Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, XVIII:3

This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he is a partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.

For all the desirability and the blessing associated with assurance of salvation, and its origin from God as a gift to the believer, there is no guarantee that any individual believer will possess it immediately or from the beginning of his Christian life. Indeed, a true believer may progress far in years and yet lack assurance. So while believers certainly may have assurance of their salvation and are encouraged, even enjoined, by Scripture to have godly confidence, the lack of assurance does not mean a person is not saved.

Nevertheless, as we discussed yesterday, there are many avenues by which a believer may attain assurance and most of them are available by "ordinary means." We do not require a special word from God, an individual revelation, to have assurance. Scripture commands us to make our calling and election sure; by this it does not mean that somehow it is up to us to be saved, but rather we must be diligent in pursuit of godliness and the exercise of all Christian virtues, for by them we assure ourselves that we truly belong to Christ.

The benefits of such efforts are manifold, as outlined in this paragraph: We may experience the peace and joy of the Spirit, love and thankfulness toward God our Savior, and strength and cheerfulness in our Christian labors of obedience unto God. All these are much to be desired. As we realize them in our lives we witness to ourselves the fruits of our salvation and this lends assurance and consolation.

The charge has often been leveled by persons not understanding the gospel of grace that for a Christian to claim assurance of salvation is either presumptuous or injurious to diligence in personal sanctification and obedience. Some claim that men may not know they are saved until after death--it is just too uncertain a thing, for we never know when we may make a hash of the whole deal. Others state that it is arrogant to assert one has assurance; who are you to think you're so grand that God will save you? These persons mistake the gospel, particularly the basis upon which the Christian rests his confidence. He does not trust himself or his personal worthiness--far from that--but God, who is eminently trustworthy. He takes God at his word. This is the essence of faith. As to the implication of antinomianism--if one believes he will certainly be saved, does that not remove an incentive to obedience?--again such thinking betrays ignorance of the gospel and the way that the Spirit works in the lives of God's children. As we have argued, from assurance springs up a well of gratitude and thankfulness that is a most effective spur to obedience and holy living.

In short, assurance of salvation is not always present in the life of the believer but it is most certainly available, to be had for the diligence required to attain it, and it seems to be a gift the Spirit is most eager to grant.

Tomorrow: Challenges to assurance.