Assurance

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

Christians can be assured of their salvation through a true knowledge of God, confidence in the gospel, and experience of His work in our lives. This assurance cuts against modern and postmodern skepticism, and also the insecurity and uncertainty found in so many other world religions (including Islam, from what I've read).

I happened to read a chapter on this subject in J.C. Ryle's book Holiness this past week. It is a chapter worth reading and it may be found here. The main point: believers who have assurance of God's acceptance will be those who are the least distracted, and most dedicated, in their service to Christ. Furthermore, assurance is not arrogance - the humblest men of the New Testament were also the most assured, because their confidence was not in themselves but in the gospel.

If we are to be most effective in the kingdom, let's do exactly what the Bible says: make our calling and election sure.