Christianity is a system of faith, but it is not a leap of faith. Our belief in the existence of God is founded firmly upon the evidence that He has provided in His creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Ps. 19:1). Our belief in the resurrection of Christ is founded upon the testimony of eyewitnesses. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life" (1 John 1:1; see also 1 Cor. 15:3-8). The assurance of these facts gives stability to our faith.

Nothing is more important to man than the salvation of his soul. Jesus asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26). We need reliable evidence of our salvation. Assurance of our salvation does away with doubt and gives us the confidence to stand for the truth. Without it, we can begin to doubt, and a wavering faith leads to a lost faith.

The Bible tells us that we can have assurance of our salvation. "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13). God does not want us to "think" that we are saved, or "hope" that we are saved. He wants us to know that we are saved.

The importance of my soul's salvation leads to an obvious question: "How can I know that I am saved?" I am aware of the evidence that proves the existence of God, but what is the evidence that proves that I have been saved from my sins?

My Own Feelings?

Some people claim that they are saved because they "feel" like they are saved. They claim to have had an emotional experience, perhaps a strong feeling came over them in an unexplainable manner, and that's when they knew they were saved.

While no one is in a position to deny the feelings of another person, the reality is that the only thing that feelings prove is that one feels a certain way. The Bible actually warns us against going by our feelings. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:10). "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov. 14:12).

The apostle Paul said that he had lived "in all good conscience before God" (Acts 32:1). This included the time that he spent persecuting the Lord's church. Our feelings are important to us, but they are not always an accurate indication of our true spiritual condition.

The Words of Others?

Some believe they are saved because a loved one, friend, or preacher told them that they were saved. It is good to have friends and loved ones whom we feel we can trust. However, the fate of our soul is too important to place in the care of other individuals. Paul told Christians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).

We are not to believe someone just because they claim to be speaking the truth. We are to test their message and prove it to be true to the word of God (1 John 4:1). The Bereans are noted for this very thing (Acts 17:11-12). They were not willing to accept Paul's message as truth until they had first examined it in light of the Scriptures.

The Word of God

While we cannot trust the words of others, or even our own feelings, we can trust the word of God. The Bible is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Since God's word is the truth it is the means by which we can know that we are saved.

Paul wrote, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Rom. 8:16-17). We do not have to trust our feelings, or take another's word for it. The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are saved.

If the validity of our salvation were on trial, the Holy Spirit and our own spirit would testify to the fact that we are saved. The testimony of the Holy Spirit is the word of God, while the testimony of our own spirit is the things that we have done in response to the word of God. For example, the Spirit says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16). If our spirit can honestly say, "I have done that. I believe and I have been baptized," then we can know that we are saved. Again, the Spirit says, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). If our spirit can honestly say, "I have done that. I have turned away from my sins and have been baptized for the remission of my sins," then we can know that we are saved.

Compliance with God's word is our evidence of pardon. As long as we know we have done what the Bible tells us to do, then we can know that we are saved.

Conclusion

Assurance of our salvation is not meant to make us comfortable or negligent, nor should it make us arrogant or haughty. This assurance gives us the confidence that we need in order to "continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." There are many inconsistent, unpredictable things in this world that can cause us to doubt and fear. Assurance of our salvation should never be one of these troubling things.