Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?
Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith,1 true believers may wait long before they obtain it;2 and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions;3 yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.4
Scripture proofs
The Westminster Assembly's proof texts (KJV). The bracketed numbers in the answer above mark the clause each set of references supports; expand a row to read the verses.
1 Eph. 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
2 Isa. 50:10; Ps. 88
Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.
— full text not shown for this reference —
3 Ps. 22:1; Ps. 31:22; Ps. 51:8, 12; Ps. 77:1–12; Song 5:2–3, 6
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
Ps. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Ps. 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Ps. 77:1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
Ps. 77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Ps. 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
Ps. 77:4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Ps. 77:5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
Ps. 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
Ps. 77:7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
Ps. 77:8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
Ps. 77:9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
Ps. 77:10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
Ps. 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
Ps. 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Song 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
Song 5:3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Song 5:6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
4 1 John 3:9; Job 13:15; Ps. 73:15, 23; Isa. 54:7–10
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Ps. 73:15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
Ps. 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Isa. 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa. 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Isa. 54:9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
Isa. 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
This doctrine across the Standards
Where the Confession and the Westminster Shorter Catechism treat the same matter, so the question can be studied alongside its parallel statements.
In the Westminster Confession
XIV.3 This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, …
This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, but gets the victory; growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.
→ XIV.3 · Of Saving FaithXVIII.1 Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being …
Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.
→ XVIII.1 · Of the Assurance of Grace and SalvationXVIII.2 This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible …
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God: which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.
→ XVIII.2 · Of the Assurance of Grace and SalvationXVIII.3 This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may …
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: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
→ XVIII.3 · Of the Assurance of Grace and SalvationXVIII.4 True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence …
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.
→ XVIII.4 · Of the Assurance of Grace and SalvationIn the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q.36 What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
→ Open Q.36