SAVED WITHOUT A DOUBT: BEING SURE OF YOUR SALVATION, by John MacArthur

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

By Casey Croy

 

Overview

Saved Without a Doubt addresses professing Christians who doubt their salvation. MacArthur divides this issue into three questions, which make up the three parts of Saved Without a Doubt. In part one, MacArthur addresses doubters who truly believe in the gospel but are concerned that they may lose their salvation due to either repeated sin or major sin. In part two, MacArthur addresses doubters who are unsure whether they are saved. In part three, MacArthur shows how doubters may have assurance of their salvation.

 

Table of Contents

Part One: Is It a Done Deal?

1   A Collective Work
2   Those Troubling Verses
3   The Ties That Bind
4   The Inevitable Glory

Part Two: Is It Real?

5   Eleven Tests from an Apostolic Expert

Part Three: Is It Something I Can Feel?

6   Dealing with Doubt
7   Adding Virtue upon Virtue
8   Gaining Victory
9   Persevering through It All

 

Summary

Introduction

Christians need biblical clarity for the assurance of their salvation because assurance is essential for how a Christian will respond to almost every situation in life. Full assurance of salvation is possible, and this assurance is something that God wants his people to have. The Bible provides numerous tests which believers can use to evaluate their lives, to know whether they are truly saved. For those who are truly saved, the Bible can provide the assurance needed to erase all doubt.

 

Chapter 1: A Collective Work

A believer’s salvation is secured by the Holy Trinity. It is a collective work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus claimed that salvation stems from the Father’s desire and that those who believe will not endure judgement (John 3:16, 18). Everyone who the Father chooses to save will believe (John 6:37, 10:27–29). Their salvation is so assured that the Father swore an oath on his own name so that his people would be encouraged by their future hope (Heb 6:13, 16–18). The Son anchors all those who believe in him to God (Heb 6:19–20). As our great high priest, Jesus has secured our salvation before God and even remained in God’s presence as a testimony to the enduring nature of his work (Heb 1:3). The Holy Spirit acts as a seal for our salvation, guaranteeing God’s promises (Eph 1:13–14). This seal helps believers know the security of their salvation even though they have not received some aspects of it. Without the seal of the Holy Spirit, a person is not a true believer (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19).

 

Chapter 2: Those Troubling Verses

Although the previous chapter has demonstrated that a believer’s salvation is secured by the triune God, the Bible does, nevertheless, contain some verses that may seem to undermine these promises: Galatians 5:4, Hebrews 6:4–5, John 15:6, and Matthew 12:31–32. This chapter will examine each of these verses to determine what is actually being said and how what is said relates to salvation.

 

Galatians 5 and Falling from Grace

Paul is addressing a situation in which individuals known as Judaizers were claiming that faith in Christ was insufficient for salvation and that believers needed to add the old covenant rite of circumcision. Paul combats this idea by saying that anyone who accepted circumcision would be fallen from grace. Paul, however, does not mean that a person will lose their salvation but is instead contrasting the ways of grace and law, faith and works, as a means for salvation. To attempt to be justified by keeping circumcision is to reject God’s grace offered by faith alone. Such a person is fallen from grace in that they were exposed to the gracious teachings of salvation through Christ but reject them.

 

Hebrews 6 and Those Once Enlightened

Hebrews 6:4–5 addresses people who had frequently heard the gospel, appear to have accepted it, and live as members of the body of Christ. Hebrews was written to such a group who were now experiencing pressure and persecution to return to Judaism. Under these circumstances, some people associated. . .

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