And recall the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Let us not forget that the book of Hebrews was written to the Jewish nation who has just come to the knowledge of Jesussaving grace as their long-awaited Messiah. Pastoral Help 7: Though God remains sovereign in granting various degrees of assurance, assurance of salvation usually grows by degrees within believers in conjunction with the growth of knowledge, faith, and experience, especially through trials. The Bible says, Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.(1) This is a promise! Assurance of salvation means possessing salvation possessing the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36). The word of God couldnt be clearer, assurance of salvation is for those who are 4:11-16). Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. I have never really asked myself before if I am assured of salvation. How does a Christian possess assurance of their salvation? This aspect of the doctrine must be well understood and kept in mind to avoid giving false assurance to people who were never really believers in the first place. Am I going to heaven? Many church people do not believe that it is possible to be sure of salvation now. So.. One more thing If the Divine/Jesus/God saved me then the doubt must come from me? 15 . Thanks for commenting. (See also Galatians 4:6) But if the Holy Spirit is genuinely at work in our lives, He will be producing the kind of character traits that Paul calls the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Should you have further questions, please feel free to reply back to this comment thread. I was raised in the traditional faith (RC) but Ive always considered myself to be a Christian until such time that God opened my understanding on what it really takes to be a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Im sure it will bless many souls and encourage them to continue in their walk with God. Its very important to emphasize that falling away is a sign that a person was not really saved to begin with. Pastoral Help 11: Happily, assurance of salvation can be revived. Humanities greatest need is his alienation from God due to his sinful condition Do you have an assurance of salvation? In our salvation we must be sure. Remember that the second part of the definition of assurance of salvation is that only those who persevere to the end have been truly born again. Education Required: But how do we know if we have been truly born again and have received Gods seal of ownership? However, you keep on saying that the born again Christians when they leave this world they end up in heaven. The Salvation Army Mission: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. But salvation is a gift received by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). It is the Holy Spirits ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. The Puritans are clear here and elsewhere in teaching pastorally that the Christian cannot enjoy high levels of assurance while he persists in low levels of obedience. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. St. Johns assurance that you have eternal life is a proclamation of every Christians moralnot absoluteassurance of salvation. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. (11) 1 John 2:15-17. Christ offers us the gift of salvation, and he will not go back on his word. That feeling of uncertainty definitely made me anxious over the next 3 days while waiting for the result to be released. On the other hand, the doctrine of the assurance of salvation, if properly understood, should cause genuine worry and concern to anyone who is backsliding or staying away from Christ. The main way that people acquire a false sense of assurance of their salvation is by having a false understanding of the way of salvation. (5) 1 John 3:24, NASB. Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 10:12; Heb. Pastorally, this helped Puritan pastors maintain in their people the conviction that though full, robust assurance of salvation may not be common to all believers, some degree of assurance is (even if it is only in seed form) and is always inseparable from saving faith in Christ. One way to frame the objective grounds of assurance is by grasping three categories of thought which are interconnected: 1) adoption into God's family, 2) union with Christ, and 3) the sufficient work of Christ at the Cross. Topics: Salvation. First, assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture. In Christianity there are two types of . Thanks for your comment. God is faithful and there really is assurance of salvation to those who are truly born again and will keep on til the end. Just as salvation comes from believing in Christ alone, so does assurance. God bless! Hence, they wrote dozens of books on faith and assurance, and called their hearers to practice self-examination to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). Pastoral Help 6: Assurance of salvation is also strengthened by the direct witnessing testimony of the Holy Spirit himself speaking in Gods word. Romans 8:12-17. They were once branches on a cultivated olive tree (i.e., the Chosen People of Israel) that symbolizes in this analogy those who were saved. The only "action" necessary for us is to turn to Jesus and place our lives in his hands. Four means are predominant in Puritan thought: Gods word (read and preached and meditated upon), the sacraments (baptism and the Lords Supper), prayer (personal, domestic, and public), and affliction (including conflicts, doubts, trials, and temptations). This emphasis also encouraged believers, whatever degree of assurance they may have possessed, always to strive for more, so that they might grow in the grace and knowledge of their Savior. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Just hours before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus offered his famous High Priestly Prayerone of the most intimate moments between Christ and his Father recorded in Scripture. There is nothing more I could do because Jesus already accomplished it. III. Faith May Include Assurance The Scriptures clearly articulate a child of God may and should possess a true sense of inner peace and confidence regarding personal salvation. continuing to believe (John 3:16). As we trust in Christs perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. Pointing toward their sin of spurning their Savior, St Paul declares: They [i.e., those who lost their salvation by rejecting Christ] were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. Jesus said, The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.(2) If you come to Jesus with genuine repentance and faith, He promises that He will save you. The Puritans made this distinction so that weak believers or newly saved believers would not despair if they did not yet possess full assurance of salvation, but also that they would not rest content without full assurance of salvation. Repentance then becomes impossible when a person has been fully exposed to the truth about Jesus sacrifice and blessing but falls away through deliberate unbelief and denial of Christ. a. Hence, the Puritans wrote at least thirty books on how to live to Gods glory in marriage and family life. There are many biblical texts that talk about insincere repentance and apostacy. This helped Puritan pastors deal with the reality that some believers seem to possess a great deal more faith and assurance than they realize, whereas other believers seem to more easily become fully conscious of possessing a full assurance of faith. Happily, the Puritans taught their parishioners that the Holy Spirit, upon whom we are dependent for all our assurance, is more than willing to work all three kinds of assurance in us in fact, without him, we would lose all genuine assurance, and even faith itself. They feel no assurance that they are Christ's, and so feel a hesitancy about breaking with the world. Assurance of Salvation S alvation is a work of God. He then exhorts us to be more zealous and diligent to confirm our call and election (2 Peter 1:5-10). But you and I are entirely capable of going back on our word by abandoning Christ and, thereby, forfeiting his gift of salvation. From beginning to end, my salvation (and yours) is all of God. But how can we be sure? Any other conclusion is by a whimsical God that is acting confused, again, not a Divine characteristic. Of course, we will never live a perfect life while were on earth but we must strive to imitate Christ every single day and aim to be like Him. The Apostle John writes, We know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.(8) In other words, we may be certain that we know Christ as we see within us a desired and willing obedience to Gods Word. When did you come to know the Lord and how did He bring you into His sheepfold? (9) 1 John 2:9-11. God gives this warning (you can never be restored) to prevent Christians from falling away. As the Lord himself declared, So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart (Matt. And it is possible for God to plant faith and full assurance simultaneously. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. But here's another question: Does it make any difference whether we knowwe can't lose our salvation? (8) 1 John 2:3, NASB. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission when you use any links on this page to make a purchase, but at no additional cost to you. Assurance of salvation is not presumption or pride but taking Gods word for it. Gods withdrawals and his placing of trials in the path of the believer are motivated by his fatherly discipline, which teaches them to walk uprightly; by his fatherly sovereignty, which teaches dependence; and by his fatherly wisdom, which teaches that he knows and does what is best for his own. But you and I are entirely capable of going back on our word by abandoning Christ and, thereby, forfeiting his gift of . 4/25/22, 6:30 PM Quiz: Introduction to the Study of Salvation: THEO104: Introduction to Theology Survey (D08) 10/10 Through the knowledge of the Scriptures Through a onetime profession of faith Quiz Score: 46 out of 50. Required fields are marked *, 2023 Biblical Christianity | Powered by, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Generally speaking, they were thoroughly Reformed and intentional in their theology. Do not make images to worship. In this, the Puritans followed Calvin, who said in his Commentary on John 20:3 that the disciples seem to have had saving faith without awareness that they had it as they approached the empty tomb. Assurance of Salvation is a Mixed Certainty. But you and I are entirely capable of going back on, But first, lets consider St. Johns other statement: No one can snatch out of Christs hand, those whom the Father has given him. This implies that our assurance of salvation can grow and increase over time. All rights reserved. These include those who received their glorified bodies at the rapture and those who survived the Tribulation. Salvation is eternal life; it is the life of God; it is Divine life. Christ offers us the gift of salvation, and he will not go back on his word. So this means that some who been saved fall back into grievous sin, thereby losing their salvation. Rather, they wanted to trace out in detail the Holy Spirits saving work in their own souls in order to (1) give glory to the triune God for his mighty and miraculous work of salvation in them, (2) do good to their own souls by building up their convictions about God and their own salvation, and (3) assist weak believers who needed pastoral advice and assistance to grow in their knowledge and assurance of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and through this precious Mediator, to grow in their knowledge of each divine person of the Trinity. Thank you so much for your post regarding a heavily difficult and often confusing topic for most of us. Surely, the Divine knows how to keep the word of God? For the apostate, they never have a longing for the Word or Christ because they don't belong to Him. Those who begin to deny the major doctrines give serious negative indications regarding salvation. To make this distinction clear, Puritan pastors distinguished for their church members the difference between what they called historical and temporary faith on the one hand, and saving faith on the other. Observe the Sabbath Day (Sunday, for Christians). 3. Matthew 27:3-5 talks about Judas who felt remorse after what he has done but he was not saved. He helps you to define salvation as too broad a term. Well, I thought I did well and I could tell you that I really gave it my all but I was still uncertain about the outcome. For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For a more detailed explanation of this event, I would like to refer you to this article: https://biblical-christianity.com/what-happens-at-the-second-coming-of-christ. The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars: Pillar 1: God Cannot Lie! I see now that this two things come together: being in Christ will lead you to live in sanctification; on the other hand, living in sanctification is a proof that you are in Christ Excellent!!! This forms the firm, objective basis for the sinner's assurance of salvation. a. Peter tells us that there are some character traits, which if we keep on increasing them, will guarantee that we will never stumble or fall. The former ultimately rests on self-confidence born merely out of intellectual convictions (historical faith) or emotional joy (temporary faith) as, for example, in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:2021) while the latter humbles us before God and teaches us to rely wholly on the righteousness of Christ alone for salvation. As Paul says in Philippians 1:6: "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." In addition, Calvinists have also often argued that perseverance has a clear pastoral advantage in that it grounds our assurance of salvation . Its message is based on the Bible. The book of First John details what are the vital signs of our new life in Christ. Only in Christianity is there assurance of salvation because of the finished work of Christ. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. I was afraid I could lose my salvation because of my shortcomings. This gracious preservation of faith offers hope for the revival of assurance, for the flame of Gods life within the soul can never be completely snuffed out. Many Protestants understand being saved as a one-moment-in-time act of repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as ones personal Lord and savior (a phrase that nowhere appears in the Bible, by the way), a life-changing transformation of lost sinner who becomes a saved child of God. Fourth, assurance comes through the evidence of a changed life. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God's wrath. Keep it Holy. The Bible is clear that if we received Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life then we are saved because he who has the Son has eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15 is clear that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Hi Philip, First of all, we need to distinguish between one's eternal security and his assurance of salvation. The way to confirm our call is to grow in these character traits; for us to grow in our Christian life (sanctification). This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. genuine Christians can lose the assurance and joy of their salvation due to sin those who totally abandon the faith did not possess genuine faith it is hard to discern between a backslidden Christian from a non believer Entire sanctification through a "second blessing: experience (wesleyans and the Holiness tradition) 1 More than that, salvation is solely a work of God. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Anyone who falls away from their profession of faith in Christ and life of obedience in Him was never really saved. My question to you is: Who are the people who are going to inherit the coming Kingdom of God which Jesus is coming back to establish? Pastoral Help 1: An important distinction exists between the false hopes and carnal presumptions of the unbeliever on the one hand, and the true assurance and well-grounded hope of the believer on the other. "Just like first century Christians, their twenty-first century counterparts question aspects of their theology, doubt the existence of God and mourn his seeming absence during hard times. They often raise the questions, Am I really saved? or How can I be sure I will go to heaven when I die?. However, many Christians do not believe that it is possible to be sure of salvation now. But where does doubt come from? They may have been enlightened and believed as a result. How can we know where we stand with God? When Jesus died on the cross, He bore our iniquities, enduring Gods wrath, and cried out, It is finished!(3) By this, He meant that the full atonement for all our sins-past, present and future-has been made. Like what you pointed out, its not from God. Salvation is primarily a work of human will rather than a work of God To encourage young believers who struggled with acquiring larger degrees of assurance, the Puritans stated that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of assurance (WCF 18.3), but the relationship between faith and assurance usually strengthens over time, growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance (WCF 14.3). St. John's assurance that "you have eternal life" is a proclamation of every Christian's moral not absoluteassurance of salvation. Salvation is primarily a work of human will rather than a work of God. A new edition of Ryle's book, titled Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J. C. Ryle, released by Crossway Books, contains both the original text and an extended (almost 90 pages long) biographical segment of his life and ministry. Here, the Westminster divines clarify the hope of assurance, the ground of assurance, the means and fruits of assurance, and the loss and recovery of assurance all with an eye toward offering wise pastoral counsel for all the believers in their flocks, whatever their spiritual circumstances. What does it mean to be redeemed? Do you edify others in every conversation, every prayer, and every work that you put into your ministry? But the more important question is, can those who fall away be restored again into repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6)? The assurance of salvation is, simply put, knowing for sure that you are saved. 9:27; 1 Cor. (15) 1 John 3:22-24. You can live free from the oppressive thoughts that somehow you will lose the gift that God has given you. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. 1. When it comes to the assurance of salvation for believers, its so very important to stick to the Word as many among the so-called Christian denominations tend to lean more on good works while others solely depend on grace. But what does the Bible really say? Many Christians are still in doubt as to their standing in the Lord. Who are these believers? We are the ones who have gotten ourselves into the mess; therefore God alone is able to save. Assurance of salvation means possessing salvation - possessing the Lord Jesus Christ ( John 3:36 ). There are many passages that teach that those who are truly born again, who are genuinely Christians, will continue in Christ until death and will then go to be in heaven with Him. 3) Pauls writings and other New Testament epistles also indicate that those who are truly born again will persevere to the end such as in Romans 8:1 where it says that no condemnation remains for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the entire penalty of their sins has been already paid. The Assurance of Salvation. For the Puritans, this point is preeminently pastoral, because each minister would have believers in his flock who at times would seem to lose ground in growing their assurance even when they were diligently engaging in the spiritual disciplines. How we live our life will determine that. That if they rejected the clear evidence of this truth about the Word and the Holy Spirit then there was nothing more that God could do to convince them. The Puritans also wrote extensively on the practicalities of living by faith, practicalities that boiled down to this: How can I live so fully by faith that I may know with certainty that I have saving faith that is to say, how can I be assured in the depths of my soul that, in union with Christ, I have been regenerated and adopted into Gods family, and will be with Christ forever in heaven? This kept believers biblically balanced in recognizing that though it is possible to be saved without assurance, it is scarcely possible to be a healthy Christian without assurance. a. Are you growing in your spiritual walk with God? I wasnt sure of my salvation because I was not always obedient to Gods commands and often times I neglect my quiet time. We have fellowship with Christ. In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the Jewish believers that if you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Jesus is saying that one evidence of genuine faith is continuing in His words, that is, continuing to believe in Him and living a life of obedience to His commands. Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 10:22 that he who endures to the end will be saved as a means of warning people not to fall away in times of persecution. Its message is based on the Bible. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Rather than skate over the surface, I want to address twelve of the most important pastoral ways that Puritan pastors, as physicians of souls, assisted the members of their flocks, helping them to gain robust measures of full assurance of faith. Assurance is essential for true joy in God. But they did so with a great deal more emphasis on application. The Puritans wrote at least thirty books on how to keep the word of God it bless. Grievous sin, thereby losing their salvation heavily difficult and often confusing topic for of. 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