Christian Assurance: Finding Certainty in Your Salvation
"The ultimate need of all Christian people is assurance. That is the way to holiness. It's the way to true activity in the Christian church. It is the key and the secret of everything." - Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The question of assurance—whether we can truly know we are saved—has troubled countless believers throughout history. Can we have certainty about our salvation? Is it possible to know beyond doubt that we are children of God? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, such assurance is possible.
The Foundation of Biblical Assurance
The apostle John wrote his first epistle with a clear purpose: "These things write we unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life." The word "know" here is crucial—it's not mere hoping or wishing, but actual knowledge. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains:
"The object of the writing is that we may know that we have eternal life. And therefore you take the scriptures and you draw your deductions."
Christian assurance rests on the solid foundation of God's Word. We don't begin with our feelings or experiences, but with the objective truth of Scripture. As Lloyd-Jones emphasizes:
"You don't start with yourself. You don't start with your feelings. You must start with the grand, objective statements of the scripture."
Two Types of Assurance
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are two main ways to obtain assurance of salvation:
1. Assurance Through Deduction
This is the foundational type of assurance where we examine biblical statements about believers and apply them to ourselves. For instance, John 3:18 states: "He that believeth in him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already."
Lloyd-Jones explains this process:
"You start with the explicit statements. You then ask yourself the question, do I believe? Am I a believer? If I am, therefore, this must be true of me."
2. Direct Assurance from the Holy Spirit
This is the highest form of assurance available to believers. Romans 8:16 tells us: "The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God."
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes this beautifully:
"You're no longer deducing. You are given the absolute certainty by the spirit himself... The spirit in this manner gives us a personal knowledge of God's love to us."
The Marks of True Believers
John's first epistle provides several tests by which we can examine ourselves:
Love for Fellow Believers
"We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren." This isn't merely social preference, but a supernatural affinity for God's people. As Lloyd-Jones notes:
"The unregenerate man finds the true Christian man very boring. He has no affinity with him... The moment man finds that his greatest affinity is with Christian people, that he wants to be with them, that he wants to talk to them, that he delights in their conversation, and that he'd sacrifice anything in order to be with these people, that's a proof of a new nature."
Delight in God's Commandments
"His commandments are not grievous" to the believer. While the natural man rebels against God's law, the Christian finds joy in it. Lloyd-Jones explains:
"The commandments of God to the natural man are very grievous. He hates them... But says John, to us, the commandments are not grievous. We know they're right. We want to keep them."
The Witness of the Spirit
We can know we belong to God "because of the spirit that he has given us." This includes our desire for prayer, Scripture reading, and worship—all evidences of the Spirit's work within us.
When the Devil Attacks Your Assurance
Paradoxically, attacks on your assurance can themselves be proof of your salvation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes this startling observation:
"The fact that you are being assailed in that way at all is in itself quite enough to prove you're a child of God. The devil has never gone to any unbeliever to quote Hebrews 6 or Hebrews 10."
He continues:
"Whenever anybody comes to me in trouble and distress over Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, and the rest, I know immediately that they're children of God. The devil gives me the proof. They would never have been attacked on that line if they were not the children of God."
The devil's accusations actually confirm our spiritual status: "The only people who are really worried as to whether they're Christians or not are giving proof that they are Christians. They'd never be worried if they were not."
The Relationship Between Assurance and Sanctification
One of the most profound aspects of Christian assurance is its connection to holy living. Contrary to what some might expect, true assurance doesn't lead to carelessness about sin—it promotes sanctification.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this vital connection:
"Assurance is the greatest stimulus to sanctification. It isn't sanctification, but it is the greatest stimulus to it. There is nothing that so promotes sanctification as a true assurance."
He warns against false assurance: "If your assurance doesn't promote your sanctification it is a false assurance and it is probably of the devil."
The apostle John illustrates this beautifully: "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." When we truly grasp that we are children of God destined for glory, it naturally leads to holy living.
The Joy of Assurance
The Christian life should be characterized by joy, not constant doubt and fear. As Lloyd-Jones frequently emphasized: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
He describes the believer's proper state: "Ye rejoice with a joy unspeakable and full of glory." This isn't mere emotion, but the natural result of knowing we belong to God.
Peter wrote to believers about their relationship with Christ: "Whom, having not seen ye love, in whom, though ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with a joy unspeakable and full of glory." This joy is the birthright of every Christian.
Practical Steps to Assurance
How can we cultivate this assurance in our daily lives?
1. Study the Scriptures
Begin with the objective promises of God. Memorize verses like 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."
2. Examine Yourself
Apply the biblical tests honestly. Do you love God's people? Do you delight in His Word? Do you hate sin, even when you fall into it?
3. Pray for the Spirit's Witness
Ask God to give you the direct assurance that comes from His Spirit. As Lloyd-Jones prayed: "Lord Jesus, make thyself to me a living, bright reality, more present to faith's vision, keen than any outward object, seem more dear, more intimately nigh than in the sweetest earthly time."
4. Fight the Devil with Scripture
When doubts come, respond as Jesus did in the wilderness—with the Word of God. Combat accusations with promises like 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The Certainty of Our Hope
Our assurance isn't based on feelings or works, but on the unchanging character of God and His promises. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminded his congregation: "If God has sent his only son to die for us and our sins, and did so even when we were enemies, well, isn't it absolutely certain that he'll never allow us to fall?"
The Christian can say with Paul: "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Conclusion
Christian assurance is not presumption—it's the birthright of every believer. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones concluded: "There is nothing more important for us in this life and in this world than to know that this is true of us."
God wants His children to know they belong to Him. He has provided multiple ways for us to gain this assurance, from the objective promises of Scripture to the subjective witness of His Spirit. The question isn't whether assurance is possible, but whether we will avail ourselves of the means God has provided.
Are you certain of your salvation? Do you know that you are a child of God? These are not merely academic questions—they touch the very heart of the Christian life. For as Lloyd-Jones so powerfully stated: "The ultimate need of all Christian people is assurance."
For a deeper exploration of these themes, we encourage you to listen to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' complete sermon series on Christian Assurance , where these truths are expounded with the clarity and depth that marked his ministry.