ASSURANCE
A Simple Study of
a Sweet Subject
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On May 21, 1738, John Wesley was converted … adding,
in his journal, that “an assurance was given me that He had taken away my
sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
And it is this glorious doctrine of Assurance
we would pursue in our study.
“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine”… wrote Fanny Crosby.
“I know Whom I have believed”… pens the Apostle Paul (II Timothy 1:12).
It is not arrogance or wishful thinking to say, “I’m
saved and going to Heaven!” This is a
Divinely revealed doctrine in Scripture.
It is a part of God’s plan for every believer.
But, alas, there are many Christians who fail to
grasp the reality of this precious truth.
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1. THE
PRE-REQUISITE TO COMMENCE … Conversion
Some church folk even have fuzzy ideas about what
makes one a Christian in the first place.
It is not by going to church … nor getting baptized (though every
Christian should be!) … nor having one’s name on the church roll … not even the
living of a good life (“not of works lest any man should boast”, (Ephesians
2:9) … but “by grace are ye saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).
God met the sinner’s need by sending His Son to be
the Saviour. He became our Substitute …
the One Who bore “our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Peter 2:24). Thus God provided salvation … and by faith
in Christ we can know the joy of sins forgiven.
True, whereas there are some folk who may have had a
dramatic conversion experience, others may grow up not knowing when they passed
from “death unto life” (John 5:24) … but are saved nevertheless.
And to KNOW that one is saved, a child of God, and
bound for Glory, is what this study is all about.
2. THE
PROBLEM TO OVERCOME … Uncertainty
“If you died tonight would you go to Heaven?”
It’s a good question to ponder. And many Christians would answer “I hope so” or “I think so”. To them Fanny Crosby’s “Blessed Assurance” is just a hymn to sing instead of a truth to embrace.
Nor will one’s Christian service be to much avail if
one is doubting one’s own salvation.
So where lies the solution to this problem?
3. A
PITFALL TO AVOID … Feelings
Feelings come and feelings
go,
and feelings are deceiving;
My trust is in the Word of
God …
naught else is worth believing! (Anon)
John writes:
“These things I have written that ye may know
ye have eternal life…” (I John
5:12-13).
It is at the Cross we find
Salvation,
But it is in the Word of God
we find our Assurance.
* Look
for example, at Revelation 3:20 :
Behold I stand at the door and knock… (Have you heard Him knock at
your heart’s door?) If any man
hear My voice and open the door… (Have you invited Him in to be
your Saviour and Lord? He does not
force His way in … you need to ‘open the door’) that person might be
saved… (Hey!! It doesn’t say
that!) … that person will feel different… (And it doesn’t say
that either!! You may feel
different, then again you may not. But
we do not trust our feelings. We trust
the promises of God’s Word. So … did He
come in when you invited Him and ‘opened the door’? … what did He promise?) … I
will come in!”
To say He didn’t keep His part of the bargain (if
one can use that terminology) is to cast doubts on His veracity!!
** Let’s
have another example – just to reinforce this doctrine of Assurance.
For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever (and that includes you … and me!) should feel
different (Hold it!! That’s not what it says!) should not perish
but might have everlasting Life!” (What’s this ‘might’ business?
Is that what God says in His Word?
Of course not!!) not perish but have everlasting life! (John 3:16).
*** Now
let’s take another look at that poem :
Feelings come and feelings go, (ain’t
that the truth!)
and feelings are deceiving; (just because you don’t feel saved does not mean you are not
saved. ‘Feeling’ is not a Bible
word. If you have sincerely trusted the
Lord Jesus as your Saviour … God says, in His Word, you are saved!
naught else is worth believing.
Focus on what God says … not on your feelings
… if you need assurance of your salvation!
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“If you died tonight, would you go to Heaven?”
If you are a Christian … in the Bible sense of the
word … you should be able to give a resounding “Amen!”
If you have never asked the Lord Jesus to be your
Saviour … now is a good time to “open the door” and bid Him
enter. And tell a fellow Christian you
have done so.
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and
yet believe.
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