“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.”
When someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells them, seals their salvation, and begins the work of sanctification, which is our journey toward holiness (Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:16). This is how we're saved from eternal separation from God.
Sometimes we assume that a new believer will inevitably and steadily grow more like Christ. We assume that being a Christian means that we'll always resist sin. Some even believe that a new believer will never commit the "worst" sins. But that just isn't reality (1 John 1:8-10).
Evidence Does Not Equal Proof
“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Part of becoming a Christian is recognizing that we sin, that we shouldn't sin, and deciding we don't want to sin anymore (James 4:17). Throughout our lives, the Holy Spirit provides conviction and guidance and equips us with spiritual tools and support to help us sin less (John 14:16; 16:8; Philippians 2:13).
But while we're on this earth, we'll never be completely sinless. The world's darkness often leads human beings into sin. Fighting our own desires is difficult! Sinning is not necessarily a sign that a person isn't saved—especially if they struggle in a certain area, such as lust, but they're seeing real growth in another, like being honest with themselves and others.
The reverse is also true though. Just because a person doesn't appear to sin much, that doesn't mean they're saved. Many non-Christians desire to be "better people" and make healthy choices to grow in their integrity, kindness, and generosity. They sin less, but they don't trust Jesus (John 14:6).
When should I be worried?
“Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
If we feel conviction for our sins but we ignore that conviction, we're on our way to doing what most translations call "grieving" the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). The NLT makes it clearer by using the phase "bring sorrow" to the Holy Spirit. If we choose to ignore His guidance, He may pull back and allow us to face the consequences of our actions.
If a person knows they're sinning but don't feel any conviction at all, there are two possibilities:
They may not be saved. Fixing that is easy though: believe in the gospel!
They may be a believer with what the Bible calls a "hardened heart." If that's the case, they're growing closer to committing the sin unto death (1 John 5:16).
If you suspect your heart is hardened, don't lose hope. Even faithful Christians will face a hardened heart from time to time. Jesus needed to reprimand His disciples about doubting God's ability to provide after they had clearly witnessed His provision in the past (Mark 8:17-19).
Assurance of Salvation
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
It's true that sinning less is evidence that someone is truly saved, but it's not "proof" we should count on. Sometimes a single sin can lead someone to fear or doubt they were ever saved at all.
Our assurance of salvation should be based on the same truths that result in genuine salvation. Salvation is a gift of God, given through His grace and our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we accept that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins, that He rose again, and that He has reconciled us with God, we are saved (Romans 10:9-10).