LESSON 42 ASSURANCE OF SALVATION Lesson Plan I Really Wonder Though most unbelievers never seriously consider this predicament, ironically nearly all believers at some point (or several points) in their lives wonder if they are really saved. Perhaps they grew up in a Christian family and have for the first time doubted the reality of their faith. Maybe they struggle with sin or committed a big sin and wonder if they lost their salvation. Perchance they can t recall an exact date when they trusted Christ. Possibly they have walked with the Lord, but have never felt the confidence of their salvation that other Christians seem to enjoy. We are talking about what is called the assurance of our salvation. It is not presumptuous to be assured of our salvation. 1 John 5:13 says, These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. The Bible is clear that God wants us to have an assurance of our salvation. Such an understanding not only give us peace, after all, imagine going through life unaware of your final destiny, but also honors God by taking Him at His Word since eternal life is a promise which He Himself made to us (1 Jn. 2:25), one which He has given [to] us (1 Jn. 5:11). Therefore, can you say with the utmost confidence that you are truly saved? There is absolutely no question more essential to be answered. C.H. Spurgeon said, If any man is not sure that he is in Christ, he ought not to be easy one moment until he is sure. Dear friend, without the fullest confidence as to your saved condition, you have no right to be at ease, and I pray you may never be so. This is a matter too important to be left undecided. So how can I be assured if I am really saved? That will be the topic of this lesson. Your Part and God s Part In order to have a full assurance of your salvation, there must be both an examination of your life and an awareness of God s promises.
While there is no implication in that statement that we are saved by anything other than God s grace, evidence of God s saving grace will be seen in our actions. One of the clearest actions will be persevering in the faith. In others words, regardless of what we have professed or accomplished in the past, are we presently walking with Jesus Christ? Consider these conditional verses ( if statements) that many Christians tend to overlook as it pertains to our need to persevere in the faith: Romans 11:22, Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. Colossians 1:22-23a, Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Hebrews 3:6, But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. It s clear that if we want to be assured of our faith, there is a need to persevere in our belief. As the writer to the Hebrews remarked, we need to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end (Heb. 6:11). Sadly this is not what we hear taught and often witnessed in the modern church. We have a whole generation of people who have been taught that praying a prayer or walking an isle meant salvation and the evidence of true persevering faith which is marked by obedience to the Scriptures is optional. As John Piper said, There is a kind of cavalier attitude toward our security today. There is little trembling. Little vigilance and earnestness and caution and watchfulness over our
souls. There is a kind of casual, slack, careless attitude toward the possibility that we might make shipwreck of our faith and fail to lay hold on eternal life. We have the notion that security is a kind of mechanical, automatic thing. We prayed once to receive Jesus. We are safe (John Piper, When Is It Dangerous to Look at Jesus?). Philippians 2:12 is clear, Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Only in the shadow of spiritual desire and spiritual progress can we have any confidence that we are truly saved. But does that mean it is all about us? Absolutely not, because this fruit of our salvation is grounded in the root of God having truly entered our lives when we received Christ. Our perseverance is only the window to see God s saving presence upon us and that is the hope of where our assurance ultimately lies. Sure, we must work out our salvation as it is stated in Philippians 2, but let s quickly note that the very next verse states, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). In Mark 13:13 our Lord said, You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Endurance to the end is the clearest mark of our salvation, and if we are truly saved we can have the confidence that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). God will enable His elect to keep believing, keep persevering until the end. So if we are presently persevering in the faith we can have the confidence that He is working in us and thus is presently with us. A Defense for Eternal Security The conclusion just stated is based on the principle that once we are saved we are always saved. In other words, it is impossible to be saved and then lose our salvation. Since some disagree with this theological concept, let s pause and spend some time defending our eternal security from Scripture because without the foundation of eternal security there is no point in furthering this discussion. 1. Because salvation is from the Lord.
If we believe we did something to get saved, we have to assume that there are things we can do to lose our salvation. But according to Scripture our salvation is locked from beginning to end in the unchanging hands of God. Consider Romans 8:29-30, For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Since we did nothing to get saved, we can t do anything to get unsaved. When we accepted Christ, it is ultimately due to the fact that He had first already accepted us (1 Jn. 4:10, 19). 2. Because God promised it. In John 10 Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father s hand (Jn. 10:27-29). If one true child of God could ever perish, wouldn t it be safe to assume Jesus deceived us? Furthermore, could Jesus really be called a Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11, 14) if any of His sheep wandered away? In John 6:39 our Lord said, This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 3. Because God is love. Can we really believe that God s loves us if He one day decides not to be our Father? If the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. 5:5) would God one day take the Holy Spirit away? Can we accept the Gospel as a free gift, only to think someday that God might rescind the offer and want His gift back? Would He erase our names from the Book of Life that was composed before the foundation of the earth (rev. 13:8)? Of course not! That is why we read, For He himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you (Heb. 13:5). How about Paul s affirmation from Romans 8: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39). As Bob LaForge stated, It
stands to reason that God would abandon us because of our constant sin, but if that was a reason for Him to leave us, then there never was a reason for Him to have been drawn to us If He was attracted to us as aliens and hostile in mind, how could He abandon those whom He now calls His children? (Contemplating the Almighty, p. 121). 4. Because God s glory is on the line. Any Christian losing one s salvation would shine infinitely worse on God and His glory than it would the apostate saint. We would have to conclude that our power to sin is greater than God s power to save. We would have to conclude that God would go back on His promises. We would have to conclude that Jesus Christ failed. a. Christ would have failed in the purpose for which He died. John 14:15, I lay down My life for the sheep. b. Christ would have failed in the purpose for which He was resurrected. Romans 4:15, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. c. Christ would have failed in the purpose for which He now intercedes in the presence of the Father. Hebrews 7:25, Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. d. Christ would have failed to accomplish the goal for which He is to return to this earth. John 6:40, For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. e. Christ would have been proven to have been a liar. John 6:37, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out (Adapted from Sam Storms, A Defense of the Perseverance of the Saints Part II) Spurgeon concluded, If one dear saint of God had perished, so might all; if one of the covenant ones be lost, so may all be; and then there is no Gospel promise true, but the Bible is a lie, and there is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at once when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God hath loved me once, then He will love me forever (Sermon, A Defense of Calvinism).
Losing Salvation If all that we argued above is true, what are we to make of people who appear to have walked with the Lord for years and then are no longer doing so? Did they lose their salvation? No! Only two answers then are acceptable: Either they are backsliding and the Lord will call them back or they were never saved to start with. In 1 Jn. 2:19 we read, They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. Evidence of Saving Faith So if God will keep saved those who are really saved, how can I really be certain that I am truly saved? Peter told his readers to make certain about His calling and choosing you (2 Pet. 1:10). First it must start out with the serious question of whether or not I trust the Word of God and truly believe what God has promised regarding Jesus Christ and my salvation. Do I believe Jesus died for all my sins, rose from the dead for my justification and now due entirely to His work by grace through my faith, permits me to stand before the Father totally blameless and completely forgiven? As the Puritans used to say, For every finger you point at yourself, point nine more to Jesus Christ. Second, to a lesser degree, it is wise to take a spiritual inventory of our lives. 2 Corinthians 13: 5, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test? Personally consider the points below (and/or read 1 John; cf. 1 Jn. 5:9-13). Do you pass the test? Are there discernable fruits that can be tested that give evidence of God s activity in your life? Evidences that neither prove nor disprove one s faith: Visible Morality Intellectual Knowledge Religious Involvement Active Ministry
Conviction of Sin Assurance Time of Decision Fruit/proof of authentic faith: Love for God Repentance from Sin Genuine Humility Devotion to God s Glory Continual Prayer Selfless Love for Others Separation from the World Spiritual Growth Obedient Living (adapted from: John MacArthur, Study Bible, p. 2191). Consider the following verses: Matthew 10:32-33, Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:37-39, He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. John 14:15, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 15:8, My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Romans 8:14, For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:29, For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. Galatians 5:19-24, Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have
forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. James 2:14-17, What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. Hebrews 12:14, Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. James 2:19, You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 1 John 2:4-6, The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 3:9-10, No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 4:8, The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Is it possible for people to think they are saved when in reality they are not? Absolutely! That is why we are called to continually examine ourselves (1 Cor. 11:28) with the principles stated above. If we pass the test we can have assurance, if we fail the test we know we need salvation. Isn t it better for one to find out they are really not saved now, then to live a life deceived based on a false assurance only to find out on judgment day when it is too late!
Perhaps some of the most chilling words in Scripture are found in Matthew 7, words that come off the lips of our Savior: Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Mt. 7:21-23). Assurance is Given by the Holy Spirit Too often people look to others for the confirmation that they are really saved. Certain people are qualified to make vague comments based upon the external behaviors they observe, but no individual can see the heart. Therefore, the only Person that we should be seeking for the confidence of our salvation is God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that assures us of God s promises and His presence in our lives which results in transformational living. Romans 8:16, The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (cf. 1 Jn. 3:24; 4:13). According to John MacArthur, 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 (Matthew 1-7, p. 475-476). Destroyers of Assurance While there is a great concern that unsaved people dare not presume they have assurance, there is also a concern that saved people are not experiencing the
blessed assurance they should be enjoying. If through self-examination by the Holy Spirit we can be confident of our salvation, we need to do all we can to protect ourselves from that which seeks to destroy our assurance. Though we cannot lose our salvation, improper thinking and living in the following areas has the potentials to steal the assurance and subsequent peace God wants His children to enjoy. 1. Poor Theology If we fail to rely upon the teaching in Scripture that our salvation is of the Lord (and not ourselves) grounded in His infallible Word based upon and unbreakable chain from beginning to end entirely achieved by the work of Jesus Christ we will never experience true assurance. It is important to understand doctrines like total depravity and unconditional election and particular atonement and irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. After all, if it is based on us to any degree how can be sure we have enough faith or have completed enough works to meet God s satisfaction? Furthermore, what guarantee is there that we will still believe in the future if God does not enable us to persevere? It didn t take Adam too long to fall away, did it? Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 2. Absence of Spiritual Warfare According to the Puritan, Thomas Brooks, 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 (Heaven on Earth). Sam Storms adds, There is nothing Satan can do to alter or undermine
the fact that we are saved 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 (Ephesians 6 - Part 2). Eph. 6:11, Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 3. Weak Faith We will lose our assurance the moment we take our eyes off God s promises in His Word and begin to trust in our own feelings. If you are a Christian, yes, Jesus Christ died for all your sins and you have nothing to contribute. Yes, God is still with you even when you commit a sin. Yes, there is no sin (except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit Mt. 12:31) that cannot be forgiven. Yes, God will never forsake you. Yes, you will persevere to the end. We have God s promise on all these things in the Bible. Titus 1:2, In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago. 4. Unrepentant Sinful Living Probably the greatest destroyer of a person s assurance is unrepentant sinful living. If the clearest evidence that we are Christians comes in the fact that we as transformed beings are now able to recognize sin, despise sin and overcome sin, what does it say if none of this is evident in our present lives? We all sin (1 Jn. 1:8) and we all backslide to some degree (1 Cor. 3:1-4), but unrepentant persistence in sin will not help promote our assurance. If anything, this attitude should make us at times question the reality of our salvation. As J.C. Ryle put it, Many appear to think that, once converted, they have little more to attend to, and that a state of salvation is a kind of easy chair, in which they may just sit still, lie back and be happy Such persons lose sight of the many direct injunctions to increase, to grow, to abound more and more, to add to our faith, and the like; and in this little-doing condition, this sitting-still state of mind, I
never marvel that they miss assurance (Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots). Matthew 3:8, 10, Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Results of Assurance Confidence During Temptations Increased Humility Unspeakable Peace and Joy Motivation Toward Spiritual Growth and Holiness Greater Fellowship with God Hope of Heaven Bible Memorization 1 John 5:13- These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.