I have never felt truly secure with my salvation. I set a high standard for myself, and have a tightrope salvation. Instead of being happy I am saved, I get terrified, being afraid that if I sin that I am going to hell, as if salvation is “lost” on a day to day basis, then it comes down to how good I am on that particular day. If I sinned, then I’m not damned. If I didn’t, then I’m not. I get terrified and feel God is extremely angry at me when I sin. This a miserable way of life. Any advice help will be appreciated. It’s as if I’m walking on eggshells all the time.
I don’t know how you were saved, but I do believe there is a “right” way to be saved and a “wrong” way. If you depend on men and denominations to tell you what to do, you will likely get the wrong answer. If you find your answers from the Bible, written by the Holy Spirit directly from God, you will have PEACE.
Take, for example, the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. What did he do to be saved? He HEARD the gospel as Phillip “preached unto him Jesus”. ( read Romans 10:17-18) He BELIEVED it. He CONFESSED with his mouth that Jesus was the Son of God (read Romans 10:9-10.) And he was baptized. (Read 1Peter 3:21). Remember that the Holy Spirit is the one saying these things. He is the one telling us what to do and SHOWING us what we need to do to be saved. God has given us COMMANDS for salvation, but He has also given us EXAMPLES, showing us how people in the first century were saved; how people in the early church—before there were any denominations—were saved. Don’t you think that if you do EXACTLY the same things that they did, that you, too, can be saved like they were and be sure of your salvation? In the case of the eunuch in Acts 8, after he had HEARD, BELIEVED, and was BAPTIZED, The Spirit says that he went on his way REJOICING! He had peace. He was happy.
Also, in Acts 8, you can read about the Samaritans who BELIEVED and were BAPTIZED and it says there was great rejoicing among the people. My point here is that maybe the reason you are troubled and feel unsure of your salvation is because you were taught a “different” gospel, as Paul talks about in Galations 1, that is a “perverted” gospel. The Holy Spirit may be trying to tell you to examine the way you were saved. It may be that you were never saved at all, if you did not do it God’s way— just like they did in the first century. Are there commands God has given that you did not obey? Did you leave something’s out? Did you do it a different way? God says that there is a way that SEEMS RIGHT to us but it leads to destruction. Also, He says our thoughs are not His thoughts and OUR WAYS are not His ways. The only way you can be SURE is if you do it exactly. As God commands and like they did in the first century. Only then will you have peace.
I still feel like God may be troubling you because you have not been saved accirding to the Bible.way. Consider these teachings of men: if you were told to say a “sinner’s prayer,” you need to know that there is no such thing in the Bible. No one in the New Testament was ever told to say a prayer to be saved. If you were told that the confession we make (Roman’s 10:10) is confessing that we are a sinner, be aware that that is not the confession that is “unto salvation.” We have an example of what confession we should make to be saved in Acts 8. The eunuch, just before he was baptized said, “ I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Did you make that confession? Or did you just confess that you were a sinner? It makes a difference.
Baptism is anther area where there is much error being taught. Men and denominations will tell you that baptism is not necessary to be saved but the Bible existed before all of the denominations and the Bible presents a “different picture” of baptism.
Baptism saves us 1 Peter 3:21
Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. Acts 2:38
Baptism “washes away sins” Acts 22:16
Baptism puts Us into the “death” of Christ where we come into contact with His blood that forgives us of our sins. Romans 6
JESUS himself said that it takes BELIEF and BAPTISM to be saved. Mark 16:16.
The Jews at Pentecost (Acts 2) BELIEVED, REPENTED, and were BAPTIZED.
The Samaritans BELIEVED and were BAPTIZED. Acts 8
Simon (the sorcerer) BELIEVED and was BAPTIZED. Acts 8
The eunuch BELIEVED, CONFESSED, and was BAPTIZED.
Saul of Tarsus BELIEVED and was BAPTIZED Acts 22:16.
Cornelius and his household BELIEVED and were BAPTIZED Acts 10.
Lydia BELIEVED and was BAPTIZED. Acts 16
The Jailer BELIEVED
and was BAPTIZED Acts 16.
Crispus and the Corinthians BELIEVED and were BAPTIZED.
Do you see a “pattern” here? This is God and the Holy Spirit and Christ telling you and showing you what you must do to be saved. If you are saved this way, you will have Peace and you can go in your way rejoicing! If you follow the commandments of men you may never find peace ( unless your conscience becomes hardened) and you will be lost. You must be baptized for the right reason—to be saved, to have the forgiveness of sins, to wash away your sins, etc. if you were baptized because you believe buoy were already saved, then your baptism is not the one described in the Bible. In Acts 19, we have an example of some people being re-baptized because their first baptism was not tge right one. Why were you baptized? Was it for the remission of sins? Acts 2:38. You might not be saved.
Again, God has given us an example of what to do when we sin after becoming a Christian. Go back to Acts 8. Simon ( the sorcerer) became a Christian by believing and being baptized ( just like the eunuch) but sinned not long thereafter. What do the scriptures say he was told to do by God’s apostles? They told him to “repent” and pray for forgiveness. He was not told to be re-baptized. No, that, if done scripturally, is a one time act. Now, if and when we sin, we pray for forgiveness. 1 John 2:1 says that “we have an Advocate with tge Father.” 1 John 1:8- “If we CONFESS our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no need to fear. If we are penetrant ( sorry) and ask for forgiveness, God has promised to forgive us and as you know, God does not lie. The scriptures do say that if you sin willfully, perhaps thinking that you can repent later, there is no more sacrifice for those sins. So we cannot abuse this “grace” from God. God knows we cannot live a perfect life, although we must try to live without sinning. He has made a way for us to be saved by continually forgiving us when we sin. The scriptures say that God does not want ANYONE to be lost. He is not looking for an opportunity to “squash” us like a bug! He gives time and many oppunities to repent. David once prayed that God would forgive him of his “secret” sins— those sins that he might not even realize he is committing. We pray every day and every night for forgiveness “and God, who is rich in mercy, cleanses us from all unrighteousness. What spiritual blessings we have in Christ Jesus. We have many reasons to rejoice!!
1
