“16 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17, KJV).
Loved ones, many believers spend their lives wondering what their eternal destiny will be, thinking that it would be presumptive to claim salvation before the Day of Judgment.
The question, "Are you saved?" brings a variety of responses, such as: "I really don't know if I am saved," "I will just have to wait and see," and "Maybe my good deeds will outweigh the bad ones so that God will save me."
There are two extremes relative to personal salvation. Some contend that once a person is saved, he can never lose his salvation, even if he tried. This is obviously incorrect in view of the Scriptures.
When Simon the sorcerer, after he became a Christian, sinned by attempting to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit for his personal gain, but the apostle Peter said unto him, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:20-21).
This new convert fell back into sin to the point of perishing. He stood in need of repenting and praying to God for pardon (vs. 22-24). Other passages that teach the possibility of being lost after once being saved are 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12; 2 Peter 2:20-21; Hebrews 10:26-27.
The other extreme regarding personal salvation might be expressed, "Once saved, but never sure of salvation." Dealing with this idea regarding salvation requires a thoughtful examination of Scripture.
Did Christ Accomplish His Mission?
When Jesus said, "…It is finished…," as He died on the cross, He declared that His redemptive work was accomplished (John 3:16; 19:30).
New Testament Examples of Souls Being Saved
From the beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost, "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47; cf. Colossians 1:13).
Peter, in answering the question, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" clearly said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).
Cornelius understood that through Peter, he would receive "words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). The words spoken to Cornelius and his household led to their having faith (Romans 10:17) and to their being baptized (Acts 10:47-48). Jesus had promised that "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…" (Mark 16:16).
Can We Have Assurance of Our Salvation?
Can we know, as we live each day, that we have salvation …that we have eternal life abiding in us? Can we know that heaven will be our home when we leave this life?
The apostle John writes, “11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).
John says we can know that we have eternal life, based on our acceptance of the written Word: “5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:5-6).
Can We Know The Moment We Enter Christ?
We can know precisely at what point we enter into Christ to receive His salvation. Paul says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). When God's Word tells us at what point we enter into Christ, we can know without any doubt whether we are in Christ or outside of Christ (cf. Romans 6:3-5).
God's Word teaches the assurance of our salvation where we are faithfully walking with Christ. John writes, “5 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. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 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 1:6-7).
Being in fellowship with God, we have the ever-present cleansing of our sin by His Son's blood. Being assured from the Scriptures that we have salvation in Christ and eternal life (Hebrews 5:9), we live in obedient faith and confidence each day.
We trust in God's Word as our unfailing guide (John 17:17). In worship we sing praises with understanding, as those who are confident that heaven is our destiny (1 Corinthians 14:15; Hebrews 13:15). We view death as a transformation from earth to heaven (Philippians 1:21-23). "Blessed assurance" must be more than just a song that we sing; it must be the mainstay of our lives.
Becoming A Christian
1. Hear the true and original gospel of Christ (Romans 10:17; John 6:45; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:22).
2. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Lord and the Savior of the world. Open your heart ready to accept and obey all He says (John 3:16; John 20:31; John 14:6, 15; John 12:48; Acts 19:5 with Ephesians 2:8-9; Mark 16:15-16).
3. Repent of your sinful life (Luke 24:46-47; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Peter 3:9).
4. Confess your faith that Jesus is the Son of God with all authority to save us (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 4:12; Acts 8:35-38).
5. Receive God’s grace and forgiveness by submitting to a burial into Christ in water baptism (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:35-38; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:20-21).
6. Be an active member of the church of Christ. When you are baptized, Christ adds you to his one true body, church, or kingdom (Acts 2:47; Colossians 1:13). It is now important to begin a new life, to be faithful in worshipping God, and to learn and apply from the heart all that Christ teaches (Matthew 28:20; Romans 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19-23; Hebrews 10:23-25; Revelation 2:10).
The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26), salvation is offered. If you have Bible questions or wish to comment on this post, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.
The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering ONE body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).
We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35). Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA - 28 February 2026
