Grafted and Growing

In mass-market Christianity, countless people profess Christ but seem to show no evidence of saving faith. Though assured, their assurance is subjective. Should we default to doubting every person’s profession of faith? Are we to sow seeds of doubt, or instead fan the flames of assurance? Puritans like William Perkins “labored to lead their flocks into a well-grounded assurance of their election and salvation” (Beeke, Puritan Theology, p. 588). Peter emphasizes the importance of assurance of salvation, not casting doubt on it. Yet 2 Peter 1:1--11 provides grounds for assurance in objective, observable, and measurable terms.