Assurance of Salvation
Can a believer know, here and now, that heaven is theirs
This concerns whether a Christian may have present certainty of their final salvation, and the traditions differ. Protestant Reformers such as Luther and Calvin affirmed that believers can rest in a real assurance grounded in God's promise and grace. The Council of Trent, by contrast, cautioned Catholics against a presumptuous certainty, urging hope and perseverance rather than a guaranteed personal knowledge of one's final destiny.
How it traveled
- 1 JohnEphesus · c. 100 CEexplains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · c. 1546 CEapplies
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Narrative of Surprising ConversionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Five Sermons. On Different OccasionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New EnglandNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Fifteen Sermons. On Various SubjectsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEapplies
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
40. That they may not attempt to undermine the certainty of faith in one direction only, they attack it in another—viz. that though it be lawful for the believer, from his actual state of righteousnes
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
It is no sign that affections are right, or that they are wrong, that they make persons exceeding confident. It is an argument with some, that persons are deluded if they pretend to be assured of the
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
It further appears, that assurance is attainable in ordinary cases, in that all Christians are directed to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, and are told now they may do it,
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Persons may be greatly to blame for doubting of their state, on such grounds as these; and they may be to blame, that they have no more grace, and no more of its present exercises, to be an evidence t
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
I come now to take notice of some things, wherein those affections that are spiritual and gracious, differ from those that are not so.—But before I proceed directly to the distinguishing characters, I
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
It is unreasonable to suppose, that God has provided for his people, no more than probable evidences of the truth of the gospel. He has with great care abundantly provided, and given them the most con
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
16. The principal hinge on which faith turns is this: We must not suppose that any promises of mercy which the Lord offers are only true out of us, and not at all in us: we should rather make them our
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Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther
In the fourteenth chapter of Exodus the Lord addresses Moses at the Red Sea: “Wherefore criest thou unto me?” Moses had not cried unto the Lord. He trembled so he could hardly talk. His faith was at l
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
The confidence of many of this sort, whom that Mr. Shepard calls evangelical hypocrites, is like the confidence of some mad men, who think they are kings: they will maintain it against all manner of r
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
4. Paul, moreover, adds, that the promise itself would be rendered null and void. For if its fulfillment depends on our merits when pray, will we be able to come the length of meriting the favor of Go
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These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
As to what follows in your letter, concerning a person’s believing himself to be in a good state, and its being properly of the nature of faith: in this there seems to be some real difference between
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
You speak of “a saint’s doubting of his good estate as a part of unbelief, and the opposite of faith, considered in its full compass and latitude, as one branch of unbelief, one ingredient in unbelief
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Spiritual light may be let into the soul in one way, when it is not in another; and so there is such a thing as the saints trusting in God, and also knowing their good estate, when they are destitute
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
The first comfort of many persons, and what they call their conversion, is after this manner: after awakening and terrors, some comfortable promise comes suddenly and wonderfully to their minds; and t
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
See Chambers’s Dictionary, under the word ENGRAVING. Mr. Shepard is abundant in militating against the notion of men’s knowing their good estate by an immediate witness of the Spirit, without judging
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Truly gracious affections are attended with a conviction of the reality and certainty of divine things. This seems to be implied in the text that was laid as the foundation of this discourse, Whom ha
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Christian practice is a distinguishing and sure evidence of grace to persons’ own consciences. This is very plain in 1 John ii. 3. “Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” A
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
There is nothing in what has been said, contrary to what is asserted by some sound divines; when they say, that there are no sure evidences of grace, but the acts of grace. For that doth not hinder bu
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Though in this great evidence of sincerity that the Scripture gives us, what is inward is of greatest importance; yet what is outward is included and intended, as connected with the practical exertion
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