How Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?

“How can I be sure I’m saved?” It’s a question that came up in my heart as a young Christian. I’m sure this same question troubles many of you just like it troubled me.

I knew that the Bible was God’s word and that if someone believed in the Lord Jesus they would be saved and have eternal life. But I still doubted my own salvation.

Then I found these three proofs that helped me to gain the assurance of my salvation. I hope they’ll do the same for you.

You can be sure you are saved. Here are three proofs.

1. The Bible says so

First John 5:13 says,

“I have written these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God.”

This verse tells us that God wants us to know that we’re saved, and also that the written words of the Bible are a proof to us, as believers, that we’re really saved.

For example, Romans 10:13 says, For “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So right now just call on the name of the Lord Jesus from the depths of your being—“Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! Then tell Him, “Lord Jesus, I believe into You! I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the dead!”

Did you call on the Lord Jesus? Yes? Then you can hold God to His word and say, “Thank you dear Lord, based on Your word in Romans 10:13, I know that I’m saved.”

2. The Holy Spirit witnesses with your spirit

Not only do we have the proof by the Bible in our hands, but we also have the proof by the Holy Spirit’s witnessing with our spirit.

Romans 8:16 says,

“The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God.”

This second proof that really sealed it for me. I believed the Bible, but I would question in my mind, “Did I really believe in the Lord?”

Then one day, I discovered a deeper part of my being—my human spirit. (Our spirit has the special function of contacting God, receiving God, and touching the reality of God. But not until we receive Christ do we begin to realize this function.)

When I called on the name of the Lord Jesus, something wonderful happened. I experienced the Holy Spirit witnessing deep within me, assuring me that I am a child of God.

I expect the reason many Bible-believing Christians doubt their salvation is that they don’t experience the Holy Spirit witnessing with their spirit.

First Corinthians 12:3 helped me very much. this verse ends by saying, “…no one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.” So when I called on the Lord Jesus, I experienced being in the Holy Spirit and realized His witnessing deep within me.

To enjoy this witnessing, don’t be a silent Christian. Declare your faith in the Lord Himself. Tell someone you love,  “I believe in the Lord Jesus!” See if you don’t enjoy the Holy Spirit’s witnessing deep within you.

3. Genuine love for your fellow believers

The last proof that helped me to know that I was really saved was the genuine love I had for other Christians.

Sometimes, even without talking to them, I would have this feeling within that certain people I met were also believers. I sensed such a sweet feeling toward them. It’s this love for fellow believers also confirmed that I was genuinely saved.

In 1 John 3:14, the apostle John said,

“We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers.”

To summarize…

God gave us three simple proofs so we can know that we’re really saved:

1. God’s word outside of us, in our hand.
2. The Holy Spirit’s witnessing with our spirit.
3.  Our new found love for our fellow believers in Christ.

When we know that we are really saved and are children of God, we have the strong foundation to begin a joyful Christian life and grow up in God’s salvation.

References and Further Reading:

• If you’d like more help concerning these three proofs, I’d recommend reading The Assurance, Security and Joy of Salvation by Witness Lee.
  • You can read it online at ministrybooks.org under “Additional Titles by Witness Lee,”
  • Or you can get a free copy as Chapter Two of Basic Elements of the Christian Life, Volume One from Bibles for America at their website www.bfa.org under the “Free Literature” tab.  You can download it as a free PDF.
• You may also like to read a related post from Bibles for America on this same subject.