We will be looking at Scripture and the Westminster Confession of Faith: CHAP. XVIII.—Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation. 1. ALTHOUGH hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God, and estate of salvation ( Job 8:13-14 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish: 14 Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider's web. ; Mic. 3:11; Deut. 29:19; John 8:41 41 Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, `even' God. ) (which hope of theirs shall perish [Matt. 7:22–23]): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace ( 1 John 2:3 3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ; 3:14, 18-19, 21, 24; 5:13), and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed (Rom. 5:2, 5). II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope (Heb. 6:11, 19); but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation (Heb. 6:17-18), the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made ( 2 Peter 1:4-5 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in that world by lust. 5 Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in `your' virtue knowledge; , 10-11; 1 John 2:3 3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ; 3:14; 2 Cor. 1:12), the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:15-16), which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:21-22). III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it ( 1 John 5:13 13 These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, `even' unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God. ; Isa. 50:10; Mark 9:24 24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. ; Ps. 88; 77:1-12): yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto (1 Cor. 2:12; 1 John 4:13 13 hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. ; Heb. 6:11-12; Eph. 3:17-19). And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure ( 2 Peter 1:10 10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: ), that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience (Rom. 5:1-2, 5; 14:17; 15:13; Eph. 1:3-4; Ps. 4:6-7; 119:32), the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness ( 1 John 2:1-2 Chapter 2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. ; Rom. 6:1-2; Titus 2:11-12 11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; , 14; 2 Cor. 7:1; Rom. 8:1, 12; 1 John 3:2-3 2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope `set' on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ; Ps. 130:4; 1 John 1:6-7 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ). IV. 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 woundeth the conscience and grieveth 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 ( Song of Solomon 5:2-3 2 I was asleep, but my heart waked: It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, `saying', Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? , 6; Ps. 51:8, 12, 14; Eph. 4:30-31; Ps. 77:1-10; Matt. 26:69-72; Ps. 31:22; 88; Isa. 50:10): yet are they never 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 ( 1 John 3:9 9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. ; Luke 22:32 32 but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. ; Job 13:15 15 Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him. ; Ps. 73:15; 51:8, 12; Isa. 50:10); and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair (Mic. 7:7-9; Jer. 32:40; Isa. 54:7-10; Ps. 22:1; 88).