“ ‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; “for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.” ’ Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say: ‘Praise the Lord, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted.’ ” (Isaiah 12:2-4)
This verse, which urges us to draw water with joy from the well of salvation, held special meaning for me as a new believer. I had sought satisfaction from many other wells, but they brought me neither joy nor salvation. The experience of salvation is the greatest blessing a person can know in this life, for true salvation brings with it a deep, genuine, and abiding joy.
When fear and doubt threaten to overwhelm me and weaken my faith, I think back to the day of my conversion. I recall how the Spirit of God guided and led me, and I compare that to my life before my conversion, thanking the Lord for saving me from sin. Then I ask myself: Do I still enjoy the full assurance of salvation today? This helps me recognize where I stand spiritually and strengthens my faith.
Many people lack assurance of salvation. Just recently, I spoke with a friend. He told me that he wasn’t sure of his salvation. People have come up with many substitutes for the assurance of salvation. Some of these substitutes may be good in and of themselves, but they do not give a person the joy of salvation.
For many people, turning over a new leaf— trying to start a new life through sheer willpower—has become a substitute for a genuine conversion experience and the assurance of salvation. A young woman once said to me, “Yesterday I decided to start a new life. From now on, I will live honorably and do what is right. I will avoid evil, stop lying, and leave my old ways behind.” I replied, “Those are worthy goals, and I respect your determination. But apart from the salvation Christ offers, you will never be able to live the truly new life that God intends for you.”
A person can’t just start hanging out with a religious group and expect to be saved. Judas spent years associating with the right people – even with the Lord Jesus Himself – and yet he still missed the mark.
Neither can someone gradually grow into salvation. It is unfortunate that in some churches, young people are raised within the congregation, participate in its traditions, and follow its teachings as best they can. When they reach a certain age, they are accepted as faithful church members. They consider themselves to be Christians because they belong to a congregation, yet this alone cannot bring a person into a saving relationship with Christ. Many carry the name of Christian throughout their lives without ever experiencing genuine conversion and the assurance of salvation.
To know the reality of salvation means to live a life renewed by the Holy Spirit. When we open the New Testament, we find exhortations such as: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The sinner must repent, leave the path of sin, and enter the path of salvation.
Those who have repented, turned away from sin, and been born again know “that we have passed from death to life” (1 John 3:14). Assurance of salvation cannot be obtained in any other way. We may rejoice in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven, that we stand in God’s favor, and that we are God’s children. And this joy cannot be replaced by anything else.
Years ago, King Charles V borrowed a large sum of money from a merchant in Antwerp. When the debt came due and the money was to be repaid, the king was unable to do so. The kind lender burned the deed of debt right before the king’s eyes, leaving nothing of it behind. Deeply moved, the king embraced his benefactor and wept with joy. – We are all debtors to God and could never pay our debt. Yet we have the privilege of confessing our sins to Him and imploring His forgiveness. And everyone who comes to Him in the way prescribed in Scripture receives this forgiveness and can then truly rejoice. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The greatest joy a person can experience is a true experience of salvation, when they are redeemed from their sins through Jesus Christ and thereby receive the assurance of being a child of God. When I turned to the Lord and received assurance of salvation, I experienced the greatest joy of my life. And because the Lord has sustained me by His grace to this very hour, I am still able to rejoice. When the Lord Jesus has become our personal Savior, He is with us, and that makes life truly worth living and joyful.
Have you experienced this true joy, dear reader? Do you know the joys of salvation from personal experience? Jesus is ready to give you salvation, along with all the joys that come with it. These joys are not just for this life, but for all eternity.
H.C. Rice
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