Q: I’ve been struggling with turning away from certain sin habits, and I am so anxious about being a disappointment or losing my salvation. I’m terrified that I’m going to mess up or die before I can be holy enough.

A: First and foremost, salvation is a free gift from God given to every person who puts their trust in Christ. This is called justification--where we are made right with God. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ. Most believers understand this, but may struggle with overcoming certain sins long after they first believe. Sanctification is the process of overcoming sin and growing more into the image of Christ. We tend to obsess over sin, when a better understanding is that we grow more in love and as a result, sin gets pushed out and lessens as we become more like Jesus. Justification comes about by grace (a free gift from God) by faith (your trust in Jesus). Yet sanctification is also by grace through faith, not by your own striving.

Many believers feel so relieved when they first come to Christ and feel the burden lifted as they give their lives to Him. However, the Enemy would like nothing less than to convince us that this gift will be taken away. Many believers have no problem understanding that they are saved after becoming a Christian but struggle with grasping the inner peace of knowing in their heart of hearts that they are truly saved. This is known as assurance. 

How does one obtain assurance? How does one know that they are truly saved? Ask God to give you assurance and He will. Pray for it until you have it. This is a supernatural occurrence. Ask God to increase your faith. This faith is not something that you can gather up within yourself, faith too is a gift from God. He's taken care of the sin problem at the cross and He will empower you by the Holy Spirit to overcome it in His time. All you have to do is surrender and give it to Him. The process is long, but don't listen to the Enemy who wants you to keep condemning yourself. Turn your focus away from yourself and focus on God. —T.A.

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