John Piper Denies Assurance of Salvation

John Piper says full assurance of salvation is impossible.

He says that unbelievers have the truth in them. So there's basically no difference between believers and unbelievers, according to Piper. Thus, you can never be sure whether you are a believer or an unbeliever.

He writes, "Christians in the darkness of depression may ask desperately, How can I know that I am truly a child of God? ... They are asking how they can know their faith is real ... we might remind the sufferer that his demand for a kind of absolute, mathematical certainty about his right standing with God is asking for too much." ("When I Don't Desire God", p217f)

__________________________

Response to user "Southernsem".

He wrote me...

"... my question to you is this, do you ever leave your house sometimes and go back to check to see is the door is locked or if you turned the oven off? It is good to doubt if it leads you to check to see if things are right. The Bible talks a lot about us examining ourselves..."

My response...

Hi Southernsem. Thanks for the oven analogy. But I hope you don't mind giving it a few more minutes thought...

If God told you, "the oven is OFF". (Of course this wouldn't happen today, since the Apostles are in heaven, and there's no more revelation but for the sake of argument) ... assume God told you, "the oven is off". If you go back and check the oven... You're implying that God either 1) lied, 2) was wrong or 3) can't communicate properly, when he said, "the oven is off."

It's the same with salvation. God says, "everyone believing IS justified." He does NOT say - "everyone believing..." might be... could be.. "justified". Everyone IS justified that believes. So to think, "I believe", but to be unsure of your justification is to imply that God lied when he said all believers are justified. See 1 John 5:10-11. Doubters call God a liar.

Oh, and one other thing. The reason you go to check if you left the oven on in the house, is because the Holy Spirit doesn't remind you about that. (Unless you're a Charismatic of course -- joking). On the other hand, doesn't the Holy Spirit constantly remind believers of the Gospel -- i.e. "everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ is born of God". (Rom 8:16, 1 John 5:1)?

The fact that you forget to turn the oven off, doesn't dishonor the Holy Spirit -- it's not his job to remind you of that. A believer doubting his salvation would, however, disgrace the Spirit, because it would be implying that He is insufficient, ineffectual etc, at "witnessing to [the believer's] spirit, that they are the children of God."

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• John
• Piper
• Desiring
• God
• MacArthur
• Mark
• Driscoll
• Conference

[postsaftermerjkn]

i havent read the book, but ive heard alot of John Pipers sermons, and have heard him preach the opposite of this if my memory serves me well, i hope for your sake you have not taken him out of context. Please take another look at what he is trying to say, God Bless.

[LordJesusChristNo1]

Repent of your sins you who posted this video because you are under the judgement of God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CorinthPastor]

they will know we are Christians by our ability to tear one another down online...fail.

[gugglevideos]

When you stop drinking milk and get ready for solid food, you will be prepared to read John Piper!

[MyLifeIsSetApart]

Andrew I find it interesting that you left out the word "mathematical" in your reply to pastor Johns quote from his book.

The term "Misquote" is coming to mind. Along with "Context".

[ForFREEDOM13]

This is perverted and fake. I love how you use a computer made voice instead of pipers real voice from his sermons....what? Are you afraid of what he really said? Lmao your a joke

[mozzrt]

@csmdeg Of course. Christ, Paul and everyone says that you must fight to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. How anyone can sit and say that 'I am saved' in their 15million$ luxury mansions with a fleet of luxury cars! They do NOT have the Holy Spirit though - it's impossible to live like that with the Spirit working in your life! How anyone can ignore Jesus own words - He says it again and again! Sinners and Publicans will enter before you, Lord, Lord etc. As if those saying Lord, didn't believe Him!

[csmdeg]

@GRANTEDREPENTANCE I agree, it won't gain your salvation, but you can be disqualified. Its worst, when a person believe yet living in sinful life. You can't be saved just knowing and believing without doing His commandments. Jesus said not everyone called on His name will be saved. Mat 5:17-48; John 14:15, 21. 23; 15:10, 14. Paul said fight for your salvation till the end. It means keep it. How? Not to be confirmed to this sinful world. Holy love will keep us away from sinning. Mat 22:37-40

[csmdeg]

@GRANTEDREPENTANCE No, because it is hard to be 100% pure, no way we can be that pure, and that is why we always need His blood. But to be sloppy and not making great effort to do your best to fulfill His commandments seems ridiculing the blood. Taking advantage on Christ is an abomination. John 5:14; Hebrew 10:26 So many verses for this, I wonder you read your Bible or not.