The dreadful uncertainty that haunts many people grows out of misunderstanding what the Christian experience is. Some people don’t seem to know the nature of Christian conversion, while others have been misinformed concerning conversion and seek an experience that is not biblical. But for most, it comes down to confusing faith with feeling.
Faith always implies an object—that is, when we believe, we must believe something. That something is what we call the “fact.” Now let me give you three words that will help you understand the Christian life: fact, faith and feeling. They come in this order, and the order is essential. In this order, you will have the joy and confidence of one who can say, “I know whom I have believed” (II Timothy 1:12).
First, you are saved through a personal faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined in the Scriptures. The Gospel refers to the news of Christ’s death and resurrection in order to pay the penalty for our sins and provide a way to eternal life.
Faith is the second of these three words. Faith is rationally impossible where there is nothing to believe. Faith must have an object. The object of Christian faith is Christ. Faith means more than agreeing with the claims of Christ; faith involves the will—a decision to believe in Christ. If you say with your mind and your heart, “Yes, I believe in Christ and receive what He has done for me”—that He died for my sins—then you have eternal life.
Faith, then, means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ. It means acknowledging sin and turning to Christ. We do not know Christ through the five physical senses, but we know Him through the “sixth sense” that God has given every man and woman—the ability to believe.
Feeling is the last of the three words, and it must remain last in your thinking. I believe that earnest and honest seekers for the salvation of God have unrest and uncertainty when they think they must have some kind of emotion to make conversion a true experience.
Remember, feelings do not drive our faith. The fact of Jesus’ death and resurrection drives our faith. That means that feelings are the fruit of faith, not the source of it. So when your feelings waver, retreat to the stronghold of faith. Don’t feel your way into your beliefs; believe your way into your feelings.
Many have been told to look for such spiritual thrills, but the Bible says that man is “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28), and not by feeling. A person is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not by bodily sensations and religious ecstasy. Again, the only experience you can look for and expect is the experience of believing in Jesus Christ.
Someone might say, “I believe the historic facts of the Gospel, but nothing has changed for me. I don’t think I’m saved.” Perhaps you are not, for the faith that saves has one distinguishing quality: Saving faith is a faith that produces obedience. That is why Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey me." (John 14:15)
In John 15, Jesus discusses the fruit that will be the result of a true conversion. If you are still a slave to your sin, and you are not making any effort to get closer to Christ, at the very least you need help in your walk with Christ. Jesus said again in John 13:35 that, "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
That doesn't mean that those who follow God aren’t immune from sin. But they don't linger in their disobedience, they continue to get up and trust in God’s grace again. As one person who met Jesus cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Are you wavering today? Do you feel your faith wearing thin? Are you unsure whether you’re even a Christian? Call out to Jesus, who hasn’t changed. Place your faith on him and say, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Thankfully, God has given us ample instruction for how we can know for sure that we have eternal life. The first book of John was actually written for that purpose, as it states in 1 John 5:13, "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."
There is a series of tests in 1 John that we can use to examine ourselves and our faith. As we look at them, remember that no one will perfectly fulfill all of them all the time, but they should reveal a consistent trend that characterizes our lives as we grow in grace.
1. Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? (1 John 1:3)
2. Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? (1 John 1:6-7)
3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8)
4. Are you obedient to God’s Word? (1 John 2:3-5)
5. Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world? (1 John 2:15)
6. Is your life characterized by "doing what is right"? (1 John 2:29)
7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3)
8. Are you sharing the Good News of the Gospel with those around you? (Matthew 28:19-20)
9. Do you rejoice when you hear of others making a decision to follow Christ?
10.. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) [Note: this refers to not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.]
11. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14)
12. Do you "walk the walk," versus just "talking the talk"? (1 John 3:18-19)
13. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21)
14. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4)
15. How you spend your time and where you spend your money are two more ways you can determine what you value in your life. (Matthew 7:20)
In closing, one final thought: Scripture is clear that if we are Christ’s there will be evidence of God’s work in our lives. However, when examining this aspect, we need to 1) involve others and 2) take a big-picture view. This means, rather than looking at the sin you committed yesterday and saying “I don’t know if I’m saved,” look at a broader span of time and ask yourself, “Am I closer to Christ now than I was 5 years ago? Is there more evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in my life now than there was 5 years ago?”
Better yet, don’t just ask yourself these questions. Ask a trusted friend or spiritual mentor. The Bible is clear that we are incapable of discerning our own hearts, and that there is wisdom in the counsel of others. One of the most important things to do when struggling with assurance of salvation is to surround yourself with other believers. Get in a small group (or something similar) and air your struggles. You can read book after book, but there is absolutely no substitute for sharing concerns with someone who knows you.
But remember this, God will always reveal your heart if you are asking from a position of humility and repentance. Fire-escape prayers will often go unanswered, because the motivation is for rescue, not repentance. God will always answer the prayers of the repentant, and He will reveal your heart if you are genuine in your prayers. If you don't have a group or even one person that you trust with your secrets and questions, God is always there for you and He is never afraid of your questions. You have the Holy Spirit living inside you if you are a Christ-follower and He will instruct you in your faith journey.
After reading this blog you might be convicted that there is a complete little to no growth as a Christian, and if so then it comes back to this question – Have you truly repented and believed on Jesus, trusting Him alone? If not, I encourage you to click HERE to read this post to learn how you can be saved.
(Based on a article by Billy Graham)
