I struggle with assurance of salvation

[adoptedwatcher]

Hello everyone! For years I have been wrestling with this doubt. Every now and then I wonder if I am actually saved. I accepted Christ as a little girl, but years since then my family has not been to church for one reason or another. Also different things have happened since my acceptance, good and bad. I struggle with certain sins and with making a habit out of reading the Bible often. I need help to just believe as I did when I was younger. Is there anything I can do to get to that point and stay there?

[AnOrangeCat]

I often recommend immersion for this. As much exposure to Christ as you can get. Reading, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, going to a good church. There's a peer pressure of sorts that comes with being in church and it's good.

[Justin Adams]

18 hours ago, adoptedwatcher said:

I need help to just believe as I did when I was younger. Is there anything I can do to get to that point and stay there?

Understandable in our world. At least you know what you want. As far as sins, they can be a stumbling block IF you equate your salvation with your efforts. All that we are required to do is BELIEVE. That is it. Now when the questions come, there are many mechanisms for you to focus on God and what He has done for us. The best is to UNPLUG and listen and maybe read John's Gospel over and over until you almost can memorize it. You have to replace doubt in your mind with something Godly. Do not rely on your feelings too much. Just state you Belief in Yeshua/Jesus often and listen.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Justin Adams

[john1]

2 hours ago, adoptedwatcher said:

Is there anything I can do to get to that point and stay there?

John chapter 8 verse 31,32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

 

I listen to the whole bible about every 2 to 3 weeks, the more you study the more you learn, don't leave it to the pastors to teach you the bible says nothing good about pastors.

And studying is the only way to know what's true.

[lovethelord]

AdoptedWatcher,

I highly encourage you to read your Bible every day. This is God’s Word communicating with us. The more you learn about him and develop a relationship with Him you faith and trust will grow in the Lord. You will see His amazing love and grace for all peoples. You will feel the salvation assurance that He wants you to feel. He has gifted believers with His Spirit to attest to our salvation. Even if you family doesn’t go to church, is it possible for your to go yourself? It’s important you get the support of other believers to strengthen and fellowship with others. It's also very important to regularly repent of all known sin so that you can have close fellowship with Him.

• Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
• Romans 10:13, “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
• Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
• 1 Peter 1:5, "who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

[saved34]

You have to come to a point where you believe God’s word. Assurance comes from understanding that he cannot lie. What he promised he will accomplish. 

Tit 1:2  in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,

He promised you victory over sin. He is with you, not standing back waiting for you to fail. You run to him with your sin in hand for forgiveness and cleansing. Walk in his light even when you feel like a complete failure.

 

The throne of grace is there 24 hours a day in time of need. Never allow your sin to make you feel far from God. Take that guilt and ugliness right to him. Lay them at the feet of Jesus. He is faithful and just to forgive.

 

Look at your attitude even in doubt, you still have a desire for God, if presented with opportunity to get saved a million times over you would do it. Of course that is not needed, but you would.

 

At some point take your stand on the rock of God’s word. Believe what he promised and quench every arrow of doubt the devil throws at you. Just know we all have been right there with you. God will never lie, you will never be made ashamed by trusting him. 

 

 

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom @adoptedwatcher

2 hours ago, adoptedwatcher said:

Every now and then I wonder if I am actually saved

I think that when we feel this its because of a prompt by the Holy Spirit to let us know something isn't right.

It's important to be brave and honest on the matter and reassess your life with the critical eyes of a disciple and prepared to start again like a child. 

I think we lose sight of the basics as we grow older and assume we know them. But a weak foundation makes for a shaky house to live in. It happens to us all, until we reinforce the foundation once more. 

3 hours ago, adoptedwatcher said:

I struggle with certain sins and with making a habit out of reading the Bible often.

3 hours ago, adoptedwatcher said:

Is there anything I can do to get to that point and stay there?

I would say the solution lies in reinvigorating your passio. And love for His Word! We can lose sight of it's majesty and life changing power, and take it for granted.  If you read the following page it should hopefully enthuse you to read it as when you were young

Faithandtheword.com/bother/reading

Faithandtheword.com/supernatural

Don't worry sister, these feelings we have are ultimately a positive thing. They let us know we need to correct our path. And why would He want you to know that if it wasn't love and compassion. 

Love & Shalom 

[Debp]

Lots of good advice already given.   I really think you should find a good church so you can hear the Word preached and also have actual fellowship in real life.   You will be surprised at how being around other Christians can effect you (positively).

[Blood Bought 1953]

I hope this helps you.....

 

Question: "How can I have assurance of my salvation?"

Answer: Many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.

How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “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.” Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.

God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Have you repented? Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your eternal salvation.

Jesus Himself assures those who believe in Him: “I 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). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even yourself, who can take Christ’s God-given gift of salvation away from you.

Take joy in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ’s own Word that our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance of salvation is based on the perfect and complete salvation God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
 

[Blood Bought 1953]

You may get comfort from the video I sent to Video Section under “ Assurance”