Sometimes we doubt our salvation, not that Jesus isn’t who He says He is, but our confidence in our own faith is shaken. It happens to many Christians but it doesn’t need to. This lesson is Assurance of Salvation is a Benefit of Faith in God.
These are the discussion questions:
- What is assurance of faith in God?
- What does God say about assurance?
- Is faith and assurance the same thing?
- How does the Holy Spirit give us assurance?
- How do I know I am saved?
What is assurance of faith in God?
“The God-given security which believers have in the blessings of divine grace. Believers are assured of the unfailing love of God and of their relationship with him as Father, the salvation and eternal life which he offers and the sure hope of one day sharing his glory.” Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 John 5:11-13 NIV
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.“
“If you have the Son, you have life—John wants you to know that, and you honor God when you know it. That simply means that you are not making God a liar, but you’re trusting Him. It is not a matter of how much faith you have or how you feel about it, it is whether or not you trust Christ. That’s all important.
Having this assurance of eternal life will do something for our Christian life here and now”—Thru The Bible J. Vernon McGee
Plainly put, if you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and you have excepted Him as your Savior, you are saved. This will show in your life as you follow Jesus Christ.
What does God say about assurance?
John 10:28 NIV
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Coming from the lips of God, how reassuring is this? He loves us so much that we shall never be separated from Him, this will never change. Assurance at its best.
1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
“The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only thing strong enough to save us from our sins. If your faith is in yourself or your own goodness, the rope will snap and you will perish. If your faith is in what God has done through Christ because of His great mercy, then no matter what problems you face now, you can join Peter in proclaiming, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because He has saved me according to His great mercy. Because my salvation is not from myself, but from God, I am saved unto eternity!”” Steven J. Cole OBible.Org.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, it is forever. If you are trusting in what you can do, how far will that get you? When we are working on our own merit, can we measure up to God’s righteousness? In Christ, we have His righteousness and that enables us to spend eternity with God.
Is faith and assurance the same thing?
Faith – “Belief, trust, and loyalty to a person or thing. Christians find their security and hope in God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and say “amen” to that unique relationship to God in the Holy Spirit through love and obedience as expressed in lives of discipleship and service.” Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – Faith
Assurance – In the first question, this definition has been given. Assurance is the God-given security we have that if we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are saved and nothing can change it.
Faith and assurance are not the same, but yet are connected. One goes with the other.
How does the Holy Spirit give us assurance?
Romans 8:14-16 NIV
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
The children of God are Christians and are led by the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t create slaves but leads and encourages us to walk in the steps of Jesus. One of His jobs is to testifies and encourage our spirit that we are the children of God. This is something you know within your heart. Sometimes we let Satan influence us that we are not saved. He loves that. Don’t listen. It’s not true.
How do I know I am saved?
1. He has given us His Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:13 NIV “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of His Spirit.“
1 John 4:13 NLT “And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.”
I have given 2 translations to maybe help in understanding the verse better. This is the proof we have that we are born again. We are given help in our Christian life to walk in Christ’s way and one of those helps is reassurance that we are saved.
2. If we keep His commandments.
1 John 2:3-6 NIV “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
We are not talking about an occasional slip up. This is a rebellious attitude toward the commands of God. How do you know you’re saved? You want to do His will.
3. We have God’s Peace.
Romans 5:1 NIV “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are justified through Him. We are no longer held responsible for paying for our sin, Through our salvation, we receive God’s Peace.
4. Personal Conviction
2 Timothy 1:12 NIV “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
Paul is talking to Timothy. He shares His personal conviction of His salvation to encourage Timothy in His ministry for Jesus Christ. Paul knows who He believes in and trusts Him with His life.
5. Fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
As we walk in Jesus Christ, we begin to show the fruit of the Spirit. Example: You’re tired and your husband says something irritating. You have every right to respond. Is that the best way? You’re prompted by the Holy Spirit to show patience and answer him with kindness. That’s fruit of the Spirit.
Conclusion
Here we see that a benefit of faith is assurance of salvation. We have answers when doubts about our salvation takes hold.
Remember, God loves us and wants what is best. He doesn’t want us to be depressed about the security of our salvation. As in every area of our walk with Him, He has answers to encourage and help us grow.
If you have any questions about security of salvation, feel free to comment. Jackie
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