ASSURANCE OVER DOUBT
Romans 6:21-22
“What benefits did reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
Romans 6:21-22
“What benefits did reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
We learned how God feels about His kids—He’s crazy about us! (See 334dev God’s View of You). But we’re human. We cannot help but sin, regardless of how much we try being good.
That’s the whole reason the Father sent Jesus, Who came to save us. There’s nothing we can do on our own; we can never be good enough to not require saving. If we don’t understand that Jesus had to die in our place, and accept His free gift of salvation, we often doubt our salvation.
People have only two options in regard to sin. Either we die in it, and spend eternity separated from God (death), or accept Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness, and spend eternity in God’s presence—in heaven (life). Which do you choose?
Since the Father cannot look upon the filth of sin, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, He took on the sin of all mankind, and the Father had to turn away. From eternity past, the Father and Son had NEVER been apart. Jesus must have been shocked at the horror of the Father’s turning His back when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
This ought to clue us in about how people will feel, who don’t accept Jesus. Their eternity will be spent in shocked horror. Jesus accepted this ultimate punishment so that we wouldn’t have to. How can we have assurance of salvation? Take the following three-question test:
1. Do I trust Scripture? Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Either we believe Jesus died for our sins, or we don’t.
2. Do I believe the Holy Spirit? Romans 8:16 says that the “Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
3. Do I follow Jesus? Those who walk in Christ are a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17), and are being transformed day by day into His likeness.
Take Home Nugget
If you can answer “yes” to all three questions, you can be assured that you’re in God’s family. Any “no” answer points to the issue that needs growth. Christ-followers still sin. But regardless of whatever sin, the Holy Spirit continues to tag us with guilt. He won’t stop until we repent. His insistence is proof that we’re God’s kid!
If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He died for your sins, then you’re saved!
J.D. Griffith
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A personal, private lesson experience with our staff
Written for http://www.biblestudyforkids.com/
For FREE Online Bible Study Resources click here.
Dear Miz Griffith,
ReplyDeleteThe Council of Trent, in answer to Luther's exposition of the Biblical truth of Justification by faith alone, went a step farther than Gregory the Great.
They were not content to say that assurance was dangerous and not desirable, they declared that it was a mortal sin to claim assurance of salvation.
They went still farther and, with full Papal authority and sanction, hurled anathemas and consigned to eternal damnation all who dared preach or believe such a doctrine.
Let any who doubt this read the section on justification in the Decrees of the Council of Trent, and see how specifically and clearly the Jesuits spelled out how deeply Rome hates the doctrine of Assurance. Here are the actual words used by the Council of Trent:
Whosoever shall affirm, that when the grace of Justification is received, the offence of the penitent sinner is so forgiven, and the sentence of eternal punishment reversed, that there remains no temporal punishment to be endured, before his entrance into the kingdom of Heaven, either in this world or in the future world, in purgatory, let him be accursed. Council of Trent, January 1547.