Am I Really a Christian?নমুনা

The Role of Faith in Assurance

Even though our salvation is secure once we trust in Christ, many people may still struggle with assurance of salvation because they rely on their feelings as a test of salvation, they focus on their failures, or they compare themselves to others who appear to have more faith. We can easily look at the wrong things for our assurance – like our performance, emotions, or how we measure up to others – rather than trusting in the finished work of Jesus – His death and resurrection.

When Jesus walked on water, Peter wanted to join Him. He stepped out of the boat, but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus – distracted by the wind and waves – fear took over, and he began to sink. Jesus didn’t let Peter drown when his faith wavered. He reached out and rescued him (Matthew 14:22–33). Jesus’ response shows us that it’s not the strength of our faith that saves us, but the One we place our faith in. Thankfully, your salvation isn’t about your grip on God; it’s about His grip on you. If you’ve put your faith in Jesus, He promises that no one will be able to snatch you from His hand, or the hand of His Father. No one includes you.

Some claim it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you’re sincere. This is simply not true. What you believe matters more than how much you believe it. The real question isn’t how strong your faith is – but whether the object of your faith is reliable. If you need to use a bridge to cross a canyon, the question isn’t how much faith you have in the bridge – it’s whether the bridge can actually hold you. If the bridge is strong, even if your faith in it is weak (you’re nervous and overly cautious), the bridge will hold you and you’ll get across safely. But if the bridge is weak, even if your faith is strong, and you run across with great confidence, you’ll still fall. Weak faith in a strong bridge is better than strong faith in a weak bridge.

You can grow your trust in what God has said about your eternal security (and in that way grow your assurance of salvation) by knowing God’s promises, rejecting feelings as the ultimate test of salvation, and keeping your eyes on Jesus. Today, celebrate that your security isn’t in how well you hold onto God, but in how perfectly God holds onto you. Once you’re His, you’re His forever. Your salvation isn’t based on your performance but on the power of Jesus’ resurrection and on His unshakable promises. God never intended for you to live in doubt, grappling with comparison and fickle feelings. May you grow in your eagerness to focus on Jesus, rejoicing that nothing can snatch you from His hand.