http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=3844&view=post&articleid=66372&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
What is Assurance? First, there is the assurance of salvation, which feeds into the assurance of hope that gives us trust, which in turn gives us our confidence, purpose, and motive for Christian living. This assurance is our certainty that we are saved because "God calls us;" we do not call on Him for our salvation. We receive it only as an act of undeserving grace that we cannot get on our own by merit or birthright. The Holy Spirit gives us testimony and empowers us; we are then to receive our faith and persevere in it.