Messenger of the Lord

Perfect Assurance Not Compatible With Faith

One of the most illuminating examples of presuppositions (bias, prejudice, etc.) that drive a person contrary to the light of truth is the reaction of the religious leaders in Jerusalem to Jesus. After the resurrection of Lazarus, an undeniable fact with many witnesses, these leaders were even more determined to kill Jesus (John 11:47-57; Matthew 26:59, 60). Though these leaders were intelligent, they also were prejudiced. Jesus did not fit their presuppositions. He was a threat to their academic pronouncements. They were driven not by calm reason and an enlightened conscience, but by what they wanted to believe. MOL 520.8

Men and women in every age have had to face the same questions that the Jews in Christ’s day had to resolve. In the face of light, even in the presence of the God-man Jesus, the question of belief is more than a matter of reading undeniable scientific evidence, such as how much anything weighs or how fast an object is moving. For some questions, the answers can be beyond dispute and provide complete assurance. MOL 521.1

But when Jesus gave His best answers and provided the best demonstration of truth, people still rejected Him. Why? For the same reason that people have rejected His prophets. The answer lies in a person’s will to believe, in that secret, hidden mystery the Bible calls “faith.” At its deepest point, faith is the response of love and appreciation, and neither can be intimidated or coerced—even in the face of “overwhelming” evidence. Think of Lucifer in heaven! MOL 521.2

Thus Ellen White could say that “perfect assurance ... is not compatible with faith. Faith rests not on certainty, but upon evidence. Demonstration is not faith.” ³⁹ That is, perfect assurance in spiritual matters does not happen as perfect assurance is reached in areas such as mathematics or laser measurements. Laboratory results are demonstrations, and no faith is required. But trusting God depends on factors other than observable, precise demonstrations. MOL 521.3

Probably it has never been better said than when Mrs. White commented on an exchange Jesus had with religious leaders after He stated that any person who wills to know, shall know the truth (John 7:17): “The perception and appreciation of truth, He said, depends less upon the mind than upon the heart. Truth must be received into the soul; it claims the homage of the will. If truth could be submitted to the reason alone, pride would be no hindrance in the way of its reception. But it is to be received through the work of grace in the heart; and its reception depends upon the renunciation of every sin that the Spirit of God reveals.” ⁴⁰ MOL 521.4