In Christ Alone Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 40-45 Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message) "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Matthew 7:22-23 As I have talked with people over the years, I've noticed a great deal of confusion over the assurance of salvation. There are multiplied thousands of people who have never received Christ as their Savior and Lord, yet they feel confident they will go to heaven--if there is a heaven. They have a false assurance that everything is right between themselves and God. In Jeremiah 43, we are told that a group of Jews had left the land of Judah and gone to live in Egypt in direct disobedience of God's command. They thought that in Egypt they would be safe from all the calamity of their homeland. They burned incense and worshiped a deity called the Queen of Heaven, whom they believed would bring them health and prosperity. When the prophet Jeremiah warned them, we find their reply in Jeremiah 44:16-17: "We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! ...We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her." The people were convinced that everything would be all right, even after God's prophet told them otherwise. Today there are millions of people who have a false assurance about their eternal destiny. Some trust in the fact that they are church members or that they've been baptized or confirmed. Some trust in their good works or a moving experience they once had on a weekend retreat. But the Bible urges us to place our confidence in Jesus Christ alone. Prayer Lord, You are my only source of strength, and my certainty of eternal life. Amen. To Ponder Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me" (John 14:6).