"How can I be sure that I’m saved?” It’s a very common question for Christians of all ages. We pray for God to save us, and we try to do what’s right, but somehow we’re still afraid. What if I died tonight? How do I know I’d go to heaven? What if I went to hell?

It’s a scary question but also a really important one—we don’t want to make any mistakes in answering it! God knows we ask it, though, and so He gave us answers: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved ” (Acts 16:31). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

What does it mean to believe in Jesus and call on the name of the Lord? It’s simple to understand. Do you believe Jesus died and rose again? Have you asked Him to take your sin and save you from it? Have you acknowledged that He is Lord of all—including you? If your faith is in Christ alone, you can know you are saved from sin and death (Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:12).

Not quite reassured? Here’s one more thing to realize. Jesus died a horrible death so that you could be saved (John 3:16). If someone trusts Him to save them but isn’t saved, then Christ died in vain. He’s not looking for a reason to reject you. God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus has promised to save His people, and we can be assured in that promise (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

God doesn’t want us to live in doubt of our salvation, still afraid of His judgment (Romans 8:1). No, He came to free us from that fear, so that we could live life to the full: seeking Him, following Him, and growing ever closer to Him, knowing that ultimately we’ll live forever with Him and His people (1 John 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). • Christiana Cudworth

• Do you think there’s a difference between believing facts about Jesus and believing in Jesus? How do you know which describes you?

• What does it mean to know Jesus? (To learn more, check out our "Know Jesus" page.)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)