I have to confess I have a real problem with the notion today that believers must persevere until the end in order to prove that they're saved. In other words, we must look at how we're living and what works we're doing to see if we're really one of the elect. I'm hearing this more and more frequently, too, particularly from the popular speakers of today.
One well-known speaker says this in one of his books: "One thing, however, is certain. There is clearly a link between our assurance and our sanctification." And yet he goes on to say that one can be "certain of his salvation." Still further on he says this about those who have fallen away: "The first possibility is that their profession was not genuine in the first place"... "The second possible explanation of those who make a profession of faith, give outward evidence of conversion, and then repudiate the faith, is that they are true believers who have fallen into serious and radical apostasy, but who will repent of their sin and be restored before they die. If they persist in apostasy until death, then theirs is a full and final fall from grace, which is evidence that they were not genuine believers in the first place." So they were true believers who persisted in apostasy until death so they weren't really true believers? So our salvation isn't sure? But who are we to judge anyway? Can we see the heart? No, but God can. And He looks to see if we've placed our faith in His Son's death and resurrection, not at our works or whether or not we've sinned. It seems to me this author is just setting us all up to judge one another.
And the thing is, if our assurance is based even in small part on our practical sanctification, then absolute certainty is impossible — because we all still sin. Say, for example, you yell at your kids first thing in the morning. Well there goes your assurance. You get it back after you pray and confess, but then you think some unkind thoughts about your impossible neighbor before lunch and lose your assurance again. And so it goes all day long and you've doubted your salvation again and again. So how many days like that would it take to convince you that security is merely wishful thinking?
But never fear. Even Paul, in Rom 7:14-25, tells us that he frequently did the very things he didn't want to do. We all do. Because we all still have our old sin natures, there's a battle raging within each one of us. But does Paul wonder if he is truly saved? No! In the very next two verses he breaks out with, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ... there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 7:25-8:1).
Still many Christians today believe that true believers persevere and false professors don't. They say that both may believe the same things in their minds, but the only way to find out if you're truly saved is by seeing if you persevere. Of course, you can't be sure you will persevere until you die because you might die before you confess your latest sin and then you haven't persevered until the end. "Oh come on," you might say, "that's just being nit picky. If you've persevered right up to the end but then fall short, you're still good to go." But who says? Are there degrees of persevering? If so, then who gets to decide the cutoffs? Seems to me the best you can do is look at your works and see if they look like the type of works the Spirit does. But that certainly isn't fool-proof either because false professors do some good works that look like the real thing, too. So how can anybody really know? The plain fact is, when we take our focus off Christ and what He's done and put it on ourselves and what we do, assurance is tentative at best.
I think this author summarizes the problem with this way of thinking rather well: "The bottom line in ... [this type of thinking] ... is that the subjective elements (the works we do and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit) are the real grounds of assurance. The objective promises of God only apply to me if Christ died for me, and He only died for me if I am elect and I can only know if I am elect by subjective means."
So the question that comes to my mind is this: Why would anyone look to their imperfect walk for assurance instead of to the firm promises of God? Many point to 2 Cor 13:5: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?" But let's not forget that context is king! This verse does not tell us to look at our works for confirmation of our election. Paul is continuing the subject of his credentials as a true apostle. He begins this subject in 2 Cor12:11 and continues it through the end of the book. In 2 Cor 13:5 Paul overwhelms the Corinthian believers by pointing out that if he is a reprobate apostle, then they are reprobate Christians because they are all his converts. He challenges them to examine themselves as to whether they are really Christians or not. Of course they would promptly reply that they were, and so their confidence about themselves would admit and establish Paul's claim to be a true apostle. Now think back and compare this with 1 Cor 4:3-4 where Paul says he does not even examine himself: "But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord." Now it makes sense.
Over and over Scripture tells us that if we place our faith in Christ, we're saved, period (e.g., Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16-21; 3:1-3, 26-27). It's never about any works we do, either before or after we trust Christ. It's always and only about what Christ has done. So let's take our focus off ourselves and put it back where it belongs — on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).
One well-known speaker says this in one of his books: "One thing, however, is certain. There is clearly a link between our assurance and our sanctification." And yet he goes on to say that one can be "certain of his salvation." Still further on he says this about those who have fallen away: "The first possibility is that their profession was not genuine in the first place"... "The second possible explanation of those who make a profession of faith, give outward evidence of conversion, and then repudiate the faith, is that they are true believers who have fallen into serious and radical apostasy, but who will repent of their sin and be restored before they die. If they persist in apostasy until death, then theirs is a full and final fall from grace, which is evidence that they were not genuine believers in the first place." So they were true believers who persisted in apostasy until death so they weren't really true believers? So our salvation isn't sure? But who are we to judge anyway? Can we see the heart? No, but God can. And He looks to see if we've placed our faith in His Son's death and resurrection, not at our works or whether or not we've sinned. It seems to me this author is just setting us all up to judge one another.
And the thing is, if our assurance is based even in small part on our practical sanctification, then absolute certainty is impossible — because we all still sin. Say, for example, you yell at your kids first thing in the morning. Well there goes your assurance. You get it back after you pray and confess, but then you think some unkind thoughts about your impossible neighbor before lunch and lose your assurance again. And so it goes all day long and you've doubted your salvation again and again. So how many days like that would it take to convince you that security is merely wishful thinking?
But never fear. Even Paul, in Rom 7:14-25, tells us that he frequently did the very things he didn't want to do. We all do. Because we all still have our old sin natures, there's a battle raging within each one of us. But does Paul wonder if he is truly saved? No! In the very next two verses he breaks out with, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ... there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 7:25-8:1).
Still many Christians today believe that true believers persevere and false professors don't. They say that both may believe the same things in their minds, but the only way to find out if you're truly saved is by seeing if you persevere. Of course, you can't be sure you will persevere until you die because you might die before you confess your latest sin and then you haven't persevered until the end. "Oh come on," you might say, "that's just being nit picky. If you've persevered right up to the end but then fall short, you're still good to go." But who says? Are there degrees of persevering? If so, then who gets to decide the cutoffs? Seems to me the best you can do is look at your works and see if they look like the type of works the Spirit does. But that certainly isn't fool-proof either because false professors do some good works that look like the real thing, too. So how can anybody really know? The plain fact is, when we take our focus off Christ and what He's done and put it on ourselves and what we do, assurance is tentative at best.
I think this author summarizes the problem with this way of thinking rather well: "The bottom line in ... [this type of thinking] ... is that the subjective elements (the works we do and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit) are the real grounds of assurance. The objective promises of God only apply to me if Christ died for me, and He only died for me if I am elect and I can only know if I am elect by subjective means."
So the question that comes to my mind is this: Why would anyone look to their imperfect walk for assurance instead of to the firm promises of God? Many point to 2 Cor 13:5: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?" But let's not forget that context is king! This verse does not tell us to look at our works for confirmation of our election. Paul is continuing the subject of his credentials as a true apostle. He begins this subject in 2 Cor12:11 and continues it through the end of the book. In 2 Cor 13:5 Paul overwhelms the Corinthian believers by pointing out that if he is a reprobate apostle, then they are reprobate Christians because they are all his converts. He challenges them to examine themselves as to whether they are really Christians or not. Of course they would promptly reply that they were, and so their confidence about themselves would admit and establish Paul's claim to be a true apostle. Now think back and compare this with 1 Cor 4:3-4 where Paul says he does not even examine himself: "But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord." Now it makes sense.
Over and over Scripture tells us that if we place our faith in Christ, we're saved, period (e.g., Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16-21; 3:1-3, 26-27). It's never about any works we do, either before or after we trust Christ. It's always and only about what Christ has done. So let's take our focus off ourselves and put it back where it belongs — on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).
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