Blessed
Assurance
God does not intend for His saved child to live the Christian
life without the blessed assurance of eternal life.
The apostle Paul had a profound conviction that nothing will be able
to separate the believer from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:31-39).
Jesus spoke of double assurance or security for the believer when He
said to His disciples: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them
out of My hand . . . and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I
and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).
We have “been born anew to a living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3-5).
We are guarded by God’s power through faith for salvation. Because the new birth has
taken place in our lives, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit within us (Rom. 8:23).
He is called the “first fruits," the initial promise and pledge of a greater
harvest to follow. The Holy Spirit does a work in our lives producing His fruit that is
characteristically different from our human nature. The Holy Spirit is evidence of
assurance because “we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own
Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:13).
The ascension of Christ to heaven to be our advocate is another great
assurance for the believer who has been saved by grace. Jesus “ever lives to make
intercession on our behalf” (Rom. 8:34; 1 Jn. 2:2). He is our great God and “He
is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25). Do
you have an intimate love relationship with your Savior? Are you abiding in Him and He in
you? Spend time with Him everyday. Learn to go into His presence throughout the day and
make yourself available to Him all day long.
God’s sovereignty gives assurance to the sinner saved by grace
that “all that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will
not cast out” (Jn. 6:37). Have you taken these words of Jesus to heart and believed
on Him alone for your salvation? God’s eternal purpose of salvation is such that He
will accept and forgive all who trust Him for salvation.
Have you taken John 3:16 seriously? “For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but
have eternal life.” Every person who hears His voice and follows Him will never
perish or can ever be snatched out of His hand. And they can never fall out of His hands
because Christ has His hands securely around the believer and God the Father has His hands
around His Son! “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all” (Jn.
10:29). How big is you God? Is He as big as Jesus claimed His Father to be? A God that big
can provide eternal assurance for the weakest believer who is acutely aware of his sins
and weaknesses. Have you confessed your need for Him to save you and keep you saved? Have
you asked Him to save you? Are you trusting in Him alone for salvation?
If you are trusting in your good works to save you, then you should
be filled with anxiety regarding your salvation. How can you ever have assurance that you
have done enough good works, or are good enough, or perfect enough to be saved? Such
presumptive pride should cause you to tremble before the Lord God (Matt. 7:21-23; Heb.
3:12).
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
(Eph. 2:8-9). Will you now put your faith and trust in the finished and all-sufficient
work of Jesus Christ to save you for all eternity? When you do you can find eternal
security. “He who begin a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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