5 Questions for When a Christian Feels Lost

What if I still struggle with feeling saved?

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Some Christians struggle with “feeling saved” or having confidence in their salvation.

These thoughts from Scripture are meant to reassure Christians who are struggling with having “blessed assurance” in their salvation in Christ Jesus.

Does God want me to be saved?

Although God’s righteous judgment will come upon wickedness, God doesn’t desire anyone to perish.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

God desires that all people will be saved - and a Christian’s prayers ought to reflect this desire of the Savior.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

Jesus willingly came to this earth to die for us and to experience suffering and temptation so He might be able to help us.

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Jesus continues to work on our behalf at the throne of God – which allows the child of God to approach His throne with confidence.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Is it possible to know if I am saved?

One of the reasons John wrote 1 John was so Christians could know that they “have eternal life.”

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)

Did Paul know he was once lost? Did he know that he was now saved when he wrote to Timothy? The answer to both these questions is YES.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:12-17)

If it’s possible to know we’re lost in sin, then it also must be possible to know we are saved in Christ Jesus.

Do I lose my salvation every time I sin?

It is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation – to fall from God’s grace (Galatians 5:4). Many of Paul’s letters to the churches emphasize the importance of continued faithfulness to God. Why would he keep reminding Christians of the importance of remaining faithful if they couldn't become unfaithful?

However, just because a Christian sins does not mean that they have left fellowship with God and become lost.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 1:5-2:2)

Here are a few observations about 1 John 1:5-2:2.

• Those who are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ are the ones who are walking in the light and have fellowship with God (1:7).

• Christians still sin - and to claim we don’t is to deceive ourselves and “call God a liar” (1:8, 10).

• Christians walking in the light confess their sins, and God is “faithful and just” to keep on forgiving and cleansing Christians of sin (1:9).

• The Christian must not have a lax attitude toward sin - sin is serious, and we must strive not to sin (2:1).

• But if a Christian sins, Jesus remains our Advocate with the Father (2:2).

What if I still struggle with “feeling saved?”

If we love God, that should be seen in our lives – and if our heart still condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and we trust Him, not our heart (Proverbs 3:5-7).

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:18-23)

God has a continued interest in those who obey the gospel.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:3-6)

If you still struggle with feeling saved, know that God desires to see His good work in you completed.

How can I have confidence about standing before God in judgment?

Through Jesus Christ and His blood, we shall be saved from God’s wrath upon sin at the Judgment.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (Romans 5:8-9)

By the blood of Jesus, sinners are declared innocent - and are saved from the wrath of God upon sin at the final judgment.

But also, Christians must love God with all their being and let that be shown in their life.

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19)

Remember how much God loves you as His child.

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I hope these points and passages remind you of the assurance you should have in Jesus Christ!

Faithful Christians have nothing to fear!