Doubtless not a few of our readers wish they had the opportunity for a personal conversation on the subject, so that they could state their difficulties and ask questions on anything that is not yet clear to them. We have therefore decided to write two further articles in the form of dialogues, introducing widely different characters, who express a desire to discuss the subject. The first is,
Mr. Carnal Confidence: Good morning, Mr. Editor, I wish to have a talk with you about those articles on “Assurance” which you published in last year’s “Studies.”
The Writer: Be seated, please. First of all, may we courteously but frankly inform you that our time is already fully occupied in seeking to minister unto God’s dear children, yet we are never too busy to do all in our power to help a needy soul.
Carnal Confidence: O, I am not seeking help, my purpose in calling is to point out some things in your articles where I am quite sure you erred. I consider that in your articles you have made a very difficult and complicated matter out of what is really very simple. According to your ideas, a person has to go to a lot of trouble in order to discover whether or not he is saved, whereas if a man believes God’s Word he may be sure in a moment.
The Writer: But are all those who believe God’s Word really saved? Did not the Jews of Christ’s day believe implicitly in the Divine authorship of the Old Testament? Does not the Devil himself believe the same?
Mr. Carnal Confidence: That is not what I meant: my meaning is that, if I rest upon some verse of Holy Writ as God’s promise to me, then I know He cannot disappoint me.
The Writer: Saving faith is not faith in the authenticity of any verse of Scripture, but rather faith in the Person of Him who gave us the Scriptures, faith in the Christ who is made known in the Scriptures.
Mr. Carnal Confidence: Yes, I know that, and I do believe in God and in His Son, and I know that I am saved because He says so.
The Writer: Where in Scripture does God say that you are saved?
Mr. Carnal Confidence: In John 5:24, in Acts 16:31, and many other places.
The Writer: Let us turn to these passages please. In John 5:24, the Lord Jesus describes one who has “passed from death unto life.” He tells us two things about that individual, which serve to identify him. First, “he that heareth My word.” That is definite enough. But of course it means far more than simply listening to His Word with the outward ear. Returning to John 5:24; the one who has passed from death unto life, says Christ, “is he that heareth My word.” Let us turn then to other passages where this term is found: “they are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refuse to hear My words” (Jer. 11:10); “because ye have not heard My words, behold I will send and take all the families of the north” etc. (Jer. 25:8,9); and see 35:17, Zechariah 1:4, Matthew 7:24, John 10:27. In all of these verses, and in many others which might be given, to “hear” means to heed what God says, to act upon it, to obey Him. So he who “hears” the voice of Christ heeds His command to turn away from all that is opposed to God and become in subjection to Him.
Mr. Carnal Confidence: Well, let us turn to Acts 16:31, that is simple enough. There is no room allowed there for any quibbling. God says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” God says that to me; I have believed on Christ, and so I must be saved.
Writer: Not so fast, dear friend. How can you prove God says that to you? Those words were spoken under unusual circumstances, and to a particular individual. That individual had been brought to the end of himself; he was deeply convicted of his sins; he was in terrible anguish of soul; he had taken his place in the dust, for we are told that he “came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas” (Acts 16:29). Now is it fair to take the words of the Apostles to such a man and apply them indiscriminately to anybody? Are we justified in ignoring the whole setting of that verse, wrenching it from its context, and giving it to those who have not any of the characteristics which marked the Philippian jailer?
Mr. Carnal Confidence: I refuse to allow you to browbeat me and move me from the simplicity of the Gospel. John 3:16 say, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now I have believed on the Son, and therefore am fully assured that I possess eternal life.
Writer: Are you aware of the fact that in this same Gospel of John we are told, “Many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did but Jesus did not commit Himself unto them” (John 2:23, 24)? There were many who “believed” in Christ who were not saved by Him: see John 8:30 and note verse 59! John 12:42, 43! There is a believing in Christ which saves, and there is a believing in Him which does not save; and therefore it behooves every sincere and earnest soul to diligently examine his “faith by Scripture and ascertain which kind it is. There is too much at stake to take anything for granted. Where eternal destiny is involved, surely no trouble can be too great for us to make sure.
Mr. Carnal Confidence: I am sure, and no man can make me doubt. I don’t claim to be perfect, but I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
Writer: We didn’t ask if you were perfect; but have you been made a new creature in Christ, have old things passed away, and all things become new (2 Cor. 5:17)? Are you treading the path of obedience, for God’s Word says, “He that saith I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar; and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). It is not the adulation of our lips, but the affection of our souls, which He requires; it is not an intellectual assent, but the heart’s surrender to Him which saves.
Mr. Carnal Confidence: You are departing from the simplicity of the Gospel; you are making additions unto its one and only stipulation. There is nothing that God requires from the sinner except that he believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Writer: You are mistaken. The Lord Jesus said, “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Mr. Carnal Confidence: That was before the Cross, but in this dispensation repentance is not demanded.
Writer: Then according to your ideas, God has changed the plan of salvation. But you err. After the Cross, Christ charged His disciples, “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations” (Luke 24:47). If we turn to the book of Acts, we find that the Apostles preached repentance in this dispensation. On the day of Pentecost, Peter bade the convicted Jews to “repent” (Acts 2:38). Reviewing his ministry at Ephesus, Paul declared that he had testified both to Jews and also to the Greeks “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21); while in Acts 17:30 we are told that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent.”
Mr. Carnal Confidence: Then do you insist that if a person has not repented, he is still unsaved?
Writer: Christ Himself says so: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). So too if a man has not been converted, he is yet unsaved: “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that you sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). There must be a right-about-face: there must be a turning from Satan unto God, from the world unto Christ, from sin unto holiness. Where that has not taken place, all the believing in the world will save no one. Christ saves none who is still in love with sin; but He is ready to save those who are sick of sin, who long to be cleansed from its loathsome foulness, who yearn to be delivered from its tyrannizing power. Christ came here to save His people from their sins. It is obvious that if the Holy One indwells me that His presence must have wrought a radical change both in character and in conduct. Unless this be the case with us, then our profession is vain, and all our talk of trusting in Christ’s finished work is but idle words.
Mr. Carnal Confidence: I consider all you have said to be but the language of a Pharisee. You are occupied with your own fancied goodness and delighting in your own worthless righteousness.
Writer: Pardon me, but I rather rejoice in what Christ’s Spirit has wrought in me, and pray that He will carry forward that work of grace to the glory of His name. But we must bring our discussion to a close. I would respectfully urge you to attend unto that exhortation addressed to all profession Christians, ‘Give diligence to make your calling and election sure’ (2 Peter 1:10).
Mr. Carnal Confidence: I shall do nothing of the sort: I hate the very word ‘election.’ I know that I am saved, though I do not measure up to the impossible standard you want to erect.
Writer: Fare thee well; may be please the Lord to open your blind eyes, reveal to you His holiness, and bring you to His feet in godly fear and trembling.
Excerpted and edited from A. W. Pink, Studies in the Scriptures, September, 1932.
Teaching Resources International 