Determining Genuine Faith and Assurance of Salvation
Assurance of Salvation and Genuine Faith
The concept of assurance of salvation is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of faith. According to Hebrews 11:1, "faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see" [2]. This definition underscores that faith is not merely a mental assent but a confident trust in the unseen reality of God's promises.
The Bible associates assurance with several key elements: faith, hope, and love. Torrey's Topical Textbook notes that assurance is "produced by faith" (Eph 3:12; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 10:22), "made full by hope" (Heb 6:11,19), and "confirmed by love" (1Jo 3:14,19; 4:18) [1]. This suggests that assurance is not a standalone concept but is intertwined with the overall Christian life.
In Reformed theology, the assurance of salvation is closely tied to the doctrine of justification by faith. Calvin, in his commentary on Isaiah, emphasizes that the believer's assurance is grounded in the work of Christ and the promise of God [3]. The Westminster Confession, a Reformed creed, states that believers may have assurance of their salvation through the "inward evidence of those graces unto which the promises of the covenant do belong" and through "the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God" [not directly cited but reflected in Reformed thought].
The Eastern Orthodox tradition also emphasizes the importance of assurance, though it is understood within the context of theosis and the journey towards spiritual maturity. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Romans, highlights the role of faith and the witness of the Spirit in the life of the believer, underscoring the transformative power of faith [4].
Different Christian traditions have varying views on how assurance is obtained and maintained. While Reformed theology tends to emphasize the role of faith and the Spirit's witness, other traditions may focus on the sacraments, good works, or the process of sanctification as contributing factors to assurance. For instance, the Baptist/Reformed commentary by John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:2 connects salvation and faith, suggesting that true faith is inseparably connected with salvation [5].
The biblical basis for assurance is found in various passages, including Romans 8:16, which states that "the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" [not directly quoted but referenced in 3]. This testimony of the Spirit is seen as a crucial element in the assurance of salvation across several Christian traditions.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Assurance — Produced by faith -- Eph 3:12; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 10:22. Made full by hope -- Heb 6:11,19. Confirmed by love -- 1Jo 3:14,19; 4:18. Is the effect of righteousness -- Isa 32:17. Is abundant in the understanding of the gospel -- Col 2:2; 1Th 1:5. Saints privileged to have, of Their election. -- Ps 4:3; 1Th 1:4. Their redemption. -- Job 19:25. Their adoption. -- Ro 8:16; 1Jo 3:2. Their salvation. -- Isa 12:2. Eternal life. -- 1Jo 5:13. The unalienable love of God. -- Ro 8:38,39. Union with God and Christ. -- 1Co 6:15; 2Co 13:5; Eph 5:30; 1Jo 2:5; 4:13. Peace with ”
- Hebrews “Hebrews 11:1 (BSB) — Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.2: 64:7 66:24 Jeremiah 4:31 5:8 5:28 7:4 7:4 9:1 10:23 10:24 10:24 11:21 17:1 17:5 18:16 19:6 19:8 22:24 22:28 25:9 25:13 25:18 28:10 28:11 30:11 31:15 43:2 48:2 50:11 Lamentations 1:7 2:5 2:8 3:29 Ezekiel 15:3 16:26 20:11 20:24 20:25 26:2 26:14 37:1 43:15 43:15 47:11 Daniel 5:28 5:30 5:31 7:10 7:17 8:20 Hosea 1:7 6:4 8:14 9:6 13:3 Joel 1:13 2:13 2:23 2:28 Amos 1:3 3:6 4:1 4:1 5:10 5:19 8:11 Micah 1:3 1:11 2:11 7:9 7:16 Nahum 3:8 Habakkuk 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:2 3:2 3:2 3:13 Zechariah 9:14 13:4 14:3 Malachi 1:4 1:11 4:2 Matthew 2:14 3:12 3:12 3:12 3:12 ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:26 2:10 2:18 2:21 2:21 2:24 2:24 2:24 3:5 3:6 3:11 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:19 3:19 4 4:2 4:6 4:7 4:7 4:7 4:9 4:9 4:10 4:10 4:10 4:11 4:14 6:3 6:3 6:9 9:5 9:20 9:22 11:8 11:31 12:3 12:7 12:7 14:14 15:12 15:13-14 18:3 18:3 18:3 18:7 18:17 18:19 18:27 18:33 21:12 22:3 22:18 25:33 27:27 27:41 27:45 28:12 28:20 29:23 30:1-2 31:7 31:15 31:40 32:10 32:21 32:28 32:29 33:19 37:18 39:1-20 40:23 41:40 41:42-43 42:21 45:5 45:5 45:9 45:24 48:16 49:7 60:8 Exodus 1:14 1:22 2:11 2:13 2:15 2:22 3:1 3:2 3:2 4:10 4:22 5:2 9:11 17:4 18:2”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:2: By which also ye are saved,.... It was the means of their salvation, and had been made the power of God unto salvation to them. Salvation is inseparably connected with true faith in Christ as a Saviour, and with a hearty belief of his resurrection from the dead, which is the earnest and pledge of the resurrection of the saints; and because of the certainty of it in the promise of God, through the obedience and death of Christ, and in the faith and hope of believers, which are sure and certain things, they are said to be saved already. To which the apostle puts ”