The assurance of grace and salvation    

1.      ALTHOUGH temporary believers and other unregenerate persons may be deceived by erroneous, self-engendered notions into thinking that they are in God's favor and in a state of salvation-false and perishable hopes indeed!-yet all who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to conduct themselves in all good conscience according to His will, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace.  They may rejoice in hope of the glory of God, knowing that such a hope will never put them to shame.

Job 8:13,14; Matt. 7:22,23; Rom. 5:2,5; 1 John 2:3; 3:14,18,19,21,24; 5:13.

2.      The certainty of salvation enjoyed by the saints of God is not mere conjecture and probability based upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith based upon the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the gospel.  It also results from the inward evidences of the graces of the Holy Spirit, for to those graces God speaks promises.  Then again, it is based upon the testimony of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption, for He bears His witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. Such witness results in the keeping of our hearts both humble and holy.

Rom. 8:15,16; Heb. 6:11,17-19; 2 Pet. 1:4,5,10,11; 1 John 3:1-3.

3.      The infallible assurance of salvation is not an essential part of salvation, for a true believer may wait for a long time, and struggle with many difficulties, before he attains to it.  It is not a matter of extraordinary revelation, for if he makes a right use of the means of grace, and is enabled by the Spirit to know the things that believers receive freely from God, he may well attain to it.  It therefore becomes the duty of every one to be as diligent as possible in making his calling and election sure.  By doing this he will experience greater peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, greater love and thankfulness to God, and an increased strength and cheerfulness in dutiful obedience.  These things are the natural outcome of the assurance of salvation, and they constitute strong evidence that assurance does not lead men into loose living.

Ps. 77:1-12; Ps. 88; 119:32; Isa. 50:10; Rom. 5:1,2,5; 6:1,2; 14:17; Titus 2:11,12,14; Heb. 6:11,12; 1 John 4:13.

4.   True believers may find that their assurance of salvation fluctuates; sometimes more,   
       sometimes less.  They may prove neglectful in preserving it, as for example, if they give way
       to some particular sin that wounds their conscience and grieves the Spirit; or a strong
       temptation may suddenly spring upon them; or God may see fit to withdraw 'the light of His
       countenance' and cause darkness to envelop them, a course He sometimes takes even with
       those who fear His name.  Yet, whatever happens, certain things inevitably remain with
       them-the new nature which is born of God, the life of faith, the love of Christ and the
       brethren, sincerity of heart and conscience of duty-and by reason of these and through the
       work carried on by the Spirit within them, the assurance of salvation may in due time be
       revived.  In the meantime the same influences preserve them from utter despair.

       Ps. 30:7; 31:22; 42:5,11; 51:8,12,14; 77:7,8; 116:11; Song 5:2,3,6; Lam. 3:2,6-31; Luke
       22:32; 1 John 3:9.

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