Assurance

by C. Jones (Wales)

Many believers have passed through periods in their lives when they have lacked the full assurance that they have been saved eternally, by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph.2.8,9. This lack of assurance may be intermittent, in that a believer will have assurance for a while and then will lose that assurance, and then assurance will return only to be lost again, and so it continues. If a believer is suffering ill health or weakness, from whatever cause, the devil may take advantage of the believer’s low condition and cause him or her to lose assurance of salvation. Lack of assurance causes great distress of spirit and mind, and can ultimately have an adverse effect on a believer’s physical condition. Great sadness and despair are experienced and tears can be shed.

A believer in this sad condition sometimes wonders if he has committed the unforgivable sin and goes down and down into the depths of depression. The truth is that no one who yearns to be saved or for the assurance of salvation has committed the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit. The troubled believer does not doubt God’s power to save eternally, through faith in the Lord Jesus. He may also believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but is unsure as to whether he ever really trusted Christ or is truly and fully trusting Him at this present time. The devil causes confusion in the mind of the doubting believer.

Assurance of Salvation

The life we live in this present world is full of uncertainty. We are warned "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth," Prov.27.1. On the other hand, there are some things, and they are things that matter eternally, regarding which we can be sure. We can be sure of spiritual things. Once a person has been saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is saved eternally and cannot lose that salvation, Jn.3.36; 5.24; 10.28. A believer has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom.5.1, and nothing can change this. However, a believer may not always enjoy "...the peace of God, which passeth all understanding...," Phil.4.7, because this peace is lost when a believer sins. Sin interrupts fellowship with God: the joy of salvation is lost and effective service for God is impossible. The peace of God can only be recovered when the believer repents and confesses his sins to God, 1Jn.1.9. Obeying our righteous, holy God brings peace, for "...the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever," Isa.32. 17.

A believer’s complete and absolute assurance of salvation is not based on feelings but on a knowledge of God, belief in the eternal efficacy of the work of the Lord on the Cross, and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

God is unchanging, Mal.3.6; Heb.13.8; Jms.1.17, cannot lie, Tit.1.2; Heb.6.18 and His Word is truth, Jn.17.17; Eph.1.13; Col.1.5.

The Word of God

In 1Jn.5.13 John tells us why he wrote the Epistle. He says "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." Here the Holy Spirit is stating clearly and definitely, through John, that a believer may know, that is have full assurance, that he has eternal life. Assurance is based on believing God’s Word. John uses the word "know" many times in this Epistle.

The worried believer needs assurance: he needs to know that he is eternally saved. It is possible from a study and belief in the Word of God to have this assurance. If we keep His commandments this is evidence that we know Him, 1Jn.2.3. We may fail and sin, but if we repent and confess our sin, and in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit strive to keep His commandments, this is evidence of our regeneration and salvation. Again "whoso keepeth his word," 1Jn.2.5, knows he is saved. A believer has further evidence, and can know he is saved, if he seeks to do that which is righteous, 1Jn.2.29; does not sin continually, 1Jn.3.9; 5.18, and loves the brethren, 1Jn.3.14.

A believer who trusts the statements given in God’s Word will be assured of salvation through the witness of the Holy Spirit, Rom.8. 16. The Spirit will provide evidence of His dwelling within a believer, 1Jn.3.24; 4.13, by producing fruit in the believer’s life, Gal.5.22,23.

Eternal Security

The Lord said ". . .I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand," Jn.10.28. These are the words of the Lord, who is the truth itself, Jn.14.6, who loves and gave Himself for each individual believer, Gal.2.20. He saves "them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them," Heb.7.25. He said "...him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out," Jn.6.37.

Paul’s assurance of his salvation was based on his knowledge of God, for he said "...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," 2Tim.1.12.

It behoves us to examine ourselves to see "whether ye be in the faith," 2Cor.13.5. Once we are sure that our faith and trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ then to lack assurance of our salvation at any time in the future is to disbelieve the truths and assurances given in the Scriptures, to imply that God is a liar, 1Jn.5.l0, and to lose the peace, comfort and confidence which we should enjoy. Such disbelief hinders praise and love for God, stifles spiritual growth and prevents effective service for God.

The Holy Spirit tells us "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom.8.38,39. These wonderful words give great assurance.

To turn once again to John’s First Epistle, where so many things are stated that we may know, we read "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life," 1Jn.5. 12. These words leave no room for doubt regarding the position of the person who is saved and the one who is lost. The Word of God speaks clearly and gives comfort and assurance to each individual believer. God says to His children, "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine," lsa.43. 1.