“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Dr. Robert Godfrey: Well, I’m assuming when you asked that question that the key word there is “feel.” If you’re a person who is not saved and don’t feel saved, you should get saved. But, I suspect the origin of this question is more of the classic Reformed discussion of assurance. How do I gain assurance?…
And I think for the person really wrestling with that, they need to know clearly what it means to be saved. Do you recognize that you’re a sinner who cannot save yourself? Do you recognize that only Jesus Christ can save you? And do you recognize that you connect with Jesus only by true faith, trusting Him to save you?
If you already know those things and believe those things and are still troubled, I think it’s very important to find a reliable pastor who can help work with you. Very likely, if you believe you’re a sinner, you believe Jesus is the Savior, you want to trust Him. Very likely, what you need is to be helped to know that you do trust Him, that when Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” it’s a promise He means (see Matt. 11:38). It’s not a promise that’s complicated. It’s not a promise that we should doubt, but we need to trust it. And I think a really reliable pastor could be tremendously helpful to a Christian who’s wrestling with those sorts of problems.