I try not to get into theological arguments if I can help it, but recently there have been several deaths in my family/friend/aquaintance group and I boldly state with confidence that they are now with the Lord ( or “Promoted to Glory” as we say in The Salvation Army). How can I be so sure when I have no physical evidence that it is so?
Apologists for Christianity will often bring up “Pascal’s wager” - “if I believe in Jesus and his claims on my life, but it was all an elaborate hoax, then when I die I have lost nothing; but if I don’t believe and everything Jesus said is true, then when I die I am doomed for eternity. I choose to believe just in case”. I paraphrased Pascal, but Google is your friend for his actual words. This basically equates to betting your life on an eternal life insurance policy!
This is weak sauce compared to the words of the hymn writer Fanny Crosby, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” This assurance of salvation is the central comfort of the Christian life: it is the confidence that we belong to God, that He has saved us through Jesus Christ, and that His love will continue to sustain us. Within Arminian theology, this assurance is real, vibrant, and grounded in both God’s faithfulness and our living relationship with Him. It is not a passive presumption but an active confidence rooted in God’s promises, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and a life consistently surrendered to Christ.
At the heart of this tradition is the conviction that salvation is offered freely to all, for God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9, NLT). This wide-open invitation emphasizes God’s gracious initiative. No one earns salvation. It is a gift of divine mercy received through faith. As Paul writes, “God saved you by his grace when you believed… it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8, NLT).
Yet this grace, while unmerited, is not coercive. God does not force salvation upon anyone; instead, He calls, convicts, and empowers us to respond. Assurance, therefore, involves both God’s unwavering faithfulness and our continued trust in Him. This understanding affirms that believers, through persistent unbelief or willful rebellion, may turn away from the salvation they once embraced. But this possibility does not diminish confidence. Rather, it clarifies that assurance is experienced in an ongoing relationship with God, not an isolated moment in the past. Just as relationships flourish through daily trust, so does the confidence of salvation.
The Old Testament repeatedly presents salvation as covenant relationship—rooted in God’s steadfast love but requiring a faithful heart. David writes, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, NLT). David’s assurance comes from trusting God’s character, not from assuming his own inability to walk away. Similarly, Joshua exhorts Israel, “Choose today whom you will serve… But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15, NLT). Israel’s covenant security rested in God’s promises but still required continued allegiance. This dual reality—God’s faithfulness and human response—forms the foundation for how assurance is understood.
In the New Testament, confidence of salvation is equally relational and dynamic. Jesus declares, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish” (John 10:27–28, NLT). The promise “they will never perish” is inseparable from the description “my sheep… follow me.” The life of assurance is the life of discipleship—hearing, trusting, and following Christ daily. The security is real because the Shepherd is faithful, not because the sheep are incapable of wandering.
One of the strongest sources of confidence is the witness of the Holy Spirit. Paul teaches, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16, NLT). This internal testimony assures believers of their identity in Christ. The Spirit’s ongoing work—convicting, comforting, empowering—keeps believers anchored in God’s love. When we stumble, the Spirit leads us back to repentance. When we are weak, He strengthens our faith. This is why Paul can confidently write, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished” (Philippians 1:6, NLT). The God who initiates salvation also sustains it—so long as we do not reject His continued work in us.
This understanding of assurance does not weaken confidence; it deepens it by placing it firmly in the living, ongoing grace of God. True assurance is not fragile. It rests on God’s unchanging love and the believer’s sincere, persevering faith—both empowered by the Holy Spirit. John writes, “We can know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us his Spirit” (1 John 4:13, NLT). This knowing is experiential, relational, and transformative.
Ultimately, assurance is not fear-driven but hope-driven. It encourages believers to remain close to Christ, to trust His promises, and to rely on His strength. As Isaiah proclaims, “God is our salvation. We will trust in him and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2, NLT). When we walk with Him, listen to Him, and surrender to His grace, we can live with joyful confidence: we are His, He is ours, and His saving love endures forever.
Blessed assurance indeed!
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://blog.salvationarmyconcordca.org