Christ Our Assurance

What does Assurance mean to you in your daily walk with Christ?

Matthew 7:21-23; John 3:1-21; Romans 8:15-17; Hebrews 10:19-25; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 1 John 5:11-13

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. This is our assurance of salvation; what we have done with what He has given is the evidence of who we are in Christ (Matt. 7:21-23; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:4-6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 3:10-14; 2 Peter 1:5-11).

Second, assurance shows us that we are being drawn close to God, which is what transforms us, after which we are called to show our diligence in our growth in Christ. We practice what God gives, which is salvation and eternal life; in addition, we continue our participation and diligence in Him. Thus, "doing" Christian life is not sitting around doing nothing or being hindered by our trepidations and what has upset us or seeking to do only what we can get away with. Assurance prompts the practice of our diligent faith and then preserves and grows our faith and helps us produces fruit, character, maturity, and virtue. Then, we will see our doubts and anxiety wearing away because we can see what God is doing in us. This will in turn help eradicate our hurts and the fears that hinder His work in us and paralyze our usefulness to Him in others' lives as well (Matt. 10:22; 24:12-13; Rom. 12; Gal. 5:6, 22-23; Phil. 2:12-13; Heb. 3:6).

Assurance is Intimacy

Most people think they are good, and therefore will go to Heaven when they die; and yet, few people actually know God as He calls us to. They have built up a misguided hope based on false perceptions of themselves, that their good outweighs their bad. Many have placed hope in the church where they grew up, or on a favorite Bible passage, or in a priest or pastor or a religious system or a tradition, or have relied on the assumption that their family is Christian, but have not rested in the reality of what Christ has done.

We all need to come to the point where we realize our need, both for salvation and to know God, and that we can't do this on our own. Then, we need to take full ownership of our faith as a real and impacting factor in our lives. But, the problem is, we cannot do that until God first places His work in us. Our sinful nature and pride block Him from blessing our lives as we refuse to yield to God and His loving plan. The great news is that He provides us with His Spirit so we can know Him. We can take ownership of our faith and make it real. But, with the knowledge and salvation Christ gives us comes responsibility. Hence, these passages, in their contexts, are the result of not following the call of the previous verses.

These verses come right on the heels of Jesus' disclosure about the narrow way and the gates. If you choose not to go the right way, if your fruits are rotten, then you will be in big trouble. Not because God is out to get you, because He is not. Well, actually He is out to get you-to have you saved and in Him! It is we-humanity-who have decided to go our own way, causing God to chase us down. But, He will not force us to conform to His way. His way is offered, but it is up to us to accept. He elects and predestines us, yet still, because of His pure purpose and sovereignty, we have to receive Him by faith alone. The sign that our faith is real is when we put our faith into practice, as these verses testify. God is concerned with our obedience and faith and what we do with what He gives. Do we produce fruits that uplift His glory and impact others for Him? Or, are we doing our own thing, believing "life is all about me," unconcerned with godliness and character?

When we profess Christ as Lord, or make a public testimony, we are declaring our intimacy in Jesus Christ and that He has hold of our lives both now and through eternity-a truth that transcends human understanding. We are no longer of this world; we belong to Him as His child-saved and redeemed. Even though we have a special intimacy with God because of what Christ has done, we have to be careful that we do not rest in this intimacy. The intimacy is important, but God is most concerned with what we do with what He gives us. The intimacy is the frosting; the cake is to do His Will (Gen. 22:11; 1 Sam. 3:10; Luke 22:31).

True assurance also gives us intimacy with God and is not found in our feelings, works, deeds, or even the utterance of our creeds or having the right theology in mind even though these things are important. Rather, it is the deep closeness, affection, and knowledge of Christ that is generated by our real heartfelt devotion, commitment, and trust. These characteristics are demonstrated by our willingness and the action of moving forward in our journey of faith so that He is the One to rule our will and hearts on earth, ultimately climaxing in eternity (Matt. 28:18; Luke 17:20-21; John 18:36; Acts 2:36; Rom. 14:17; Eph.1: 20-23; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9).

How Do I Know I Am Saved?

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us, whoever does the will of my Father. Faith is not earned, but it is exhibited by our devotion, obedience, and the continuation of building upon the faith that Christ gives. These are the things that matter, not what we do, as in works, or even the special relationship we have (James 1:22-25). The fact that God knows us and we can know Him is our true treasure. Our response is our growth in Him and making Him known to others (1 Cor. 8:2-3). Christ is the author and finisher of salvation to all who obey Him-so do you (Heb. 5:9)? Only those who obey from the heart will be delivered from their sin (Rom. 6:17-18)! Christ will come in judgment against those who do not obey His Gospel (2 Thess. 1:7-9)! So, what is your response? Don't rely just on feelings; where is your heart? We must take Jesus' sermon in Matthew 7 very seriously and, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6: 33; 7:21-23).

What is the Father's Will? It begins with the map of our salvation, His work; then, come our repentance and confession of Jesus as Lord by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21; Rom. 10:10). Subsequently, out of a response of gratitude, we must live our lives with character, determination, and love, and by faithful service to Christ (Rev. 2:10; 1 John 1:9). If your faith is not practiced, it will not last which would be a true sign that you never had it, or you have not let it dive deep enough into you to create the transforming action from your fallen, sinful state to redemption in the blood of the Lamb. These things are not up to our judgment. They are His. Your fruits will tell the true story to others around you.

This is all about the Blood of Jesus! The sacrificial death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ appeased the wrath of God for us. This is the map that we follow. Because He did this, we can receive salvation as well as the joy and honor of receiving forgiveness for our sins. God is more merciful with us than we could ever be with anyone else, or could ever deserve. No matter what we go through from persecution or loss, we could never even catch a glimpse of what Christ gave to us through grace (Matt. 5: 3-12; Rom. 5:9; Rev. 1:5-6). This is what should fuel our confidence and assurance. Our access to God gives us monumental opportunities and shows us the depth and magnitude of how much we have been saved from. We have the ability to be bold and go before God because He has saved us, renewed us, and empowered us. We do not earn or deserve this outpouring; it is a gift of love and grace. (Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 2:1-4; 4:15).

Our "full assurance of faith" is displayed by our commitment; so, our faith must not waver because we are trusting in and following Christ. Salvation is not for us to just be saved and then sit in a pew; it is so we can be impacted and in turn be an impact on others. It is so we may be renewed, restored, empowered, and used. We have been transformed; our hearts and minds are changed and renewed when we receive Christ's work and gift of grace and we are thus released from a guilty conscience. It is all about who Christ is and what He has done, and that we have freedom because of His once-for-all sacrifice (Rom. 1:8-15; 1 Cor. 11:4; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:1; Philemon 4). So, we can hold fast to the hope, be unshakably confident-without doubt or hesitation-in our trust in Christ. The reason is because Christ is faithful, even when our friends and circumstances are not. Thus, our confidence is in Christ, not the people in the church or how we are tested or treated either inside or outside the church walls (Acts 21:26; Rom. 3:24-26; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 3:1-14; 6:18-20).

Why Should I Have Assurance?

In Hebrews, chapter ten, God gives us a call us to persevere-no matter what. While we are here on earth, we can go before the Father in worship and prayer, thereby boldly approaching His throne in Heaven. This gives an overwhelming abundance of assurance. Look at this; as Christians, we have the great privilege that the high priest had only once a year. We have access to Jesus Christ all the time; what is greater than that? And, it's all because of the blood of Christ shed on our behalf! This is what our new life in Christ is all about; He has opened up a world for us to enter where we could never go before, all because of what He did for us. We can go into the presence of the Most Holy God in prayer and in relationship; we can trust Him, and have confidence in Him. What does this mean for the daily grind of life? We can trust in our Lord and thus better lead our lives with pure hearts, forsaking evil desires because of His promise that has been given and kept.

Since God is trustworthy, we can be faith-worthy. We have Christ's empowerment and His assurance for living. We can hold onto Christ tightly, and not waver when times are bad or when we can't see around us or where we are going. We do not need to be bound to the hurts of our past or the fears of our future. Our lives are not about who did or did not do what to us; they are about "me" in Christ! Our lives are not about what we did or did not do, it is about us in Christ! Therefore, we are not held back in the prison of distrust, distress, dread, or made captive to our pride; we can be captive to the One who cares for and guides us. As we are encouraged to persevere, we can encourage others to trust in Christ, have hope for living, and endurance in life and/or in any opportunities or setbacks we face. We can love and have outbursts of love and worship instead of stress. Let us meet in fellowship with one another as one day, Christ will return and He wants us to be ready by exercising faith and confidence in Him now.

How Do I Get Assurance?

Do you feel your faith is distant and cold? Do you desire to have more intimacy with Christ? Then, seek His Will! Seeking to do God's Will is God's Will. It is striving further into the depths of our relationship with Christ, as LORD over all. By the surrender of our will (Matt. 6:33; Gal. 2:21-21), and the courage to make Him known to those around us (1 Cor. 8:2-3), we will gain closeness and more intimacy!

Jesus told us that just a few people, not many, would be saved (Matt. 7:13-14). He also said that even those who may think they are religious people-even Christians-may be lost too! But do not fret, for our salvation is in His hands not ours, He is in charge and we can trust Him, and what better place could we be? God's Lordship, Kingship, and His sovereign rule from Heaven to earth are in play; He is in charge, and is all-powerful. Even though only those who are elected for salvation are saved, those who respond to Him by "faith alone," will enter (James 2:24). Our deeds or feelings have nothing to do with it. Those are purely responses to what He has done for us (Acts 10:1-5; 11:14; 2 Tim. 3:3-7).Belief is not the entrance ticket, for even the demons believe yet they are not saved. It is our response that counts (John 12:42, 43; James 2:19). Belief requires obedience that is fueled by faith (John 8:30-32). Our obedience does not earn any merit for salvation, as we are always and eternally unworthy (Luke 17:10)!

How does it do this? Simple; our attention must be on Christ with faith and hope. He is giving encouragement to show us an essential aspect of faith; it is all about trusting in Christ, but it is not blind faith because we know in whom we trust. This gives us our assurance. We do not need to go to an altar or a priest, since Christ fills that role Himself. Jesus now asks us to come, where before, we had to stay away and give a sacrifice that was very temporary; in addition, if one's heart was not right, the sacrifice was not accepted. Now, we can go before Him anytime and anywhere. In context, we are also given four conditions of approach: 1. Sincere heart; 2. Undivided allegiance (as in loyalty to Christ and His Church); 3. Full assurance of faith; 4. Hearts sprinkled and Bodies washed. The issue is why we don't do these or why we do them so rarely? The point for us is this: are we filled with gratitude for who He is and what He has done?

Assurance gives us Hope, and hope in Christ is our looking forward to being in Him forever. Hope realizes that He is there no matter what, and whatever we face or go through, He carries us. Hope gives us confidence and perseverance that produces joy. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "…the substance of things hoped for." Hope is our future in Christ in glory, in Heaven, and it is our faith for now. Christ is the substance and the fuel to get through! The other side is that when we focus on our circumstances, we will see little to no hope. We can only attain sight by being in Christ, with our eyes focused upon Him. Christ is to be our anchor, our expectation, anticipation, and conviction (Luke 12:15-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 1 Cor. 4:8-13; 2 Cor. 4:7-18; 5:6-8; Rom. 15:13; Phil. 1:21-24; 1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Heb. 6:18-19).

Hope calls us to patience and confidence for perseverance as well as to His service in any adversity so we can indeed learn to endure suffering and continue in His call (Rom. 5:1-5; 8: 18; 25). Christ, as our Hope, must be the focus for us as well as for others; we must never be phony or depressed (1 John 3:3; 4:18)! Hope is the essential tool in the arsenal of faith; it is the result and the effect of obedience and trust in our Lord (Heb. 6:18.) If you have no hope, then you have no vision, no purpose, and no trust in the One who loves you. Then, when life "hits the fan," you have no recourse other than to be angry and bitter, thus suffering even more.

Assurance Helps Us With Hope and Guidance!

We are directly called by God to draw near. This is our invitation to enter the presence of God for the non-Christian that as believers, we continue to carry. For the Christian, it is to worship and further our personal relationship with Christ. This means we have clear, uninhibited access to God because of Christ. And, we draw to Him with a sincere and true heart. Being dependable and faithful without ulterior motives are the practical applications and exhortations of Christ's precepts along with a willingness to do them (Gen. 4:2-15; Psalm 15; 24:4; 73:28; Jer. 24:7; 30:18-22; Matt. 15:8; 27:51; Rom. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:13-22; Heb. 4:16; 7:19-25; 12:28; 3:15-16; 1 Pet. 2:4-10).

Keep in mind that Christ is our Comfort; He is with us as He allows us to ride out the tough times of life and difficult situations. He is there, carrying us through it. Allow Him to nurture and love you so you will experience His presence and seek His face. We can, if we desire to, see God's grace and love caring for us and carrying us through. His comfort, when we take hold of it, will allow us as well as our friends and families to stick to His precepts with honest endeavor. We will be able to help others through their tough times and give godly, Bible-based feedback with Christ-like temperament (2 Chron. 32:1-8; Esther 7; Luke 16:22-31; 18:9; Acts 19:8-10; 26:19-23; Rom. 15:14-16; Phil. 1:6; 12-14, 25; 2 Tim. 2:25).

We Indeed Have Assurance!

If you are a Christian, that means you are saved by Christ's blood, and you show it by your trusting faith, then you are in The Kingdom of God! However, sometimes we will have hard times and feelings that may seem to contradict this. In biblical, Christian theology, we are given a worldview and perspective of life and suffering that does not fit with that of society, or with our own feelings or desires. We are given a purpose that has hope, and it will transcend our suffering. Hope, along with our trust in Christ will give us the big picture; and, that picture is not of earthly goods and situations, but in relationships and ultimately in Christ.

This hope we have in Christ does not make sense to a worldly person. It does not mesh with his or her self-perception or the attitude of "my way" because people see themselves as good and not deserving of suffering. Yet, in God eyes, no one is good and no one deserves good. We do not like such statements. They cause us to be angry-perhaps even at God. Yet, our anger is misplaced, as God is perfect and just in His judgment. He is holy, sovereign, and pure. We, by our own free will and choice, sinned against Him, beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing with all peoples since then. Sin is absolutely heinous in God's sight. So, Christ paid the ultimate price for our sin so that we might enter His presence with our sins covered, and have a place securely reserved for us in eternity. That is what atonement means, and it is our ultimate hope. We are under the veneer of His redemption. Even though we are corrupted and full of sin, we are still called to have hope in Him to help us grow and to seek His will as He becomes as He already is, our great Comfort as well as our Hope.

Hope does not cover our sin; it sees it and shows us the way to deal with it. Whatever you may have been taught or have experienced, felt, or thought, the fact is that our sin is still there. But, He, Jesus Christ, is caring and covers it, something we could never do. We need to understand that our ideas of, we do not deserve this, are not rooted in biblical precepts, but rather in our own minds. A mind that is in pain and thus frustrated or even angry seeks the "why," when we need to be seeking His reassurance and nurture. Because we tend to be only focused on the "why," we may miss the fact that God does care and that He does have a wonderful plan for our lives. We may not feel like this is so, but our faith is not in feelings; it is in facts. He may not give us what we want or work in the timing we would like. However, He does give what is best.

Hope helps us to see that we are called to persevere, that is, to keep our focus upon Christ as Lord, and to continue in Him with purpose despite the obstacles we face. This means we can, with His help, continue in a state of grace to the end for our eternal reward. We can keep on track, knowing He will take care of us because we belong to Him. Whatever we face, whatever we go through, our Lord is there and we are in His arms. When we realize this fact, we can persevere through anything, assured that our Lord, King, and Creator of the universe is there carrying us through.

What Assurance Helps Us Do For Others

We all need a reminder that we are not alone in this journey of life; we are all parts of the body of Christ, in community with one another and in unity with Christ through His work. Therefore, we are never alone, away from God, or away from one another (unless you isolate yourself, as many church folks seem to do). We are called to spur or provoke, to stir up or stimulate another in the hope we all have so we can be encouragers as well as be encouraged. If your church is not doing this, shame on them! Step up and lead a ministry of encouragement, or find one already in place. This is not just a spiritual gift; rather, it is a duty, even when we do not feel like doing it. This is called support, using our spiritual gifts, all working as a team. This is the strength of the church; without it, we will fail. When we feel down then are encouraged-we are lifted up. The people with the gift of encouragement will be able to coordinate this; all Christians are able and called to do it. We need to encourage people who may be thinking of leaving the church to stay, and those who have already left to come back (Rom. 15:14; 1 Thess. 5:14; Eph. 4:15-16)!

Our assurance in Christ will display love, hope, and faith, a triad of primary virtues from which character and Fruit flow out, by the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of the practice of the Christian life, the practical application and exhortation, and what it means to be transformed and renewed so we are changed and can be change agents in others' lives as well. Your church must be doing this or it is not a biblical church called by Christ; it is just a club for snobs and slobs. Be a part of the fix or get out and find a new sheepfold. Real faith is in community and mutuality, as we each partake in Christ and depend on one another to grow further in our pilgrimage of Christian living. In so doing, we share Christ and therefore proclaim Him to those who do not know Him (1 Cor. 13; Col. 1:4-5; 1 Thess. 1:3; Heb. 3:7-19).

Our call continues; do not give up or neglect meeting together. This means not to quit, disregard, or abandon the faith or the fellowship with one another. The significance can be said in one word: "concord." We are better together than separate because of our harmony and strength, whereas as individuals, we are on our own and thus weak. We are, as a church, called and made to function as a community; our only foe is our own pride that leads to our own destruction (Prov. 6:9; Matt. 27:46; Rom. 9:14-29; 2 Cor. 4:9; 2 Tim 4:10-16; 1 Thess. 2:1; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 2:1)!

So, we can encourage one another; we can be made confident, optimistic, and faithful by one another's faith, the practice of prayer, and using our gifts as a community. This births more of our perseverance in continuing our confidence in God so we trust Him, even in difficult situations, and are able to see and trust in His grace and love. This also means having the resolve and determination not to be faint in our relationships or situations, so we will be able to persist in dealing with stress and can accomplish what God calls us to. When we do this together, we encourage one another. We can do this by supporting one another with Christ-like temperament for the building up of both our personal and our mutual faith. We continually build our faith so we are always prepared (2 Chron. 32:1-8; Esther 7; Luke 16:22-31; 18:9; Acts 19:8-10; 26:19-23; Rom. 15:14-16; Gal. 6:9; Phil. 1:6; 12-14, 25; 2 Tim. 2:25; Heb. 9:8; 12:26-27; James 5:7-12; 2 Pet. 3:10).

Sowing the Right Seeds

Assurance helps our productivity. Farming in biblical times was a harsh, life-and-death occupation, where one was dependant on and at the mercy of the rain and the ground. There were no modern irrigation methods, fertilizers, or pesticides-just hard work and waiting. It is a perfect image of what it means to grow in Christ, for at times, all we can do is wait. When we are hurt or frustrated, we desire retribution and vengeance; but Christ desires for us to wait expectantly, seeking Him with confidence. We have irrigation, fertilizer, water, and pesticides through Him and that includes His Word, prayer, fellowship, and His Spirit! If we do not learn and practice patience, we will quickly become impatient, bitter, and give in to self-pity. While we wait, we are not in a hopeless, meaningless, holding pattern, for we are learning and growing in Him! While we wait, God is working; He is in control! He is compassionate and will intervene-healing, restoring, and blessing in the fullness of His timing (Gen. 50:20; Psalm 37:7; 130:5; Isa. 49:23; Jer. 29:11; Lam. 3:26; Micah 7:7; Hab. 2:3; Matt. 5:10-12; Rom. 8:28-39; 13:1; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 1:6; James 1:2-18).

It all comes down to what we do with the junk and hurt that life throws at us. Do we sow the right seeds-the seeds of faith and devotion to our Lord with absolute trust and obedience in Him? Is our assurance alive and well? If not, "why" not? Because, if our purpose in life is not lined up with His will, only broken circumstances and directionless pursuits that lead to emptiness and despair will result! We will become imprisoned and helpless from the hurts we undertake; they will have no outlet or purpose other than to fuel our resentment and distress. When we do sow the right seed, we are prepared to weather the storms of life, because our roots are deep in our Lord Jesus Christ; our identity is in Christ, and our hope looks to Him. The storm-tossed seas will press us but not break us; our anchor in Him will keep us steady. The mooring ropes that tie us to His anchor are in our hands. He gives us the boat, the rope, and the anchor; we still have to tie them to one another, which we do as we grow in Him.

We must see the magnificent aspect of what Christ has done for us. We must understand and appreciate the joy (James 1:2-4) and the hope (Heb. 6:18-19) we are given. This is foundational to life and liberty. Without hope, we cannot effectively persevere in life because we would give up and become, as they key Bible words say, imprisoned by or captive to or limited by what has hurt and disappointed us, so we become oppressed into drudgery. We can either be captive in and by Christ or imprisoned by our pride and hurts. He liberates us, He gives Hope; we and others hurt us, and leave us with little to no hope. Real hope provides us the road upon which to drive our maturity and spiritual growth. As we go through life, we learn; when we learn, we grow; when we grow, we develop character as we hone and improve our worship of Christ. This builds our personality and lets us be better used in the lives of others. Our character and what Jesus is doing in our lives are our true treasures. This richness is so much more tangible and impressive than what the world offers. To take this hope to new levels and apply it with passion and conviction, we have to see who we are in Him. We must be careful that our faith is developed from God's nature and not ours! This hope will not just fuel our liberty but also our worship because we will praise God for what He has done. Do you realize what He has done in you?

The confidence we have in Christ of who He is and what He can do brings an attitude of contentment and trust that directly affects how we respond to any given situation. When we have confidence in our Lord, we can venture beyond our limits, abilities, and comfort zones to engage in life for His glory.

The bottom line? Remain faithful and enjoy the ride of life even when you hit a pothole and bump your head. Christ is indeed our Comfort; this means our feelings and circumstances are not. Jesus will preserve us! We are to seek the Hope we have in Him so we will remain faithful.

The Holy Spirit longs to reveal to you the deeper things of God. He longs to love through you. He longs to work through you. Through the blessed Holy Spirit you may have strength for every duty, wisdom for every problem, comfort in every sorrow, and joy in His overflowing service. T. J. Bach

Some further comforting verses: Psalm 31:9; Psalm 119:50; Isaiah 41:10; Romans 8:18; 28-29; 35-37; James 1:2-3; 12; John 9; 14:1; Colossians 1:24; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-19; Hebrews 10:34; Revelation 21:4.