Why Christian Assurance Begins with Christ

We continue our study of the doctrine of assurance as it is presented in chapter 18 of the 1689 Baptist Confession.We have already made our way through the first paragraph, which shows us, first, that assurance does not belong to temporary believers and other unregenerate people. They may deceive themselves into believing they have assurance, but ultimately their hope will fail.Second, the first paragraph shows us that assurance is possible for genuine believers. We are told, “Those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love Him sincerely, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may be certainly assured in this life that they are in a state of grace.” Furthermore, “they may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and this hope will never make them ashamed.”The Three Grounds of Christian AssuranceWith that, we move to the second paragraph of chapter 18:This certainty is not merely an inconclusive or likely persuasion based on a fallible hope. It is an infallible…