SD 18.4

18.4. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation

True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance; suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness, and to have no light; yet are they neither utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which by the operation of the Spirit this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which in the meantime they are supported from utter despair.

Proof texts

• Song. 5:2, 3, 6 — [2] I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” [3] I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? [6] I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.
• Ps. 51:8, 12, 14 — [8] Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. [12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. [14] Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
• Eph. 4:30, 31 — [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
• Ps. 77:1–10 — [1] I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. [2] In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. [3] When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. <i>Selah</i> [4] You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. [5] I consider the days of old, the years long ago. [6] I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search: [7] “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? [8] Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? [9] Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” <i>Selah</i> [10] Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” [11] I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. [12] I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. [13] Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? [14] You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. [15] You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. <i>Selah</i> [16] When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. [17] The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. [18] The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. [19] Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. [20] You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
• Matt. 26:69, 70, 71, 72 — [69] Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” [70] But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” [71] And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” [72] And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
• Ps. 31:22 — [22] I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.
• Ps. 88 throughout
• Isa. 50:10 — [10] Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
• 1 John 3:9 — [9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
• Luke 22:32 — [32] but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
• Job 13:15 — [15] Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.
• Ps. 73:15 — [15] If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
• Ps. 51:8, 12 — [8] Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. [12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
• Isa. 50:10 — [10] Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
• Mic. 7:7, 8, 9 — [7] But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. [8] Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. [9] I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.
• Jer. 32:40 — [40] I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
• Isa. 54:7, 8, 9, 10 — [7] For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. [8] In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer. [9] “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. [10] For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
• Ps. 22:1 — [1] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
• Ps. 88 throughout

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Song. 5:2, 3, 6 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 19 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WCF 18.1 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WCF 18.2 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WCF 18.1 · WCF 18.2 · WCF 18.3 · WCF 18.4