Becoming a Christian
How can I be sure I’m a Christian?
Your confidence rests on God’s promises and not on your feelings. If you are trusting Jesus, the Bible says you can know that you have eternal life.
God wants you to know
Some people think it is arrogant to say you are sure. It would be, if it depended on how good you were. But it depends on what Jesus has done, and the Bible was written partly so that believers could be certain.
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.
Three things to rest on
First, God’s promise. Jesus said that whoever hears his word and believes has eternal life already. God does not break his word.
Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Second, what Jesus did. Your forgiveness was paid for in full at the cross. When Jesus died he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). There is nothing left for you to add.
Third, the Holy Spirit’s work in you. Over time God’s Spirit gives a quiet inner confidence that you belong to God, and he begins to change what you want and how you live.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.
Feelings come and go
Some days you will feel close to God and some days you won’t. Tiredness, illness, stress and low mood all affect how faith feels. None of them change what God has said. Trust the promise and let the feelings follow when they will.
“What if I didn’t really mean it?”
People often worry about whether they were sincere enough when they first prayed. You do not need to dig up that moment and inspect it. The question is not “Did I trust Jesus properly then?” but “Am I trusting him now?” If you are not sure, tell him so today and ask him to hold on to you.
“What about when I sin?”
Every Christian still sins. Failing does not mean you were never a Christian. What marks a Christian is not sinlessness but coming back to God for forgiveness and wanting to change.
Can I be lost again?
Churches have long discussed whether a person can walk away from faith altogether. They agree on what matters most here: Jesus will never let go of anyone who is trusting him.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.