Susan Aken

What were the prophecies of Jesus' birth in the Bible?

Growing up, the hymn “Blessed Assurance” etched its words on my heart. Occasionally, when I’m alone worshipping God, the lyrics of this song will come to mind and I sing from my heart with joy. Written almost 150 years ago it’s as powerful as ever!

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!”

At times, I’ve struggled with doubts about my salvation. At 13, being aware of sin in my heart like pride, selfishness, and hatred, and knowing Jesus came to earth, lived perfectly, died for my sin and rose again conquering death, I placed my faith in Him. I believed in Him and He gave me eternal life. But along the way, I heard others add a but to eternal life. “Yes, you must believe in Jesus,” they’d say, “but, you also must...” adding works to salvation. Or Satan, our spiritual enemy, would whisper, “How could you be a Christian? Look at what you said, felt, or did?” This left me wondering, “Will I live eternally in heaven when I leave earth?”

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