MichaelGao
Puritan Board Freshman
I know couple of people (including myself) that often goes through times when we doubt IF we are IN Christ and how to know if you're IN or OUt..
At core, I think its a christian assurance issue, right?
This is what I've concluded so far:
Our guaranteed perseverance to glory is founded on the fact that we are of the elect of God predestined to be adopted in Christ and redeemed.
And the way we know we are "In Christ"/chosen/born of God etc...is if we show forth fruits. And the first fruit/gift is faith (which also produces other fruits). (Am I correct so far?)
When christians go through times of trial and even severe weakness in sins, we often cannot seemingly find any fruit in our lives. And we might even question if the fruits we thought we had were genuine fruits at all.
For example...did I really repent? Did i really love God? Did I really serve out of love and for His glory? etc.
Now, when no other fruits can be found, faith is our last resort for assurance. Namely saving faith - "Christ saves sinners, whoever believes in Christ is saved. I believed thus i must be saved."
Now here is the difficulty --> But how do you know if you have truly believed? (without going to seek other fruits such as works - since that test failed)
Because the heart is deceitful, alot of people think they have believed, but probably havent. It may in the end be sort of an intellectual assent instead of true faith.
Are we stuck with the option that a person without works cannot attain assurance even though he be truly saved? Ie..if there is no evidence for the faith, then there is no assurance that its genuine.
Or is there a way to encourage stumbling christians that their faith indeed is genuine even though if the evidences aren't proving it. Does this have to do with the Witness of the Spirit or the Seal of the Spirit..I'm not sure I understand what that is.
This has been a big obstacle for me both intellectually to understand and spiritually to find peace with...and its even bigger when I have to deal with others who so little exhibits signs of regeneration. Please help.
Sorry if this seems to be a very obscure question. Seems almost contradictory now that I read it, its hard to express. But you guys are smart enough to figure out what Im saying
At core, I think its a christian assurance issue, right?
This is what I've concluded so far:
Our guaranteed perseverance to glory is founded on the fact that we are of the elect of God predestined to be adopted in Christ and redeemed.
And the way we know we are "In Christ"/chosen/born of God etc...is if we show forth fruits. And the first fruit/gift is faith (which also produces other fruits). (Am I correct so far?)
When christians go through times of trial and even severe weakness in sins, we often cannot seemingly find any fruit in our lives. And we might even question if the fruits we thought we had were genuine fruits at all.
For example...did I really repent? Did i really love God? Did I really serve out of love and for His glory? etc.
Now, when no other fruits can be found, faith is our last resort for assurance. Namely saving faith - "Christ saves sinners, whoever believes in Christ is saved. I believed thus i must be saved."
Now here is the difficulty --> But how do you know if you have truly believed? (without going to seek other fruits such as works - since that test failed)
Because the heart is deceitful, alot of people think they have believed, but probably havent. It may in the end be sort of an intellectual assent instead of true faith.
Are we stuck with the option that a person without works cannot attain assurance even though he be truly saved? Ie..if there is no evidence for the faith, then there is no assurance that its genuine.
Or is there a way to encourage stumbling christians that their faith indeed is genuine even though if the evidences aren't proving it. Does this have to do with the Witness of the Spirit or the Seal of the Spirit..I'm not sure I understand what that is.
This has been a big obstacle for me both intellectually to understand and spiritually to find peace with...and its even bigger when I have to deal with others who so little exhibits signs of regeneration. Please help.
Sorry if this seems to be a very obscure question. Seems almost contradictory now that I read it, its hard to express. But you guys are smart enough to figure out what Im saying