THE PROMISE. Titus 1:2. Some Christians doubt their salvation because they do not feel saved. The foundation of our standing in Christ is based on God's promises in His Word, not on our feelings, which can fluctuate depending on whether we are listening to music, imagining, or comparing our experiences with others. God has clearly expressed His truth in written words: those who repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior from sin and its consequences have eternal life. God cannot lie; He is “The Truth” and the source of all truth. It's not just that He does not lie, but that He cannot lie—lying is not in His nature.
Our assurance comes from the promise and work of the Father, who has promised to accept us in Christ. All sinners who repent of their sins to God and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are accepted by the righteous God [Eph. 1:6; Col. 3:3]. Christians already have a right to go to heaven because we are “in Christ,” who is seated at the right hand of God and working all things for our good [Rom. 8:28].
The promise and work of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is that He promised us eternal life [Jn.5:24] and abundant life [Jn.10:10]. These promises encompass our present life on earth and our future destiny in heaven. His current priestly work for us is continually praying for and advocating on our behalf at the throne of God.
We also have the promise and work of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer [Jn.14:16] and has placed each believer into the body of Christ, which is His church, His bride. So, we are all unified as members of God’s family, whom He will “in no way cast out.” Eternal life is a positive hope in the sense of being an undisputed fact, not an unknown speculation. God had all this planned out before He created the world.
God, who cannot lie, has promised with divine love that we will not be lost. Eternal life moves only forward. Faith comes first, then knowledge. Living godliness guides us along God's will, which we must pursue and fulfill. This new life that transforms everything comes from God, its only source.
When we live this new eternal life given to us on earth in the way God intends, we will complete God-given tasks when our will and His blend, making life worth living! Not everything about eternal life makes life on earth easy. However, the desire God placed in us allows each new day to “lay hold on eternal life” and use the hours in ways that can bring glory and honor to Him.
We now understand that the worth of a human soul surpasses that of the entire material world. Eternity resides in our hearts, and it compels our souls with a powerful urge for others to receive the same gift of eternal life from God that we do. Eternal destinies are not all identical at the end of life's brief journey. Blessings and joy are for those who have accepted eternal life and are confident that God, who cannot lie, keeps His promise to keep us forever.
For those not saved, the darkness and gloom of hell's hopeless end are just ahead of their last breath. It is not that they could not have had eternal life, too. God loves everyone so much that He gave His only begotten Son so they might have eternal life, as well as those of us who have accepted the gift and thanked the Giver. But for some to refuse to believe in Him— the path of a Christ-rejecter leads to hell. Even though many walk the broad way and end there, we are still here to tell of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who will give eternal life today.