THE SOLID GROUND OF SALVATION (It is Objective, Not Subjective)

There is a wonder—quiet, steady, unshakable—in knowing that salvation is not first something we feel, but something God Himself has done. The gospel is rooted in an objective reality, not a subjective one; it rests on the finished work of Christ, not the fragile experiences of our trembling hearts. And when a believer grasps this—when the soul understands the difference—it is like standing on rock instead of sand; like hearing the voice of God whisper, You are safe because I have acted, not because you feel strong.

Objective reality is simply this—something that is true whether we feel it or not. A child can grasp it. If the sun is shining, it shines even when your eyes are closed; if the mountains stand tall, they do not disappear when you turn your back. So it is with God’s work in Christ. The remission of sins—our cleansing, our forgiveness, our reconciliation—took place in the mind and purpose of God when Jesus shed His blood “for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). It did not wait for our emotions to rise or fall; it did not depend on our understanding or our strength or our spiritual temperature in the moment. It is a settled thing, a divine act completed on Calvary, a reality anchored in heaven itself.

Subjective reality, on the other hand, is what we feel on the inside. Feelings come and go; they can rise like a warm breeze or sink like a stone. A child understands this too—sometimes you feel brave, sometimes afraid; sometimes joyful, sometimes sad. But the truth remains even when the feelings shift.

Our experience of salvation—our joy, our peace, our confidence—may ebb and flow like the tide, but the fact of salvation does not move an inch. God does not wait for us to feel forgiven before He forgives; He does not wait for us to feel loved before He sets His love upon us. Salvation rests in what Christ accomplished once for all (Hebrews 10:10); it stands firm because God willed it, God worked it, God finished it.

And here is the hope—burning, bright, and blessed: because salvation is objective, it is certain. Because it is something God did through Christ, not something we manufacture in our emotions, we can rest the full weight of our souls upon it. Our assurance is not fragile, not delicate, not dependent on the highs and lows of our days. We look to the cross, where mercy met justice; we look to the empty tomb, where life conquered death; and we look to the throne where Christ intercedes for us still (Romans 8:34). Salvation is not a trembling candle in our hands—it is a blazing sun in the heavens.

So we come to Him with open hands—trusting, resting, believing. We do not wait until we feel worthy; we do not wait until our hearts sing the right song. We trust the One who acted decisively in history, who secured forgiveness before we ever drew our first breath, who offers a salvation “ready to be revealed” and already accomplished (1 Peter 1:5). And in that trust—in that leaning upon what God has done—we find peace that does not flicker, hope that does not fade, and a salvation as steady as the heart of Christ Himself.

BDD