"... Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (cf. John 20:27).
"For the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God" (cf. Rom. 8:16).
"For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12).
"... [B]e all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10, ESV).
The title is taken from Fanny Crosby's hymn. We don't find out we're saved because we're curious, but because we are commanded to do so in 2 Pet. 1:10, but it's not an automatic fruit of salvation, even if one's faith is alive and growing--for dead faith or faith minus works doesn't save (cf. James 2:20), and we are commanded o examine ourselves as to whether Christ is in us on a regular basis to reassure ourselves. (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5). It is not the preacher's duty or job description (nor any authority figure's for that matter) to give assurance of salvation--they can only reassure, but one must trust in the Word as a conviction and join it to the assurance of the Holy Spirit as dual assurance.
We must learn the lesson to take God at His Word, once the initial highs and feelings have left us (when normalcy sets in) and the feelings of our initial response to salvation when God is testing the validity and reality of our faith, which is more precious than gold and silver and must be confirmed by fire. If we don't have any assurance, we will be paralyzed in our walk and stunted in growth, not able to walk forward with Christ in faith, but treading water and going backward even. This assurance is meant to enhance our sanctification and to be a boon to our experience in Christ.
R. C. Sproul says that to gain authentic assurance we must "search our own hearts and examine the fruit of our faith." And also that "the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit" is God's normative methodology of assurance. When we are fully assured we will never succumb to doubt, having on our helmet of salvation, because it will be a done deal and we can overcome the Anfectung (Luther's German for attack) of Satan. Let's be leery of being like those who waver in the faith and are rebuked and chided by Jesus, "Oh you of little faith!"
Note that no one has to have perfect assurance nor perfect faith in this life to get saved, or it wouldn't be called faith but knowledge. If someone says he has no doubts, he's never been tested in his faith or doesn't know himself well, for faith is not the same as knowledge of which we will inherit in glory. NB: you will never have "smoking gun" evidence that you can be as assured as you see the sunshine in the sky, for we are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight in 2 Cor. 5:7. You don't need all the answers to believe or make a decision for Christ!
We are to "taste and see that the LORD is good," so that we can existentially and empirically know God by the experience of the spiritual world by faith. One of God's chief complaints and pet peeve is that man doesn't have the "knowledge of God" (cf. Hos. 4:1). Later cf. Hosea 6:3 which says to let us know, let us go on to know the LORD. We can sincerely pray for God to increase our faith, and God does commend strong faith, but it isn't the amount of faith that saves, but the object (faith doesn't save, Christ does, or it is fideism, faith in faith). There are degrees of certitude and the faith/doubt continuum varies throughout one's spiritual journey.
Many preachers dichotomize salvation's security from its assurance in the here and now--these must never be divorced for they are two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist logically without the other (if you can lose it, how can you ever have full assurance and know you won't slip into sin?). We say in theology that we can indeed distinguish these doctrines, but cannot separate them--they are two sides of the same coin (the flip side).
Roman Catholics will tell you that assurance is a pure sin of presumption unless you've had a special revelation or experience with God to assure you, but it's not conjecture nor presumption, it's doable and a duty. It's true, as some may point out, that some leave the faith, but these were never genuine believers in the first place according to John in 1 John 2:19. Orthodox doctrine says that we persevere in the faith as God preserves us, for if it weren't for grace, none of us would survive spiritually.
The biggest problem in the church regarding this issue is not patient with struggling believers who have doubts, but bearing with those who presume and have false assurance, for assurance must be biblical and based on sound doctrine or dogma. And so people can be ignorant of Scripture or aren't taking God at His Word--or they may simply be going by feeling. We are accountable for the faith bestowed on us to be faithful to it and grow fruit accordingly (cf. Rom. 12:3), and our faith must not be feigned or hypocritical, but sound and sincere--i.e., albeit not perfect (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5).
In sum, the best assurance is to claim the promises of God as one's spiritual birth certificate, like one of mine in John 6:37 that says, "He who comes to Me I will in no way cast out." FIND YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR PASSAGE THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR OWN HEART AND SITUATION. Soli Deo Gloria!
"For the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God" (cf. Rom. 8:16).
"For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12).
"... [B]e all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10, ESV).
The title is taken from Fanny Crosby's hymn. We don't find out we're saved because we're curious, but because we are commanded to do so in 2 Pet. 1:10, but it's not an automatic fruit of salvation, even if one's faith is alive and growing--for dead faith or faith minus works doesn't save (cf. James 2:20), and we are commanded o examine ourselves as to whether Christ is in us on a regular basis to reassure ourselves. (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5). It is not the preacher's duty or job description (nor any authority figure's for that matter) to give assurance of salvation--they can only reassure, but one must trust in the Word as a conviction and join it to the assurance of the Holy Spirit as dual assurance.
We must learn the lesson to take God at His Word, once the initial highs and feelings have left us (when normalcy sets in) and the feelings of our initial response to salvation when God is testing the validity and reality of our faith, which is more precious than gold and silver and must be confirmed by fire. If we don't have any assurance, we will be paralyzed in our walk and stunted in growth, not able to walk forward with Christ in faith, but treading water and going backward even. This assurance is meant to enhance our sanctification and to be a boon to our experience in Christ.
R. C. Sproul says that to gain authentic assurance we must "search our own hearts and examine the fruit of our faith." And also that "the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit" is God's normative methodology of assurance. When we are fully assured we will never succumb to doubt, having on our helmet of salvation, because it will be a done deal and we can overcome the Anfectung (Luther's German for attack) of Satan. Let's be leery of being like those who waver in the faith and are rebuked and chided by Jesus, "Oh you of little faith!"
Note that no one has to have perfect assurance nor perfect faith in this life to get saved, or it wouldn't be called faith but knowledge. If someone says he has no doubts, he's never been tested in his faith or doesn't know himself well, for faith is not the same as knowledge of which we will inherit in glory. NB: you will never have "smoking gun" evidence that you can be as assured as you see the sunshine in the sky, for we are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight in 2 Cor. 5:7. You don't need all the answers to believe or make a decision for Christ!
We are to "taste and see that the LORD is good," so that we can existentially and empirically know God by the experience of the spiritual world by faith. One of God's chief complaints and pet peeve is that man doesn't have the "knowledge of God" (cf. Hos. 4:1). Later cf. Hosea 6:3 which says to let us know, let us go on to know the LORD. We can sincerely pray for God to increase our faith, and God does commend strong faith, but it isn't the amount of faith that saves, but the object (faith doesn't save, Christ does, or it is fideism, faith in faith). There are degrees of certitude and the faith/doubt continuum varies throughout one's spiritual journey.
Many preachers dichotomize salvation's security from its assurance in the here and now--these must never be divorced for they are two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist logically without the other (if you can lose it, how can you ever have full assurance and know you won't slip into sin?). We say in theology that we can indeed distinguish these doctrines, but cannot separate them--they are two sides of the same coin (the flip side).
Roman Catholics will tell you that assurance is a pure sin of presumption unless you've had a special revelation or experience with God to assure you, but it's not conjecture nor presumption, it's doable and a duty. It's true, as some may point out, that some leave the faith, but these were never genuine believers in the first place according to John in 1 John 2:19. Orthodox doctrine says that we persevere in the faith as God preserves us, for if it weren't for grace, none of us would survive spiritually.
The biggest problem in the church regarding this issue is not patient with struggling believers who have doubts, but bearing with those who presume and have false assurance, for assurance must be biblical and based on sound doctrine or dogma. And so people can be ignorant of Scripture or aren't taking God at His Word--or they may simply be going by feeling. We are accountable for the faith bestowed on us to be faithful to it and grow fruit accordingly (cf. Rom. 12:3), and our faith must not be feigned or hypocritical, but sound and sincere--i.e., albeit not perfect (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5).
In sum, the best assurance is to claim the promises of God as one's spiritual birth certificate, like one of mine in John 6:37 that says, "He who comes to Me I will in no way cast out." FIND YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR PASSAGE THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR OWN HEART AND SITUATION. Soli Deo Gloria!
