Archive for the ‘Assurance’ Category
Arminius On Perseverance and Assurance
XXI. ON THE PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS
1. QUERIES. — Is it possible for true believers to fall away totally and finally:
2. Do some of them, in reality, totally and finally fall from the faith?
3. The opinion which denies “that true believers and regenerate persons are either capable of falling away or actually do fall away from the faith totally and finally,” was never, from the very times of the apostles down to the present day, accounted by the church as a catholic doctrine. Neither has that which affirms the contrary ever been reckoned as a ; nay, that which affirms it possible for believers to fall away from the faith, has always had more supporters in the church of Christ, than that which denies its possibility of it’s actually occurring.
XXII. ON THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
1. QUERIES. — Is it possible for any believer, without a special revelation, to be certain or assured that he will not decline or fall away from the faith,
2. Are those who have faith, bound to believe that they will not decline from the faith?
3. The affirmative of either of these questions was never accounted in the church of Christ as a catholic doctrine; and the denial of either of them has never been adjudged by universal as a heresy.
4. The persuasion by which any believer assuredly persuades himself that it is impossible for him to decline from the faith, or that, at least, he will not decline from the faith, does not conduce so much to consolation against despair or against the doubting that is adverse to faith and hope, as it contributes to security, a thing directly opposed to that most with which we are commanded to work out our salvation, and which is exceedingly necessary in this scene of temptations.
5. He who is of opinion that it is possible for him to decline from the faith, and who, therefore, is afraid lest he should decline, is neither destitute of necessary consolation, nor is he on this account, tormented with anxiety of mind. For it suffices to inspire consolation and to exclude anxiety, when he knows that he will decline from the faith through no force of Satan, of sin, or of the world, and through no inclination or weakness of his own flesh, unless he willingly and of his own accord, yield to temptation, and neglect to work out his salvation in a conscientious manner.
>The Wonderful Promise of John 6:37
>“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”
- John 6:37 NASB
Charles Spurgeon once remarked that John 6:37 was one of his favorite passages in all the Bible. Here in this one verse the power of the gospel is seen. Here in this one verse do we find the assurance that whoever comes to Jesus will find a Saviour who is more than willing to take them in. We are justified by grace through faith in Jesus (Romans 5:1) and the Saviour says here in John 6:37 that the one who comes to Him will find that He is opening the door to them of eternal life.
Our exhortation then to sinners should be, “Look to Jesus for salvation” (John 3:14-15). Jesus alone saves sinners and our cry should not be to look to the Church or look to good works but look to Jesus, the very One who gave His life to redeem us from sin (Mark 10:45). How few today are preaching that Jesus saves. They claim Jesus for helping secure prosperity or a better life now but few declare the words of John 6:37 and that is that the Saviour will not cast away the humble sinner who comes to Him in need of salvation. Oh that we would exalt the Saviour and make His name great! Oh that we would stop preaching for entertainment and start preaching for the very purpose that Jesus came: for the salvation of souls.
Look at the wonderful promise further in John 6:40 where Jesus declares that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life. Jesus doesn’t say that the believer might have eternal life but that they will have eternal life. That is a declaration. Jesus declares that everyone (and I do believe that Jesus meant everyone meaning the whole world) who believes will have eternal life through Him. Eternal life comes through Jesus Christ alone (Romans 6:23). Eternal life doesn’t come through a group or a program or an institution but only in the Person of Jesus. Jesus alone gives eternal life to the one who comes to Him in faith and repentance (Acts 3:19).
For the disciple of Jesus, John 6:37 is full of grace and power. I believe every disciple needs to take time to memorize John 3:37 so that when faced with temptation, when faced with trials, when faced with attacks of doubt, when attacked by the enemy of our souls, we can rest in the assurance given to us by Jesus that He will receive us if we come to Him in faith. By the way, in passing, John 6:37 is in the active sense of the Greek. In other words, the one coming continues to come (1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:23). We are secure in our salvation if we continue in Jesus by grace through faith (1 Peter 1:5). We have the promise of John 6:37 and John 6:40 and John 10:27-29 that if we remain in Jesus, nothing and no one can take us out of His hands. What a powerful and wonderful Saviour is our Lord!
So child of God rest in Jesus this day. Make sure you are found in Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). Don’t place your assurance in other thing or person other than Jesus Himself. He is our salvation!
>Arminius on the Assurance of Salvation
>With regard to the certainty [or assurance] of salvation, my opinion is, that it is possible for him who believes in Jesus Christ to be certain and persuaded, and, if his heart condemn him not, he is now in reality assured, that he is a son of God, and stands in the grace of Jesus Christ. Such a certainty is wrought in the mind, as well by the action of the Holy Spirit inwardly actuating the believer and by the fruits of faith, as from his own conscience, and the testimony of God’s Spirit witnessing together with his conscience. I also believe, that it is possible for such a person, with an assured confidence in the grace of God and his mercy in Christ, to depart out of this life, and to appear before the throne of grace, without any anxious fear or terrific dread: and yet this person should constantly pray, “O lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant!”
But, since “God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things,” and since a man judges not his own self — yea, though a man know nothing by himself, yet is he not thereby justified, but he who judgeth him is the Lord, (1 John 3:19; 1 Corinthians 4:3) I dare not [on this account] place this assurance [or certainty] on an equality with that by which we know there is a God, and that Christ is the saviour of the world. Yet it will be proper to make the extent of the boundaries of this assurance, a subject of inquiry in our convention.
>Holiness or Sin and the Assurance of our Salvation
>I find it interesting that those who e-mail me about eternal security or perseverance of the saints often will speak of God’s great love for us, that His promises are sure, that He will not take back what He has given to us in saving us, that God desires to receive us unto Himself, etc. but they speak little about the awfulness of sin. They speak little of God’s absolute holiness that demands nothing less than perfection to enter into His presence. I am aware that in Jesus Christ we are sanctified and being sanctified (Hebrews 10:10, 14) but I am also aware that God calls us to holiness (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). God’s call to holiness is not “if you feel like doing this” but is a command from God Almighty just as He gave to Abram in Genesis 17:1. Even 1 John 2:1-2 balances the call of the child of God to holiness as well as seeing that we have an Advocate with the Father.
However, it seems that many want the assurance of their salvation while holding on to their sins. They want to know that they will go to heaven and yet still look at pornography. They want to know that they are children of God all the while living like the world and like Satan. They want to claim to be disciples of Jesus all the while wasting time watching television or other fleshly amusements instead of reading and studying the Word of God. They say they love God but their actions don’t reveal that (Titus 1:16). Jesus said in John 14:21 that whoever keeps His commandments show that we love Him (John 14:15; cf. 1 John 2:3-6).
Holiness, on the other hand, produces that sweet assurance that we are Jesus’ disciples. When we strive to be like Jesus in all that we say or do (Colossians 3:17), we have that promise from our Lord Himself in Matthew 5:8 that we will see God face to face. When we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help us overcome our sins (Galatians 5:16-17), He does so (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our God is not weak. Our God is strong and He is able to deliver us completely from sin. Am I arguing for perfection? Well yes in the sense that our goal is to be like Jesus who was perfect in every way (1 Peter 2:21-24). We are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2) and we should be able to say with Paul the Apostle to others to follow our example as we follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:9). Do you want people to imitate you as you compromise the gospel or do you want them to pray, evangelize, and pursue God’s presence as you do?
I had a Calvinist professor in college once say to his class that I was in, “Students, there are no promises of assurance of salvation given to those living in sin.” I agree. You can search high and low but you’ll never find assurance of your salvation apart from holiness. The call of God for you is holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7). Forsake the world (1 John 2:15-17). Forsake compromising (James 4:4). Forsake living in sin. Cry out to Jesus to deliver you and He will and along with His deliverance will come the sweet assurance that He is with you (Psalm 91:14-16).
>The Anchor For Our Soul
>We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf . He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
-Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV)
How do we have the assurance our of salvation? How can we know that we will go to heaven when we die? Can a person ever know that they are right with God or that they have peace with God? I believe that we can have a calm, peaceful assurance that we are children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross and His resurrection provide the basis for our salvation and our salvation through faith provides an anchor for our souls.
The writer of Hebrews places our security and our assurance upon the Lord Jesus. Our basis for righteousness and peace with God is the Lord Jesus. He is the one who holds us. He is the one who secures us. He is our salvation. To speak of being saved from sin and yet not through the Lord Jesus is false. Jesus brings us eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Jesus is our life and our hope (Colossians 3:1-3). To say that we have eternal life apart from Jesus is not biblical. Yes we will live for eternity because we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) but eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ.
Yet so many people who claim to be Jesus’ disciples often lack assurance. Satan attacks us with doubts about God, about the Bible, and especially about our salvation. I am convinced that Satan does this because 1) he can’t disprove the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:19-20) and 2) he can’t disprove the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word (Psalm 119:89; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). So Satan attacks the person who believes and he mocks their faith in God and he tries to convince them that they are not saved through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:19-20 addresses the reality that we have an anchor for our souls. A believer in Jesus can know that they have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” Notice that John says that we can know that we have eternal life. We don’t have to doubt that we are saved through faith in Jesus.
Let me show just two ways that we can know that we have eternal life from Hebrews 6:19-20.
1. Jesus is our High Priest
The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus has entered into the inner place behind the curtain. This is a picture from the Old Testament where the priest would enter into the holy place to offer sacrifices to God behind the curtain. Jesus, as our faithful high priest (Hebrews 4:14), has entered into the presence of God for us.
J. Vernon McGee correctly notes, “If one is to understand the book of Hebrews one must first understand the book of Leviticus for they share a common theme.” How true he was. The book of Hebrews has so many pictures from the Levitical law that are shadows (or pictures or types) of Christ (Hebrews 10:1). In fact, the point of so many of the references to the Law is to show that Christ has fulfilled the Law (Hebrews 8:12-13; cf. Galatians 3:13-14). Christ is better is the key phrase for Hebrews. Christ is our sufficiency before a holy God. We need not offer sacrifices for sins since Christ has shed His own blood for us (Hebrews 9:14; 10:4). Christ sets us apart (Hebrews 10:10).
Now as our high priest, Jesus prays for us. We see glimpses of how He prays in John 17 (though in context He is praying mainly for His chosen Apostles). Hebrews 7:25 says, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Romans 8:34 also reveals that Jesus is praying for His elect.
This is wonderful news for us. We so often are imperfect but praise God that we have a perfect, faithful high priest who is in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 4:15-16). We don’t need to offer any sacrifices for sins. We don’t need to make penance. We don’t need to talk to a priest on earth. We don’t need to go to a temple to worship God. We only need to pray through the Lord Jesus (John 14:13-14) and the Father hears us. Jesus stands in our place. He was condemned for us so that we might be righteous in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).
2. Jesus is our Priest Forever
Forever we are saved in Jesus. Our salvation, our security, our hope, our eternal life, our resurrection, our victory, our assurance – all of these are found in Jesus Christ. And because Jesus is our priest forever, we are secure in Him. Unlike earthly priests under the old covenant, Jesus is eternal (Hebrews 5:6; 13:8). Jesus never will forever be our priest who stood in our place for our sins. A time will come when He will cease in His mediator role (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). This does not mean that we will cease to praise Jesus for His saving us or for His standing in the gap for us (Revelation 5:13) but this does mean that a time will come when Jesus’ death and resurrection will finally bring in all the chosen of God (Revelation 17:14).
The assurance that Jesus’ eternality brings is the peace that God will forever hear the prayers of our high priest. Consider the thought that the Son of God prays for me in the presence of God. He hears my cries through His Son! When I sin, He hears my high priests prayers (1 John 1:9-2:2). Jesus is my salvation! My salvation is secure in Him!
No wonder Paul, after writing Romans 8:31-36, could write Romans 8:37-39! No wonder we can rejoice with Jude from Jude 24-25 knowing that we are secure in Jesus Christ. What a great honor to be a child of God (1 John 3:1-3)! Jesus is my hope and He is the one who forever will be praised for saving this sinner.
When we come to Hebrews 12:1-2 we find the path to this assurance. The key to the assurance of our salvation is to keep our faith in Jesus. What secures you is not your works but your faith in Jesus (1 Peter 1:5; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:24). We must keep our eyes on Jesus, the perfect high priest. If we are in Jesus by grace through faith, we have nothing to fear (John 10:27-30). Jesus is our eternal life (John 5:24). Jesus is our passion, our delight, our joy. This is what it means to be His disciple. To be Jesus’ disciple is not about how much you do for Him but about loving Jesus for what He has already done for us (John 19:30). Our salvation is not based on anything or anyone else but Jesus alone. May we keep our eyes and faith on Jesus and Jesus alone!
The Anchor for our Soul
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf . He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. -Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV)
How do we have the assurance our of salvation? How can we know that we will go to heaven when we die? Can a person ever know that they are right with God or that they have peace with God? I believe that we can have a calm, peaceful assurance that we are children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross and His resurrection provide the basis for our salvation and our salvation through faith provides an anchor for our souls.
The writer of Hebrews places our security and our assurance upon the Lord Jesus. Our basis for righteousness and peace with God is the Lord Jesus. He is the one who holds us. He is the one who secures us. He is our salvation. To speak of being saved from sin and yet not through the Lord Jesus is false. Jesus brings us eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Jesus is our life and our hope (Colossians 3:1-3). To say that we have eternal life apart from Jesus is not biblical. Yes we will live for eternity because we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) but eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ.
Yet so many people who claim to be Jesus’ disciples often lack assurance. Satan attacks us with doubts about God, about the Bible, and especially about our salvation. I am convinced that Satan does this because 1) he can’t disprove the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:19-20) and 2) he can’t disprove the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word (Psalm 119:89; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). So Satan attacks the person who believes and he mocks their faith in God and he tries to convince them that they are not saved through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:19-20 addresses the reality that we have an anchor for our souls. A believer in Jesus can know that they have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” Notice that John says that we can know that we have eternal life. We don’t have to doubt that we are saved through faith in Jesus.
Let me show just two ways that we can know that we have eternal life from Hebrews 6:19-20.
1. Jesus is our High Priest
The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus has entered into the inner place behind the curtain. This is a picture from the Old Testament where the priest would enter into the holy place to offer sacrifices to God behind the curtain. Jesus, as our faithful high priest (Hebrews 4:14), has entered into the presence of God for us.
J. Vernon McGee correctly notes, “If one is to understand the book of Hebrews one must first understand the book of Leviticus for they share a common theme.” How true he was. The book of Hebrews has so many pictures from the Levitical law that are shadows (or pictures or types) of Christ (Hebrews 10:1). In fact, the point of so many of the references to the Law is to show that Christ has fulfilled the Law (Hebrews 8:12-13; cf. Galatians 3:13-14). Christ is better is the key phrase for Hebrews. Christ is our sufficiency before a holy God. We need not offer sacrifices for sins since Christ has shed His own blood for us (Hebrews 9:14; 10:4). Christ sets us apart (Hebrews 10:10).
Now as our high priest, Jesus prays for us. We see glimpses of how He prays in John 17 (though in context He is praying mainly for His chosen Apostles). Hebrews 7:25 says, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Romans 8:34 also reveals that Jesus is praying for His elect.
This is wonderful news for us. We so often are imperfect but praise God that we have a perfect, faithful high priest who is in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 4:15-16). We don’t need to offer any sacrifices for sins. We don’t need to make penance. We don’t need to talk to a priest on earth. We don’t need to go to a temple to worship God. We only need to pray through the Lord Jesus (John 14:13-14) and the Father hears us. Jesus stands in our place. He was condemned for us so that we might be righteous in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).
2. Jesus is our Priest Forever
Forever we are saved in Jesus. Our salvation, our security, our hope, our eternal life, our resurrection, our victory, our assurance – all of these are found in Jesus Christ. And because Jesus is our priest forever, we are secure in Him. Unlike earthly priests under the old covenant, Jesus is eternal (Hebrews 5:6; 13:8). Jesus never will forever be our priest who stood in our place for our sins. A time will come when He will cease in His mediator role (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). This does not mean that we will cease to praise Jesus for His saving us or for His standing in the gap for us (Revelation 5:13) but this does mean that a time will come when Jesus’ death and resurrection will finally bring in all the chosen of God (Revelation 17:14).
The assurance that Jesus’ eternality brings is the peace that God will forever hear the prayers of our high priest. Consider the thought that the Son of God prays for me in the presence of God. He hears my cries through His Son! When I sin, He hears my high priests prayers (1 John 1:9-2:2). Jesus is my salvation! My salvation is secure in Him!
No wonder Paul, after writing Romans 8:31-36, could write Romans 8:37-39! No wonder we can rejoice with Jude from Jude 24-25 knowing that we are secure in Jesus Christ. What a great honor to be a child of God (1 John 3:1-3)! Jesus is my hope and He is the one who forever will be praised for saving this sinner.
When we come to Hebrews 12:1-2 we find the path to this assurance. The key to the assurance of our salvation is to keep our faith in Jesus. What secures you is not your works but your faith in Jesus (1 Peter 1:5; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:24). We must keep our eyes on Jesus, the perfect high priest. If we are in Jesus by grace through faith, we have nothing to fear (John 10:27-30). Jesus is our eternal life (John 5:24). Jesus is our passion, our delight, our joy. This is what it means to be His disciple. To be Jesus’ disciple is not about how much you do for Him but about loving Jesus for what He has already done for us (John 19:30). Our salvation is not based on anything or anyone else but Jesus alone. May we keep our eyes and faith on Jesus and Jesus alone!
