Some people say that those who hold the Free Grace position do not believe there are false professions of faith in Christ. According to them, we say that anyone who claims to be a believer is necessarily a believer.
That is not true.
We definitely believe that there are false professors. In fact, our experience teaches us that most people in Evangelicalism do not believe the faith-alone message of John 3:16.i
We know that not everyone who calls Jesus Lord is born again. See Matt 7:21-23. The Lord Jesus corrected legalistic Jews who thought they had everlasting life because of their obedience to Scripture (e.g., John 5:39-40). But because they had not believed in the Lord Jesus, they did not have everlasting life (cf. John 5:40 and John 6:35).
There are two popular, but wrong, explanations of how you can know you are not a false professor.
One popular view is that you know you are not a false professor if you believe in the fundamentals of the faith and are living a godly life. Since most Evangelicals today reject the understanding of belief as persuasion, the emphasis, is placed on one’s work. Most think that “saving faith” includes turning from sins, commitment, and obedience. So, even though faith is a factor, obedience becomes the test.
There are three problems with looking at your works in order to confirm that you are a true professor: 1) our works are imperfect; 2) we might fall away in the future (1 Cor 9:27); and 3) nowhere in Scripture is there a list saying that if you do the things on the list, then you’ve proved you’re a true professor.
Another popular view is that we can know we are a true professor by what is called “the inner witness of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 8:16). However, this view has three problems: 1) Romans 8:16 says the Holy Spirit bears witness with our human spirit, not to our human spirit; 2) feelings come and go; and 3) there is no explanation in Scripture as to what feelings prove you are a true professor.
If our assurance is not found in our works or in our feelings, where, then, is it to be found?
The Lord Jesus repeatedly told us—as reported in John’s Gospel—to look to Him for assurance. He promises everlasting life to all who believe in Him. No other world religion claims that one has everlasting life by faith in its founder. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent so that whoever looked on it would live (John 3:14-15), the Lord Jesus was lifted up on the cross so that whoever looks to Him will live (John 3:16).
Scripture tells us to look to Christ, not to our works or our feelings. The issue is whether you have fulfilled the condition of John 3:16.
Jesus said that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life and will never hunger, never thirst, never die spiritually, never perish, and never be cast out.
If you believe in Him for what He promises—which is everlasting life that can never be lost—then you are a true professor and will continue to know you are a true professor as long as you keep looking to Him and not to yourself.
Look to Jesus alone. He is perfectly faithful. Don’t look to yourself. You are not perfectly faithful. Your works are imperfect. Your feelings are imperfect.
Keep grace in focus and you’ll keep looking to Jesus and His promise of life to the believer; you will thus remain assured of your salvation.
i If we did a survey of Evangelicals, we’d find that over ninety percent believe regeneration requires turning from sins, committing one’s life, and persevering in obedience until death. In other words, over ninety percent of Evangelicals would be false professors. But that does not follow. We have no way of knowing who believed the faith-alone promise of everlasting life in the past but has since stopped believing it. Since “once saved, always saved” is true, everyone who ever believed in Jesus for everlasting life has that life, even if they later stopped believing the faith-alone message.
