ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
Some believers commonly struggle with a lack of assurance of salvation. Reasons for this lack of assurance include spiritual immaturity and poor teaching. Some teachers and pastors believe that a Christian can lose their salvation, which is untrue and harmful to the growth of a new believer. Spiritually sensitive individuals, who realize their brokenness, tend to dwell in fear and self-condemnation if they lack assurance. Dwelling in fear and self-condemnation causes a lack of productivity, and hinders the believer’s relationship with God. God doesn’t want us to fear losing our salvation. Fear is the opposite of love, and it does not belong in a loving relationship (I John 4:8). Scripture is emphatic that God has steadfast love for those who are His, and that he will not leave or forsake us (John 6:35-40; Hebrews 13:5). We are not under God’s wrath and condemnation once we are saved (John 5:24; Romans 8:1), and God is totally for us. No force can separate us from his love (Romans 8:31-35).
An important reason for having assurance of salvation is that one cannot really love God in the fullest sense unless he is secure in his salvation. Those who deny eternal security feel like the threat of impending condemnation is still a reality. This handicaps their ability to truly do good works out of love rather than fear of condemnation.
Their view of salvation is like a father holding a pistol to his head and demanding that his son love him. How much love would be reflected if the son does acts to show love in such circumstances?
It is very helpful to understand ten major reasons why we should have assurance in our salvation.
The first point to understand is that we received eternal life at the moment of salvation (John 3:16; John 3:36; John 5:24; John 6:35-40; John 6:47; John 6:54; John 10:28-29; John 11:25; Romans 6:23; 1 John 5:11, I John 5: 13). Eternal means everlasting;without end. Eternal life is not probationary. It is nonsensical to claim otherwise.
The second point to understand is that salvation is God’s work. It is not our work (Psalm 3:8; Jonah 2:9; Matthew 19:25-26; John 6:39; Acts 28:28; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 1:28 ; Philippians 2:13). If salvation is God’s work, then the completion of it is based on his competency, not our own. Perseverance is guaranteed because it is based on his competency, not ours (Philippians 1:6; Jude 24). This is why Scripture speaks of our salvation in the past tense (Romans 8:28-30).
The third point is that eternal life and salvation is a free gift from God (Rom 5:15-17; Rom 6:23). Would God give us a free gift, then take it back again? The gifts and calling of God are without revocation (Rom 11:29).
The fourth point to understand is that, when we are saved, God adopted us as children (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17 ; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1). God chastened his children; he does not cast them away (Hebrews 12:4-11). The goal of chastening is to correct us when we stray.
The fifth point to understand is that our salvation does not depend on our performance. It is about what Christ has done on the cross and our faith in his sacrifice and its sufficiency (Romans 10:13; 1 Peter 2:6). God has already qualified us for his Kingdom through the sacrifice of his Son (Colossians 1:12-14). We are more than conquerors through him (Romans 8:37). Christ is the source of our righteousness, and he has made us sufficient (1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6). He made us perfect through his sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14). Our works do not add to what Christ did on the cross, and our salvation was earned at the cross (Romans 11:6).
The sixth point to understand is that you received a new nature at conversion that wants to obey God. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are reborn when we are saved (John 3). Would a person with this new nature want to reject God? Those who claim you can lose your salvation are asserting that it is possible to go back to the old nature.
The seventh point to understand is that our assurance is based on Christ’s ministry of prayer and intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1). Note especially Hebrews 7:25 that it is Christ who “saves to the uttermost” those who draw near to God.
Examples of Christ’s prayers for us include the prayers of Christ for Peter in Luke 22:31-34. Christ prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Christ also prayed for believers, including us, in John 17:6-26. He specifically mentioned in this prayer asking God to keep us from being lost (John 17: 11-12). Can anyone be a more powerful prayer warrior to have in our corner?
The eighth point to understand is that we enjoy unity with Christ when we were saved (Romans 6:5). We are no longer separate from Him, and that is why Scripture says we are in Christ (John 6:56; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 13:5). We were baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27). We were crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Christ lives in us (Romans 8:10-20; Galatians 2:20). We are identified with him totally. Scripture says that we died with Christ (Romans 6:8; Colossians 2:20), are buried with Christ (Romans 6:4), were made alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5), were risen with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1) and are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3). We experience unity with Christ in many ways…we are inseparable from him.
Unity with Christ has importance with regards to security as well. Christ does not deny us because he cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:11-13). Our unity with Christ is a powerful reason why he will not reject us.
The ninth point to understand is that God has covenanted with Christians in regards to eternal life, and that we can rely on God’s covenant love and loyalty, which endures forever. God’s covenant love is hesed in Hebrew. As an example of what God says about his covenant love, see Psalm 136. It repeatedly states that God’s steadfast love, or covenant love, endures forever. Another example of this covenant loyalty is found with ancient Israel. God has not given up on ancient Israel despite their lack of loyalty, as Romans 11 indicates.
This Hebrew word hesed is rendered steadfast love in the ESV. It would be a good exercise to scan through the Old Testament to see how often this word is mentioned in relation to those God has covenanted with. It is mentioned many, many times.
The tenth point to understand relates to God’s attributes. One of the attributes of God is omniscience. God knows everything, including all details about the future (Is. 46:10). How does this relate to assurance of salvation?
If God knows the details of the future, why would he bring someone to salvation, give them eternal life, and work within their life, then reach a point of giving up on them due to some sin? Is God schizophrenic? Why would he bother bringing someone to salvation if he knew the person was going to commit some sin that was going to cause them to reject Him totally and finally? As mentioned previously, he has not given up on ancient Israel, despite their sins (Romans 11).
Those who think a believer can lose their salvation don’t seem to understand God’s attributes. He knows the end from the beginning, and knows every sin the person will commit before they are saved. How would God be able to relate to a person honestly and in love if he knew that they were going to be lost at some point?
Only those who are saved should be assured of their salvation, though. Those who haven’t placed their faith in Christ are under God’s wrath. So, it’s important to know whether you are saved or not. How do you know if you’re saved? Scripture teaches that we should examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).
We should examine the fruits of our salvation to see if they are present. Fruits are borne over time, so a new Christian may not be able to recognize these fruits earlier in their Christian walk. So, if you are young in the faith and don’t recognize these fruits earlier in your Christian walk, do not be discouraged. Over time, though, if you don’t observe these fruits in your life, you may have reason to consider whether you were saved. The fact that you are concerned is a good sign. Those who are not saved have little or no concern for their relationship with God.
1 John was written to give believers the assurance of their salvation (1 John 5:13). It gives signs of true believers. The first sign is that they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God and his sacrifice for forgiveness of their sins (1 John 4:15; I John 5:1; 1 John 5:5). A second sign is that they do not practice a habitual lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:9; I John 5:2). This does not mean that Christians cease to sin at conversion; it means that they do not continue to practice their sin with no concern for their disobedience. A third sign is that they continue with the Christian faith; they persevere in the faith (Hebrews 3:14; 1 John 2:19). A fourth sign is that they love the brethren (1 John 3:14-16; I John 4:7-12; I John 4:21). A fifth sign is that they have the Holy Spirit, which is an internal witness that we belong to God (1 John 3:24).
Scripture is clear in teaching that believers have eternal security. It is also clear in teaching that those who are saved depart from evil (2 Timothy 2:19). Believers may experience long periods of spiritual fruitlessness, but they will never fall away from the faith completely and finally.
The fact that Christians struggling against a sin is a proof that they are saved. All believers struggle with such issues in their lives. Those who claim otherwise are either deceived or lying. The new believer should just keep on confessing the sin, and asking for cleansing, as I John 1:8-9 teaches.
Regular confession is very important. We never outgrow our need for God’s grace and our need for a Savior. Satan wants us to get frustrated, and to think that our situation is hopeless. There is no believer who wants to get back into close relationship with God who cannot do so.
What about Scriptures that seem to indicate you can lose your salvation? Addressing each individual Scripture would be time consuming. However, here is a few examples that are typical explanations of those Scriptures:
1. Those who leave the faith were never really saved to start with (I John 2:19). Examples of such individuals include Judas Iscariot. He is commonly used as an example of a saved person who left the faith. However, Scripture is clear in teaching that he was never a believer (John 6:64). In fact, Scripture calls him a devil (John 6:70-71).
2. Some Scriptures are talking about losing the ability to share the gospel message, rather than loss of salvation. Examples of this are in Revelation 2:5, where Christ said that the church at Ephesus was subject to having its lampstand removed. This removal was talking about the removal of their opportunity to preach the Gospel message, not loss of salvation.
3. There are warnings in Scripture concerning the need to persevere. These warnings are part of what God uses to keep us in the faith.
