Assurance

[Tall Timbers]

Via a ministry I'm involved with, I'm currently spending time with a fellow who made a choice for Christ only this last October. He has a medical problem that could prove to be terminal at some point, and he shared with me that he's afraid of dying. He doesn't know if he'll go to heaven or not. Next time we meet I'll be sharing with him aboout blessed hope/blessed assurance.

The following is from gracethrufaith.com

Question: Although I grew up in the church and my family members were all Christians, I am totally unable to remember any time when I “went forward” to an altar to be “saved.” Despite praying all my life for strength of faith, for “blessed assurance,” I often ask myself whether I’m one of those vessels destined for destruction. Can you help?


Answer: Like you, I never responded to an altar call while I was growing up because the church my family attended didn’t do such things. I was born again at age 40 after being in church all my life, but for me, it was a rush of logic, not emotion. As I studied the remarkable record of fulfilled prophecy in the Bible, I became convinced that there could only be one logical explanation. Someone from outside the time domain had been promising things in advance and then keeping those promises to prove to us that He exists.

As for vessels destined for destruction, that’s a misinterpretation of Scripture that has caused far too many people to worry like you are. The Author of Life did not create anyone destined for destruction, but wants everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:1-4), The assurance you seek is found throughout the New Testament. The Lord’s own words confirm this.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

I could go on and cite John 3:16, John 6:38-40, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13, and a number of other places where it’s clear we have the choice to accept the pardon the Lord purchased for us on the cross. God has given you what He knows you need. The rest is up to you. Commit these promises to memory and repeat them when you feel uncertain, adding prayers of thanksgiving. The Lord who saved you is trying to give you peace but you have to do your part, too (Phil. 4:4-7).

Where's My Blessed Assurance? – Grace thru faith

gracethrufaith.com

 

[Tall Timbers]

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Some of the confusion regarding the permanence of our salvation comes from our failure to distinguish between the two facets of our relationship with the Lord: union and fellowship.

Basis and Status

Union describes the basis of our relationship and is explained in John 17:20-23. The summary of the passage is verse 23; “I in them and You in Me.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 clearly state that at the moment of belief we’re united with God and the Holy Spirit is sealed inside us as “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” In John 17:23 Jesus claims to be in us as well. And since the Father is in the Son and the Son is in us then the Father is also in us. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; all in us. Union.

Fellowship defines the status of our relationship at a given point in time. Are we together frequently and conversing often, or has something come between us, causing us to be estranged from one another?

The Need for Both is Clear

The Lord wants us to learn the lessons taught by Israel, first that the most concerted effort ever put forth by man could not produce a single life good enough to meet God’s standards for righteousness.

But even so He still wants us to live in a way that is pleasing to Him, obeying His laws and receiving His blessings. He knows we’ll be happier and live longer, better lives that way. And that’s the second lesson.

Of course we can only be truly free to live happy blessed lives if we’re not constantly afraid of losing everything, and yet our sin nature will cause even the best of us to fall short on many occasions. So He made sure that His promise of Eternal Life could be kept irrespective of our merit by paying the whole price Himself, and then made it irrevocable by sealing Himself inside us. The old hymn calls it “Blessed Assurance.” He calls it union.

And He made sure that when we continued to sin by breaking His laws even after being saved we could restore our relationship simply by confessing our sins and asking His forgiveness. Its called maintaining fellowship and He made it possible by paying for all the sins of our lives in advance.
Who Are You Calling Stubborn?

He knew that being stubborn and rebellious creatures, we would sometimes deny our sins, justifying our behavior and refusing to repent. Since He never could tolerate sin, He knew that this would interrupt our fellowship and require Him to withdraw His blessing temporarily (its called discipline). He hopes this will prompt us to repent and confess our sins so we can be forgiven and restored, having no fear of being refused or rejected. (1 John 1:8-10)

There are two reasons so many Christians live defeated, fruitless lives:

They’ve been taught a doctrine that omits any reference to Holiness so they live out of fellowship and don’t even know it.

They’ve been convinced that they’re somehow beyond God’s forgiveness and therefore can’t restore their relationship with Him.

Both ignore the admonition and promise of 1 John 1:8-10 and are the main battery weapons in Satan’s artillery against us.
The Lord’s Prayer

So next time you pray “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” you’ll know you’re asking to be restored to fellowship after being angry with someone who’s wronged you.

You’ve forgiven them and can now be forgiven for your anger (Matthew 6:14 ). Justified or not, anger’s a sin (Matthew 5:22)

And Then There’s Hebrews 6:4-6

And the next time you read this famous passage, you’ll know that the writer was warning Messianic Jews that if they went back to sacrificing lambs for their sins (falling back into Jewish ritual) it would be impossible for them to restore their fellowship with the Lord. The shadow had been replaced by the reality. He wasn’t threatening them with irretrievable loss of salvation but with loss of fellowship.

How Do You Know This?

There are several places we could look to for support for this idea, but perhaps the clearest is in the parable of the Prodigal son. It’s found in Luke 15:11-32 if you want to review it.

Two points are critical:

When the son demanded the right to leave his father’s house and go his own way, he didn’t stop being his father’s son and when he finally came to his senses and returned, his father welcomed him back with celebration. Union was never broken and fellowship had been unconditionally restored.

When you gave your heart to Jesus He gave you the authority to become a child of God (John 1:12).

Since you are His child, you are also His heir (Galatians 4:4-7) and your inheritance is eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Your unconfessed sins will interrupt your fellowship with God, but you can never stop being His child.

I in Them and You in Me – Grace thru faith

You can stop talking with God, but you cannot stop being His child.

gracethrufaith.com

 

[Tall Timbers]

From gotquestions.org:

Question: How can I have assurance of my salvation?

Answer: The assurance of salvation is, simply put, knowing for sure that you are saved. Many Christians throughout history have written about their struggles in being assured of their salvation. The problem is that many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places.

We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.

How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (emphasis added). Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal. And, according to 1 John 5:13, you can know that you have this eternal life.

God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your eternal salvation.

Jesus Himself assures those who believe in Him: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28–29). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even yourself, who can take Christ’s God-given gift of salvation away from you.

Take joy in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ’s own Word that our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance of salvation is based on the perfect and complete salvation God has provided for us through Jesus Christ. Are you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? If the answer is “yes,” rest assured, you are saved.

How can I have assurance of my salvation? | GotQuestions.org

How can I have assurance of my salvation? How can I be absolutely assured that I am saved?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[Tall Timbers]

Question: What is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13)?

Answer: Titus 2:12–13 says that the grace of God teaches us “to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” This passage identifies the “blessed hope” as the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior.

The word blessed can mean “happy” or “beneficial”; our hope is “blessed” in that Jesus’ return will be an amazing, joyful experience for the believer in Christ. We will be blessed beyond measure when we see Christ. The trials of this life will be over, and we will see that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). The word hope does not communicate uncertainty, as in “I hope that something might occur”; rather, it is the glad assurance that something will take place. Jesus is our hope, and no one can take that hope away. “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).

The “blessed hope,” then, is the joyful assurance that God will extend His benefits to us and that Jesus Christ will return. We are waiting for this event now. Jesus said He would return (John 14:3), the angels said He would return (Acts 1:11), and the epistles say He will return. Jesus could come back at any time for His church, which includes all believers in Christ from the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 onward. This event is called the rapture. It will be announced by the voice of the archangel and God’s trumpet call. The bodies of those who have died will be raised to be joined with their souls, and then the bodies of those believers still living on earth will be changed into a body like the Lord’s resurrection body. The believers raised from the dead and the believers living at Christ’s return will meet the Lord in the air and be taken to heaven. They will “fly the friendly skies united” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). This will happen in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Should this blessed hope of Christ’s any-time return have an effect on the believer in Jesus Christ? John wrote, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as [Jesus] is pure” (1 John 3:3). The believer anticipating Christ’s blessed return will seek to live, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, a life of purity. We will all stand before the Lord and give an account of how we lived for Him on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus’ imminent return should motivate the believer to live godly in an ungodly world. The word looking in Titus 2:13 is the key for that to happen. To be “looking” means that we live each day in continual anticipation and expectancy, with the conviction that Jesus could come at any time. That hope becomes a transforming reality in this life, resulting in God being glorified through us (1 Corinthians 10:31). The blessed hope brings us joy and cheers us through the trials of this world. It should also cause us to stop and evaluate our thinking, words, and actions.

What is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13)? | GotQuestions.org

What is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13)? Why is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ referred to as the blessed hope?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[Tall Timbers]

Isn't it wonderful how God's Grace covers us and guarantees us a blessed future with Jesus?

Every morning when I wake up I know that I'm saved. Every evening when I lay me down to sleep, I know that I am saved. I am a child of the King and no matter what stupid thing I might do, I'll still be a child of the King!

I am assured of my salvation in Jesus Christ. Are you? If not, then I invite you to seek Jesus now and find that assurance!

 

[mattfivefour]

We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.

This.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

tries to put doubts in our minds it goes to see what you did. He tries to base it on our good works. He doesn't want people to be confident or assured that they are truly saved. He wants to put thoughts into our heads of doubt. The truth is once we are saved we are sealed until the day of redemption. TT, all informative posts you have done with good scriptural proof.

 

[Margery]

Thank you for this @Tall Timbers

 

[Jedidjah]

I believe this topic is particularly important in our day and age, as it is under attack from all sides. It is good that you posted these articles for all those who are reading from the outside and suffering from doubts. Those who are at home in the Word of God know that they can no longer lose their salvation; in my case, I know that I am a child of God because the Holy Spirit confirms it to me. This gives me incomparable comfort amid all my daily weaknesses and problems, etc. Yes, it is probably true that this firm knowledge of my salvation enables me to endure all the above-mentioned things—and to persevere, simply because the joy of the Lord Jesus' imminent return far outweighs everything else. Thank you for your faithful service!

 

[Tall Timbers]

I know that I am a child of God because the Holy Spirit confirms it to me.

 

[Andy C]

When you gave your heart to Jesus He gave you the authority to become a child of God (John 1:12).

Since you are His child, you are also His heir (Galatians 4:4-7) and your inheritance is eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Your unconfessed sins will interrupt your fellowship with God, but you can never stop being His child.

Amen and thank you Jesus.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

Amen and thank you Jesus.

So true once we are saved we can not lose our salvation. Jesus paid our sin debt past, present, and future. It Is Finished

 

[mattfivefour]

I love this thread. Thanks for starting it @Tall Timbers. It revolves around the nature of God, the power of the gospel, and the heart of this ministry.

 

[Amethyst]

Yes, it is probably true that this firm knowledge of my salvation enables me to endure all the above-mentioned things—and to persevere, simply because the joy of the Lord Jesus' imminent return far outweighs everything else

Amen.

 

[Andiamo]

Here is a little mental exercise I do whenever satan attempts to bring doubt into my mind. It's also a good train of thought to pose to people if we (or they) aren't sure if they are saved.

I close my eyes and try my best to imagine myself standing before God Almighty on His throne...He is terrifying in indescribable power, blinding light and absolutely perfect Holiness. His voice booming like thunder... He asks me,

"Why should I let you in?"

Standing off to the right, between me and the Throne, is Jesus.

What is my answer? The one and only Reason I can think of. And the one Answer that will deflect every doubt and accusation.
I point to Jesus---->"It's only because of Him."

Any other answer (I am a good person, did good things, etc.) is the wrong answer. And "You're right, maybe you shouldn't let me in" is unthinkable with my Savior—who paid the highest price for me ever— standing right there. The only answer is Jesus, who I know that I know.

And when I reiterate in my mind that I know the right Answer, satan is completely powerless with any more accusations in this area....because it places 100% of the responsibility for my salvation on to Jesus.