Teaching Resources International

Preface to the Study

One of the most neglected teachings in the modern church is on the discipline of the Lord.  In this issue, we have chosen a number of articles by A. W. Pink primarily coming from his Expositions on Hebrews.  In these articles, Pink accurately describes God’s discipline of his children and gives encouragement to help us see how and why God brings us through His discipline.  We have concluded the issue with a sermon by Charles Spurgeon.

It is our hope that these articles will stimulate you to search the scriptures more diligently to see if there is a biblical teaching on God’s discipline.  It is also our hope that you will see that God’s discipline for His children comes out of His unending love for His children.  Many see God’s discipline as a thing of wrath; we hope you will see it as an evidence of His love.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “What child is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (of which we are all partakers), then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

May God Himself give you the grace to see that this biblical doctrine is full of the Father’s love.  And may it motivate us all to live lives that are more holy and pleasing in His sight, that He may be glorified in our lives in every situation!

By His Grace, Jim

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One of the greatest allegories of the Christian life is Pilgrim’s Progress.  In it, John Bunyan deals with nearly every aspect of Christianity, including assurance of salvation.  In fact, Bunyan ends his book in a most unusual fashion with the story of one named Ignorance.

Ignorance had met Christian and Hopeful earlier in the story.  There they tried to converse with him about the nature of true faith and the need to examine himself honestly.  But Ignorance would not listen to them.  After Christian and Hopeful receive a grand entrance to the Celestial City, Bunyan turns the reader’s attention back to the character of Ignorance.  Rather than cross the River of Death as do the others, Ignorance finds a ferry-man named Vain-Hope to take him across the River.  When he reaches the gate of the city, he expects to be granted entrance, but he is denied.  In fact, the King commands two shining ones to bind him hand and foot, carry him to a door in the side of the hill, and put him in it.  Then Bunyan ends with the most solemn of warnings: “Then I saw that there was a Way to Hell, even from the Gates of Heaven….”

Assurance of eternal life is important.  Jesus reminded His disciples that on the last day, “many will say unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but I will say to them, ‘I never knew you.  Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.”  Obviously many will experience the same surprise that Ignorance received when he discovered “that there was a Way to Hell, even from the Gates of Heaven.”

However, God has given us evidences in His Word by which we may know if we are really His children.  Many of the passages on assurance point to the fact that a believer is one in whom God has placed His life.  Those who are indwelt by the Spirit have the “seed” of God in them.  They are “partakers” of His life and, as a result, are changed.  (See 1 John 3:9; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 13:5; Romans 8:9).  But what are the evidences of this change?

1 John has been written for just such a purpose.  In 1 John 5:13, John states his purpose in writing: “These things have been written to you who believe, that you might know you have eternal life.”  Notice he is writing to believers who need assurance.  Throughout his epistle, he frequently makes statements like “by this we know that we are the children of God….”  These are clues to evidences of eternal life.  They are written to help believers have assurance.  As we examine them, please examine yourself honestly to see if you are really in the faith.

To facilitate understand, we’ve called these evidences of eternal life “vital signs.”  In the medical field, one’s physical condition is often monitored by the use of vital signs.  Whenever an unconscious body is discovered, the first things examined are the vital signs to discover if the person is alive.  In a similar fashion, the Bible gives us spiritual vital signs to help us have assurance that we are alive spiritually.

Before we look at these, let’s consider a few important facts about vital signs.  First, vital signs are indicators; they do not cause or create anything.  They only report the person’s condition.  This is especially important when we speak about spiritual vital signs.  They do not “make” anyone a Christian.  Instead, those who have been born again by the Spirit of God have been made alive and therefore have these signs.

Second, they are accurate. They leave little doubt as to the physical condition of the person.  As you examine the vital signs in your own spiritual life, do not fool yourself into thinking that you are on your way to heaven if the signs are absent.  Just as a person whose vital signs are absent is physically dead, you are dead spiritually and need to be born again if these signs are not present.

Third, they are all necessary and related.  Can you imagine a doctor arguing with his nurse: “I know there is no pulse, blood pressure or respiration, but I’m sure he’s alive because his temperature is not bad.”  The body may have a temperature because it has recently expired – but it is still dead!  Don’t use the vital signs as a checklist and conclude that you’ve got one vital sign so you must be okay.  All the signs must be present for assurance of eternal life.

Finally, let me give you one important caution when examining the vital signs:  You need to look to see if they are PRESENT not to see if they are PREFECT. Can you imagine someone discovering he had a high temperature or high blood pressure and pronouncing, “I guess I’m dead after all”?  In the same way, you need to look for the presence of these signs, not for perfection in them.  However, should you find an area that is weak, this should be a warning that shows that, though you are alive spiritually, you are in ill health and need to take some corrective measures.

1. A Love of Fellowship with Believers. According to 1 John 1:6-7, believers have two basic characteristics: they are forgiven and they fellowship.  Those who profess to the followers of Christ that do not enjoy fellowship with other believers are to be held in suspect.  The new nature of the believer leads him to desire to e with his brothers and sisters in Christ.  Also consider 1 John 2:9-11; 3:10-5; and 4:20-21.  Each of these passages indicates that believers fellowship.

In the case of John Bunyan’s Ignorance, unlike Hopeful and Christian, he “prefers to walk alone.”  I would be deeply concerned about my salvation if I called myself a Christian and did not desire to be with other Christians.  One vital sign of spiritual life is a new desire to be with other believers.

2. A Deep Awareness of Sin. According to 1 John 1:8-10, another vital sign of faith is the awareness and admission of sin in our lives.  Often believers are criticized as those who think they are sinless.  However, a mark of true faith is that we come to acknowledge the fullness of our sin and flee to Christ.  John makes it quite clear – those who say they have not sinned are simply liars.  Believers sin, but they honestly admit their sin.  In contrast, non-believers are always denying their sin, or minimizing it rather than confessing it.

Therefore, one good sign of God’s work in our lives is admission of sin.  John Owen noted that he did not know any believer to whom sin was not a burden and a sorrow.  Richard Baxter said: “I think, if I could stand and mention all the other marks of grace…, it would appear that the truth and life of all of them lieth in this one.”  The difference is clear: Non-believers leap into sin and love it; believers lapse into sin and loathe it.

3. A Lifestyle of Willing Obedience. In 1 John 2:3-4, the lifestyle of the believer is contrasted with non-believers.  At first glance, it would appear that John is requiring sinless perfection.  1 John 2:29, 3:4-6, and 5:2 seem to echo the same.  However, an examination of the context (especially 1:8-10) and the grammar (the use of a present indicative verb indicating continuing action) obviously lead to another conclusion.  The passage is best translated with the idea that believers do not live lifestyles of habitual disobedience.

In fact, Paul’s experience in Romans 7 indicates the struggle in believers.  We are not sinless, but struggle with sin and desire to be free from it.  Such is not the desire of non-believers.  They may desire to be free from the consequences of their sin, but they would like to hold on to the sin itself.  True believers cry with the Apostle: “For what I want to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”  Believers do sin, but they deeply desire to be obedient and pleasing to God.

Be careful, at this point, not to delude yourself about your attitude toward your sin.  Does it really cause you grief?  Do you really desire to be free and obedient or do you just claim such a desire when it really is not present?  Be honest at this point – remember, a false assurance is worse than no assurance at all.

4. A Witness of the Spirit Within. John speaks of this vital sign in two places: 3:24 and 4:13.  Paul also speaks of the witness of the Spirit (see Romans 8:9, 16).  What is this “witness” of the Spirit?  It is not an emotional experience or certain spiritual gifts.  The witness of the Spirit may be measured in many ways, but here are a few of the most obvious.

In Romans 8:15, Paul says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”  One mark of this witness is that we are now drawn to God and we cry out to Him as our Father.  In Romans 8:14, we read, “As many as are lead by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”  This may indicate that believers are guided by God, but it most certainly indicated that they willingly follow His guidance (obedience).  Jesus also mentioned this as a characteristic of believers in John 10:3-5 and 27-30.  The Spirit not only gives guidance but more importantly leads us to follow the direction of the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, we learn that a mark of a believer is a fresh understanding of the Scriptures.  The natural man cannot understand these things “because they are spiritually discerned.”  However, one mark of the work of the Spirit in a believer is that the Bible and the gospel which were once mysteries to him now make perfect sense.

In Ephesians 4:30, another witness of the Spirit is noted.  When a believer sins, the Spirit is grieved.  According to Galatians 5:22-23, another mark of the presence of the Spirit in our lives is the fruit He is producing.  There are other ways to examine the witness of the Spirit in our lives, but these are a few to get you started.

5. A Hunger for God’s Word. This is one vital sign John does not directly spell out, but other passages indicate that this is the nature of a true believer.  In 1 John 4:6, John indicates that those who are truly believers listen to the teaching of God’s Word.  Such was the response of new believers in Acts 2:42.  Peter also indicates that new believers “desire the pure milk of the Word” (1 Peter 2:2-3).  Those who say that they love God but have not an appetite for God’s Word are only fooling themselves.

6. A Willing Confession of Christ. 1 John 2:19 states: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”  Here, John gives a couple of evidences.  One is the issue of perseverance – those who are His, may stumble and struggle, but they will not ultimately fall.  The other evidence is identification with Christ.  Anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus who does not openly identify with Him is to be held suspect.

Jesus said the same: “whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words … of him also will the Son of Man be ashamed…” (Mark 8:38).  The Apostle Paul echoes the importance of open identification with Jesus: “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  Are you unwilling to be known as His?  Are you unwilling to be identified with Him?  Those who truly believe “cannot help be speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

These are some evidences that you are a child of God.  Would you honestly examine yourself by them?  As you do, let me leave you with two cautions and one warning.

Two Cautions

1. Beware of Impatience. In 1 John 3:9, God’s life in us is described as His “seed” in us.  The analogy refers to the seed of the male bringing about conception, but the similarities to a seed planted in the ground are also helpful.  In both cases (the baby and the plant), one must give the seed time to grow before all the evidences of life are clear.  If you are a new believer, you should expect to see some evidence of God’s life in your life.  However, just as one would not plant a seed one day and uproot it the next because it did not bear fruit, so you must be especially patient with new believers and allow time for the evidence of life to grow.

2. Beware of Perfection. As we mentioned at the outset of this article, you need to look for EVIDENCE not for PERFECTION when examining these vital signs.  Matthew Henry notes that the Holy Spirit usually changes the “affections and the attitudes” before He changes the “actions.”

One Warning

Beware of Presumption. Don’t take for granted that you are a believer just because you made a decision, had a religious experience or are a member of a church.  You must “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).  Many have thought themselves to be saved only to discover that there really was no life in them.

Such was the case with John Wesley.  In his days at Oxford, Wesley was very serious about religion.  Along with Whitefield and his brother, Charles, he formed a group that met together that was so pious that they were scornfully called “the Holy Club.”  Wesley even felt the call to missions and went to preach to the Indians in Georgia.  His experience there only led him to realize that he lacked the life about which he preached.  He left dejected saying, “I came to convert the heathen, but who shall convert me.”

On the ship home to England, he met a German Moravian pastor who quizzed Wesley about his salvation: “Does the Spirit of God bear witness with your spirit that you are a child of God?”  Surprised, Wesley could not answer.  “Do you know Jesus?” the Moravian persisted.  “I know He is the Savior of the world,” Wesley replied.  “True, but has He saved you?” the German queried.  Wesley responded, “I hope He has died to save me.”  “Do you know yourself?” the pastor pressed.  “I do,” Wesley affirmed, but later added in his journal, “I fear they were vain words.”

Wesley knew that something was missing in his life, but he was not about the let the Moravian know his plight.  Upon his return to England, John Wesley really “heard” the gospel and became a new creature in Christ.  But many in their presumption are never honest about their condition as was Wesley.  They live their entire lives confident that they will enter into heaven though the evidence of their life indicates otherwise.  If this is your condition, you, like Ignorance, will learn that there is “a way to hell even from the Gates of Heaven.”

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To properly understand assurance, we must begin with a proper theological base. If our theology is deficient, our assurance will be also.

As we begin, we must admit that we are dealing with difficult matters.  The one thing we must be certain of is that we teach what the Scriptures teach about assurance.  For this study, we will look primarily at Ephesians 1:3-14 though other passages could be examined as well.

The main question facing us is this: If your salvation depends on you, to any degree, how will you ever have assurance?  How do you know that you will not mess up, give up or fall short at some point in time and lose your salvation, if it depends on you to any degree?  The real question in assurance begins with: Who is salvation based upon – You or God?  If it depends on you either to be saved or to stay saved, how can you ever have assurance?  On the other hand, if it depends solely on what God has done and on what God promises He will do, then you can have assurance for He will never fail or falter in any way.

That is what the Scriptures teach about assurance.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that God who began a good work in you is able to bring it forth until the day of Christ.”  In other words, if God started a work of salvation in you, He is able to finish it.  Paul notes that his own confidence was not in himself but “I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).  This confidence in God’s protection is seen again in 2 Timothy 4:18: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.”  In 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Paul again puts the weight of assurance on God’s ability: “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

Paul is not alone in this.  Peter notes that believers are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5).  Jude says the same: “loved by God the Father and kept by (or in) Jesus Christ”(vs. 1).  He ends his letter with a tremendous affirmation: “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault” (vs. 24).  Clearly the testimony of the Scriptures is this: We can be sure of eternal life, but only if it depends entirely on God and not on us.

Perhaps an illustration will help to portray the importance of this doctrine.  Picture a small child holding tightly on to his father as they ascend a high tree.  The child is completely safe if he holds on to his father.  But that is the concern – Can he continue to hold on?  Will he continue to hold on?  If he does not, he will surely fall to his death.  Such is the doctrine that teaches one can lose his salvation.  He is secure as long as he holds on; as long as his strength holds out.

Now picture the same child also holding to his father.  However, this time, his father is holding on to him.  Even if he loses his grip, he will not fall because his father holds on to him.  The most important issue is this – Is the father capable of holding on to him?  The security of the child is not based upon his ability but his father’s.  Such is the doctrine of preservation of the saints: Their security depends not upon them but upon God who holds them.

Can a person be sure of his salvation?  Only if his security depends upon God.  If your salvation depends on you, even to the smallest degree, how can you be absolutely certain that you will not mess up at some point in time?  On the other hand, if your salvation depends on God alone, your hope can be as sure as God is able to keep His promises.

Is He able? Examine the following passages: Jude 1, 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:18; and Philippians 1:6.  Others could be cited, but these seem sufficient.  The key question in assurance is: Who does the keeping?  God or us?  The Scriptures tell us that we are those “who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

But let us move on to the theology of salvation.  As we have stated before, you can never be completely certain of your security if your salvation depends upon you.  To understand this more fully, we must see what the Scriptures teach about our salvation.  What we will learn is (1) that God purposed to save us before this world was ever created and His purposes will not be frustrated; (2) that Jesus death on the cross has fully paid for all our sins; and (3) that God has sealed our salvation by putting His Holy Spirit within us.  Since these doctrines are most clearly spelled out in Ephesians 1:3-14, let us turn there to examine this theology of salvation.

First, in Ephesians 1:3-6, we see that in eternity past, God the Father predestined us. This one truth alone ought to be enough to convince us of the security of those in Christ.  Could anyone possibly conceive that something which the Father has “predestined” would not make it to its destination?

But many will say, “I don’t believe in predestination!”  Whenever I hear such a statement, I feel like saying, “Don’t you believe in the Bible?”  Because the Bible clearly talks about predestination.  Now what individuals may take predestination to mean may differ, but if one believes the Bible, he must believe in predestination.

In fact, what most don’t believe is a false concept of predestination.  Many have said to me: “I can’t believe that God brings some people kicking and screaming into heaven when they don’t really want to go there, and He keeps out people who desperately want in.”  God never keeps out anyone who wants to go to heaven – on His terms.  Most of humanity may want to go to heaven, but not enough to go on God’s terms.  Additionally, God never forces any to go to heaven who don’t want to go.  In fact, what the Bible says is that He gives them a new heart, opens their eyes, and grants them understanding.  They are so changed by this experience that their greatest desire is to go there and be with Him forever.  Properly understood, predestination says that salvation is a work of God from start to finish.

A look at Ephesians 2 shows us why God must do something first before we will ever come to Him.  In verse 1, Paul gives graphic descriptions of us as unbelievers.  Note that he says that we were “dead in sins and trespasses.”  I’m convinced that if we understood how hopeless our situation was, we would understand how necessary God’s work in us in predestination is.

Our modern descriptions of salvation are neither adequate nor Biblical.  Consider just a few: Man is sick and dying; only one medicine can save him; if only he would open his mouth and take the medicine, he would be saved.  Nice illustration – but it is not Biblical.  Man is dead; pour all the medicine you want into him; it will not bring him back to life.

Or consider this: Man is drowning; he’s going down for the third time; a rope is thrown to him; he will be saved … if only he will grab the rope.  Again, moving but not Biblical. Instead, the man has drowned; he has been dragged up on shore and given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR; there is no life; there is no hope.  But along comes a man named Jesus and, with one word, restores the man to life – that’s salvation.  We were dead, helpless and lost.  But God who is rich in mercy did something to make us alive (read Ephesians 2:4-9).  Salvation is of God.  God begins His work of salvation in us so that not one of us can ever boast in what we have done.

But go back to Ephesians 1:4.  When did God decide to do this work?  When did He choose us?  When did He predestine us?  “Before the foundation of the world.”  Before you or I were ever created, God decided, and He did so not on the basis of what we would do or might do.  He decided on the basis of His mercy and love (2:4).  Why?  At least in part, that we might know that our salvation does not depend on us but on Him and that we might never boast (Eph. 2:8-9).  In eternity past, God the Father predestined us and that which God has destined to happen will indeed happen.

Second, in Ephesians 1:7-12, we see that, in history past, God the Son redeemed us. This is perhaps the easiest aspect of salvation to understand because it is the one about which we speak the most.  But it also tells us about the need for the Son to die.  Some have wondered: “If God has predestined us, then why did Jesus have to die?  If God decided before time, why make us go through all this life?”  Good questions, but they ignore the need for God to be completely just.  Surely God have could have decided to chose before the foundation of the world and could have taken those chosen to be with Him then.  But to do so would be to ignore the payment for sin that was needed.  God’s predestination alone does not save anyone if Jesus does not go to the cross and pay for sin.  But, though the cross, God is able to “be just and the justifier of one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

However, there is one aspect of salvation related to assurance that we rarely consider.  The question must be raised: What did Jesus come to do?  To answer this question, there are two possible options:

• Did Jesus come to make salvation possible? (Thereby leaving something for us to do to either attain it or complete it?) or
• Did Jesus come to make salvation complete? (Thereby really paying it all, with nothing left for the believer to complete or keep to keep his salvation?).

We believe the Scriptures point to the latter: That Jesus’ work on the cross was completely sufficient and efficient for the salvation of all He came to save.  This affects many aspects of assurance.  For example, many believe that Jesus died to pay for sins but question whether those sins committed after conversion are also covered.  In some theologies, certain sins or a certain quantity of sins after salvation may result in the loss of salvation.  But we must ask, how many of our sins were future when Jesus died on the cross?

But what does the Scripture say?  Acts 13:38-39 tells us that Jesus paid for “all the sins for which you could not be forgiven of by the law of Moses.”  Hebrews 10:11-14 concludes: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”  Most of all, the Bible teaches that if Jesus loses even one of those the Father (in predestination) has given to Him, He is a disobedient son (John 6:38-39).  If Jesus loses one in all of history, then all are lost, for a disobedient son can not be the perfect sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.

Third, in Ephesians 1:13-14, we see that, in our past, God the Holy Spirit has sealed us. To fully understand the theology of salvation and, thus, assurance, we must understand the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation.  To begin with, the Bible teaches that no one can even come to the Father unless he is drawn by the Spirit (John 6:44, 65).  In fact, in John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he cannot even see, much less enter, the Kingdom of heaven apart from the work of the spirit in his life (vv. 3, 5).

Before one considers the sealing of the Spirit, he must ask, “Have I been drawn to God by His Spirit?  Has He opened my eyes to see what I could not see on my own?”  Such is the work of the Spirit in salvation.  As Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63).

What are the evidences that you have been drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit?  In his book, From Religion to Christ, Peter Jeffery explains:

Drawing is the work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel.  To souls dead in sin, God begins to speak.  The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and gives the gift of faith which leads to repentance.  It is not an emotional experience in church, though it can be part of it.  The mind as well as the emotions are involved.  The sinner listens and learns from the Father, said Jesus.  This can take place in a matter of minutes and some folk are converted the first time they hear the Gospel, but for most of us it occurs over a period of days or weeks or even years.  We have heard the gospel and we begin to understand.  What was previously dull and boring becomes riveting and absorbing.  We find that when we are washing the dishes, or driving the car, or doing our daily work that our mind suddenly turns to God.  We want God and we cannot get rid of the longing.  It may come and go, but it does not go very long.  We do not like the conviction of sin which we feel and may vow never to go to church again, but we do.  Why?  Because God is drawing (pp. 57-58).

Is this your experience?  Have you been drawn by the Spirit to Christ?  Have you come to the place where the gospel that once seemed foolish and complex now seems simple and true?  That is the work of the Spirit in salvation.  He causes your heart to trust Him after you hear “the word of truth” (Ephesians 1:13).

But that is not all the Spirit does in salvation.  After you believed, God sealed you with the “Holy Spirit of promise” as “the guarantee of our inheritance.”  And He does not do so for a temporary period of time; He does so “until the redemption of the purchased possession.”  That is, until God comes to take His possession home to be with Him forever.  What greater assurance could one ask for?

The work of the Holy Spirit is described in these verses in two ways: as a seal and as an earnest.  Both are very instructive.  Seals were used in a variety of ways, but usually they were placed upon objects to indicate that those objects were protected by a higher authority.  One who broke that seal would have to reckon with that authority.  What a beautiful picture this is of God’s keeping power in salvation!  Even today, seals are placed upon jars to preserve the contents from spoiling.  Such is the role of the Spirit: His work is to preserve true believers and present them “spotless and blameless before the throne” (Jude 23-24).

The other picture is just as descriptive.  An earnest is a deposit put up by a purchaser to guarantee that he will indeed return to reclaim his possession (and usually pay the remainder in full).  In this case, God the Son has already paid for His possession in full, and He has given every believer His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that He will one day return to reclaim His purchased possession.  What more assurance could one desire?  God has predestined, Jesus has died to pay the full price, and the Spirit has sealed us as a guarantee.

The real question is this: Am I one whom God has chosen?  Am I one for whom Jesus has died?  Have I been drawn by His Spirit and sealed until the day of redemption?

Let’s look again at Ephesians 1.  Here we see not only the theology of salvation but some glimpses of evidences of true believers.

First, do you have a desire to be holy? Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us with this purpose in mind: “that we should be holy and without blame before Him.”  This does not indicate that we must be perfect or sinless, but that the desire and direction of the heart of one born of the Spirit is to obey God with all our heart.  Even when we falter, we find ourselves saying with the Apostle Paul: “The good that I would, I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do.”  The question is: Is there the longing in your heart to obey God?  This can be an evidence of your salvation.

Second, have you gained understanding of that which was once a mystery to you? In Ephesians 1:8-9, Paul speaks of the “riches of His grace which He made to abound to us” by “making known to us the mystery of His will….”  Before you came to Christ, the gospel seemed foolishness.  But then one day, “the light came on” and then it all seemed so simple and sensible.  Such understanding of this “mystery” did not come through your own wisdom.  It came as God revealed it to you.  When Peter made his great profession of faith at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus was quick to remind him: “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven”(Mt. 16:17).  Likewise, Jesus, in Matthew 11:25-27, said that His Father had “hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”  One evidence of true faith is that work of the Spirit in us that causes us to understand that which was once a “mystery.”

Third, do you have a desire to honor Him? Throughout Ephesians 1:3-14, one theme echoes loudly: “that we might be to the praise of His glory.”  One who is truly born again has a deep desire to honor the Lord.  The more we understand about God’s grace in saving us, the more we realize that He alone deserves all the credit and honor for our salvation.  Such a perspective produces the humility spoken of in Ephesians 2:9.  We are no longer tempted to boast in what we have done in choosing Christ; instead we boast only of what He has done in us.  The heart cry of the believer is “Except for the grace of God, there go I.”

Fourth, have you made a decision to believe? In Ephesians 1:13, Paul notes that an aspect of saving faith is that they “believed.”  We often misunderstand this aspect of salvation thinking that it is our decision that gets us into heaven.  To come to Christ, one must believe.  But in reality, God has chosen long before we ever “decided” and He has changed our heart to desire Him.  Thus our decision to follow Jesus is an evidence of God’s grace in our lives.  The Scripture is clear: not one of us will even seek God unless His Holy Spirit draws us unto Himself.  In God’s work of grace, He gives us a new heart that causes us to desire Jesus more than we desire anything else.

The result is that we believe.  No other decision seems logical: we must believe.  Like Peter, we find ourselves saying, “To whom else shall we go; you alone have the words of life” (John 6:68).  Thus one must believe, but he will not unless God’s Spirit opens his eyes and then he can see salvation in no one but Jesus.  Believing is an evidence of salvation.

Have you believed? Some may say, “What you teach is not so; I can believe whenever I want to.”  Then why won’t you believe?  If you really saw your condition as hopeless as the Bible teaches, you would not be able to live in your sin one day longer.  If you really saw Jesus as the only hope of salvation, then you would flee to Him as the only refuge for your soul.  If you really understood the “mystery” of salvation, you would not hesitate to cast your lot immediately with Christ.  The very fact that you linger indicates that you are still in your sin and headed to hell.  Wake up!  Do not fool yourself into thinking you can believe anytime you want to.  If the Spirit of God has changed your heart, you will believe; no other choice will make sense.

Yet some may say, “From what you teach, God has counted me out and I can’t come to Him.” No, on the contrary, you count yourself out.  John 3:16 says, “whosoever believeth…;”  Romans 10:13 says, “whosoever will call…;” other passages tell us, “whosoever will may come.”  God doesn’t say you can’t come; He says you won’t come. In fact, John Calvin (who always gets blamed for being a hyper-Calvinist at this point) said, “He has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers.”

The whosoevers of Scripture remove any excuse you might have for not coming to the Savior.  He has invited you to come.  Your unwillingness to come simply shows the depth of your need.  Never will a man appear before God and say that he longed for, desired, willed and sought to come but was refused.  Christ says that if you will, you may come.  The truth is that you don’t really want to come or you would run into His arms and accept His mercy.  The whosoevers also shatter the illusion that only certain types of people or people from certain races, cultures or countries may come.  God says, “whosoever will may come.”  Finally the whosoevers of Scripture destroy the myth that you are too sinful to come to Jesus.  Some reason thus: “My life is so rotten that I could never come to Jesus.  I am so wicked that there is no hope.”  No – the Bible says, “Whosoever” may come.

Since we are talking about assurance, let us examine one more “whosoever” in Scripture.  John 6:47 tells us, “whosoever believes in me shall have everlasting life.”  Jesus explains why in John 6:37: “All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one that comes to me I will by no means cast out.”  This is the confidence believers have in Him.  Not that we have done anything to merit our salvation; it is all of Him, all to the praise of His glory.  Not that we are capable of doing anything to keep us “good enough” to go to heaven.  It is His keeping power that we depend upon to make heaven, not ours.

We can be sure of eternal life because God has predestined us, and what He has begun, He will finish (Philippians 1:6).  We can be certain of heaven because Jesus has died for us and paid our debt in full; nothing is left to be paid.  Finally, we can rest in His work because He has given us His Spirit who has called us, drawn us, opened our eyes, and sealed us unto the day of redemption.  We can be sure – because it all depends on Him and not on us!

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When we come to the doctrine of assurance, there is often much misunderstanding.  Many do not have assurance because they have been taught that such assurance is not possible.  On the basis of passages taken out of context, they have concluded that all believers have the potential to lose their salvation.  On the other hand, many who believe in the “security of the believer” often do so on the basis of a faulty, man-centered theology of salvation.  This article attempts to address these problems through an examination of the Scriptures.  My hope is that many will find that their only assurance is in Jesus Christ alone.

The doctrine of assurance is not something to take lightly.  D. Martin Lloyd-Jones states: “Nothing is more important for us than to know that we are indeed the children of God…. You can’t really enjoy the blessings of the Christian life unless you’ve got this assurance.” John MacArthur, Jr. agrees: “No doctrine is more immediately practical than the doctrine of assurance.” If you have no assurance of God’s acceptance, you have no peace.  If you have no peace, you will lose your joy.  If you have no joy, your testimony will lose its radiance.

Much is really at stake when we consider the issue of assurance.  First, your prayer life will be hindered by a lack of assurance.  How can you be confident in your praying if you are not even sure you are a child of God?  And how can one “come boldly before the throne” while the possibility of judgment still looms.  Second, your perseverance in trials will be affected by a lack of assurance.  In Romans 8:18, Paul expresses the motive that kept him going in all kinds of trials and hardships: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared to the glory to be revealed in us.”  But how can one keep on if he is unsure that any “glory” is waiting in heaven?

Third, your service for the Lord will be affected by a lack of assurance.  Hebrews 6:10 tells us: “God is not unjust to forget your labor and work of love….”  But if you are not sure you will even make heaven to gain His reward, why serve the Lord in this life?  Thomas Manton suggests that, when believers are unsure about their salvation, they “serve the Lord in fits and starts.”  Fourth, your confidence at death will be shaken without assurance of salvation.  In I Corinthians 15, Paul explains that he was willing to “fight the wild beasts of Ephesus” only because he was confident of his own hope of eternal life based on the reality of Jesus’ resurrection.  Indeed, would any give their life for the sake of Christ if death might mean entrance into eternal damnation?  No, only with the certainty of eternal life settled could anyone say, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Fifth, assurance affects your zeal in evangelism.  Someone has defined evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”  Evangelism is one satisfied customer telling another about the great gift he has received.  But if you’re not sure you that gift is really yours forever, how can you be excited about sharing it with others?

A study of the Scriptures on assurance leads to three conclusions.

1. Many who have assurance are not saved. It is most important that we begin any study of assurance with this warning.  As an old spiritual says, “Everybody talkin’ bout heaven ain’t goin’ there.”  In fact, a recent survey discovered that 99% of Americans believe that they are going to heaven!  According to Jesus, “Many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and I will say to them, ‘I never knew you.’”

Many are falsely assured because they think that belonging to the right religious group will get them into heaven.  John the Baptist warned the Pharisees, “God can raise up son to Abraham from stones.”  Others are falsely assured because they have watered down the Bible’s view of God and His judgment of sin.  They reason that “God loves everyone and wouldn’t send anyone to hell,” or they believe that God only punished certain “serious” sins.  Still others believe that they will get to heaven because they have lived a pretty good life.  But the Bible teaches that all these are falsely assured.  As one author puts it, “The only thing worse than NO ASSURANCE is FALSE ASSURANCE.”

2. Some who are saved do not have assurance. Many of these lack assurance because of misunderstandings that they have been taught about salvation and assurance.  For example, some suggest that you are not a Christian if you do not know the date you were saved. They explain that you know your birthday, so you ought to know your spiritual birthday.  But such reasoning is not logical.  You only know your birthday because you were told it repeatedly as a child.  Knowing your birthday is not evidence you are alive—signs of life are.  Many who are born again cannot tell the exact day of their spiritual birth, but they are clearly spiritually alive.

Others suggest that you are not a Christian if you have doubts about your salvation. 1 John 5:13 makes it clear that even true believers can have doubts.  In fact, John says he writes to help believers know for sure that they have eternal life.  Even the great Charles Spurgeon entertained doubts.  He said, “I have only known one or two saints who have rarely doubted their interest in Christ at all.”  There are many reasons for such doubts such as unrepentant sin, spiritual laziness, demonic attacks, physical and mental problems, comparisons with the experiences of other believers, and childhood conversions.

Some suggest that you are not a Christian if you didn’t pray “the prayer.” This is also a false view of salvation.  Nowhere in the New Testament are we told that one must “pray a prayer” to be converted; we certainly are never given a specific one to pray.  In reality, one must “call upon the Lord” to be saved, but to assert that a particular prayer must be prayed is not Biblical.

In brief, one can be saved though they may have doubts.  Only through a Scriptural examination can one gain that assurance.

3. It is possible to have full assurance of salvation. Many passages indicate the possibility that one can be sure of their salvation.  Read Romans 8:16; 2 Timothy 1:12; I John 5:13; 1 Peter 1:4-5; Jude 24 and 2 Peter 1:10.  The passage in 2 Peter is especially interesting since there we are told to “make our calling and election sure.”  In other words, even though the matter is settled from God’s perspective, we may not be sure.  Thus Peter gives some instructions to help lead to assurance.

After reading all of this, may I ask you one question?  Are you concerned about your assurance? One test of real faith is concern about your spiritual life and destiny.  Charles Spurgeon once said that if you are concerned about your election, you probably are elect.  Those truly converted care about spiritual things.

Interestingly, the converse is also true.  Spurgeon also noted that it did not surprise him that some doubted their conversion.  What surprised him was that one who lacked assurance of his eternal destiny could rest one minute until he had settled that question.  One modern author, Donald Whitney, likens such a one to a person on the brink of bankruptcy hearing from his attorney that he might be heir to a fortune.  Would that person not do everything in his power to find out for sure about that inheritance?  Yet I have talked with many who expressed doubts about their salvation who were not slightly interested in doing anything to find out for sure.  Such is usually an indication that that person has reason to fear his eternal destiny though he may “feel” sure of heaven.

Finally, some who may read this may say, “Why check it out? I’m okay.”  First, you need to check because the Scriptures tell us to.  “Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith” Paul told the Corinthians.  Those who are really converted have nothing to fear by an honest, Biblical examination of their salvation.  Only the man-selling fake gold has anything to fear when a prospective buyer wants to have the gold tested before buying.  Remember, the only thing worse than no assurance is a false assurance.  What could be worse than to spend your whole life thinking that you were on your way to heaven, only to arrive at the judgment and hear Jesus say, “Depart from me, for I never knew you”?  The matter of eternity is too important to go though this life unsure of your ultimate outcome.

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Preface to the Study

Those who hold to the doctrines of grace are often accused of not being evangelistic.  We are told that the idea that God predestined some to be saved before the foundation of the world precludes any need for evangelism.  But nothing could be farther from the truth.  The apostle Paul provides a perfect example.  In Romans 9, he advances the strongest explanation of election found in the scriptures.  There can be no doubt that Paul believed in God’s sovereign choice in election!  But he follows this explanation with a reminder of the reality of human responsibility in Romans 10, culminating with “How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?”

God’s election does not remove our responsibility; it assures our success when we share.  It does not promise that all will respond to the gospel and come to faith, but it does promise that some will.  And that God uses our sharing the gospel as a means for bringing them to faith.

In this issue, we have attempted to provide some of the best reformed thinking on the issue of evangelism.  The articles by Pink and Spurgeon remind us of our responsibility in sharing the gospel.  Both men stood against the twin foes of Arminianism and Hyper-Calvinism in their day to preach the gospel to all who would hear.  They believed that their responsibility was to be obedient to the one who had saved them.  They believed that the results were in the hands of a sovereign, merciful God.

The articles by Watson, Bridge, and Brooks are intended to stir those who have received God’s grace to become instruments of His grace in bringing others to Christ.   We have also include a list of books that might be helpful for you, both in coming to a more biblical approach to evangelism, and in providing booklets to give to those who are interested.  Finally, we have included on article by Thomas Boston, “Ye Must Be Born Again,” for those who are seeking to come to the knowledge of Christ.  May God use these resources in all our lives to bring many others into His glorious kingdom!

By His Grace, Jim

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