Skip to content

Assurance without presumption

The gospel is meant to give assurance. "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" (1 John 5:13). The Christian is not called to live in perpetual uncertainty about whether God loves him.

But assurance is not presumption. Presumption says, "I am safe, so I need not examine myself." Assurance says, "I am loved, so I want to live in the light." The first is blind; the second is watchful.

This page sets out a biblical account of assurance: its ground, its evidence, and its posture.

The ground of assurance

The ground of assurance is not our performance. It is the finished work of Christ and the promises of God:

  • The cross: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1).
  • The resurrection: "He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Rom 4:25).
  • The intercession: "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" (Heb 7:25).
  • The promise: "Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
  • The seal: "You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance" (Eph 1:13-14).

If assurance were grounded in our performance, it would rise and fall with our performance. It would be strongest when we are doing well and weakest when we are struggling — which is exactly backwards. The ground is Christ, who does not change.

The evidence of assurance

The ground is Christ; the evidence is the Spirit's work in us. The New Testament gives several evidences:

  1. Faith in Christ (1 John 5:1). Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?
  2. Love for the brothers (1 John 3:14). Do you love the people of God, in deed and truth?
  3. Obedience (1 John 2:3-6). Is there a direction of obedience in your life?
  4. Confession of sin (1 John 1:9). Do you agree with God about your sin?
  5. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Is the character of Christ growing in you?
  6. The Spirit's witness (Rom 8:16). Do you know God as Father, and do you cry to him?
  7. Perseverance (Matt 24:13; Heb 3:14). Are you still believing, still running, still holding fast?

The evidence is not the ground. It is the fruit that grows from the root. But it is real, and it is meant to be seen.

The posture of assurance

Assurance is not a mood; it is a posture. It is confidence in Christ combined with watchfulness about oneself.

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Cor 13:5)

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." (2 Pet 1:10)

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." (Heb 3:12)

These are not the words of a pastor who wants his people to be miserable. They are the words of a pastor who knows that assurance can be counterfeited and that the heart is deceitful. The call to examine yourself is a call to honesty, not a call to morbid introspection.

False assurance

False assurance has several forms:

1. The past-tense assurance

"I prayed the prayer when I was twelve, so I know I'm saved." The past event is real, but it is not the whole story. The New Testament calls for present faith, present repentance, present abiding.

2. The doctrinal assurance

"I believe in eternal security, so I know I'm saved." Believing a doctrine is not the same as believing in Christ. A person can be orthodox and unregenerate.

3. The emotional assurance

"I feel so close to God." Feelings are gifts, but they are not the foundation. A person can feel close to God while living in disobedience, and a person can feel distant while trusting Christ.

4. The comparative assurance

"I am not as bad as those people." The standard is Christ, not the neighbor. Comparative righteousness is a form of self-righteousness.

5. The once-for-all assurance

"I was baptized, confirmed, or joined the church, so I am safe." The sacraments are means of grace, not insurance policies. They do not replace faith and repentance.

True assurance

True assurance has a different texture:

  • It rests on Christ, not on itself. "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12).
  • It is humble. It knows that the heart is deceitful and that it needs the Spirit's searchlight.
  • It is watchful. It takes the warnings seriously.
  • It is fruitful. It produces love, obedience, and repentance.
  • It is corporate. It is nourished in the community of faith, not in isolation.
  • It is hopeful. It looks forward to the day when faith becomes sight.

Assurance can be lost and regained

The Bible does not teach that a believer can never lose assurance. David prays, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation" (Ps 51:12). The author of Hebrews warns against "shrinking back" (10:38-39). Peter's denial cost him his assurance, and Jesus restored him.

The loss of assurance is not the loss of salvation. It is a wake-up call. The remedy is not to suppress the doubt but to bring it into the light: confess, repent, return to the means of grace, and look again to Christ.

A practical examination

When you examine yourself, do not ask, "Am I perfect?" Ask:

  1. Do I believe the gospel? Not "Do I believe in belief?" but "Do I trust Christ?"
  2. Is there fruit? Not "Am I impressive?" but "Is the Spirit producing his character?"
  3. Is there repentance? Not "Am I sinless?" but "Do I turn back when I fall?"
  4. Is there love? Not "Am I nice?" but "Do I love the brothers in deed and truth?"
  5. Is there perseverance? Not "Have I never doubted?" but "Am I still running?"
  6. Is there the Spirit's witness? Not "Do I feel goosebumps?" but "Do I know God as Father?"

If the answers are mixed, do not panic. The Christian life is a mixture of faith and doubt, obedience and failure, joy and grief. The question is whether the overall direction is toward Christ.

Assurance and the warnings

The warnings are not the enemy of assurance; they are its guardrails. A person who ignores the warnings is not assured; he is presumptuous. A person who takes the warnings seriously is not insecure; he is wise.

The warnings say, "Do not drift." Assurance says, "You are held." Both are true. The person who holds them together is the person who abides.

A prayer

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. I do not trust in my own faithfulness; I trust in yours. Give me the assurance of your Spirit, the evidence of your fruit, and the humility to examine myself. Keep me abiding in Christ, and when I fall, bring me back. Amen.

See also