Vol. XL December 3, 2008 No. 12

Are You Sure?

by Tom McLemore

We long for assurance about all things that are of concern to us. We are often moved to ask, “Are you sure?” About everything from the diagnosis of a serious sickness in a loved one to determining whether the door was locked as we left the house, we inquire, “Are you sure?”

There is one area of our lives where we may answer this question in the affirmative with the utmost confidence and about which we need never fear, namely, our religion. Let us consider the abundant assurance that is provided for us in the midst of a world of uncertainty.

The Essence of Assurance

First, hope and faith are of the essence of assurance. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews speaks of realizing “the full assurance of hope to the very end” (Hebrews 6:11). He describes this hope which God has set before us in Christ (the hope of inheriting the promises) as “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19, 20).

Faith is essential and integral to hope. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Possessing assurance means believing in the things hoped for and being convinced of the things not seen. When God who cannot lie tells us that these things are real even though invisible, if we believe him, we can be sure that they are real. Our hope then has certainty and anchors us in the very presence of God and Christ.

If we would have assurance, our task is clear. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17). What is it that we should learn and firmly believe?

The Elements of Assurance

In a word, Christ. Paul’s eye is always upon learning Christ (Ephesians 4:20) and believing (in) Christ. The reason is suggested in Colossians 2:1-3: “For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Specifically, there are things about Christ and other matters of which we may be fully assured. We may be assured of the gospel. Paul reminded the Thessalonians that the “message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

We may be sure that God is sovereign and that in Christ he has manifested his kingship among men. Since Christ has come, those whose telling of the good news meets with resistance may say,”Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know [be sure of (KJV)] this: the kingdom of God has come near” (Luke 10:11).

The words and works of Christ, conveyed unto us in accurately preserved reports of eye-witnesses point only to one acknowledgment by the unbiased: “We have come to believe and know [are sure (KJV)] that you are the Holy One of God . . . Now we know [are we sure (KJV)] that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God” (John 6:69; 16:30). Concerning all vital things about which we might be uncertain, we have his reassuring word: “... if it were not so, I would have told you...” (John 14:2 KJV). The working of God’s mighty power which he wrought in Christ provides an unmistakable demand for repentance, “because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Many who have obeyed the gospel of Christ and who believe in him with all their heart are plagued by fear that they will fail to be saved in the end. This lack of assurance lies in the mistaken notion that their final salvation depends upon their own efforts. Paul provides a correction of this error: “For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us)” (Romans 4:16). Not only is faith the assurance of things hoped for, but it is also the guarantee of receiving the promise. We can have assurance because our faith is not in ourselves but in the Son.

The assurance of faith should never be viewed as an encouragement to loose, lax, or lawless living, however. “...God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19). The assurance of faith is an incentive for holy living rather than for turning the grace of God into licentiousness. Nevertheless, assurance is to be had because it is upon God’s firm foundation that we, while believing, stand.

The Exercise of Assurance

The exercise of assurance involves living and worshiping with assurance. This is the function of assurance, to enable us to draw near unto God in worship and daily live in fellowship with him. Thus, we are encouraged in Hebrews: “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Love one for another is the mark of true discipleship (John 13:34, 35). We should not be surprised to learn that it is also the fundamental basis for assurance. “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:16-20).

If you desire to live with assurance, you will be most “eager to confirm your call and election” (2 Peter 1:10). One’s call and election are confirmed or made sure by expending “every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Peter does not suggest that we call ourselves or elect ourselves. The initiative in the call or the election is not ours, but it is God who calls and chooses. Yet, the way in which we find assurance regarding the reality of our call and election is by striving for these objectives in our lives (particularly in contrast to idly sitting and waiting for some feeling to come over us and give us assurance).

The Exhortation of Assurance

There are many things in life about which we may not be certain. Especially when we wonder what God’s specific purpose might be or what he may have done here or there, perhaps all that can be said is “Who knows?” (Esther 4:14). Nonetheless, we may have assurance when it comes to things spiritual and eternal which God has revealed. Rather than while away the hours lamenting that there are things of which we may not be certain, let us lay firm hold on the things of which we may be sure.

Having considered the assurance that is available for us, let us keep before our eyes the ultimate realization of our assurance and the encouragement it provides. Considering the certainty we have in the things God has revealed to us, Peter wrote, “So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19).

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