Assurance

How does one know that one is saved?

1. The promises of the Word - which are external and need to become flesh

2. The testimony of the Spirit - where you cry out "Abba, Father" - true adoption

3. The fruit of the Spirit - the Word of God dwelling and working in you

Now I've always wondered about the 2nd one, and every now and then you meet people with very real 'spiritual' experiences, usually drug-addicts, murderers, etc... where the Spirit of God has made a very real revelation of being born-again in their lives, and their bondage to those specific sins has broken almost instantaneously and these people are changed forever

But normally I think the testimony of the Spirit is through the Word of God
so by one examining one's own heart again and again, we claim assurance

Hebrews 3:12-13 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

So it's no wonder that John writing his epistle, writes harshly FOR assurance, to test and re-test the heart again and again, cutting and wounding it with the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, that the end product may indeed be sure!

1 John 1:6 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 2:6 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
(and the rest of the letter)

So then...

Hebrews 10:23-27 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Perseverance of faith is then a definite sign of salvation, since the persevering heart is the one that has been tested, time and time again, and now will never 'fall away' from the Living God...

and it is no wonder that Hebrews 10 says to give up meeting is equivalent to murder!

So let us keep on meeting up, more so as the day draws near, preaching the harsh gospel, cutting ourselves to the heart, testing and retesting.. that all of us may be sure! Let us not be content with confusion between children and slaves, and leave it for the day of judgement for the sorting of the sheep and goats!

2 Corinthians 13:5 5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Lord have mercy on us!