“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:3
If you’re struggling with the question, How can I know for sure that I’m saved—and that I’m going to heaven when this life is over? I’d like to help.
There are biblical truths you can stand on, along with some practical steps that can help you settle this question in your heart.
First, understand that experiencing occasional doubts about your salvation does not necessarily mean that you are not saved. Many sincere believers have wrestled with doubts at one time or another.
The Bible calls Satan “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10), and accusation is one of the ways he attacks believers.
Thoughts may come such as:
How could you have done that and still call yourself a Christian?
How could you have said that and still think you’re right with God?
If you were really saved, would you still be struggling with this?
Those thoughts can become especially difficult for mature Christians and Christian leaders. After all, how do you tell other people that sometimes you have struggled with questions about your own salvation?
But when doubt comes, that is precisely when we need to return to what God has said rather than depending upon what we feel.
Jesus said,
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
— John 10:10
It is also worth recognizing something very simple: you care about your relationship with God. You want to belong to Jesus. You want to be forgiven. You want to be in right standing with God. You want to spend eternity with Him. You want Him to be the Lord of your life.
These desires reveal your heart. And your heart is what God is looking at.
While the reality of hell is certainly something we should take seriously, God does not want His children spending their lives terrified and wondering whether He will suddenly cast them away. He wants us to learn to trust what He has promised.
We’re still human. We still miss the mark. We still sin and need forgiveness. These things reveal the power of “grace.” The gift of God’s grace is toward those who fall short of righteousness but who still deeply desire a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
— Ephesians 2:8-9
When the Holy Spirit brings genuine conviction of sin, we should respond quickly—confessing our sin, turning away from it, and asking God for His help and forgiveness. We need His grace every hour of every day.
There is an important difference between conviction and condemnation.
Conviction is from the Holy Spirit who challenges unrighteousness in our lives, which doesn’t break relationship, but does break fellowship. It also points to something that needs to change and draws us back toward God. Why? So that our fellowship can be restored.
Condemnation is always from the enemy, who accuses. Telling us:
You are hopeless.
God doesn’t want you.
You will never be good enough.
But here is the wonderful truth:
You aren’t saved because you’re good enough.
Neither am I.
None of us is.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23
Our assurance must therefore rest NOT upon our ability to live perfectly, but upon Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, in our place, on the cross. He was perfect and sinless and paid the price for any who would believe in Him for their salvation.
Scripture says:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
— Acts 16:31
And perhaps the most familiar promise of all:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
— John 3:16
For years I stood on street corners and talked personally with thousands of people in different countries and languages. One question I often asked was whether they believed they would go to heaven when their life on earth was finished.
Something surprised me. Many people who did not profess faith in Jesus, were quite confident that they were going to heaven. Yet I have met sincere believers in Jesus—especially those struggling with sins, habits, or failures—who continually question whether they are really saved and going to heaven.
Isn’t that interesting?
That is one reason I want to address this subject.
If you love Jesus but occasionally find yourself wondering:
Am I really saved?
Does God really really love me?
Does God still accept me?
I’d like to help you go back to Scripture and settle your heart upon something far stronger than your emotions.
God’s promises.
And remember this as we begin:
Having doubt does not automatically mean you have abandoned your faith.
Doubt is a question that needs an answer. And for something as important as eternal life, we should take those questions directly to the Word of God.
So, let’s do that together.
What Should You Do When You Struggle with Assurance?
So, what should you do if you’re struggling with assurance of your salvation?
First, remember what we have already established: occasional doubts do not necessarily mean that you are not a follower of Jesus.
But when doubts arise, I believe one of the best things we can do is return to the foundation and make sure we clearly understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And examine our heart to see if there is anything that needs to be dealt with.
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?…”
— 2 Corinthians 13:5
Suppose someone came to you and asked:
“How can I be saved?
How can I know Jesus personally?
How can I know that I’m going to heaven?”
What would you tell them?
That is an important question. Because if we are unclear about the gospel itself, we are going to have difficulty being confident that we have believed it.
So, let’s review the basics.
What Is the Gospel?
God is the Creator of all things. He made me, He made you, and because He is our Creator, He has the right to tell us how we should live. He has revealed His truth to us through His Word, the Bible. And through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
God gave mankind the freedom to choose, and mankind has repeatedly chosen to violate God’s commands. The Bible calls this sin.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23
Sin separates us from God, and every one of us is accountable before Him.
But this is where the good news begins.
God did for us what we could never do for ourselves.
He sent His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus lived the sinless life that none of us has lived. He completely fulfilled the will of His Father. And because He was without sin, He could become the perfect sacrifice for ours.
Jesus willingly went to the cross, suffering and dying in our place.
He became our substitute.
The Bible describes Jesus as,
“the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
— John 1:29
Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead. Victorious over sin and death.
That is the heart of the gospel.
What Is Our Response?
Our response to the gospel is repentance and faith.
We repent—meaning we turn away from living for ourselves and from holding onto our sin. We turn toward God.
And we believe—believe that Jesus paid our price in full and that He accepts us with all our faults and problems, when we choose to follow Him.
Biblical belief is more than simply agreeing that Jesus existed. The devil believes that. Many who will not enter heaven believe that Jesus was a real person.
The kind of belief the Bible refers to is—believing that Jesus is who He said He is and trusting what He accomplished through His death and resurrection.
We stop trusting in our own goodness to make us acceptable to God and place our trust in Jesus Christ, who paid for our sin. Then we start living a life that honors that decision by doing all we can to live in a way that is pleasing to God.
Obedience becomes part of our response to the One who has saved us.
So if you are struggling with assurance, ask yourself a very important question:
What gospel have I believed?
Am I trusting in my goodness?
My church attendance?
My religious background?
A prayer I once prayed?
Or am I trusting in Jesus Christ—His death, His resurrection, and what He accomplished for me… every day?
Our assurance must ultimately rest in Christ.
Go Back to the Gospels
Here is something practical I recommend.
If you are struggling with doubts, begin reading the Gospel of John again. Don’t rush through it. Read a little every day and pay close attention to who Jesus says He is, what He promises, and what He says about eternal life.
Then spend time in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and continue into the book of Acts.
There is something wonderfully grounding about returning again and again to the life, words, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Get your eyes off yourself and put them back on Jesus.
And Then Read First John
A pastor I respect gives another excellent recommendation to people who struggle with assurance: read the book of First John.
I think that’s very good advice.
First John repeatedly gives believers ways to examine what genuine faith looks like: belief in Jesus Christ, love for God, love for other believers, obedience to God’s commands, confession of sin, and a changed direction of life.
But notice something extremely important.
John wasn’t writing these things merely to call Christians to examine themselves endlessly and become even more uncertain.
He tells us why he wrote that… to build our confidence:
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”
—1 John 5:13
Notice that word:
KNOW.
God does not want our entire Christian life to be lived in a fog of uncertainty—saved today, lost tomorrow, confident one morning and terrified the next because we failed.
John points believers back to objective truth so that they can know.
And First John also gives us tremendous comfort when we fail:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
—1 John 1:9
Our confidence is not that we will never stumble again.
Our confidence is in Jesus Christ.
So, when doubts come, don’t run away from God.
Run toward Him.
Open His Word. Return to the gospel. Confess anything that needs confessing. Turn away from sin. Put your trust again in what Jesus has accomplished for you.
And remember His promise:
“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
—John 6:37
Your feelings may change from one day to another.
Jesus doesn’t.
And neither does His Word.
Thank you to our faithful friends and generous supporters—you are helping us continue to share truth, hope, and the power of God’s Word around the world.
No matter what you’re facing today—
remember – with God, nothing is impossible.
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