The Basis of Our Assurance
By The old saying is that good preaching should "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted". The gospel message should so both things -- challenge proud sinners to repent and assure the repentant sinner of God's grace. It's my hope that Am I Really a Christian? will both challenge nominal Christians and help encourage those who are genuinely God's children.
In some previous posts, I've argued for taking seriously Paul's command to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. But it's also important to think about how we can have confidence that we are genuine believers.
In fact, the Bible encourages us to pursue assurance. The apostle John even wrote his first letter "to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13). But how can weak, sinful, wavering people like us be confident that we genuinely belong to Christ?
Well, for starters, the only foundation for an assurance of salvation is Jesus. Specifically, we should look to three things about Jesus: what he was like, what he has done, and what he has promised.
- Christ's character: Jesus is marvelously patient, forbearing, and kind to sinners. And all spoke well of him,and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. (Luke 4:22)
- Christ's work: We can have assurance before God because Jesus died, rose again, and is seated in heaven. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
- Christ's promises: Jesus tells us that he will never cast out anyone who comes to him. We never need to fear that our sin or unloveliness will make him draw back from us. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (John 6:37)
Jesus is the foundation of our assurance. Because of who he is, what he has done, and what he has promised, we can have confidence in our salvation.
Michael McKinley's Posts
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Hi Mike
Thanks for the post am looking forward to your book being available over here at some point soon.
I was wondering if there's a difference between assurance that Jesus is reliable for salvation and assurance that Jesus has saved me personally.
So that the 3 points you make help with the first kind of assurance but not so much with the second kind of assurance. If the distinction is helpful then it explains why assurance is answered slightly differently in different parts of the NT. So in Romans 8 assurance that Jesus has saved me comes from the work of the Spirit which changes me - I am no longer who I was but now call God Father by the Spirit. Then at the end of the chapter he returns to Jesus' reliability (what shall separate etc). 1 John similarly seems to say assurance comes from a transformed life.
So then if I'm struggling with assurance, if I see that Jesus is reliable for salvation and I sign up to your 3 points but am still stressed, then it's okay to say to me - "Hey Steve how do you explain the fact you're worried about your salvation, that you care what God thinks of you and whether you belong to him. Don't think you were always like that, that concern itself is a work of God - can't you see that you're not who you were?" You might hope there would be other examples too of a transformed life.
Steve
Hey Steve,
You're absolutely correct (in my opinion, at least!). I hope to do another post soon about what to look for in our own lives in term of visible fruit.
I should have mentioned that!
thanks,
m
Mike, thank you. My brother has been wrestling with this topic for some time. He is a genuine believer who fights for assurance. I thank God for this timely book and in particular this timely topic of the basis for our salvation. I wonder if more work might be done here. A greater wrestling with how to understand both fruit evaluation and faith in Christ because they seemingly underhand each other. Which should I look at Christ or my fruit? I would like to see someone think through it with a careful eye.
Simul ustes et peccator.
Read Romans 7.
This was very simple and to the point. I think this message is one that should be shared with the masses. Thank you for taking the time to explain salvation to us and for bringing this news to everyone.
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