B. P. asks, “Is evidence of a changed life an important indication of whether a person is truly born again?”
Most Evangelicals say that their assurance of salvation requires an ongoing self-examination of our works. They reason in this way:
Major premise: Only those who persevere in faith and good works will gain final salvation.
Minor premise: I can’t be sure that I will persevere in faith and good works.
Conclusion: Examination of my faith and works over years and decades indicates how likely it is that I will persevere to the end and gain final salvation.
At the Desiring God website, in an article entitled “Helping People Have the Assurance of Salvation,” Dr. John Piper says that assurance requires “the painful work of self-examination” and that “assurance is a fight until the day we die.” See here for the whole article.
Calvinist John MacArthur has a message at the Grace to You website entitled “Resting in the Assurance of Our Salvation.” He says that assurance is found in the objective promises in the Bible and in our subjective works. He adds, “‘What is going on in my life? Am I seeing a transformation in my life?’ because that’s essential, that’s essential.” You can read the article here.
The problem with this approach is that neither the Lord Jesus nor His apostles taught that perseverance in faith or works is necessary to gain final salvation. They taught that salvation is final the very moment one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ for it (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:26; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16; Titus 3:5; Rev 22:17). Those are perseverance-free promises. The sole condition of everlasting life and of assurance of everlasting life is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for that life.
Here is a more accurate syllogism:
Major premise: The Lord Jesus promises everlasting life to all who believe in Him for that life.
Minor premise: I believe in the Lord Jesus for everlasting life.
Conclusion: I am sure that I have everlasting life.
Calvinist David Engelsma warns about assurance by introspection so prevalent among the English and American Calvinists:
These Puritans taught that assurance is, and should be, a real problem for many, if not most, believers and children of believers. It is normal to lack assurance; normal to wonder whether one is really saved; normal to struggle with the question of assurance; normal that one’s relation to assurance is that of a “quest,” a long, even lifelong, “quest,” with no assurance of a favorable outcome of the quest, namely, finding assurance in this life; and, therefore, also, normal to abstain from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (The Gift of Assurance, p. 9).
If you look to your works for assurance, then you will be on a lifelong quest that will never be satisfied. You will doubt your eternal destiny every day because your works are imperfect and because the Lord never intended you to look inward for assurance.
If you look to Christ for assurance, then you will be sure of your eternal destiny. As long as you look to Him alone for assurance, you will remain sure.
Keep your eyes on Him. He is trustworthy.
