What if I don’t feel saved?

Answer

This is a common question among Christians. Many people question their salvation based on their feelings or lack thereof. The Bible addresses salvation extensively, but it does not mention “feeling saved.” Salvation is the process through which sinners are rescued from God’s judgment on sin, known as “wrath” (Romans 5:9;1 Thessalonians 5:9). Specifically, Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection accomplished our salvation (Romans 5:10;Ephesians 1:7).

Our role in the salvation process is to be saved through faith. Initially, we need to hear the gospel—the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection “In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13). Subsequently, we must believe—completely trust in the Lord Jesus “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek,” (Romans 1:16) and His sacrifice alone. We should not rely on our own efforts to attain salvation. This faith, which is a gift from God and not something we generate ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9), involves repentance—a change of mind regarding sin and Christ “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord’s presence,” (Ephesians 2:8-9).(Acts 3:19), and calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:9-10, 13). Salvation leads to a transformed life as we start living as the new creation «Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. », (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We reside in a sentiment-driven society, and unfortunately, this has extended to the church. However, feelings are unreliable, and emotions are untrustworthy. They fluctuate like the tides of the sea, carrying various seaweed and debris onto the shore, then receding, eroding the ground beneath us and washing it away to sea. This is the condition of those whose lives are governed by emotions. The most minor events—a headache, a gloomy day, a casually spoken word by a friend—can undermine our confidence and plunge us into a state of despair. Doubt and discouragement, especially regarding the Christian life, are the inevitable outcomes of attempting to interpret our feelings as truth. They are not.

However, a well-informed and well-prepared Christian is not controlled by feelings but by the truth they understand. They do not depend on their feelings to validate anything. Relying on feelings is the precise mistake many individuals make in life. They become so self-analytical that they fixate on themselves, constantly evaluating their own feelings. They will consistently question their connection with God. “Do I genuinely love God?” “Does He truly love me?” “Am I worthy enough?” What we must do is cease focusing on ourselves and our feelings and instead shift our attention to God and the truth we have learned about Him from His Word.

When we are swayed by subjective feelings focused on ourselves rather than by objective truth centered on God,We live in a perpetual state of defeat. Objective truth revolves around the fundamental doctrines of the faith and their significance in life: the sovereignty of God, the high priestly intercession of Christ, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the hope of eternal glory. Grasping these profound truths, focusing our minds on them, and meditating on them will empower us to think from truth in all of life’s challenges, and our faith will be robust and vibrant. Relying on what we feel about ourselves—instead of what we know about God—is the certain path to spiritual defeat. The Christian life entails dying to self and emerging to “walk in the newness of life” «Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. », (Romans 6:4), and that new life is marked by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the feelings of the dead flesh that has been crucified with Christ. When we are consistently preoccupied with ourselves and our feelings, we are essentially fixated on a corpse, filled with decay and death.

God pledged to rescue us if we approach Him in faith. He never pledged that we would feel saved.