How Can I Be Sure I'm Saved?

Church Questions

by Jeremy Pierre

Words of Encouragement for Christians Who Doubt Their Salvation Countless Christians are weighed down with fear that God doesn’t truly love them. Although they have heard and affirmed the gospel, repented of their sins, and turned to Christ, the depths of their sin or long stretches of suffering have eroded away any sense of assurance. Is it possible for Christians to be confident in their salvation? With pastoral wisdom, Jeremy Pierre encourages doubt-filled Christians with the truths of Scripture. He shifts their perspective to see themselves as God sees them, comforts their hearts with the abundant love initiated by God, and teaches them to receive this love through the gifts Christ has given God’s word, prayer, and the fellowship of the church. Readers will learn to find rest in the unlimited knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

Genres: Christian

64 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2022

About the author

Jeremy Pierre, PhD, is Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling and Dean of Students at Southern Seminary. He is also a pastor at Clifton Baptist Church. He is coauthor of The Pastor and Counseling. He and his wife Sarah raise their five children in Louisville, Kentucky.

Reviews

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking thoughts about the assurance of salvation.

[Pat Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never forget when I was driving down the interstate listening to a Gavin Ortlund podcast and the Lord met with a statement of assurance that stopped me in my tracks.

I was driving on the interstate simply looking to learn about various heresies that have been traced through Church History and instead of my academic “head-like” pursuits, the Lord chose to meet with something else in the heart.

Gavin took a break from his lecture and said something to the effect “I am not sure who needs to hear this… but when you close your eyes in death you won’t be wrong. God is not pulling a trick on you. He loves you. You will see your Father’s face. You are not wrong. Sleep well and be assured, we are right….”

The truth is I was one of the many that needed to hear it.

Assurance has always been a struggle for the legalistic soul that I possess. This book is a great book to give to fellow Christian’s that struggle with assurance. It is my hope and prayer that this book could serve as the assurance statement that stopped me in my tracks for other brothers and sisters.

I love Jeremy Pierre. I have had the privilege of interacting with a variety of his resources and the counseling tone of his writing is so informative for someone preparing for ministry and devotional as a Christian merely reading his work.

I will definitely hand this to believers that I know are struggling with assurance. Great read and worth all of my brothers and sisters to have in their arsenal for ministerial purposes.

4/5

[Kaitlyn Pindak · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If the Christian life were charted on a map, the starting part could be labeled, “God loves you.” The blue line tracing the path from that point would turn, curve, and eventually arc its way back to the very same point the Christian journey is a long, difficult path back to the place you started- the place where you realized, despite your sin, God loves you.” (p. 9)

“Much of what you’ve read here was forged in a season of my own life when it seemed to me that God was dangling me over the flames of judgment.” (p. 44)

“I needed [God] to love me first and to love me last. Today, I am even more assured of my salvation not despite that experience, but because of it.” (p. 46)


Jeremy Pierre writes from a place of both teaching and rest, as well as experience and understanding. The message, words, and tone are lovely, warm, and practical.

As someone who has struggled with assurance of salvation, this book expresses things that I have learned, things I needed to hear, and things I’m still learning.

May you be encouraged, dear Christian, as you read!


5/5 🌟

[Grace Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost took me longer to find this book in the library than to read it, but despite, or perhaps because of its brevity it is an extremely clearly written, practical and encouraging book. Worth the read, and even if you disagree with me on that point its ~20m of your life, so not much lost.

[Alyosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treasure Mr. Pierre has offered us in this little booklet. Will be carrying this with me alongside my pocket Bible for the foreseeable future. Highly recommend to anyone walking with Christ, especially those that find their assurance evasive at times.

[Alden Barentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a big encouragement to me and changed my perception of the assurance of salvation completely.

[Connor Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this short pamphlet for anyone who has struggled with believing that they are beyond the bounds of God's love for them in Christ.

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19–20.

[Myles Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most helpful books I’ve ever read.

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of this book is profound, encouraging, practical, and surprisingly thorough for such a small book. However, I am not convinced it answers the titular question. Half the book seems to address "How can I be assured God loves me?" rather than "How can I be sure I'm saved?" And the book assumes the reader is saved. The last few pages do address the titular question by showing with the Bible the means God uses to assure Christians of His love and their righteousness (i.e., salvation). It seems as if the author argues that assurance of God's love results in the assurance of salvation though not explicitly stated that way.

Assurance of God's love requires:
1. Seeing yourself as God objectively sees you
2. Relying on the unprovoked love of the triune God
3. Trusting that God loves you, demonstrated through prayer and the church


Key points that stood out to me:

"Submit your subjective perspective of self to God's objective understanding of you."

"You know some things imperfectly yet truly. God knows everything perfectly and fully."

"If you think you can only settle your mind if you know you are saved beyond the shadow of a doubt, then your mind will never be settled." Only God can attain that kind of certainty.

"God knows, better than you do, who you are--everything about you."

The question "how can I know ___?" is a struggle to base your confidence not on an internal sense of sureness but on the claims of another." (i.e., God)

"Salvation is a bigger reality than your experience of it." ... "God's love was not caused by you, and it cannot be uncaused by you. You cannot cause God to love you by your worthiness, and you cannot cause God to unlove you by your unworthiness."

"Ever since sin entered the world, the purpose of [God's] words to humanity is to save anyone who listens. If he wanted to condemn people, he would not need to speak to them. He would simply carry out his righteous judgement. But Scripture is one long story of God speaking to humanity for the purpose of committing himself to act for their salvation."

If I am alarmed by my sin, it means I can still hear God, and He is giving me conviction, not condemnation. He is calling me to repentance, which leads to salvation.

[JaRon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? is a concise yet deeply impactful book that tackles one of the most essential questions for any believer. With clarity and scriptural backing, the author addresses the doubts and uncertainties that many Christians face regarding their salvation. What I particularly appreciated about the book is its balance of theological depth and practical application. It doesn’t just offer theological concepts but walks the reader through how they can apply these truths to their daily walk of faith.

The tone is compassionate and reassuring, acknowledging the struggles of doubt while pointing readers back to the foundational truths of the gospel. The use of Scripture throughout is both careful and encouraging, making it clear that assurance of salvation is not based on our feelings or performance but on the promises of God.

Whether you’re a new believer looking for reassurance or someone who has been in the faith for years and still grapples with uncertainty, this book offers hope and clarity. It’s an excellent resource for personal study, group discussion, or even as a tool for ministry to those struggling with assurance. How Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? is a must-read for anyone seeking deeper confidence in their relationship with God.

[Carôle Ceres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, Straightforward and Fair

SPOILER ALERT:

Get out of your own mind. Acknowledge that the Triune God already loves you (& has done so before you were born to sin).

Faith is the word! You will need to have this thought provoking book very close to you to reread often - not in its entirety but - often enough to remind yourself of God”s never ending, unfailing faithful love to you.

I’m going to reach out and try to read the other titles. This was really interesting and informative to read.

A very intriguing book (& in my case, a great reassurance that I don’t need to know, I need to have faith.

[Braxton Schieler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most immensely helpful and practical guidance on assurance I've read and as this is something I've struggled with, I found it to be really encouraging. My critique would be that Pierre seems to assume the gospel a little bit; if someone isn't saved, there's certainly a danger of offering false assurance that might come with this little book. For the right audience, though, it's so hopeful.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeremy Pierre lists several useful truths about salvation, specifically that assurance comes from faith, not certainty. There will be times that your assurance will be shaken, but it is in those times that you need to rely on your faith.

Overall, a really solid resource. I'll likely read it again and return to sections of it for reminders.

[Nicholas Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm invitation to trust in Jesus. I appreciate Pierre’s counselor’s heart in this little book. This would be great to put in the hands of someone wrestling with whether they are really a Christian.

[John Majors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. I Plan to make these available at church.

[Chloe Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This resource was great, on a topic that often weighs people down. I’ve already recommended it to a friend. Christians, take a few minutes to read this booklet for encouragement you might not know you need.