How Do I Know I’m Really a Christian?

In a recent episode of The New Christian podcast, Chris Jolly spoke with Simon Manchester, assistant minister at All Saints Woollahra, teacher at Cornhill Bible College and host of Hope 103.2’s Christian Growth podcast, about what it means to become a Christian and how believers can know they have eternal life.

Many Christians, especially those new to faith, wonder whether they have truly been saved. Simon said the Bible offers confidence, not uncertainty, to those who trust in Jesus.

“We’re not talking about hope. We’re talking about knowing,” Simon said.

Assurance comes from trusting God’s promises more than our feelings.

Simon’s journey to faith

Simon became a Christian during his final year of school after attending a Christian camp.

There, he said, two truths came together for the first time: his own need for forgiveness and Jesus’ offer of salvation.

“I learned that I had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God… and I learned that Christ had come into the world to save sinners,” Simon said.

That decision ultimately led him into a lifetime of ministry, teaching and helping others understand the Christian faith. It also inspired his contribution to a new guidebook designed to help new Christians navigate topics such as prayer, the Bible, family life, work and doubt.

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A new heart, not a perfect life

During the conversation, Chris raised a common concern among new Christians: what happens when you still struggle with sin, doubt or failure?

Simon said becoming a Christian does not mean instantly becoming perfect.

“You’re new but you’re not perfect,” Simon said.

Instead, Christians receive what the Bible describes as a new heart and a new desire to follow Christ. While believers continue to wrestle with their old nature, they also discover a growing desire to pray, learn from Scripture and stay close to God.

Christians are not saved because they become perfect. They are saved because they belong to Christ.

Simon explained that Jesus’ teaching about abiding in the vine is ultimately about remaining close to Him and depending on Him rather than drifting away.

Assurance comes from Christ, not performance

One of Simon’s strongest messages was that assurance should not be based on how well a person thinks they are performing spiritually.

Good days and bad days come and go. Emotions change. Confidence rises and falls.

Instead, Christians are called to look to Christ.

“Forget about your performance. Ask yourself about the performance of Christ,” Simon said.

The foundation of salvation is Christ’s faithfulness, not our achievements.

Rather than looking inward, Simon encouraged listeners to look at God’s promises in Scripture, particularly the promises given through Jesus.

When feelings fluctuate, God’s Word remains unchanged.

Adoption and baptism

To help explain assurance, Simon used the picture of adoption.

Just as an adopted child becomes part of a family through the commitment of loving parents, Christians become part of God’s family through faith in Christ.

Once adopted into God’s family, believers can live with confidence in His love and commitment to them.

The conversation also touched on baptism. Simon explained that baptism is an important public declaration of faith, but it is not what saves someone.

Rather, baptism demonstrates outwardly what God has already done inwardly through faith.

For new Christians, it becomes a visible way of declaring that they now belong to Christ and want to follow Him.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above. All episodes of ‘The New Christian’ are available on the podcast page.

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