# Assurance of eternal life



## Bob.Huuton (Jul 29, 2013)

One of the arguments raised against reformed theology alleges that it robs Christians of assurance of Heaven. They reason that if a person is not sure he is one of the elect then he may well not have such assurance of eternal life.

However, I would counter this by saying that assurance is not based upon believing that "I'm one of the elect" but is based upon the promises of Christ particularly in John's Gospel viz. John 3 v 16 (whoever believes in Him has eternal life) John 5 v 24 (...and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life") and John 6 v 37 (I will never drive away anyone who comes to me).

Have any other board members come across this objection to reformed theology and how have they countered it?


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## rookie (Jul 29, 2013)

1 John is a great book to read to examine yourself to test and see if you are within the faith. One verse that is a favorite is also 1 John 5:13. Any Christian will produce fruit of salvation. Some less than others and some grow cold after a while, but come back. The thing to avoid for salvation is "I have made a decision for Christ". Often (though not a universal rule) these decisions are just that, decisions, and are almost never permanent. 

When someone asks me about my salvation, I point out, that I never would have wanted it, and Christ saved me despite my actions, and that my conscience is keeping me hostage with his commandments...(fighting the flesh all the time).


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## Andres (Jul 29, 2013)

Bob.Huuton said:


> One of the arguments raised against reformed theology alleges that it robs Christians of assurance of Heaven.



Really?? I would think it to be the opposite since reformed theology espouses the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Jul 29, 2013)

Well, there is a fine book (some of my objections withstanding, that I'll not bother to entertain here other than to say that the authors stamp the entire Puritan movement with a uniform stamp that it doesn't deserve as best I can see) is Dr. Englesma and Hanko, "The Holy Spirit." They put a definitive answer to the subject toward the last 1/3 of the book. I was very edified. The Canons of Dordt are extraordinary on the subject. Westminster keeps the hope very warm and fresh in its thoughtful remarks.

Some within Puritanism held it out of reach not only for themselves but for most everyone. If you read Thomas Brooks on it, it is just a painful. Maybe that this where the objections are coming from, because otherwise their objection makes precious little sense. The doctrines of Grace are the only place one can find true assurance of salvation.


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## JimmyH (Jul 29, 2013)

1 John 5: 13 - These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Collosians 1: 12 - Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Ephesians 1: 13 - In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Romans 8: 16 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:


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## Elizabeth (Jul 29, 2013)

Bob.Huuton said:


> Have any other board members come across this objection to reformed theology and how have they countered it?



Oh my. Yes, I have.

Some Lutherans(you hear this on Issues, etc. a lot)are always going on about how the Reformed have no assurance that they are of the elect. But, the Lutheran confession have some fairly strong language both on election and perseverance and assurance. When I point this out, they just babble on about how Reformed(Lutherans tend to put every 'other' in this category, save for EO and Rome) people are always trying to earn their salvation, and cannot KNOW they are of the Faith, etc, etc. 

But, be that as it may, some Lutherans also say that a person can lose his faith if he is not careful. So they don't have assurance, either.

It's very interesting being a 3FU person in a Lutheran church. But, in our particular LCMS church, we don't get too much of this stuff. I think my pastor has referred to the 'reformed' only once, but it was on the subject of assurance. 

I don't try to counter it at church. Talking with folks, sometimes. I just point to the Lutheran confessions that deal with these issues.


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## Alan D. Strange (Jul 29, 2013)

Assurance comes from the exercise of faith. And faith involves (WLC 72) not only an assent to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but also receives and rests in Christ. In other words,, saving faith has trust as its completing element. 

Thus it is as we trust Him--looking away from all that we are, and have, and do and looking to Christ alone--that we gain and grow in assurance. Assurance never precedes but always follows faith. We may wait long for the increase of assurance but it comes through a continued looking to Christ. 

Now someone may see, "but I thought our assurance was based on the person and work of Christ." Indeed, that is the ground of our acceptance with God and thus the ground of our assurance. Faith is merely the empty hand that appropriates this. Faith is that extraspective looking away from ourselves to the person and work of Christ, placing all of our hope and trust in Him alone. Faith is the confession that we can't do what only He could and did do and that all our reliance and dependence is on Him.

As we reflect on the exercise of faith (and all the other things that always accompany it--like repentance--or are its fruits--like good works), we recognize that all of this is God's gift to us. And if He has been pleased to give us the gift of faith, we are His. We are His elect. Because we were dead in trespasses and sin, the only way that we could come to life and exercise faith in Christ is because He enabled us to do so. This means that we are His elect. Thus election is not come at directly but reflexively. And, as Andrew implied, because we are such, we can never fall away. As Spurgeon said, "We may fall many times on the deck of the ship of life, but we'll never fall overboard."

WCF 3.8 does tell us that election may afford special comfort to us (it is never meant to be an object of speculation--"Am I elect?"--but of thanksgiving for such). This ties in with WCF 17 and 18 on perseverance and assurance. WCF 18.2 comforts us that we may have "an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation." If we trust Him for that salvation, we can come to enjoy, and ought to seek to enjoy, "an infallible assurance of faith founded" on Christ the Rock. Why is my salvation certain? Because Christ has purchased it for me and it cannot fade: The Father will not deny him for whom the Son died (to do so would be to deny the Son); the Son's work on my behalf cannot fail of its purposes (to do so would be for Christ's life and death for me to be in vain); and the Spirit's application must be for the same ones eternally elected and for whom Christ died (otherwise, God would be at cross-purposes with Himself). 

All this is to say that given what God has done for me, I am His and He is mine. My assurance comes and grows as I trust Him for all of that. When I look doubtfully on Him and the great work that He has done for me, my assurance diminishes. If I start questioning my election, or whether Christ died for me, assurance abates. It's as I look to Him, however, that I grow in faith and trust and thus grow in assurance. 

Peace,
Alan


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## deleteduser99 (Jul 29, 2013)

The ironic thing is that the Roman Catholic church condemned the Reformers because of their doctrines of assurance. If my understanding is correct, the RC teaches that only by special revelation could you know if your place in heaven was secure; barring that, you just have to wait.


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## sevenzedek (Jul 29, 2013)

Bob.Huuton said:


> One of the arguments raised against reformed theology alleges that it robs Christians of assurance of Heaven. They reason that if a person is not sure he is one of the elect then he may well not have such assurance of eternal life.
> 
> However, I would counter this by saying that assurance is not based upon believing that "I'm one of the elect" but is based upon the promises of Christ particularly in John's Gospel viz. John 3 v 16 (whoever believes in Him has eternal life) John 5 v 24 (...and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life") and John 6 v 37 (I will never drive away anyone who comes to me).
> 
> Have any other board members come across this objection to reformed theology and how have they countered it?



I think the faulty view that leads to this misunderstanding may be rooted in a misunderstanding of what the real ground and nature of our faith is. 

The ground of our faith is seen to be a decision that we exercise by prevenient grace. In this way, faith becomes a decision that we exercise by an intrinsic ability that God gives _everyone_ before they are saved. The way the objector understands the reformed doctrine of election is interpreted through this lens. They see an inconsistency in our doctrine. The inconsistency is real; on their part. If their authority to believe (which is already cemented and presupposed in their mind) is removed from the believer, how can one have an assurance of salvation when they don't know who the elect are? The doctrine of election removes the basis of their assurance out from underneath their faith and leaves them without any basis for it. It becomes scary for them real quick! Therefore, in their mind, the reformed doctrine of election must be false. They are actually trying to see the veracity of their faith as the basis of their assurance rather than Christ Himself.

I went through this when I finally saw that this doctrine was true in the bible. How was I to know if I was among the elect? It was terrifying. Then I realized, Christ (the surety of God's promises to me) is the basis of my faith; not my decision. If assurance is based upon the strength of my faith, then I am doomed. My faith is weak, but praise be to God that Christ is strong on my behalf.

The reformed basis of assurance is not knowing the secret things of God; i.e. who elect are. We look neither to ourselves nor to our faith for assurance. The basis of our assurance is Christ Himself; the one who purchased all the promises of God for us on our behalf. Seen in this way, our assurance comes by looking to Him rather than the secret things of God or the veracity of our faith.

Of course, scripture references could be given if time permitted, but I think this is the thinking behind such objections.


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