I grew up in a pastor’s home and I got saved when I was 18. I felt a call to missions in Bible college but my dad didn’t think it was the right call. I dropped out of Bible college, married an unsaved man, separated, committed adultery, but came back to the Lord within the last few years and reconciled with my husband whom I’m praying now for his salvation. The question always lingers in my mind if I ever was really saved because I fell so far away from the Lord. I’ve really struggled even though I believe the Lord saved me. I just want to know, can a saved person fall so far into sin and come back to the Lord like I did or should I make sure of salvation again? I know all the verses but this question just pops up in my mind a lot.

Thank you for your honest question and transparent testimony. Salvation is simple. When you believe in Jesus as your Savior, He saves you. He said so! (John 3:16; 5:24).

The Holy Spirit convicts of sin (the problem), righteousness (the need for Christ/righteousness), and judgment (the consequence without Christ). When a person understands these truths, agrees with them, and then responds to this conviction by trusting in Christ for salvation from sin and its consequence, he or she is saved. The eternal life of Jesus that is received is eternal.

Since one who has believed in Jesus is saved, to pray again to get saved is to step backward into doubt. The real answer for a child of God who has backslidden is revival. The real answer is honesty about wrong choices, taking the cleansing power of the blood for a clean heart (1 John 1:7,9), and then moving forward, yielding to the Spirit’s leadership and power (Gal. 2:20).

As becoming a Christian is by faith and not automatic, so Christian growth is by faith and not automatic. Though the provision for victory—Christ in you—is marvelously available, sadly, we far too often do not avail ourselves of this provision. That’s true for all of us. We all backslide at times. When we do, we miss out on our inheritance in the Spirit—but revival is available.

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