Don't Get Distracted by Faith Itself

Douglas Wilson:

"God wants us to have assurance of our eternal life (1 John 5:13). But this assurance cannot be had through close introspection of our own hearts—all we will find there is reason to be unsettled in our assurance. At the same time, we know Christ is present in those He is saving.

"We reject moralism—good deeds don’t put us in with God. We reject liturgicalism—prancing in God’s courts doesn’t please Him. We reject doctrinalism—mouthing the right words doesn’t do it. We are saved by the instrumentality of faith. We are justified by faith alone. We trust God. We come before Him in trust.
But how do we detect the presence of this faith? Faith does things, and it makes its presence known. It makes its presence known through good deeds, and through worship that is acceptable to God, and through affirmation of the truths that God has given."