LESSON ONE – THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Rom. 8:16 — The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.

Among today’s Christians there are many different views concerning salvation. Some people consider that it is impossible to know today that we are saved, while others think that after we are saved, we may still perish. The Bible shows us, however, that our salvation is not a matter of speculation, nor is it a matter of uncertainty. Rather, it is something that can be confirmed with assurance and that we may know with full confidence. Moreover, our salvation is secure. Once we have it, we have it eternally. It can never be shaken or changed.

BY THE WORD OF GOD

First, the assurance of our salvation is based on the Word of God (1 John 5:13). Through the Bible God tells us and testifies to us concerning the redemption that He has accomplished for us through His Son; through the Bible He also reveals to us and bears witness concerning the salvation that has been wrought in us through the Spirit in His Son. Therefore, by the word of God in the Scriptures we know that we are saved. [The Scriptures] concerning our receiving salvation at the moment we believe are not only God’s revelation and promise to us, but they are also His covenant and written evidence to us. By His word in the covenant and by the written evidence we can know, even with confidence and assurance, that once we believe in the Lord, we are forgiven of our sins, freed, washed, sanctified, justified, and reconciled to God, we have eternal life and shall not perish, we have passed out of death into life, and we are saved.

Since we have the Bible as an outward proof to us, we do not need our feelings; according to the plain statements, we can assuredly know that we have received grace, that we are saved. This is a proof that is outside of us, which we may call the outward proof.

BY THE SPIRIT’S WITNESSING WITH OUR SPIRIT

The assurance of our salvation is based on the Spirit’s witnessing with our spirit (Rom. 8:16). We not only have the Word of God outside of us confirming the fact that we have been saved, but we also have the Spirit within us witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God and that God is our Father. Everyone who believes in the Lord enjoys addressing God as “Abba, Father.” It is a spontaneous matter for us to call God “Abba, Father.” Moreover, every time we call Him “Abba, Father,” we feel sweet and comfortable within. This is because we are children begotten of God, we have God’s life, and the Spirit of God’s Son has entered into us. Concerning our father in the flesh, it is spontaneous and sweet for us to call him “Father.” Therefore, since we enjoy calling God “Abba, Father,” and do it spontaneously, even with a sweet and comfortable sensation, this proves that we have God’s life and are children begotten of God. Hence, by the Spirit’s inner witnessing with our spirit, we can know with certainty that we are God’s children and that we are saved. This is a proof within us, which we may call the inward proof.

BY OUR LOVING THE BROTHERS

The assurance of salvation is based on the fact that we love the brothers. First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers.” Since God is love (4:16), and since we have His life, we surely have the divine love. Furthermore, since we have been begotten of God, we certainly love those who have been begotten of Him (5:1). When a saved one sees a brother in the Lord, he has an affection for him and even loves him in such a manner that is incomprehensible to himself. Therefore, our love toward the brothers in the Lord is a proof by which we know that we have been saved. This is a proof of our experience of life, which we may call the proof of love. By our believing—believing in the Lord—we have life and have passed out of death into life; by our loving— loving the brothers—we know that we have life and that we have passed out of death into life.

Therefore, by the clear words of the Bible, by the sensation in our spirit, and by the experience of love, we can know with certainty that we are saved. (Truth Lessons— Level One, vol. 4, pp. 108-111)

DRAWING WATER WITH REJOICING FROM THE SPRINGS OF SALVATION

Isaiah 12:3-4a says, “Therefore you will draw water with rejoicing / From the springs of salvation, / And you will say in that day, / Give thanks to Jehovah; call upon His name!” To receive the Lord as our salvation is to draw water from the springs of salvation. As our salvation the Lord is water to us. This is emphasized strongly in the New Testament, especially in John 4 and 7. In John 4:14 the Lord Jesus said, “The water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.” In John 7 this fountain becomes rivers of living water (vv. 37-39). This indicates that for the Lord to be our salvation means that He is living water.

Even in the Old Testament time, Isaiah revealed to us that the way to take the Lord as our salvation is to call on His name with rejoicing and praising. Calling on His name is like deep breathing. If we call, “O Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus!” we will be refreshed and revived, and we will become very  living. In order to enjoy salvation, we need to realize that the Lord Himself is our salvation, strength, and song and that by calling on His name we may draw water with rejoicing from the springs of salvation. (Life-study of Isaiah, pp. 74-76)

References:  Truth  Lessons—Level One, vol. 4, lsn. 47; Life-study of Isaiah, msg. 11

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, YE SAINTS OF THE LORD

Assurance and Joy of Salvation— A Firm Foundation – 339

• How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
  Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
  What more can He say than to you He hath said,
  To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

• “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
  For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
  I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
  Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

• “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
  The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
  For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
  And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

• “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
  My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
  The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
  Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

• “E’en down to old age all My people shall prove
  My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
  And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn,
  Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

• “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
  I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
  That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
  I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”