# What is "assurance" of grace and salvation?



## nwink (Dec 9, 2011)

I've been doing some thinking and reading lately on the topic of assurance, related to WCF chapter 18 on the assurance of grace and salvation. In my reading (such as commentaries on the WCF, Joel Beeke, etc), I see that more is attributed to the term "assurance" than just simply "I am assured that I am saved" (which seems to be the common evangelical understanding of "assurance").

In an article by Joel Beeke (http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj5c.pdf), he says, "personal assurance of salvation is recognizable by its fruits: a close life of fellowship with God; a tender, filial relationship marked with childlike obedience; a thirsting after God and spiritual exercises that extol Him; a longing to glorify Him by the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Where assurance abounds, mission-mindedness prevails. Assured believers pray for and anticipate revival, view heaven as their home, and long for the Second Advent of Christ and their translation to glory (2 Tim 4:6-8). Assurance, like salvation, is double-sided. It is the summit of intimacy by which the believer both knows Christ and knows he is known by Him. Assurance is not a self-given persuasion, but a Spirit-applied certainty which moves the Christian God-ward through Christ."

Basically, I'm going to be teaching a SS class on "assurance," and I know some in the class aren't very theologically-minded...and might be confused thinking, "Well, I have assurance I'm a Christian, so how would some of those things be the fruit of assurance if I already have assurance that I'm a Christian? Wouldn't I be manifesting more of that fruit since I do have assurance that I'm a Christian? How could I get more assurance than I already have as an assured Christian? How is this relevant to me as an assured Christian?"

The way I'm thinking to answer, besides showing the importance that we not be resting our assurance in some dangerous ground, is that "assurance" is knowing Christ and knowing he knows us as being one of his people. Assurance involves primarily looking at and resting on Christ even more, and secondarily meditation and self-examination to see if I am walking as one who has fellowship with the Son and the Father....and the more I see these things growing in my life as I grow and mature as a believer, the greater joy that brings me.

I don't know if my question is making sense. I'm basically asking what "assurance" means. How can I, by definition, explain that we can grow in assurance to people who think that assurance is just something you have that doesn't grow? I know it's more than simply "I'm assured that I'm saved," but what more is it? (I'll be developing some of these questions in teaching on the WCF, but I want a solid definition of "assurance" to start with)

Later thought: _Is it accurate to say the following_: that assurance grows or can be hindered...and that we desire to have "maximal" assurance. Basically, a "maximal" assurance is directly related to Christian growth...it is being more assured of the promises of God and salvation...and experientially seeing more fruit of sanctification in our lives. So is to say we should "grow in assurance" and that it is our "duty" (WCF 18.3), to be somewhat saying the same thing as that we should grow in sanctification? I mean, I know the terms have different meaning, but is that nor more or less what we are doing?


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## Semper Fidelis (Dec 9, 2011)

Nathan,

I think these WLC questions provide a good basis to help people understand sanctification's progressive nature in believers and how assurance is not of the essence of saving faith:



> Q. 75. What is sanctification?
> A. Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit314 applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them,315 renewed in their whole man after the image of God;316 having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts,317 and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened,318 as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.319
> 
> Q. 76. What is repentance unto life?
> ...


This is also helpful:


> Q. 167. How is our baptism to be improved by us?
> A. The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others;1068 by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein;1069 by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements;1070 by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament;1071 by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace;1072 and by endeavoring to live by faith,1073 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness,1074 as those that have therein given up their names to Christ;1075 and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.1076


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## nwink (Dec 9, 2011)

Semper Fidelis said:


> I think these WLC questions provide a good basis to help people understand sanctification's progressive nature in believers and how assurance is not of the essence of saving faith:


Thank you for those quotes, Rich. Would it be accurate to say that sanctification and growing-in-assurance go hand-in-hand, in that they are essentially performing the same function in the believer's life? Would it be accurate to say that objective assurance is of the essence of saving faith but not subjective assurance?


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## jwithnell (Dec 9, 2011)

Since the confession notes that some may lag in their assurance for a season, it's a good bet that at least someone in your class will be struggling with his being in Christ. This is particularly painful in reformed circles if someone recognizes God's sovereignty and doubts his own genuine conversion in Christ. A dear friend of mine grew up in a Dutch Reformed church that taught virtually no-one can be assured and consequently only a few elders and an old lady or two were admitted to the Lord's table. It's possible you'll have now, or at some future date, someone carrying this kind of baggage. I have found this book to be extremely helpful : RC Ryle: Assurance


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## KMK (Dec 9, 2011)

Here are some good resources:



> An Exposition of the Assembly's
> Shorter Catechism
> by John Flavel
> 
> ...





> Body of Divinity
> Contained in
> Sermons upon the Assembly's Catechism
> by the
> ...



Also, you can find great stuff on assurance in Thomas Boston's Works, Vol II, Pg. 16. It is available for free at Googlebooks.


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## moral necessity (Dec 9, 2011)

I think it would be important to read this article by Joel Beeke. http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj5c.pdf

Many Post-Reformed divines, (including the WCF and WLC), write to deal with the experiential aspect of assurance, or the "secondary grounds" of assurance, rather than the "primary grounds", as Calvin and the early Reformers did, who taught assurance as the essence of faith. There can be harmony here when it is understood which they are talking about.

Blessings!

Oh, I just noticed that this was the article you were referencing to begin with. Glad you have it available!


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