Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Blog
    • Grace in Focus International Blogs
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Email Subscription
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Seminary
    • Seminary Info
    • GES Seminary Curriculum
    • GES Seminary Faculty
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
Home
→
Blog
→
Six Questions Regarding Assurance of Salvation, Part 4

Six Questions Regarding Assurance of Salvation, Part 4

October 16, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - assurance is of the essence of saving faith, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 1:6-9, Galatians 5:4, John 5:39-40

The fifth objection is that if “assurance is of the essence of saving faith” were true, then from AD 100 until 1517, almost no one was born again.

This is not a Biblical argument. If we based our theology on this type of reasoning, then we certainly would not believe that only people who profess to be Christians are born again. Less than one person in three in the world today (31%) even professes to be a Christian. If truth is determined by what view allows the most people to get into Christ’s kingdom, then universalism would be true.

Additionally, this is an argument lacking solid evidence. It is true that we lack existing documents outside the Bible promoting eternal security before the Reformation. But that is easily explainable based on two factors. One, the printing press was not invented until ca. AD 1450. Two, very few of the handwritten books before the sixteenth century have survived. We really do not have an accurate way of determining what percentage of church people believed in eternal security prior to the Reformation. Even if there were many such books, the Catholic and Orthodox churches would have sought to destroy them. The Council of Trent (1545-63) pronounced an anathema on anyone who said that he was sure of his eternal destiny.

Paul makes clear in Romans 9 that there was a remnant of believing Jews in his day. He clearly is teaching that there will be a remnant of believing Jews in every generation. And, of course, there are also believing Gentiles in every generation.

Besides, if people were born again prior to the Reformation by believing in works salvation, then people are born again today by believing in works salvation.

That is essentially the sixth question. If assurance is of the essence of saving faith is true, then millions of Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants today are not born again.

I know some Free Grace people who believe that anyone who believes that Jesus is God and that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again is born again. These people believe that nearly all Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants today are born again, even if they believe in Lordship Salvation or works salvation.

The problem with that view is that it runs against the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles. John 5:39-40 contradicts that view. So does John 6:28-29; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16; Rev 22:17.

The Judaizers who were trying to bewitch the believers in Galatia were surely preaching Jesus’ deity, substitutionary death, and resurrection. Otherwise, they never would have received a hearing. But they were proclaiming works salvation, and Paul called their message a false gospel and said, “let them be accursed” (Gal 1:8-9). While anathema refers to a temporal curse, Paul makes it clear that the message of the Judaizers was not only not a saving message, but if the believers in Galatia bought into it, then they would fall from the present experience of grace (Gal 5:4), though, of course, they’d remain eternally secure.

Assurance is of the essence of saving faith. That is, a person is not born again until he believes in Jesus “for everlasting life” (1 Tim 1:16), or the equivalent (for permanent salvation, for irreversible justification, for an eternally secure relationship with God, for a guaranteed home forever in heaven/the kingdom, etc.).

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
Bob_W

by Bob Wilkin

Bob Wilkin (ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society and co-host of Grace in Focus Radio. He lives in Highland Village, TX with his wife, Sharon. His latest books are Faith Alone in One Hundred Verses and Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance.

If you wish to ask a question about a given blog, email us your question at ges@faithalone.org.

Recently Added

June 19, 2025

Our Freedom Is Easy 

An iconic photo taken during the Civil War shows a black man who has come to be known as “Whipped Peter” (his name was originally...
June 19, 2025

Is Discipleship an All or Nothing Deal? Are There Degrees of Discipleship?

Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Bob Wilkin and Kathryn Wright are answering a question discipleship. Did Jesus present discipleship as an all...
June 18, 2025

When and How Will We Judge Angels?

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? – 1 Corinthians 6:3 Paul gives no explanation. Nor does any other text in the Bible...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Listen on YouTube

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Grace Evangelical Society

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram