Be Careful! Don't find assurance of salvation in the mere fact that you have been convicted of, or feel remorse for, your sin! That can lead you to a false sense of salvation and thus your eternal ruin.
Many of today's PBs, like many of their forefathers, struggle to find assurance of salvation. They seek it in all the wrong places, however. One hymn that captures the essence of their thinking on this subject is the song "Tis A Point I Long To Know," the title being in answer to the song's question - "am I his or am I not?" This is a favorite traditional hymn with them and one which many scholars of their denomination find appropo to their group psyche in regard to assurance.
They are also often heard denouncing other Christians who profess to "know" that they are saved, saying of them - "they are just saying that because that is what they are supposed to say. If they were honest, however, they would tell you how they often have doubts about the matter." Father used to say that the Hardshells were just being honest about the matter. Anyone who professes to know that they are saved are immediately viewed with suspicion.
They often talk about how that they only have a "hope" of salvation, a hope that they are one of the elect. To the degree they have hope, to that degree they have peace and joy. Where hope is lacking they experience grief and woe. They define biblical "hope" of salvation as meaning "wish" and cannot think of having "hope" without at the same time having "doubt." Thus, by this definition, they cannot have hope without having doubt and fear! Ironic, is it not? But, in scripture, hope rather implies knowledge and faith.
One of the reasons why I have written so much on the subject of conviction of sin in relation to salvation is to help to turn my Hardshell brothers away from attempting to find assurance of salvation in their doubts and fears, and in the conviction and remorse that they feel on account of their sins. There are many souls in Hell who had such in their lifetimes.
So, where is assurance to be found? Is it in our feelings? Or, is it not rather in the fact that we "know in whom we have believed"? (II Tim. 1: 12) My Hardshell brothers, look not to the fact of your conviction of sin and condemnation for assurance, but look to the fact of your conversion to Christ, to the time of your espousal to him. By itself conviction of sin is no assurance of salvation. To be convicted that Jesus is the Christ, and that you need to go to him for salvation and a perfect righteousness, this, this is the source of assurance. This in scripture is called "the full assurance of faith." (Heb. 10: 22)
Remember, if you can have salvation and not know it, then you can lose it and not miss it!
Said Spurgeon:
"In whom we have redemption." Whether others have it or not, we have "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." We do not hope for it, but we have it. We do not merely think so, but we know that we have it. We are redeemed; we are free from bondage; we are forgiven, and are no longer under condemnation." (A Sermon Intended for Reading on Lord's-Day, June 7th, 1891 - see here)
In the same sermon he said:
"I remember the astonishment with which I sat in a ministers' meeting, and heard one, who professed to be a preacher of the gospel, assert that he did not think that any one of us could be sure that he was forgiven. I ventured at once to say that I was sure; and I was pleased, but by no means surprised, to find that others dared to say the same. I hope I have hundreds before me who enjoy the same assurance."
And
"Beloved, there are thousands, there are tens of thousands, on earth still who know that the Son of God has power on earth to forgive sins; and there are myriads in heaven who passed to their felicity confident that they had been forgiven, and they sang on earth the same song that they sing in heaven, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They know it, they have no doubt about it. Many of us know it here, and rejoice therein at this moment."
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