Tests of Assurance

How Do I Know I'm a Christian by kevin DeYoung-

Whenever counseling Christians looking for assurance of salvation, I take them to 1 John. This brief epistle is full of help for determining whether we are in the faith or not. In particular, there are three signs in 1 John given to us so we can answer the question “Do I have confidence or condemnation?”

The first sign is theological. You should have confidence if you believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God (5:11-13). John doesn’t want people to be doubting. God wants you to have assurance, to know that you have eternal life. And this is the first sign, that you believe in Jesus. You believe he is the Christ or the Messiah (2:22). You believe he is the Son of God (5:10). And you believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2). So if you get your theology wrong about Jesus you will not have eternal life. But one of the signs that should give you confidence before God is that you believe in his only Son Jesus Christ our Lord (4:14-16; 5:1, 5).

The second sign is moral. You should have confidence if you live a righteous life (3:6-9). Those who practice wickedness, who plunge headlong into sin, who not only stumble, but habitually walk in wickedness-should not be confident. This is no different than what Paul tells us in Romans 6 that we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness and in Galatians 5 that those who walk in the flesh will not inherit the kingdom. This is no different than what Jesus tells us in John 15 that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. So if you live a morally righteous life you should have confidence (3:24). And lest this standard make you despair, keep in mind that part of living a righteous life is refusing to claim that you live without sin and coming to Christ for cleansing when you do sin (1:9-10).

The third sign is social. You should have confidence if you love other Christians (3:14). If you hate like Cain you do not have life. But if your heart and your wallet are open to your brothers and sisters eternal life abides in you. One necessary sign of true spiritual life is that we love one another (4:7-12, 21).

These are John’s three signposts to assure us that we are on the road that leads to eternal life. These are not three things we do to earn salvation, but three indicators that God has indeed saved us. We believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God. We live a righteous life. We are generous toward other Christians. Or we can put it this way: we know we have eternal life if we love Jesus, we love his commands, and we love his people. No one of the three is optional. All must be present in the Christian, and all three are meant to be signs for our assurance (see 2:4, 6; 4:20; 5:2).

John belabors the same points again and again. Do you love God? Do you love his commands? Do you love his people? If you don’t, it’s a sign you have death. If you do, it’s sign that you have life. And that means confidence instead of condemnation.

Assurance

From "How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian?"by Justin Taylor:

In the past, when I have tried to help people wrestle with the theological and existential problem of the assurance of salvation, the outline for Don Whitney’s book, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian? What the Bible Says about Assurance of Salvation (NavPress, 1994), has been very useful. Andy Naselli recently posted on this, and I thought it might be helpful if I reprinted it as well.

1. Assurance of Salvation—Is It Possible?

It is possible, indeed normal, for the Christian to experience assurance of salvation.

It is possible, indeed normal, for a non-Christian to have a false assurance of salvation.

2. Having Doubts about Your Salvation

It is possible, indeed normal, for Christians to have occasional doubts about their salvation.
Doubting assurance is not unbelief.

The causes of doubt are many:

• Spiritual immaturity may contribute to doubts about assurance.

• Sensitivity to sin may cause confusion about assurance.

• Comparison with other Christians may cloud assurance.

• Childhood conversion affects the assurance of some.

3. The Basis of Assurance

The assurance of salvation rests primarily on

• the character of God 

• the works of Jesus Christ

• the truth of God’s promises

Glad to Be a Heretic

What is the greatest Protestant heresy (according to the Catholic Church)? Justification by faith? Sola Scriptura? Guess again. From Sinclair Fergusan:

Let us begin with a church history exam question. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542– 1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .” Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement.

How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?

Those answers make logical sense. But none of them completes Bellarmine’s sentence. What he wrote was: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”

If this is heresy, then I am a grateful heretic! Read it all at the link.

Are You Nominal?

What is a nominal Christian? from Crossway on Vimeo.

Are you a "nominal Christian," i.e one who is a Christian in name only?  Mike McKinley, author of Am I Really a Christian?, says these are some signs of nominal Christianity:

• They assume they’re a Christan or claim to be a Christian.
• They have a Christian family.
• They go to church.
• But there’s no desire to know God better.
• But they don’t find joy in reading the Bible.
• But they don’t delight in God.
• But they’re focused on other pleasures.
• But they don’t go to God asking for forgiveness.

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"  (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

Am I Really a Christian?

Have you ever asked yourself the question Am I Really a Christian? Are you sure? A new website by the folks at 9 Marks and Crossway Books may help you answer that question.

You may be wondering if you are a Christian or know someone who's questioning their faith. Or maybe you know you're not a Christian and you wonder what it really means to be one. Or maybe still you are sure of your salvation, but you're looking for trusted tools to help you along your spiritual journey....Ultimately, we hope this website will provide you with the answers you're looking for and guidance along the way, as you examine your life and ask the question, "Am I really a Christian?"

The web page was inspired by the new book by Mike McKinley by the same title:

Am I Really a Christian? is an explicit challenge to take inventory of your life and assess what you believe. With his witty, engaging style, Mike McKinley offers a framework for evaluating your standing before God and will help you understand what it means to be a Christian

Here's a sample video from the site:


What is the Gospel? from Crossway on Vimeo.

Click the link above for more content.