"I Feel Saved"
The Bible teaches that God wants His children to feel saved. David pled, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12). Paul admonished: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Christians should have inner joy and peace, and should “feel” saved.
On the other hand, one should never base one’s salvation on how one feels. Feelings can be misleading, and they do not always reflect reality. It is possible for a person to “feel” saved, but be lost. For this reason, one should never rely on feelings as proof of salvation.
Many years ago, my parents and I had planned to attend a church function together. However, we had planned to take different vehicles. My parents left for the church gathering about twenty minutes before I did. Just before I got into my truck, I was told that there had been a bad wreck and that people were injured or possibly killed. The wreck had occurred on the same road my parents would have been travelling as they were on their way to the church activity. Then, I “felt” it. I “knew” my parents had been injured or possibly killed in the terrible wreck. I rushed to the scene. As I approached, I could see the traffic was backed-up. Sirens were wailing; emergency lights, flashing; emergency responders, rushing. As I began to see the twisted metal of the wreck, my heart was pounding. Tears had begun to flow. I was panicking!
I quickly scanned the scene but did not see the car my parents had been driving! I asked someone who the people were involved in the crash. I did not recognize the names. [The victims of the wreck were taken and treated at a local hospital, and though their injuries were serious, fortunately, no one was killed.] My feelings had been intense, even gut-wrenching, and…wrong!
This personal illustration shows how feelings do not always reflect reality. This principle holds true in regard to feelings about salvation. Saul of Tarsus “felt” saved while persecuting Christians (Acts 8:3; 23:1; 26:9). Nevertheless, Saul was wrong in his actions. His zeal was misguided. Later, Saul realized this and obeyed the Gospel (Acts 9:1-6; 22:16; 9:18).
After becoming a Christian, he wrote the following passage that reveals how one can know, for a certainty, that one is saved: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). One is made free from sin when one obeys the Gospel, not merely when one “feels” saved.
Let us be certain that our salvation is based, not on “feelings,” but rather on the knowledge that we have obeyed the Gospel!
