Assurance of Faith & Hope

We have seen that there is real assurance which comes to the believer in Christ, the assurance of faith; that if they have believed in what God has said, they shall be saved; indeed they are saved when they first do so. This is the assurance of faith, by which a person can legitimately conclude that they are a Christian because they are resting their faith on Christ and what He has done for them the sinner, to save them. The Assurance of Hope has to do with the evidences of grace that we see in ourselves, as a believer in Christ. This confirms to us that we have been born again, and that we are manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, the faith, hope, and love which have led us to a sincere obedience to God’s word and to Christ Himself. This confirms to us after we have believed, that we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, when we begin and continue to know the things which we have freely been given by God.