Assurance in Christ Alone

The assurance of salvation is a significant theme in Scripture, rooted in the work of the Holy Spirit. According to Tobias Crisp, the Spirit of the Lord first reveals the gracious mind of God to us. This revelation enables us to have faith in God's promises, allowing us to accept the testimony that the Spirit provides. In other words, assurance is not merely subjective; it is grounded in the objective truth of God's revelation and testimony, which can be fully trusted by believers. When we receive this testimony by faith, it leads to a deep-rooted assurance in our relationship with God.

Furthermore, once we accept the testimony of the Spirit, it is through faith that we can experience the gifts of the Spirit, which serve as additional confirmation of our faith. This communal witness of the Spirit and the believer's faith coalesce to affirm that we indeed belong to Christ. Thus, the assurance found in Christ alone is not just a comforting thought but a robust theological reality that provides peace and confidence in the believer's life.

The New Testament emphatically asserts that faith is a divine gift rather than a product of human effort. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. This perspective aligns with the historic Reformed teaching that emphasizes the sovereignty of God in the act of salvation. The understanding is that without God’s initiative in providing faith, no one could believe.

Moreover, the work of the Spirit in granting faith to believers is an act of God’s grace. As Crisp highlights, the Spirit reveals God's gracious mind to our spirits, which precedes our ability to exercise faith. Therefore, faith is not merely a human decision but corresponds to the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer, making it fundamentally a gift that we receive, rather than an achievement that we accomplish.

The testimony of the Spirit is foundational for the assurance and confidence that believers can have in their salvation. According to Tobias Crisp, this testimony reveals the mind of the Lord to believers, enabling them to place their faith securely in Christ. It is through this inner testimony that believers can contend with doubts and fears regarding their salvation. The Spirit communicates to our hearts the truth of God’s promises, supplying the necessary confirmation that our faith is valid and trustworthy.

Additionally, the collective witness of the Spirit alongside the believer’s faith enriches the assurance that one belongs to Christ. The Holy Spirit acts as a seal upon our lives, as referenced in Ephesians 1:13-14, marking us as God’s own possession and guaranteeing our inheritance in Him. This assurance is not based solely on feelings or experiences but is rooted in the unchanging character of God and His revealed truth. Therefore, the testimony of the Spirit is crucial for a strong and enduring faith.