How do we know we belong to Christ?

The certainty of our belonging to Christ is fundamentally tied to the hope we have in Him. Romans 5:5 states that hope does not put us to shame because it is rooted in God's love. This means that even in our doubts and fears, as expressed by the writer of the letter, our hope in Christ is evidence of His work in us. If we sincerely find ourselves hoping in Him and His grace, it shows that He has indeed caused us to hope in Him. Our struggles and doubts do not exclude us from belonging to Christ; in fact, they often highlight our need for Him.