READ: ROMANS 8:1-2, 15-18, 26-39; 10:9-13

I shouldn’t have done that, you think to yourself after you’ve sinned. I’m a Christian now—or at least I thought I was. Maybe I’m not really saved after all.

This is a common worry among Christians, but take heart. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus to rescue you from sin and death, you belong to God’s family. He has adopted you. You’re His child forever.

That’s worth repeating: you are His child forever. It’s like being born or adopted into your earthly family. Your parents don’t disown you every time you do something wrong, do they? Hopefully not! Well, our heavenly Father is better than any earthly parent could ever be (Psalm 27:10; Matthew 7:9-11), and He isn’t going to disown us every time we sin either. If He did that, none of us would be His children. We all sin, repeatedly, even Christians.

Whenever we do something wrong, we can confess it to Jesus right away. He already knows what we’ve done, and He has already secured our forgiveness. As we come to Him, He reminds us of His faithful love, and through the Holy Spirit, He helps us grow to become more and more like Him.

Christians aren’t perfect, but Jesus didn’t die for us and rise again only to disown us when we do something wrong. He went to the cross and conquered sin and death so we could be part of His family and have eternal life with Him. When you trust in Jesus, you’re part of His family—forever. • A. W. Smith

• Can you think of a time you felt unsure of your salvation? Was there something that helped comfort you?

• Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passages. What promises from Jesus can we rest in when we feel worried about whether or not we’re saved? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for His promises and talk to Him about any worries that come to mind.

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can encourage you and pray with you when you experience doubt and fear? How could you be this kind of friend to others?

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39b (NLT)