What is Assurance and Why is it Important?

Picture this, you are going about your day and start feeling fear and doubt creep in, your thoughts start racing and you wonder if you are really a true believer. Thoughts like “am I really saved?” and “I don’t feel saved right now” flood your thinking. “How could I still be battling _____?” This thinking is unsettling and can take over in a way that is detrimental to growth and confidence in the promises of God. 

Obtaining assurance and fighting doubt is a part of the Christian life. You read that correctly! Struggling with assurance and fighting doubt can be part of the Christian life. It is something that plagues many members of the church from time to time, and yet it isn’t always common knowledge or spoken about as much as it probably should be. 

Assurance can be defined as “the scripturally informed and Holy Spirit granted confidence of a Christian that he or she is indeed saved.” This is supported by Romans 8:15–16 which says “you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” The Holy Spirit himself provides believers with assurance to the elect and this assurance should promote peace to a believer as he or she perseveres through the Christian life. This theme is seen throughout the Bible. The Apostle John wrote the book of 1 John so that the readers could “know” if they had eternal life (1 John 5:13). 

First, it is important to note that the Bible does not suggest believers should shy away from self-examination. Indeed, they should “test,” and “examine” themselves to see if they are “in the faith,” (2 Corinthians 13:5) that is truly walking with the Lord. However, this exercise can be taken too far; it can divert the soul of the believer into unhealthy introspection that causes spiritual depression and stagnation of growth.

There can be several causes for doubt, the first cause is sin. This can be unrepentant sin or simply the temptations and struggles that accompany living life in a fallen world. The Bible teaches that the believer, although justified and being given a new heart, still will struggle with sin while on earth (Romans 7:18–24). 

Second, it could be the trials of life that may cause one to doubt whether they are in faith. The Bible speaks to this by saying there will be trials (James 1:2). The wording of James 1:2 does not say “if you meet trials” it says “when you meet trials.” This isn’t meant to be discouraging but rather encouraging, it is proof that believers can endure and there is a reward. The next verses (James 1:3–4) say “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

The Bible is clear in teaching that the true believer will persevere until the end, because God equips his children to live godly lives. He enables believers to kill their sin (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and to walk with the Lord humbly, growing in him and learning from him (2 Peter 1:18).