Assurance of Salvation

[wildboar]

Is assurance of salvation part of the essence of faith or is it some type of second blessing which all who have do not have?

[disciple]

Originally posted by wildboar
Is assurance of salvation part of the essence of faith or is it some type of second blessing which all who have do not have?
i've always understood the following verses to speak to that:

2 Pe 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

1 John 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death...18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1 John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

[wildboar]

As of moving to Grand Rapids, I have come across various reformed groups which I was not familiar with before. So, I'm seeking to better understand some of them. I had never before heard of those who in Reformed circles who didn't believe that all who had faith also had some degree of assurance. However this seems to be the case among a specific denomination I have had dealings with lately. As a whole they are a very conservative Dutch reformed group, but many among them will not partake of communion because they believe it is presumptous to believe they are elect unless they have some kind of mystical experience or reached some level of maturity in their faith, so that it seems only those who are over the age of 70 and have been Christians for most of their life can have assurance. I even heard of one person who was told by their parents that they should not say the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism because it would be presumptous. So, I'm just trying to get a better understanding of them. They are heavily influenced by Puritan writers who teach the same thing. I've never felt a very strong attraction to the Puritans and so am somewhat ignorant of their various teachings.

Anyhow one of the proof-texts I have come across in the writings of a very old Dutch catechism I have been translating that is used to prove that assurance is not part of the essence of faith Eph. 1:13.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

The KJV in fact seems to take it as they do. The aorist participle is used for believing and the sealing is the main verb so it is reasoned that belief comes sometime before sealing. At first I questioned that this sealing had anything to do with assurance, but from the context it appears to. However, I do question such a strong reliance upon an aorist participle. It most often does express an action prior to the main verb when occuring in the sentence just prior to the main verb, but there are certainly exceptions.

I guess from my own experience, I am having difficulty understanding these people. I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not have assurance.

Sola Gratia,
WildBoar

[Robert R. Higby]

As a whole they are a very conservative Dutch reformed group, but many among them will not partake of communion because they believe it is presumptous to believe they are elect unless they have some kind of mystical experience or reached some level of maturity in their faith, so that it seems only those who are over the age of 70 and have been Christians for most of their life can have assurance.

This sounds like true hyper-Calvinism and it certainly is also characteristic of many Primitive Baptists.

The neo-faith movement (Norman Shepherd and the whole crowd) has had a very wide influence upon today's Reformed churches. It is great and increasing. They have a major conference coming up in 2004 in the Chicago area, which cuts across the denominational spectrum (Catholics, Presbyterians, Reformed, Baptists, etc.). I don't know if this group referred to by WB is from that persuasion or some other. But all of these ideas result in a lack of assurance and they keep popping up in unsuspected quarters.

The reconstructionist movement is also becoming integrally united to the new-faith movement; both are spreading like wildfire. I can see hyper-Preterism uniting with this too in the near future, based on the fundamentals involved. The notion is extreme unity of the covenants, in such a way that the two kingdoms are merged into one. Just a mass of confusion, deception, discouragement, and doubt.

[wildboar]

They are certainly not afilliated with the beliefs of the Norman Shepherd group. Their beliefs are very consistent and their errors are very consistent with those of some Puritan groups and some pietist Dutch groups.

Sola Gratia,
WildBoar

[Robert R. Higby]

I suspect a common thread here, even though the groups are different.

The Shepherd/Fuller crowd are pointing to the statements of many past expositors in order to bolster their position. Early and late 'fathers,' medieval theologians, Luther (especially pre-1517), and certainly a number of Pietists and Puritans. Augustine and Aquinas seem to be the two all-time favorites.

I haven't seen a lot of Wesleyan churchianity jump onto this band-wagon yet, but certainly expect to in the near future. Some may be able to point out that this is already happening. Surely a grand confederation is emerging in opposition to the gospel of the Reformation.

Puritanism, for all its positive contributions, was less doctrinally sound than the original Reformers--not more. My observation and conviction.

[wildboar]

BT:

I agree. I think there was a good deal less consistency in Puritanism than some of the other groups. I have a great deal more interest in continental theology myself. It's both warmer and usually more consistent. The flowery language of the Puritans I think is what kept driving me away though, which is the same thing that keeps me from reading alot of Augustine, but that's more personal preference.

Sola Gratia,
WildBoar