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- assurance is a confidence
that right relations exist between one’s self and God.
Not to be confused with the doctrine of eternal security, which is a fact
due to God’s faithfulness whether realized by the believer or not.
While assurance is that which one believes to be true respecting his/her-self
at a given time.
Assurance in the past
age was a recognition of one’s own righteous character;
but in the present age it is a recognition of that righteousness of God which
is imputed to all who believe.
Vs= Isaiah 32:17 Col.2:2 Heb. 6:11 10:22
Although it may be concluded that assurance is experimental (experiential), resting on a true faith, a true hope, a true understanding, and an imputed righteousness, such feeling may lead one to say without any presumption, “I know that I am saved” or “ I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” 2Tim.1:12
So as far as this Scripture is concerned, assurance rests not only on the Word of God but as well upon Christian experience.
1. BASED UPON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
The inward witness of
the Holy Spirit is a definite Christian experience. Rom.8:16 & 1John 5:9-13.
In Heb. 10:2 it is said that those “once purged” should have had
no more conscience of sins.
That is to say, the removal of all condemnation (Rom.8:1) should create a
corresponding experience.
In 1John 3:10 a distinction between the “children of God’ and the “children of the devil” is manifested. The difference is exhibited in the matter o lawless sinning, IE. Sinning with no consciousness of its seriousness.
The Christian lives with a grieved or an ungrieved Holy Spirit inside and he/she cannot sin without an inner distress. Ps. 32:3-5
1John 3:9-10 does not
teach that Christians do not sin (1Jn.8,10) it rather teaches that the believer
being indwelt by the Spirit of God cannot sin lawlessly.
Also note that the indwelling Spirit of God and His presence should cause
a suitable experience, if the believer’s relations to God are spiritual
rather than carnal.
2 Cor. 13:5 It is inconceivable
that Christ should dwell in the heart without some corresponding experience.
The Holy Spirit directs that self-examination be undertaken on the one issue
of the indwelling Christ. (Fruit should be evident)
Certain results from that indwelling are normal.
a. THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD A REALITY.
It is one thing to know
about the triune God and quite another thing to know God.(and be know by Him)
Knowledge of God as Father is achieved in the human heart by the work of the
Son, Christ Jesus. Mt. 11:27,28
The rest which is thus promised to the soul is that which results when God is known as Father. This knowledge is secured to all who believe in Christ as Saviour.
b. A REALITY IN PRAYER
Many unsaved persons attempt
to pray, though without the ground of access to God which Christ is, but the
individual who comes really to know God finds a new experience in prayer.
It is not reasonable to think that He who lived by prayer when here on the
earth should not impel the one in whom He lives to the exercise of the great
potential of prayer.
c. THE WORD OF GOD DESIRED and UNDERSTOOD.
If the Spirit of Christ
indwells, there must be a new interest created in the heart for the Word of
God on the part of the one who is saved. The new spiritual life which came
by the second birth, like physical life, must be fed and thus the Word of
God becomes the “sincere milk” to some and “strong meat”
to others; so all who are saved do have a normal desire for the Truth of God.
(God has no still borns)
If there is no appetite for spiritual food, there is some serious reason.
d. A NEW PASSION FOR THE SALVATION OF OTHERS.
If Christ who died that the lost might be saved has come to live in a human heart, there must be of necessity and normally a new passion for lost souls created in that heart. Divine love, it will be remembered, is the first-named section of the manifold fruit of the Spirit.
e. A NEW SENSE OF KINSHIP.
To be born of God is to
enter the family and household of God.
This relationship is so genuine that there must be, of necessity, a corresponding
sense of kinship arising in the heart. 1John 3:14
Some questions:
- can a person be so carnal that none of these things are a reality? Can you
live so that there is no consciousness of God? Can you live like you where
an unsaved person with no regard for sin etc? No!!!
The carnal mind is an excuse for those who are a product of faulty evangelism....
To think that your actions could completely overrule the Holy Spirit and ignore the one who bought you is a grievous error and not Biblical.
Remember Heb. Ch. 12, God will chastise the erring child, if the problem is not corrected yourself. 1Cor. 11:31.
Even in a carnal state
the Christian is keenly aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the conviction
that He brings.
Note the Corinthians, they also responded to the Scriptures positively....
2. BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD
Since that which God covenants and promises cannot fail, evidence respecting one’s salvation which is based upon the Word of God proves absolute. 1John 5:13. God has revealed it is the Divine purpose that everyone who believes to the saving of the soul may KNOW that he/she is saved based upon the ground of that which is written in Scripture.
Note that the verse follows “He that hath the Son hath life” it then becomes a matter of self-knowledge whether one has had a recognized transaction with the Son of God regarding one’s salvation.
It should be known when
the transaction took place, for such great changes take place in the heart,
but for the present, the saved one must recognize that he/she depends only
on Christ as his/her Saviour.
You may say “ I know whom I have believed”
The Lord has said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out”
Jn.6:37
To those who have thus
come to Christ for His salvation there can be no other conclusion, if Christ’s
Word is honoured, than that they have been received and saved.
The Word of God thus becomes a title deed to eternal life, and it should be
treated as an article of surety, for God cannot fail in any word He has spoken.
Many are in no way certain
that they ever have had a personal transaction with Christ regarding their
own salvation.
Obviously the cure for any uncertainty about one’s acceptance of Christ
is to receive Christ NOW, reckoning that no self-merit or religious works
are of value but that Christ alone can save.
Some who lack assurance
of their own salvation do so because they, though having come to Christ in
faith, are not sure that He has kept His word and received them.
This state of mind is usually caused by looking for a change in one’s
feelings rather than looking alone to the faithfulness of Christ, as well
as looking to your imperfect “performance” as a Christian.
Feelings and experiences
have their place, but, as before stated, the crowning evidence of personal
salvation, which is unchanged by all these, is the truthfulness of God Almighty.
(Fact, Faith, Feeling, in order )
What He has said He will do, and it is not commendable to distrust personal
salvation after having definitely cast one’s self upon Christ.