Renewing Our Confidence in Christ

“Lord, sometimes I don’t feel saved!”

Have you ever said that? All of us have. The harsh reality of humanness forces Christians to face their own failings and inadequacy before God. Christians must be conscious that they will fall and, at the same time, feel secure in their relationship with God. Walking that tightrope will never be easy, but it’s necessary for spiritual growth!

The problem is that we tend to swing from one extreme to the other; we waver between believing in a foolproof salvation and doubting our ability to be saved. And in correcting one crisis, we often create another.

Many Christians respond to the question, “Are you saved?” with an “I hope so,” “If I don’t commit some terrible sin,” “I guess I won’t know until I get to Judgement Day,” or “I really don’t know.” Is it any wonder that with such an attitude we have difficulty living the Christian life with excitement and zeal!

The apostle John was writing his letters to first-century Christians who were facing the same problems. Something or someone was producing a lack of confidence regarding their salvation. John, near the end of his first letter, tells his readers, “I have written these things to you, who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you might know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). John has set forth benchmarks to examine our lives and, therefore, our relationship with God.

Finally, some answers to this tormenting question “Am I really saved?”