So the question is, did you publicly profess Jesus Christ and were you scripturally baptized by immersion. (Rom. 10:11) It is vital to understand that baptism and being a member of a does not save. However, these are important first steps in the life of a person who has received salvation by faith alone. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the one who is baptized is publicly declaring that they have believed and Jesus Christ is their Lord. Being a member of a church also does not save but the Lord wants believers to join together in worship, service and fellowship. Baptism and church membership have no meaning for a person who has not believed and is not saved. No ritual, act, or work can save us.

           "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

           Public profess of faith, baptism and a change of life are first acts of obedience to those who have truly believed in Jesus Christ. If one truly believes then they will want to do what the Lord has said they are to do and they will obey the Lord. A saved person will follow the Lord and will "walk in the light" as the New Testament teaches.

           "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)

           Salvation is emotional and will involve feelings, but our assurance of salvation is not based on how we feel. Emotions vary, but salvation is a singular act of God when one believes and it is eternal. God says:

           "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)

           Once a person believes and is saved they are eternally saved and nothing can change that fact. Salvation cannot be lost if it is truly received. Jesus said,

           "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)

           Our emotions are fickle and will change with different circumstances. However, once saved, salvation is everlasting. So should we feel saved? The answer is "Yes, " but let's qualify that answer. If a person is living a godly life, filled with the Holy Spirit, which means letting Him guide and direct us we will emotionally feel good about our relationship with the Lord. (See Eph. 5:18) However, if a Christian is not living for the Lord they will experience doubts, a lost of assurance and the peace and joy of being a child of God. So yes we should feel saved, but we do not base our assurance on how we feel. Our assurance comes from God's word.

           Assuming that a person has believed and received eternal life, there can be many reasons a person may not feel like they are saved. One major reason is that a person is not living for the Lord. They know they are failing the Lord in their lives and they do not feel good about it. A child of God is indwelled by the Holy Spirit and He brings conviction when we sin. God is a loving father and He will chasten His children when they sin and go astray. In His love for the Christian He seeks to help them overcome their sin and its destructive result in their lives.

           "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:6-13)

           Thus, if a believer does not feel saved there may be a good reason. That reason may be they are out of fellowship with the Lord and those in that state will not feel good about it.

           If you believed in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation....then did you see a change in your life as to your attitude towards sin and my faithfulness in obeying the Lord? When God truly saves there will be a noticeable change in one's life of some degree.

           "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

           When a Christian doubts and has problem with assurance of salvation the cause will lie in how they are living their lives. Living the life God intended will bring peace and assurance and also the opposite is true. God tells us in His word the Bible how we can live the best life possible so let's then look at several things God says about the life He wants us to live.

           God says that believers should attend church and worship Him with other believers. Often for one reason or the other once faithful believers drop out of attending church. However, God has given us a straight forward command that we should be involved in a sound biblical local congregation.

           "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:19-25)

           Jesus instituted the local church to be a place of worship and refuge from the world.

           "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16)

           God's purpose for us in attending church is that we be "edified" meaning be built up in the faith. This helps us to grow and in faith be assured for our salvation. Did you note that the Lord stated several purposes for why He gave us the local church. He said, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro. . ." James addressed the same situation saying, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (James 1:6-7) God does not want us being toss to and fro. When a believer is being tossed around by doubts we cannot really live our lives as God intended nor can be and example and witness to others. Being stable in our faith and commitment to the Lord will bring comfort and assurance. Being unstable will also produce its negative effect.

           "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

           A true New Testament church will teach and preach God's word and will support the child of God in their Christian lives. It is reading and learning God's word that helps us to mature in our faith and service to the Lord. The Bible is God's instruction explains what it means to be a Christian and live a godly life. Taking an active part one's local church is important and involves hearing the preaching and teaching of God's word, witnessing for Christ, studying with others, and giving one's tithes and offerings to the Lord. A Christian cannot feel good about their relationship with the Lord when they are ignoring the institution that Ephesians 5:25 say Christ gave His life for,

           "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25)

           A sound Bible believing church is God's way of providing help in our daily lives and growing strong in Jesus Christ. A Christian that is not living and obeying the Lord certainly will not "feel" good about their life when they are ignoring the help the Lord is trying to provide. God is seeking to draw wayward believers to living the life He has for them. Christians living outside God's will with never be comfortable or have assurance....and that is the way it should be.

           Although, it is also vital that a believer be a part of a Bible believing church that preaches God's word, many believers find themselves in churches that only claim to be preaching the Bible. Many in reality are preaching modern philosophies, a social gospel, and a watered down message which does not truly point people to Christ for salvation or edifies them or builds them up in the faith. A church that alters God's word, or changes it to fit the convenience of man is not a Bible believing church. Many times a church or pastor will bow under pressure if the strong preach God's uncompromising word. Paul warned young Timothy the pastor at Ephesus,

           "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3)

           A true New Testament church will major in preaching and teaching God's word without compromise. If a person is not in a good Bible believing church they should seek one. Worship is an important part of a believer's life after they are saved. It brings us closer to the Lord and instills a deep love and respect for Him. It bring vitality to our new Christian life and that brings peace and joy in our salvation. Too many churches are dead and have little life in them. They do not challenge God's people to live a godly life. Preaching is boring and topical and provide little meat to fed the child of God spiritually. They are pastored by professional preachers have an occupation, but little passion for God's word and care for His flock.

           One the other hand, there is a modern trend that is growing rapidly of churches moving toward having contemporary services with a great deal of emotional modern music, special singers, and a message that keeps people laughing and entertained. Churches are doing await with choirs singing the biblical old hymns of the faith and replacing them with band's playing rock and roll music with some weak emotional lyrics. God's church should be a place that spiritually provides a place of true worship of God. The atmosphere should be respectful, peaceful providing a place of quiet refuge. Nowhere in God's word do your find God condoning bringing the world into God's house. Instead He strongly condemned thing that was of the world. Everything used in worship was to be totally sanctified unto the Lord with no exceptions. Providing a feel-good atmosphere of entertainment is not true worship. It may make a person feel good for a few minutes, but it fast fades away and becomes old. The entertainment of today will become boring tomorrow and churches that take to this path soon will find themselves more and more having to satisfy the flesh and ignoring the spiritual needs of their congregation. A Christian attending such a church can find themselves spiritually starved and wondering why they do not feel better about their salvation and relationship with the Lord. They go from one emotional "high" and feeling down between.

           Not putting Jesus Christ first in one's life will cause a believer to lose the blessings of God and the peace and joy of salvation. Colossians 1:18b tells us ". . . that in all things he might have the preeminence." Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) It is easy to get caught up in work, hobbies, fishing, hunting, sports, social activities that take up our time. There is nothing wrong with doing this things if done in moderation. (Phil. 4:5) But they can effect us spiritually when pursuing these things becomes excessive or driving force of our lives. Jesus said to put Him first and in doing so the other things in our lives will be taken care of. In fact when we have a proper relationship with Christ and He is given first place He is directing our lives and that brings His blessing. A person robs themselves of the blessing and joy of their salvation when they put anything first before Jesus Christ.

           Lastly, unconfessed sin can also rob one of assurance of salvation and their relationship with the Lord. God's word addresses this in 1 John,

           "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:8-10)

           When we sin we need to confess it to the Lord. Yes, He has already forgiven the believer, but in confessing our sins to the Lord we are admitting them to ourselves and to Him. If one denies their sin or ignores it they will not overcome the sin and in fact the unconfessed sin will lead to a complacent attitude towards disobeying the Lord and grow worse in time. The process of admitting and confessing sin helps us to overcome the sin so that we will not repeat it. When we honestly address sin and admit it our attitude against allowing sin in our lives is strengthened. Thus the Lord cleanses us from the sin and its results.

           A person who doubts their salvaiton ahs somewhere gone astray in their Christian life. If a person truly believes and accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and then questions their salvation they should examine their lives honestly and see where the problem is coming from. God has a will for every believer's life and it is the best life one can possibly live. Anything less will never truly satisfy or God peace and blessings.

           Sometimes a person's past sins become a problem in coming to a full assurance of salvation. The source of these doubts come from two places. One is our memory and carnal nature. The natural man or carnal nature of man will be with us till we die. Often one begins to think of past sins and feels really unworthy and guilty. Another source is the devil who God says is the "accuser" of the brethren. His goal is to keep a believer doubting and ineffective in living for Christ. With either source a Christian will begin to dwell on their past failures. The cure for this problem is understanding salvation from God's word. Think, ....how many sins does God forgive when He saves a person? The answer to that is all sin, past, present and future. So then what sins are not under the blood of Jesus Christ? Answer, none. Further, who does God save? Paul said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1:15) What man is righteous and is worthy to be saved? "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10) The truth is that all believers were and are sinners, but God forgives all sins and thus when our conscience or the devil begins up the past...we simply honestly reply, "Yes, I am a sinner, but I am forgiven because God said I am."

Conclusion:

           As I said at the beginning. I cannot tell if anyone is truly saved or can I give assurance, but God's word can. That is where the person who doubts their salvation must turn and must believe God. I have two an articles on the Bible Truth web site. One deals with how one is saved and the other with assurance of salvation.

1. "God's Simple Plan of Salvation." What does the Bible say about how a man is saved. .

2. "Can A Person Know For Sure That He is Saved and Will Go To Heaven When He Dies?" This article deals with assurance of salvation from God's word.

           It is God's desire that everyone be saved and then have the full assurance of their salvation. We each should understand that all our feeling of unrest about our salvation is the Lord seeking us. It is the result of His bringing conviction to our hearts to draw us back to Him. The simple solution is to honestly repent of our sins. Repentance means to be sorry, but it biblically meaning means to have a change of heart. How we once thought we now see was wrong and we turn having a change of mind and believe God. God certainly wants to bless His children, and will if we simply do what He tells us.

           The passage that changed my life is quoted below. Why not study and accept it as the rule of our lives,

           "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

           "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

8-9-08