Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Assurance of salvation

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay
If you ever doubt your salvation, please pray about it and delve into scripture. There are so many passages that let us know that once we're saved, we're always saved.
     I know this from experience. I surrendered my life to Christ at the age of 14 (nearly 15) but became more prideful as I grew older. Around 18-19 years old, away from home for the first time as a college Freshman, I began to turn my back on Christ more and more until finally I stopped reading scripture, attending church, and praying. That went on for about 25 years and my life felt empty; it was often full of struggle. 
     Then, one day, God got my attention. I thought I was having a heart attack and rather than 'do' anything about it, I prayed. I'm not sure what I prayed; there was probably some bargaining in there and a lot of confessing. Obviously, I survived (please call 911 if you ever have symptoms of a heart attack; I was foolish but felt compelled to just pray).
     Afterward, re-examining my entire adult life, I realized the emptiness was because of me trying to go it alone but that God never left me. He was always there. If only I had let Him in, that period of my life would have been so much easier to handle. 
     I'm thankful that He never gave up on me and that He got my attention and pulled me back to Him.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NKJV
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
John 10:28-29 NKJV

     It may sound boastful, but I rarely doubt my salvation. The reason is simply that the bible tells us over and over again, that once we're saved, it's a done deal. All we have to do is:

... confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
 And this is the testimony: that 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. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5:11-13 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

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Please join me this week in praying for the unsaved that they may come to know the hope and assurance of a loving and merciful Father, of Christ Jesus who bore our sins on the cross that we may have eternal life. Pray for those who are fearful and anxious, that they may find peace and joy in Jesus. Pray for the lost that the Good Shepherd will call them to Him. And finally, pray for the opportunity, and then the words and encouragement to share our testimonies, our assurances as followers of Christ Jesus.
 
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Christ #5assurances #eternallife #forgiveness #grace #salvation

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