“How can I know for sure that I’m saved?”
If you’ve ever asked this question, you’re not alone.
It’s not uncommon for people who have, at one time, made a profession of faith in Christ to need assurance of their salvation at some later point in their lives.
After all, we know how high the stakes are, don’t we?
And we also know there’s no margin for error.
Jesus Himself said:
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
Matthew 7:21-23
I sure don’t want to be one of the ones who have been so deceived about such a critical matter, and I’m guessing you don’t either.
So how can we know for sure?
Here are some steps to work through if you’re experiencing a season of doubt about your salvation.
How to Know for Sure That You’re Saved
1. Spend time in prayer.
God does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So I know without a doubt that He doesn’t want earnestly seeking people to be deceived about the state of our hearts before Him. Ask Him to lead you through this process, and beckon His Spirit to either convict your heart that you’re not saved, or confirm that you are.
2. Study the biblical book of 1 John.
This little book almost at the very end of the Bible offers an invaluable description of what a Christ-follower’s life looks like. It’s not meant to be a “to-do list” for you and I to complete as a means of earning our salvation. Instead, it’s a vividly painted picture of what a Christian becomes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
A word of caution: this book is an easy read. But while a quick read-through might help as an introduction to the book, I don’t recommend that you stop there.
Instead, take your time examining each verse. Pick up a spiral notebook and record in your own words every description you see of the Christian life. This may take several days or even weeks – that’s okay! The speed doesn’t matter one bit; it’s thoroughness and thoughtfulness that matters here.
For example, your entries for I John 1:6-8 might look like this:
1:6 – Christians do not walk in darkness.
1:7 – Christians walk in the light, have fellowship with other Christians, and are cleansed from their sin.
1:8 – Christians don’t deny their sins, but admit them.
When you finish this exercise for the entire book, go back through, and prayerfully consider each element. Compare your life to the one described in I John. What are the consistencies? What are the discrepancies? Take care of any unfinished business God reveals by His Spirit through His Word.
3. Stake your claim.
I said it earlier, but it’s worth repeating: God doesn’t want the state of your soul to be a mystery to you. In fact, He’s made many statements and promises about this very thing.
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:12-13
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:14-17
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will 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 the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. John 10:27-30
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. John 6:47
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
Are you convinced yet?
One of the most important things we can do to eliminate fear and doubt is to choose to believe God. His Word trumps your feelings. It trumps the lies touted by the world. It trumps the enemy’s voice whispering in your ear.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.
I can’t explain it.
I can’t deserve it.
I can’t get over it.
But I absolutely believe it.
Because I believe Him.
Carrie Berk says
thank you. God bless.
Jennifer Clarke says
You’re welcome, Carrie! Please let me know if there’s a specific way I can pray for you.
Taylor adams says
Thank u for this. Im struggling bad with depression and anxiety. But all poonting towards spiritual. I asled Jesus to be my savior at 14. But got into the world. Did things a saved person wouldn’t do. Thwn God convicted me and i changed my life around, made me a wife and a mother. But now after all these years of following him and living for him, i am plagued by worry and doubt. My heart believes in God and his word. My mind feels like its broken though. I just want peace and confidence to be able to claim that im a child of tje King and no longer fear death or hell. Thank u
Jennifer Clarke says
Hello, Taylor, and thank you for taking the time to share your heart here. I’m honored to pray for you about this, asking God to affirm your salvation one way or the other. I pray that your heart would echo the man who says in Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” If you haven’t gone through the steps I suggest in this post, I encourage you to do so. I think this process will be a help to you.
Miranda says
Thank you for your post. I too have a similar past to Taylor. I asked Jesus in my heart a long time ago, and fell into the world. I’m getting my life back on the right track and also my son’s. I read in an article to know exactly what “blasphemy of the holy spirit” is and now it replays in my mind and im terrified that since it’s in my mind I’ve committed it, even though I don’t believe in it, nor said anything. I still praise God for all he has done for me, but now my heart feels heavy with fear and anxiety, and I feel distant from god. What can I do?
Jennifer Clarke says
Hi, Miranda, and thank you for sharing this with me. The root of fear and anxiety is unbelief; instead of believing the truth of what God says in the Bible, we instead believe lies we’ve been told by the world or by Satan. This can happen easily when we’ve spent more time with worldly thoughts and habits than we have with spiritual ones.
I encourage you to press in to the Lord Jesus and continue building your relationship with Him. The more you do this, the more you will love Him and desire Him. Read your Bible as much as you can, using a version that you can understand. Most Bible apps will actually read the Scriptures to you, so that can be a great option, too. Memorize Bible verses. Pray. Listen to Christian podcasts. Join a local church so you can worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, hear the Bible preached, and use your spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ. Spiritual growth is a process, so don’t expect things to change right away. Romans 12:1-2 teach us that we can avoid being like the world when we instead renew our minds, and we do this by saturating ourselves with the things of God as much as possible.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. I will pray for you, Miranda, asking God to draw you close and to help you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Angela says
Thanks so much for these inspiring thoughts.
I had a husband who died 10 years ago and I got married the second time and ended up divorcing because I made a huge mistake by marrying someone whom I didn’t love. I knew within myself that this guy didn’t spark a cord in me but,I got pregnant and because I felt the best thing to do was to get married knowing fully well that I didn’t love this man. I eventually told him the truth and I filed in for a divorce which was a year ago. Since that time, I feel guilty everyday like I have failed the LORD greatly because the Bible speaks against divorce. I have prayed and ask for forgiveness but, I still feel like the Lord will never forgive me for what I have done. I am now in a loving relationship with a wonderful man but, sometimes feel so sad that I won’t make it to Heaven because of my divorce.
Thanks
Jennifer Clarke says
Hi, Angela, and thank you for your email. I appreciate your sharing your heart here. Jesus said in John 10:27-30 that His sheep will never perish, and that no one can pluck them out of His hand. This means that once we belong to Him, through faith in his death and resurrection, we always belong to Him. If you’ve confessed your sin to God but still continue to feel guilty, there are two possibilities. The first is that God is impressing on your heart that you’ve never really belonged to Him. Did you go through the exercise in 1 John that I shared in this post? Does your life reflect a genuine faith in God? Here is another post that might be helpful in praying through this matter.
If you are indeed a believer in Jesus Christ, the only possibility that remains is that you haven’t believed in God’s forgiveness for the sin you’ve confessed. You can read here about why we don’t need to forgive ourselves and what we really need instead. I pray that God will work through His Word and His Spirit to help you gain assurance of your salvation.
Deborrah Brown says
Hello my name is Deborrah Brown and I believe in The Father, I believe in The Son of God, Jesus Christ, and I believe in the Holy Spirit. I needed to hear this post. I will not be afraid for I am a child of God.
Jennifer Clarke says
Hi, Deborah, and thank you for taking the time to say hello. I’m so glad this post ministered to you. May God help you to know Him, love Him, and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Becca says
Hi Jennifer. Thank you so much for your post. I’ve been searching a lot lately about assurance. I made a profession of faith at the age of 9. I knew I was sinner and I asked for forgiveness and asked Him to come into my heart. After that, I felt total relief. I wasn’t scared of dying anymore. I knew that if something happened to me, I would be in Heaven with Jesus. I was totally sure I was saved. Then at the age of 12/13 I started to get into some really horrible sin with a friend of mine. I believe this is where my doubts started to come from when I was 13/14. I kept thinking “How am I saved if I am in involved with such a horrible sin?” I know for a fact that one can not lose their salvation because of what the Bible says. My fear and doubt is whether I was actually saved at 9. I don’t know if the sin I was involved made me feel like I actually wasn’t saved or if I was never saved in the first place. I remember feeling saved and knowing I was saved from that moment when I was 9. Why did I start having these doubts then? I’m very scared. I’ve had these on and off for the past 9 years. I’m 22 now and married. I really start to think about it when I think about dying or think about Jesus’ return. The past two weeks I have done some intense reading and searching and praying to God for Him to show me what I need to do. I would love a reply. Thanks so much!
Jennifer Clarke says
Hi, Becca, and thanks for sharing so freely here. I appreciate your transparency, and I rejoice in the work God is doing in your life. I know it’s the work of God because left to our own devices, none of us would care in the slightest whether we belonged to God or not. The fact that you’re wondering about this and that God is pricking your heart about it demonstrates that He is trying to get your attention.
I suspect your experience is a common one for those of us who made a profession of faith early in life. To be honest with you, I’m still not sure whether I was actually saved at age five when I first made a profession. But the thing I’ve come to realize is that it doesn’t really matter. Or if it matters, it pales in comparison to what really matters, which is whether I’m saved right now.
Romans 8:16 tells us that God’s Spirit affirms to our spirits that we belong to Him, so if you have unsettled doubts, that is something important to explore. You came across a good post for helping with the exploration. Do you plan to go through 1 John as I suggested in this post and take note of the marks of a Christian? You can find another post I’ve written on this topic here. God’s Word has a lot to say about what Christian life looks like, not just on the outside, but in the heart. So I urge you to keep seeking the Lord. Dig into His Word. Be honest with yourself about whether your life resembles the Christian life He describes in the Bible, and whether your heart resembles the Christian heart. I will pray that He will direct you to the truth, and that He will give you the courage to act on whatever that truth reveals. Please keep in touch! I’m happy to answer other questions along the way. I can be reached at jennifer@adivineencounter.com.