Let Confusion Reign

If you do not have that assurance but you do believe you have salvation, the problem may be due to the fact that you do not understand what salvation has provided for you. You might mistakenly believe that it is your works that provide the assurance you seek. Yet, you know you fail at external works and it becomes a terrible barometer for assurance because God never meant us to focus on our works at all and certainly not as any type of gauge of our spiritual condition. People can do all sorts of "good" thinks with improper motives, but their works look good!