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ASSURANCEGod wants you to be sure of your salvation (Hebrews 10:22).
Assurance comes through the Scriptures (1 John 5:13).
Assurance comes through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16).The Scriptures tell you that if you are a Christian you will
—love righteousness and hate sin (John 3:20,21)
—love other Christians (1 John 3:14)
—love the things of God (1 John 2:3-5)
—love the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:7)
—want to see others saved (Romans 10:1).Being a Christian does not mean that you are sinless (1 John 1:8-10). You will still sin, but the difference now is that you will hate it and daily seek God's forgiveness (Psalm 51).
If these things are true of you, no matter how faintly, these are the marks of grace. You are being led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).The Holy Spirit witnesses inwardly (Romans 8:16).
This the Spirit does by telling us directly and giving us experiences of God's great love to us (Romans 5:5).
It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to discern the marks of grace, and who pours into our hearts God's fatherly love.
You can be a Christian without having assurance. But God wants you to have assurance, so pray earnestly for it. Be satisfied with nothing less than full assurance. Do not let Satan rob you of this.'Such is Satan's envy and enmity against a Christian's joy and comfort, that he cannot but act to the utmost of his line to keep poor souls in doubt and darkness. Satan knows . . . that assurance is that which will make men strong to do exploits, to shake his tottering kingdom about his ears; and therefore he is very studious and industrious to keep souls off from assurance, as he was to cast Adam out of paradise.' Thomas Brooks