The Blessed Assurance Of Salvation Is A Duty

"... 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).


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 to 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 couple it with the assurance of the Holy Spirit as dual or joint 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 even going backward.  This assurance is meant to enhance our sanctification and to be a boon to our experience in Christ.

R. C. Sproul said 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 certain 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 believe as God helps our unbelief (cf. Mark 9:24). Doubts are like antibodies in the body, everyone has them, even healthy ones.  But we believe despite them.  Goethe said to tell him their certainties because he had enough doubts of his own!

We are to "taste and see that the LORD is good," so that we can existentially know and experience God in the spiritual world and dimension by faith. One of God's chief complaints and pet peeves is that man doesn't have the "knowledge of God" (cf. Hos. 4:1,6).  Later cf. Hosea 6:3 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 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 patience 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 feelings. 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!

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! 

What Are Your Speculations Now?

Michael Faraday (pioneer of electromagnetism, the farad is named after him) was on his deathbed when his associates asked him this question. Faraday responded that he had no speculations, only certainties. "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him..." (2 Tim. 1:12). When our faith and hope is in the Word of God it is rock solid and on a firm foundation. It isn't what you know but who you know that matters and we can know God. It isn't the amount of faith that saves but the direction of the faith that matters. God is not looking for perfect faith but unfeigned and sincere faith. Sincerity does count, though we are not saved by sincerity alone.

True saving faith results in obedience and fruitful life, but not necessarily automatic, instantaneous, permanent assurance (it is sometimes intermittent or off and on). We grow in our faith and go from faith to faith.

God does want us to "know" that we are saved according to 1 John 5:13 and that is precisely why John wrote the epistle. Our faith is to be based on the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Rom. 8:16 says, "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God.") We must examine our own fruit and search our own hearts to see if Christ dwells there--be fruit inspectors. Knowing that we are saved is not only commanded in 2 Pet. 1:10 but a boon to our well being and it enhances our sanctification so that we can go on to maturity.

Let us not waver in our faith or vacillate in our assurance, but be faithful to the light God has given us according to the faith He has bestowed on us. Our assurance is in accordance to our righteousness per Isa. 32:17, and if we are living in sin God does take away assurance, and we are in a sort of limbo or denial while we undergo divine discipline.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Show Me Your Faith!

We don't need another to-do list. Works are evidence of faith, not a substitute for it. Faith is something we do, no something we have. Paul would say, "Show me your good works by your faith." James would say, "Show me your faith by your good works. The only works we are to do are the ones foreordained for us (cf. Eph. 2:10). Faith has legs; it is a verb and it must be alive and grow, not become stagnate.  "[W]ho gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Tit.2:14, NKJV).

In a works system, you never know how much work is enough. You can never know you are secure in Christ or are saved eternally. Martin Luther always wondered if he had fasted, prayed, gave enough away, etc. to be saved. It is important to realize we are saved by grace alone through faith alone. But not by a faith that is alone (without works). We are not saved by works, but we are not saved without them either.

Faith and works are inseparable. They can be distinguished but not separated. What we need on this earth Christ has the power to change lives from the inside out. In his book Through the Valley of the Kwai,  Ernest Gordon tells the story of POWs in the Malay peninsula that was reduced to subhuman savagery until they find a New Testament and decided to read it-- and found out that the Word of God has the power to change lives, not just inform intellects.  Paul said, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love..."  (cf. Gal. 5:6).   To some it is just interesting, to others it is life-changing. James says, "I'll show you my faith by my works," while Paul says, "I'll show you my works by my faith." To sum up, we shall know them by their fruits (cf. Matt. 7:16, 20), as Jesus said. 
 Soli Deo Gloria!