Job says, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives"

Job made this confession in my title (cf. Job 19:25) and showed his ultimate faith in God that in his flesh he shall see God. Yes, the resurrection was even fact in the OT: Psalm 49:15, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave...."  Also, in Hosea 13:14, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death."  As it says in 1 Cor. 15:55, "O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?"  Death is finally defeated and we need not fear it!    Martha told Jesus that she shall see Lazarus at the resurrection! (cf. John 11:24).   ".... I kill and I make alive..." (cf. Deut. 32:39). 

But the doctrine was not fully realized nor fulfilled, or did it have a good reason to be believed, till Jesus conquered the grave by rising from the dead as the definitive proof of His deity (cf. Romans 1:4; Acts 17:31).  It was the skeptical Sadducees that denied the resurrection.  Paul truly said that if there is no resurrection we are a people most to be pitted and are still in our sins!  (cf. 1 Cor. 15:19). 

But the resurrection is a known historical fact with much compelling, though circumstantial evidence to verify it. It is said that the resurrection is more variously proved than any even in antiquity with many types of evidence that is.  Dr. Luke says that there were "many infallible proofs," (cf. Acts 1:3).  History rarely has direct evidence.  We have documents, records, testimony, and the witness of present believers as evidence.  But just believing it is history, not salvation.  As Josh MacDowell said, "Either the resurrection is the most wonderful event in history or its cruelest, biggest hoax." 

The resurrection is not only the point of Christianity but its focus and fulcrum, without it, we disembowel the faith and make it just another religion.  Denying the facts makes you out to be living in denial!  We must not only accept it as a historical fact but we must receive the living Lord into our hearts; i.e., believe it in our hearts!  Christ must not only be risen historically but personally. The resurrection is indeed the central fact of history and its hope. 

I confess and admit it takes faith to believe this for faith is what pleases God (cf. Heb 11:6). Now there is never enough evidence to convince a person who doesn't want to believe. Israel rejected the LORD and Moses though there were many miracles (cf. Psalm 78:32). Jesus said in John 7:17 that anyone willing to do His will shall know; there's the rub! Jesus had observed in John 12:37 that even though the stubborn Pharisees had seen many signs or miracles, they "would not believe," not that they could not believe; for the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart--where was their heart if they even had one still?  

The resurrection becomes a reality to believers because Jesus takes up residence in our hearts upon accepting this and we become transformed persons becoming renewed in Christ's image.  The transformation that took place in the apostles after they saw the Lord is the strongest evidence for His resurrection. You must want it to be true though!  But the good news is that we can taste that Jesus is good (cf.1 Pet. 2:3) and as Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good."  We are then becoming satisfied customers or happy campers in the Lord.    Soli Deo Gloria! 

Full Assurance Of Salvation

"Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble"  (2 Peter 1:10, HCSB).   


It is not presumption nor conjecture to believe one is saved eternally in real-time, it's faith and a boon to one's well-being, even justification and a motive and reason to do good.  We should be able to quote 2 Tim. 1:12 that saying, I know whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him day.   Assurance is paramount and enhances our sanctification and is the helmet of salvation to fight Satan and his minions.  If we lack assurance, our walk is paralyzed and we are in limbo, so to speak, meaning we are not resting in faith.  Assurance is not of the essence of faith, and not an automatic fruit, but it is commanded and our duty to know (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10), not just be idly curious about!  Assurance isn't the job description of the pastor-teacher but individual responsibility to examine their heart.  All one can do is "reassure."

Actually, some believers are congenital doubters or have little faith, but false assurance is the bigger problem (believing one is secure without biblical warrant or sanction).  Also, note that it's not some one's job description to certify your salvation--they can only give reassurance:  One must examine his own heart and the fruits of his faith, and see if they align with the Word of God and the witness of the inward Spirit (per Romans 8:16; 2 Cor. 13:5). 

We need not speculate about our destiny with God, for we can take God at His Word and at face value, standing on the promises of God; however, this implies we are not ignorant of the Word and have faith to begin with. In the final analysis, realize that we don't rest on conjecture, but certainty!

God is the great Promise Keeper and His Word "cannot be broken"; He has given us His Spirit as the earnest money or down payment on our salvation dividend.  Our destiny is in God's hands!  Believing this, we ought to rest in faith and stop trying to save ourselves by piety or religiosity.  We see salvation as a done deal (a fait accompli) with nothing we can add improvements to it, and we cannot earn, deserve, nor pay it back--it's the gift of God received through faith by grace, giving all the credit and glory to God (Soli Deo Gloria!  "Salvation is of the LORD," per Jonah 2:9). Salvation is not of us, nor of us and the LORD, but solely of the LORD.

In sum, taking a verse that you can cling to as a promise is the way to have assurance, and some call this a spiritual birth certificate, for example, a favorite of mine: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [now], and shall not come into condemnation, but has [past tense or done deal] passed from death unto life" (John 5:24, KJV).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Sure You're Saved?

We are commanded to make our election and calling sure (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10) and this is done by searching our own hearts, examining our fruit, claiming Scripture promises to lean on, and sensing the ministry of the Spirit "bearing witness to our spirit" (cf. Rom. 8:16). Christianity is about walking in the Spirit, and increasing in faith--genuine faith is penitent and not inert or static (it grows!). We walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7), and progress from faith to faith (cf. Rom. 1:17). Being sure of one's position in Christ is only the door, not the journey or destination.

Knowing we are saved is not an automatic fruit, and it's not presumption nor arrogance to know for sure (as is promised that we can know in 1 John 5:13). Believing and assurance don't mean we know all the answers and have no doubts--we just believed in spite of them. It's not the preacher's job description to certify our salvation, but he can offer reassurance. Even though some call assurance a "sin of presumption," it's obedience and a boon to our walk to know for sure without a doubt. 

Some people have this assurance because they claim Bible verses, and are not ignorant of the Word, but take it at face value: one such Scriptural "birth certificate" might be the verse in John 1:12, which says that anyone who receives Christ has the right to become a child of God. This assurance goes hand in hand with security--they can be distinguished, but not separated--the flip side of assurance is security that you cannot forfeit your salvation, even if you fall into sin, for we have an "Advocate with the Father" when we do sin (cf. 1 John 2:1). He always intercedes on our behalf (cf. Heb. 7:25).

Knowing we are saved is only the beginning and first step of our walk with Jesus, the "Author and Finisher of our faith" (cf. Heb. 12:2). A Christian is no spiritual giant just because he is 100 percent sure of his salvation, if his life isn't consistent with the Spirit, and he isn't producing good fruit. You can have many unanswered questions and still grow in Christ! Only in glory will all our questions be answered (cf. John 16:23). Faith isn't believing in spite of the evidence; it's obeying despite the consequences. "By faith Abraham obeyed," (cf. Heb. 11:8) despite the fact that he doubted God's promise, he went ahead and obeyed anyway! 

Notice that in the hall of faith chapter 11 of Hebrews it portrays all the saints as obeying in faith! Faith is abstract and you see it in action, you don't describe it. You don't need all the answers to believe, but can go right ahead and choose to believe anyway! God can increase our faith, but that means more responsibility!

We are not to take advantage of grace, to insult the Spirit of grace and misuse it. Knowing we are saved should be all the more motivation to live for Christ--for the more, we are given, the more God expects from us in return. God is only pleased with faithfulness and faith, and we must not divorce or separate the two, though they can be distinguished. Faith is only measured in obedience ("Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes," --Dietrich Bonhoeffer), and not experiences, mystical or real life, nor by emotions or feelings, which may be sentiment and signs we have never grown up in the faith so as not to depend on feelings. Faith, not feelings, please God (cf. Heb. 11:6). Our ecstasies, visions, dreams, and mystic or surreal experiences are not the measure faith; God is looking for obedience, not success or achievements. Blessed are those who have not seen! (Cf. John 20:29).

The best way to be sure is to have the witness of a fruitful life that supports your faith--showing that it's genuine, saving faith--not bogus. God isn't going to ask us at our final audit at the Bema, or Judgment Seat of Christ, how sure we were of our salvation, or how big our faith was, but what we did with it and whether we grew to know, love, and obey Jesus. It's not how big your faith is, but how big your God is, and it's not the amount of faith, but the object that matters. We must learn to trust and obey Christ in the mundane activities of life and to grow in our fellowship and relationship with Him.

If we are honest, all of us have been at the point of the man who cried, "I believe, help thou mine unbelief!"(cf. Mark 9:24).   Don't confuse works and grace, or fact and feeling (the divine order is fact-faith-feeling). Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but one of its elements and is healthy. Faith is not to be perfect or it wouldn't be faith, but knowledge, and what God wants is sincere, unfeigned, faith without any hypocrisy. (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5).   We are not to be pretenders who have a veneer to hide behind. We all have feet of clay and must progress in our walk as we get to know the Lord, the ultimate goal.

I propose two illustrations to exhibit faith: a boy flying a kite on a cloudy day was asked how he knew the kite was still up there, when unseen, he said he felt a tug every now and then to reassure him; another one is why you believe in the sun being up there when you don't see it: "Because I see everything else!" God opens the eyes or our hearts to see spiritually so we can say with the blind man: "... But I know this: I was blind, but now I see" (John 9:25, NLT). Who can refute such personal reality?

Not knowing for sure makes you a handicapped Christian in your walk, who cannot grow and mature in the faith as a seasoned believer! A word to the wise is sufficient: False assurance, overconfidence, spurious faith, and reckless living are more of a problem than the weaker brother who stumbles and has doubts--lacking full assurance. In sum, you must morph beyond mere assurance and fulfill your destiny and calling. Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance And Security Part 3

The best Bible verse I've seen for eternal security is Rom. 8:29-30, which says that all who are predestined are justified--none are lost ("For whom He foreknew, He predestined, and whom He predestined, He called, and whom He called He justified"). Jesus also said none are lost except the son of perdition and we are "kept" (See Jude vv. 1-4 for the promise). Without eternal security, there is no assurance of salvation like Romanists maintain. If our salvation depends on our behavior or conduct we might blow it in the end. Who would know that he would endure to the end unless God promised it in His Word? "He who endures to the end shall be saved." (This is not a proviso of salvation, but a promise that we will be saved.) (Matt. 10:22; 24:13) God doesn't quit on us, but finishes what He starts (He doesn't teach us to swim to let us drown): "For He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (Phil. 1:6). "Tetelestai!" (It is finished, PAID IN FULL!.) Soli Deo Gloria.

Assurance And Security Part 2

The doctrines of eternal security and assurance of salvation are interconnected. The truth or falsity of one bears on the credibility of the other. Romanists deny any sure doctrine of assurance, though they say assurance is possible for some by divine revelation to that effect, and say that one who is born-again cannot say for sure that he is numbered among the predestined--that would be presumption. St. Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, said that this is not arrogant stoutness (presumption), but faith. Wesleyans believe in present assurance, but deny any perseverance is guaranteed. They believe they can lose their salvation and deny the ditty, "Once saved, always saved." Most Lutherans believe that if you lose your faith, you will lose your salvation, even though Martin Luther was orthodox in his belief of the perseverance of the saints. Security is a fact, assurance is an acknowledgment of a fact and the two can be distinguished or differentiated, but not separated.  You cannot logically affirm one without the other!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Notes From Lecture Of Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Dr. Johnson (predecessor of Norman L. Geisler and my first teacher of sound doctrine,) mentioned three assurances of salvation: The evidential (works of righteousness, love of the brethren, overcoming sin per 1 John 3:7); the internal witness of the Holy Spirit per (Rom. 8:16 as the Spirit bears witness with our spirit); and the external witness of the reliable Word of God itself. Trusting in the Word cannot be more reliable, so we should cling to our favorite verse of assurance, e.g., John 6:37 which says, "He who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out." This is like having a "spiritual birth certificate."

Salvation brings life, but assurance brings joy. "Do we have faith to die by or just one we can live with?" says Dr. Johnson.

He made it clear that one can be saved and have no assurance or a weak faith with doubts. It is God's will for us to know for sure absolutely. Not just out of curiosity, but as a boon to our faith and a duty to God to have a strong faith. Augustine of Hippo said that assurance is no "arrogant stoutness," but faith, and no presumption at all. What shall we trust: God's infallible Word or our experience?   Soli Deo Gloria!

Note:  Dr. Johnson baptized me and was criticized at DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) for his strict Reformed theology. He was the pastor at Believers Chapel in Dallas, Texas.   He also was one of Charles Swindoll's professors at DTS.   

Basic Assurance

I have seen stats and data that support the conclusion that most Christians are not sure of their salvation. At least 50 percent of Christians claim to be unsure. In some churches, 95 percent of the members are unsure (mostly Roman Catholic). Assurance of salvation does not belong to the essence of faith and doesn't always exist with saving faith. God is more interested in whether our faith is sincere and unfeigned and not hypocritical than being unwavering. Everyone's faith is tested at times because it is more precious as gold and silver in God's eyes. Someone whose faith has never been tested has weak faith. It isn't the amount of faith, but the object of the faith.

We don't need divine intervention or a revelation to the effect that we are saved, like hearing voices or seeing visions, to know we are saved. God's Word is true and He cannot lie. If we have done our part of the promise of salvation and God's Word says we're saved, then God has more to lose than we do by not saving us, we would lose our soul, but God would lose His deity. Some claim to have experiences, but we should still base our assurance on the Word of God and stand on the promises of God, relying on His Word, not walking in the "glow" of some experience, or clinging to the memory of some emotional encounter.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance And Security

"Our assurance is not based on our feelings, behavior...but on the character of God...." We may have a question of semantics here, but it seems to me that we are reassured by our subjective experience and objective faith in God's Word. Our ultimate "security" is in God's hands as we are inscribed on the palms of His hands (cf. Isaiah 49:16). We are sealed and a down payment has been paid to guarantee His promise. We are given assurance and security as a GIFT.

One cannot be "unborn" nor "unjustified" and so our salvation is as permanent as adoption can be. God's judgment of our justification is permanent. Christ is interceding for us, so who can be against us?

Do I understand you, that you don't believe in the final perseverance of the saints? Do you believe that it doesn't matter how you live as long as you know you are saved (antinomianism which is libertinism)? False security and presumption are wrong. Do you dichotomize (split into two factions) Christians into spiritual spheres? I don't believe some Christians can sin and say that it's alright because they are "carnal" Christians, but Christians can be carnal at times. (Look at the reality of Rom. 7--"Oh, wretched man that I am.") This is not a "Christian experience," but it is, nevertheless, the experience of many. This seems to be the anticlimax of the book of Romans but it is really the starting point--our END IS GOD'S BEGINNING according to Watchman Nee.

I believe you can fall away, but not absolutely, and finally. I do not believe that apostasy is a "clear and present danger" for the believer. I have heard it said that you should not believe in "eternal security" but perseverance. That means that we cooperate with God in our final security. I disagree with this, partly out of a personal experience where I can say I have strayed from the Lord and He has brought me back out of grace, and partly out of scripture.

The difference is not that we can say, "Now that I am a Christian I can go see a for fun and not worry about my salvation." I do not think any real genuine believer would ever say that it is only hypothetical. You can do what you want to if you love Jesus, but the things you want to do are different and are changed. We are held and kept in His hands and He has a tight grip on us. We do persevere in the end, though we may have our ups and downs and backslide, God, will heal us.

No Christian ever truly presumes on the grace of God or purposely goes astray; it usually happens slowly (he drifts away), by not being in fellowship or not going to church and waking up one day and realizing what you did, as God grants you repentance like the prodigal son. The Christian may go into sin, but he doesn't want to deep inside, he is just succumbing to temptation--it's not a temptation to some, who have no right to judge. God can cure him of his weakness and bring him back to the fold. If God allows it to happen, He has a purpose, because no one can thwart God's plan or resist His will.

One must understand that perseverance does not mean we will not sin frequently, or fall into it, but that our faith will not fail (David never lost faith, though he was out of fellowship for about one year). We should really give God the glory and stress the preservation that He does on our behalf. A word to the wise is sufficient: The Scriptural caveat is, "Let him who thinks he stands to take heed lest he falls" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12). There, but for the grace of God go I. NB: Security and assurance can be distinguished but not separated--they go hand in hand and cannot exist independently.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 5

First of all, it must be recognized that there is no assurance without eternal security, for one would never know if he were to persevere. Apostasy is never the final lot for the Christian--it is not a "clear and present danger," so to speak, even though one can temporarily be led astray by false teachers, Christ is watching out for His sheep. (We can fall from grace, but not absolutely.) "You have fallen from grace..." does not mean you've lost your salvation.

Faith in Christ is faith in His Word. Leaning on the everlasting promises. "Not one of them has failed." Good advice is to take a favorite salvation verse like John 1:13 and call it your spiritual birth certificate. God says it in His Word; I believe it in my heart; that settles it in my mind.

The entire book of First John was written primarily to give assurance of salvation and offers 7 tests that would be impossible without salvation to follow: Loving the brethren (1 John 3:9); Overcoming the world (5:4); Having the inner witness (5:10); Doing righteousness (2:3); Confessing the Lordship of Christ (4:15); Keeping His commands.

There are pseudo assurances such as spiritual interest, Bible knowledge, experiences, and moral behavior.

Some people have spurious faith and fall away and repudiate the faith. They were never true believers according to 1 John 2:19 which says that the went away that it would be manifest that they were not of us. They were enamored with some of the ideas of the faith or philosophies or: "converted" to the program, but not converted to Christ. They are "spiritual dropouts."

Jonathan Edwards wrote an entire book to give assurance as he studied the so-called "holy affections," which were impossible without conversion. (Having fellowship, sensitivity to sin, obeying God, rejecting the world, expecting the return of Christ, decreasing sin, love of the brethren, answered prayer, and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit). His book was written in 1748 and is called  A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections.  He wrote it because of the Great Awakening, [which began about 1741] and so many people were being converted he wanted to bring some perspective to the converts.

To remain uncertain is to paralyze our walk and it is God's will for us to "know" that we have eternal life, not just "hope so" (cf. 1 John 5:13). Paul says, "...I KNOW whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9--Emphasis added).  Soli Deo Gloria  

Assurance Of Salvation Part 4

I agree in theory that one must rest on the promises of God! We are fruit inspectors, but not of each other's fruit, but of our own--only we know if we are experiencing the joy of the Lord, etc. R. C. Sproul says that we "must search our OWN hearts." If we have come to a true love of the Lord, it is added assurance, because this is impossible without saving faith. (Cf. 1 Pet. 1:2-10)

 Assurance can be intermittent and immediate assurance is not of the essence but of the well-being of our faith according to The Westminster Confession (ca. 1646). The Christian that says he knows he is saved because he feels it in his heart will be silenced when one of another religion can duplicate his feelings if they are not based on objective historical fact and the Word of God. Without the historical fact of the resurrection, all the feelings in the world would be useless and meaningless and in vain.

The best way to be sure is to have faith in God's Word--holding Him to His promises as the Supreme Promise Keeper: 1 John 5:13, John 1:12, Rom. 10:9-10, et alia. But note well that our faith is not perfect but God only requires UNFEIGNED faith, we are not to be hypocrites but to be sincere and honest with God.

The doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as the Reformed theology calls it or better known as "eternal security" should be called the doctrine of the "Preservation of the Saints" according to R. C. Sproul because it is really God's keeping power and not our ability. If our salvation depended upon us we would blow it. God does make us responsible for "Keep [yourselves] in the love of God."

Two verses that might be problematic are Mat. 24:13 and James 5:11 which say, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." and "Blessed is he who endures." These can be seen as "provisos" or requirements, but also as promises! I believe that we can fall, but not ultimately, we can fail the Lord, but not ultimately. We can even embrace heresy, but God will rescue us in the end. God will never lead us beyond that we are able, so there is to be no fear that we will be burned at the stake and lose our faith. We can backslide, but we will not despair. As far away from the Lord that I have gone, but God never gave up on me, even though I couldn't believe how far I had gone after I had come back to him.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 3

I hope you see the IRONY in my claiming (in a humble manner) that I am an expert on the subject of salvation assurance. I have studied it for a very long time, but it is my experience that I have learned the lessons through the school of hard knocks. No one really wants to be an expert on this subject, because it is embarrassing that one has struggled in this area. Why do we feel ashamed of our doubts? Doubt is an element of faith, not the opposite of it. I believe, help thou mine unbelief it says, right? \

What I have found out is that without the doctrine of eternal security there is no assurance, and that is why Catholics deny it, even present assurance of salvation. Lutherans are split, some thinking that if you lose your faith, you can lose it, but Martin Luther believed in the security of the believer like Calvin. The point is, is that we won't lose our faith. We can fall, but not absolutely.

There is no experience that you can claim that means your "in." God doesn't want you to base your assurance on experience (re attestation, e.g., tongues)--I don't care if you have prophesied in Christ's name, or have cast out demons.  One must have faith in Christ alone for one's salvation, not in experiences, Like Christ said that he is blessed who believes and hasn't seen, so is he blessed who haven't had experiences of wonderment or awe. I am not trying to brag of my knowledge per se, but this is one area where I really believe I have a grip on and a solid take.

God wants us to be sure and the apostle John says in 1 John 5:13 that he wrote the letter that they might "know." Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was asked on his death bed what his speculations were now. He said, "I don't have any speculations, I have certainties!" "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" (2 Tim. 1:9).   Tongues isn't the only attestation experience (cf. Rom. 8:16).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 2

I am sort of an expert on this subject and would like to share some lessons I've learned in my spiritual journey.

Assurance is not presumption as the Catholics would have you believe, for Augustine said it was faith, even though Catholics say you must have a divine revelation to the effect to be sure of one's numbering in the elect; otherwise one is sinning unto presumption. There are four possibilities of assurance (according to R. C. Sproul): One can be sure of salvation and not be saved; one can be unsaved and know it; one can be saved and know it, or one can be saved and not know it. Assurance doesn't belong to the essence of faith (according to The Westminster Confession).

Some people have syllogistic (a major premise, followed by a minor premise, leading to a conclusion) assurance (As John MacArthur would say.): All Americans are saved, I am an American, ergo I am saved! They can be very ridiculous and there are many people talking about Heaven that are not going there, as the spiritual says. This is the phenomenon of false assurance.

True assurance comes from tried and proven faith through trials and tribulations and tests. One may or may not have an emotional reaction at salvation, but one shouldn't cling to the memory of some experience in the past as assurance, but only to present obedience and fruit. "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Obedience is the true test of faith--Abraham obeyed God.) God is not impressed with feelings but with faith. A relationship based on feelings is shallow. The person that says he knows he is saved because of a warm feeling will be silenced when someone of another religion can duplicate his experience. One must base his assurance on the Word of God and stand on His promises and take God at His Word.

Assurance is commanded and enhances our sanctification and if one is or a backslider his assurance may be taken away. "Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Pet. 1:10). "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves..." (2 Cor. 13:5 cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).

We are guaranteed by God to endure to the end and not to lose our faith. Hab. 3:18 says that "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" through the crops fail, etc. Only when one loses the Lord has he lost all, and a Christian cannot lose the Lord. However, it is a synergistic effort or you could say we persevere as God preserves.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 1

My area of expertise seems to be the assurance of salvation since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over and go back to square one so to speak ("I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely"). Sometimes I have compared myself to other Christians and have been discouraged, e.g. when they say they hear God's voice audibly and I don't, I think something is wrong. It is not just a matter of curiosity, but for our well-being. 

We are commanded to seek assurance: "Let us draw near to God with full assurance of faith;" "Be diligent to make your calling and election sure..."  "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves...." It seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is not biblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing e.g., hearing audible voices from God.

I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Is. 32:17, which says, "The fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Chuck Swindoll adds that only obedient Christians can have assurance. Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ.

Remember: David prayed for the "joy" of his salvation to be returned in Psa. 51:12, not his salvation (after Nathan had told him of his sin and he repented).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Assurance Automatic?

Assurance belongs to the well-being of faith, but not to the being of faith (the bene esse, not the esse). It is not an automatic fruit, but, like all fruit, must be grown. Obedience and sanctification bring about the testimony of the Spirit within. Now, when I am talking of assurance, I am not talking about objective assurance or the knowledge that Christ died and rose again according to Scripture, but the subjective reality that it applies to you personally--like maybe you wonder if you have repented enough, etc. 

The church of Rome has a pernicious doctrine that denies any assurance or ultimate security, except by divine revelation to that effect. The Canons of Dort (ca. 1618) condemned this position. They affirmed that it arises from good works, a good conscience, measure of faith (it can be intermittent or in degree), and from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God").

Christians can struggle with assurance and have carnal doubts, but usually, this is in the state of backsliding and maybe God's way of warning him. Martin Luther called this attack the "Anfectung" of Satan, whereby he wants to take away our security in Christ. The Westminster Confession asserts that infallible assurance does not belong to the essence of salvation. 

We can feel abandoned by God, but we aren't, for He has promised us he "will never leave us nor forsake us." Sproul says we do not have to know we are saved to be saved, and I agree from personal experience. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (which really means God preserves as we persevere) affirms not only our present security but also our continuity in the state of grace and in the end we will not fall from it.

In sum, we are exhorted to "make our calling and election sure," and it a tremendous benefit or boon to our well-being to have this knowledge which leads to higher levels of sanctification.  Remember, it's not an automatic fruit, and we can be saved without assurance, but the more pressing concern is those who have false assurance and think they are saved when not.  Soli Deo Gloria!

My Assurance

My area of expertise seems to be the assurance of salvation since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over and go back to square one so to speak. Sometimes I have compared myself to other Christians and have been discouraged, e.g., when they say they hear God's voice audibly and I don't, I think something is wrong. The existence of the written Word of God doesn't preclude audible revelations or voices today.   But I have learned to believe in the Word of God itself.   The Bible doesn't preclude the possibility of God's audible voice today.   My favorite slogan vis-a-vis assurance:  God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, that settles it in my mind.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Empirical Assurance

My doctrinal area of expertise and domain and what seems to be my element seems to be the assurance of salvation, since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over, and it seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is unbiblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing: like hearing audible voices from God.

I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Isaiah 32:17 which says, "the fruit of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ.  In the Golden Chain of Redemption (Rom. 8:29-30), no one is lost in the shuffle!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Blessed Assurance!

"... 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!

Plain Talk On Eternal Security

Salvation is a turning from sin to God--the summons to faith is only half the process, but some believers refer to their salvation experience as a repentance per se, the call to forsake sin. Paul says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret..." (2 Cor. 7:10). God isn't fooled by mere outward show, He says, "Rend your hearts and not your garments" (Joel 2:13). William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, deplored the rise of a gospel that had salvation without repentance.

Billy Graham says that genuine repentance and saving or true faith go hand in hand and are complementary to each other; faith is like the flip side of the penitent coin. Repentance is a recurring motif in the Bible. Jesus opened His ministry proclaiming, "Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand." One must bring forth the fruits of repentance for it to be real (cf. Matt. 3:8: "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance"). Faith and repentance are linked or coupled by Luke in Acts 20:21, "Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul said, "...Repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance."

Repentance is not a one-time act but according to Martin Luther a progressive lifelong event. We never stop repenting. This was the first of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses.

Repentance is "coming clean" and it is "throwing in the towel." It is more than "eating your humble pie," and it is not a human work, but the work of God in the heart. Watchman Nee says, "Our end is God's beginning." We all have to come to the end of ourselves or reach our limit outside of our comfort zone. 2 Tim. 2:24 says that God "grants" repentance. "Then to the Gentiles God has also granted repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18). It is a gift.

It is doing an about-face, doing a 180-degree turn, or making a U-turn. You renounce and repudiate sin--all your sins. Note that is imperative--it is a mandate. It is not simply "regret," or feeling sorry or emotionalism. Attrition is like feeling sorry over the consequences like getting caught. Contrition is true repentance. "A broken and contrite heart, you will not despise..." (Ps. 51:17).

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Doctrine Of Cognizance

Some evangelical pastors are overly zealous about how people become aware of their salvation and think there must be a dramatic "attestation" experience. "What's your attestation experience"  This is called "initial evidence validation" and some Pentecostal churches say that only speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized in the Spirit. But Scripture says, "We were all baptized by one Spirit into the body..." (1 Cor. 12:13). Tongues (glossolalia) are not the only evidence of the filling or baptism: One may prophesy, one may feel great peace and freedom or relief, one may get a thirst for the Word and even a great desire or burden to witness boldly.

I was one of the only persons in the Bible study that couldn't nail down my conversion date--I guess I forgot how important it would be and by the time I was asked I had forgotten. For instance, if you cannot pinpoint your salvation to the day and even time you probably weren't saved. This is balderdash! You don't have to remember the precise moment that the Holy Spirit took up residence. Beth Moore says most of us don't remember the moment the Holy Spirit took up residence.

Charles Spurgeon has written that not all of us become aware of instantaneously, but some over a period of time. Billy Graham says, "We may not know the time the sun rose but we surely know it is up." 2 Peter 1:19 says that there is a time when "the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." We may repent one day and commit our lives to Christ another (I can remember when I repented and when I committed myself).

We may walk forward to no avail and dedicate our lives or renew them many a time before that real "assurance" sticks. Isa. 32:17 correlates assurance with righteousness ("The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever"). In other words, being righteous leads to producing fruit which gives assurance. "Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10). Nota bene that assurance is not a subjective thing but from the objective Word of God that we rely upon.

Many people think they got saved when they said a sinner's prayer. Actually going through the motions or memorizing the dance of the pious don't save--faith does. The devil can raise his hand, walk an aisle, say a prayer, etc. But can the devil produce the fruit of love for the Lord and good deeds the fruit of repentance (Acts 26:20)? That is like the Roman position that grace comes through the action. It is called ex opere operato.

For instance, they believe that the actual baptizing of infants washes away original sin and he would go to hell if not baptized. True faith is tested by its fruit and we are all fruit inspectors--ourselves first! It is the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit that gives assurance. "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom. 8:16).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Sure You're Saved?

We are commanded to make our election and calling sure (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10) and this is done by searching our own hearts, examining our fruit, claiming Scripture promises to lean on and sensing the ministry of the Spirit "bearing witness to our spirit" (cf. Rom. 8:16).  Christianity is about walking in the Spirit, and increasing in faith--genuine faith is penitent and not inert or static (it grows!).  We walk by faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7), and progress from faith to faith (cf. Rom. 1:17).  Being sure of one's position in Christ is only the door, not the journey or destination.

Knowing we are saved is not an automatic fruit, and it's not presumption nor arrogance to know for sure (as is promised that we can know in 1 John 5:13). Believing and assurance don't mean we know all the answers and have no doubts--we just believed in spite of them.  It's not the preacher's job description to certify our salvation, but he can offer reassurance.   Even though Catholics call assurance a "sin of presumption," it's obedience and a boon to our walk to know for sure without a doubt.

Some people have this assurance because they claim Bible verses, and are not ignorant of the Word, but take it at face value: one such Scriptural "birth certificate" might be the verse in John 1:12, which says that anyone who receives Christ has the right to become a child of God.  This assurance goes hand in hand with security--they can be distinguished, but not separated--the flip side of assurance is security that you cannot forfeit your salvation, even if you fall into sin, for we have an "Advocate with the Father" when we do sin (cf. 1 John 2:1).  He always intercedes on our behalf (cf. Heb. 7:25).

Knowing we are saved is only the beginning and first step of our walk with Jesus, the "Author and Finisher of our faith" (cf. Heb. 12:2).   A Christian is no spiritual giant just because he is 100 percent sure of his salvation, if his life isn't consistent with the Spirit, and he isn't producing good fruit.  You can have many unanswered questions and still grow in Christ!  Only in glory will all our questions be answered (cf. John 16:23).  Faith isn't believing in spite of the evidence; it's obeying despite the consequences.  "By faith Abraham obeyed," (cf. Heb. 11:8) despite the fact that he doubted God's promise, he went ahead and obeyed anyway!  Notice that in the hall of faith chapter 11 of Hebrews it portrays all the saints as obeying in faith!  Faith is abstract and you see it in action, you don't describe it.  You don't need all the answers to believe, but can go right ahead and choose to believe anyway!  God can increase our faith, but that means more responsibility!

We are not to take advantage of grace, to insult the Spirit of grace and misuse it.  Knowing we are saved should be all the more motivation to live for Christ--for the more, we are given, the more God expects from us in return.  God is only pleased with faithfulness and faith, and we must not divorce or separate the two, though they can be distinguished.  Faith is only measured in obedience ("Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes," --Dietrich Bonhoeffer), and not experiences, mystical or real life, nor by emotions or feelings, which may be sentiment and signs we have never grown up in the faith so as not to depend on feelings.  Faith, not feelings, please God (cf. Heb. 11:6).  Our ecstasies, visions, dreams, and mystic or surreal experiences are not the measure faith; God is looking for obedience, not success or achievements.  Blessed are those who have not seen!  (Cf. John 20:29).

The best way to be sure is to have the witness of a fruitful life that supports your faith--showing that it's genuine, saving faith--not bogus.  God isn't going to ask us at our final audit at the Bema, or Judgment Seat of Christ, how sure we were of our salvation, or how big our faith was, but what we did with it and whether we grew to know, love, and obey Jesus.   It's not how big your faith is, but how big your God, and it's not the amount of faith, but the object that matters.  We must learn to trust and obey Christ in the mundane activities of life and to grow in our fellowship and relationship with Him.

If we are honest, all of us have been at the point of the man who cried, "I believe, help thou mine unbelief!"  Don't confuse works and grace, or fact and feeling (the divine order is fact-faith-feeling).  Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but one of its elements and is healthy.  Faith is not to be perfect or it wouldn't be faith, but knowledge, and what God wants is sincere, unfeigned, faith without any hypocrisy.  We are not to be pretenders who have a veneer to hide behind. We all have feet of clay and must progress in our walk as we get to know the Lord, the ultimate goal.

I propose two illustrations to exhibit faith:  a boy flying a kite on a cloudy day was asked how he knew the kite was still up there, when unseen, he said he felt a tug every now and then to reassure him;  another one is why you believe in the sun being up there when you don't see it:  "Because I see everything else!"  God opens the eyes or our hearts to see spiritually so we can say with the blind man:  "... But I know this:  I was blind, but now I see"  (John 9:25, NLT).

Who can refute such personal reality?  Not knowing for sure makes you a handicapped Christian in your walk, who cannot grow and mature in the faith as a seasoned believer! A word to the wise is sufficient:  False assurance, overconfidence, spurious faith, and reckless living are more of a problem than the weaker brother who stumbles and has doubts--lacking full assurance.  In sum, you must morph beyond mere assurance and fulfill your destiny and calling.   Soli Deo Gloria!