A Matter of Assurance: An Exposition of First John

Kevin was a faithful deacon, husband, and father in the local congregation, yet he fought hard against many dark clouds of doubt that robbed him of assurance of grace and salvation. Kevin knew, through bitter experience, the truth of the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 18, Paragraph 3, “This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it.” Over the years, my experience as a pastor was that lack of assurance of salvation is a bigger problem in the church than we are willing to admit. One motive for this little commentary is to help foster assurance of salvation in the lives of people like Kevin. If you, or someone you know, struggles with knowing that you know God, this little book is for you.