Worry, anxiety, distress, and depression seem to be everywhere. Yet even in a troubled world, some people possess a deep sense of peace and stability.
What’s the difference?
We often assume our peace—or lack of it—is primarily determined by our circumstances. If the difficult person would change, the financial pressure would ease, our health would improve, or the world weren’t such a mess, then we could have peace.
But Scripture points us in another direction.
Today’s reading raises an important question about the relationship between the choices we make, our willingness to obey God, and the peace—or distress—we experience as a result.
And there’s an even more sobering issue.
Jesus said there will be people who stand before Him convinced that they belong to Him, only to hear the terrifying words, “I never knew you.” Isaiah described people who called themselves God’s people but whose lives told another story.
So, is it possible to think we’re right with God when we’re not? And could the same truths that help answer that question also help us understand where genuine peace comes from?
Will you spend eternity separated from God in the place Jesus described as one where the fire is never quenched and the worm does not die? Or will you spend eternity in His presence, where He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain?
And perhaps an equally important question is this: How can you know?
Some people base their assurance on church attendance, baptism, good works, or a prayer they prayed years ago. But can any of those things guarantee that we belong to Christ? And if we have genuinely been saved, should there be evidence in our lives?
Today, as Isaiah turns his attention toward God’s coming judgment on the whole earth, we’ll talk about eternity, salvation, and how we can have biblical assurance that we will “always be with the Lord.” And in Psalm 107, we’ll see a beautiful picture of what happens when sinners who cannot save themselves cry out to the only One who can.
Normally, on Sundays people around the world fill their churches. Most would identify themselves as Christians. Perhaps because they grew up in a Christian home or because they have some general belief in God. But could there be a great danger in that assumption? Could many, even some who attend church every week, be Christians in name only?
When an observer in Jesus’ time asked, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” He warned that the gate is narrow. And when the people of Joshua’s day claimed that they would serve the Lord, he told them not to take that commitment lightly. Are there many today who have failed to heed those warnings? Are there many who base their relationship with God on something besides the true gospel?
That should be a heartbreaking thought for those of us who truly understand the gospel because it is the most incredible GOOD NEWS ever! Today’s post includes a link to a video that could shake your understanding of what the good news of the gospel really is!
Have you ever wondered whether your salvation is really genuine?
Maybe you’ve asked yourself:
“What if I only think I’m saved?”
Or perhaps you know you’re trusting Christ, yet when you look at your failures, your struggles with sin, or areas where you’re still growing, doubts creep in.
Is that uncertainty simply part of the Christian life?
Or does God actually want His children to know that they have eternal life?
The Apostle John wrote his first letter, in part, to answer that very question.
And he didn’t tell believers to look for assurance in a past emotional experience, a prayer they once prayed, or how religious they appeared.
He pointed them to something far more substantial.
So what are the marks of genuine saving faith?
And what should you look for when doubts about your salvation arise?
We’ll also look at why religious activity without a heart that truly seeks God can miss what matters most, and what Proverbs teaches about the importance of the heart behind our obedience.
