Can anyone be certain of their salvation in this life?
Robert Sungenis holds that absolute certainty of salvation belongs to God alone, though a person in a state of grace striving to keep the commandments may have a moral assurance that is not infallible. He warns that presumption and despair are both grave errors, and that final perseverance is a special grace to be prayed for daily.
Can anyone be certain of their salvation in this life?
Answer
Absolute certainty belongs to God alone. A person may have moral assurance if they are in the state of grace and sincerely striving to keep God’s commandments, but this assurance is not infallible. Presumption and despair are both grave errors. Presumption assumes salvation without perseverance; despair denies God’s mercy. The Church teaches that final perseverance is a special grace that must be prayed for daily. The believer should live in confident hope, receive the sacraments frequently, and trust in God’s promises. Assurance is found not in introspection but in faithful participation in the life of grace.