How Can I Know That I Am Saved?

According to Obadiah Sedgwick — and the Word of God

I never doubted that I was saved until I went to college. Why?

• I grew up in a Christian home, where we read the Bible every day.

• Jesus thanked His father that He had hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. Matthew 11:26

• I was such a babe and rested in my salvation until the world came between Jeus and me.

• How? By asking the same question the serpent asked Eve: Hath God said?

• Jesus gave us all we need to know in John 3:16:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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Doubt is one of the most painful experiences in the Christian life.

Good Christians sometimes wonder:

• Am I really saved?

• Have my sins truly been forgiven?

• Why do I still struggle?

• What if my faith is not real?

  
  

This is not a new struggle. For centuries, pastors and teachers have helped believers wrestle honestly with assurance of salvation.

One of them was Obadiah Sedgwick (1609-1669) — a Puritan pastor dedicated to strengthening ordinary believers. In his sermons on faith and assurance, he made one great observation that still speaks powerfully today:

If you build your faith on what God says, you will have assurance.If you build your faith on what the world says, you will have doubt.

And that is exactly what Scripture teaches.

Faith that you are Saved Comes From Hearing — Not Guessing

St. Paul said:

“So then faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.”--Romans 10:17

Faith does not come from:

• feelings

• moods

• emotions

• self-analysis

• comparing yourself with others

Faith comes from God speaking — and you hearing.

Every time you read, hear, meditate on, or believe Scripture, you are standing on something outside yourself — something objective and eternal.

Sedgwick’s point was simple:

When your faith rests on God’s promises, your assurance grows.When your faith rests on yourself, your assurance collapses.

And hasn’t that been your experience?

When you look inward…you see weakness, inconsistency, coldness, failure.

But when you look upward…you see Christ.

Assurance Weakens When We Build on the Wrong Foundation

Sedgwick warned believers not to base assurance on:

❌ Feelings

Feelings change — truth does not.

❌ Performance

We will always fall short — that is why Christ died.

❌ The opinion of others

The world cannot tell you who you are in Christ.

❌ The accusations of the devil

Scripture calls him “the accuser of the brethren.”

If you listen to those voices —doubt naturally follows.

Because they do not tell the truth.

Assurance Strengthens When We Listen to God

The Bible tells you:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”John 3:36

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”Romans 10:13

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”Romans 8:1

“These things have I written unto you…that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”1 John 5:13

Notice that word:

KNOW

God wants His children to have assurance — not fear.

The Word of God Builds Unshakeable Faith

In Sedgwick’s day, Puritan Christians were saturated in Scripture. It is estimated they heard up to 15,000 hours of biblical preaching and teaching in a lifetime — the equivalent of 10 college educations.

Their faith did not come from slogans, noise, or positive thinking.

It was built on truth heard and believed — week after week, year after year.

Today, that steady diet is often missing.

But the principle remains:

The more we live in the Word of God —the stronger our assurance becomes.

Because the Spirit uses the Word to anchor the heart.

Assurance Is Not Pride — It Is Trust

Some believers fear that assurance sounds arrogant.

It is the opposite.

Assurance says:

“My confidence is not in me —but in Christ alone.”

Paul did not say:

✔ I am persuaded that I will hold on to Christ.

He said:

“I am persuaded, that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.” 2 Timothy 1:12

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1. Fear not, little flock, from the cross to the throne,

From death into life He went for His own;

All power in earth, all power above,

Is given to Him for the flock of His love.

Refrain:

Only believe, only believe;

All things are possible, only believe;

Only believe, only believe;

All things are possible, only believe.

2. Fear not, little flock, He goeth ahead,

Your Shepherd selecteth the path you must tread;

The waters of Marah He’ll sweeten for thee,

He drank all the bitter in Gethsemane.

3. Fear not, little flock, whatever your lot,

He enters all rooms, “the doors being shut,”

He never forsakes; He never is gone,

So count on His presence in darkness and dawn.

---Paul Rader, 1921