Assurance (theology)

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove; assurance was described by John Wesley as the "Witness of the Spirit".

As a general term in theological use, assurance refers to a believer's confidence in God, God's response to prayer, and the hope of eternal salvation. In Protestant Christian doctrine, the term "assurance", also known as the Witness of the Spirit, affirms that the inner witness of the Holy Spirit allows the Christian disciple to know that they are justified.[1][2] Based on the writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, assurance was historically an important doctrine in Lutheranism and Calvinism, and remains a distinguishing doctrine of Methodism and Quakerism, although there are differences among these Christian traditions.[1][3] Hymns that celebrate the witness of the Holy Spirit, such as Fanny Crosby's "Blessed Assurance", are sung in Christian liturgies to celebrate the belief in assurance.

  1. ^ a b Yates, Arthur S. (2015). The Doctrine of Assurance: With Special Reference to John Wesley. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781498205047. Writing to Arthur Bedford on 4th August 1738, Wesley says: 'That assurance of which alone I speak, I should not choose to call an assurance of salvation, but rather (with the Scriptures) the assurance of faith... . I think the Scriptural words are ...
  2. ^ Guidebook of the Emmanuel Association of Churches. Logansport: Emmanuel Association. 2002. p. 9.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CYMF2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).