The Gospel Our Trust #5 — Ernest C. Reisinger

It's a bit irreverent to say I found a sure thing, but if you look at Luke chapter 2 verse 15 you'll understand it's not as irreverent as it might sound. Now tonight we come to a the end of our time together.

I certainly have enjoyed the fellowship with many of you dear people. I've enjoyed the fellowship with your pastor and of course it's been nice to see my brother again for a change. We don't get together so much, but it's been nice and refreshing and it's put a little sunshine in my path to be with you.

Steady Growth Rather Than Emotional Profession

I feel the Lord has great things in store for this church. There's a lot of things I see that I like. Steady growth, not some phenomenal soap bubble that goes up and down about as fast as it goes up. Like I was telling, a fella came in my office and he was telling me how high he jumped when he was saved.

And I thought to myself after listening to him for about 20 minutes I'd be more interested in how far he runs after he hits the ground. I think there's some good healthy things here and I'm impressed and the right way.

Now tonight we want to look at our little text again and kind of take up where we did last night and not so much review tonight, but before we do let's bow our heads, bow our hearts and ask the Lord to accompany us with his spirit and power.

Blessed Lord, tonight as we come to a very, very narrow path, we need thy direction. We need discernment tonight, Lord, to distinguish between those things which differ. And our Father, as we approach it, we recognize that the narrow path, we would not rob thy very own from that assurance which is theirs.

But our Father, we would seek by thy grace to be a friend to that soul who may be in the place of carnal security, and self-deceived. We would seek to be a friend to that soul tonight. And Lord, since this is such a narrow path, if ever we need thee, we need thee just now, both for hearing and speaking.

And so anoint the ears of the hearer and assist by thy spirit our lips tonight. For thy dear name's sake we pray, amen. Last night we talked about that part of our text that we've taken as kind of a little theme text for these four meetings together, or five.

1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 4. We've talked about our trust, the gospel, and spent a time on that. We've talked about our task, so to speak, the gospel, by life and by lip. Discussed the aspects of our motives for that task, the message of that task, and methods, God-honoring methods, as we seek to do the task.

Last night we talked about an aspect which tries our hearts, and that is to be honest about spiritual things. And we were talking particularly last night about being honest when we invite men to Christ.

I didn't get to it, but I would have liked to had brought in one other scripture last night, and that was Luke 14, where our Lord gives the example as he invites men to Christ to count the cost. We were making the point that we should be honest with those we invite to Christ.

And I believe that we should make the gate narrow at the outset, not any narrower than our Lord made it, but not to trick and trap and use gimmicks and gadgets to trick people about holy things. So tonight we want to take up that thought, not on the invitation to Christ, but we want to think a bit tonight, and I've tried to rethink today and kind of get a mixture of two messages.

I really needed one more, but I can't stay till Thursday, so that's out. I really wanted to spend the night on Bible assurance, and one night on perseverance of the Saints. So tonight it'll be probably a little mixture, and probably not so homiletical or some keen outline that you can remember, but I want to try to touch on those two things with the best of my ability and the assistance of God's Spirit.

False Assurance and the Difference Between Beliefs

Now we must, I believe, under God, distinguish between things that differ. I used the phrase this week. I didn't know I used it, but I would have used it tonight anyhow if I hadn't, and that is proof, text, salvation.

Now what I mean by that is this giving people assurance on a verse of scripture. What I mean by that is, here's somebody, we decision them, and I don't see where that's in the Bible anyhow. God never asked us to give anybody assurance.

He told them to tell them how to get it, how to be saved, point them to Jesus. That's the way, walking in it at our best we're signposts, but we're never called to enter into that holy realm of giving people assurance.

Now we can assist them, we can tell them how to get assurance. We can show them that assurance should be there, and so on, but we can't enter into that holy area between a man and his God and the Holy Ghost as he ministers through the scripture.

Now I think what I mean by that is getting people to say, I believe. And then as soon as they say, I believe, John 3 .16, to tell them, now you're saved. And then they go on with that verse, and anybody that asks them from then on, regardless what kind of, what situation they're in, they say, I believe and I'm saved.

Now I do not mean tonight that a man does anything else to be saved, but I would say tonight, and I want to make a serious effort to give you some evidence for what I say, or proof of what I say, that it's necessary to know whether you believe spuriously or whether you believe efficaciously.

I see both kind of belief in the Bible. So we want to look at them, and I'll look at the spurious first. If you turn to John chapter 2, we're going to take several passages now, and look at the spurious believer.

And I would remind you that it's the same word as we have many other places. So let's look a few texts on the spurious believer, because the real question we ask is not just to say with our lips we believe, but to know in our heart whether we believe efficaciously or spuriously.

John chapter 2, verse 23. Now when he was in Jerusalem, that is, our Lord, at the Passover and the feast day, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles that he did. But, and if I remember any grammar, that's a conjunction that's connecting with what goes before.

I suppose you wonder if I remember any sometimes, but, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men. And I say to you tonight, without any equivocation, if Jesus does not commit himself to a man, he will never believe efficaciously.

If the spirit does not reveal the Christ of the Bible, you may wind up with a Christ that you think you believe in, that you've contrived with your own imagination, but you will not wind up with the Christ of the Bible, because this one must be revealed by the Spirit.

The Spirit is the only one who can make this Jesus real enough to save you. Somebody said to me once, I'm talking like this, oh and it's probably been said to you many times, if I had been there when Jesus was here, and if I could have heard him, and if I could have seen the miracles that he did, I believe it would have been much easier to believe.

My dear, I want to assure you that you're, you couldn't be more wrong. Could you picture yourself with a little Jew, and I don't believe he's like we see him in the pictures. I read about him in Isaiah, and that description that I get him, get of him, is nothing like some of these effeminate pictures we have of Christ at all.

If you read about Isaiah 53, I believe your mind's eye will give you a more, a better portrait of the Son of God than all the pictures you ever saw. But I say to you tonight, if one stood up in your midst, a little Jew with nothing about him that looked, that caused you to desire him, and he said I was God, unless the Spirit revealed that truth to you, you would have crucified him too.

The Spirit had to show people that he was God. Let me just, in passing, let me show you what I mean. Over in this famous Roman Catholic passage, Matthew chapter 16, and I wish our generation would know this, in Matthew chapter 16, we have the point that I'm trying to make.

Our Lord was, he came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, and he asked his disciples, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And then they went on to say, some thou say thou art John the Baptist.

This is Matthew 16, 14. Some said, and they said, some say thou art John the Baptist. Some Elias, and others, Jeremiah, are one of the prophets. And he said of them, but whom say ye that I am? And then Simon Peter made that great confession of who he was, and I want to call your attention not to Simon Peter's confession, but the 17th verse.

This is verse 16. Simon Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Listen to what Jesus said. Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you?

No indeed, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say tonight in John chapter 2, the text we looked at, Jesus did not reveal himself to them. And therefore that was a spurious belief, it wasn't efficacious, it was not a saving belief.

Biblical Examples of Spurious Believers

We return to John chapter 8. John chapter 8, verse 30, 31. And as he spake these words, many believed on him. If you follow to the end of the chapter, you'll find that the same crowd, and verse 59, took up, they took up stones to cast at him.

But he hid himself. The same crowd. If you look at verse 31, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believe on him, If you continue in my word, then are ye made disciples indeed. I'm just going to hit the verses and we'll comment on this truth afterwards.

Chapter 12 of John, verse 42 and verse 43. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers, also many believed on him. But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him. Listen, this is serious, dear heart.

They did not confess him. Why? Lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Acts chapter 8, a very embarrassing passage for a Baptist to turn to, but since we must be honest with the Bible, we're going to turn to it anyhow.

This wouldn't be as embarrassing for you as it is for me. I say this facetiously, of course. Acts chapter 8, I find a fellow that believed and he was baptized, but obviously not saved. And we want to show that to you, why we believe the scripture teaches that he wasn't saved.

Verse 12 of Acts 8. And when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself also believed, or believed also.

And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondering, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now I want to take you down a little farther. That same fellow, that same fellow. Ulterior motives.

Verse 20, look what Peter said to him. But Peter said unto them, thy money perish with thee. So Peter thought he was going to perish, because thou that thought the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart. This is why I say the Bible gives evidence that his heart wasn't right. And if there's anything that changes when a man's saved, it's his heart.

Even when he stumbles and falls in his practice, he can be right in his heart. But this man was wrong at the wrong place. He was wrong in his heart. He said, thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

He told him, repent therefore of thy wickedness, and pray God that none, that none of, that thy heart, that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.

Then said Simon, and this I think is the conclusive reason why there's evidence that this man never efficaciously believed. He was a spurious believer from the outset. Then answered Simon and said, pray ye to the Lord for me, and notice his prayer.

Was his prayer, O God be merciful to me for my sin? He wasn't worried about his sin. He was only worried about one thing, and that's the consequences of sin. And that's the point I was making the other night when I say, those who just want to close with Christ in one of his offices.

He wanted to save you, but he wasn't worried about his sin, and therefore note the content of his prayer. Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which he has spoken come upon me. The consequences only.

I turn you to one other text on spurious believers, and that's found in Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8. Our Lord didn't give us the interpretation of all the parables. We can wish sometimes when we go to the commentaries that he did, when we see so many divisions about some of the parables.

But this is one of the parables that our Lord did interpret for us, thank God. And so it ought to end forever what he was talking about. Now I'm not going to read the whole parable tonight, because I'm pressing for some time.

But I'm going to read our Lord's interpretation of it. The disciples asked him in verse 9, it's the parable of Sower. About some fell by the wayside, verse 5. Some fell on rocks, verse 6. Some fell among thorns, verse 7.

And some fell on good ground, verse 8. And the disciples asked him a question in verse 9. He said, what might this parable be? In verse 11, now the parable is this, that seed is the word of God. That settles that.

Those by the wayside, are they that hear? Then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their ears, lest they should believe, and be saved. They never were even awakened, I don't think. Went off like water off a duck's back.

But there's another group here, verse 13. They on the rocks, are they which when they hear, receive the word with joy. Last night we went forward, and a big meeting, and we go, we're living in the clouds for about three days, or something like that.

These have no root, which for a while, what class, and in the time of temptation, fall away. Furious believers, temporary believers, never savingly, efficaciously, closing with Christ. Now you ask, there's a very important word in this text, and that is a while.

How long is a while? Huh? How long is a while? Might be a week, it might be a month, it might be five years, it might be ten years, I don't know. I only know that the end proves whether it's furious or efficacious.

Perseverance of the Saints and Antinomianism

Now, let's come again. What am I saying? I'm saying this, that it's not just simply getting someone to say a verse, and say, I believe a verse. It's not saying, it's not saying, I believe. And yet I want to say at the same time, it's not more than believing.

Look at 1 John. This epistle was written to combat antinomianism. 1 John, chapter 1, verse 7, or verse 6, rather. Chapter 1, verse 6. If we say, I better say it in my Sunday school class, somebody stopped me the other week and said, Ernie, don't say these words if you don't tell us what they mean.

Maybe I better say what antinomian means. An antinomian, it comes from two Greek words, and I'm not trying to impress you with my Greek. The only Greek I know makes submarine sandwiches. But I do know this from looking up to some people that do know something about Greek.

An antinomian comes two Greek words, anti and nomos. Anti is against law. I mean, anti is against nomos' law, rule, or reign. There's a Greek student. Am I right, Pastor? All right, so you believe me.

An antinomian is somebody that's against the rule and reign of Christ. He's an antinomian. And we have bred a generation of antinomians by a wicked doctrine called eternal security, a wicked doctrine as most people believe it.

Now, I want to hurry to correct this so somebody don't think I believe you can get lost and saved a dozen times, because I don't believe that at all. You only get saved once. And I believe that the great difference is this, between eternal security as generally taught and the perseverance of the saints, which is the doctrine that we believe as Presbyterians, namely this, that he that is saved will persevere to the end.

And he's not saved because he perseveres, he perseveres because he is saved. Now, we want to deal with that, because this doctrine ties in with false assurance, with spurious believers, and antinomianism.

It all goes together. And there's no place in the Bible that says eternal security. There is a place that talks in Hebrews about eternal salvation. But for those of you who might be stumbling right now at what I'm saying, I think I'll clear it up if you stay with me a little while.

But let me turn you to the verse that most people talk about when they do talk about eternal security. They don't read far enough. It's Hebrews, I thought it was 5 .8. Yes, that's what it is, 5 .8 .9.

5 .9. It's Hebrews 5 .9. This is the only place that comes close to what I'm talking about. And they usually don't read the rest of the verse. It's Hebrews 5 .9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that believe John 3 .16.

Huh? What does your Bible say, class? He became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. Now, we'll get to this. Bear with me now. We want to look at the book that's talking about fighting antinomianism just now.

1 John 1, 7, 6. If we say, and here we have that word again, it's not what we say. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we what, class? Lie. The Bible is not so polite. It's the only book that will be honest with you.

It's the only book that will be honest with me. It says, we lie and do not the truth. Over in chapter 2, verse 3 to 5, let me read it again. Don't forget, John is fighting antinomianism. Hereby we do know that we know him if, don't you take that if out of there, if we keep his commandments.

Not if we believe a verse of scripture. This is how we know him. We're saved by believing the testimony of scripture, but to know that we're saved, there's certainly obedience connected with it. We're going to get to the concession in just a minute.

He that saith I know him and keep not his commandments, verse 4, is a liar and the truth is not in him. Now, does that mean we don't sin? Of course not. There's a provision in verse 1 and 2, but I, but some people forget who this provision is for.

And they flash this verse around so wonderfully. Notice this is to my little children. These things write I unto you that ye sin not. Now when you stumble, there's provision. But this provision is for those who are in the first part of the verse, whose desire it is to sin not.

And they will sin. And there's provision. But it's a provision for those whose desire it is to sin not. These things write I unto you that you sin not. That's the picture of the Christian's heart. He doesn't want to sin.

Oh, he hadn't made it. And he does stumble and fall, and God has made a provision for somebody that's praying in heaven for him, a lawyer in heaven, a propitiation, an advocate, if you please, for those who desire to sin not.

The Ground of Salvation and the Ground of Assurance

Now, let me turn, and I think this is the key, one of the keys, to this great thing. We must make a distinction between the ground of salvation and the ground of assurance. I'm going to be a little tedious here.

You see, the ground of salvation, this is very important as we are honest with men in dealing with their souls. If you turn to the Confession, you don't have that, but I'm going to read it to you the best I know how.

I want to read what our Confession, the Westminster Confession, has to say about assurance of salvation, assurance of grace and salvation. It's chapter 28 of the Westminster Confession. Hear it carefully.

I wish I had time tonight to read every scripture that's connected with these great statements. It's not talking about salvation. It's talking about assurance of salvation, and I'll come to that in a minute, too.

Although, hear me now, although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and the estate of salvation. Now, it says that carnal men may falsely and vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions.

Although that's true, which hope of theirs shall perish, yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in all sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

Now listen, paragraph 2. There's four little paragraphs, and I'm going to read every one of them, even if we quit after I read it. But I've got some comments to make. Now we come to a vital part of assurance.

Listen carefully. This certainty that he spoke of in the other paragraph, that it belongs to these who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, this certainty is not a bare, conjectural, probable persuasion grounded on fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith.

Now I want you to notice what it's founded on, and this is the key to what I had to say. But an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation. That's this, the Bible.

In other words, it's founded upon the promises of God made real by the Spirit. That's one, but that's not all. Secondly, on inward evidence of those graces which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God.

In other words, there are three basic grounds of assurance, not one, like salvation. The hope of salvation is on the finished work of Jesus Christ and his blood, and if you're trusting anything else for your salvation tonight, you're lost.

But the assurance that that salvation belongs to me, and I'm not a spirits believer, has three grounds of assurance. One, the promises of God made real by the Spirit. And notice I said made real by the Spirit, because there's a difference between just saying John 3 .16 and having the Spirit make John 3 .16 real to your heart.

Let me explain what I mean. If Khrushchev stood here tonight and quoted John 3 .16, it would be true. If an unsaved man here tonight and quoted John 3 .16, it would be just as true as if you're a pastor or if I quoted or if you quoted it.

I've dealt with men in a mission that could quote forwards and backwards many of the verses that were around the wall, but they weren't saved. They could quote the verses, they could say them with their lips, but they weren't saved.

Now the difference is this. When I say the promises that God made real by the Spirit is this. That is objective truth. I pick up my Bible and I read John 3 .16 and that is the truth. If Khrushchev reads John 3 .16, it is the truth.

That's objective truth. Now what's the difference? It's when the Holy Ghost takes that objective truth and makes it subjective. And I still say, now, did you ever hear testimony something like this? Well, I believe John 3 .16 and I believe John 3 .16 and then one day I believed John 3 .16.

What does that fellow mean? I'll tell you. He means that one day the Spirit took that objective truth and made it real to his never-dying soul. That's what he means. And so it's the promises of God. We're talking about the ground of the church.

The promises of God made real by the Spirit. That's what the Confession is saying. Number two, the witness of the Spirit within. We don't hear much about this today, but never forget that Romans 8 .16 says, The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Does the Spirit bear witness with your spirit tonight that you belong to him? That's the second ground of assurance, not the ground of salvation, the ground of assurance. The third ground is Christian obedience.

And that is, he gave eternal salvation to as many as obey him. And if I read in the Bible that no adulterer shall enter the kingdom of God, and I have committed, and I'm committing adultery, I have no reason to believe that I'm saved.

If I read in the Bible, no drunkard, I remember the fellow aboard ship that used to come back to the ship time after time. We'd be out in the South Pacific, and he'd come to our prayer meetings, and he'd sing the songs with us, and he'd pray with us and read the scriptures with us.

As soon as we'd get back to the shore, he'd be off drunk, wine, women, and song. I remember the time I put my arm around him. I says, Dozer, I said, I thought you were a Christian. He says, my daddy's a Baptist preacher, and he told me, once you're saved, you're always saved.

Living in the benefit of his life was drunkenness. And I said, Dozer, my Bible says, no drunkard shall enter the kingdom of God. Now, we'll, we'll clear this up in a minute. Stay with me. Stay with me.

I'm talking about Christian conduct. When the Bible clearly tells us, let me give you the verse that I'm talking about. I'll come to it quicker. In 2nd Peter, chapter 1, verse 10, there's a great verse that says this.

Give diligence. Give diligence. You can't do this half asleep. And tonight I may be talking to people who's hiding behind carnal presumption, and not God's eternal salvation, but carnal security. It says give diligence to make your calling and election sure.

I think I quoted this today to somebody. We were talking about this. Old John Brown, the senior minister of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, who taught Greek exegesis at Edinburgh, Scotland, made this statement about that great text in 2nd Peter 1 .10.

Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. This is what he said about it. He said, if we would know that we are the call, no, it's assurance. If we would know that we are the called and elect of God, we must be and do what the called and elect of God are called to be and to do.

Did I say it too fast? Let me put it in different words. If I would prove to my own heart and to the world that I'm a Christian, I got to be and do what a Christian is meant to be and to do. If I don't act like a Christian, what reason do I have to believe that I am a Christian?

If the world don't see any Christian characteristics about me, what reason will they have to believe that I'm a Christian? Now let me go on. I want to read paragraph 3, because this, I believe, is the crux of where the error is, and that is, when we make salvation and assurance of salvation synonymous, you're in for trouble.

I'll tell you what, you'll be counting some people out that you don't know about, and you'll be counting some people in that you don't know about. You see, this is holy ground, and this ought to make you very careful never to say, after somebody's made a perfection and walked with the Lord and then they stumble and fall, you never say he's not a Christian.

You don't know. You don't know. The game isn't over. You're trying to find out the final score in the third quarter. You don't know. If you'd have looked at Judas those days when he followed the Lamb of God, we would have said, oh, he's a Christian.

Look, he's just like the rest of them. But the end proved that he never was. And when Judas confessed his sin, if you'll notice, he said, I betrayed innocent blood. He never did make a clear confession, this proves he was never real.

In John 12, 6, it said he was a thief. He never confessed that. So he was a spurious believer from the outset. He was described very vividly in Luke chapter 8, as I pointed out to you, verse 13. Had you looked at Peter when he denied the Lord, you'd have been wrong again, because you'd have said, he's not a Christian, and you'd have been dead wrong.

What proved you wrong? Peter's repentance and remorse and coming to the Lord. The difference is this. A true believer may fall down on the deck of the ship many, many times, but he'll never fall overboard.

And a spurious believer falls clear off the ship, even though he may appear for a long time to have some of the marks of saving faith. Now let me read you paragraph 3 of the Confession. This infallible assurance, and this is the key, hear it, does not so belong to the essence of faith, that a true believer may wait long for salvation.

No, you don't get to salvation by degrees. Salvation is not by degrees. Tonight you're justified or you're lost, you're saved or lost, but your knowledge of that may fluctuate in many degrees. There may be those who have strong assurance and those poor ones who have weak assurance.

If you have the weakest faith, you're saved. And if you have the strongest faith, you're saved. Assurance is not weak or strong. God saves people with faith, period. It's not a question of weak or strong.

In other words, assurance is a requisite to the well-being of a Christian, but it's not a requisite to the being of a Christian. We're talking about assurance. The spark of fire is true fire, just as true as a building of blades.

But ashes aren't fire, smoke isn't fire, any degree. Now let me go on. And that's why I say, my dear, as we're honest with men, don't try to give them assurance. Tell them how to be saved. You see, because God may be wanting to deal with somebody.

Maybe there's an area in his life that you can't see or I can't see, and God is withholding assurance for a good reason, to deal with that soul in some areas where you can't go. And if you try to play the Holy Spirit, you'd do a wicked thing.

Listen to this. This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be a partaker of it. Assurance, not salvation.

Yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given unto him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of the ordinary means, attain thereto. Therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure.

That's not talking about getting saved. That's talking about making something sure that you think you have, and do have. Therefore it is the duty of everyone 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 Ghost, in the love and thankfulness to God, in the strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance.

Obedience, proper fruit, that's the assurance. That's the fruit of right assurance. So far is it from inclining men to looseness. Assurance of salvation doesn't incline men to looseness, the Confession says.

Ah, no. The last paragraph, and I think this is important. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken. My dear friend, if you're saved tonight, the gates of hell will never shake your salvation.

But there are some things that may shake your assurance. There are some things that may shake your assurance. Listen, and the Confession was very different ways. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation shaken in different ways, diminished.

That means lose it all together. Those of you who know Pilgrim's Progress will remember that he went to sleep in the arbor. And what did he lose, somebody? He lost his role and went down the hill because he fell asleep.

Did he lose his salvation? Of course not. Read it and you'll find Bunyan was talking about the assurance of his salvation. We may have salvation shaken, divers ways diminished, intermitted. And here's how.

By negligence in persevering in it. That's the way your assurance may go up and down. By your negligence in persevering in it. By falling into some special sin. Show me the man that's fallen into some special sin.