In the first instance, Jesus Christ’s atonement is for ALL sin, past present and future for ALL men. The gift of grace assures His protection as Advocate to the the ecclesia. While rebirth gives us a new heart, it does not eradicate our depraved natures and we are exhorted to confess daily repentance of sin to protects our relationship with Him.

It is tempting to wave “you’ll lose salvation!” as a way of keeping sheep from falling into sinful ways. But there is already such a threat: confess and repent of your on-going sinfulness so as to protect your relationship with God. He will not abandon you, but there is no guarantee He will always be watching over you, in fact, he says he will turn his face and leave you to your sinful ways. Finally, though covered by Christ’s blood, you’ll have to recite at the mercy seat the times you trampled the blood of His Son Jesus. This is hardly something we should want, despite having the gift of salvation.

That’s been my problem, in a nutshell. Thank you for shedding some much-needed light on this subject. It is an answer to prayer.

The Bible is so clear on the fact that we must believe and then persevere in that faith.”

Szrcasm?

The Bible is so clear on the fact that we must believe and then persevere in that faith.

-Jamie

As to the third perspective, I think you are spot on, Nathan: “Ultimately, it is impossible to be sure of the salvation of another.” And it would seem that at least one verse in Scripture would dissuade us from dogmatism concerning the state of another’s soul — particularly the soul of one PROFESSING to know Christ (Mt. 7:1). At the MOST, it would seem like the closest thing that “mere mortals” could do in terms of drawing a conclusion about the state of a professing Christian living in disobedience would be to conclude little more than just that: “This is a professing Christian living in disobedience.” Are they truly regenerate? I don’t know! And I don’t think I CAN know. They profess to be Christians. Can anyone objectively know otherwise?

“But they are SINNING!”
“Yes. Its terrible, isn’t it? And that’s not how it should be, is it? Yet, it is what it is. And, come to think about it … did you not also sin this morning?” (1 Jn. 1:8-10)

To go further than to take men at their word seems, to me, spiritually precarious. (After all, doesn’t love hope all things?) This kind of “judging” happens all the time, to be sure, but I think it is especially “shameful” when it happens among church leaders. When, from the pulpit, or from the ranks of the elders, we hear: ‘So-n-so once professed to be a Christian, but because they have failed to repent of their sins, we NOW know the truth of the matter! So-n-so was never a Christian to begin with!” My response: “Oh really?! So then, you’ve got one of those white phones with a direct connect to Jesus, huh?” True - such folks might NOT be truly regenerate. BUT, is there any objective way for YOU to know this? I’m not convinced there is.

I have had colleagues (even graduates from TMS) respond: “We’re just fruit examiners, brother. That’s all we are.” As if this somehow legitimizes the rendering of a judgement against another man’s soul. My response is this: Its okay to judge the quality of fruit. But the reality of the sanctification process is such that we find ourselves skating on precariously thin ice when we conclude that a shriveled up raisen indicates conclusively against the olivet nature of the tree. After all, if a good tree ONLY produces good fruit (ever and always … in THAT sense), then what should we conclude about you? I mean, if God were to number our trangressions, who among us would not be exposed as having laid a few BIG eggs (even this morning)? And yet, how quickly most of us would object if started crying “Foul!”

So then, I conclude that the third perspective is spiritually unhealthy, even deadly, and sadly often practiced by church leaders. (I’m all FOR church discipline, but I think we’d all agree that attitudes and hearts of those administering discipline are just as important as the hearts and attitudes of those being disciplined!)

As to the second perspective (judging concerning the nature of one’s OWN justification), this ALSO seems to me to be a bit tricky, as we are constitutionally fickle creatures; judging first one way and then another concerning our respective “realities.” When we are leading family devotions, when the relationships with our wives and children are good, and after we receive that long anticipated raise, we are inclined to think that we’re in good with God. The next day, however, when the kids blow-up, and our wives clam up, and we loose our jobs, then our tendency is to wonder whether we haven’t misread our own walk with the Lord. Like it or not, we are pretty much ALL inclined to think that way. It is fleshly, yes. But, like it or not, that’s life “under the sun.”

Because what we generally think of when we talk about “assurance of salvation” is some measure of confidence (usually determined by our emotions; i.e., whether we FEEL saved … based on our actions, or lack of them), I think it is also dangerous to conclude too much as to the state of our own souls based on our OWN evaluation of our OWN “fruit”. I mean, if we were to “enter hell through the portals of heaven”, it wouldn’t be the first time men were self-deceived. Right? And are not our hearts desperately sick, and deceitful above all things? Who can know them?

This leaves us with God’s perspective. And, truly, this is the only perspective worth considering, AND (as it happens) it is also the only perspective that neither paralyzes us with fear, NOR numbs us as to the affects of sin … allowing it to increase. (mh genoito!)

“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’” (Rm. 10:11)

I guess the question for us, individually, is this: “Do we believe in Him?” (Along with all that this kind of “belief” entails?) I can’t know whether YOU really believe in Him. In the end, I’m not called to know that. But, I AM called to examine MYSELF. If so — if I truly believe in Him — then I know from other passages of Scripture that HE will complete that which He has begun in me. Do I sin? Yes. Everyday. Sometimes even multiple times per day. (… shhhhhhh … don’t tell! …) And sometimes even the same ol’ sin … day after day — or variations on the same theme! But my sins do not paralyze me from confession, repentance, and pressing foward for the “prize”. God’s “assurance” concerining my salvation (which, I guess, is another way for me to speak of the certainty of His promises — His word) neither numbs me to sin’s heinousness, nor paralyzes me with sin’s effects.

In the end, Nathan, I couldn’t agree more with you! True assurance lies NOT in ANY of our responses to God’s promises, but SOLELY in His promises — that is, in God Himself. He has promised: “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” The relationship here is NOT cause-and-effect. It is rather an encouragement concerning the end of our lives as Christians. Indeed, what then shall separate us from the love of God? The encouragement (the “assurance” - if you will) is this: “No matter WHAT happens, you won’t be disappointed!”

THAT, for me, is re-assuring! His promise concering the end-game gives me subjective assurance, because I know that what He reveals about the end-game is wrapped up in His very nature and character. So then, to boil it down: His WORD is my assurance!

Can this be abused to lead a man to antinomianism. Sure. I s’pose so. But I don’t think it has to lead him there.

For most of us who are in a daily, moment-by-moment, hand-to-hand struggle with mortifying our flesh — sometimes gaining ground, many times feeling like we’ve lost it — THIS is a inexpressible blessing. To expand on the metaphore, it is the basket into which all of our “eggs” have been placed.

Walter

To confess Jesus as Lord, however, carries massive implications. The church exists to help the saved see the implications and surrender to them. This is where examination comes in, to keep us surrendered to the Lord. If we don’t do this, then there is the risk of our hearts being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, even to the point of turning away from the living God. (Heb. 3:12). No assurance there.