The Chains of Ease
by Stephen Warhurst

When I was in college a young man who lived down the hall came to faith in Christ, sort of. It might be more accurate to say that he came to doubt in Christ. Big Daddy (that was his nickname) had always been a cordial fellow, but his drunkenness and revelry were evidence that he had no inheritance in the kingdom of God (I Cor. 6:10 ). So we spoke to him about his need for Christ. By God's grace he became deeply concerned about the state of his soul and showed fruit of repentance with a new desire to live for Christ. Later, however, I remember having some troubling conversations with him about whether or not he was truly saved from his sins. He lacked an assurance of salvation, but I didn't know how to help him. So I told him to pray the sinner's prayer until it took.

Roman Catholics have a simple answer for those who want to know how they can gain assurance of salvation: "You can't!" The Council of Trent declared roundly that a "believer's assurance of the pardon of his sins is a vain and ungodly confidence"; and Cardinal Bellarmine, a champion of Romanism, called it "a prime error of heretics." The Protestants of course were the "heretics" to which he referred. I understand their hesitancy to listen to heretics, but they should at least listen to the first Pope. For St. Peter tells us that we must be diligent to make our calling and election sure. Assurance is not an option; we are commanded to diligently pursue it.

Following Pope Peter's words, the Reformers broke with the Romanists, teaching that assurance of salvation was not only possible, it was desirable. Historically, however, there have been different lines of thought about how this assurance could be gained. One group says, "Come, search yourself closely and examine yourself," which sometimes ends in depressing naval-gazing. For some start to examine themselves and find they aren't there. Another group exhorts believers, saying, "Get off your duff and live for Christ. The reason you lack assurance is that you are too focused on yourself. Go love somebody!" Bunyan firmly believed in an assurance that came by doing. As the old Puritan maxim says, "Faith of adherence comes by hearing, but faith of assurance comes not without doing."

After Christian was freed from his burden at the cross, he found three men fast asleep with fetters upon their heels; they were Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. He was startled by their foolishness and cried, "You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a Gulph that hath no bottom." Christian warned them that to sleep here was to invite the one who goes about like a roaring lion to dine on their flesh, but they didn't see the danger. They stupidly looked at him and gave reasons why they preferred the chains of ease to the labor of liberty. These characters didn't suffer from a lack of assurance; they had a folse assurance. For Bunyan there could he no true assurance for the sluggard. His assurance was mere presumption.

Later, when Christian was scrambling up the Hill of Difficulty, he came to an arbor intended for the refreshment of weary travelers. So he sat down to rest. But he fell into a slumber and then into a fast sleep, until someone came along and woke him up saying, "Go to the ant, thou Sluggard; consider her ways and be wise." Stirred from his slumber, Christian hurried up the hill until Timorous and Mistrust told him to turn back. Their frightful tales and warnings of certain death troubled Christian. So he searched in his pocket for his Roll which had often given him comfort, but it was gone. Thus, Christian was forced to return and search for the Roll which "was the Assurance of his Life, and Acceptance at the desired Haven." In other words, Christian by his sloth had lost his assurance of salvation.

In Pilgrim's Progress we see that assurance of salvation depends upon a diligent pursuit of holiness. Bunyan understood that there are those who are full of "assurance" but have no ground for this assurance. Though they claim "every tub must stand on its own bottom," their sloth shows their bathtub is on sandy ground. On the other hand, Bunyan knew that a true Christian could lose his assurance when he became lazy, sleeping when he should have been working. He would then be rendered unfruitful, walking a path three times that should have been trod but once. Peter's exhortation to make our calling and election sure teaches the same thing. It is in the hearty pursuit of holiness that we experience the rest of assurance.

In the passage preceding Peter's command to make our calling and election sure, he encourages us to give all diligence to add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self- control, to self-control perseverance, along with godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. He assures us that if these things are ours, we will not be barren or unfruitful. This context is important for understanding how we can make our calling and election sure. It is by diligently adding to our profession of faith the marks of a holy life that we gain assurance. Calvin said, "The children of God are distinguished from the reprobate by this mark, that they live a godly and a holy life." Our calling and election are made sure by a life of obedience that bears the fruit of the Spirit.

Notice that several of the characteristics Peter tells us to add to our faith are fruit of the Spirit, which cannot be generated by the flesh. however, this does not dispense with the need for diligence. Empowered by the Spirit of God, we are to diligently pursue holiness. And when the Spirit bears holy fruit in our lives, we have assurance.

By Steven Warhurst, a pastor at Westminster PCA church in Kingsport, and a friend. Oh, and family too. He married my dear wife's sister.