For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Donna H
These scriptures are coming up often lately. I have struggled with doubt and assurance in the past. It was very difficult. I'm wondering where grace, mercy, and God's unconditional love comes into play here. I realize doubt is not from Him, but I'm starting to question my heart, and I'm scared.
Carolyn Hostetter
Dear Donna, I'm so sorry you're feeling scared and doubting your salvation. These thoughts are missiles from the devil. Satan wants you to doubt because that makes you less effective. He wants to steal your confidence and joy, and make you think you're not worthy to be one of God's children. He wants you to think that you're not good enough to lead someone else to Jesus. He wants you to think you had a false conversion. These are all lies. Satan will do anything to keep you suppressed. I think that if your conversion was false, you wouldn't be so worried about your heart and salvation. Your eyes would not have been opened. And, I think for many believers, there isn't an immediate understanding of what it means to follow Christ and what to do. (Even Jesus didn't start His ministry for 33 years - and He is God. It took Paul a few years, too.) For many years, and I don't know if you've felt this way, I was so worried that I was doing everything wrong. I prayed about my imperfection and mistakes all the time. I thought we were supposed to immediately be like Christ. "God, please help me not screw up." This was my focus. He finally impressed on my heart that that was the devil's lies, and that I was so focused on myself, that I couldn't enjoy my walk with God and get to know Him. The best thing I did was to get into the Word, and find friends who were further along. Because of God's grace, mercy and unconditional love we can be assured that He has a place for us with Him.
vanessa pannuti
Dear Donna, Carolyn is right: doubt is the devil's weapon. We live in a secular world where doubts and fears are part of everyday life. They are the most effective weapon in destroying our trust for what we love putting it to the test. Trust and love God.
James Kraft
Several years ago after being saved for many years the devil began to work on me and tell me I just was not good enough to go to heaven. I thought I had lost my salvation and I could see the flames of hell burning. It was terrifying to say the least. I began to study the bible like never before. After a couple of days it seemed the Lord came back with His word and that I did indeed belong to Him. He came back with the cross and reminded me that He nailed all of my sins to that cross and washed them away with His blood and they were gone as far as the east is from the west.
I began to Love God and people like never before kinowing that all my sins were forgiven, past, present, and future.
I believe the Lord lets us go through these periods of doubt to increase our faith. When we do realize that Jesus paid the price we could not pay, and that salvation is a free gift from God, It changes our whole outlook. Remember what Jesus said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Not by righteousness that we have done, but by His shedding His blood for our sins.
Remember that Paul said that when we first believed the Holy Spirit joined our spirit and we become the children of God. Remember that He said He will never leave us or forsake us. Remember that Jesus gave us His perfect righteousness in place of our unrighteousness. Remember that we are saved by His grace and not by works of the law. Ask the Lord to restore the joy of your salvation. He loves you so much.
James Kraft
There are several verses which are Gods promises to us that believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace ye are saved, (what Jesus did for us) through faith, (when we believe the gospel) (that Christ died for all our sins) and that not of yourselves, (we did nothing for it,) it is the GIFT of God, not of works, (what we do or do not do) lest any man should boast.
We have nothing to boast in because we did nothing for it. Romans 11:6 It is all grace, not works, if it was by works, it would not longer be grace, and if by grace, it is no more works. Jesus paid it all and we paid 0. It is a free gift. All we have to do to be saved is believe it to receive the gift.
A great verse for every believer to remember is First John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know ye have eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, (and we all sin) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When we believe on Jesus as the only way to be saved, we are given the Holy Spirit of promise and He will never leave us or forsake us. Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after ye believed were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
Hebrews 13:5 Says, He will never leave us or forsake us. John 10:28 says, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 6:37