ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Virgil Warren, PhD

            I. BASIS OF ASSURANCE

            The assurance of salvation lies more in God than in us.

            A.  Messiah’s work

                  1.   Atonement removes sin.

                        a.   Permanent cleansing: Hebrews 10:10

                        b.   Continuous cleansing: 1 John 1:7

                  2.   Intercession removes sins: Psalm 110:4 + Hebrews 2:17-18.

            B.  God’s character

                  1.   Loving: Romans 8:32

                                                                          God is not trying to see how

                  2.   Willing: 2 Peter 3:9                  many he can send to hell.

                  3.   Unchangeable: Hebrews 6:17-18

            C.  God’s promises

                  1.   Protection

                        a.   From conquest: John 10:28-29

                        b.   From overwhelming temptation: 1 Corinthians 10:13

                  2.   Empowerment: 1 Corinthians 10:13 (Ephesians 3:14-19)

                  3.   Guidance: 2 Peter 1:3

                  God did not just set up a system of salvation and let it go at that. That is only half the story. There is the work of the Son, but also the work of the Holy Spirit.

            D.  Our experience (condition)

                  1.   Our past responses: 1 John 3:18-20

                  2.   Our present feelings: 1 John 3:21

                  3.   Our present intentions

  II. CONTENT OF ASSURANCE

            The assurance of salvation has more to do with deliverance from sin than

                  deliverance from sinning.

            Salvation removes sin.

            Salvation removes sins.      

            Salvation does not remove sinning.

            A.  Problem of sins after conversion

                  1.   Goal: Matthew 5:48: “Be therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is

                        perfect.”

                        Reality: 1 John 1:8: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and

                        the truth is not in us.”

                  2.   How can we balance the goal (perfection, the unachievable) with sinning

                        uncharacteristically (the achievable)? How much sin is too much sin?

                        Marriage example: Things are measured not in terms of number, but in

                        terms of attitude (“spirit”).

                  3. Change from a quantitative (law) to a qualitative basis for relationship

                        (interpersonal)

                                                                                                          faith

                  Aspiration is counted for achievement;      because   vs.

                  attempt is counted for accomplishment.                         works

            B.  Some false expectations

                  1.   Temptation will have no power.

                  2.   We will have a supernatural gift.

                  3.   We will be receiving obvious, miraculous guidance.

                  4.   Health will be strong.

                  5.   Wealth will be ours.

                  6.   No more difficulties will come.

Name-it-claim-it and health-and-wealth-gospel are self-centeredness dressed up in religious wool.

            C.  Doubts that come

 III.      MEANS OF ASSURANCE

            The assurance of salvation comes from the experience of “spiritual” (interpersonal) growing.

            A.  Growth generally

                  Growth tends to keep us faithful in fact;

                  so growth tends to keep us feeling faithful.

            B.  Growth in understanding: Hebrews 1-9a

                  1.   We keep ourselves immersed in Scripture.

                  2.   We do not give up what we have until we find something better.

            C.  Growth in activity with people: Hebrews 9b-13

                  1.   Keep yourself around God’s people.

                  2.   Fellowship with the faithful: Hebrews 10:24-25

                  3.   Imitation of the faithful: Hebrews 13:7

                  4.   Service to all mankind—learn to love: Hebrews 13:2

            D.  Personal growth: Philippians 4:8-9

                  Growth plus positive reinforcement creates assurance of salvation. Growth as the means of perseverance becomes also the means of assurance.

 IV. TIME OF ASSURANCE

            The assurance of salvation lies in the present more than in the future.

            A. Hebrews 10:37-39: Wherever a punishment is specified, the possibility of

                  apostasy is real.

            B.  Hebrews 2:4: A Christian principle is stated; hence, the Hebrew writer cannot

                  mean that such an idea does not apply to Christians.

Concluding Notations   

            We are not talking here about making truth relative, but about God’s avowed willingness to overlook honest ignorance of the truth. We are not talking about making morality relative, but about God’s avowed willingness to overlook (repentant) behavior against morality or by omission of morality. God forgives ignorance as well as sin, so we do not need to have complete knowledge or complete goodness to be in relationship to him. Attitude makes the difference in both cases.

            If God is willing to forgive sin not based on ignorance, surely he is willing to forgive behavior based on ignorance, especially when it is something like, say, the form of baptism, a positive commandment, which cannot be derived from first principles (positive commandment about formal acts).

            Our salvation does not depend on complete goodness (1 John 1:8-10).

                                                                   complete knowledge (Acts 17:30; Romans 2; 5:13).

            Our salvation does depend on attitude (1 John 3:24b).

                                                            love (1 John 5:2).

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