Am I Really a Christian?Намуна

The Confusion and the Truth

Salvation is meant to be simple – and joyful! – yet so many believers live in fear of not being ‘good enough,' fear of falling away, or fear that maybe they’re not truly saved. If salvation can be lost, it’s crucial that Christians aren’t misled into a false sense of security. Conversely, if salvation is secure, believers shouldn’t be burdened with unnecessary fear over something that can’t happen.

When I first became a Christian, I wrestled with knowing for sure whether or not I was saved. (Was I doing enough praying and scripture reading?) But everything changed when I finally understood what the Bible says about our security in Christ. My salvation wasn’t based on my performance but on Jesus’ finished work on the cross. God wants you to know this joy and confidence, too. Your place in His family is secure! What loving father wants his kids to live in fear of being kicked out of the house every time they mess up? Your Heavenly Father loves you too much to let you live in doubt about His unconditional love for you.

It’s important to note the difference between eternal security and assurance of salvation. Eternal security is God’s promise – an objective truth – that if someone places their faith in Jesus, they have eternal life. It’s a bit like someone depositing $1 million into your bank account. It’s there – you’re rich! – whether you believe it or not. Assurance of salvation is our personal confidence that we’re eternally secure in Christ. We believe what God has said about our position in Christ. This is like knowing there’s $1 million in your account and enjoying it.

God wants us to have both eternal security and assurance of salvation. God promises eternal life to anyone who believes in Jesus. That’s eternal security. And John tells us, ‘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.’ (1 John 5:13 NIV) That’s assurance of salvation. Knowing for sure that we’re saved makes a difference in our daily lives because it gives us the confidence and courage to live as God wants us to live.

It’s worth noting that if we could lose our salvation, then we wouldn’t be able to thank God for it (we can’t be genuinely grateful for something that may or may not be ours). What’s more, we wouldn’t be able to share the gospel effectively. We’d be telling people, ‘Hey, believe in Jesus! You may or may not be saved.’

God doesn’t want you to live in constant insecurity and uncertainty. He wants you to live with joy and gratitude, knowing beyond a doubt that your future with Him is secure. You needn’t keep wondering whether or not you’ve ‘done enough’ to please Him, because your salvation isn’t based on how strong your faith is, how well you perform, or how much fruit you bear. It’s anchored in Jesus alone. Once you’re saved, you’re always saved – and that astonishing truth changes everything.