Can anyone really know for sure? by Richard W. De Haan
Is it possible for you to know that your sins are forgiven? Can you
be sure that you are on your way to heaven? What about the fear of
judgment and the frightening possibility of going to hell? Can you know
without any doubt that God has saved you from the eternal consequences
of sin?
This booklet, written by Kurt De Haan, takes a look at what the
Bible has to say in response to such questions. The specific focus of
attention for this study will be the words of the apostle John from his
first letter, which addresses this issue of assurance of salvation. It
is our prayer that as you read these pages you will discover the
answers you need.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
Do you like spinach? What about prime rib? Would you like to visit
the South Pole? Are you optimistic about the nation's economy? If
people were polled on these types of questions, they would give one of
three different answers:
YES
NO
UNDECIDED
In the same way, opinions about whether or not a person can be sure
of going to heaven fall into one of these three categories. Some people
say yes, others say no, and still others are undecided.
The ideas listed below represent variations of these three possible
answers when people were asked about their hope for eternal life. See
if you can identify with any of their responses.
Not worrying. "I think it's a waste of time to worry about whether
or not I'm going to heaven. There's no way to know for sure. I won't
know until I die."
Fearing the worst. "It seems like I'm always failing God. And when I
do, I'm afraid I'm going to end up in hell after all."
Trusting God's promises. "I'm sure I'm on my way to heaven because
of verses like John 5:24. I put my confidence in the promises of God's
Word."
Remembering a day. "I know I'm going to heaven because I remember
the day I prayed to receive Christ into my life."
Leaving it up to God. "I would never dare to say I am going to
heaven. That's up to God to decide."
Feeling unworthy. "Sometimes I feel that God loves me and is going
to take me to heaven. But when I'm depressed, I feel unworthy and
hopeless."
Depending on God's love. "If God is as loving as people say He is,
He won't send anyone to hell."
Replacing feelings with facts. "Knowing I'm saved isn't based on
feelings but on facts. I believe the Bible has those facts."
Trying to be a good person. "I'm trying hard to be a decent person.
I treat others as I want them to treat me. Isn't that the kind of
person God wants me to be? If I follow Christ's example of love, I'm
sure I'll be okay on judgement day."
YOUR TURN
Suppose someone were to ask you if you are sure of your salvation.
What would you say? Why? If you answer yes, then the theme of this
booklet should be no surprise to you. The following pages, though, will
help you to evaluate your reasons for being sure of heaven and
encourage you to rely on the truths of God's Word.
If, however, you answer no or undecided, then you need to be
cautioned: This booklet will challenge you to think through the issues.
It is designed to offer biblical answers to help you sort out the facts
and evaluate your feelings.
Blueprint for Assurance
How can you know anything for sure? For example, if you lived in a
region prone to earthquakes, how could you be sure that the place you
called home wouldn't collapse today or tomorrow? It would be reassuring
to examine the blueprint of the house or apartment building where you
live and find that the foundation, walls, and roof were designed to be
strong and trustworthy -- even able to withstand a severe earthquake.
In a similar way, how do you know your hope of heaven will hold up
when God's earth-shattering judgment comes? It would be reassuring to
have some evidence that your hope is not merely wishful thinking. Such
evidence is available to us. The New Testament letter of 1 John
describes the evidences that can give us strong assurance. If we
picture those evidences as elements of a blueprint, we will see how
each part adds strength to the complete structure.
The six elements that are described in John's blueprint for
assurance are:
* The Bible's Authority
* Christ's work
* Your Faith in Christ
* Your Obedience to Christ
* Your Love for Other Christians
* The Spirit's Assurance
The diagram that we will be using throughout this study pictures the
logical progression of truths that are essential for one to be able to
say he is sure of his salvation. The foundation on which our other
reasons for assurance must rest is the authority of God's Word.
Standing on the foundation are four supporting pillars. Each pillar
represents evidence that our salvation is secure. The finished work of
Christ and our personal faith in Him are solid reasons to have
assurance. The Bible also tells us that our obedience to Christ and our
love for fellow Christians are evidences of true, saving faith. The
capstone resting on the pillars is the inner assurance that the Holy
Spirit gives to us. The Spirit point to the truths of God's Word, the
sufficiency of Christ's work, the reality of our faith, and the
evidences of our obedience and love.
FOUNDATION: The Bible's Authority
A solid foundation is essential to any belief. Like a building, it
must be on unshakable ground. This was illustrated when a major power
company was erecting a nuclear power plant. Millions of dollars were
spent on the massive structure that would house the nuclear reactor.
But inspection showed the foundations to be inadequate. As a result,
the safety of the community was uncertain and the project had to be
abandoned.
God intends for Christians to be sure of their salvation. For that
reason, He has established a solid bedrock of truth -- the many
statements of assurance that are found in Scripture. One of the key
sections of the Bible that addresses this issue of bedrock certainty is
found in the New Testament letter of 1 John. The opening words of
John's epistle make his purpose very clear. He wrote:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the Word of Life -- the life was manifested, and we
have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which
was the Father and was manifested to us -- that which we have seen and
heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us;and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full (1 John
1:1-4).
The first things John wanted to establish was that everything he
wrote about Christ could be trusted. Second, he desired that his
readers would share with him in the joy of their salvation.
The apostle's words were appropriate not only for his first-century
readers but also for us today. Because of what God inspired John to
write in his first letter, we can know what it takes to please God and
we can be sure of forgiveness and peace with God.
As John was about to conclude his epistle, he again reminded his
readers to pay attention to what he had written. He told them:
These things I have written 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).
John let his readers know that what he recorded would give them
great assurance. From what the apostle has told us, as well as what we
read in the rest of Scripture, we know that the foundation for our
faith is found in the pages of God's inspired Word.
Assuring Words
* "And this is the will of Him who send Me, that everyone who sees
the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise
him up at the last day" (John 6:40).
* "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28).
* "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to
keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1:12). For
the purpose of our study in this booklet we will concentrate primarily
on the assuring truths that John mentioned in his short letter.
Thinking it Over. What happens to a house built on a sandy beach
when strong winds and high waters beat against it? Why don't emotional
feelings make a good foundation on which to build assurance of our
salvation? Have you had doubts about your relationship with God? Why do
tough circumstances have a way of making us doubt what God has said?
Are you now willing to accept the Bible as "bedrock" truth on which to
base the assurance of your salvation?
PILLAR 1: Christ's Work
If you were unemployed and owed $90, 000 to a bank, you would
probably feel that the situation was hopeless. But what if a
billionaire told you that he would cover your debt and deposit $1
million into your account? What more could you do to clear up your
debt? Nothing more than accept the gift and draw funds from the now
healthy bank account.
What about our spiritual account with God? Jesus had done all that
is necessary to provide complete salvation for every person who has
ever lived or ever will live. The huge debt of sin has been paid. And
that includes you, no matter how deeply or how often you have sinned.
It Satisfies God's Demands. The apostle John wrote that Jesus'
sacrifice was sufficient to meet God's holy demands for justice.
Because God is perfect, He cannot tolerate sin (1 John 1:5, 6). But
there is hope for sinful man. John stated:
And He Himself (Jesus Christ) is the propitiation for our sins, and
not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2).
The word propitiation carries the meaning of satisfying God's
justice. God's nature demanded that He do something about our sin. Yet
what He did was to show us mercy instead of the judgement we deserved.
God sent His only Son to take our sin upon Himself and become the
object of God's wrath against sin. If we have received Christ's offer
of forgiveness, then we are forgiven and no longer have to fear eternal
punishment for sin.
In the Old Testament, God said, "...it is the blood that makes
atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). The blood of animals could
never provide the all-sufficient sacrifice. The Old Testament
sacrifices pointed forward to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on
the cross.
It Is Finished. The great truth of 1 John concerning the all-
sufficient work of Jesus Christ is emphasized throughout the New
Testament. On the cross Jesus said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). he
knew that He had emptied the cup of God's wrath. His work was done. It
is so complete that god requires nothing more from us to be added to
that sacrifice -- no personal merit, no religious ritual, no exhausting
work. All we need to do is trust ourselves to Him!
It Is Offered to Us. John told us, "He who has the Son has life; he
who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12).
Jesus offers new spiritual life to all who will believe in Him (John
7:37, 38). Because Christ has defeated sin and death through His
atoning sacrifice and His victorious resurrection, we can be restored
to God. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ covers all our sin, gives us
acceptance with God, releases us from bondage, delivers us from wrath,
and enables us to stand unblemished in God's presence.
God wants you to rest on the finished work of Christ. His sacrifice
has infinite value. Salvation is available to all who will accept the
gift. The apostle Paul wrote:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
If we accept Christ's offer, we can exclaim with the apostle Paul,
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Thinking It Over. What have you been trusting to make yourself
acceptable to God and to help you gain entrance to heaven? Could you
pay the price for your sin by being good enough? Thank God for all He
has done for you to make your salvation possible.
PILLAR 2: Your Faith in Christ
If you wanted to fly from New York City to Paris, you would go to
the airport, buy a ticket, and get on the plane. It would not do you
any good to sit around the airport terminal saying, "Yes, I know the
airplane is trustworthy and the pilot is well-trained, and I will get
to paris is I get on board." You need to board the plane. It's not
enough simply to know the truth; you have to do something about it. The
same is true if you want to go to heaven.
What Is Faith? Faith involves a response to the truth we know about
Jesus Christ. When we speak of faith in Christ, we mean a personal
expression of trust and dependency on Him. It is not enough to
acknowledge intellectually that Jesus is the only One who can take us
to heaven. It is not enough to know that what He did was sufficient to
pay the penalty for our sin. We must put our trust in Him, accept His
offer, and place ourselves in His hands.
In 1 John 5:1 we read, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is
born of God." Your faith in Jesus Christ -- your belief that He is
indeed the Christ, the Son of God -- is what God requires for you to
become a member of His family.
John also told us, "...whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of
God, God abides in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:15). People may view
Jesus as the greatest man who ever lived, as the supreme example for us
to follow, or as the most impressive revealer of God's love. But if
they do not confess Him to be the Son of God, they are not saved.
What Does Faith Prove? Your belief in Jesus Christ is positive
evidence that the Holy Spirit has given you new life. A person who is
hostile or unreceptive to Christ shows no evidence of the Spirit's
life- giving activity. John wrote:
And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has
given us (1 John 3:24). By this you know the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God
(1 John 4:2).
The apostle Paul stated, "...no one can say that Jesus is Lord
except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Now, we all know that
anyone can say the words "Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1
Corinthians 12:3). But Paul is referring to move than just producing
these sounds. He means that no one can call Jesus "Lord" as the
expression of his deep inner conviction "except by the Holy Spirit".
Where Does This Leave You? Maybe you are troubled by the suspicion
that your profession of faith wasn't real. We have all seen examples of
this. A young man goes through the motions of accepting Christ because
a girl he wants to date has said she won't go out with him until he
become a Christian. Sometimes people profess faith in Jesus Christ in a
moment of deep emotional turmoil and then forget bout it the next
morning.
If you are not sure that your faith if real, evaluate why you feel
that way. It could be that your former expression of faith was indeed
shallow and not from the heart. It could be that you never really
understood all that Christ has done for you until now and you didn't
realize that you couldn't earn your way to heaven. If so, take time now
to put your trust completely in Christ for your salvation. Anchor your
faith on what the Bible tells us about Christ.
Maybe you can point back to a definite time in your life when you
sincerely decided to put your trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. If
so, your present doubts may be more a matter of unreliable feelings
than a dependable indicator of your true spiritual condition. In this
kind of situation, the fact that you are genuinely concerned is a very
encouraging sign.
If you acknowledged your sin and admitted your need of forgiveness,
and if you asked Him to save you, believing that Christ paid the
penalty for all your sins, you have done all that God requires. You can
be sure you are saved. Trust God's promise. Thank God for your
salvation. And when future doubts come, talk to God about them and
reflect on what the Bible has to say.
Thinking It Over. Do you believe that jesus Christ died on the cross
to pay for your sins? Are you trusting in His finished work for your
salvation? Are you resting on what the Bible says? If you can say yes
to those questions, what should you do when doubts about your salvation
begin to trouble you? If you have professed faith in Christ, have you
seen evidence in your life that you are a child of God?
PILLAR 3: Your Obedience to Christ
Some police departments have a canine division made up of dogs
specifically trained for police work. It is amazing to watch these
animals in action. The dogs have a special relationship with the person
they are trained to work with. They have a strong sense of loyalty, and
they respond quickly to their masters' orders. Whether they are walking
down the street or running after a criminal, there is no doubt who
these dogs belong to. The police dog's quick obedience to his master's
voice reveals his identity.
In a similar way, those who believe in Jesus Christ should be easily
identified by their obedience to their Lord and Master. This obedience
is marked by keeping His commands and by turning from sin.
Keeping His Commands. As we look again to 1 John, we read:
Now by this know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments (1
John 2:3).
This verse tells us that we who have accepted Jesus as our Savior
can be sure that our salvation is genuine because of our obedience to
Him.
Maybe you have a solid grasp of the doctrinal truth about the
finished work of Jesus Christ and you have accepted Him as your Savior,
but you still have times when you doubt that your faith is real -- but
you would like a little more tangible evidence. Well, here it is: Look
at your conduct! Apply the test, "Do I keep God's commandments?"
It shouldn't be hard for you to determine whether or not your life
is marked by obedience. We are not suggesting, of course, that you must
keep all of Christ's commandments perfectly. No one does. The apostle
John in this epistle had already spoken strongly against people who
say, "we have no sin" (1:8) and "we have not sinned" (1:10). He had
already told us about God's gracious provision of daily forgiveness and
cleansing through confession (1:9). Yet all the while he made it clear
that a believer's life is to be characterized by righteousness rather
than by sin. Take an honest assessment of your life. If you realize
that you do love the Lord Jesus and are walking in obedience to Him,
you may take that as an indication that you are born again.
Remember, you don't need to be perfect. And your salvation is not
based on obedience. But if you genuinely want to obey the commands of
Christ, and if you see evidence of your growth in holiness, you will
have one more reason to believe that you are truly saved.
Turning From Sin. The other side of our obedience to Christ is a
rejection of sin in our lives.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we
lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6).
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen
Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who
practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who
sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His
seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he born of God (1 John
3:6-9).
These verses may sound like John is saying that we must be perfectly
sinless before we can be sure of heaven. But that's not what he's
saying. His emphasis is that we who have professed faith in Christ have
passed from death to life, from darkness to light. If a person claims
to be Christian but continues to live in sin -- disobeying Christ's
commands and living like an unbeliever -- then such a person is
deceived.
A believer's life is not to be characterized by sin but by doing
what is right in God's eyes. In other words, what John was saying is
this: If you profess faith in Christ, then your life will show it. You
will not indulge in sinning as a way of life.
John had mentioned the cleansing that is available for Christians
who do sin (1 John 1:9). Although a Christian will sin, sin will not
have mastery over him and he will not give himself to a decadent way of
life (Romans 6:11-14).
Our obedience to Christ, then has its positive and negative aspects:
We are to keep Christ's commands, and we are to turn from sin. If our
lives are marked by this kind of obedience, it is another powerful
reason to be sure we belong to Christ.
Thinking It Over. When you read the Bible or hear it taught, are you
quick to obey God's commands? List some ways your life demonstrates
that you are a child of God, related to Jesus Christ. If you know you
have put your trust in Christ buy you have been walking disobediently,
ask God for forgiveness right now and express your new commitment to
obey Him.
PILLAR 4: Your Love for Other Christians
In many pursuits of life, people are bonded together by a love for
something, but not necessarily for each other. For instance, members of
a baseball team may not like each other, but they play together because
of their love for the game. Or members of an orchestra may never speak
to one another, but they meet together because of their love for music.
We Are Different. Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, though,
are to be different. We should love Him first and foremost, and we
should be drawn together by that common interest. But the bible says we
should go beyond that. We are not only to love Christ, but we are to
love one another. In fact, our love for fellow Christians is so
important that it is another reason on which we can base our assurance.
Look again at the words of 1 John:
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the
brethren...My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue,
but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth,
and shall assure our hearts before Him (1 John 3:14, 18,19).
John said that your love for other Christians will give you the
assurance that you are a member of God's family. This is a
characteristic that should be obvious to detect in your life. You may
have some uncertainty, though, about exactly what kind of love John had
in mind. The word love standing all by itself can mean many things to
many people. But when John spoke of our love for believers, he was
quite specific.
We Are a Family. John used to word love to describe the sense of
oneness that fellow believers have in Christ. Notice that he
specifically mentioned loving "the brethren", and that he used the term
brother six times (see vv. 13-17). True, the Bible makes it clear that
Christians are to have love for all mankind, desiring the salvation of
everyone. But the apostle John here was saying that our love for other
Christians is an evidence of salvation. He called our attention to the
fact that we are a family. We love one another in a special way because
we are brothers and sisters in Christ. The whole concept of
"fellowship" in this first epistle carries the idea of sharing. And
that sharing flows out of our sense of oneness in Christ.
Do you enjoy being with Christians? Do you derive pleasure from
talking with them about your common salvation? If so, you can take it
as further evidence that you are a child of God.
We Are To Be Self-Sacrificing. This brother/sister kind of love is
not merely a subjective feeling that Christians are to have for one
another. It is an active love. It is self-sacrificing. The pattern is
Jesus' sacrificial love for us.
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we
also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whosoever has
this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shut up his heart
from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:16, 17).
Unselfish, sacrificial, Christlike love is one of the pillars on
which assurance rests. The apostle John, after calling for a
love-filled life and defining what it means, made the statement, "And
by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts
before Him" (3:19). This should give you assurance.
Thinking It Over. Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you love His
spiritual family? Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 and review the
characteristics of love. Read Philippians 2:1-11 and notice the
relationship between our union with Christ and our love for our fellow
believers. Are there walls of bitterness that are keeping you from
loving another believer? Take steps today to remove the barriers to
brotherly love.
CAPSTONE: The Spirit's Assurance
Imagine for a moment that you are the pilot of a small plane. As you
travel along, you can check your progress by looking down to find
familiar landmarks, or you can look at the plane's navigational
instruments. It would be disturbing if the compass said you were on
course, but the landscape looked unfamiliar, or vice versa. But when
the instruments are and visible landmarks agree, you are reassured that
you are flying on course to your destination.
When we talk about the Spirit's assurance, we are talking about an
inner confirmation that we are children of God. The person who
believers the Bible knows that he has become God's child through faith.
But this person also has the confirming presence of the Holy Spirit. In
1 John we read:
And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has
given us (3:24).
He who believers in the Son of God has the witness in himself (5:10).
Confirming What We Know. Our own spirit may tell us that we are
children of God because our assurance is built on the five reasons we
have already considered:
* The Bible's Authority * Christ's Work * Our Faith in Christ * Our
Obedience to Christ * Our Love for Other Christians
The Holy Spirit confirms in our heart what we already believe to be
true. In fact, we know that the Spirit is involved in every step of
this process. It is the Spirit who helps up to acknowledge the truth of
God's Word. The Spirit helps us to recognize the finished work of
Christ. The Spirit assures us that our faith is genuine. When we live
obediently to the Lord, He encourages us to continue. And it is the
Spirit who produces in us the love for our fellow believers and assures
us that this love is a mark of a Christian.
Cooperating With Our Spirit. Our experience squares with Romans
8;16, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God". Notice, the text does not say that the Spirit
witnesses to our spirit, but rather He witnesses with our spirit. This
means that he strengthens the witness we are already receiving from our
own spirit.
Producing Inner Peace. Manmade religions or philosophies can help
people face tragedy and death with courage. They can even induce some
to give their lives for a cause. But they do not enable their followers
to say that trouble, persecution, famine, nakedness, death, spiritual
powers, anything that has happened or will happen, nor any physical
distance could separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus (Romans 8:35-39).
You can have that glad, triumphant confidence! If you have accepted
Jesus Christ as your Savior, base the assurance of your salvation on
what the Bible has said. Christ has met God's holy demands for you.
Salvation is offered as a free gift. Recognize that your faith is all
God requires from you. Then examine your life for evidences of
obedience to Christ and love for other Christians. As you do these
things, God will give you the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.
Thinking It Over. Take a few minutes to review the blueprint for
assurance outlined in this booklet. What will happen if you base your
hope of salvation on how you feel rather than on the authority of God's
Word? What if you fail to remember the finished work of Christ? What if
you begin to think that faith is not all God requires from you? What if
you are habitually disobedient to God's clear commands? What if you
fail to love your fellow Christians? How can the Holy Spirit use the
Word of God to witness with your spirit?
Objections
Even though the Bible does give us good reasons to be confident
about our relationship with God and our hope for eternity, not everyone
is convinced. The reasons are many. In this section we will first look
at three representative people who have struggled with assurance. Then
we will discuss two difficult Bible passages. Finally, we'll consider
some personality factors that cause doubts in the minds of many people.
CAST STUDIES
The following true stories are representative of the kinds of
problems Christians have with assurance.
Case One. An elderly lady who was on her deathbed said to her son,
"I believe in Jesus Christ. I love Him and have tried to live for Him.
But I have been far from perfect. Now I can only hope my faith is
acceptable to God." She died as she had lived -- with a sad uncertainty.
Case Two. The owner of a small business was faithful in church
attendance and was compassionate to the poor. But he never enjoyed the
assurance that he would go to heaven. To a pastor he said, "Right now I
feel good about my relationship with God. But I don't always have this
feeling. I often find myself worrying about the future. I'm afraid I
might die right after I commit a serious sin."
He went on to cite Paul's comment about working out our salvation
with fear and trembling, and then he said he was afraid he might be a
castaway. He concluded, "I sure wish I could know if I'm going to
heaven -- but I'm afraid that's impossible."
Case Three. Another person who is having problems with certainty is
a young housewife who received the Lord a few years ago and underwent a
remarkable change. She believes that assurance is possible, and she
longs for it. But she is plagued with feelings of doubt and fear about
everything -- including her relationship to the Lord.
The lack of assurance for salvation in these case histories comes
from two sources (1) their faulty interpretation of key Scripture
passages, and (2) their own emotional makeup.
Difficult Bible Verses
Some people want assurance, but they are troubled by the
interpretation of certain passages. We will examine only two of these,
trusting that we can make them models of how to interpret others that
seem to contradict the doctrine of assurance.
1 Corinthians 9:27. This verse has troubled some Christians because
it speaks of being disqualified after years of faithful service to
Christ. Paul wrote:
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I
have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
What did Paul mean when he spoke of being disqualified? To answer
this question, we must examine other statements the apostle made on
this subject. When we read his epistles, we discover a number of
passages in which he expressed his certainty. He knew that he was a
child of God, an heir with Jesus Christ. He knew that nothing could
separate him from God. Read the conclusion of Romans 8 and sense the
atmosphere of certainty and joy. Read Philippians 1 and notice that
Paul spoke of death as gain. Then read 2 Timothy, written just before
he was executed. What an air of confidence! When you turn to 1
Corinthians 9:27, therefore, you must remember that this verse was
written by a man who knew he was on his way to heaven.
With this in mind, let's look at the context and the meaning of the
Greek word translated "disqualified". The root word means, "that which
has not stood the test". Because Paul was referring to the prizes given
winners in the Olympic contests, he likely had in mind the rewards that
will be given at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). he
was thinking only of being disqualified from receiving a prize. He did
not want to lose his reward for service through failing to satisfy his
Lord. He was not afraid of losing his salvation.
Philippians 2:12. Paul's instruction that we must work out our
salvation with fear and trembling has been unsettling to some.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
Notice that Paul did not say we must word for our salvation. The
Greek word translated "work out" refers to "working down to a point of
completion". Paul was speaking of salvation as an ongoing process
through which we grow and develop in the Christian faith.
Philippians 2:12 says nothing about gaining salvation. It refers to
the maturing process in cooperation with the Lord, who "works in you
both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (v. 13). The "fear and
trembling" indicates the reverential awe that should fill our hearts as
we live day by day in humble dependence on the Lord and in anticipation
of our future glory.
We have looked at two Bible passages that have troubled some people
who are seeking assurance. And we have seen that neither passage denies
the possibility of being confident of our salvation. We could
demonstrate that the same is true of other problem passages, but when
the verses are rightly understood and read in the light of other
portions of the Bible, the conflict is resolved. Only one conclusion
can be reached: The Bible does not contradict itself in teaching that
we can be sure of our salvation.
Personality Factors
As mentioned earlier, some people acknowledge that the Bible teaches
the possibility of assurance, but they can't seem to find it for
themselves. We saw an example in the young housewife we mentioned in
Case 3. She confesses her sins, prays for others, seeks God's guidance,
lives obediently, and shows a lot of love. Yet she often has times when
she is dreadfully afraid that she is not a child of God.
Many believers are plagued with doubts. If you are among them, don't
condemn yourself. Your problem relates more to your psychological
makeup than to your spiritual state. Don't despair.
Consider this illustration. A man was fishing on a quiet lake after
dark. The air was still, and the moon was reflected perfectly in the
water. After looking at it for a while, he whimsically cast his lure
into the reflection. The image shattered into a thousand pieces. Now,
had the moon actually been broken? Of course not! The reflection had.
He had only to look heavenward to assure himself that the moon was
still there, shining in all of its beauty.
Likewise, the joy of a Christian's salvation can be shattered by
doubt, satanic attack, unfortunate circumstances, gnawing fears, or
depression. But losing the joy of one's salvation does not mean that
salvation itself has been lost. The believer must look upward in faith
to God and to the assurances of His Word to have his confidence
restored.
If you are plagued by time of doubt, consider the following
guidelines for maintaining assurance:
1. Read your Bible, especially the book of 1 John, to remind
yourself of the solid foundation on which your salvation stands.
2. Communicate with God through prayer, and confess every known sin.
3. Obey God's commandments, and do what you know is right.
4. Spend time with strong Christians, and let their love help you.
5. Reach out in concern to others because you love them.
6. Recognize that your doubts and depressions may be more emotional
than spiritual. This will help you avoid unnecessary feelings of guilt
because of your supposed lack of faith.
A Personal Journey
I first professed faith in Christ as my Savior at the age of 15. I
wish I could claim that in the years since then I have never once
doubted my salvation. But I can't. My experience has been more of an
arduous journey of recurring doubts than a spiritual fairy tale that
ends in living "happily ever after". In looking back, I see that I made
the common mistake of equating assurance with a positive feeling. When
I was up, I felt saved; when I was down, I felt lost.
Today, it doesn't matter just when I was saved, for I have come to
see that the assurance of my salvation is based on the unchanging Word
of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ in dying on the cross to
pay for my sins. My pardon and my hope are in Him -- not in my changing
feelings.
I am also helped in knowing that some people are by temperament more
inclined to doubt than others. Some people are blessed with an
optimistic nature that fills them with faith about life in general,
while others are by nature introspective, cautious, fearful, and deeply
sensitive. God did not make all people alike. Thomas, one of Jesus' own
disciples, was a doubter. Yet Jesus accepted him just as he was --
doubts and all.
The Bible teaches that assurance of salvation is the work of the
Holy Spirit, who bears witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God (Romans 8:16). I find that this inner confirmation comes as I
fellowship with Christ, am obedient to the Word, and rest secure in the
love of God. I must be careful not to allow hatred or ill will toward
anyone to remain in my heart. When doubting, I try to take an honest
inventory of my life, for God's Spirit cannot witness with my spirit
when I grieve or quench Him through disobedience. I've also come to see
that once I've confessed a sin and turned from it, I don't need to deal
with it again. Unless, of course, I sin again.
If doubts still occur, I must resist them as I do any other
temptation. In some ways, I'm glad for doubts, because they force me to
decide anew that I will believe god and trust completely in Jesus. How
often I've simply told Him, "Lord, I don't feel saved, but I trust You
anyway. Thank you for settling it all on the cross of Calvary!"
Someday all doubts will be gone and we will see our Savior face to
face. But until then we walk by faith and not by sight.l If we
concentrate on obeying God's Word and remembering what Christ has done
for us, something wonderful will occur. Slowly but surely we will begin
to "doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs" -- and that, through the
witness of the Holy Spirit, brings blessed assurance.
Assurance Checklist
If you have received Christ as your Savior, the assurance of your
salvation will be continually strengthened when you are able to answer
yes to the following questions:
* Do I enjoy fellowship with God, with Christ, and with other
believers? (1 John 1:3, 4)
* Am I troubled when I sin or when I see it in others? (1 John
1:5-10)
* Do I try to be obedient to the commands of the Bible? (1 John
2:3-5)
* Do I reject the wrong values of our present world-system? (1 John
2:15)
* Do I love Christ and look forward to His return? (2 Timothy 4:8; 1
John 3:2, 3)
* Do I practice sin less than before I was a Christian? (1 John 3:5,
6)
* Do I show love to other believers? (1 John 3:14)
* Have I had answers to prayer? (1 John 3:22; 5:15)
* Am I aware of the witness of the Holy Spirit to the truths of God?
(Romans 8:15, 16; 1 John 4:13)
* Can I discern between spiritual truth and error? (John 10:3-5, 27;
1 John 4:1-6)
* Do I believe the basic doctrines of the Christian faith? (1 John
5:1)
* Have I ever experienced opposition because of my Christian
convictions? (John 15:18-20; Philippians 1:28)
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, (c) 1979,
1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
"Can anyone really know for sure ?" by Richard W. De Haan. Copyright
1990 Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Used by Permission.
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