Salvation is eternal life; it is the life of God; it is Divine life. 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. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. Adoption has been rightly stated to be the highest blessing for the Christian. 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. See these additional verses for more study: Matt. Job Description. What about those who will fall back or fall away? Matthew 27:3-5 talks about Judas who felt remorse after what he has done but he was not saved. The Bible says, We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.(5) By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.(6) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.(7) This means, the Holy Spirit who convicted, called and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ. Romans 8:16 says the Holy Spirit bears witness within our hearts that we are Gods children and this is just one aspect. Although some have objected to this and reasoned that even if no one else can take believers out of Christs hand, we might remove ourselves from Christs hand. a. Great article here. The introduction contains a section explaining the value of Ryle's book that is worth repeating here. (13) 1 John 3:4-6. Assurance of salvation means possessing salvation - possessing the Lord Jesus Christ ( John 3:36 ). And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness. In 1 John 5:13, John said, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.". Two pieces of evidence will accompany this genuine saving experience: (1) Godly affections that (2) bear Godly fruit. We reject any teaching that in any way limits Christ's work of atonement. 1. Then too, the Puritan stress on duty reinforced the conviction that assurance must never be regarded as the privilege only of exceptional saints, but that at least some degree of it is normative for every believer. God saves us from the pleasure or love of sin before He delivers us from the penalty or punishment of sin. The Puritans taught that this may actually benefit believers, as it may have the purpose of allowing them to taste the bitterness of sin, or to grow in humility, or to treasure the gift of assurance more, or to depend more fully on the grace of Christ and endeavor after a closer walk with God. Sin is an act that is against God's will and therefore morally wrong. . And yes, the Word of God is clear that genuine Christians cannot lose their salvation because Jesus Himself has guaranteed it for them. (15) As we see this spiritual fruit produced in our lives, we may be confident that Christ lives within us. Now, regarding the millennial reign of Christ at the end of the 7-year tribulation, believers will reign with Jesus. I sincerely applaud and welcome your post and it was my utmost pleasure to have read it. Pastoral Help 3: Assurance of salvation is not essential for salvation or for the being or existence of saving faith, though it is essential for the well-being of faith. Assurance of Salvation S alvation is a work of God. the Beatitudes, the book of James, 2 Pet 1:5-10, etc. Christ offers us the gift of salvation, and he will not go back on his word. The Puritans fleshed out the doctrine of assurance of salvation in WCF 18 with pastoral precision to undeceive the false professor of faith, to awaken the unsaved, to mature the young in grace, to comfort the mature in faith, to arrest the backslider, and to provide wise pastoral counsel for all believers in their flock, tailored to each ones spiritual circumstances. 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). WCF 18.4 stresses that the reasons for a loss of assurance are found primarily in the believer. This ought not be surprising. How encouraging then it was for the believer to hear from his pastor that, according to his sovereign and mysterious will, God may withdraw the light of his countenance, or permit a believer to be tried with vehement temptations or intense afflictions that do violence to his peace and joy. search my heart and see if I possess salvation, if Jesus truly lives within. They include negligence and spiritual slothfulness, falling into sin, or yielding to some temptation. 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. Does it matter if I cant remember precisely when I was saved. It is here that God begins His actual application of salvation unto His elect. You can live free from the oppressive thoughts that somehow you will lose the gift that God has given you. (7) Romans 8:16, NASB. At the beginning of the Gospel of John, Jesus is presented as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. Not only does it give assurance of salvation, but with that also comes a greater assurance of God's provision in all areas of life. He wants you to define salvation in such a way that it includes complete assurance of salvation. Assurance of salvation is possible only if salvation is a work of God alone. 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. Am I really saved? We can rejoice that assurance of salvation is a fruit of our faith in Jesus, and it grows out of our growing faith as we grow in our understanding of the love of God for us in Christ. The Puritan pastor would tenderly advise the church member longing to grow in assurance of salvation, Turn to the evidences of grace that are laid out for us in Scripture; ask the Spirit to shed light on them for you; then, as you examine yourself, if you can say with assurance that even one of these evidences is your experience, you can be assured that you are a child of God even if you cant see other evidences in you.. All of these fruits helped the Puritan pastor make assurance of salvation appear most desirable, and certainly worth the effort of pursuing and cultivating with all of ones soul, mind, and strength. Pastoral Help 6: Assurance of salvation is also strengthened by the direct witnessing testimony of the Holy Spirit himself speaking in Gods word. The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. 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. There are many biblical texts that talk about insincere repentance and apostacy. Any other conclusion is by a whimsical God that is acting confused, again, not a Divine characteristic. If we have Christ in our life, we have assurance of eternal life. 4:11-16). That again speaks of relationship. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app.You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music. Thus, young believers can have a stronger assurance of their salvation as they grow over the years toward Christian maturity. There is a longing for God inside the believer's heart. (15) 1 John 3:22-24. E. Assurance enables us to effectively serve the Lord by telling others about Jesus. Your email address will not be published. 8:28-29), but. The Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus Prayer for His Own by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. As we trust in Christs perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. For example, when the Spirit applies to the soul a special promise, such as, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV), with considerable power and sweetness such that the believer enjoys a profound experience of communion with God and of his love and a profound sight of the beauty and glory of Christ that immediate or direct witness of the Spirit to the believer can give a large boost to his or her assurance. Assurance grows by repeated conflict, by our repeated experimental proof of the Lord's power and goodness to save; when we have been brought very low and helped, sorely wounded and healed, cast down and raised again, have given up all hope, and been suddenly snatched from danger, and placed in safety; and when these things have been repeated to 25. And what God said, He will surely do. I believe that we can be assured of salvation if we are in Christ and remain in Christ. Can a person believe in some sense but not be saved? Will Graham Devotion: The Perfect Sacrifice. Further to encourage believers pastorally, the Puritans stressed that the more we know experientially of all three kinds of assurance, the more robust our assurance will be and the more we will live entirely for God. Glad to hear of your faith in what God has done to save you. That feeling of uncertainty definitely made me anxious over the next 3 days while waiting for the result to be released. 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. All who have been born again will see clear evidences of a new life in Christ. Pastoral Help 5: Assurance of salvation is strengthened by the Spirit shedding light on the believers biblical marks of grace such as the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:2223, and the various evidences sprinkled throughout 1 John so that the believer can clearly see at least some of these saving marks of grace being worked out in his or her own heart and life by the very grace of that same Spirit, and thus cannot but conclude he or she is a child of God. Second, assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. If we were saved by works then they would be correct. 2023 BGEA 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. But you and I are entirely capable of going back on our word by abandoning Christ and, thereby, forfeiting his gift of . And though not all Protestants accept the once-saved-always-saved formula, many, such as Southern Baptists and the myriad of non-denominational denominations, do. 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. As with the Puritan pastors, God calls pastors today to be wise physicians of souls who prescribe the right medicines for each believer medicines that the Holy Spirit uses to lead them to cultivate and grow in the assurance of their salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. 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. I wasnt sure of my salvation because I was not always obedient to Gods commands and often times I neglect my quiet time. About this post, it really makes me to better understand how I can be sure of having salvation is Christ. So while its true that we may indeed have salvation, whether or not we keep our grasp on it is another matter, as St. Paul will demonstrate below. I am happy with the spiritual food you keep feeding us with. If salvation depended upon man's ability, assurance of salvation would require answering two questions: 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). Praise God for His amazing grace; God saved us despite our sinfulness. Many Christians are still in doubt as to their standing in the Lord. I was afraid I could lose my salvation because of my shortcomings. We find the most important confessional chapter ever written on the subject in the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 18, Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation. I will provide three pastoral helps from each of these four paragraphs (hereafter: WCF 18.14). What is Christian redemption? So this means that some who been saved fall back into grievous sin, thereby losing their salvation. . Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. How does a Christian possess assurance of their salvation? 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Scope of the Doctrine of Assurance of Salvation, he who endures to the end will be saved. No person currently possesses ultimate salvation. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Paul teaches that the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and in our present state, our sins and wickedness cannot be tolerated in the presence of a holy God. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! God gives this warning (you can never be restored) to prevent Christians from falling away. Assurance is the state of being sure or certain about something; it is a strong and definite statement that something will happen or that something is true. Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near. Solicitation Disclosure Statement 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. Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. ), 1 John was specifically written for this purpose. However, you keep on saying that the born again Christians when they leave this world they end up in heaven. Hes a perfect parallel with the sinner who repents, pleads for mercy, and was forgiven by God and his debt of sin wiped out. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. False Doubt remains a flip side on the same coin as faith. Thank you so much for your post regarding a heavily difficult and often confusing topic for most of us. It is fortunate that you have chosen this subject in your post because it is so enlightening. Its message is based on the Bible. Matthew 7:21-23 is one of the most alarming passages in the Bible. The H&W Manager will handle service recovery, customer relations, exercise leadership, quality and safety assurance and program management for this area. 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. Christ offers us the gift of salvation, and he will not go back on his word. To fall away is to deliberately reject the light that was given about Jesus Christ and the gospel. The Puritans are abundantly clear in stating that the believer may, without extraordinary revelation [contrary to Roman Catholicism], in the right use of ordinary means, attain to assurance (emphasis mine). When I put my complete trust in what the Lord Jesus has done for me and received Him as my Savior, I was assured of my salvation. . ABSTRACT: The Puritans wrote dozens of books on faith and assurance, seeking to clarify and apply these doctrines for the members of their churches, and especially for the weakest of the sheep. 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. (5) 1 John 3:24, NASB. I appreciate the fact that you give a clear black and white image of salvation because the reality is that you cant be lukewarm in being in relationship with Jesus. In actuality, no preacher, evangelist, parent or friend can give us assurance. Assurance is not a self-given persuasion, but a Spirit- 2:12-13; 1 John 3:21-24; 1 John 4:20-21. But you and I are entirely capable of going back on our word by abandoning Christ and, thereby, forfeiting his gift of salvation. 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. Local: 704-401-2432 There is nothing more I could do because Jesus already accomplished it. The doctrine of assurance of salvation also referred to as the perseverance of the saints, means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by Gods power and will persevere until the end and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again. 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. Many church people do not believe that it is possible to be sure of salvation now. Every part of WCF 18.1 is connected with Jesus: believe in him; love him; walk before him. To be assured of salvation, we need to have Christ in our lives. The Assurance of Salvation. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand.. 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. (2 Corinthians 13:5). He will save all who call upon Jesus Christ. God ordains these trials for his glory and the benefit of his elect, so that they learn, like Job, to trust in a withdrawing God as our greatest friend, even when he seems to come out against us as our greatest enemy (Job 13:15). Joel Beeke is president of the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids. Salvation is primarily a work of human will rather than a work of God. Stepping out of the examination room, I wasnt sure if I was going to pass and be given a license to practice. Salvation is primarily a work of human will rather than a work of God It is no exaggeration to say that the entire scheme of salvation is designed for the express purpose of providing the believer with the full assurance of his or her salvation. 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. But they did so with a great deal more emphasis on application. Assurance is your rightful possession, and God wants you to have it as your portion. You have His word on it. "So then brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. He says that He will raise that person up at the last day which, in this context of believing in the Son and having eternal life, clearly means that Jesus will raise that person up to eternal life with Him (not just raise him up to be judged and condemned). Permissions Calvinists insist that perseverance of the saints is a scriptural doctrine. a. They added more volumes on how to do our daily work to Gods glory, how to live a godly life in our secular professions, and how to live zealously for the glory of God in every area of life. We can know with certainty that when we die, we will go to heaven. What does it mean to be redeemed? They often raise the questions, Am I really saved? or How can I be sure I will go to heaven when I die?. Education Required: However, many Christians do not believe that it is possible to be sure of salvation now. 9:27; 1 Cor. Summary: Death and the grave hold no fear to a child of God. The proper starting point for all true assurance of salvation is the divine truth of the promises of salvation set forth in Holy Scripture, the promises of God sealed with Gods own yea and amen in his Son, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1920). Ask yourself: Why would Christ warn us about this, if there was no danger that it could happen? From beginning to end, my salvation (and yours) is all of God. The first national survey of the worldview of Americans conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that although seven out of ten consider themselves to be Christian, only 6% actually possess a biblical worldview.. Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Latest Bible-Related Research Bible Gateway interviewed veteran researcher and author George Barna (@George . 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how does a christian possess assurance of their salvation?