“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus on the cross prayed, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (NIV).
By that time, Jesus was famous for doing miracles. But notice the man didn’t ask Jesus to stop his pain, even though he would have been in excruciating pain. He didn’t ask Jesus to save him from death either.
He said, “Jesus, remember me.” Why? Because he knew his deepest need was salvation from sin and a home in heaven. And he believed Jesus could provide it.
The Bible says in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (NIV).
So how do you know for sure that you’re saved from sin? How do you know you’re going to heaven when you die? How can you be certain? How can you eliminate your doubt?
Your assurance of salvation doesn’t come from what you do, because you can’t earn your salvation. It’s not from your feelings, because feelings come and go.
So what can make you sure of your salvation? The promise of God’s Word. If God says it, that settles it—because God cannot lie. You can trust the promise of God’s Word. You can rest in it.
Jesus replied to the criminal hanging on the cross, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NLT). And you can have the same assurance of salvation: If you “believe in the Lord Jesus,” God promises that you will be in heaven with him one day.
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