Do Calvinists Believe that
You Can Not Be Assured of Your Salvation?
Dear Reader,
As a Calvinist, I would have to say that the entire system
is horribly misunderstood by the vast majority of Christians. But we must move one discussion-point at a
time. The other day in class, a fellow
classmate made a very brief passing comment on the fact that Calvinists “don’t
believe that you can really know if you are saved…” This comment stopped me in my tracks, but I began to reflect on
how important it is that we as Calvinists need to show those around us: 1) We
must understand for ourselves what the confessions and writings of our
predecessors have to say on this subject, and 2) We need to take those answers
and share them with our friends when the subject does come up. The worst thing that can happen is to have
your beliefs mis-represented but then have no answer for what you should
believe regarding assurance. I have
enclosed these brief various writings so that you may help others around you to
be assured of their salvation and calling.
Hoping for your assurance,
Your brother,
Adam
The Westminster Confession
CHAPTER XVIII.
Of the Assurance of Grace
and Salvation.
I. Although hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions: of being in the favor of God and estate of salvation; which hope of theirs shall perish: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God: which hope shall never make them ashamed.
II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probably persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God; which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.
III. 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 ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grievth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.
Helping People Have the Assurance of Salvation
By John Piper
August 5, 1999
FULL ASSURANCE IS GOD'S WILL FOR
US. "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence
so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end." Hebrews 6:11
ASSURANCE IS PARTIALLY SUSTAINED BY
OBJECTIVE EVIDENCES FOR CHRISTIAN TRUTH. "To [his apostles] He also
presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days." Acts 1:3
ASSURANCE CANNOT NEGLECT THE
PAINFUL WORK OF SELF-EXAMINATION. "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?" 2 Corinthians 13:5
ASSURANCE WILL DIMINISH IN THE
PRESENCE OF CONCEALED SIN. "When I kept silent about my sin,
my body wasted away through my groaning all day long." Psalm 32:3
ASSURANCE COMES FROM HEARING THE
WORD OF CHRIST. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the
word of Christ." Romans 10:17
"These have been written so that
you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing
you may have life in His name." John 20:31
REPEATED FOCUSING ON THE
SUFFICIENCY OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS CRUCIAL FOR ASSURANCE. "Since we
have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere
heart in full assurance of faith." Hebrews 10:21-22
WE MUST PRAY FOR EYES TO SEE THE
TRUTHS THAT SUSTAIN ASSURANCE. "I pray that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what
are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the
surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." Ephesians
1:18-19
ASSURANCE IS NOT EASILY
MAINTAINED IN PERSONAL ISOLATION. "And the eye cannot say to the
hand, 'I have no need of you.'" 1 Corinthians 12:21
ASSURANCE IS NOT DESTROYED BY
GOD'S DISPLEASURE AND DISCIPLINE. "Do not rejoice over me, O my
enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a
light for me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned
against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring
me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness." Micah 7:8-9
WE MUST OFTEN WAIT PATIENTLY FOR
THE RETURN OF ASSURANCE. "I waited patiently for the LORD;
and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of
destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my
footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:1-3
ASSURANCE IS A FIGHT TO THE DAY
WE DIE. "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal
life." 1 Timothy 6:12
"I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the course, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
ASSURANCE IS FINALLY A GIFT OF
THE SPIRIT. "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that
we are children of God." Romans 8:16
"The one
who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself... And the
testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son." 1 John 5:10-11
Are You Born
Again?
by J. C. Ryle
Are you born again? This is one of life's most important
questions. Jesus Christ said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
It is not enough to reply, "I belong to the church; I
suppose I'm a Christian." Thousands of nominal Christians show none of the
signs of being born again which the Scriptures have given us—many listed in the
First Epistle of John.
No Habitual
Sinning
First of all, John
wrote: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin" (I John 3:9).
"Whosoever is born of God sinneth not" (5:18).
A person who has been born again, or regenerated, does not
habitually commit sin. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole
inclination. There was probably a time when he did not think about whether his
actions were sinful or not, and he did not always feel grieved after doing
evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin; they were friends. But the true
Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his
greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under
its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it. Sin no longer
pleases him, nor is it even a matter of indifference to him; it has become a
horrible thing which he hates. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within
him.
If he said that he had no sin, he would be lying (I John
1:8). But he can say that he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is
not to commit sin at all. He cannot prevent bad thoughts from entering his mind,
or shortcomings, omissions, and defects from appealing in both his words and
his actions. He knows that "in many things we offend all" (James
3:2). But he can truly say, in the sight of God, that these things cause him
grief and sorrow and that his whole nature does not consent to them. What
would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Believing in
Christ
Second, John wrote:
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I John
5:1).
A man who is born again, or regenerated, believes that
Jesus Christ is the only Saviour who can pardon his soul, that He is the divine
person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose, and beside Him there
is no Saviour at all. In himself he sees nothing but unworthiness. But he has
full confidence in Christ, and trusting in Him, he believes that his sins are
all forgiven. He believes that, because he has accepted Christ's finished work
and death on the cross, he is considered righteous in God's sight, and he may
look forward to death and judgment without alarm.
He may have fears and doubts. He may sometimes tell you
that he feels as if he had no faith at all. But ask him if he is willing to
trust in anything instead of Christ, and see what he will say. Ask him if he
will rest his hope of eternal life on his own goodness, his own works, his
prayers, his minister, or his church, and listen to his reply. What would
the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Practicing
Righteousness
Third, John wrote:
"Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him" (I John 2:29).
The man who is born again, or regenerated, is a holy man.
He endeavors to live according to God's will, to do the things that please God
and to avoid the things that God hates. He wishes to continually look to Christ
as his example as well as his Saviour and to prove himself to be Christ's
friend by doing whatever He commands. He knows he is not perfect. He is
painfully aware of his indwelling corruption. He finds an evil principle within
himself that is constantly warring against grace and trying to draw him away
from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence.
Though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions
whether or not he is a Christian at all, he will be able to say with John Newton,
"I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I
hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by
the grace of God I am what I am." What would the apostle say about you?
Are you born again?
Loving Other
Christians
Fourth, John wrote:
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren" (I John 3:14).
A man who is born again has a special love for all true
disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all men with a great
general love, but he has a special love for those who share his faith in
Christ. Like his Lord and Saviour, he loves the worst of sinners and could weep
over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never
so much at home as when he is in their company.
He feels they are all members of the same family. They are
his fellow soldiers, fighting against the same enemy. They are his fellow
travelers, journeying along the same road. He understands them, and they
understand him. They may be very different from himself in many ways—in rank,
in station and in wealth. But that does not matter. They are his Father's sons
and daughters and he cannot help loving them. What would the apostle say
about you? Are you born again?
Overcoming the
World
Fifth, John wrote:
"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (I John 5:4).
A man who is born again does not use the world's opinion as his standard of right and wrong. He does not mind going against the world's ways, ideas and customs. What men think or say no longer concerns him. He overcomes the love of the world. He finds no pleasure in things which seem to bring happiness to most people. To him they seem foolish and unworthy of an immortal being.
He loves God's praise more than man's praise. He fears
offending God more than offending man. It is unimportant to him whether he is
blamed or praised; his first aim is to please God. What would the apostle
say about you? Are you born again?
Keeping Oneself
Pure
Sixth, John wrote:
"He that is begotten of God keepeth himself' (I John 5:18).
A man who is born again is careful of his own soul. He
tries not only to avoid sin but also to avoid everything which may lead to it.
He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that evil communications
corrupt the heart and that evil is more catching than good, just as disease is
more infectious than health. He is careful about the use of his time; his chief
desire is to spend it profitable.
He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country—to
wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to
be watchful, humble, prayerful man. What would the apostle say about you? Are
you born again?
The Test
These are the six great marks of a born again Christian.
There is a vast difference in the depth and distinctness of
these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticeable.
In others they are bold, plain and unmistakable, so anyone may read them. Some
of these marks are more visible than others in each individual. Seldom are all
equally evident in any one person.
But still, after every allowance, here we find boldly
painted six marks of being born of God.
How should we react to these things? We can logically come
to only one conclusion—only those who are born again have these six
characteristics, and those who do not have these marks are not born again. This
seems to be the conclusion to which the apostle intended us to come. Do you
have these characteristics? Are you born again?
Augustus
Toplady
It has long been a settled point with me, that the Scriptures make a wide
distinction between faith, the assurance of faith, and the full assurance of
faith.
1. Faith is the hand by which we embrace or touch, or reach toward, the garment
of Christ's righteousness, for our own justification.-Such a soul is
undoubtedly safe.
2. Assurance I consider as the ring which God puts, upon faith's finger.-Such a
soul is not only safe, but also comfortable and happy.
Nevertheless, as a finger may exist without wearing a ring, so faith may be
real without the superadded gift of assurance. We must either admit this, or
set down the late excellent Mr. Hervey (among a multitude of others) for an
unbeliever. No man, perhaps, ever contended more earnestly for the doctrine of
assurance than he, and yet I find him expressly declaring as follows:
"What I wrote, concerning a firm faith in God's most precious promises,
and a humble trust that we are the objects of his tender love, is what I desire
to feel, rather than what I actually experience." The truth is, as another
good man expresses it, "A weak hand may tie the marriageknot; and a feeble
faith may lay bold on a strong Christ.
Moreover, assurance after it has been vouchsafed to the soul may be lost. Peter
no doubt lost his assurance, and sinned it away, when he denied Christ. He did
not, however, lose the principle of faith; for Christ had before-hand prayed,
concerning him, that his faith itself might not fail: and Christ could not
possibly pray in vain. -- A wife may lose her wedding-ring. But that does not
dissolve her marriage relation She continues a lawful wife still. And yet she
is not easy until she find her ring again.
3. Full assurance I consider as the brilliant, or cluster of brilliants, which
adorns the ring, and renders it incomparably more beautiful and valuable. Where
the diamond of full assurance is thus set in the gold of faith, it diffuses its
rays of love, joy, peace, and holiness, with a lustre which leaves no room for
doubt or darkness.While these high and unclouded consolations remain, the
believer's felicity is only inferior to that of angels, or of saints made
perfect above.
4. After all, I apprehend that the very essence of assurance lies in communion
with God. While we feel the sweetness of his inward presence, we cannot doubt
of our interest in his tender mercies. So long as the Lord speaks comfortably
to our hearts, our affections are on fire, our views are clear, and our faces
shine. It is when we come down from the mount, and when we mix with the world
again, that we are in danger of losing that precious sense of his love, which
is the strength of saints militant, and the joy of souls triumphant.
But let not trembling believers forget that faith, strictly so called, is
neither more nor less than a receiving of Christ, for ourselves in particular,
as our only possible propitiation, righteousness, and Saviour: John i. 12. --
Hast thou so received Christ? Thou art a believer, to all the purposes of
safety. -- And it deserves special notice that our Lord calls the centurion's
faith "great faith;" though it rose no higher than to make him say
"Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.'.' Matt. viii. 8-10.
The case likewise of the Canaanitish woman is full to the present point. Her
cry was, "Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, thou Son of David!" And, a little
after, -Lord, help me!" Jesus at first gave her a seeming repulse: but her
importunity continued, and she requested only the privilege of a dog, viz., to
eat of the crumbs which fell from the master's table. What were our Saviour's
answer and our Saviour's remark? An answer and a remark which ought to make
every broken sinner take down his harp from the willows: -- "O woman,
great is thy faith." Matt. x. 22-28.
5. The graces which the blessed Spirit implants in our hearts (and the grace of
faith among the rest) resemble a sun-dial; which is of little service except
when the sun shines upon it. The Holy Ghost must shine upon the graces he has
given, or they will leave us at a loss (in point of spiritual comfort), and be
unable to tell us where-abouts we are. May he, day by day, rise upon our souls
with healing in his beams! Then shall we be filled with all joy and peace in
believing, and abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Rom. xv.
13.
6. Are there any weak in faith who come under the denomination of bruised reeds
and smoking flax? Let them know that God will take care of them. The former will
not be broken: the latter shall not be quenched. Bless God for any degree of
faith; even though it be as the smallest of all seeds, sooner or later it will
surely expand into a large and fruitful tree.However, stop not here; but, as
the apostle advises, covet earnestly the best gifts: and the gift of assurance,
yea, of fullest assurance among the rest. The stronger you are in faith, the
more glory you will give to God, both in lip and life. Lord, increase our
faith! Amen.
END
This following text was extracted from The Complete Works of Augustus Toplady
(1794; re-released in America by Sprinkle Publications in 1987) pp. 441-442.
The electronic edition of this text was scanned and edited by Shane Rosenthal
from Reformation Ink. It is in the public domain and may be freely copied and
distributed.
All of the above writings were obtained from http://www.monergism.com
I am in love with this website, and could probably look all day without running out of stuff to read.