Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?

Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? addresses the doctrine of assurance of salvation, exploring how Christians can know with confidence that they are in a state of grace. Part of the Crucial Questions series, this booklet by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers a concise, accessible treatment of a question that has long occupied believers and sparked theological debate.

Sproul begins with Jesus’ sobering warning at the close of the Sermon on the Mount—that many who profess faith will be turned away at the final judgment—and uses this as a starting point for examining both false and genuine assurance. He traces the historical controversy surrounding assurance, including the Roman Catholic denial of its attainability and the Protestant traditions that have affirmed it to varying degrees. Within this framework, he explains how the parable of the sower distinguishes superficial responses to the gospel from saving faith that bears lasting fruit.

The booklet also examines the theological foundations that undergird assurance, including justification by faith alone, the perseverance of the saints, and the order of salvation as presented in Romans 8. Sproul gives particular attention to the role of the Holy Spirit—as the one who regenerates, seals, and bears witness to the believer’s adoption—while warning against grounding assurance in subjective experience rather than the promises of Scripture.

Key Themes

• The distinction between false assurance and genuine saving faith
• The biblical basis for the perseverance of the saints
• Justification by faith alone and its relationship to works
• The Holy Spirit’s role in sealing and confirming the believer’s salvation

Featured Quotes

“It’s possible to love a caricature of Jesus rather than Jesus Himself.”

“We have to determine our theology from the Word of God, not from what we feel.”