Assurance Of Salvation

It is in accordance with the inscrutable love of God, that we have the divine gift of being able to know that we are saved from the penalty of sin. So while the Bible reveals the horror of being separated from sin and on our way to eternal hell. Our loving Creator, while providing for each and every one of us to be saved from such a penalty for sin, also provides the comfort and security of being able to know that we are saved from sin’s penalty.

Assurance of salvation is twofold as we experience it …

The Biblical Promise of Assurance of Salvation

The Lord promises those who have received Christ that they can know that they have everlasting life:

1 John 5:11-13
11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13  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.

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:”

The apostle John records what has been reveal to Him by the Lord. That those who have received Christ (John 1:12) have life from God as sons of God. What type of life?  V11/ Says ‘eternal life’, and in v13/ the apostle John tells us that he has written to us (“that believe on the name of the Son of God”) in order “that ye (we) may KNOW that ye (we) have eternal life”.

The Lord does not want us to only have a hope of eternal life. He makes available to each of us the assurance that we are saved from the penalty of sin.

I only need answer the question, “Have you received Christ?” Have I received Him to save me from my sin, or the penalty of sin? If I can honestly say yes, then the Bible says I have eternal life.

The Experiential Fact Of Walking With God Proves Our Salvation To Us

The bible calls the person who has received Christ as being ‘born again’. This means, according to John 3:1-7, that we have being born into the family of God by being born again.

John 3:1-7
1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

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:”

To be born again means to have had two births. The physical birth (v5 “born of water” & v6 “that which is born of the flesh is flesh”), and then when receiving Christ the spiritual birth (v5 “born … of the Spirit” & v6 “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”). Physical birth places us into a human family where we are physically, or blood related to that family. Spiritual birth places us into God’s spiritual (eternal) family.

Similar to the fact of our relationships in our physical families, we also have a relationship with our spiritual Father. My heavenly Father makes Himself real to me. I am aware of His presence. It is not something I can feel but I am aware that He is there. The bible reveals that the Holy Spirit ministers with my spirit that I am a child of God. See Galatians 4:4 – 7.

Galatians 4:4-7
4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

V5/ Tells us that believers are adopted into the family of God as sons (daughters for the ladies).

V6/ Tells us that each son has the Spirit of God in their hearts crying “Abba, Father”. What this means is that the born again, by the Holy Spirit know that they are sons / daughters of God. They cannot explain it further than that they KNOW that God is their Father, and that they are His son or daughter.

This ministry of the Holy Spirit ‘enhances’ our assurance of Salvation from “I know that I did what the Bible says I must do to be saved. I have received Christ. Now, the Holy Spirit has also caused me to KNOW that I am a son / daughter of God. Hence my assurance deepens.

Romans 8:14-17 also reveals the ministry of the Holy Spirit within the believer assuring them that they are sons / daughters of God:

Romans 8:14-17
14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15  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.
16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

What this passage adds to what we have seen so far on assurance of salvation, is in verse 14. That those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons / daughters of God. The Spirit of God (v16) bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, is more and more identifiable as our relationship with the Lord deepens. Here is another measure given the believer through the Holy Spirit. Though similar to His “bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” is not the same.
Also with time in our walk with the Lord we will notice, if we desire the Spirit’s leading, that He will be working in us to lead us into the ‘ways of God.’ He will help us understand our Father’s ways. He will help us see ourselves as God see us. We will be made uncomfortably aware of the corruption in us. We will have a growing love for God as we get to know Him more and more. These and other working of the Holy Spirit will identify us, to ourselves and others, as sons / daughters of God. Because we are clearly being led by the Holy Spirit.

Considering all we have seen that the Scriptures have to say on ‘Assurance of Salvation’, it is easy to appreciate why those who are living in disobedience to God. And who are clearly not obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit, but resisting Him. Have trouble with assurance of salvation.