December 10th: The Doctrine of Assurance
Speaker: Robert Aboagye
The three bases of assurance as explained in the Baptist Confession of Faith.
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
DEFINITION OF ASSURANCE
Rom 8:15,16 But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
(Ongoing) Faith is to be fully and completely persuaded and convinced of the reality of God’s existence and character, and of the infallibility of all His acts, words and promises – and that we wholly trust our lives and our affairs to Him.
It is more than an intellectual assent. There is real trusting – reposing [resting and leaning upon].
Assurance is continual personal appropriation [taking hold of / seeing & believing mind and heart] of truths which have already been intellectually grasped, and continual application of these truths to our lives.
Whereas faith has more an active sense to it, assurance is more the state of security and confidence which fills the heart when one knows that the truths of God – specifically w.r.t. salvation – apply to you.
Sealing is another name for assurance, for this witness of the Holy Spirit with our spirit – that we are born of God.
Eph 1:13 says "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
"ye were sealed". I am active in believing – I am passive when the Holy Spirit seals me.
The witness of the Spirit is a something which I receive, but faith is a something which I exercise as well as receive. In faith my mind does something, in being sealed my faith receives something.
Nonetheless, we need means of grace in order to restore and/or even gain assurance for first time.
So, Christians can know that they are truly saved and will persevere until the end.
Some systems of Christianity do not agree on this. I.e. Roman Catholicism and Arminianism.
Often when people deny the possibility of full assurance of salvation, they may do so out of a fear that it will impede our sanctification and faithfulness. True Christians seek assurance not so they can grow complacent. Instead, they do so in order to grow in holiness, zeal and even humility.
‘Witness of the Spirit’ – not a special revelation / experience from God – not “Second Blessing” or suchlike.
Many Christians receive assurance immediately or very soon after becoming saved; many again do attain after a period of time; but some too do struggle and battle for a long while before they do finally enter in.
But neither a once for all “glorious experience”, to which Believers may always look back. Rather Spirit of God testifies continually by His indwelling in hearts of those that fear Lord.
Witness of Spirit #with/through clear teachings of Scripture (Rom 11:29; 1Pet 1:5) and also discernible changes in character and affection of person which God works.
This witness [testifying, corroboration] is “along with our spirit”. One’s rational faculties – reflecting, observing, and
drawing conclusions – operate, but under power of Holy Spirit, there is a divine enhancement of that evidence. Some writers – even Reformers – seem to write in very strong language about “no doubts” at all whatsoever; but we just bear in mind that they were battling Catholicism then.
FALSE ASSURANCE & PRESUMPTION
Scriptural truths always face abuses and counterfeits. Whilst Reformers battled Catholic Church – which wanted to keep people unassured – we have today a different problem: False assurance and presumption.
People presuming themselves to be saved and secure when they have no right to do so.
Not for intellectual assent only. Neither for the so-called “carnal Christian” (1John 2:3; 2Cor 13:5).
‘7 Certain Signs’ booklet gives us the things which we ought to be looking for in ourselves and in others.
A very strong Scripture on this aspect:
Matt 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
False assurance may come from bad theology, (2Pet 1:2, 3, 5-6, 8; 3:18) e.g. Universalism, repent, nature of true conversion, low standard for “good works”, “easy believism”, etc.
(Mind you, poor understanding of salvation can also afflict tender consciences to spiritual despair.)
Also, those who doubt the Bible’s accuracy w.r.t. representation of the Gospel and life of Christ – essentially that Scriptures are God’s inspired Word – ought not to have any personal assurance.
Doubts respecting one's spiritual state are different, though. Not necessarily spring from unbelief.
SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR TRUE ASSURANCE & THE BENEFITS
CHS: Because some pass upon you the base forged bank-note, will you therefore burn those which really come from the bank?Psa 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of most able in the Counter-Reformation movement in 16th century Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”
Yet, Heb 10:14 says, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who come to God by him”
The reason we can stand before God in full assurance is because we now experience our “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and . . . bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22).
And the logic of Hebrews goes on. Enjoying this assurance leads to four things:
First, unwavering faithfulness to our confession of faith in Christ alone as our hope (v.23);
second, careful consideration to encourage one another to “love and good works” (v.24);
third, an ongoing communion with other Christians in worship and fellowship (v.25a);
fourth, life exhorting one another to keep looking to Christ and to be faithful to Him (25b).
As mentioned earlier, Scripture reasons that assurance should make us better!
And, hence, it is something to be actively maintained and guarded in our lives.
Some further texts to support this:
Assurance is for all Believers – John 10:14-15; 1John 1:3-4; 5:13
Assurance accompanies faith – Eph 3:12; 2Tim 1:12; Rom 8:38-39; Heb 6:18,19; 10:19-22
Assurance from inward evidence – 2Cor 13:5; 1John 2:3-5; 3:24; 4:13; 2:10
Assurance by the witness of the Spirit – Rom 8:15,16; 2Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13,14; 3:16-19
1John 3:14a We know that we have passed from death unto life
Assurance is to be desired and has benefits because of:
1. The present comfort and peace it affords
2. It tends to make a Christian an active working Christian
3. It tends to make a Christian a decided Christian
4. It tends to make the holiest Christians. 1John 3:3 He that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even as He is pure. A hope that does not purify is a mockery, a delusion, and a snare.
5. Possibly best of all is a holy familiarity with God. This is the walking with and dwelling with/in God, which only the true Christian has the privilege of doing. 1John 4:16-19 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.
ASSURANCE IS NOT TOTALLY AUTOMATIC AND CAN DIP
Songs 5:2-6 2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
Bible certainly does not regard a state of doubt as the normal condition of believers. Scriptures instead speak of glad assurance. At same time, it is clearly indicated that their assurance is changeable / not static. READ BCoF Part 18.4
So, assurance may be low because of:
Perhaps the Lord sees something in the natural temperament of some of His children, which makes assurance not good for them.
Perhaps, in order to be kept in spiritual health and future carefulness, they need to be kept somewhat low.
However, in many cases of the absence of assurance there is slothfulness about growth in grace.
Heb. 6:11 We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.
To be fair, there can commonly also be a defective view of the doctrine of justification.
Or linked to this, either memory of a former grievous sin, or some fresh new sin – but reflection of depths of our sins sometimes can really destabilise.
And then there is an inconsistent walk in life.
Psalm 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
So, through our own fault / lack of application, but also Satan’s attacks, but sometimes perhaps sometimes also again directly from the LORD – His wisdom determines that some intervention is needed – for these various reasons our assurance can be low.
But we do not remain in this way. We are not unmoved and unconcerned.
Rather we strive to rally and restore ourselves!
When we are assessing our assurance, good to be mindful of 17th and 18th century error of called Pietism.
They wanted to be very pious, so much contemplation and “meditation”. But they sought assurance of faith / salvation divorced from the Word of God. The basis of assurance was sought, not in the objective promises of the Gospel, but in the subjective experiences of Believers.
The inner life of man, and especially the religious side of it, is very complicated and is a difficult field to explore. Add in too deceitfulness of heart, it really is not easy to maintain strict impartiality, seeing that he who collects the evidence and passes judgment on it, is also the interested party.
Whichever leaning / conviction already present in the mind... that will be the conclusion. So, a note for caution there.
HOW TO RESTORE ASSURANCE
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Assurance is cultivated by the right use of ordinary means of grace (2Pet 1:10).
Immaturity in understanding, disobedience to the commandments of God, worldliness, and prayerlessness – shakes, diminishes and makes intermittent a Believer’s sense of assurance.
God will not allow this. (Psa 32:4; 38:2; 51:12; Heb 12:6-8)
Eph 1:13 counsels three steps for coming into assurance:
Listening to faithful exposition of Gospel truth; noting that ‘believing’ means to be trusting (which is in fact through illumination of the Holy Spirit); and trusting His bare Word and His deeds – notably on the Cross.
Confessions of faith put our inner evidence second, and the divine truth of the promise of salvation first.
So, essentially, our own faith [trust] in the doctrines of the Gospel, and particularly in blood and righteousness of Christ. So, we trust that Gospel is true, and that God’s promises of salvation will be kept.
Second we look for fruits of salvation in our own life.
Then we can look for the evidences from the fruits of our prayer life.
Finally we can hope for the witness of the Spirit.
Also, note that gratitude, praise and affirmation recover our hope – Col 2:7; Rom 8:33,34.
Mystical view of the Holy Spirit’s witness in assurance is not biblical.
Elevated experiences may happen, but they are not normal and neither are they the primary means of strengthening.
Nearness of the LORD is not a feeling, but a realisation / a belief / a conviction.
