Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 10/30/2009

Question
what are some false assurances of salvation? What are true ones?

Answer
Kitty,

Thank you one again for your questions and the opportunity to help. To understand what the true and false assurances of salvation are, it important to understand what salvation means.

Salvation is by God's grace alone, and the believer is justified through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through sincere, godly repentance, and whole-hearted acceptance and confession of Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Through being born again, we become new creatures in Jesus Christ. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. We are justified at the moment of salvation or made to be “just as if” we had never sinned. And we are saved by Gods grace alone, and justified through faith alone.
Scripture References: John 3:3,16; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20: 1 Pet. 2:24, Romans 10:9-10


You see, a Christian is not a religious person, a merely a member of a church, or someone who does good things (these would be some of the "false assurances"); But a Christian is one who has been forgiven of his or her sin and has an ongoing personal relationship with God. Not only this, a Christian is someone that Jesus Christ lives in, one that has been born again (John 3.3) and lives in the assurance that Jesus paid the price for them to be right with God and go to heaven.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is . . .

1) God loves everyone and wants them all to live forever in His presence. John 3.16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

2) We are separated from God by sin. The Bible defines sin as things we do that are displeasing to God. As humans, not only have we done things that displease God, we cannot stop doing those things on our own. This is why the Bible calls us "sinners." Many sincerely believe that performing good works or religious acts will cause God to cancel out the wrong things that they have done. Spiritual and physical death came into our world because of sin. Physical death is a separation from loved ones on earth; spiritual death is separation from God. Romans 3.23 says, " . . .for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

3) Sin brings death. Romans 6.23 tells us that " . . . the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Physical death is separation from loved ones on earth; spiritual death is separation from God.

4) Through Jesus, God has provided the way for us to come to Him and be forgiven of our sins. Romans 5.8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God sent His Son, Jesus, to die and pay the price in full for all the wrong things we have done. We no longer have to be separated from God!.

5) We must individually admit to God that we are sinners and in an attitude of repentance (which means that we have changed our minds, the way we think, and turn away from sin to follow Christ), personally ask Him for forgiveness, the free gift of eternal life and to come into to our lives. Romans 10:9,10 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Its as easy as A.B.C.

A. Acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness .
B. Believe that Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins on the cross.
C. Confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

Simply talk to God and say something like this: "God, I know that I have sinned and have done things that have hurt You, others and myself. I am a sinner; please forgive my sins. I repent from all my sins, I turn away from my old life, and I ask you to give me the gift of eternal life. Please come into my life and save me from the punishment that I deserve. I put my full trust in what you did for me on the cross, Jesus and I take you as my Savior. Amen."

Does God then require us to do good works? Of course He does! But not to merit or earn salvation, but to show the world that we have been saved. God saves us by His grace given through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. But once we are saved our spiritual lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit testifying that we are the children of God.

Eph. 2:8-9, Gal. 5:22-23

Kitty, once again please let me know if this helps or if you have any further questions.

Elder Greg Madden