Column: Look to Jesus and his Word for assurance of your salvation
Our devotion today focuses upon this question, "Are you struggling with assurance of your salvation?" My text is 1 John 5:13, where we read, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (KJV)
There are precious people today that will struggle with "How can I know that I'm saved, that all of my sins are forgiven and that I cannot go to hell when I die?" I want you to know from God's Word that you can rest assured that all of God's promises are clear, certain and indisputable. From Acts 16:31, I can tell you that if you believe on Jesus Christ to save you, you are saved.
"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (KJV) From Acts 10:43, I can offer to your heart that if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have received remission or forgiveness of all your sins. "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." (KJV) From John 3:15-16 and John 10:28, I am so glad that I can tell you that if you have received Jesus to be your Savior that you will never perish or in other words, lift your eyes in Hell when your leave this life. "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. / And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (KJV)
Please understand, assurance does not come by looking at my faith, but instead, assurance is ours by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The more I examine my faith, the more discouraged I will become because I know how much of a failure I am. The more that I look to my Savior, the Lord Jesus, and glory in His finished work for me, and honor His power to save me, and glory in His amazing love for sinners like me, the more my faith will be increased. Please know this, that God has never asked me to believe in "my faith," but instead, He instructs me to place my faith in the only One who can save to the uttermost. Hebrews 7:25 says this concerning placing our faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation of our soul, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (KJV) If you will only look to Jesus Christ, the doubts will flee like darkness runs from light, and you will enjoy the blessing of assurance of your salvation!
Joey Durham is pastor at Open Bible Baptist Church at 180 Old Manning Road in Sumter. You can contact Pastor Durham at durham.joey@yahoo.com or call the church office at (803) 481-9315.