Listen to Audio Devotion
Psalm 13:5
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Universal Salvation or Universalism is a belief that is becoming common among the members of the church today. Universalism teaches that God loves everyone, and hence everyone will be saved ultimately. This leads us to a false sense of security. For example, we might think, “Since everyone is saved, I am also saved because I exist.”
Similarly, if we believe that salvation is earned through our own good deeds, we will have a misguided assurance of salvation.
To have genuine assurance, it is crucial to understand that our salvation depends solely on the merits of Christ, which are applied to us when we genuinely embrace Him through faith. In this context, the crucial question becomes, “Do I truly possess the authentic faith necessary for salvation?”
Furthermore, there are two additional aspects that require proper understanding and evaluation. Firstly, we need a clear comprehension of what constitutes genuine saving faith. If we perceive saving faith as an isolated belief without producing the fruits of obedient actions, we have confused saving faith with lifeless faith, which cannot save anyone. James, the half-brother of Jesus writes like this, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”(James 2:14). James goes on to give a brief exposition on how faith without works is dead. (James 4:14-26)
Secondly, we must honestly assess our own lives. We need to examine ourselves to determine whether the evidence of being spiritually reborn is evident in our lives. Do we genuinely have an affection for the biblical Jesus? Only those who have been regenerated possess a genuine love for the true Jesus. Additionally, we must ask ourselves the challenging question, “Does my life exhibit the fruits of sanctification?” We can evaluate the authenticity of our faith through the observable fruits of our actions.
Do you possess the genuine faith required for salvation? Do you genuinely have affection towards the biblical Jesus? Can the evidence of salvation be observed in your life? Let’s ponder upon these questions as we desire to grow in our sanctification.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see the truth. We simply don’t want to belong to “Team Jesus”. We know that by His work on the cross, we have been saved. Help us not to simply confess that we love Jesus, but display that love through our actions. Help us grow, for we cannot take a step further without your help. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
