Thoughts on Assurance
This is likely going to be a long post. Recently Theocast has popularized the notion that your Christian experience should not be used in the assurance equation.
They have some historical support for this, to be sure. So we'll consider the historical traditions surrounding this, modern day theologians, and of course the testimony of scripture.
Historical Traditions
Luther.
"God could be the most foolish of all beings if he had given his Son and Scriptures and the Prophets and, in spite of these gifts, wanted us to remain uncertain and in doubt about our salvation. This notion is the work of the devil; its purpose is to make unbelievers and doubters out of us."
(Martin Luther, WLS, 1:457 [Taken from Allison]
Luther on Ecc. 9:1:
"The Catholic Church explains this passage in this way: 'Even though a person is holy and righteous, he does not know whether he is in favor or in disfavor with God, but everything remains uncertain until the future, that is, until the final judgment."
In his Lectures on Galatians: Chapters 1-4, LW, 26:386, he apparently called it the "monster of uncertainty". And in his Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 21-25, LW, 4:171, he said:
"There is certainly no reason for us to think that God is pleased with that doubt and mistrust in us. Indeed, this one sin is by far the gravest of all the sins which will condemn the world and the unbelievers."
In Sermons at the Baptism of Bernhard Von Anhalt, LW, 51:317, he said Christians would have
"a joyous heart that can say with certainty and assurance: 'I know of no more sins, for they are all lying on Christ's back. Now they can never lie both upon him and upon us.'"
In Lectures on Galatians: Chapters 1-4, LW, 26:379, the one who is doubting to:
"exercise his faith, struggle against the doubt, and strive for certainty."
John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion, LCC, 3.24.4, LCC, 2:968:
"Satan has no more grievous or dangerous temptation to dishearten believers than when he unsettles them with doubt about their election."
Puritans:
Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation[1] (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.
...
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never so utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived; and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair.
Horton on continent vs puritans
From Christian Faith, pp 585-586, italics original.
Although Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for," Roman Catholic teaching denies the inextricable relationship of faith and assurance. Faith is mere assent to the church's teachings, as we have seen. Even when faith is "completed" by becoming loving action, believers are never certain of final salvation. There may be a reasonable confidence that one is presently in a state of grace. "Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods." However assurance of one's election and final justification is regarded as presumptuous.
By contrast, the Reformers insisted that faith is assurance because Christ's meritorious work is already completed. Since faith and repentance remain weak and imperfect, the experience of assurance may encounter highs and lows, but believers remain objectively assured of their salvation in Christ alone. This view of assurance as belonging to the essence of faith is found in the Lutheran and Continental Reformed confessions and catechisms. Although the Puritans distinguished faith from assurance, they did so in part to focus trembling consciences on Christ - the object of faith - even if their experience of assurance was lacking (see Westminster Confession, ch. 18). Often this was wise pastoral counsel, reckoning with the fact that doubt is frequently mingled with faith in the Christian life. Yet it could also become a source of anxiety, encouraging excessive introspection.
In later Puritanism and Lutheran Pietism, this separation of faith from assurance often led to a tendency to build assurance on the foundation of the quality of faith rather than on the object of faith. The proper balance does not lie in the recognition that assurance is of the essence of faith itself, even though the experience of assurance may be encouraged by the signs of faith and its fruit. In this way we are always directed outside of ourselves to Jesus Christ alone."
Trent
http://www.thecounciloftrent.com/ch6.htm
Yet is it not to be said [It is not to be said], that sins are forgiven, or have been forgiven, to any one who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins, and rests on that alone; seeing that it may exist, yea does in our day exist, amongst heretics and schismatics; and with great vehemence is this vain confidence, and one alien from all godliness, preached up in opposition to the Catholic Church.
But neither is this to be asserted,-that they who are truly justified must needs, without any doubting whatever, settle within themselves that they are justified, and that no one is absolved from sins and justified, but he that believes for certain that he is absolved and justified; and that absolution and justification are effected by this faith alone: as though whoso has not this belief, doubts of the promises of God, and of the efficacy of the death and resurrection of Christ.
For even as no pious person ought to doubt of the mercy of God, of the merit of Christ, and of the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments, even so each one, when he regards himself, and his own weakness and indisposition, may have fear and apprehension touching his own grace; seeing that no one can know with a certainty of faith, which cannot be subject to error, that he has obtained the grace of God.
Modern Day Theologians
Grudem
Grudem puts 3 titles for assurance:
1. Do I Have a Present Trust in Christ for Salvation? (p. 803)
2. Is There Evidence of a Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit in My Heart? (p. 802), and
3. Do I See a Long-Term Pattern of Growth in My Christian Life (p. 803)
Schreiner
Schreiner's video on assurance is very helpful. I disagree with this blog's take on it, but it is about 70% accurate in its description:
https://faithalone.org/blog/thomas-schreiner-says-we-cant-be-sure-we-have-everlasting-life/
The 4 points he makes:
1. It probably isn't right to talk about assurance as "100%". He says "life isn't like that."
2. 1 John 5:13, God wants us to know that we have salvation
3. Quoting the blog here, "Third, we gain assurance mainly by looking to the promises that the Lord Jesus makes. He said that we should look to Jesus ten times more often than we look at ourselves. [Note: this was from Robert Murray McCheyne, "For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ."] However, “works play some role,” he went on to say. He said he thinks of the way we gain assurance like a tricycle with one big wheel in the front and two small wheels in the back. The big wheel is God’s promise of everlasting life. The smaller wheels are our works and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit."
4. Assurance goes up and down.
Testimony of Scripture
1 John
2 Peter
They have some historical support for this, to be sure. So we'll consider the historical traditions surrounding this, modern day theologians, and of course the testimony of scripture.
Historical Traditions
Luther.
"God could be the most foolish of all beings if he had given his Son and Scriptures and the Prophets and, in spite of these gifts, wanted us to remain uncertain and in doubt about our salvation. This notion is the work of the devil; its purpose is to make unbelievers and doubters out of us."
(Martin Luther, WLS, 1:457 [Taken from Allison]
Luther on Ecc. 9:1:
"The Catholic Church explains this passage in this way: 'Even though a person is holy and righteous, he does not know whether he is in favor or in disfavor with God, but everything remains uncertain until the future, that is, until the final judgment."
In his Lectures on Galatians: Chapters 1-4, LW, 26:386, he apparently called it the "monster of uncertainty". And in his Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 21-25, LW, 4:171, he said:
"There is certainly no reason for us to think that God is pleased with that doubt and mistrust in us. Indeed, this one sin is by far the gravest of all the sins which will condemn the world and the unbelievers."
In Sermons at the Baptism of Bernhard Von Anhalt, LW, 51:317, he said Christians would have
"a joyous heart that can say with certainty and assurance: 'I know of no more sins, for they are all lying on Christ's back. Now they can never lie both upon him and upon us.'"
In Lectures on Galatians: Chapters 1-4, LW, 26:379, the one who is doubting to:
"exercise his faith, struggle against the doubt, and strive for certainty."
John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion, LCC, 3.24.4, LCC, 2:968:
"Satan has no more grievous or dangerous temptation to dishearten believers than when he unsettles them with doubt about their election."
Puritans:
Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation[1] (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.
...
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never so utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived; and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair.
Horton on continent vs puritans
From Christian Faith, pp 585-586, italics original.
Although Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for," Roman Catholic teaching denies the inextricable relationship of faith and assurance. Faith is mere assent to the church's teachings, as we have seen. Even when faith is "completed" by becoming loving action, believers are never certain of final salvation. There may be a reasonable confidence that one is presently in a state of grace. "Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods." However assurance of one's election and final justification is regarded as presumptuous.
By contrast, the Reformers insisted that faith is assurance because Christ's meritorious work is already completed. Since faith and repentance remain weak and imperfect, the experience of assurance may encounter highs and lows, but believers remain objectively assured of their salvation in Christ alone. This view of assurance as belonging to the essence of faith is found in the Lutheran and Continental Reformed confessions and catechisms. Although the Puritans distinguished faith from assurance, they did so in part to focus trembling consciences on Christ - the object of faith - even if their experience of assurance was lacking (see Westminster Confession, ch. 18). Often this was wise pastoral counsel, reckoning with the fact that doubt is frequently mingled with faith in the Christian life. Yet it could also become a source of anxiety, encouraging excessive introspection.
In later Puritanism and Lutheran Pietism, this separation of faith from assurance often led to a tendency to build assurance on the foundation of the quality of faith rather than on the object of faith. The proper balance does not lie in the recognition that assurance is of the essence of faith itself, even though the experience of assurance may be encouraged by the signs of faith and its fruit. In this way we are always directed outside of ourselves to Jesus Christ alone."
Trent
http://www.thecounciloftrent.com/ch6.htm
Yet is it not to be said [It is not to be said], that sins are forgiven, or have been forgiven, to any one who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins, and rests on that alone; seeing that it may exist, yea does in our day exist, amongst heretics and schismatics; and with great vehemence is this vain confidence, and one alien from all godliness, preached up in opposition to the Catholic Church.
But neither is this to be asserted,-that they who are truly justified must needs, without any doubting whatever, settle within themselves that they are justified, and that no one is absolved from sins and justified, but he that believes for certain that he is absolved and justified; and that absolution and justification are effected by this faith alone: as though whoso has not this belief, doubts of the promises of God, and of the efficacy of the death and resurrection of Christ.
For even as no pious person ought to doubt of the mercy of God, of the merit of Christ, and of the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments, even so each one, when he regards himself, and his own weakness and indisposition, may have fear and apprehension touching his own grace; seeing that no one can know with a certainty of faith, which cannot be subject to error, that he has obtained the grace of God.
Modern Day Theologians
Grudem
Grudem puts 3 titles for assurance:
1. Do I Have a Present Trust in Christ for Salvation? (p. 803)
2. Is There Evidence of a Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit in My Heart? (p. 802), and
3. Do I See a Long-Term Pattern of Growth in My Christian Life (p. 803)
Schreiner
Schreiner's video on assurance is very helpful. I disagree with this blog's take on it, but it is about 70% accurate in its description:
https://faithalone.org/blog/thomas-schreiner-says-we-cant-be-sure-we-have-everlasting-life/
The 4 points he makes:
1. It probably isn't right to talk about assurance as "100%". He says "life isn't like that."
2. 1 John 5:13, God wants us to know that we have salvation
3. Quoting the blog here, "Third, we gain assurance mainly by looking to the promises that the Lord Jesus makes. He said that we should look to Jesus ten times more often than we look at ourselves. [Note: this was from Robert Murray McCheyne, "For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ."] However, “works play some role,” he went on to say. He said he thinks of the way we gain assurance like a tricycle with one big wheel in the front and two small wheels in the back. The big wheel is God’s promise of everlasting life. The smaller wheels are our works and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit."
4. Assurance goes up and down.
Testimony of Scripture
1 John
2 Peter
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