Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I want to talk to you for just a minute about something the theologians call the assurance of salvation.
What is the assurance of salvation? Well, that is for the Christian. It is this experience of hope, of peace, of joy. And it's the experience of hope and joy that is rooted in this certainty that I belong to Jesus.
So assurance of salvation happens when you think about how you belong to Jesus. You belong to Him. And when you think about that, and when you know that, and when you are certain of that, what does it do? It gives you hope. It gives you peace. It gives you joy.
The Enemy of Assurance
Now there are some enemies to the assurance of salvation. And one of the enemies of the assurance of salvation is Christians doubting their salvation. Have you ever doubted your salvation? Have you ever asked, “Am I a Christian? Am I actually saved?” Now pause and think. When do you ask yourself that question?
I ask that question on my worst days. I ask that question when I think or say or do something that I can't believe I thought or I said or I did, and I wonder, is it possible that maybe I'm not a Christian? Well, let me tell you first that whether or not you are a Christian, it's not based on what you do or don't do.
It is based on what Christ has done and whether or not you believe what Christ has done. And that's exactly what our verse is talking about. How do I know I'm saved? Well, we're told right here in Romans chapter 10 and verse 9. To be saved is to openly declare that Jesus is Lord, but to not just give Him lip service, to not just say the words, but to believe it in my heart.
In fact, the very next verse clarifies, "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." So in the heart we believe, we hear the good news that Jesus came and lived and suffered and died and rose from the dead in the place of sinners like you and me, so that sinners like you and me could be reconciled to God.
Experience Assurance
And there's a lot of people out there who don't believe that. But I believe that. And you believe that, and because you believe that, you say so. And that is evidence, friend, that you belong to Christ. So I just wonder if you're watching this and you don't believe the good news of the gospel, if you don't believe that Jesus came, lived, suffered, and died in our place.
Then I would challenge you now—believe. Believe it. It is true. And if you're a believer, and I bet many of you are, then remember who you belong to and experience the assurance of salvation. The hope, the peace, the joy that comes from knowing that Jesus is your Lord.
