Assurance

Temple Baptist Church - 10-17-2010

Isaiah 32:17-18

Introduction:

A. One of the most important aspects of eternal salvation is that of assurance. Without assurance, the child of God is rendered almost useless in the work of the Lord. So much is preached on this subject and needs to be so.

1 John 5:10-13 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (11) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (A wise man once said, “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.” In times of lack of assurance, never doubt what God did for you when He gave you assurance.)

B. A lack of assurance can come from any one of several causes:

1. Lack of assurance can be caused by dire circumstances in the life of the believer. “Would God allow something like this to happen to one of His children?” is a question often asked. We, as God’s children, are not exempt from dire circumstances.

2. Lack of assurance can be caused by willful sin in the life of the believer. “Would a child of God do some of the things that I have done?” would be another question asked. God’s children are not to live in willful sin but they are not perfected yet and there are numerous biblical examples of such sinfulness.

3. Lack of assurance can be caused by a lack of biblical teaching on the subject of salvation and eternal life. Many believers, after their salvation by grace through faith, are taught that they must now live a life acceptable to God in order to remain saved. Because of the sinfulness of our bodies, this is impossible and, therefore, places doubt in the minds of the saved as they do see sin in their lives.

4. Lack of assurance can be caused by making multiple professions of faith. In periods of doubt, the new profession is made and then the believer becomes confused concerning if and when they got saved.

5. Lack of assurance can be caused by ignorant preaching. I have heard many pastors and evangelists who preach in such a way as to make a believer doubt. Then, you get pastors, deacons, their wives, Sunday School teachers, and good godly saints to make multiple professions of faith. They gender questions such as: did I believe right; did I repent right; etc.
C. First of all, as a pastor, I want everyone in this church to make sure that you are saved! I would hate to have someone go to hell off of the pews of this church. Make sure that you have been saved. Secondly, as a pastor, I want every believer to have blessed assurance of their salvation. I never want one to doubt or become confused. God is not the author of confusion but of peace. God will never confuse you. Feeling saved today and then lost tomorrow is not a work of the Holy Spirit.

Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby
(1820-1915) she wrote over 8,000 hymns.

Putnam County, New York.

Died: February 12, 1915, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Buried: Bridgeport, Connecticut.

About her blind­ness, she said:

It seemed intend­ed by the bless­ed prov­i­dence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dis­pen­sa­tion. If per­fect earth­ly sight were of­fered me to­mor­row I would not ac­­cept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been dis­tract­ed by the beau­ti­ful and in­ter­est­ing things about me.

My friend, Mrs. Joseph F. Knapp, com­posed a mel­o­dy and played it over to me two or three times on the pi­ano. She then asked what it said. I re­plied, “Bles­sed as­sur­ance, Je­sus is mine!”

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Refrain

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Refrain

Assurance Comes From God

1. Assurance By His Word. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose again for my justification. He said that He would save me if I ask and I asked. Either I am saved or His Word is a lie. Just taking God at His Word. God said and that settles it, if you believe it or not!

2. Assurance By His Presence. An inner witness. Christ in you, the hope of Glory. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit of God.

3. Assurance By A Supernatural Understanding. I have no problem believing the doctrines of the faith as they are taught in the Bible. The Bible is an open book to the child of God. The simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.

Assurance Comes From A New Life

1. Has there been a definite change in your life?

2. Are you sensitive to sin?

3. Can you enjoy and live in willful, presumptuous sin?

4. Are you rebellious toward God's Word?

5. Do you enjoy or endure God's House?

6. Do you love the brethren?

7. Do you have a sincere desire to serve God?

8. Do you have an inner witness?

9. Do you believe God's Record?

10. What are you trusting to get you to heaven