Assurance of salvation

Assurance of salvation is the confidence that one has eternal life. Christian traditions differ on whether a true believer can lose salvation: some teach eternal security, often called once saved always saved, while others hold that salvation can be forfeited by falling away, and both the assurance passages and the warning passages are listed below.

That ye may know

• 1 John 5:11-13
  ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
  Show context · Read 1 John 5 →
• John 5:24
  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
  Show context · Read John 5 →
• 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.For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
  Show context · Read John 3 →
• Romans 8:16
  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
  Show context · Read Romans 8 →

No condemnation

• Romans 8:1
  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
  Show context · Read Romans 8 →
• Romans 5:1
  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
  Show context · Read Romans 5 →
• Romans 8:33-34
  ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
  Show context · Read Romans 8 →

Kept by God

• John 10:27-29
  ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
  Show context · Read John 10 →
• Romans 8:38-39
  ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  Show context · Read Romans 8 →
• Philippians 1:6
  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
  Show context · Read Philippians 1 →
• Jude 1:24
  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
  Show context · Read Jude 1 →
• 1 Peter 1:5
  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
  Show context · Read 1 Peter 1 →
• Ephesians 1:13-14
  ¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
  Show context · Read Ephesians 1 →

Evidence of new life

• 1 John 2:3-5
  ³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. ⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
  Show context · Read 1 John 2 →
• 1 John 3:14
  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
  Show context · Read 1 John 3 →
• 2 Peter 1:10
  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
  Show context · Read 2 Peter 1 →
• 2 Corinthians 13:5
  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?
  Show context · Read 2 Corinthians 13 →

Warning passages

• Hebrews 6:4-6
  ⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— ⁶If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
  Show context · Read Hebrews 6 →
• Hebrews 10:26-27
  ²⁶For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, ²⁷But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
  Show context · Read Hebrews 10 →
• 2 Peter 2:20-22
  ²⁰For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. ²¹For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. ²²But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
  Show context · Read 2 Peter 2 →
• Colossians 1:22-23
  ²²In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— ²³If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
  Show context · Read Colossians 1 →
• John 15:6
  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
  Show context · Read John 15 →
• Matthew 24:13
  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
  Show context · Read Matthew 24 →

See also

• Salvation
• Eternal life
• Apostasy
• Predestination
• Doubt

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.