1689 London Baptist Confession, Chapter 18
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Although temporary Believers, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes, and carnal presumptions, of being in the favour of God, and state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish; yet such as truely believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good Conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of Grace; and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shall never make them ashamed.
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Job 8:1313Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
Job 8:1414His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
Matthew 7:2222Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Matthew 7:2323Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
1 John 2:33By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
1 John 3:1414We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
1 John 3:1818Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
1 John 3:1919And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
1 John 3:2121Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,
1 John 3:2424Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
1 John 5:1313I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Romans 5:22through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:55And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
This certainty is not a bare conjectural, and probable perswasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded on the Blood and Righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel; and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our Spirits that we are the children of God; and as a fruit thereof keeping the heart both humble and holy.
Scripture references for paragraph 2
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Hebrews 6:1111We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
Hebrews 6:1919We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
Hebrews 6:1717So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.
Hebrews 6:1818Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
2 Peter 1:44Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:55For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
2 Peter 1:1010Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
2 Peter 1:1111and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1515For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:1616The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
1 John 3:11Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
1 John 3:22Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
1 John 3:33And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true Believer, may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it; yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means attain thereunto: and therefore it is the duty of every one, to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and chearfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this Assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
Scripture references for paragraph 3
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Isaiah 50:1010Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
Psalms 881O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
2May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.
4I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
5I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.
6You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
7Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah
8You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
9My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
10Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah
11Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon ?
12Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
13But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
15From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
16Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
17All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
18You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
Psalms 77:1-121I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me.
2In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.
3I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah
4You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.
5I considered the days of old, the years long in the past.
6At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered:
7“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again?
8Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah
10So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.
12I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.
1 John 4:1313By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.
Hebrews 6:1111We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
Hebrews 6:1212Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Romans 5:11Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:22through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:55And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Romans 14:1717For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Psalms 119:3232I run in the path of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart.
Romans 6:11What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
Romans 6:22Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
Titus 2:1111For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
Titus 2:1212It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
Titus 2:1414He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
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 som special Sin, which woundeth the Conscience, and grieveth the Spirit, by some sudden or vehement temptation, by Gods withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light; yet are they never destitute of the 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 mean time they are preserved from utter despair.
Scripture references for paragraph 4
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Song of Solomon 5:22I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”
Song of Solomon 5:33I have taken off my robe— must I put it back on? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?
Song of Solomon 5:66I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him, but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer.
Psalms 51:88Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
Psalms 51:1212Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalms 51:1414Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
Psalms 116:1111In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!”
Psalms 77:77“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again?
Psalms 77:88Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time?
Psalms 31:2222In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help.
Psalms 30:77O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed.
1 John 3:99Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Luke 22:3232But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Psalms 42:55Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.
Psalms 42:1111Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Lamentations 3:2626It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:27-3127It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
28Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
30Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
31For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
Source and edition
1689 London Baptist Confession. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription
Unlicense. Source transcription.
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