Our experience of salvation is something many of us think about, as it is one of the most, if not the most, significant things that ever happens to us. People can often recall exactly when and where they made a decision for Christ. The eighth doctrine of The Salvation Army states, “We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.” Let’s focus on the second half of the doctrine, as there are many who are somewhat nervous about their salvation.  

This is not uncommon, so one should not conclude that having some doubts indicates one is not saved. Satan is always trying to cast doubt on the Word of God and on His goodness and honesty, but I would say that one can trust the Bible when it says that the Lord will give assurance of their salvation.

First John 5:9-10 says, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself” (NKJV).

What is this “witness,” and how can we see it? It’s surprisingly easy. We can see the witness in a changed life. When we’re changed, we feel a pull, a desire to live as Christ wants us to. We feel a revulsion toward sin even when tempted to fall. Even if one falls, one feels disappointment in their failure to keep a close relationship with God and a desire to get back up and try again. Samuel Logan Brengle, the great Salvationist theologian, occasionally failed, and whenever he did, he said that he “flew to the mercy seat to ask forgiveness.” God is not only willing but eager to forgive someone of their sins, so fear of losing one’s salvation does not need to have a place in their heart. This change in life bears witness to their salvation and relationship to God. W.T. Purkiser put it nicely when he said, “While one’s manner of life does not purchase salvation, it does prove it.”

Closely related to this is the progression in one’s relationship with the Lord. A person desires to grow closer to Him. One progresses in one’s walk with the Lord, learning His ways, becoming sanctified, and seeking out holiness. Growth in grace has a number of positive results, particularly a strengthening awareness of the Lord’s convictions and direction. This understanding and sensitivity to the guidance of the Lord brings significant assurance to the believer. Added to this, as the believer grows in knowledge and grace, the fruit of the Spirit becomes more apparent in their lives.

It must be noted that the level of assurance one feels can be contingent on several factors, including where a person is in their walk. When one has newly been regenerated in the Spirit and experienced salvation, there is a measure of assurance that one feels, but this will increase as one walks in their Christian life and strives to live a holy life. The experience of sanctification brings them into full assurance and conviction that they are indeed in the favor of God and excludes doubt and fear. This conviction is one of the many reasons to seek holiness and sanctification.

A person must seek the assurance of sanctification as they cannot fall into it accidentally. You can’t be sanctified and not know it. Lt. Colonel Mina Russell once said, “You could be sanctified without NAMING it, but not without KNOWING it.” Assurance is of tremendous importance to the Christian, but especially to the new or immature Christian. One receives this assurance from God because one cannot accidentally “lose” their salvation as if it were a set of car keys. 

In John 10:29, the scripture says of the saved, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (NKJV). This shows that one cannot be lost, for no one can take you away, not man, demon or Satan himself. To get out of the Father’s hand, one would have to jump out. One can certainly be assured that one cannot fall but for a conscious act to leave God. 

Even here, where a strong case for assurance has been made, the Lord gives even more because of His adoption of the believer into His family. This adoption assures us in such a strong way to a degree that adoption and assurance are nearly a single teaching in Wesleyanism. We are adopted into the family of God and are heirs to His kingdom. This assures us that, as His children, we will certainly be saved. In this adoption, God’s own Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are sons and daughters of God. In addition, the scriptures themselves bear witness to this fact. You have it in writing that you have become a child of God.

Occasional doubts can come our way when we are beset by difficulty or fatigued by the many challenges that mark the life of everyone, no matter their station. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism and a major influence on many other denominations, including The Salvation Army, had occasional doubts, especially early in his ministry. Still, he learned to acknowledge his doubts but not to be defined by them. He found his doubts groundless when considering Romans 8:14-16, which says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (NKJV).

The way of salvation is indeed a miracle of grace, but so again is the assurance that the Lord gives to His children. We are saved from the wrath to come, and of this, we may be sure, as the Lord has assured us this is true both by His Spirit and His Word. Our eighth doctrine is vital to our understanding not only of salvation but of our assurance that the work is done, and we are accepted into the family of God. 

Illustration by Matt Chinworth | This article was originally titled “In The Light of Knowing” in the August 2025 issue of The War Cry.