Free Will and Assurance of Salvation?

Salvation is not a one-time event in your life.  It’s not a prayer you prayed sometime in the past.  Salvation is by grace through faith.  Faith is a moment by moment trust in Jesus to save you from the wrath to come.  It’s a constant choosing of Christ as your Lord and Savior.  You don’t choose Christ at some point in your past, but then choose to not follow Him and not trust in Him for your salvation for the rest of your life, and think you’re somehow not in any danger. 

So if salvation depends on you choosing Christ—exercising your will—to constantly trust in Him for your salvation (and it does), two questions arise:

1)      Can I have assurance of salvation?

2)      Do I have something to boast in?

Assurance

“Once saved, always saved” is a familiar adage.  It’s true that salvation cannot be taken away from you.  God will not revoke His offer.  Satan cannot snatch you out of God’s hand.  If you are truly trusting in Him alone for salvation, you are safe, and nothing can change that.  But a possession of faith is far different than a profession of faith.  It’s possible to be motivated to respond to a gospel invitation for various reasons and make a profession of faith, but not actually possess saving faith.  Saving faith is that constant trust in Christ alone to save you.  It’s evidenced by a life of sanctification—an ongoing process of conviction for sin, repentance, and becoming more and more like Christ. 

Now, if salvation involves a consistent faith—a moment by moment choosing of and trusting in Christ; and if our theology says that our will has the ability to make the right choice regarding Christ without the sovereign grace of God providing that necessary faith; then we can have no assurance of our salvation.  If your salvation depends on whether or not you continue making the right choice—don’t change your mind—until your death, then you can have no assurance, because you cannot guarantee yourself that you will not fall from the faith. 

However, if it’s God’s department to give the gift of saving faith necessary to choose Christ; if it’s God’s department to keep you in the faith; then you have every reason to believe you will be kept in the faith, and thus have full assurance of your salvation.  If God has chosen you, your faith will be sustained by His sovereign grace and power, and you will endure to the end. 

   

Boasting

Also, if salvation involves a consistent faith—a moment by moment choosing of and trusting in Christ; and if our theology says that our will has the ability to make the right choice regarding Christ without the sovereign grace of God providing that necessary faith; then we have something to boast in.  We have the ultimate say-so in whether or not we are saved, because we have the ability to choose Christ on our own, and to keep choosing Christ.  So ultimately, our salvation depends on us—our choosing of Christ without any gift of faith from Christ to do so.  We’re not kept by His power, but by our own power, and we have something to boast in.  When we get to Heaven, we can brag to everyone about how we chose Christ, and kept choosing Christ, despite the earthly temptations, pressures, persecutions, etc. 

However, if it’s God’s department to give the gift of saving faith necessary to choose Christ; if it’s God’s department to keep you in the faith; then when we get to Heaven, we will fall down at His feet and thank Him and worship Him forever for saving us.  We will have nothing to boast in, but join with all the saints and say, “All the way my Savior led me!  The only reason I am here is because of Jesus!  I have nothing to boast in except His love, and grace, and mercy, and His choosing of me despite my rebellion against Him.”