Over the years, I’ve counseled with a good number of people struggling
with the issue of assurance. How can I know that I’m saved?
For many people, it comes down to wrong thinking about how their
performance relates to their standing with God. For others, it’s doubt about whether they had a genuine
conversion. Regardless
of the circumstances, it can be a paralyzing question to grapple with.
Even with all the people I’ve talked to about this issue,
I’ve never come across anyone as tortured by it as John Bunyan. The Puritan
tinker/theologian/preacher/author is best known for writing The Pilgrim’s Progress. What many people don’t know is the
agony that he endured for years while wrestling with this issue of
assurance. I don’t use the word
“torture” lightly. The poor man
was tormented. In his autobiography – Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
– he details his road from debauched unbeliever to confessing believer to
tortured doubter to elated son of God.
For those who struggle with assurance of salvation, I can’t
recommend this book highly enough.
First of all, it will put to words what you perhaps have thought you
alone have experienced. There is
great hope in seeing that others have suffered as we have. “I’m not alone” is a comforting thought
indeed. Even greater comfort and
hope can be derived from the knowledge that this venerable giant of the faith
suffered horribly from doubt and that his doubt was eventually remedied. If John Bunyan doubted and found a
resolution, you can, too.
Second, Bunyan explains how
this doubt was remedied. Nothing
is more discouraging than vague platitudes prescribed for real, felt
despair. Bunyan is specific and
detailed as he prescribes the truths that freed him from doubt forever. I won’t give it away here by
summarizing it; the benefit of
reading the whole account is too beneficial.
Suffice to say you will not be disappointed.
Third, Bunyan explains why he believes the Lord allowed him
to suffer under his doubt for so long.
He believed that God was gracious, loving, and kind to put him
through such a dark and horrible years-long season because it taught him things
that benefited him and others for the rest of his life. Indeed, we could say, those lessons
continue to benefit the church through Bunyan’s writings still today. You
could benefit from those lessons by reading this book.
Fourth, reading the Puritans is good for the soul. I’ve never doubted my salvation for a
single day, but this book has blessed me tremendously. So compelling is Bunyan’s experience
that I found it difficult to put the book down. His eventual joy and love for the Savior after finding
the truth that freed him from doubt is so infectious it will delight any
believer, whether you’ve struggled with doubt or not. I’ve found this to be true of every Puritan I’ve read. Some modern books tend to be somewhat
shallow, unclear, and repetitive. Not
so with the Puritans. (Some Puritans are difficult to read – I wouldn’t
start with John Owen!) John Bunyan
certainly is a great place to start.
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