Stu Johnston
Chapter 18: Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Uncertainty over whether or not one is saved is not a widespread problem among modern Evangelicals in the Western world. The pervasive absence of preaching on the Law and holiness of God has given rise to a “Christendom” in which there is not a great deal of deep conviction over sin. Multitudes have been led to believe that giving intellectual assent to a few propositions about sin and Christ is sufficient not only to save, but also to give full assurance that one is at peace with God and on the certain path to heaven. In today’s churches, at least in the West, false assurance is far more of a problem than struggling to have warranted assurance.
Historical Background: In the late 1600’s, the religious scene was quite different. Roman Catholicism exerted a far deeper and wider influence upon Western civilization in that age. Catholicism taught that having a settled confidence that one was saved was dangerous for the ordinary believer. It was thought that such assurance would inevitably lead to presumption and loose living. Only select saints, the most eminent ones, could have assurance, according to Rome, and even then, they could only come to that deep and settled persuasion by way of a special revelation from God.
On the other hand, as has always been the case, there were professed believers back then who manifested a strong confidence in their being at peace with God, even though they did not display a corresponding holiness of life. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Pro. 14:12). The authors of the 1689 Confession, men that took the Bible seriously, sought carefully to address both of the fore-mentioned errors in their treatment of assurance.
Overview: In the first paragraph of chapter 18, while conceding that false assurance is possible, the primary concern is to insist that true assurance is attainable. In the second paragraph, it is further explained that this certainty of salvation is infallible. The paragraph primarily draws attention to the foundation upon which a true confidence lies. The third paragraph asserts that assurance is not of the essence of faith, but it is a grace that can and should be cultivated. In the fourth and final paragraph of the Confession’s treatment, the fact that the degree of assurance varies is explained.
The Possibility of Assurance
It is interesting that the writers of the Confession began the chapter on Assurance by acknowledging that it is possible for people to deceive themselves with false hopes of being saved. Both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself warned their Jewish hearers of the danger of presuming that they were in the favor of God when in fact God’s wrath was upon them (see Luke 3:7-9; Mat. 7:19-27). Likewise, the Apostle John, in an epistle dedicated to the subject of assurance (1Jn 5:13), warned repeatedly against the danger of being self-deceived spiritually (1Jn 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 9, 15, 19, 22; 3:17; 4:1, 6, 20).
While the danger of sinful presumption is real, we should be careful to not over-emphasize that danger. One of the foremost concerns of a true father, when he adopts a child, is to assure that child that he is now a true and lasting member of the family. The father wants that child to know that he is indeed his son and will surely receive all the affection, generosity, thoughtfulness, and commitment that his father can give.
The Bible, especially in the New Testament, declares that God, through Christ, is the Father of His people. He has adopted believers into His family. Christians are the recipients, through grace alone, of all of the heavenly Father’s affection, generosity, thoughtfulness, and commitment. God is the perfect Father, the prototype whose image earthly fathers faintly bear. He is deeply concerned that His children be assured of His love and acceptance. No small part of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit is that He testifies to the reality of believers being true members of the divine family (Rom. 8:16). It may be that the authors of the 1689 Confession did not give sufficient attention to the relationship between the climactic blessing of adoption and the blessing of assurance.
Chapter 18 begins with the concession that “temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and in a state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish”. Even amidst the extraordinary works of the Spirit of God during the days of the apostles, there were people like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) and Simon (Acts 8:9-25), people with “false hopes and carnal presumptions”. The Parable of the Soils, one of the relative few recorded by all three of the Synoptic writers (Matt. 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-20; Luke 8:5-15), should be a lasting and powerful testimony that not every initially positive response to the gospel proves to be a persevering and saving response. We should exercise caution with respect to assurance.
Having made the opening concession, the burden of the opening paragraph of chapter 18 is to declare that real Christians can have certain assurance of being at peace with God. This blessing belongs only to “such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity”. The sincerity of the genuine believer is demonstrated in “endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before (Christ)”. Sincere Christians can “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God”, confident that they are right with God and that their confidence will not prove to be a delusion.
The importance of assurance is underscored by the fact, noted earlier, that an entire New Testament epistle is dedicated to the impartation of assurance. In 1Jn 5:13, the Apostle clearly explains his chief purpose in writing his first epistle: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God”. John was writing to believers. His concern was that these Christians “KNOW”, i.e. be certain that they were indeed Christians, those that had been given the gift of eternal life. Throughout the letter, he indicates ways in which believers can “know that (they) know (Christ)” (2:3; cf. 3:14, 18, 19, 21, 24).
Still today, gospel ministers, who have been called to labor for the joy of God’s people (2Co 1:24), need to deliberately and persistently work at imparting assurance to the people of God. It should be evident, both in the pastor’s public and private labors, that he is a gospel minister, one who again and again announces “good news”. Ministers should make much of the doctrine of justification, repeatedly emphasizing the truth that it is the righteousness of Christ that is the believer’s ground and hope of salvation. As faith in Christ is the key to justification, it is likewise the key to sanctification. Christ Himself is the One that enables Christians to “love (God) in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him”. An apostle-like determination “not know anything among (God’s people) except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”, the One “who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”—will help pastors to encourage those that believe to “know that they have eternal life” (1Jo 5:13).
The Foundation of Assurance
The second paragraph of chapter 18 begins by asserting that the assurance that believers can experience is “an infallible assurance of faith”. It has been pointed out that, “The term ‘infallible’ comes from two Latin words which mean, literally, ‘not deceiving’, i.e. not liable to mistakes or deception, incapable of error, not liable to fail” (Sam Waldron, A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, p227). The Christian’s assurance is infallible, because the foundation on which it is built is infallible.
If our hope of salvation was based on something that might prove to be mistaken or deceptive, “a fallible hope”, at best we could only conjecture that we are in a state of safety. We could speak of what seems probable and what seems desirable, but we could not speak with certainty. The Christian’s hope, however, is built upon an infallible foundation, thus hope itself takes on an infallible character. The believer’s assurance will not prove to be mistaken, because the foundation of his hope is eternally solid.
The Bible itself pledges that the believer’s hope is sure and trustworthy. For example, Romans 5:5 insists that, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”. Likewise, Hebrews 6:19 describes the believer’s hope as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast”.
Specifically, however, the 1689 Confession points to three infallible foundation stones upon which assurance is built. Two of these foundation stones are subjective, in the sense that they have reference to what the Spirit of God does inside the Christian. Both of these grounds are infallible in that they involve the unerring, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, but both have to do with His gracious ministry within the Christian. The third (and most important) foundation stone is entirely objective, referring not to an experience within the believer but to a historical event that happened on behalf of believers.
“The Blood and Righteousness of Christ Revealed in the Gospel”
First and foremost, assurance is “founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel”. It is through Christ alone that the believer is reconciled to God. Christ lived the perfectly obedient life that all others have daily failed to live. He always did what was pleasing in the Father’s sight. His perfect righteousness has been freely and fully transferred to the account of every believer. Likewise, the transgressions of every believer were fully transferred to Christ’s account. He shed blood, at the cross, as a sacrifice, a substitute or representative that was taking the place of His people. He bore the punishment that we deserved.
As “the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel” is the basis for the Christian’s justification, so it is also the basis for the Christian’s assurance. No one book in the New Testament emphasizes this point more than the epistle to the Hebrews. “For by one offering (Christ) has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (10:14). “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (10:22-23). The God who cannot lie has made an oath-bound pledge, a sworn promise (the new covenant), in which He has assured us, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, infinitely greater than sinless angels, the final and perfect high priest, the one that offered the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, “has become a surety of a better covenant” (Heb. 7:22).
“The Inward Evidence of Those Graces of the Spirit Unto Which Promises Are Made”
Nothing is more vital to assurance than having an accurate understanding of the nature of the work of Jesus Christ. Ministers of the new covenant should talk a great deal about “the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel”. But while it is crucial to have a right comprehension of the Redeemer, assurance (like conversion itself) involves more than correct notions about Jesus. The second foundation stone of assurance, according to the Confession, is “the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made”. When a person has been vitally joined to “the blood and righteousness of Christ”, the inward, transforming operations of the Holy Spirit will always be present. It is only through the Spirit’s regenerating work that one dead in sins is made alive and thus enabled to truly believe in the Savior. To deny or minimize the necessity of the Spirit’s renewing work in the heart is to encourage false professions of faith in Christ and carnal presumption.
A person cannot be rightly assured of salvation, unless they are conscious of having believed the gospel and repented of their sins. The promises of the gospel, which are to be freely offered to all, apply only to those that repent. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Where genuine repentance and faith is present, other graces will likewise be evident. First John teaches that those that believe can be assured of having eternal life, because of the presence of certain distinguishing marks of having been born again. These marks include obedience to God’s commandments (2:3) and love for fellow Christians (3:14).
A real duck quacks like a duck and waddles like one. Similarly, a real Christian talks like a Christian and walks (behaves) like one. The practical, ethical sections of the New Testament need to be taught so that Christians understand clearly what God expects of His people. When gospel ministers expound and apply the imperatives of Scripture (what God requires of His people), they can do so in a way that helps the people of God to grow in their assurance. As believers see the manifestations (imperfect though they are) of love and obedience in their own lives, they are encouraged in the confidence that the Spirit of God has enabled them to truly repent and believe.
“The Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption”
True Christians are far from perfect. While they have been given a new heart (Ezek. 36:26), their old sinful nature remains. The believer thus finds himself in daily conflict. Inconsistency is the norm in a sense: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Rom. 7:19). Satan, “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10), seeks to prey upon the believer’s sense of ongoing failure. Given the remaining sinfulness and inconsistency, the Adversary indicts Christians as being unjustified in having a certain assurance that they are in a state of grace.
Amidst the Adversary’s accusations, the Father in heaven has graciously provided for another witness, a far more trustworthy and kind one, to testify to the believer’s consciousness that he is indeed the child of God. The third foundation stone of the Christian’s assurance is “the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God”. The “Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ is he that “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:15-16).
Chapter 18 makes no effort to explain the precise nature of the Spirit’s testimony or witness. Clearly, the authors of the 1689 Confession were not referring to some kind of private revelation by the Spirit. Back in the opening chapter of the Confession, it is affirmed that, “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men” (1689:1:6).
The words of First Corinthians 2:12 provide insight in thinking about this aspect of the Spirit’s ministry. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God”. As the Spirit illuminates that which God has given objectively, so He likewise shines light upon that which God has done subjectively. In other words, the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of adoption, grants insight to believers with respect to objective, biblical promises, such as the one found in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. The Spirit of adoption also testifies with the believer’s spirit, that the believer has in fact honestly confessed his sins and thus has fulfilled the condition without which forgiveness could not be experienced. The Spirit of adoption witnesses with the Christian’s spirit, both to the objective promises of salvation and to the subjective work that He Himself has done in the heart and life of the Christian.
Ministers of the New Covenant should make much of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. His presence and ministry is central to what makes the New Covenant “new” (John 7:39). It is through the omnipotent work of the Spirit that hearts are transformed (Ezek. 36:25-27). The Spirit leads (Rom. 8:14) the children of God in the pathway of holiness, enabling them to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13). In connection with imparting the character and conduct of true sons, the Holy Spirit likewise imparts a consciousness of being a genuine child of God (Rom. 8:15). How desirous it is that believers be continually “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18)!
The Cultivation of Assurance
It is possible for a new convert to immediately have a robust assurance that he has been forgiven and is “in the favor of God”. Such was the experience of the Philippian jailor described in Acts 16:25-34. Having just heard the good news of Christ, we read that, “He rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household”. His rejoicing manifested a confidence, an assurance that he had been saved.
While a new Christian may have assurance right away, this is not the experience of every believer. The third paragraph of the Confession’s treatment of assurance recognizes that “a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of (assurance)”. The Bible does not teach that one must have assurance in order to be saved. Faith alone is sufficient to receive all of the saving benefits of Christ, even if that faith is small and faltering. The Book of Psalms repeatedly describes real believers in a condition in which they lacked assurance (for example, 31:22; 51:12; 42:10-11; 77:1-12; 88:1-18). John wrote an entire epistle to a group of people that had faith with the objective of bringing those believers to an assurance of salvation (1Jo 5:13). Obviously, he did not assume that the presence of saving faith was accompanied by assurance.
While assurance is not essential to saving faith, it is vitally important. “Therefore (states paragraph 18) it is the duty of every (believer) to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure”. The words of the Confession are drawn from 2Pe 1:10-11: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”.
This passage places assurance (“make your call and election sure”) in the context of growth in grace and perseverance in the way of salvation. The believer must exercise diligence in striving to cultivate faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (see 2Pe 1:5-7). In seeking earnestly to grow in grace, the Christian will demonstrate that he is “neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ” and will thus “make his call and election sure” (2Pe 1:8, 10). Peter concludes, “If you do these things, you will never stumble, for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pe 1:10-11). In other words, the pursuit of establishing and maintaining a robust assurance is one of the keys, generally speaking, to “enduring to the end”.
The third paragraph of chapter 18 further prompts God’s people to cultivate assurance by drawing attention to its wonderful results. These good fruits serve as holy motivations, encouraging believers to nurture and maintain assurance. The certain confidence that one is in a state of salvation will cause the “heart (to be) enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance”.
Every believer should yearn for these spiritual “fruits” to flourish in his life. To be “enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” is to be enlarged in spiritual strength, “for the joy of the Lord is (our) strength” (Neh. 8:10). Larger measures of spiritual joy leads to larger measures of spiritual hope (Rom. 15:13), and a vibrant hope is a significant part of both our comfort in trial and our effectiveness in witness.
Likewise, having our hearts enlarged “in love and thankfulness to God” is a precious fruit of assurance. Loving God is our first and foremost responsibility (Matt. 22:37-38). The ability to sincerely give thanks at all times glorifies God and helps the Christian to overcome anxiety and despondency (Phil. 4:6). The believer’s “love and thankfulness to God” grows in response to the increasing certainty that he himself is the object of God’s great love. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:19).
Another holy reason (mentioned in chapter 18) for cultivating assurance is so “that thereby (the) heart may be enlarged…in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience”. Central to Christian obedience is the conviction that one has been liberated from bondage to sin. True emancipation comes from vital union with Christ. Jesus lived, died, and rose again. The believer, having been joined to Christ, has likewise died to sin and risen again to newness of life (Rom. 6). The more the Christian is assured of having been joined vitally to Christ, the better able he is to “reckon himself dead to sin and alive to God” (Rom. 6:11). Thus, assurance, rightly understood, in no way “inclines men to looseness”—to the contrary, a certainty of being in a state of grace is a powerful motivation to personal holiness.
The Variability of Assurance
Some Christians are very steadfast in their experience of assurance and have little sense of an “ebb and flow” to their confidence of being at peace with God. That is not, however, always the case. The final paragraph of the Confession’s treatment of assurance recognizes that believers can have their sense of security “shaken, diminished, and intermitted (suspended; interrupted) in a variety of ways. Four are mentioned.
“Negligence in preserving of (assurance)” is one cause of a diminished assurance. As has been seen, the strength of assurance lies in its foundation. While “the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel” is an objective, unchangeable fact, the believer can neglect to meditate upon that truth, and the believer can likewise fail (to some degree) to trust in that truth. Christians can “leave their first love” (Rev. 2:4) and “drift away” (Heb. 2:1) from Christ. If they do so, their assurance will suffer.
Another foundation stone of assurance is “the inward evidence of the graces of the Spirit”. If these graces are neglected, assurance will weaken. When a Christian regularly loses his temper, makes provision for his lusts, gossips in a negative way about fellow church members, or otherwise engages in un-Christ-like behavior, his confidence of being “in the favor of God” will be injured. If Christians would maintain a robust assurance, they must seek to pay attention and give nurture to those graces and those truths that feed a proper sense of security.
“Falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit” is a second cause, according to the Confession, of a diminished assurance. When Peter denied Christ, his assurance (understandably) faltered. The Spirit produces loving loyalty to Christ, but the apostle’s spirit and speech was temporarily overtaken by cowardice and disloyalty. His conscience was severely wounded and his spirit was shaken. King David, likewise, was shaken in his assurance when he horribly yielded, for a season, to his sinful cravings. Psalm 51 records his prayer of confession, which includes an earnest plea for a recovery of the joy of his salvation (Ps. 51:8, 12, 14). When the believer sins in such a way as to “grieve the Spirit” (Eph. 4:30), he is wounding the “Spirit of adoption” (Rom. 8:15), thus it is inevitable that his assurance of being the child of God will suffer in some measure.
“Some sudden or vehement temptation” is a third cause of assurance being diminished that paragraph 18 mentions. At times, the believer may face a temptation that is so intense that he is shaken, even though he does not yield to the temptation. The classic Christian allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, illustrates this truth in its portrayal of Christian as he passes through the valley of the shadow of death. Demons are pictured as secretly whispering blasphemous words into his ear. Christian, in his anxious and discouraged condition, wrongly thinks that those wicked thoughts are rising from his own soul. He is shaken by the sudden assault. The Psalms make clear that believers really can experience “sudden or vehement temptation” that greatly unsettles their confidence (see 31:22; 77:7-8; 116:11).
The final cause mentioned by the Confession is “God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light”. The psalmist, in chapter 30, verse 7, said, “Lord, by your favor you have made my mountain stand strong. You hid your face, and I was troubled”. At times, the Lord withdraws in measure from some of His children, not because of grievous sin they have committed, but simply in order to test them and to teach them further lessons about His grace and greatness. This was the experience of the illustrious saints Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Job. The first two mentioned entreated God to take their lives (1Kg 19:4; Num. 11:15). Jeremiah lamented that he had been born (Jer. 20:14-15). Job poignantly asked, “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures” (Job 3:20-21)? Even champions of faith can experience seasons of hopelessness.
Generally speaking, however, the children of God are preserved from despair. Even when life in this fallen world becomes overwhelmingly difficult, the believer can look beyond this world to a better one. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity to the body of His glory” (Phi. 3:20-21). While the Christian waits for his good things, he can be confident that his God is “causing all things to work together for good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). It is a wonderful privilege to be able to “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make (the child of God) ashamed”.
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