Assurance of Salvation: Understanding Election and Grace

 

Summary

In our exploration of the assurance of salvation, we delve into the profound relationship between election and salvation. Understanding these theological concepts is crucial for gaining a true and sound basis for assurance. Many struggle with assurance because they rely on a prescient view of election, which suggests that God's election is based on His foreknowledge of who will respond to the Gospel. However, this view places the deciding factor on human action rather than God's grace. Instead, we affirm that election is unto salvation, meaning that if you are elect, you are saved, and if you are saved, you are among the elect. This understanding provides a firm foundation for assurance, as it is rooted in God's unchanging purpose rather than our fluctuating performance.

Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John 17 offers great comfort, emphasizing that those given to Him by the Father are kept and preserved. This preservation, rather than our perseverance, is the basis of our assurance. The order of salvation, or "ordo salutis," further clarifies this relationship. It is a logical sequence, not a temporal one, where faith precedes justification as a necessary condition. Romans 8's "golden chain" illustrates this order: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. This chain assures us that all who are called are justified, and all who are justified are glorified.

The internal call of the Holy Spirit is crucial for assurance. It is this effectual call that brings about faith and justification. Ephesians 2 highlights the transformative work of the Spirit, making us alive in Christ. This regeneration is a sign of election, and if we are regenerate, we can be assured of our election and salvation. Understanding regeneration is vital, as it is often misunderstood. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual life, and recognizing this work in our lives is key to achieving genuine assurance of salvation.

Key Takeaways:

- The Relationship Between Election and Assurance: Understanding the biblical doctrine of election is crucial for assurance. Election is not based on human action but on God's grace, providing a firm foundation for assurance. If you are elect, you are saved, and this assurance is rooted in God's unchanging purpose. [01:04]

- Preservation Over Perseverance: Assurance is not based on our ability to persevere but on God's preservation. Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasizes that those given to Him by the Father are kept and preserved, highlighting the security of our salvation. [06:42]

- The Order of Salvation: The "ordo salutis" is a logical sequence that clarifies the relationship between faith, justification, and assurance. Faith precedes justification as a necessary condition, and understanding this order helps us grasp the assurance of salvation. [10:05]

- The Effectual Call of the Holy Spirit: The internal call of the Holy Spirit is crucial for assurance. This effectual call brings about faith and justification, and recognizing this work in our lives is key to achieving genuine assurance of salvation. [12:06]

- Understanding Regeneration: Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual life. It is a sign of election, and if we are regenerate, we can be assured of our election and salvation. Understanding regeneration is vital for achieving genuine assurance. [21:39]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:29] - Introduction to Assurance of Salvation
- [01:04] - The Relationship Between Election and Assurance
- [01:42] - Prescient View of Election
- [02:49] - Election Unto Salvation
- [03:29] - Making Your Calling and Election Sure
- [04:34] - Jesus' High Priestly Prayer
- [06:04] - Preservation of the Saints
- [07:45] - Understanding the Order of Salvation
- [10:45] - The Golden Chain in Romans 8
- [12:45] - Foreknowledge and Predestination
- [15:01] - Logical Order of Salvation
- [17:13] - The Effectual Call
- [18:24] - Assurance Through Regeneration
- [21:39] - Importance of Sound Doctrine on Regeneration

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Assurance of Salvation

Bible Reading:
1. John 17:6-12
2. Romans 8:28-30
3. Ephesians 2:1-10

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Observation Questions:

1. In John 17:6-12, what does Jesus pray for concerning those given to Him by the Father? How does this relate to the concept of preservation? [06:04]

2. According to Romans 8:28-30, what is the sequence of events in the "golden chain" of salvation? How does this sequence provide assurance? [13:13]

3. In Ephesians 2:1-10, what role does the Holy Spirit play in the process of salvation, and how is this connected to the concept of regeneration? [19:01]

4. How does the sermon describe the difference between the prescient view of election and the biblical view of election? [02:15]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John 17 emphasize the security of believers, and what implications does this have for understanding assurance of salvation? [06:42]

2. In Romans 8, what does it mean to be "called according to His purpose," and how does this calling relate to the assurance of salvation? [10:45]

3. How does the sermon explain the logical order of salvation, and why is it important to understand this order for assurance? [10:05]

4. What is the significance of regeneration in Ephesians 2, and how does it serve as evidence of election and assurance of salvation? [21:05]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your understanding of election. How does knowing that election is based on God's grace rather than human action affect your sense of assurance? [02:49]

2. Jesus' prayer in John 17 highlights the preservation of believers. How can you find comfort in the idea that your assurance is based on God's preservation rather than your perseverance? [06:42]

3. Consider the "golden chain" in Romans 8. How does understanding the sequence of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification impact your daily faith walk? [13:13]

4. The sermon emphasizes the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. Can you identify moments in your life where you have experienced this internal call? How does this reinforce your assurance of salvation? [12:06]

5. Regeneration is described as a transformative work of the Holy Spirit. How can you recognize signs of regeneration in your life, and how does this recognition strengthen your assurance? [21:39]

6. How can you be diligent in making your calling and election sure, as Peter instructs? What practical steps can you take to grow in this assurance? [03:58]

7. Reflect on the role of sound doctrine in your understanding of salvation. How can you ensure that your beliefs align with biblical teachings to avoid false assurance? [22:23]

Devotional

Day 1: Assurance Rooted in Divine Election
Understanding the biblical doctrine of election is crucial for assurance. Election is not based on human action but on God's grace, providing a firm foundation for assurance. If you are elect, you are saved, and this assurance is rooted in God's unchanging purpose. This perspective shifts the focus from our actions to God's sovereign will, offering a profound sense of security. By recognizing that our salvation is not contingent on our fluctuating faithfulness but on God's steadfast promise, we can rest assured in our relationship with Him. [01:04]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: How does knowing that your salvation is rooted in God's unchanging purpose affect your daily walk with Him? Can you identify areas where you need to trust more in His sovereignty?


Day 2: Security in God's Preservation
Assurance is not based on our ability to persevere but on God's preservation. Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasizes that those given to Him by the Father are kept and preserved, highlighting the security of our salvation. This understanding shifts the burden from our imperfect perseverance to God's perfect preservation. It reassures us that our salvation is secure, not because of our efforts, but because of God's unwavering commitment to keep us. This divine preservation provides a deep sense of peace and confidence in our spiritual journey. [06:42]

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Reflection: In what ways can you rely more on God's preservation rather than your own perseverance in your spiritual life? How can this shift in focus bring you peace today?


Day 3: The Logical Order of Salvation
The "ordo salutis" is a logical sequence that clarifies the relationship between faith, justification, and assurance. Faith precedes justification as a necessary condition, and understanding this order helps us grasp the assurance of salvation. This sequence, often referred to as the "golden chain" in Romans 8, assures us that all who are called are justified, and all who are justified are glorified. By comprehending this order, we can better appreciate the interconnectedness of God's redemptive work in our lives and find assurance in His divine plan. [10:05]

2 Peter 1:10-11 (ESV): "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How does understanding the logical order of salvation help you in confirming your calling and election? What steps can you take today to align your life with this understanding?


Day 4: The Transformative Call of the Holy Spirit
The internal call of the Holy Spirit is crucial for assurance. This effectual call brings about faith and justification, and recognizing this work in our lives is key to achieving genuine assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit's transformative work is not just a one-time event but an ongoing process that continually shapes and molds us into the image of Christ. By acknowledging and responding to the Spirit's call, we can experience a deeper assurance of our salvation and a more intimate relationship with God. [12:06]

Titus 3:5-6 (ESV): "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior."

Reflection: How can you be more attentive to the Holy Spirit's call in your life today? What practical steps can you take to respond to His transformative work?


Day 5: Regeneration as a Sign of Election
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual life. It is a sign of election, and if we are regenerate, we can be assured of our election and salvation. Understanding regeneration is vital for achieving genuine assurance. This spiritual rebirth is not merely a change in behavior but a profound transformation of the heart and mind. By recognizing the evidence of regeneration in our lives, we can find confidence in our election and live out our faith with boldness and assurance. [21:39]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the evidence of regeneration in your life? How can this assurance of your election inspire you to live out your faith more boldly today?

Quotes


And so now we're going to turn our attention to how can we actually gain a true and sound basis for our assurance of salvation? And I think the first place that we have to look, again, is at theology. Again, in our day and age, people tend to downplay the importance of theology, but when we remember, when we examine Peter's charge that we be diligent in making our election and our calling sure, in order that we might grow and produce the fruit of our sanctification, we see there in his thinking the close relationship that exists between election and assurance. [00:35:55]

Those who hold the view of election that we call a prescient view, or a foreknowledge view of election, are those who believe that God elects to salvation those people whom He knows from eternity from His perspective of foreknowledge. He looks down the corridor of time, and He knows in advance who will respond positively to the offer of the Gospel and who will not, and on the basis of His prior knowledge of what people do in response to the Gospel, He makes His decree or decision of election. [00:01:47]

But as I understand the Scripture, election is unto salvation, so that if you are elect, you are saved and if you are saved, that's the clearest sign that you are numbered among the elect. Now, let's state it another way. None of those who are saved are not elect, and none of those who are elect fail to be saved. Salvation flows out of election, so if I want to be sure of my salvation, the first thing I need to know is, am I numbered among the elect? [00:03:10]

Now, this idea that Jesus expresses in this prayer is that the Father gives the gifts of people of the redeemed to the Son and all that the Father gives to the Son, Jesus says earlier in John's gospel, "come to me," and all that come to Him are kept by Him. And so this refers back to the elect, who are the ones whom the Father gives to the Son, and the elect that the Father gives to the Son are preserved by the Son. [00:06:17]

And so we hear in this chapter Jesus' appeal to the Father that those who have been given to Him may be kept. Now, when we look further at this whole relationship between election and salvation, we need to be concerned with what we call in theology the ordo salutis. It's just a fancy way of describing what we say in English, the order of salvation. And when we talk about the order of salvation, we're talking about a sequence of things or actions or events that take place, that are the discreet aspects of all that's involved in our salvation. [00:07:22]

Now, what we mean by logical priority is this: that since our justification depends upon and rests upon faith, faith is the prerequisite, the necessary condition that has to be present for justification to take place, so faith is logically necessary for justification. It precedes justification, not in time, but in terms of logical necessity. So when we're talking about the order of salvation, keep in mind that what we have in view here are distinctions with respect to prerequisites to logical necessity. [00:09:34]

In Romans chapter 8, we have one of the most famous and beloved verses in all of the New Testament. In verse 28, we read, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Now, let me just pause for a second and say, notice that this promise that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are described here as the ones who are the called according to His purpose. [00:10:34]

So that's a special kind of calling; the Bible speaks about the call of the Gospel that goes out to everybody -- what we call the outer call or the external call, and not everybody that hears the Gospel with their ears, not everybody who hears the outer call is saved -- but we also speak of the inner call, the call of God in the person, in the heart, that is a work of God, the Holy Spirit, which call is effectual. [00:11:25]

All of the elect receive this inner call, all of the elect receive the purposive call of God, and all who receive this inner call of God are numbered among the elect, and I think that becomes very clear in the verses that follow from this. Let's look at it, "For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." Now, we're talking -- Paul's talking here about the purposes of God with respect to salvation, and he begins by mentioning God's foreknowledge, and those whom He foreknew, He predestined to what? [00:12:14]

Now, there is an order here that is a logical order that is followed, and it's very important to our understanding of assurance of salvation to grasp what is going on here in this order of salvation. It starts with foreknowledge. Now, the reason why that prescient view of election that I mentioned earlier is so popular is because people come to this text and they say, "Wow! The first step is foreknowledge. Ha, ha. Therefore that means that election or predestination is based upon something that God knows about people in advance. [00:14:30]

Now again, God's foreknowledge, in general, includes all people, not just the elect, but here He's speaking about that foreknowledge that He has of His elect. Because all whom He foreknows, in the sense that He foreknows them here, are predestined, and all who are predestined, what? Are called. Now the critical point is this, don't miss this: all who are called are justified. So if all who are called are justified, this can't possibly refer to the external call; it has to refer to the internal call because all who receive this particular call receive justification, just as all who are justified are glorified. [00:15:16]

In this brief summary, what Paul is focusing on is the work of the Holy Spirit that he describes in terms of quickening, which means being made alive, which we understand in theological categories to refer to our rebirth, to our regeneration, that which Jesus told Nicodemus was a prerequisite for anyone's even seeing the kingdom, let alone entering the kingdom of God. And that is tied to this internal calling, and so my basic question as I seek assurance, is this: Am I a regenerate person? [00:18:25]

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Transcript
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