Doubting salvation again; is it OCD or am I not submitting to Christ?

Bob8102 · Jan 9, 2020

I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

gym_class_hero · Jan 9, 2020

Bob, my wife used to struggle with this. At the end of the day is God a liar? He’s not, so she had to choose between what He says in His word or what she thinks or feels at any certain time. She’s conquered her doubts by the grace of God, and so can you. God bless

Bob8102 · Jan 9, 2020

Thanks! I needed that!

Steve97 · Jan 9, 2020

Regarding your OCD, have you been diagnosed by a professional or are you diagnosing yourself?

Goodhuman · Jan 9, 2020

Deleted.

Mountainmanbob · Jan 9, 2020

Bob8102 said:
I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

An interesting video that I have watched several times.

If you take the time to study and watch it?
Let me know of your thoughts?
You are correct -- this is so important.
M-Bob

Bob8102 · Jan 9, 2020

Steve97 said:
Regarding your OCD, have you been diagnosed by a professional or are you diagnosing yourself?

I have been diagnosed by a professional. My meds dosage has been increased by a Christian doctor who is working at the office of my main psychiatrist.

Bob8102 · Jan 9, 2020

Mountainmanbob said:
An interesting video that I have watched several times.

If you take the time to study and watch it?
Let me know of your thoughts?
You are correct -- this is so important.
M-Bob

Because it's an hour long video, I am delaying watching it until later. But the first response to this thread gave me encouragement. It's not that I haven't heard of others in a similar situation before. It's that upon reading that post, I thought about things some more. I was sure I came to Christ on Monday. My doubt is OCD; Jesus will not let me go.

LiquidCat · Jan 9, 2020

Bob8102 said:
I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

Yea when you realise that salvation does not depend on your works then you finally become free of such dubts because otherwise you will dubt yourself after every sin you do when you remind yourself of it.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace - undeserved
by faith
not by your works

read 1 Peter 1:18-19 also 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Jesus fulfilled hundreds of OT prophecy to validate who he was some were literally marked on calendar when they should happen and they did

aiki · Jan 15, 2020

Bob8102 said:
I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

But, you see, you're trusting in yourself rather than in Christ for your salvation. You're making your sincerity the key to your salvation. The key, though, isn't you, but the Saviour. He loves you. Enough to bear the guilt and punishment of your sin upon himself on the cross of Calvary. When you are convinced of this, when you are confident in God's infinite love for you, your fear and doubt will dissolve. "He who fears has not been made perfect in love," the Bible says. Your anxiety over your saved condition suggests you haven't really laid hold of the truth of God's love for you. (See 1 John 4:16-19)

Every believer is in a continuum of growth and change. Like a child learning to walk for the first time, you will stagger, and stumble, and stand on weak, quivering legs in your walk with God. But, He promises to be your strength, to carry you along, deepening your understanding of Him and His truth, expanding your faith, love, and joy as time passes. He will make a "mighty oak" of you, with spiritual roots deep in the ground of His truth and power, but this takes time - a lifetime, really. So, be patient. God does not expect you to be an all-perfected saint overnight.

Basil123 · Feb 10, 2020

Bob8102 said:
I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

Basil123 · Feb 10, 2020

Hi. Yes, you have OCD. (Scruplosity). I have it too. I know how you feel. It's torture! I love the Lord but I am always doubting my salvation. It's like someone with OCD that constantly checks the stove to make sure it's off. You and I want to keep checking our salvation just like checking a stove over again. This isn't a spiritual problem but a mental one. One of the best books that I have read on this is called,"Strivings within the OCD Christian"

Bob8102 · Feb 11, 2020

Basil123 said:
Hi. Yes, you have OCD. (Scruplosity). I have it too. I know how you feel. It's torture! I love the Lord but I am always doubting my salvation. It's like someone with OCD that constantly checks the stove to make sure it's off. You and I want to keep checking our salvation just like checking a stove over again. This isn't a spiritual problem but a mental one. One of the best books that I have read on this is called,"Strivings within the OCD Christian"

Thanks for your post. It describes a big part of my problem. Possibly there are other parts to it, too. Like I am not sure I have trusted or do trust Jesus Christ. I can think I've begun to trust Him. But then I wonder if I've ever even "met" and started to trust the real Jesus. Maybe I've only interacted with a fantasy version of Jesus in my mind. Maybe I instinctively CANNOT (for all practical purposes) bring myself to trust the real Jesus, out of fear of what He will require of me.

ldonjohn · Feb 11, 2020

Hey Bob, I don't know if my story would be of any help to you, but I am listing a link to my testimony here at Cf below. Also, I am listing links to 2 short sermons by the late Dr. John R Rice, who was a well known Baptist minister years ago. His articles would have been helpful to me during my struggle with doubting, also many years ago, but I didn't know about him then.
Of course the bible has the answer for our need, but sometimes we can can find help from others who have had an experience similar to our experience.
I have some other sources I can suggest for you, but for now please take time to look at the three in the links below.

Don

1. How to Come to Jesus, by Dr. John R Rice

How to Come to Jesus -- a short, simple sermon on Salvation - Sermon Index

2. What Must I do to be Saved, by Dr. John R Rice

What Must I Do to be Saved? - Sermon Index

My Testimony
What it Means to Beleive in Jesus

Amittai · Mar 5, 2020

The main thing is to go all out with every possible source of information, about "what next".

People told me about 100 times, that I had to get born again again.

But no-one told me what next.

Insist on finding out - by lorry loads (and choose LITTLE bits to implement, freely under what guidance you want).

In the event people contradict each other, just ponder the contradictions - and keep asking around. God is on your side and you haven't run out of time with Him, if your attitude is at least halfway straight.

Mediaeval · Mar 23, 2020

The catalyst for the Reformation was a scrupulous monk named Martin Luther. He famously found relief by looking away from his imperfect self and deeds and looking to the objective message of the Gospel. God is your heavenly Father, you are His beloved child, Christ is your Savior.

Lilyroses · Apr 13, 2020

Bob8102 said:
I posted that I was sure I was saved this past Monday. I have now come to severely doubt that I am saved. Is it OCD, or am I really not saved, not submitting to Jesus?

It may be that even at my most sincere repentance/giving of my life to Christ, that I am not really sincere in the deepest part of my heart. Maybe I am just continuing to cling to self in my real heart, while going, superficially, through the motions of turning to Christ. The Bible says, "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

I struggle with severe OCD, as well. I struggle with the same thing. In those moments, I go to the Bible. I go to the word and see that if we have faith, we are saved. And that if you are feeling shame and guilt that lead you AWAY from God, it is not from God. God loves you. Try to distract from thoughts about salvation and focus that energy into learning about the goodness of God and acting in ways that He would.

John Helpher · Apr 16, 2020

LiquidCat said:
Yea when you realise that salvation does not depend on your works then you finally become free of such dubts because otherwise you will dubt yourself after every sin you do when you remind yourself of it.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Paul's saying we should not boast about our good works; he doesn't say we shouldn't bother with trying to be good. In fact, verse 10 of Ephesians 2 goes on to say that we are created for the purpose of performing good works.

John Helpher · Apr 16, 2020

Bob8102 said:
One can be saved in a moment. But not only can an OCD person doubt their salvation, one can think they are saved and not be.

A bit of healthy doubt can be healthy. The best way to deal with salvation is to carefully study the teachings of Jesus and try to apply those teachings in your life. This is because the teachings of Jesus aren't just a list of rules; they represent the values and principles of the kingdom of Heaven. Practicing the teachings of Jesus will not only help you grow closer to being the kind of person God created you to be, but it will demonstrate that you want to be a part of his Kingdom.

There's plenty of people who say what they believe to be the right thing. They make a lot of noise in their worship songs and make great, long, flowery prayers but their behavior demonstrates that they're not really interested in the values of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus addresses this very point when he says, "Why do you call me Lord, but do not obey me"? and "This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me".

In other words, worry about whether you are saved or not is useless; just do the best you can to move closer to God's kingdom in your day to day life and God will want you to be with him.

Doubting salvation again; is it OCD or am I not submitting to Christ?

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Goat Whisperer

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

Regular Member

Member

Member

Active Member

Active Member

baggage apostate

baptizatus sum

Member

John 3:16

John 3:16

Similar threads