How the Holy Spirit Gives Assurance of Salvation

We are continuing our study of the doctrine of assurance, using the 18th chapter of the 1689 Baptist Confession as our guide. We are in the middle of the second paragraph, where the Confession names three grounds of true assurance:This certainty is not merely an inconclusive or likely persuasion based on a fallible hope. It is an infallible assurance of faith founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel. It is also built on the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit about which promises are made. It is further based on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. As a fruit of this assurance, our hearts are kept both humble and holy.We have looked at the first ground, the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the gospel. Last time, we considered the second ground, the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit about which promises are made. Now we come to the third: the testimony of…