SALVATION-ASSURANCE-SOURCE

The Holy Spirit has no skeptic. He has written neither doubt nor mere opinion into our hearts, but rather solid assurances, which are more sure and solid that all experience and even life itself.

Martin Luther

Letter to Erasmus.

What is the one thing that cuts us off from heaven? The answer is unbelief. Not trusting God. Not living “by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us” (Gal. 2:20). So what does [1 Peter 1] verse 5 mean then when it says we are “protected [from losing our final salvation] by the power of God through faith.” It means that God’s power protects us for salvation by sustaining our faith. The only thing that can keep us from heaven is forsaking our faith in Christ, and turning to other hopes, other treasures. So to protect us God prevents that. He inspires and nourishes and strengthens and builds our faith. And in doing this he secures us against the only thing that could destroy us; unbelief, lack of trust in God.

John Piper

Sermon, The Elect Are Kept By the Power of God, October 17, 1993, www.desiringgod.org, Used by Permission.

We all know so many who "know" they are Christians, because they were baptized as infants or as adults for that matter. The same is true of countless people who have "walked the aisle." They were assured that if they would "come forward" and "make a decision" they could be saved. They came, and there some well-intentioned personal worker convinced them that because they came and answered "yes" to the various questions and then prayed "the sinner's prayer" that now they are saved and no one should ever make them doubt it! Then they left. And they went back to the same old life they had. They made no real public profession of Christ, but because they did as they were instructed they "know" they are safe. This is a needless problem which we have created.

Fred G. Zaspel

The primary ground of assurance is rooted in the promises of God, but those promises must become increasingly real to the believer through the subjective evidences of grace and the internal witness of the Holy Spirit.

Joel R. Beeke

Feed My Sheep, ed. Don Kistler, Soli Deo Gloria Ministries, 2002, p. 123.

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives assurance, not the evangelist or any other person. We are to help people understand the basis of assurance, but leave the actual assuring to the Spirit.

Carey Hardy

A Close Look at Invitations and Altar Calls, Shepherds Conference, Grace Community Church.

It is only in proportion as the Christian manifests the fruit of a genuine conversion that he is entitled to regard himself and be regarded by others as one of the called and elect of God. It is just in proportion as we add to our faith the other Christian graces that we have solid ground on which to rest in the assurance we belong to the family of Christ. It is not those who are governed by self-will, but “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).

A.W. Pink

The Bible teaches clearly that the evidence of God’s work in a life is the inevitable fruit of transformed behavior (1 John 3:10). Faith that does not result in righteous living is dead and cannot save (James 2:14-17). Professing Christians utterly lacking the fruit of true righteousness will find no biblical basis for assurance they are saved (1 John 2:4). Real salvation is not only justification. It cannot be isolated from regeneration, sanctification, and ultimately glorification. Salvation is an ongoing process as much as it is a past event. It is the work of God through which we are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29, cf. Romans 13:11). Genuine assurance comes from seeing the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in one’s life, not from clinging to the memory of some experience.

John MacArthur

The Gospel According to Jesus, © John MacArthur, 1988, p. 23.

Many professed Christians – and even many true Christians – hold a false doctrine of assurance. Often it is because the person who witnessed to them told them that all they had to do was make a profession of faith, walk an aisle, raise a hand, say a prayer, and never doubt what the Lord had done in their lives. Perhaps they have been taught that to ever doubt their salvation is to doubt God’s Word and integrity. Unfortunately, many evangelists, pastors, and personal workers attempt to certify a person’s salvation apart from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of fruit with continuance in obedience to the Word (John 8:31). But we have no right to assure a person of something we cannot be certain is true. God’s own Holy Spirit will witness His reality to those who truly belong to Him (Rom. 8:14-16). Peter makes clear that one’s calling and choosing are made secure by increasing qualities of fruitfulness that demonstrate the genuineness of salvation and eliminate stumbling over doubt (2 Pet. 1:3-11). And our Lord teaches that some people appear saved, but are not

(see Matt. 13: 20-21). Quick and easy assurance can deceive.

John MacArthur

Matthew 1-7, Moody, 1985, p. 475-476.

It is the Holy Spirit who gives assurance of life in Christ, not the evangelist (Rom. 8:16). We are to relate the basis of assurance but leave the actual assuring to the Spirit.

Jim Elliff
Closing With Christ, Christian Communicators Worldwide, www.CCWtoday.org. Used by Permission.

The basis for our security in salvation is not ultimately our righteousness or obedience but God's promise, God’s power, God’s purpose, and most of all God’s passionate love for us in Christ. God is committed to preserving us in faith, for if we were to stumble so as to fully and finally fall away, God stands more to lose than we do.

Sam Storms
A Defense of the Perseverance of the Saints – Part II, November 6, 2006, www.enjoyinggodministries.com. Used by Permission.

Three means by which God assures us that we do have eternal life:

1. The promises of His Word.

2. The witness of the Spirit in our hearts.

3. The transforming work of the Spirit in our lives.

Jerry Bridges

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.