction of things we don’t see which can be a challenge for us all. Hebrews 11:1 Your faith will grow over time through the scriptures, testimony of others and your own life experience with God.
All that is needed for salvation is for you to Believe in Jesus Christ. Acts 16:30-31 :
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”
Some reasons for doubt
It takes a while for faith to grow and it can be challenged in the early days resulting in doubt about salvation but your faith will grow in time.
If you were saved by the message of “Come to Jesus and experience happiness in this life” then you may need to revisit your understanding of the need for salvation. Check out Ray Comforts message at Living Way that will provide some clarity to this. We do not get saved because we want a better life in this world, but because we have sinned against creator God and need His forgiveness to escape judgment, have a relationship with Him and obtain eternal life.
Sometimes we doubt because we are still struggling with our old sinful ways and need to realise that we are on a journey and yet to arrive. We are all a work in progress.
Build faith on the scriptures:
1. It is important that you agree with the scriptures that you are a sinner in need of salvation (and understand it is the same for all of us).
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2. You are saved if you have declared that Jesus is Lord and believed it in your heart. Who is Jesus to you?
Romans 10:9-10
9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
3. Know that nothing can separate you from His love.
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.
4. There is nothing you can do to pay for your salvation. It is a gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Religion wants you to earn you salvation but will always fail. Jesus wants a relationship with us and gives us salvation as a priceless gift.
5. It maybe battles with sin in your life causing you to doubt
The battle with sin is always with us and, just because you are saved, it does not mean you will change overnight. Learn the truth that if you confess your sin, he will always forgive you. Check out the page on overcoming temptation. In the meantime learn the following verse and take it to heart.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Salvation is not a feeling, it is by faith. So you can be certain that you are saved whether you feel it or not.
Next steps
- Talk to someone of faith you trust
- Read the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His Word
- Visit GotQuestions for more information and thoughts on doubting your salvation
Tim Challies Blog” Eight ways satan tempts you to question your salvation
Listen to Jon Jorgenson: Faith is a foundation