SALVATION-ASSURANCE-DESTROYED
Persistence in sin destroys the assurance of
salvation.
John
Piper
Jesus Christ is an Advocate for Sinners,
Sermon, February 10, 1985, www.DesiringGod.org,
Used by Permission.
Every brand
of theology that is not grounded in the particularism
which is exemplified in sovereign election and effective redemption is not
hospitable to this doctrine of the assurance of faith.
John Murray
The Assurance of Faith, Collected writings of John
Murray, 1977.
By permission Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA.
Our
perseverance is a gift from God. In our salvation, God blesses us with
assurance through His gift of perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5). However, many
Christians lack full assurance of their salvation because their understanding
of assurance is founded on the constantly changing emotions of their hearts
rather than on the eternal Word of God.
Burk Parsons
Assured by God, P&R, 2006, p. 19-20. Used by Permission.
Any
way of salvation that depends on something that we must contribute…can never
bring assurance to us, for we can never be sure we have done enough to help.
Sinclair Ferguson
Assured by God, ed. Burk Parsons, P&R,
2006, p. 100.
Used by Permission.
Such is
Satan’s envy and enmity against a Christian’s joy and comfort, that he cannot
but act to the utmost of his strength to keep poor souls in doubt and darkness.
Satan knows that assurance is a pearl of such price that will make the soul
happy forever; he knows that assurance makes a Christian’s wilderness to be a
paradise; he knows that assurance begets in Christians the most noble and
generous spirits; he knows that assurance is that which will make men strong to
do exploits, to shake his tottering kingdom about his ears; and therefore he is
very studious and industrious to keep souls off from assurance, as he was to
cast Adam out of paradise.
Thomas
Brooks
Heaven on Earth.
There is
nothing Satan can do to alter or undermine the fact that we are saved. Not “angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). But,
what he can do is erode our assurance and confidence that we are saved. Our
salvation, our standing with God, does not fluctuate or diminish with our success
or failure in spiritual battles. But Satan is determined to convince us that it
does.
Sam
Storms
Ephesians 6 - Part 2, November 8, 2006, www.enjoyinggodministries.org, Used
by Permission.