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Assurance

by | Dec 3, 2021 | Assurance of Salvation, Heaven, Hell, Integrity, Outreach, Spiritual Growth, The Gospel

Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

1 John 5:13

One word explains the difference between Biblical Christianity and every other religion: ASSURANCE.

No other religion in the world can provide true confidence in eternal life because all religions are based, at least in part, on human effort. If your salvation depends even a little on your good works, how can you ever be sure you have done enough? You will always have lingering doubts. You will never feel deep and lasting peace.

According to 1 John, where does assurance come from?

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:12

Peace with God can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is faith in Jesus that brings justification (being declared righteous before God) and with it reconciliation and peace (Rom. 5:1). Apart from Jesus we are all sinners deserving only wrath and anger from God. But at the moment that a sinner calls on Jesus to forgive and save him, all of the wrath that would have fallen on the sinner is translated instead to the cross of Jesus. To be “in Christ” is to no longer be “in sin” (Eph. 2:1) and under wrath (Eph. 2:3).

So how can you be sure that you are in Christ? Here are five tests I recently learned from a new friend, Ben Bennett.

FIVE TESTS OF TRUE SALVATION:

  1. Living a New Life. When you turned from your sin (repentance) and trusted in Jesus (faith) you were “born again” (John 3:3) and become a “new creation” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Can you see the “fruit” (Gal. 5:22-23) of the life of Jesus now growing in you?
  2. Knowing you have the Spirit. The Holy Spirit promises to comfort and strengthen all who truly belong to Jesus (Rom. 8:15-16). This goes beyond periodic feelings of peace to the deep spiritual confidence Paul and Peter describe as “a good conscience” (1 Tim. 1:5; 1 Pet. 3:21).
  3. Hearing His Voice. At the moment of saving faith the sinner is adopted as a child of God (John 1:12) and has immediate and direct access to the throne of God, her heavenly Father (Heb. 10:19). Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Primarily God speaks to us through Scripture, His Word, made personal to us as the Holy Spirit shows us what to obey, when and how.
  4. Experiencing His Discipline. The true child of God is corrected and chastised by our loving Father (Heb. 12:6). If you can sin and go on sinning without any sense of conviction or guilt, it means you are not truly saved (1 John 3:6). One of the best signs of genuine faith is that you cannot enjoy the sins you once cherished.
  5. Obeying His Instruction. To believe in Jesus as Savior is to commit to Him as Lord. You cannot “receive Jesus” for forgiveness while refusing to obey and follow Him (Luke 6:46). That is cheap grace and false assurance. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross – the path through death to new life (Rom. 6:4-6). Your old life must die before you can be reborn in Christ. That is true repentance. And it begins a life of repentance and wholehearted obedience to the Lord. The Christian life is best described as “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5). Don’t be deceived into thinking you know Jesus if you do not obey Him (1 John 2:4-6). “If you love me, you will obey my commands” (John 14:15).

As we conclude our study of the book of Revelation, every chapter includes the clear and troubling distinction between the saints who will enjoy eternity with God and the sinners who will be cast out. Don’t assume you are in just because you’ve been in church a long time or prayed a prayer a long time ago. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Here is the final judgment:

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:11-15

Do you know that your name is in the Lamb’s book of life? Do your loved ones have that same assurance?

Read more on this from the experience of Pastor John Bunyan, author of the Pilgrim’s Progress.