What the Bible says about “How to have assurance about salvation.”
- God is holy and all mankind, as sinners, stand unholy before Him – 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (1 Pet. 1:16, Rom. 3:10, 5:12 Isa. 64:6, Psa. 14:3.)
- God loves sinners, sent His Son, the sinless Lamb of God, to suffer man’s penalty for sin, die on the cross, and be resurrected as Redeemer for all mankind – 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Jn. 3:16, Isa. 43:11, Acts 5:31, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Tim. 1:15, 1 John 4:10, 14)
- Mankind, religious by nature, tries to atone for sin by “good works.” The Bible states that “good works” by man are not sufficient – Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” – 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- God demands righteousness according to His standards, which mankind can only meet by faith in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is imputed to repentant sinners who place their faith in HIM and HIM alone – 4:6 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” (Rom. 4:11, 22, Gal. 3:6, Jas. 2:23, Rom. 5:1, 1 Jn. 2:2)
- Sin separates us from God, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man – 1 Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (See also Isa. 59:1-2) John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
- For sinners to be reconciled to God, they must believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior, and trust Him only for salvation – 5:11 “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” 2 Cor. 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
- Salvation is not an experience, a religious quest, nor an obscure “pipe-dream.” Salvation is in the person of Jesus Christ – 1 Jn. 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
- When an individual realizes the need for reconciliation to God, is willing to turn from sin unto a forgiving Savior, and trust Christ only for salvation, THEN the gift of eternal life is given– Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…” Jn. 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Rom. 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
