Assurance

I heard a preacher say he had never doubted his salvation a moment in his life. Good for him, but that wasn't the case for those who listened. We have an entire book of the Bible whose theme is that you believe in Jesus and how to know if you are saved (1 John 5:13). It seems somewhat likely that our Lord is showing us how we can have assurance because there can be reasons why it's not there. John, in his epistle, shows some characteristics of a child of God, so you can know you know. John doesn't write the epistle to scold Christians or cause them to doubt, but that they have assurance and joy (1 John 1:4). Too often, 1 John is preached like a mule skinner to whip church members into shape and shake them to their core. John isn't a fruit inspector to determine the quality but wants us to see if the fruit is there at all.

A Christian will have spiritual fruit. No fruit, no life. That's also what Jesus said (John 15:1-7). But life is not in the fruit; it's in the vine. Spiritual fruit can add to and support assurance of salvation. Still, it's not the ground of assurance. Assurance of salvation comes from resting in what Christ did for me, not what I do for Christ. Suppose you point a sensitive soul to look within, without stressing to look to Christ. In that case, it's little wonder this poor Christian is downcast or giving up. They look into their heart and see the remaining corruption and despair they haven't truly believed. They don't look to see if there is fruit. They measure it and inspect it to see whether it is enough or good enough. Their assurance is grounded in their works, which aren't that good.

Legal preaching, that urges Christians always to do more and try harder so the Lord will love them and bless them in sanctification will make hypocrites more confident in their hypocrisy and sensitive Christians more despairing of their salvation. Who wins? The hypocrite needs the law to condemn him and the gospel to show the way to eternal life. What the Christian needs when doubting is generally the gospel. Many times, a soul who spends too much time looking at their inward life, continual failures, and lack of zeal will condemn themselves to the point of doubt. Of course, we sin (1 John 1:8), but what's the answer? "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2.

A sensitive child of God knows they are a sinner but forgets that Jesus is a Saviour or that He is their Saviour. When you sin, come to Jesus, who saves sinners. Rest in Christ, who keeps His sheep. He does not fail, so trust Jesus.