February 08, 2011
Pg 8-9 What is the Basis of Assurance of Salvation
Hello everyone. I pray everyone is well. This week we'll continue on the topic of assurance. Please complete the section on pages 8-9 entitled, "What is the Basis of Assurance of Salvation." It starts at the top of page 8 and ends at the top of page 9. I look forward to hearing your comments! Love, Brad
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Brad’s response to pg 8-9.
The intro statement in this section regarding “feelings” can be applied in many different areas, to include assurance of salvation. Feelings have nothing to do with salvation; it is all about what you KNOW and what God promises.
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
How many times have your “felt right” about something, only later to know that your feelings (heart) betrayed you? Feelings are important, but we must recognize their nature. How many times have you felt “in/out of love” with your spouse this past week, month, year? At the core, feelings have nothing do to with love. Love is a conscience decision. We decide we’re going to love our spouse when the “going gets tough”. The reason American society has a 50% divorce rate is that many people base their decision on lust, rather than love. Lust is a feeling. Here today, gone tomorrow…like so many marriages.
Christ promises us salvation and says we can KNOW. It is salvation based in the FACT of His resurrection. Feelings are not involved. Romans 11:27 says, “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” A (Biblical) covenant is a promise of God that will stand regardless of our response. For example, God effectively says I will love you, regardless if you love me back. Here in Romans, God is saying I promise to take away your sins (permanently), even though I know you are imperfect.
Why is assurance of salvation a big deal? Because Satan tries to get people to doubt their salvation in order to stunt their spiritual growth. The last thing Satan wants is for Christians to bear fruit. If you are saved, then KNOW you are saved, and preach the Gospel without apology.
The first verse of this week's lesson was 1 John 5:11-12. I hope all of you continued with the reading through verses 13-14.
I John 5:13-14 " 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. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us."
It couldn't be any clearer for us; God says "ye may know that ye have eternal life,". This is such a comfort that God speaks so clearly to us about being 100% sure of our salvation.
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