How Can I KNOW I Am Saved?

Welcome back to The V.O.I.C.E. Last time we dealt with God’s command to gain the assurance of our salvation. Again, doesn’t it seem wonderful to you that God expects us to gain assurance just as much as He expects us to obey the command to pray? The very fact that God expects it ought to produce a divine hope in our hearts of certain victory. Lift up your head then and march forward in confidence. There is a definite point in time when you will obtain the assurance your heart so desperately needs.

“How can I be so sure of victory?” Well, let’s think about that command for a minute. Within the command we see two things: the promise of God’s enabling and our personal responsibility. God never commands us to do something that He won’t give us the power to do, so we can rest assured that God will enable us to gain sweet victory over the giant of doubt. However, there is also a personal responsibility to act upon the command of God. As the arm of faith reaches out in obedience to God’s command, it can take hold on the promises of God. If you will boldly claim the victory now, God will provide the needed power to make your claim a reality. Do you believe you will most definitely gain your assurance? Do not doubt it one bit (“nothing wavering,” James 1:6-7) or there will be no victory.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

I Peter 5:10

Consider this promise. Are you currently established, strengthened, and settled about your salvation? No? Then this promise is for you. He is the God of “all grace.” He has a specific grace for handling your doubt. Don’t forget, He is the One Who called you, and He is the One Who will “make” you. Do not think that you are limited in victory because of personal weakness or inability. It is God Who will do the work. However, don’t think that it will come without some suffering. You may need to spend some nights in earnest prayer seeking the face of the Lord. Oh, but is not this word, “after,” a blessed Word! This indicates a specific time that God will make good on His promise.

“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 . . .”

I John 5:13

Here again we have God’s promise and God’s intention for every believer, “That ye may KNOW!” Now, reach out the arm of faith and claim the promises of God, and God will grant that you may be established, strengthened, and settled about the reality of your salvation. It’s imperative that you understand this first key to victory over doubt.

Faith: The Necessary Foundation For Victory

II Peter 1, in speaking on the essential steps to gaining assurance, starts by saying, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith . . .” (II Peter 1:5) Listen carefully, don’t miss this first step! You must express faith in the clear promises of God, “His exceeding great and precious promises.” (II Peter 1:4) God has emphatically said that you will have the assurance of salvation as you obey Him in faith. Then away with all fear, intimidation, and insecurity! He has said it! Grab hold of the promise. Settle it in your heart right now, “No matter how I feel right now or where I am, by the grace of God, I will gain the assurance of my salvation at a definite point of time.” Do not be mistaken, you cannot climb the staircase of assurance until you first have stepped upon the stair of faith.

Admit and accept that your current state of defeat is not God’s intention. There is a provision for victory, but you cannot obtain it until you step out in faith. “How do I step out in faith?” A great place to begin is to refuse doubt, fear, and insecurity. Replace those attributes of unbelief with a settled assurance that God will make good on His promise. It may even help you to just stop and vocally shout the victory. (Go ahead, try it!)

But What About Past Failure?

Anyone who has struggled in this area has, no doubt, failed at times to gain a complete victory. The fact that you still doubt your salvation evidences past failure. You may very well have tried every little trick to gain victory and only found defeat. When I struggled in this area I would grasp at every thought, every idea, and every method. There were times when I would gain temporary relief, but eventually the doubt rats chewed through, and I was back at square one. What is the problem? Why the defeat if God has certainly promised victory in this area?

In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian and Hopeful detour from the way of truth to an easier path. Soon, because they walked away from truth, they find themselves captives of Giant Despair in the Castle of Doubt. This cruel giant treats them with the severest punishments, and locks them away in his dungeon. There, these two pilgrims fall under great discouragement and despairing of life itself. They feel completely helpless trapped in this dungeon. Their constant beatings brings such a weakness that they cannot resist or fight Giant Despair, and their bondage prevents them from attempting escape.

Many who struggle with assurance feel this same reality. The Castle of Doubt seems to you to be without escape. What with the iron bars of uncertainty, the stocks of insecurity, and the chains of fear, how will you ever be free? Oh let me assure you, having spent some time under Giant Despair, this giant is not friendly! He forces you to spend sleepless nights, beats you up emotionally, and leaves you feeling so weak that you cannot fathom trying to fight back. Is there a way to be free?

The Key To Victory

Christian and Hopeful spend a night in prayer (“. . . after that ye have suffered awhile . . .”) and in the morning, Christian suddenly realizes he has been holding the key to victory the whole time. He pulls out the “Key of Promise” which unlocks every door in this horrible Castle of Doubt. Instantly, they are set free of the Giant Despair that abused them, and walk down the path of Christian service with great joy.

All along, Christian had with him the key to victory; it was claiming the promises of God. Listen friend, you may have spent 10 years or more in the Castle of Doubt under the grievous hand of Giant Despair, but at any moment you may be free. You hold in your possession the key to victory! It is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of God. To know them without expressing faith in them is to do exactly what Christian did for ten days of imprisonment. Just now, stop your unbelief and grab hold of the two precious promises mentioned at the beginning of our discussion.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

II Peter 1:4

Notice, it is by these promises that we escape the Castle of Doubt and Giant Despair. Look no further than this my friend. If you are to gain the assurance of salvation you must use the key of God’s promises by faith. Forget all the little mind games you have played in futile pursuit of peace. Get a specific verse and stand on it.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Have you called out to the name of the Lord believing He died for your sins and asked Him to save you? Is the answer, “Yes”? Then grab hold of this promise! Take the key of promise and open the lock of doubt and despair!

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved . . .”

Acts 16:31

Right now, do you believe Jesus is the sinless Son of God Who came to this earth, bore your sins, and died in your place? You say, “Yes, but . . .” NO! There is no “but!” If you believe in your heart that Christ died for your sins, you are saved! God has given you this promise, if you will believe on Him, you will be saved. You do not doubt that promise one bit. It’s your feelings and your integrity you doubt. Rest assured then, you are not saved by your feelings or integrity but on the basis that you don’t doubt one bit the promise of God to save anyone who will believe on Him.

Next time we will look into this subject further. I hope this has been a help to you. I encourage you to take this and put it to practice. You may not feel the complete victory at this moment, but you will. I won’t say, “I promise,” because that wouldn’t mean much to you. However, I will say, “He has promised.”