Day 236

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 3.

“This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true Believer, may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it; yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means, attain thereunto:…”

Scripture Lookup

Isaiah 50:10

Psalm 88

Psalm 77:1-12

1 John 4:13

Hebrews 6:11,12

Reflection

Confidence of salvation will always mark a true believer: yes or no?

True faith brings assurance, but it does not necessarily bring it immediately. While the saving graces of God enact change in a believer, such changes may cause her to question her salvation. Especially when struggling with certain sins, frustration and despair tend to surface: “Walking in holiness isn’t coming easily – what’s wrong with me? I must not be one of Christ’s elect. He wouldn’t want someone like me.” Such thinking, though misinformed, can be thought by believers. After all, in the irreconcilable fight against the flesh, the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail (Confession 13.3).

Although assurance may not come to a believer for a time, a comforting fact is it will come eventually. We do not need to wait until we die to know if we are truly saved. The Spirit guiding us into all truth through the means of grace that God has provided – Scripture, prayer, worshiping with the saints, the Lord’s Supper and so on – enables us to obtain such a blessed assurance.

Questions to Consider

• If you are struggling with whether you are truly saved, what should you do?