For
non-reformed theologies..."at the end of the day, the security of the believer
finally rests with the believer. For those in the opposite camp [Reformed], the
security of the believer finally rests with God -- and that, I suggest, rightly
taught, draws the believer back to God himself, to trust in God, to a renewed
faith that is of a piece with trusting him in the first place." - D. A.
Carson
It
is only in proportion as the Christian manifests the fruit of a genuine
conversion that he is entitled to regard himself and be regarded by others as
one of the called and elect of God. It is just in proportion as we add to our
faith the other Christian graces that we have solid ground on which to rest in
the assurance we belong to the family of Christ. It is not those who are
governed by self-will, but “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). - Arthur W. Pink
Sit
not down without assurance. Get alone, and bring thy heart to the bar of trial:
force it to answer the interrogatories put to it to set the qualifications of
the saints on one side, and the qualifications of thyself on the other side, and
then judge what resemblance there is between them.... Yet be sure thou judge by
a true touchstone, and mistake not the Scripture description of a saint, that
thou neither acquit nor condemn thyself by mistake. - Richard Baxter
The
Scripture abounds in commands and cautions for our utmost diligence in our
search and inquiry as to whether we are made partakers of Christ or not, or
whether His Spirit dwells in us or not—which argue both the difficulty of
attaining an assured confidence herein, as also the danger of our being
mistaken, and yet the certainty of a good issue upon the diligent and regular
use of means to that purpose. - John Owen
If
our religion be of our own getting or making, it will perish; and the sooner it
goes, the better; but if our religion is a matter of God's giving, we know that
He shall never take back what He gives, and that, if He has commenced to work in
us by His grace, He will never leave it unfinished. - Charles Spurgeon
For
non-reformed theologies..."at the end of the day, the security of the believer
finally rests with the believer. For those in the opposite camp [Reformed], the
security of the believer finally rests with God -- and that, I suggest, rightly
taught, draws the believer back to God himself, to trust in God, to a renewed
faith that is of a piece with trusting him in the first place." - D. A.
Carson
It
is only in proportion as the Christian manifests the fruit of a genuine
conversion that he is entitled to regard himself and be regarded by others as
one of the called and elect of God. It is just in proportion as we add to our
faith the other Christian graces that we have solid ground on which to rest in
the assurance we belong to the family of Christ. It is not those who are
governed by self-will, but “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). - Arthur W. Pink
Sit
not down without assurance. Get alone, and bring thy heart to the bar of trial:
force it to answer the interrogatories put to it to set the qualifications of
the saints on one side, and the qualifications of thyself on the other side, and
then judge what resemblance there is between them.... Yet be sure thou judge by
a true touchstone, and mistake not the Scripture description of a saint, that
thou neither acquit nor condemn thyself by mistake. - Richard Baxter
The
Scripture abounds in commands and cautions for our utmost diligence in our
search and inquiry as to whether we are made partakers of Christ or not, or
whether His Spirit dwells in us or not—which argue both the difficulty of
attaining an assured confidence herein, as also the danger of our being
mistaken, and yet the certainty of a good issue upon the diligent and regular
use of means to that purpose. - John Owen
If
our religion be of our own getting or making, it will perish; and the sooner it
goes, the better; but if our religion is a matter of God's giving, we know that
He shall never take back what He gives, and that, if He has commenced to work in
us by His grace, He will never leave it unfinished. - Charles Spurgeon