What does the Bible teach about finding assurance of salvation? Do I look to my past or find assurance in the present? I was taught to tell people that their assurance of salvation is found in remembering the day they believed the gospel. When did they ask Jesus in their heart? When did they accept God’s gift of salvation? We told them to write the day in their Bible when they first trusted Christ as their Savior. Is remembering the day you first trusted Christ good—yes, it’s called your testimony.
Consider the Apostle Paul. It seems he never grew weary of telling others about his incredible encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9, 22, and 26). That was the day Paul became a believer—his life was forever changed. He met Jesus, and Jesus saved him, and a transformation began that day.
But what about the believer who doesn’t have that incredible transformative salvation testimony? What about those who can’t remember specifically when they were born again? What does the NT teach them about assurance? What should I be teaching my daughters and sons about assurance of salvation if they do not have that aha moment—that regenerative moment? What do they do? First, all Christians must know that there must be a born-from-above, born-again experience, whether you can identify a date or not. Every true believer has been born again (John 3). And when you were born again, God sealed you with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).
So, for those who do not have an “Apostle Paul” testimony, what do they do? Every day, they trust in the same glorious truth—day after day. Acts 16:31: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Is their faith keeping them saved? No! Trust in Christ; He died for your salvation. His desire is for you to be saved. You don’t have to go back in time to find assurance. Consider with me 1 John 5:13:
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
You who believe. Believe in v. 13 in the Greek NT is a present tense verb. I believed yesterday (past), I believe today (present), and I will believe tomorrow, so that I will once again, in the present tense, believe in the name of the Son of God for my salvation. According to the present tense “believe” in 1 John 5:13, an unbeliever cannot be assured of having eternal life. I did not say they would not receive eternal life. John says you may know you have eternal life because you believe in the name of the Son of God. Words matter. I am not saying that if you die in a moment of unbelief, you do not inherit eternal life. I am not suggesting for a shred of a moment that those who doubt lose anything other than assurance. And they gain assurance again by returning in faith to the One who saved them.
I know, to you, I may seem like a gator with “believe” in its mouth, refusing to let loose. But “believe” is often presented as an imperative and very often in the present tense. I can’t stress enough that believers believe. Thus, I conclude it is imperative that you never stop believing the glorious truth that Christ died for your sins. I, Sean, believe that God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, the Christ, left the glories of heaven, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and was crucified for the sins of the whole world, including and especially mine, that he was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. By God’s grace, I will keep believing the gospel until Christ calls me home—by grace, through faith. Is that what you believe? Yes!
Then my next question is—have you professed that faith before the church in water baptism? Yes! Then my next question is—are you a member of your church? Yes! Then my next question is—are you actively seeking ways to grow as a disciple of Christ? Yes! Then my next question is—who are you actively helping in their pursuit of being a disciple?
