The greatest gift I have ever received is salvation. The second greatest gift I have ever received is assurance of salvation. Webster defines “assurance” this way – “Firm persuasion; full confidence or trust; freedom from doubt; certain expectation; the utmost certainty.” Assurance of salvation is simply “knowing beyond any shadow of doubt that one is saved.” This assurance of salvation is one of the greatest blessings ever afforded to mankind. Perhaps one of the most tormenting places for a man to be is a place where he possesses no absolute, positive assurance that he is saved. But thanks be to God, assurance of salvation is possible! It is not only possible for a saved individual to have such assurance; it is God’s will for a saved individual to have such assurance. In so many churches with which I fellowship, salvation is fickle. Salvation is presented by many as a leaning tower, ready to topple at any moment. This, my friend, is not the salvation of the Bible. Jesus Christ is the salvation of the Bible. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it, and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). The salvation which I received is eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9), authored by the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). I am saved with a great salvation (Hebrews 2:3)! The Lord saved me in 1994, and He has kept me from then until now. He is my Saviour and my Keeper. I am not saving myself by keeping commandments and laws; Christ is keeping me by His power (I Peter 1:5). While I have striven to be faithful, I understand clearly what every believer needs to understand; and that is, that the keeping of my salvation has much more to do with His grip on my hand than it does with my grip on His. When my hand had well nigh slipped, I found that His strong arm upheld me. This blessing of assurance is the key to victory in the Christian walk. I have found that if a person is not sure of their own salvation, they will not win others to salvation, for they do not have anything to which to win them. I have witnessed that if one does not know positively that they are saved, they speak little of their faith. This is rightly so, for they have little that is worth saying. Assurance is the first step to a life of victory.
How Sure Am I?
I was speaking recently to a man about salvation, and this subject of assurance came up. To illustrate how positively sure I am that I am saved, I made a statement that many will deem a bold statement. I said, “If I’m not saved, nobody’s saved!” I have made this statement in churches where I have preached. You should see the looks of faces from the pulpit! When most people hear that statement, they are startled. For most, the first thought upon hearing a statement such as this is, “This man has an awful lot of confidence in himself.” But the individual who thinks that thought is dead wrong. I do not have the least bit of confidence in myself. When I make a confident statement as that one, it is not my saving power I am commending; it is His saving power I am commending. I am not the Saviour; He is the Saviour! When He saves, He does not “barely save;” He rather “saves to the uttermost!” People like the confidence that they hear in such a statement, and even wish that they had that kind of confidence. However, assurance this strong goes against the mindset of so many in our churches. Many in our churches are “striving to make heaven their home.” Many are “working to hear Him say, ‘Well done.’” Many are “hoping to be saved.” But very few are positively, absolutely sure that they are, at this moment, saved. Listen to me carefully. I am not striving to be saved; I AM saved! I am not hoping to be saved; I AM saved! I am not working for salvation; I am a recipient of it! I got into a discussion several years ago with a man concerning salvation. He was a saved man. He said, “I do not like to use the term ‘saved.’ I prefer to use the term ‘born again.’” I replied that I did not have any problem using the term “saved.” He informed me that the Bible teaches that the man who endures to the end shall be saved. So, he believed that he was not yet saved; he was only “born again.” I gave him I Corinthians 1:18, which states, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which ARE SAVED it is the power of God.” Yes, there is a final salvation in the future where we will be saved from the very presence of sin; but there is a present salvation where we ARE SAVED at this very moment. This group of people that ARE SAVED is the group in which I am numbered! I am not waiting to be saved; I am saved, and I am sure of it!
Allow me to use this illustration to show how sure I am of my salvation. Let us say that I am in my home. I am praying. Suddenly, the angel Gabriel appears. He is wearing a white, shining garment. Somehow, I know that it is Gabriel, the same angel that appeared to Mary. Gabriel says, “Bob, I came to tell you something. I just checked the Lamb’s book of life in heaven, and I came by to tell you that your name is in there – you are saved.” I would look at Gabriel and say, “Gabe, thank you; but I already knew that.” Listen carefully. If an angel came from heaven and told me that he was positively sure that my name is in heaven, it would not give me any more assurance of my salvation than I have right now!
Allow me to go a little further. Say I am at home, and the angel Gabriel appears to me. He says, “Bob, I don’t know how to tell you this. But I just came from heaven. I looked for your name in the Lamb’s book of life, and it is not there. You are not saved.” I could reply with confidence, “Gabe, I don’t know how to tell you this. But you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.” You say, “You would talk to an angel that way?” I say, “Absolutely. I am commanded to talk to an angel that way!” The scripture says in Galatians 1:8, “Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than that which ye have heard, let him be accursed!” I am believing, trusting, resting, relying, depending on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and Acts 16:31 states, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!” Well, I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and according to the word of God, I am saved. For an angel to come with a different message would mean that he is preaching a different gospel, and should be accursed. Praise God for blessed assurance!
Is it really possible to know positively of one’s salvation? Let us see what the scriptures declare:
Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
I Thessalonians 1:5 – “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”
II Timothy 1:12 – “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
I John 3:23, 24 – “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”
I John 4:13 – “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
I John 4:15 – “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
I John 5:10-13 – “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood!*
Having established that assurance of salvation is first, necessary; and second, the will of God, I wish to establish now the sources of my assurance. From where does my assurance come? When I make bold statements regarding my salvation, on what grounds do I make those statements? Do I have a right to make such statements? Perhaps the reader may believe that I am presumptuous in making a statement of absolute, positive assurance of my salvation. However, any statement of mine that reveals my assurance of salvation is not presumptuous; it rather has valid sources. I will look now at those sources.
The Spirit of God Says I’m Saved!
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” If you are a child of God, you became His child by believing on Him. One does not become a child of God by obeying laws and commandments; one does not become a child of God by keeping sacraments or ordinances; one does not become a child of God by dressing a certain way. It is by believing. I have stated a few times in this blog that “believing” is not merely believing in God’s existence (the devils do that, but they are not saved, James 2:19). “Believing” is not mentally affirming that Jesus died upon the cross. Biblical “believing” is associated with faith. Hebrews 11:6 bears this out – “But without FAITH it is impossible to him: for he that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Believing is “placing faith in.” It is casting off every feeble, sorry, lousy effort to save yourself, and completely trusting Jesus Christ to save you. This is what makes you a child of God, according to the Bible.
When you become a child of God by believing on Jesus Christ, the Father places His Spirit within your heart. Galatians 4:6 states this plainly – “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Why does God send the Spirit of his Son into our hearts? Not because we “live right;” not because we are baptized; not because we “dress right;” not because we keep laws and commandments; not because we are faithful to church; not because we tarried for eight and a half years; but BECAUSE WE ARE SONS, or CHILDREN OF GOD. God’s Spirit, the Holy Ghost, lives within a person when they become a son or daughter of God. Notice Romans 8:9 – “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you: now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” Some interpret this to mean that, if a person is not FILLED with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues, they are not saved. This is error. I have already shown, that in John 1:12, you belong to God, becoming His son or daughter, by believing on His name. If you belong to God, you are His son or daughter, and you have His Spirit living within you.
When you are saved, and God’s Spirit moves into your heart, he lets you know that you are saved.
Romans 8:14-16 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; 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.”
I John 3:23, 24 – “And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandment dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”
I John 4:13 – “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
These verses tell us that we know we are saved, because the Holy Ghost lives in us! This does not mean that you will always “feel like praising God and shouting.” This does not mean that you will always “feel saved.” Now, listen to me closely. Even when I struggle with doing what the Lord wants me to do, this gives me assurance of my salvation. Shocking? It shouldn’t be. When I was lost, I didn’t care about what pleased God. I did my own thing, and it never dawned on me what God wanted me to do. Before the Lord saved me, I cursed all the time. It never bothered me. After I got saved, I immediately quit cursing! I had no desire for it. The reason I did not want to curse any more, is because the Spirit of God lived in my heart! The flesh was accustomed to it; but the Spirit fought against it! If I would’ve cursed after I received salvation, it would’ve bothered me greatly. Why is this? It never bothered me before. It bothers me now because I have an inward man inside who has been regenerated. He lives by the Spirit of God who lives within. When a part of you wants to please God, but the other part desires the things of the world, it is because there is a struggle in you between the Holy Ghost and your flesh. THIS STRUGGLE WOULD NOT BE PRESENT IF THE SPIRIT OF GOD DID NOT LIVE IN YOU! The very fact that there is a struggle where there was no struggle before is evidence that God’s Spirit dwells in you, and you are a child of God!
The Word of God Says I’m Saved
An even greater witness to my salvation is the Word of God. God’s Word, the Bible, testifies that I am saved. In my previous post, I discussed some verses that state plainly that we can know that we have eternal life. However, the scriptures give more assurance than just those verses.
I am going to give a list of scriptures that tell us explicitly how to obtain everlasting, or eternal life. The scriptures are very clear about this. When the Bible tells you clearly what to do to be saved, and you do it, this gives you solid assurance that you are saved. If the Bible would have said, “Place your hand on top of your head, and thou shalt be saved,” and I respond by placing my hand on top of my head, what does that make me? SAVED! If salvation were attained by me placing my hand on top of my head, that would be a simple salvation. But did you know that not everyone can place their hand on top of their head? They would be left out of salvation’s plan. But God’s plan of salvation is easier than that! Even people who cannot place their hand on top of their head can be saved. I am going to give a list of verses that explicitly and clearly show that salvation is obtained simply by believing on Jesus Christ, and by nothing else.
Many of these verses in this list will be from the book of John. In John’s gospel, Jesus makes it extremely clear that everlasting life is gained by believing on Him. As a matter of fact, according to John 20:31, the gospel of John was written solely for the purpose of showing us that everlasting life is attained by believing on Jesus Christ! When God puts an entire book of the Bible in place to show you that everlasting life is attained by believing in Christ, you might want to think about believing that everlasting life is attained by believing in Christ. It never ceases to amaze me how people who have supposedly been ministers of the gospel for many years, and yet do not understand the gospel of John. In John’s gospel, when everlasting life is mentioned, you will notice that everlasting life is always accompanied with a verb in the present tense – “He that believeth on the Son HATH (or, has) everlasting life.” When you believe on Christ, you have, right now, everlasting life! I am not waiting to see if I’m going to have everlasting life; I have it at this very moment! This is nothing short of blessed assurance! Look at these verses closely:
John 1:12 – “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
John 3:14-18 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:36 – “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 6:28, 29 – “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
John 6:35 – “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
John 6:40 – “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:47 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
John 8:24 – “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
John 11:25, 26 – “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 12:46 – “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”
John 20:31 – “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Acts 8:36, 37 – “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 10:43 – “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Acts 13:39 – “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Acts 16:30 – “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Romans 3:21, 22 – “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”
Romans 3:26 – “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 10:9-13 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
I Corinthians 1:21 – “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Galatians 3:22 – “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
I Timothy 4:10 – “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”
Hebrews 4:3 – “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
Hebrews 10:39 – “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Hebrews 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
These are not all the scriptures that declare that salvation is attained by believing. Others make it clear that is not by works, but by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:19: Galatians 2:21; Romans 3:25; and others).
So, there are many things of which I am not sure. But one thing of which I am absolutely, positively sure. I am sure that I am trusting Jesus Christ and Him alone for full salvation, and the scriptures say that, in this case, I presently possess everlasting life. There is only one possible way that I, who am presently trusting Jesus Christ solely for my salvation, could be lost. The Bible would have to be wrong. Therefore, I will lose no sleep tonight worrying about whether or not I’m saved. I am not presumptuous to have assurance of salvation; I have the greatest sources in the world to testify that I am saved – The Spirit within me and the Word before me!
So, upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word, I say it again – “If I’m not saved, nobody’s saved!”
Why So Many Have No Assurance
The reader may deem my analysis of assurance irrelevant. However, when I speak to so many church-goers who know little or nothing of the subject, I am convinced thoroughly of its relevance. You may say, “But the subject of assurance is so basic.” I say, “You are right.” Still, so many in the church lack it, in spite of the fact that it is basic.
It is appalling that in the church we have faith for almost every circumstance. If you were to ask someone in the church whether they believe Jesus can heal a child with cancer, the reply is likely to be an instant, resounding “Absolutely!” If I were inquire of you whether you believed Jesus can perform miracles, supply great financial needs, control the winds and waves, and keep a hand of protection upon someone who is many miles away, the answer would be a clear “Yea, and Amen!” But when I ask someone whether they believe that Jesus Christ has saved them to the uttermost, and that they are saved this very moment, and that He which hath begun a good work in them WILL perform it until the day of Jesus Christ – their tone changes. Their level of confidence drops dramatically. Their faith dwindles. Suddenly, the ability of Jesus Christ to save depends on their abilities. The bottom line is this – so many have little or no assurance of their salvation. It is sad, but ever so true. I don’t know how people trust the Lord to heal them, meet their financial needs, and take care of their loved ones, but cannot fully and completely trust Him to save and keep their eternal souls.
In my two previous posts, I have spoken of my own salvation with absolute certainty, complete confidence, and positively full assurance. My salvation is not followed by a question mark; it is followed rather with a series of exclamation points! When you read my two previous posts, you may have thought that I was too confident of my salvation. But how can one be too sure of their salvation, when its author and finisher is Jesus Christ? My salvation hinges on the ability of my Saviour to save. And I am reminded in scripture that He is mighty to save! How about your saviour? Is he as mighty to save as my Saviour? Some have read the bold statements I made concerning my salvation, and as they read it, they said to themselves, “I wish I were that sure!” But I say to each one who desires to have solid assurance, that you can have it! If you lack assurance, then this post is for you. I am going to look at just a few reasons why some have little or no assurance.
Some Have No Assurance Because They Are Not Saved
This may seem obvious, but I am not in the business of supplying anyone with a false assurance. I do not wish to make anyone believe they are saved if they are not. Many churches today are fearful of giving people a false assurance, so they offer no assurance at all. Having no assurance is bad; but having a false assurance is far worse. The man who has no hope of any assurance may seek some hope and assurance and find it. The man who has a false assurance will believe that he is all right, and will die in his sins. As I showed in detail in my previous post, the Bible offers truckloads of assurance to the one who believes on Jesus Christ. You can go back and read the long list of verses I provided. You will find that “he that believeth hath everlasting life;” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” and many other words of assurance. If you trust Jesus Christ and Him alone to save you, you are saved, and you have full assurance of this salvation in the Word of God. But if you are trusting in anything other than Jesus Christ, it is no wonder you have no assurance of salvation; you have no salvation of which to be assured. If a person admits to having no assurance that they are saved, the first step is make sure that they are indeed trusting Jesus Christ to save them.
Some Have No Assurance Because They Do Not “Feel Saved”
Many preachers today are the blame for so many doubting their salvation due to feeling. Preachers sometimes get people to come to an altar, and weep, pray, beat the altar, sniff snot, and everything else. Then, after an hour or so, these preachers will ask the one praying to be saved, “Do you feel like the Lord saved you?” That’s the wrong question to ask. It is completely irrelevant whether a person seeking salvation FEELS saved or not. Many preachers today do not even know how to tell someone how to be saved. If you were to ask some preachers what you must do to be saved, their reply would be, “Oh, just kneel down here and pray until you feel like God saved you.” What’s the problem with that? If someone prays until they “feel like the Lord saved them,” what are they going to do in a few days when they wake up and…don’t feel saved? I’ll tell you what they’re going to do – they’re going to doubt their salvation. Instead of instructing a seeker to pray until “they feel” like the Lord saved them, we preachers need to instruct them to believe (trust in, place faith in, depend on, rely on) the Lord Jesus Christ to save them. Then, we can show them a vast number of scriptures that plainly state that if we believe on Jesus Christ, we are saved. This will give them a rock-solid assurance for times when they do not “feel saved.” “Feeling” has nothing to do with actual salvation. One preacher said it this way – “I do not know I’m saved because I feel good; I feel good because I know I’m saved!”
Some Have No Assurance Because Their Experience Does Not Match Someone Else’s
If you are saved, you and I have one thing in common. We both have trusted Jesus Christ to save us. Other than this similarity, our salvation experience may be vastly different. It is often the fault of someone who is saved to try to impose their exact experience on everyone else. Sometimes, people think that if they cried when they got saved, everyone needs to cry when they get saved. But that is not the case. In the Bible, the jailhouse shook when the jailer got saved; but nothing shook when Saul of Tarsus got saved. Saul of Tarsus had a vision when he got saved; but the publican in the temple had no vision when he got saved. The publican in the temple smote his breast when he got saved; but Zacchaeus didn’t smite his breast when he got saved. Are you getting the picture? Just because your experience isn’t like someone else’s is no reason to doubt your salvation, as long as you are trusting Jesus Christ.
I thank God daily for my salvation experience. I was sitting on the front pew in a Baptist church. The gospel was made plain. I had determined to go to the altar and receive salvation as soon as the invitation was given. The invitation was given, and I went. I was not going to the altar to “see if God would save me;” I was going to the altar “to get saved.” I was not experimenting; I knew for a fact that God was absolutely going to save me when I called upon Him, because He said He would! This is faith. This is what it means to believe. When I knelt at the altar, I was there for a very short time. I know I was there for less than ten minutes, possibly less than five. I don’t believe I shed any tears, but I really do not remember. But I know for a fact that I trusted Jesus Christ to save me completely, and that is exactly what He did! At that moment, salvation was mine!
I know others who, contrary to my salvation experience, wept for a long time when they got saved. I know some who beat the altar, and begged and pleaded with God for hours to save them. I know of others who claim to have sought God for days, weeks, and months before they obtained salvation. If this is your experience, I am not knocking it. I will tell you this. If it took you four hours, four days, four weeks, or four months to get saved, it didn’t take God that long to save you. He saved you the very split second you trusted Him to do so with all your heart. The moment you believed is the moment you were saved. I’ll tell you something else. You may have prayed a lot longer to be saved than I did, but when you finally got saved, you were not a bit more saved than I was when I got saved! My point is that everyone is not going to have the same experience when we get saved. Some will kneel; others will stand. Some will pray softly; others will pray loudly. Some will be emotional; some will be still. It is trusting Christ that saves, regardless of anything else about your experience.
Some Have No Assurance Because They Are Not Sure of What it Takes to Be Saved
This is a big one. It is somewhat obvious, but it is very true. This is especially true of those who are saved by grace, but kept by works. Once you put works in the plan of salvation, there is usually no assurance that one has performed enough works to satisfy the Father. In short, the one who believes in justification by works never knows how many works it takes to be saved; and, as a result, they are never assured that they have performed enough works to be saved. I heard a preacher on a CD some time ago. In his message, he made this statement – “I have been ‘resaved’ six times…and I think I’m going to have to be ‘resaved’ a seventh.” I’ll say first that the word, “resaved” is not in the Bible. What this preacher is saying is simple: He does not know if he is saved or not. You may ask, “Why isn’t he sure of his salvation?” He reveals that information at the end of his message, when he makes this statement – “Folks, I don’t know what it takes to go heaven. Being saved has something to do with it, but if I read the Bible right, it’s going to take a lot more than that.” Well, although he is obviously confused, it is crystal clear to me – this man doesn’t know what exactly it takes to go to heaven; so he naturally cannot know if he’s doing it all!
If you’re not sure how to be saved, you can’t be sure that you are saved! The Bible is plain on what it takes to be saved. I listed a multitude of verses in the previous post. They tell explicitly how to be saved. It is believing on the Son of God that saves. When you do this, the scriptures repeatedly proclaim that you saved. This is the place from where assurance comes!
Some Have No Assurance Because They Have an Overall Mindset That Salvation is Difficult
“It’s a close walk,” “I’m striving to make heaven my home,” and other phrases such as these prevail in churches where “assurance” is a byword. Perhaps the reader has not heard these phrases. Allow me to explain their meaning. When someone gets up and says, “It’s a close walk,” what they mean is this – salvation is so fickle, so hard to attain, and ever so difficult to maintain that they are going to go to hell if they hold their mouth the wrong way. They believe that their final salvation and eternal heavenly home depends on how close they keep the laws of God, and has nothing to do with Jesus’ work on the cross. Oh, they may mention the cross once in a while, but they don’t believe in it. They don’t cling to it. They don’t believe that Christ’s work upon it is sufficient to save them completely. To them, the cross is a decent start, but we’re going to have finish our salvation by doing right things and abstaining from wrong things. The Galatians thought the same thing when they were so heavily rebuked by Paul. In Galatians 3:3 – “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Paul demanded an answer. “You began your walk with God trusting in Christ’s work to save you, and you’re going to finish your walk with God by your own works?” This may sound shocking, but the crowd who thinks salvation is difficult desires no assurance. They hate the thought of someone having assurance. They do not know if they are fully saved, and they do not want you to know either. If I were to make some of the statements I’ve made concerning assurance in my most recent posts to some pastors, they would have quickly quoted I Corinthians 10:12 to me – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall.” It says, “Let him that thinketh he standeth…” What they are missing about this verse is the fact that I do not believe that I’m standing. My salvation has to do with whether the Saviour is yet standing. It is HIS saving power, keeping power, and standing power that gives me assurance; not mine! The one who thinks salvation is difficult – they’re the ones who think that they are standing. They are standing on their own abilities and works. I’ve got enough sense to know that if the Father is pleased with the Son and His work on Calvary (and He absolutely is), I need to trust the atoning work of Christ!
Salvation is free to us, but it is not cheap. It cost the Saviour dearly. He paid a great price, but He purchased a great plan! What the Father demanded for our salvation IS difficult; but Jesus Christ supplied the hard part at the cross. If you think salvation is hard (for us), you need to get on your knees, open your Bible to Isaiah 53, Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19, and read those passages on your knees. These are the passages of the crucifixion of Christ. If you believe that salvation is hard, you need to take a long, hard look at Calvary. You missed something. Jesus did not die the cruel death he suffered to make it hard for us to be saved. He concluded His sufferings on the cross with the words, “It is finished.” If it is finished, why do so many add so much to it?
Conclusion
What’s the big deal about assurance? What difference does it make how sure I am of my salvation? Lack of assurance is, first, an assault on the Word of God. When the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” and you claim that you believe on Him, and you still do not know if that is enough to save you or not, you are proclaiming that you are not sure if you believe the Bible. It is God’s Word you are assaulting. If you are certain that you believe on Christ, but somehow you don’t know if God meant what He said when He said, “Thou shalt be saved,” you need to repent. You need to ask God to forgive you for doubting His word! Lack of assurance is, secondly, an assault on the work of God. Jesus performed the saving work upon the cross. To say that you have believed on Christ and are not sure of your salvation is to say that you are not sure if His work upon the cross is enough. What an assault to the cross! It is enough! It needs nothing added to it! Baptism won’t complete it; it is already complete. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost won’t finish it; Jesus already said, “It is finished!” Good works won’t complete it; Galatians 2:21 says that the trusting in good works frustrates, or voids it. The work of Christ upon the cross is complete, and it is sufficient to save anyone who will trust Jesus Christ today.
Let me give a final word for preachers before I close. The job of the preacher is to make the ways of God plain. If there is a preacher reading this who has no assurance of salvation, and does not preach assurance of salvation, you need to get out of the ministry and make an honest living. Stop robbing God’s people. If you cannot tell someone who is lost exactly what to do to be saved, and show them by the scriptures that they most certainly are saved, then you are robbing God’s people. You may say, “I don’t get a salary.” Then get out of the ministry and quit robbing God’s people of their time. You may think that your calling is to teach people how to live. But if you can’t even show someone how to get saved and know it, you have nothing to teach me about how to live. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if a person doesn’t know addition and subtraction, he has no business trying to teach me algebra. And if you don’t know the basics of salvation and assurance, the ministry is not for you. You’re either not called or not true to your calling. God didn’t call you to preach how hard it is to be saved. God didn’t call you to preach salvation by works. God didn’t call you to preach baptismal regeneration. God didn’t call you to preach salvation in speaking in tongues. If God called you to preach, He called you to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you’re preaching these other doctrines I’ve mentioned, I know you’re not preaching the gospel; you don’t even understand the gospel! We, as preachers, need to proclaim the gospel to this lost and dying world, give them the gospel so they may be saved and absolutely, positively know it!
*Fanny J. Crosby
