Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
June 20, 2001 Randall Caselman
Overcoming Salvation Doubt
Sometimes the joy of our Christian walk is interrupted by the nagging doubt of perhaps we are not saved, heaven-bound people. Some are driven to despair because of such doubt. Christianity then becomes a burden instead of a joy. God would have us to be happy people. Paul says,
Rejoice in the Lord always... Be not anxious about anything... Let the peace of God guard your heart and mind in Jesus... The Lord is near. Philippians 4.4-7. How can we overcome such nagging doubts about our salvation?
Understand that salvation is God’s idea. God is continually at work on our behalf. God worked through 3500 years of human history to make salvation possible through the event of the Cross. And He is not finished. He is still at work in us, working things out to our salvational benefit. Read Romans again.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son... What shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us... Neither death, life, angels, demons, anything in the present or the future... Nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Excerpts, Romans 8.28-39.
God is working at all times in all circumstances to keep us in His family - to keep the saved saved. If our salvation was totally dependent upon our efforts, we would have reason to worry and doubt, but it is not.
If God be for us, who can be against us? Rejoice, and again I say rejoice!
Understand that salvation is based upon fact, not feeling. We must stop trusting in human feelings and place our trust and confidence in God and His promises. Feelings are fickle. If we are flying in a 707 at 20,000 feet and the hydraulics of that aircraft go out, we are in serious trouble regardless of how we feel. I read of a man who committed suicide because he thought he had AIDS. He did not. We can’t always trust our feelings. However, we can trust God’s truth and His faith facts:
Fact is...
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3.16.
Fact is...
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3.9.
Fact is...
If you will confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved... He who trusts in Him will not be put to shame. Romans 10.9,11.
Fact is...
For we are sons of God by faith. For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, have been clothed with Christ. Galatians 3.26-27.
Fact is...
If we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son continues to cleanse us of all our sins... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1.7 & 9.
Now, based upon the facts of scriptures, where do we stand with God? An examination of our spiritual condition must come from the Holy Word of God, not from personal feelings or opinions.
Understand that salvation is by grace. Doubts about our salvation will always exist until we accept the fact that we are saved by grace, that salvation is a gift from God. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Grace is God’s initiative on our behalf. Justice is getting what we deserve; Mercy is not getting what we deserve; Grace is getting what we do not deserve.
If a state trooper stops you on the interstate for going 85 MPH, justice is him giving you a ticket - getting what you deserve. Mercy is him not giving you a ticket - not getting what you deserve. Grace is him giving you a box of chocolates - getting something that you do not deserve. I want grace, don’t you? As long as we think or feel that we must earn heaven, we will continue to doubt our salvation. The Gospel is
Good News because we do not deserve God’s love.
In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1.7
In an age of cheapened grace and easy discipleship we must not view grace as a tack-on to living as we want. The Bible clearly teaches that responding to God’s grace radically alters our behavior and produces a life of progressive obedience to God.
Salvation by grace is through faith. God will keep us saved as we work out our salvation... And we can be confident that God is working in us to will and to act according to His good purposes. Philippians 2.12-13.
With all of heaven’s power behind us, our challenge is
to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promises is faithful. Hebrews 10.23 We must never doubt His power, His love, His intent for us, or our position as long as we are living by faith’s facts.
RANDALL CASELMAN
