The Assurance of Faith
Neither Circular, nor Fideism
The assurance
of salvation is neither fideism nor circular. There are three witnesses
in heaven and three on the earth. The Father witnesses by His providence,
the Son by His promises, the Holy Spirit by the gift of faith. None of
these originate in the consciousness of men.
On
earth there are the Spirit, the water, and the blood. The Spirit bears
witness with our Spirit; the water of baptism is the sign and seal; the blood
purges our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God. None of
these originate in man's consciousness. Unbelief is circular, for it is
from man to man.
The
Heavenly witnesses of 1John 5 are Johannine to the core, and are found
throughout the first three chapters of John's gospel.
Note:
man's reasoning is always circular until He is born again, which he must be to
see the kingdom of God. But being born again he no longer makes himself
his starting point, but has the gift of love, power, and a sound mind.
2Tim. 1:7. The natural man will never understand the first two paragraphs
of this post, for he is of the earth, earthy.
The
grace of God teaches the people of God; they do not teach themselves. It
appears to all men, but it teaches the elect effectively to live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world. This is neither circular
nor fideism.
Titus
2: 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;13 Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ;14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The
new birth is the result of hearing the voice of the Son of God, not hearing
your own voice. You cannot talk yourself into being born again and no one
can talk you out of it, for it is supernatural, beyond the reach of men.
John
5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of
the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."
Ye
must be born again. 1Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not
with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of
power:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God.
True
faith and assurance do not stand in the power of man, of your own reason, or
man's persuasiveness, but in the power of God.
Ye
must be born again, because that which is born of the flesh is flesh.
