In terms of salvation, all of us fall into one of four categories: We are saved and we know it; we think we’re saved, but we’re not; we don’t claim to be saved; or we’re not saved but would like to be. In which category do you find yourself?
Salvation is God’s deliverance of the believer—through Jesus Christ—from all the effects of sin. It is God’s work in the human heart and is accompanied by all the benefits He bestows on us now and forever.
We need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt where we are going to spend eternity. And God has made sure that through His word, such certainty is available to every one of us (1 John 5:13). Do you have that kind of assurance? If you are not confident that you have eternal salvation, I urge you to settle this most important decision of your life right now.
First, realize that God desires to save everyone (1 Timothy 2:4). Not only that, but He also provided the way to salvation through His Son (John 3:16)—He has told us we must believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and confess Him before men. As Scripture explains, it is “with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:10).
Our heavenly Father is faithful to keep every one of His promises. If you trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, God will save you from your sin and welcome you into His family (John 1:12)—without regard to merit or worth on your part. Eternal life will be yours. And He offers this gift freely to all who believe in His Son. Will you receive it?
What are some practical steps you can take to increase your level of faith today?
1. READ THE BIBLE. Romans 10:17 explains, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” That is, you must feed your faith a steady diet of God’s Word.
2. EXERCISE YOUR FAITH. A bodybuilder doesn’t begin by lifting 500 pounds the first day. Rather, he exercises daily, gradually increasing his strength. Regularly exercising faith can bring about similar growth spiritually.
3. EMBRACE TRIALS. First Peter 1:3-9 reveals the difficult truth that adversity, when addressed in God’s power, creates greater faith. Just as a fire purifies precious metals, hardship strips away all but the pure core of faith.
4. EXAMINE THE TESTIMONIES OF OTHERS. A testimony is an individual’s own account of the Lord’s activity in his life. No one can ever deny, refute, or downplay someone else’s testimony. When you hear of God’s mighty deeds in another person’s life, your own faith grows.
5. PRAY. You get to know someone by talking to him. That’s what prayer is: your personal communication with God. But don’t just talk; be sure to spend time listening. God wants to speak to you.
6. PRACTICE OBEDIENCE. You will never grow in your faith if you consistently disobey what God tells you to do. Perfect faith is a by-product of obedience. Put yourself in a position to see God’s best for your life, and your faith will soar.
Faith does not increase by accident. Growth takes time, dedication, and intentionality. Ask the Lord to help you exercise your faith today.
The enemy’s primary strategy against the believer is deception. We learn from 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan often “disguises himself as an angel of light.” In fact, Jesus called him “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Thus, our best weapon is the truth, which sets us free from deception’s bondage (v. 32).
It is hard to avoid deception when you are not aware of the adversary’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). One of his oldest deceptions, which goes back to Adam and Eve, is the temptation to doubt what the Lord has said. To do so means to doubt God’s heart and character, which is similar to a soldier on the front line setting down his weapon as the enemy approaches—mistrusting God sets you up to be knocked down repeatedly by the evil one. If you listen to this voice of doubt, you give Satan a foothold. That will weaken you so that he can gear up to bring about further destruction.
Another scheme of the devil is to distract the believer. A distraction is anything that drags you away from what is most important at the moment and makes you so busy that you lose focus. Satan doesn't use just blatantly sinful or superficial things to divert us from abiding in Christ—he will even use good things to subtly build up a wall of “noise” around you so that you gradually stop listening to God’s voice.
There is a spiritual war being waged throughout the entire world. We as believers must recognize that our enemy is very real, but through Christ, we have the power to fight effectively.
The Scriptures reveal that Satan and a whole empire of evil spirits oppose God and His kingdom. However, the enemies are fallen angels; while we shouldn’t underestimate their abilities, we must not be deceived into thinking of their power as greater than it actually is. Fallen angels are no match for God. When the Lord rebuked demonic forces that were causing torment, they were forced to obey. Jesus gave His disciples authority over these spirits (Luke 10:17-20), and He gives the same to His followers today. First John 4:4 says that through the Holy Spirit, we have already overcome the enemy, because “greater is He who is in [the believer] than he who is in the world.” But if we fail to take up our position in Christ, we will feel overwhelmed and defeated.
Though Satan cannot have our souls, he will try to disable us. When we give in to temptation, he may say, “You’re a weak, unworthy sinner who will never be able to really serve God.” If we believe such accusations, we run the double risk of ceasing to listen to the voice of Truth and forgetting our real identity in Christ. Instead, we can resist the devil (James 4:7) and say to him, “I reject that! It came from you, and I rebuke you in Jesus’ name. What’s more, I take that thought captive to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We have this authority!
I know the pain of loneliness. I was the only child of a single mother who had to work long hours to support us. My adult life has been marked by periods of emotional isolation as well. However, the Lord has never abandoned me to these feelings.
God desires that all people feel connected to Him and to each other. And in fact, we can be quickly comforted when we respond wisely to loneliness.
The first step is to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But simply believing He exists isn’t enough. The Lord created mankind for fellowship, which is why a relationship with Him gives people a sense of oneness. The love of Christ forces loneliness out of the lives of God’s children.
Second, we must admit that we’re lonely. Some Christians incorrectly think they shouldn’t be susceptible to normal human feelings. But nothing in the Bible says we won’t endure emotional isolation. Not only men like David and Paul but even the Lord Himself knew the ache of feeling deserted (Psalms 25:16; 2 Timothy 4:16; Matthew 26:40; Matthew 27:46).
Finally, we should develop godly friends. These are the Christian brothers and sisters who will laugh, cry, and empathize with us. Above all, believers need friends who will continually point them to God and pray over them.
We can’t deny feelings of loneliness, nor can we run from them. A person who seeks ways to escape such feelings only broadens the gap between the Lord and himself. There is just one way to close the chasm and conquer loneliness—by drawing near to the Lord.
