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The Only Grounds For Assurance of Salvation
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. I John 3:24
It is very true that saving faith will result in outward manifestations of it. However, there is a danger, even to mature Christians, in seeking out those manifestations, evidences of saving faith, for re-establishing a weakened assurance.
As leaders within the Church, we often direct those seeking assurance of salvation to the epistles of John and their accompanying tests. This is sound biblical direction to be sure. However, the danger lies when we leave those being counseled with the idea that they must see certain evidences themselves for the assurance of salvation they desire. Not that it’s wrong to do so, not at all. In fact self-examination is biblically warranted and encouraged. However, we should always be reminded that assurance is the sole task of the Holy Spirit.
The danger lies in losing our of focus.
Take for example a few questions we often ask of those seeking assurance:
Have you been born again?
Is there evidence of the new birth in your life?
Do you remember a specific time when regeneration occurred in your life?
Can you describe how you knew that something had happened?
The danger here is forgetting that while evidence of salvation is important, they should never be seen as grounds for assurance. Never.
Our hope regarding salvation is, and always should be, grounded on the person, life, work, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone.
Far too many have slipped into the tendency of examining their behavior and/or works in order to be reassured.
Brethren, your performance should never be the basis of your hope for salvation or entrance into heaven.
It’s not about you, it’s about Him and what He has done on our behalf!
– Joel Taylor
Related articles
- Puritan Assurance: A Cruel Doctrine of Doubt (5ptsalt.com)
5 Pt. Salt 
Excellent read! I really enjoyed this.
Amen! I’ve told guys that nobody ought think they are in Christ if they have no growing un-ease or outright hatred for sin nor any hunger for holiness or the Word of God. Some Free Grace folks want to expunge all “tests” of salvation, so allergic to works are they, that they end giving comfort of salvation to those who merely exhibit mental assent.
There you go again, JT…being divisive. 😉
Look, I squeezed the hand of the person next to me one time after Benny Hinn swung his sportcoat and slew someone in the spirit… He told me to write the date in my Message paraprase and refer to it when ever I have doubts. Sure, I live just like the rest of the world and feel no regret for displeasing God but hey, it’s the 21 century dude. We are reaching the world by becoming like the world just like is says in the book of …………. wait, where is that verse?
(heavy sarcasm intended) This may seem funny but when we realize that far too many people actually feel this way, it ceases to be funny.
Whenever I’ve considered Assurance of Salvation, I’m struck with the feeling that I just want to know, “What’s the least I can do and still get to heaven?” Maybe I’m being harsh on myself, but even the question of whether or not you can lose salvation seems moot if you’re living all out for God. Am I right? Is this glossing over something?
-Rob
The question, “What’s the least I can do and still get to heaven?” is based on a works-righteousness that is unbiblical. We are chosen, regenerated, and given the faith to believe – all why enemies of God. If any part of one’s salvation was dependent on the one, then all would be lost.
If God has saved a soul, that person will awaken to a growing sense of his sin and of God’s holiness and develop a hunger for the things of God and a hatred for the things of sin.
Si, hombre Manfredo es much correcto… (getting ready for the Mexican takeover)
Rob,
One cannot lose what one could not gain for himself. God grants salvation by His grace through faith in Jesus alone. There is no losing of salvation. The real question is whether one has it to begin with. Those who do not have it should not have assurance … even though many prosperity preachers try to find a way to give it falsely.
Peace from uncle Truthy
Ok so what should we base our assurance on?
Read 1 John and the Sermon on the Mount. Do these characteristics generally (not perfectly) describe you? If you have these desires, you have assurance.
Amen to Manfred, and to the original post. There are several tests given by John in 1 John. However, just as Joel posted and this gets a double Amen….
Our hope regarding salvation is, and always should be, grounded on the person, life, work, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone.
Amen.
Here’s a drive-by comment. I think that the question, “is so-and-so saved/regenerate?” is inappropriate in the first place. Why bother trying to figure out some measurement for, uh, justification? Are we measuring that (sanctification, maybe?)? Suddenly I got confused just now. OH. I remember now, we’re trying to figure out who’s getting to heaven. Sorry, all of that just now was not sarcastic even if it seemed so; I’m just genuinely messed in the head.
Okay. So what’s the point of trying to figure out who’s getting to heaven? I mean individually, not corporately; I am not saying that Moslems or Hindus are going to heaven.
If someone in the church with shaky faith may or may not go to heaven if they died today, nothing would change in our attitude or actions toward them. We would still be giving them the same encouragements and teaching and raising up in Christ and whatnot else. The result may be different depending on what’s going on with them spiritually deep down, but it’s ultimately the same action. We want people to enter the Kingdom, and we want people to grow in their life in Christ. If they consider themselves a Christian (and believe the same basic doctrine the Church always has) it would seem imprudent to pull out an evangelistic tract and say to them, “You might not be saved.” Someone might say to me, “What about people with habitual sin? What if they’re just not ‘feeling it?'” I say that this is no assurance of damnation.
I guess most of this has to do with counseling and not so much with questioning someone’s salvation by trying to use a measuring stick. Maybe it would be helpful to tell them that they are justified by the Atonement, and that the process-sanctification (but not perfection in this lifetime) is a guarantee. I’m not sure that you’d be okay with this as Calvinists, but I’d add that we need to participate in God’s grace being daily given to us; i.e. with spiritual disciplines, communion with Christ and the Church, etc.
Finally, we can remember that our hope is in the Resurrection, and that God is faithful, and will raise us on the last day.
(btw, please don’t approve my first comment on this post as I think this one says what I think more clearly and concisely. I hope that this is a Calvinism-friendly comment even though I am not a Calvinist [nor arminian tee hee])
Hello, I accept an individual, if you come to Romania you then have a cider out of me: ) Regards!
I know that I am saved because His Spirit bears witness with mine. Okay, that wasn’t original, heard that somewhere, but it resonated very much with me. Even in my most sinful stage of life, I never once questioned my salvation, but I was keenly aware that I was completely unusable to Him as a witness.
Thank you for this.
I have a sense, rightly or wrongly, that we should spend time focused and rejoicing more on what He has done than introspection.
This may well be the most asked question, what assurance does one have of salvation?These are my thoughts, after many years of asking the same thing.Firstly, there is no salvation unless one comes face to face with the filth of their sin , and turns from it , and secondly , true assurance of salvation is only found in the finished work of Christ, and the faith of Christ that gives us assurance that our sins are forgiven.