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Pointers along the way #309

Insecure in Christ!
- Jacob Ninan

You are a Christian. But do you wonder now and then if God could be upset with you, that He may not love you anymore? Do you worry about what would happen if you died suddenly in an accident without having the time to pray and set things right with God? Do you rack your brains to find out if you have confessed every single sin to God? Do you worry because you aren't quite sure if you would make it to heaven finally? Do you give money to the church or for needy people and think surely God will count it to your account? Do you look down on some Christians and wonder how they would ever make it to heaven?

All such things indicate that even though you claim to be a Christian you are very insecure. There are only two possibilities. You may be a true born-again Christian but you don't know your doctrines rightly. The second is that you are not even born again. But the fact is that there are a lot of insecure people who think they are Christians.

Those who are not born again but imagine they are Christians are usually trying to somehow make it heaven by being or doing good. But because of the very nature of the thing they can never be sure that they will make it. Some days they feel OK, and other days down. This is because their basic assumption itself is wrong. No one can ever qualify for heaven by being good enough (Ro.3:20;Ga.2:16). It is a performance based acceptance that they are seeking from God, and no one can do well enough that way.

The only way is to admit that we just don't have it in us to make it, we have messed up till now, and we can't help messing up even in future. Then God tells us, never mind, He will accept us because His Son Jesus can wash us up with His blood and make us acceptable if we believe (Is.1:18;Ro.5:8). That's the only way anyone can ever reach God (Jn.14:6). Once we find our acceptance this way, all our insecurity vanishes!

Unfortunately even many people who are truly born again in their heart, after coming to Jesus in repentance from sin and trusting in Him for their salvation, don't have it right in their head concerning this doctrine of free grace (Ep.2:8,9). They also feel insecure. Those who grew up with an experience of receiving love and affection from their parents only based on their performance have a great struggle to believe this doctrine even when it is explained to them, because it appears to be too good to believe!

But that is the truth, and the only true doctrine concerning salvation. When we know this truth it delivers us from insecurity. When we know that God has accepted us once for all through Jesus because He loves us and not on the basis of our acceptability, it liberates us from the bondage of insecurity. He has loved us with an unending love (Je.31:3). If we now fall into sin it would only break our fellowship (which can be restored through confession--1Jn.1:9) and not His acceptance of us as His children. He may discipline us at times but never forsake us (He.12:6;13:5).

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