Doubting salvation

Lik3 said:

Is it normal for believers to have constant doubts about being saved? I am writing about true believers, not just anyone who professes Christianity. I have had constant doubts about being a believer for years and I am not sure if it is the enemy trying to deceive me or something else. I am not even sure if I have asked this before, but since I am in counseling, I should have done a better job bringing this subject up. How should I deal with having these constant thoughts outside of counseling? Where in scripture can I find verses or chapters about this particular subject? It is a fearful thing to not know that one is saved. It is an even more fearful thing to know you are not saved and not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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You have good reason to doubt if you trust in yourself for maintaining your salvation; you have absolute confidence if you are assured it is God that is entrusted with keeping your salvation. Note Paul's confidence is in God's ability to "guard" what was entrusted to himself:

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12, ESV)

I can't tell you if you're saved, but I can tell you that if you trust in the atoning work of Christ as your salvation hope and you turn from sin to follow Him the Bible says you will be saved. The book of 1 John is loaded with marks that can tell if someone is saved or not.

Lik3 said:

How do I know if I am trusting only in myself or if I'm only trusting in Jesus for my salvation?

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I am not sure what you are asking. Is there someone in your life in whom you have a high degree of trust that they will do what they say? If so, it is that type of trust; a sure expectation of another person's ability and will to do what they said they will do. Does that make sense?

I have a story written about my experience with doubt of salvation that includes wonderful writings of encouragement from friends who also struggled with doubt of salvation. I will post the links to the writings from my friends first (although you can read my own story if you want). I think the writings from my friends can bring you encouragement:
sites.google.com/site/jeffsstory429/letter1
sites.google.com/site/jeffsstory429/hecaughtme
sites.google.com/site/jeffsstory429/letter2

Here is my own story if you want to read it although you may not be able to relate because it involves a cult that I listened to on the radio.

sites.google.com/site/jeffsstory429

Jesus gave us a way to tell if we are saved. Do we bear fruit?

Is there love in your life where before there was not? Are you inclined to be kind to strangers moreso that before? Have you found yourself wanting to give more to those who don't have as much? And so on.

For me, I clearly saw that since seeking and believing in Jesus I have demonstrated behavior that I NEVER had before withou some selfish self-centered motive behind it.

One thing that helped me; Jesus said that unless we become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of God. How to children believe? When their parents tell them they will catch them, they jump in the pool. It helped me to put myself in my mind a level lower, sort of consciously becoming a child in thinking and just BELIEVING despite logic and my doubts. Much produce has resulted.

I believe our relationship with God is a major determinant of how much conviction we have; the more we get to know God and the mystery that he is, our salvation amongst other things becomes [literally] a subjective reality. In the meanwhile we do contend in so many ways(including acts of faith and what constitutes are lifestyles as believers) for the full assurance of our salvation, as spoken of in[bless and do not curse]Hebrews 6:11
"And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: " KJV
That is , full assurance is something that is worked at with the help of the Holy Spirit.[bless and do not curse]
Not because we have no faith in it but because we have an enemy who will stop at nothing to jeopardize God's plans including [bless and do not curse]the fulfillment of our salvation, which by now we should have understood is a continuous process after the initial declaration of the status - "saved"
So my advice would be to get closer to God and eradicate as much as possible the factors that adversely influence your relationship with God.[bless and do not curse]
Also if it will take re-dedication or principally giving one's life to Christ (where the individual is not sure if they already have or because they didn't mean it the first time) to re-assure one's status then go ahead; it's an act of faith God will be pleased with.[bless and do not curse]

You can know if you are saved by how you live your life. Some say all you have to do is make some kind of verbal profession & you are saved for life. I don't believe that personally. In Revelation we see Messiah saying that some of His followers are in danger of having their Menorra, i.e. His Light, Himself, taken away from them. We are told that "Those who persevere to the end will be saved..." Persevere in what? In following the Word.

For example, if one believes because he or she is "saved" (I doubt this is you, just a case study) but thinks it is okay to break the commandments, I don't think that person is going to be saved. In fact, Messiah made the Commandments be understood in fuller perfection when He said those who look on a woman to lust (there is inappropriate contentography for you) are committing adultery and those who hate their brothers are committing murder.

Revelation says that those who have the "testimony of Messiah" and those who "keep His Commandments" will be saved. So, the question for each of us is, are we following the Word, or the world? The Holy Spirit is standing by to guide us and strengthen us to be obedient if we ask Him with fervent, heart felt sincerity.

Praying you will always follow the Word and not the world, and get to Heaven with lots of reward.

Lik3 said:

Is it normal for believers to have constant doubts about being saved? I am writing about true believers, not just anyone who professes Christianity. I have had constant doubts about being a believer for years and I am not sure if it is the enemy trying to deceive me or something else. I am not even sure if I have asked this before, but since I am in counseling, I should have done a better job bringing this subject up. How should I deal with having these constant thoughts outside of counseling? Where in scripture can I find verses or chapters about this particular subject? It is a fearful thing to not know that one is saved. It is an even more fearful thing to know you are not saved and not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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the enemy is always trying to deceive you, especially where your spiritual rebirth is concerned.

i went though periods of doubt at times over the years until i realized what the whole purpose of 'salvation' is - to know God; to have a personal relationship with Him. since there's not going to be any 'proof' in this life that God even exists, i must believe by faith in His word that i know Him and that He leads me and i follow His leading (at least some of the time, anyway ). for me, this scripture is what casts those doubts out of my mind:

Joh 17:3 KJV
(3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

let's face it; it's nuts to believe in a virgin birth, resurrection from the dead, etc. - from a physical evidence perspective - if you can believe these things, you must know God!

You might want to replace those doubting thoughts with "If we confess our sins, he (Yahweh) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9. (defined he).

Being "saved" is being in covenant with God. When we come to God, many of us walked in some dark places. Sometimes there is some of that still pulling on you. If you give your soul to the vanity of the world, you'll get "junk" in the spirit that will detract from your well being.

We're to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life. Everything the enemy has is to distract you and pull you away from the peace and joy in Christ. It's a deliberate walk. We must stir ourselves up in the spirit.

There are good teachings on fighting the good fight of faith. Kenneth Hagin's is a very good one. He speaks of how the very atmosphere we live in is full of unbelief. We must press into the things of God (worship, thanksgiving, prayer, the Word, etc.). Take the leaven of the Spirit and purge the leaven of the world.

It's always good as a starting point to declare yourself in covenant with God by the Blood of Jesus. Speak forth the scriptures about the Blood and righteousness. I like to do this after first repenting of any sin and then ask God for grace for today. Thank Him for it.

It's a good idea to formulate a good "RX" of scriptures to declare over your life. Ones that speak of the Lord's faithfulness, His righteousness (as a gift), authority over the enemy, etc. Go through the Word and make a list and speak them out loud. It's amazing what speaking the Word does in the atmosphere you live in. It also sets the "rudder" of your heart. Start sowing the Word into your heart. Look at the promises as seeds and prepare the soil of your heart in praise.

These things are all "keys" that you can work at any time to stir yourself up. We can become stagnant and fail to employ the life that can be in our tongue. Let the abundance of your heart be the Word of God by meditating on it all of the time. Have a thankful heart and acknowledge His Lordship over every aspect of your life.

Spend some time with Him!

LoricaLady said:

You can know if you are saved by how you live your life. Some say all you have to do is make some kind of verbal profession & you are saved for life. I don't believe that personally. In Revelation we see Messiah saying that some of His followers are in danger of having their Menorra, i.e. His Light, Himself, taken away from them. We are told that "Those who persevere to the end will be saved..." Persevere in what? In following the Word.

For example, if one believes because he or she is "saved" (I doubt this is you, just a case study) but thinks it is okay to break the commandments, I don't think that person is going to be saved. In fact, Messiah made the Commandments be understood in fuller perfection when He said those who look on a woman to lust (there is inappropriate contentography for you) are committing adultery and those who hate their brothers are committing murder.

Revelation says that those who have the "testimony of Messiah" and those who "keep His Commandments" will be saved. So, the question for each of us is, are we following the Word, or the world? The Holy Spirit is standing by to guide us and strengthen us to be obedient if we ask Him with fervent, heart felt sincerity.

Praying you will always follow the Word and not the world, and get to Heaven with lots of reward.

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This is probably the most dangerous thing I've read since being on this forum. "You can know if you are saved by how you live your life." How YOU live has nothing to do with salvation. Salvation is not about us! It's about Jesus completely!

I use to have serious doubts of my own salvation until, I trusted in Christ alone for my salvation. Not repenting of sins, not church, not Bible study, not fellowship, nothing but Jesus Christ! John 3:16; John 3:36; John 6:47; John 5:24; John 6:28-29; Acts 16:30-31; Ephesians 2:8-9

Study these scriptures and take God at His word. Looking to yourself will always cause one to doubt because you'll never be good enough to get into Heaven.

Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone!

Lik3 said:

.. It is a fearful thing to not know that one is saved. It is an even more fearful thing to know you are not saved and not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance"
(1 Thess. 1:5)

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover ... And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. "
(Mark 16:15-20)

I'm in a Church that sticks to the original where God bare independent witness when people received His Spirit with his sign of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4, 33; 10:44-46, Romans 8:15-16, John 3:8).
We should expect this as God himself declares that our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9), and "many" they call Jesus their Lord and who know his teaching and take communion etc will be told "I never knew you". (Matt. 7:21, Luke 13:26)

We do not replace that with making a confession/profession or a man-made prayer. Many of us did the latter and like you, didn't see a difference. When we did the former it opened the door to a daily 2-way relationship with God.

Here is a scripture for you: Matthew 16:
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Lik3 said:

Is it normal for believers to have constant doubts about being saved? I am writing about true believers, not just anyone who professes Christianity. I have had constant doubts about being a believer for years and I am not sure if it is the enemy trying to deceive me or something else. I am not even sure if I have asked this before, but since I am in counseling, I should have done a better job bringing this subject up. How should I deal with having these constant thoughts outside of counseling? Where in scripture can I find verses or chapters about this particular subject? It is a fearful thing to not know that one is saved. It is an even more fearful thing to know you are not saved and not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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See my signature passage below which tells you what salvation is BASED ON. Its solely the finished work of Christ on the cross with the ressurection of himself proving his finished work was totally adequate to save you from sins. Its not based on your feelings at any given time, but it must be based on the FACT of the cross and ressurection. So, examine the passage listed at the bottom and be sure you have genuinely done this which will be evident from a changed life (Born Again experience) incorporating a dismissal of known sin lifestyles coupled with actual proactive steps in serving God and Others while allowing God to develop in you the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:24 , called sanctification . If youve seen this distinct change in yourself, then you can have total assurance you are saved and your salvation is certain into eternity. Staying in the Lord is vitally important as you go thru your earthly life despite momentary setbacks that 'may' happen.

Any followup questions ???

Lik3 said:

Is it normal for believers to have constant doubts about being saved? I am writing about true believers, not just anyone who professes Christianity. I have had constant doubts about being a believer for years and I am not sure if it is the enemy trying to deceive me or something else. I am not even sure if I have asked this before, but since I am in counseling, I should have done a better job bringing this subject up. How should I deal with having these constant thoughts outside of counseling? Where in scripture can I find verses or chapters about this particular subject? It is a fearful thing to not know that one is saved. It is an even more fearful thing to know you are not saved and not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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I highly recommend you read the book Knowing I’m Saved:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1983249580