Afraid of losing salvation

[ColorfulBlossoming]

On 10/28/2019 at 10:51 AM, Billiards Ball said:

Trusting in self is futile. Trust in Jesus IS salvation.

And I agree with you! I never said trusting in self is salvation. I know trust in Jesus is.

On 10/28/2019 at 10:51 AM, Billiards Ball said:

 

The fruit of salvation is assurance. If you lack assurance, you need to do a check on whether you sincerely trusted in Jesus.

I check if I trust Him almost every day.

[ColorfulBlossoming]

On 10/27/2019 at 8:56 AM, BeauJangles said:

These thoughts of unsure feelings about God's existence cause me to wonder if you have always had a belief in Him or not. Being raised in agnostive of disbelieving families can commonly result in having questions along these lines.

Before I became a christian, I was a non-christian theist that was apathetic about religion and similar topics. My mother and my grandmother are christians, but my grandfather isn't. My grandmother is a catholic who almost never goes to church (and she creates excuses for not going...) and my mother was one too (after I became a christian she started to go to church with me and now she's protestant) and when I was younger I had gone to a catholic catequesis class but there I didn't learn the fundamental things (like for eg. that salvation comes by grace through faith, not by works; that not everyone is saved...etc). The christians of my entire family (which all of them are catholics I guess) didn't even tried to evangelize me. I was blind. It was by becoming interested in reading the Bible by myself that I saw the truth and after then when I started to believe in Jesus I asked Him to forgive my sins and to be my Savior.

(Btw, I almost always don't doubt if I'm a true christian until those intrusive thoughts appear). 

[Dennis1209]

On 8/8/2019 at 3:11 PM, ColorfulBlossoming said:

Greetings...it's embarrassing to talk about this, but I think I need to talk about this...

Intrusive thoughts of a unbelieving nature that claim things such as"God doesn't exists" have been tormenting me for a while and I feel guilty when they pop up, even when I hate these thoughts and I don't want they appear.

Almost always, when I have a feeling that they'll appear, I start to frighten due to this feeling, and sometimes when that happens I try to do something to avoid them (such as think about God's grace and try to be calm), but this doesn't always work.

The worst thing is that sometimes, after they appear (especially the one that claims "God doesn't exists"), I feel like I had believed what they claimed (or like I had thought them deliberately) and them I feel distressed due to that feeling, and when that happens I pray to God the "prayer about salvation" (the one in which you accept Jesus as your only Lord and Savior with genuine repetance for the sins you had committed and with genuine faith that He's God and He died and arose from the dead because you can't save yourself with works) because if that feeling wasn't a false alarm and I believe stupid things such as "God doesn't exists", I fall from salvation, because I can't be saved without faith...so I pray that after that happens, just in case...and after I pray that, I exanimate to ascertain whether I am a true Christian or not with questions such as "Do I believe God exists"? And I come to the conclusion that yes, that I believe the God of the Bible exists, that Jesus is God and He died in the cross and arose from the dead...and then I'm confident that I'm saved until these thoughts appear again and I feel like I had believed them or had thought them deliberately... I even had already found theological/philosophical, logical and scientific evidencs in favor of Christianity, which helped my faith to grow, and I even had thought about studying theology and to be an apologist.

Honestly, I'm scared to die as a unbeliever and to God to hell...I DON'T want that to happen...I love Jesus and I don't want to leave Him. I don't want to be an unbeliever.

Maybe I have religious OCD; maybe I had never fallen from salvation and that feeling is justo a false alarm and I believed that I had fallen from salvation by fear and paranoia; or maybe not matter what God would do I'll go to hell, because If a Christian can deliberately loose they salvation (because God allows humans have free will), them I'm probably doomed. Honestly, I'm confused, and afraid...

I had a similar concern much like you describe myself. We fight not against flesh and blood, but spiritual and dark forces in high places. I had cold sweats going to bed at night, with thoughts of, "am I really saved or not?" This is a question that scared me to death so to speak, eternity is forever, I became terrified.

Because you are so deeply concerned and afraid, that's a good indication that you are saved. I was so concerned, I did a lot of studying in scripture. The three short books of I, II, and III John give about TEN indications to know you are saved. The book of Romans is another one that will give you comfort and assurance. I carefully read and studied the aforementioned scripture and passed. 

Big indicators are; did your 'want to's' drastically change? Do you find yourself reading the word of God more often and searching things out? Are you more aware and conscience of sin and do your best not to? Do you find yourself looking forward to church and worshiping, rather than a drag? All of a sudden, did you find yourself loving your brothers and sisters in Christ, more than your secular friends and activities, and want to associate with them more. Do you feel in your heart to help and do good, sacrifice, and selfish feelings dwindle? Just some indicators I gleaned from the books I mentioned above.The most important is loving our Lord with all our heart, soul and mind; and loving our neighbor as our-self and forgiveness. 

[Behold]

On 8/8/2019 at 3:11 PM, ColorfulBlossoming said:

Greetings...it's embarrassing to talk about this, but I think I need to talk about this...

Intrusive thoughts of a unbelieving nature that claim things such as"God doesn't exists" have been tormenting me for a while and I feel guilty when they pop up, even when I hate these thoughts and I don't want they appear.

Almost always, when I have a feeling that they'll appear, I start to frighten due to this feeling, and sometimes when that happens I try to do something to avoid them (such as think about God's grace and try to be calm), but this doesn't always work.

The worst thing is that sometimes, after they appear (especially the one that claims "God doesn't exists"), I feel like I had believed what they claimed (or like I had thought them deliberately) and them I feel distressed due to that feeling, and when that happens I pray to God the "prayer about salvation" (the one in which you accept Jesus as your only Lord and Savior with genuine repetance for the sins you had committed and with genuine faith that He's God and He died and arose from the dead because you can't save yourself with works) because if that feeling wasn't a false alarm and I believe stupid things such as "God doesn't exists", I fall from salvation, because I can't be saved without faith...so I pray that after that happens, just in case...and after I pray that, I exanimate to ascertain whether I am a true Christian or not with questions such as "Do I believe God exists"? And I come to the conclusion that yes, that I believe the God of the Bible exists, that Jesus is God and He died in the cross and arose from the dead...and then I'm confident that I'm saved until these thoughts appear again and I feel like I had believed them or had thought them deliberately... I even had already found theological/philosophical, logical and scientific evidencs in favor of Christianity, which helped my faith to grow, and I even had thought about studying theology and to be an apologist.

Honestly, I'm scared to die as a unbeliever and to God to hell...I DON'T want that to happen...I love Jesus and I don't want to leave Him. I don't want to be an unbeliever.

Maybe I have religious OCD; maybe I had never fallen from salvation and that feeling is justo a false alarm and I believed that I had fallen from salvation by fear and paranoia; or maybe not matter what God would do I'll go to hell, because If a Christian can deliberately loose they salvation (because God allows humans have free will), them I'm probably doomed. Honestly, I'm confused, and afraid...

Its very natural to have thoughts of unbelief, and feelings of being unsure about God, Christ, all of it.     Just Ask any atheist.

To have doubts is to be human.

The reason God requires FAITH, is because this is not our natural state of mind or heart, regarding what we can't see with our eyes.

But here is the thing.   The Faith that we give God, that He accepts to save us....is Accepted.   He does not accept it based on if we promise to feel the same about it, 34 yrs later.

Thats not how it works.   What God does is offer to everyone, Christ as our Savior, and He accepts our True Faith that we give to Him that one time, and that does it.

= WE are born again.    So, salvation is not a lifelong journey to decide if you are good enough to keep it, ...it is instead..... God taking you as HIS forever, because you did what He told you to do ONE TIME.....So, He then does what He promised, and He does this for you, forever.

HE SAVED YOU.  Thats eternal.  Its a promise.     And this is without repentance. This is not temporary, or requiring a Part II that we do.   See, God accepts our Faith to then Apply to us  what JESUS DID for us, on the Cross.

Jesus is both our Savior and our SALVATION.

Salvation, is not you straining to keep hoping you can keep believing the same as you did that one night during Church Revival 18 yrs ago when you went to the alter full of tears.   No.  Salvation is God accepting what you did 18 yrs ago at the alter to then make you His and keep you his and never can this be altered, changed, or stopped.

People come in 2 versions.   2 varieties.

1.) God has you.

2.) you died a Christ rejector.

There is no in-between.

Everyone is one or the other.

 

Edited November 29, 2019 by Behold

[Dennis1209]

On 8/8/2019 at 5:46 PM, ColorfulBlossoming said:

I try to trust Him, but these thoughts discourage me :/ but I still haven't given up faith and hope.

Before I became a born again Christian, I had obsessive thoughts of another nature, but after I became a Christian those particular thoughts dissapeared, and then I started to have those tormenting thoughts of a unbelieving nature. So that's why I suspect I might have OCD (I haven't visited a psycologist yet to know if have OCD or not).

They appear at any time, but the chances they appear increase when I'm stressed/anxious, happy or I feel energetic. 

Thanks for the uplifting words and for praying for me. God bless you.

I just realized how old this thread was. But anyway if your still checking in and reading your post; may I ask if you're attending a Bible believing Gospel preaching church? I'm sure a godly man and Pastor would be happy to talk to you about your fears and problems if they are spiritual in nature. 

[Billiards Ball]

On 11/28/2019 at 4:07 PM, ColorfulBlossoming said:

And I agree with you! I never said trusting in self is salvation. I know trust in Jesus is.

I check if I trust Him almost every day.

That's not assurance. Assurance is "I know I trusted Him in the past for salvation, so I have an irrevocable gift." (Romans 6&8, salvation is a gift, gifts of God are irrevocable).

[ColorfulBlossoming]

?? 

What is not assurance?

[ColorfulBlossoming]

On 10/27/2019 at 8:21 AM, lftc said:

Hi ColorfulBlossoming

reviewing this thread, I see that you did not respond for some time.  Are you still struggling with the same issue?  It truly is a very common struggle.

Hi! God bless you. I don't always respond in time because I'm busy, my first language isn't English so it takes me some time trying to write in English in a intilligible maner (that may take me even some hours), and because I'm a introvert person, sometimes I avoid social interaction   

Yes, I'm still struggling with the same issue, I'm getting better since yesterday thank God! 

[ColorfulBlossoming]

On 11/28/2019 at 8:44 PM, Dennis1209 said:

I just realized how old this thread was. But anyway if your still checking in and reading your post; may I ask if you're attending a Bible believing Gospel preaching church? I'm sure a godly man and Pastor would be happy to talk to you about your fears and problems if they are spiritual in nature. 

Yes, I'm attending one, it's a pentecostal/charismatical one, although I'm planning on moving to another church because I believe they are preaching some doctrinal errors :/. 

Yes, I said to my Pastor what I had and he said that it's common issue, he and my brothers and sisters from that church prayed for me.

Edited December 11, 2019 by ColorfulBlossoming
Typo

[F_Ivan]

Hi Blossoming I'm going through something very similar to you. These thoughts aren't you, they're just thoughts borne out of your worst fears and if denying God is your worst fear that's a pretty good indicator you're a believer. I used to have HOCD (homosexual OCD) were I thought that I might be gay, I would get bombarded by gay thoughts and although I never liked men and always was attracted to women I thought "what if deep down i might be gay?" now I look back on it and laugh because it wasn't true at all and the only reason I was having them was only out of fear and pessimism.

My advice would be to disregard the thought AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS, even if you've been sulking in the thought for hours as soon as you realize it disregard it immediately. Put your trust that the thoughts are lies and that Jesus will help you and guide you. Talk to alot of pastors and mature christians too. Also start praying for others and try to not isolate yourself. These kind of fears can make you self centered if left unchecked after a while.