“Those of us who tend toward introspection can easily drift into intense soul-searching as the means to finding assurance. What we need to hear is the summons to obedience. Until we start acting on the truth was know, we may not find the assurance for which we are desperately searching, no matter how much reading and heart inspecting we do.”

Obtaining and enjoying the assurance of one’s salvation is something that alludes many Christians. Get past all the spiritual jargon and start asking some difficult questions, and you might find that a lack of assurance, whether it occurs occasionally or frequently, is a feeling that dogs many sincere Christians.

In these situations, those who tend toward introspection can make the mistake of thinking that assurance primarily comes from rigorous self-examination. “If I just can find some sincerity in my heart and in my affections—some love for Christ, then I will be assured. If I can find just one pure motive, then I will know I have the Holy Spirit.” This approach, however, is nothing more than a vicious circle, or, rather, a vicious spiral—heading nowhere but down. Someone who is this insistent on finding assurance is usually not going to be satisfied with what they find in their heart; this, in turn, causes more doubt and we are back at the beginning of the problem.

One of the most important truths I have learned from Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections is that Scripture does not encourage us to find assurance primarily by self-examination, but by obedience. Edwards writes,

It is not God’s design that men should obtain assurance in any other way than by mortifying corruption, increasing in grace, and obtaining the lively exercises of it. And although self-examination be a duty of great use and importance, and by no means to be neglected; yet, it is not the principal means by which the saints do get satisfaction of their good estate. Assurance is not to be obtained so much by self-examination, as by action. The apostle Paul sought assurance chiefly this way…He obtained assurance of winning the prize more by running than considering [I Corinthians 9:23-26; Philippians 3:12-14, emphasis added].

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