Hellođź‘‹ I really struggle with thinking I am not saved/going to hell.
Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
Praying for this in Jesus Name. Amen.
Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your words have been heard, and the heaviness you carry each day is understood. To live with the constant thought of hearing I never knew you, and to feel each morning that hell awaits you, is a great burden. Yet the very fear that troubles you can become a medicine for your soul if it is turned in the right direction.
God is not quick to punish but eager to give good things, and He is more ready to confer benefits than to inflict punishment. When Scripture speaks twice of punishment and once of reward, it is to correct us and to keep us awake. The remembrance of hell is profitable because it purifies the soul like silver and does not allow worldly carelessness to take root. As it is written, remember your latter end and you will not sin. Those who keep the judgment before their eyes are the ones who are kept from falling into it, while those who despise the warning are the ones who fall under it. Your fear shows you have not despised the warning, and that fear itself can keep you from sin if you let it lead you to Christ rather than to despair.
The words I never knew you were spoken to those who continued without repentance, who claimed to know Him while refusing to do the will of the Father. They are not spoken to the soul that trembles, confesses its sin, and runs to Him for mercy. You say you read the Bible and spend time with God all day in music and teaching, and that is good because all Scripture was written for our admonition. But assurance does not come from measuring how bad your life has been compared to other Christians, or from how much time you spend listening. There is one High Priest and one Sacrifice, and it is that one offering of Jesus Christ alone that cleanses and saves. You are not saved because your story is dramatic enough, you are saved because His blood is enough. Guard the noble birth you received in Him, and keep close to that one Table and that one hope.
You also speak openly of struggling with lust, and this is where your fear must become action. Do not think it is nothing because you do not commit other sins. It matters not to a bird caught in a snare whether it is held by one foot or by both wings, it is still caught. If you are caught by lust you are still caught, and you must be set free. Victory does not come all at once. Wash out sin part today and part tomorrow, and then the whole. God in His mercy has divided our passions across seasons of life so that we do not have to fight them all at once, and we are able to wrestle with them one by one. Be like the chariot drivers who are strict with themselves in training, in labor and in diet, so they are not thrown from the chariot. In the same way be strict with your eyes, your thoughts, your habits, and your company. Bring this struggle into the light through confession, turn to repentance, and add to it the positive works of justice, temperance, and mercy to others. Lust grows in idleness and secrecy, it starves in discipline and prayer.
At the same time learn to move from fear of hell to love for Christ. We ought to grieve more that we offend God than that we might be punished. If we do good only because we fear hell, we still have not learned to love Him as we ought. He threatened hell and promised the kingdom so that we might love Him. Let your daily reading and praying not only remind you of punishment but draw you to love the One who suffered all things for you. When the thought comes that you will surely be cast away, answer it not with your feelings but with His promise, that He receives all who come to Him in repentance and faith.
The narrow path is not narrow because only a few dramatic stories can enter it, it is narrow because it requires us to put off sin and to follow Christ alone. Continue to seek Him, confess your sins honestly, flee from lust as from fire, and ask Him to teach you to love Him more than you fear punishment. He who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell is also the One who raises the dead and is faithful to keep those who trust in Him.
May God give you a steady hope, a clean heart, and a love for Christ that is stronger than fear, and may He keep you in His grace until the end.
God is not quick to punish but eager to give good things, and He is more ready to confer benefits than to inflict punishment. When Scripture speaks twice of punishment and once of reward, it is to correct us and to keep us awake. The remembrance of hell is profitable because it purifies the soul like silver and does not allow worldly carelessness to take root. As it is written, remember your latter end and you will not sin. Those who keep the judgment before their eyes are the ones who are kept from falling into it, while those who despise the warning are the ones who fall under it. Your fear shows you have not despised the warning, and that fear itself can keep you from sin if you let it lead you to Christ rather than to despair.
The words I never knew you were spoken to those who continued without repentance, who claimed to know Him while refusing to do the will of the Father. They are not spoken to the soul that trembles, confesses its sin, and runs to Him for mercy. You say you read the Bible and spend time with God all day in music and teaching, and that is good because all Scripture was written for our admonition. But assurance does not come from measuring how bad your life has been compared to other Christians, or from how much time you spend listening. There is one High Priest and one Sacrifice, and it is that one offering of Jesus Christ alone that cleanses and saves. You are not saved because your story is dramatic enough, you are saved because His blood is enough. Guard the noble birth you received in Him, and keep close to that one Table and that one hope.
You also speak openly of struggling with lust, and this is where your fear must become action. Do not think it is nothing because you do not commit other sins. It matters not to a bird caught in a snare whether it is held by one foot or by both wings, it is still caught. If you are caught by lust you are still caught, and you must be set free. Victory does not come all at once. Wash out sin part today and part tomorrow, and then the whole. God in His mercy has divided our passions across seasons of life so that we do not have to fight them all at once, and we are able to wrestle with them one by one. Be like the chariot drivers who are strict with themselves in training, in labor and in diet, so they are not thrown from the chariot. In the same way be strict with your eyes, your thoughts, your habits, and your company. Bring this struggle into the light through confession, turn to repentance, and add to it the positive works of justice, temperance, and mercy to others. Lust grows in idleness and secrecy, it starves in discipline and prayer.
At the same time learn to move from fear of hell to love for Christ. We ought to grieve more that we offend God than that we might be punished. If we do good only because we fear hell, we still have not learned to love Him as we ought. He threatened hell and promised the kingdom so that we might love Him. Let your daily reading and praying not only remind you of punishment but draw you to love the One who suffered all things for you. When the thought comes that you will surely be cast away, answer it not with your feelings but with His promise, that He receives all who come to Him in repentance and faith.
The narrow path is not narrow because only a few dramatic stories can enter it, it is narrow because it requires us to put off sin and to follow Christ alone. Continue to seek Him, confess your sins honestly, flee from lust as from fire, and ask Him to teach you to love Him more than you fear punishment. He who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell is also the One who raises the dead and is faithful to keep those who trust in Him.
May God give you a steady hope, a clean heart, and a love for Christ that is stronger than fear, and may He keep you in His grace until the end.
Silas
Beloved of All
Prayer Request:
Please pray for ###'s healing and restoration. ### has been struggling with health issues and needs God's intervention. Pray for strength and peace for ### and the family during this difficult time. Ask that God would guide the doctors and provide wisdom for the medical team. Pray for complete recovery and that ### would feel God's presence and comfort. Also pray for ###'s faith to remain strong and that this trial would draw ### closer to God. Thank you for your prayers.
Please pray for ###'s healing and restoration. ### has been struggling with health issues and needs God's intervention. Pray for strength and peace for ### and the family during this difficult time. Ask that God would guide the doctors and provide wisdom for the medical team. Pray for complete recovery and that ### would feel God's presence and comfort. Also pray for ###'s faith to remain strong and that this trial would draw ### closer to God. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf. We are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer.
We have been continuing to lift you up before the Lord regarding the daily struggle you shared about fearing that you are not saved and going to hell, and the tormenting thought of hearing I never knew you every single day. We know how heavy that feeling is to carry, even as you seek to spend time with God all day through reading the Bible and listening to music and watching videos. We have also been praying for you concerning your struggle with lust, and the discouragement you feel when you think about the narrow path and when you compare your life to other Christians.
We have prayed that God would replace fear and condemnation with His perfect peace and full assurance of salvation, and that you would rest not in your own performance but in the finished work of Christ. We have asked Him to make His promises real to your heart, that according to Romans 8:1 there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and according to 1 John 5:13 you may know that you have eternal life, and according to John 10:28 no one can snatch you out of His hand. We have also prayed that He would give you victory and strength when temptation comes, and grace to walk in repentance and freedom, remembering 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us.
If your request was answered please post a praise report and let us all know so we may rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.
May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name.
We have been continuing to lift you up before the Lord regarding the daily struggle you shared about fearing that you are not saved and going to hell, and the tormenting thought of hearing I never knew you every single day. We know how heavy that feeling is to carry, even as you seek to spend time with God all day through reading the Bible and listening to music and watching videos. We have also been praying for you concerning your struggle with lust, and the discouragement you feel when you think about the narrow path and when you compare your life to other Christians.
We have prayed that God would replace fear and condemnation with His perfect peace and full assurance of salvation, and that you would rest not in your own performance but in the finished work of Christ. We have asked Him to make His promises real to your heart, that according to Romans 8:1 there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and according to 1 John 5:13 you may know that you have eternal life, and according to John 10:28 no one can snatch you out of His hand. We have also prayed that He would give you victory and strength when temptation comes, and grace to walk in repentance and freedom, remembering 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us.
If your request was answered please post a praise report and let us all know so we may rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.
May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name.
