I
feel certain that we have all asked or been asked this question at
some point in our lives. I can think of a few times. Like during the
ultrasound when you are pregnant - It's a girl! Are you sure? Or when
eating some new food with Justin – is it hot? No, not really...Are
you sure? Or “sitting” behind a boat on skies. Ready? Yep! Are
you sure?
I
would also venture to say that in life we have had times when we are
SURE that one thing was going to happen, but then something else
happens which shakes our assurance and makes us doubt. But the
question we pose this week is does God really want us to have
assurance of our salvation? And if He does, then what proof does He
give us in His word? You see, when we ask the question “Are you
sure?” we have some uncertainty about whatever it may be and
possibly even some fear. But God changes us and molds us; not by
fear, but through love - secure love. J.D Greer says in his book Stop
Asking Jesus into Your Heart that “your spiritual life
will not really ever take off until you have the assurance of
salvation. Until you KNOW that you are His and He is yours, your
obedience will be limited.” We need to KNOW of the God whom we are
leaving this world for. We need to KNOW of the resurrection in order
to take up our cross. Oh and I love this - “It is the JOY of
KNOWING beyond doubt that you belong to God that makes all of these
things possible.” JOY!!!!!!
So
how do we know? We must be convinced that the something we are
risking it all for actually exists. If we are going to jump off a
cliff with only a rope to hold us we have to make sure that the rope
exists.
“Yet
for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for
whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all
things and through whom we exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:6
“For
His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the
world, in the things that have been made. So they are without
excuse.” Romans 1:20
You
cannot be assured of your salvation until you are confident that
“Jesus will support the full weight of your soul”. You cannot say
“no” to sin until you realize that God has said “yes” through
Jesus. You cannot suffer persecution in this world until you are
certain where you stand with God. Make this verse yours as a believer
in Christ:
“For
I KNOW whom I have believed that is able to keep what I have
committed to Him until that Day” 2 Timothy 1:12
You
must believe and know that God made a radical commitment to you. You
must do good works for God, not so that God will approve of you, but
because you “deeply and truly love the One that is commanding you.”
“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. This is the
confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we KNOW that He
hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of
Him.” 1 John 5:13-18
So,
how can we apply assurance to unity? Religion commands us to change
our behavior, but it cannot change our hearts. Only the gospel, the
one TRUE gospel (There
is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope
that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in
all. Ephesians 4:4-6 - remember?) and
the assurance it yields goes deep enough to actually change the
warped nature of our hearts. We are only transformed into glory when
we are overwhelmed at the glory of Christ's sacrifice for us. Do you
know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today? Are you confident that He
completed the work on the cross? Do you daily try to live for Him?
Then KNOW that you are saved! Are you sure? Absolutely! Donna
References: the Bible and Stop
Asking Jesus into Your Heart
by J.D. Greer
