Completely. This is how Jesus saves us. He doesn’t provide a temporary fix, or grant us a reprieve. No, Jesus saves us completely.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “…because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25).
If you have come to God through Jesus, you are saved. You have crossed over from death to life. The transaction is complete, permanent, and unchangeable. He guaranteed His work on your behalf with this promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
What wonderful news!
Yet, far too many believers doubt they have been saved completely and fear that they can lose their salvation. Through thirty plus years of ministry, we have discovered that doubt regarding salvation is the biggest spiritual issue Christians face.
For most people, doubt flows from the daily struggles against sin and temptation as we do our best to live the Christian life, yet fail time and time again.
My friend Stacy was 95% sure that he was saved. He had trusted Christ for salvation during his teenage years. Instead of being encouraged to grow in the grace of God, he was quickly caught up in all the religious do’s and don’ts.
He gave it his best shot, but soon he was lost in the Romans 7 maze and didn’t know how to get out. The things he wanted to do, he didn’t. The things he didn’t want to do, he did. His struggles to live the Christian life gave voice to the gnawing doubts concerning his salvation.
With one negative event after another parading through his mind, that 5% uncertainty became Stacy’s constant companion. He went to bed each night wondering if he was actually saved at all.
Stacy finally reached a point of desperation. He called our radio broadcast for help. We had the privilege of sharing the wonderful truth of God’s complete salvation in Jesus Christ and the assurance we can have in Him. Two passages were particularly meaningful to Stacy that day.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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 (1 John 5:11-13).
As Stacy listened, he drove a stake, anchoring his assurance of salvation to the finished work of Christ. It was a point in time when the love of God melted his fears and replaced his doubts with thankfulness.
That isn’t to say that doubts concerning his salvation have never resurfaced. They have, but Stacy has a point of reference. When those doubts come, the Lord reminds him that he has been saved completely through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Stacy’s story is not unique. Doubts and fears regarding salvation are common place.
I spent much of my early Christian years wondering if I was truly saved. I prayed to receive Christ hundreds of times just to make sure. But still the doubts persisted. Then I learned what Christ had accomplished on my behalf, that the salvation He provided was complete. The day I gained assurance of my salvation was one of the best days of my life.
If you are struggling with assurance of salvation, let today be the day you drive the stake. It could be the best day of your life.
ARCHIVE.PHP