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Turning Doubts Into Assurance

READ | 1 Timothy 2:1-6

One Sunday morning several years ago, a lady made her way down the aisle when I invited people to come and receive Jesus as Savior. As we talked, she explained that she became a Christian as a young girl but never felt certain she was saved. “I’m in my seventies,” she said. “And I’m still struggling with what I was struggling with in my twenties.” Her story of doubt is similar to many that I hear. But according to God’s Word, believers can be sure of their salvation.

God would like all people to be rescued from a future in hell so that they can spend eternity with Him (2 Peter 3:9). We cannot save ourselves—the penalty we owe for our wrongdoing is death. So the Father made a liberation plan. He sent His Son Jesus Christ, who was perfectly sinless, to die in our place (1 Peter 1:18-19). When we trust in Jesus and receive His sacrifice as payment for our debt, all of our past, present, and future sin is cast away.

The Bible says nothing about conduct or performance earning forgiveness—good works cannot offset our sin-debt, although this is a rather popular idea. In fact, the opposite is true. Paul said salvation is “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

All of the glory for this wonderful plan of redemption belongs to God. He’s a loving Father who not only wants us to be saved; He also made a way for it to happen. He promised that if we believe, then salvation is ours. The child of God does not have to be burdened by doubt.