Dear Church Family,
Can a person have true assurance that one is a Christian? Terry Johnson emphatically let’s us know that the Bible clearly teaches that wonderful truth. Yes, you can know for sure that you are God’s forgiven child now and forever.
In Terry’s first of two points he declares, “True believers (the ‘elect’) are eternally secure.” Indeed, if God has elected or decreed someone to be redeemed, they will be part of God’s family forever. Salvation is a sovereign work of God. Romans 8:29-30 makes it clear “God will preserve His elect.” Paul uses several verbs in the past tense such as predestined, called and justified. Remember a past tense verb means that action has already taken place. With that in mind, last verb Paul writes is “glorified.” Now we think of being glorified as something that will happen after we die or when Jesus comes again. That is correct, yet Paul puts it in the past tense as though we have already been glorified – a done deal. It is a done. Christians “already are glorified, so infallible are the purposes of God.” This is a completed action and a Romans 8:39 reminds us, “Nothing will be able separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We can join Terry in affirming “God’s people will persevere.” However we must wrestle “with the tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. God’s sovereignty protects and preserves His people in the faith. They will not fall away. He won’t let them.” Jesus knew of this tension as He said to Jews who were trusting in Him in John 8:31, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really
My disciples.” God’s people are eternally secure because they are “through faith shielded by God’s power.
With all this said, Terry observes, “it is not easy to determine who is a true believer.” Therefore, “Assurance may be difficult…as the feeling or sense of assurance may not come easily.” The parable of the soils in Matthew 13 shows “it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false.” A quick read of 1 John 1:6-2:9 shows the false believer may so approximate genuine faith as to deceive himself and others.” The apostles Paul and Peter both write of those deserted the faith as they were entangled in the “corruption of the world.” We have a duty to be mindful “the criteria for assurance must be stringent.” Jesus warns against those who say “Lord, Lord,” but have little if any spiritual fruit. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul posts a list of “various sinners such as fornicators and thieves and concludes that none of them ‘shall inherit the kingdom of God’” Jesus states more than once that anyone who loves Him will keep His commandments.
Third, Terry emphasizes that “Assurance is expected’ as 1 John 5:13 reminds us that this letter (and the Bible) is written “so that you may know that you have eternal life.” This is a wonderful promise of God that should drive us to read the Bible over and over. Faith in Jesus and the power of the Word will produce “signs of grace in your life. Also “the internal, immediate witness of the Holy Spirit” will “bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God” per Romans 8:15-16. As one of His sheep, one with assurance, you are called by faith to follow with joy the voice of the Good Shepherd.
If you are struggling with being assured of your salvation, I encourage you to read over this devotion again and again. Meditate on the Scripture passages cited and claim the finished work of Jesus on the cross on your only way of the forgiveness of your sins and your only hope of eternal life.
With great hope in His grace,
Pastor Gillikin