Hope that outlasts death
Can I Be Sure Where I Am Going?
You can. This may be the most important thing you ever settle, and the good news is that assurance is not arrogance and it is not wishful thinking; it is something God actually offers. Many people assume no one can really know until they die, but the Bible says otherwise. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, John wrote, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. Notice the word know. God does not want His children lying awake unsure of where they stand. He wants you to have solid ground under your feet, and He has provided it.
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”1 John 5:13
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”John 10:28
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”Romans 10:9
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”John 6:37
Let's be honest and tender about this
Let us be honest about where assurance does not come from, because this is where many people get stuck. It does not come from having been good enough; if it did, none of us could ever be sure, because none of us is good enough, and a life spent measuring your worthiness will always leave you anxious. Assurance that rests on your performance will rise and fall with your worst days. That is exhausting, and it is not the gospel. The whole point of the good news is that your standing with God rests on what Christ has done, not on what you have done, which means it is as steady as He is. You are not asked to be sure of yourself. You are invited to be sure of Him.
The deeper hope
Assurance rests on promises you can put your weight on. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Not might be, shalt be. And Jesus said of those who are His, I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Your security is not your grip on Him, which can be weak, but His grip on you, which cannot be broken. So the question is not have I been good enough, but have I entrusted myself to Jesus. If you have, His promise, not your feelings, is the ground of your certainty, and it holds even on the days you feel nothing at all.
The One who defeated death
If you are unsure and want to be sure, you do not have to earn your way to certainty; you come to Jesus and take Him at His word. And He could not have made the welcome plainer: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. In no wise, no exceptions, no fine print. You can turn to Him right now, honestly admit you cannot save yourself, ask Him to receive you, and trust that He does exactly what He promised. Assurance then rests where it belongs, on His faithfulness, not your worthiness. And if it would help to settle this with someone beside you, you can ask a believer to pray with you and walk you through it.
Who is Jesus? · Begin with Jesus · Ask someone to pray with you
Questions people ask
Can I really know for sure I am going to heaven?
Yes. Scripture explicitly says believers can know they have eternal life. Assurance is not arrogance; it is resting on God's promise rather than on your performance. If you have entrusted yourself to Jesus, your security is grounded in His faithfulness and His grip on you, not in your feelings or your track record, and He wants you to be sure.
What if I do not feel saved?
Feelings rise and fall and are not the ground of assurance; God's promises are. Jesus said he will in no wise cast out anyone who comes to Him, and that no one can pluck His own from His hand. Rest your certainty on His word rather than on your mood. On the days you feel nothing, His promise is just as true as on the days you feel much.
Isn't it prideful to say you know you are going to heaven?
Not when the confidence rests on Christ rather than on yourself. Claiming to be good enough would be pride; trusting that Jesus is faithful to His promise is humble dependence, the opposite of pride. Assurance boasts in the Savior, not in the self. God offers this certainty as a gift to His children, and receiving it honors Him.