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Confirmation of Assurance | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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  Hello and welcome to the Deep Dive.
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  This is where we take source material, distill the most
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  compelling insights, and really help you become truly well
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  informed. That's right, our aim is always
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  to cut through all the noise, you know, shine a light on the
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  core ideas, adding context, making connections, bringing it
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  all to life. And today we have, I think, a
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  really fascinating topic. It's rooted in a classic text by
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  Charles Spurgeon, all of Grace, specifically the section on
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  confirmation. And we've also got some
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  additional notes here that build on those ideas, giving us a,
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  well, a fuller picture. Indeed, we're going to be taking
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  a deep dive into what the Bible actually means by divine
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  confirmation. What does that look like in the
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  life of a believer? How does it lead to this, this
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  really vital concept? Blamelessness in the eyes of
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  God? It's quite a rich topic, lots to
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  consider. Definitely.
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  So let's get into it. Let's unpack this idea that the
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  Apostle Paul calls something above all things to be desired.
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  It's clearly significant. OK, so divine confirmation, when
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  we hear that, maybe think, oh, it's just, you know, getting
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  stronger in your faith generally.
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  Right, a kind of vague encouragement.
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  Yeah. But the sources, especially
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  Spurgeon, they're very specific here.
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  It says this confirmation supposes that the persons are
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  right, and it proposes to confirm them in the right.
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  That's a key starting point. It's not about confirming
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  someone who's on the wrong track.
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  No. Well, not exactly, but
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  precisely. It's not validating error or
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  making someone feel secure in a wrong path.
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  It's only for those who've already been brought into a
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  right standing with God by His grace.
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  It establishes them in that righteousness.
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  And that distinction is critical.
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  The source contrasted sharply with negative kinds of
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  confirmation. You know, think about someone
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  being confirmed in a bad habit. Like a confirmed drunkard or
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  liar. Yes, or a thief.
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  Those are awful situations where someone gets sort of locked into
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  a destructive pattern. And even worse, Spurgeon notes,
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  would be to be confirmed in unbelief or ungodliness, just
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  hardening against God. Truly deplorable, as an ad said.
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  Right. So divine confirmation is
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  totally different. It's exclusively for those
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  who've already experienced God's grace, people to whom the grace
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  of God has been already manifested.
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  It builds on that first life changing encounter.
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  Grace upon grace, really. OK, that sets the stage really
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  well. It narrows the focus.
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  So if it's this distinct, specific work building on
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  existing grace, who does it? Where does it come from?
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  It doesn't sound like something we just, you know, work up
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  ourselves. No, not at all.
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  And the source material is quite emphatic on this.
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  It's described as as distinctive work of the Spirit, as
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  conversion. Wow, as distinct as conversion?
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  That's saying something. It really is.
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  It means, just like conversion, that initial moment of new birth
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  is supernatural, a divine act. Well, confirmation is an equally
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  supernatural, ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.
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  So it's not just natural spiritual growth like a plant
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  growing over time. It's not just that it's not
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  something that automatically happens as time passes, and it's
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  certainly not only down to our own effort or discipline.
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  It underlines that God is sovereignly working at every
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  stage of a believer's life. The Holy Spirit is the active
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  agent here. OK, the holy Sirit is the agent.
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  How does that active involvement?
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  What does it actually look like day-to-day for a believer?
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  What are the effects of the Spirit confirming us?
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  Well, the Spirit actively gives, strengthens, and establishes
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  faith. Faith isn't something you just
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  muster up. The Spirit provides it and then
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  shores it up, builds upon it like.
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  Laying a foundation and then building the walls.
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  A good analogy. And he also Kindles, preserves
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  and increases the flame of love. Love for God, love for others.
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  That initial spark gets fanned by him into something steady,
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  burning brightly. OK.
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  Faith and love, What else? There's also still further
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  instructions. The Spirit continually
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  illuminates God's Word, His truth.
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  Believers start to grasp things with greater clearness and
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  certainty. So deeper understanding, not
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  just head knowledge. Much deeper, it settles into the
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  mind with real conviction. It helps you discern truth from
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  error more sharply. And I imagine this isn't just
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  intellectual, it has to affect how we live, right?
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  Our actions. Oh absolutely.
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  The Spirit confirms holy acts till they become habits.
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  This is quite something. An act of obedience?
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  Maybe something difficult at first?
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  Right. Something you really have to
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  consciously choose to do. Yes, but through the spirits
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  persistent work it becomes ingrained, it becomes second
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  nature almost. And he confirms holy feelings
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  till they become a biting conditions.
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  So fleeting moments of reverence or compassion become more
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  settled states of the soul. That sounds like real character
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  transformation. It is, and through this inward
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  work, he delivers believers from being unstable as water.
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  You know the tendency to waver, to drift spiritually.
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  Very familiar, unfortunately. Instead, he causes them to be
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  rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus.
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  Think of a deeply rooted tree, unshakable in the wind.
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  A powerful image, stable, solid. And this stability isn't just
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  for our internal benefit. It shows outwardly.
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  The spirit works in believers, a character spotless before men.
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  Their lives become transparent, consistent, so much so that none
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  could gainsay them. Their life matches their
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  confession. That's a high calling a visible
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  consistency. It sounds like an incredibly
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  thorough work, but while the Holy Spirit is the one working
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  in us, the sources also mention the Lord God Himself as the
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  ultimate guarantor. How does that fit?
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  Yes, that's the bigger picture. The Lord will surely give it to
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  those who are relying upon Him for eternal life.
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  Confirmation is an optional, you see.
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  It's not a bonus feature. It's part of the package deal of
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  salvation. You could put it that way.
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  It is a part of the method by which He saves us, this building
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  us up into Christ Jesus and causing us to abide in Him.
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  God's salvation is complete. It includes the beginning, the
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  middle and the end. Sustaining faith, not just
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  starting it. Precisely.
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  We are kept by the power of God through faith and to salvation.
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  Our perseverance rests on His power, not our own wavering
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  resolve. It's His grip holding us.
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  OK, so the Spirit works it, God guarantees it, and Christ Jesus,
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  He has a specific role in this preservation too, doesn't.
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  He he certainly does, the text says.
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  All who are in Christ will be confirmed in him till that
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  illustrious day that's Christ's return.
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  The final confirmation. And Jesus's own life is our
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  guarantee. Remember John 14.19 Because I
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  live. Yes, I live also.
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  His resurrection life is the source and security of our
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  spiritual life. That's foundational.
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  Absolutely. And he gives his sheep eternal
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  life. They shall never perish, neither
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  shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
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  That speaks of total security in him.
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  Unshakable security. And then there's that great
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  promise from Philippians. He that have begun a good work
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  in you will confirm it unto the day of Christ.
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  This a good work isn't just some surface level improvement, it's
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  a profound work of grace coming from an incorruptible seed which
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  liveth and abideth forever. That new life given at
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  conversion is inherently imperishable.
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  It can't decay or be lost. Unlike our own efforts, which
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  definitely can fade. Right.
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  And Jesus himself ensures this. He will lose none of his fold,
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  no member of his body, nor any gem of his treasure.
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  He is committed to bringing every single one of his own
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  safely home. It's overwhelmingly clear then,
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  this confirmation is divine from start to finish.
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  It's not something we earn or achieve.
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  Couldn't be clearer. It is not as the wages of work
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  or as the product of your own energy.
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  It is purely a gift of free and undeserved favor.
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  Which fits perfectly with the core of Reformed understanding.
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  Salvation and everything that flows from it is all of grace.
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  All of grace from beginning to end.
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  OK, so we've established the divine source and nature of
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  confirmation, the Spirit's work, God's guarantee, Christ's
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  preservation. But what does this actually feel
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  like for the believer living day-to-day?
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  How does this invisible work become tangible?
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  It must have a real effect on experience.
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  Oh, it definitely does. And what's quite striking is how
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  God uses our actual life experiences in this process.
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  The source material notes both our joys and our sorrows, our
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  successes and our failures are sanctified to the self same end.
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  So everything God uses the good times and the bad times to
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  confirm us. Yes, exactly.
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  That. He works through all
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  circumstances, even the really hard ones, to strengthen us, to
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  root us more firmly. Spurgeon uses the analogy of a
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  tree. Right, the tree needing both
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  rain and wind. Precisely.
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  The soft showers nourish it, but it's the rough winds, the
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  storms, that force the roots to go deeper, to grip the soil more
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  tightly. Our trials, when we face them
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  depending on God, do something similar spiritually.
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  They drive our roots down into Christ.
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  That reframes suffering quite a bit, doesn't it?
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  Seeing it as potentially strengthening, not just
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  destructive. It does, and alongside
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  experience, there's growing knowledge.
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  As believers learn more, their minds gather more reasons, solid
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  reasons for sticking to the path.
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  Understanding God's character, His promises.
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  It builds resolve. Makes sense.
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  Knowledge fuels conviction. And their hearts are comforted.
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  This isn't just a superficial feeling.
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  It's a deep consolation from the truth that makes them cling even
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  tighter to God in His ways. It brings a kind of settled
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  peace, even when things are difficult.
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  So it's this dynamic interplay of experience, knowledge and
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  heart level comfort all working together to make us more
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  steadfast. Steadfast.
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  Resilient. Yes.
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  What's the result? The source talks about a tighter
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  grip, a firmer tread. The believer becomes more solid
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  and substantial. Less easily shaken.
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  Right, they gain spiritual weight, maturity instead of
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  being tossed around. They have conviction.
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  It delivers them from being unstable as water.
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  That picture of wavering inconsistency.
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  Being wishy washy in faith. Yeah, essentially.
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  Instead they become rooted and grounded in Christ.
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  And this deep stability, this groundedness, it's not presented
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  as some super rare thing, only for spiritual giants.
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  It's. For ordinary believers.
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  It's presented as a daily expectation for those who trust
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  in the Lord. You can expect to grow in this
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  solidity, this consistency, day by day, finding that inner
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  anchor in Him. This idea of being rooted and
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  grounded, stable, it seems to lead directly to the next major
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  point, blamelessness. Our sources highlight This is
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  something Paul expected for believers, and it sounds like
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  it's more than just being saved in the end.
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  It's about something now. Yes, it's much more than just
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  ultimate safety, though. It includes that blamelessness.
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  This is called a precious part of our keeping.
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  It means God is keeping us holy in our daily walk, in our
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  character, not merely keeping us safe from hell.
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  Keeping holy, not just keeping safe.
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  That's a key phrase. It is, and it's contrasted quite
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  starkly in the notes with the sad picture of religious people
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  blundering out of one dishonor into another, or lives that are
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  just a series of stumbles. That's.
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  Uncomfortably recognizable sometimes in the church isn't.
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  It unfortunately yes, but the ideal, the goal God has for us
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  is different. Believers are invited to walk
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  with God and through His grace we can attain steady
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  perseverance and holiness. It's a call to consistency,
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  progressive holiness, reflecting Christ.
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  OK, so it's about our walk now. And Paul uses some strong words
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  for this, doesn't he? Things like unreprovable or
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  unimpeachable. What does that imply for us,
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  especially thinking about the future, about Judgment Day?
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  It points to something truly magnificent.
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  It means that in that last great day, believers will stand free
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  from all charge. No accusation.
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  Nothing will stick. Wow, free from all charge.
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  The source says none in the whole universe may dare to
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  challenge our claim to be the redeemed of the Lord.
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  It's a total legal and moral vindication before God and
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  everyone. Christ's righteousness, counted
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  as ours makes us utterly faultless in the eyes of perfect
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  justice. The slate wiped clean.
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  That is incredibly comforting, standing free like that.
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  But practically speaking, and I imagine listeners are thinking
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  this, does blameless mean sinless right now?
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  Because let's be honest, as believers, we're still very
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  aware of our flaws, our daily sins.
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  That's a crucial question, and the source material is careful
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  here. Blamelessness does not mean
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  absolute sinlessness in this life.
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  It explicitly says believers still have sins and infirmities
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  to mourn over. OK, so we still stumble, we
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  still mess up. We do.
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  We're not perfected yet, but the text says these are not the kind
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  of faults which would prove us to be out of Christ.
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  There's a difference. What kind of faults would prove
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  someone is out of Christ then? The fatal charges, according to
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  the source, are things like ongoing hypocrisy, deceit,
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  settled hatred or genuine delight in sin.
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  Those things indicate a heart that hasn't truly been changed.
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  Blamelessness means being clear of those defining destructive
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  patterns. It's about the fundamental
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  direction of the heart and life, even if the path isn't perfectly
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  straight moment by moment. So it's about the overall
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  pattern, the trajectory, the heart's true allegiance, rather
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  than achieving flawless perfection every day.
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  That's helpful. And even with these ongoing
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  struggles, the Holy Spirit is still at work, making us
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  blameless not just positionally before God, but also visibly
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  before others. Yes, that's another layer.
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  Despite our personal failings, the Holy Spirit can work in us,
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  a character spotless before men. His work transcends our
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  limitations. How does that look?
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  It results in lives that are transparent, so consistent
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  throughout that none could gain save them.
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  People see that your actions generally line up with your
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  words. Your life becomes a testimony
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  that's hard to argue with. Any examples given?
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  Yes, powerful ones. Daniel, for instance.
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  His enemies couldn't find any fault in his conduct or
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  integrity. The only accusation they could
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  bring was related to his faithfulness to God, except in
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  the matter of our religion. His integrity was impeccable,
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  apart from his devotion to God, which they saw as a crime.
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  Exactly. And then there's Job.
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  God himself calls him a perfect and an upright man, one that
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  feareth God and a shoe with evil.
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  Now Job wasn't sinless. We see his struggles, but his
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  overall character, his integrity was affirmed by God.
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  So these are examples of visible, though not absolutely
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  perfect, blamelessness. Right.
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  And it includes being able, by God's grace, to keep our
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  garments unspotted from the world.
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  That's about maintaining moral purity, resisting the corrupting
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  influences around us. That really speaks to the
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  possibility of living differently, even in a difficult
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  culture. What about someone with a really
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  rough past though? Someone who feels defined by
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  previous sins, maybe even before they were a believer?
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  Can they realistically hope for this kind of blameless
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  character? Absolutely.
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  The source offers tremendous hope here for those who have
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  gone far into sins, and the Lord can all together deliver you
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  from the power of former habits. All together deliver.
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  That's strong. It is God's grace is sufficient
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  to break even the deepest patterns.
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  He can make such a person an example of virtue, a living
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  demonstration of his transforming work.
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  He can cause them to abhor every false way and follow after all
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  that is saintly. So developing A hatred for the
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  old ways and a love for holiness.
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  Yes, and Spurgeon puts it so boldly, the chief of sinners
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  need not be be a wit behind the purest of the Saints.
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  In this regard, God's grace is that powerful.
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  No past disqualifies someone from becoming a showcase of his
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  virtue. That's incredibly encouraging.
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  It removes any hierarchy based on past performance.
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  So this ongoing works, this confirmation leading to
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  blamelessness, What's the ultimate triumph for the
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  believer in this life as described here?
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  The triumph is described as this, to continue to follow the
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  Lamb whithersoever he goeth, maintaining our integrity as
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  before the living God. Follow the Lamb whithersoever he
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  goeth. That implies complete surrender,
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  doesn't it? Even into difficult places.
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  Total surrender. Yes.
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  Following Christ's lead without reservation, even when it's
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  hard, unexpected, or unpopular. And crucially, maintaining our
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  integrity. That means not turning aside
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  into crooked ways, not compromising God's standards.
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  And not giving ammunition to critics.
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  Right. Not giving cause to the
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  adversary, to blasphemy. Living in such a way that our
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  lives honor Christ and don't bring His name into disrepute.
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  It's about steadfast, consistent faithfulness that reflects his
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  character. Hashtag 4.
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  The impact on the church community.
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  We've spent a good amount of time on the individual
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  confirmation blamelessness in their own life and before God.
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  But the sources also talk about the effect this has on the wider
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  community, the church. How does a confirmed Christian
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  impact their local church? Well, they become a real
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  strength to a church. Their personal stability isn't
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  just personal, it benefits the whole body.
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  They naturally become a comfort to the sorrowful and a help to
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  the weak. So when others are struggling,
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  these confirmed believers are a resource.
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  Exactly. They can offer steady support,
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  wise counsel, genuine encouragement because they
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  themselves are grounded in Christ.
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  Their stability kind of overflows to help others who
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  might be wavering or hurting. But they sound like more than
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  just help helpful members though the language used is quite
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  strong. Pillars, Anchors.
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  What's the significance of those images?
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  They are called pillars in the House of our God.
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  Think about a physical pillar. It provides essential support,
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  holds things up. Confirmed believers do that
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  spiritually for the church. They are foundational to its
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  health and stability. How so?
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  Well, for one thing, they are not easily carried away by every
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  wind of doctrine. In times where a new ideas or
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  even false teachings pop up, they stand firm on the truth.
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  They provide theological stability.
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  Which is so needed today. It really is.
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  And they are also nor overthrown by sudden temptation.
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  When trials or moral challenges hit, their deep roots keep them
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  steady. They don't easily stumble or
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  fall away. So they model resilience.
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  They do, and because of that they provide a great state of
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  others and act as anchors in the time of church trouble when
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  conflicts arise or persecution hits, or maybe just discouraging
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  times come. Which happens in any church.
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  Right. These mature believers remain
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  steadfast. They help hold the community
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  together, offering a reference point, a calming influence.
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  They don't panic. They remain anchored.
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  It really paints a picture of maturity benefiting everyone.
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  It sounds like a growth trajectory, something believers
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  should aspire to moving from being new in the faith to
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  providing this kind of stability.
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  Yes, the source points to that kind of maturation.
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  Divine confirmation enables this.
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  It encourages us that even a babe in Christ, someone new, may
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  be weak, needing lots of help, can by God's grace, working
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  through this confirmation process, grow to become a father
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  or mother in the church. A pillar and anchor, yes.
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  Someone who offers wisdom, stability, and leadership.
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  It's a growth process entirely enabled and sustained by God's
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  grace, leading to a richer, stronger church family overall.
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  OK, so we've seen the process, the outcome and blamelessness,
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  the impact on the community. It all seems to point towards a
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  powerful assurance. Paul himself, you mentioned had
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  his confident expectation for believers.
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  What exactly did he expect God to do?
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  Paul expected God would confirm you unto the end.
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  He was confident that believers would be strengthened,
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  established in their faith, love, holy living, and not just
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  for a season, but all the way through to the.
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  Very end of their lives. Yes, he expected God's grace
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  would preserve them personally to the end of their lives or
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  till the Lord Jesus should come. It's a powerful statement about
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  divine perseverance. God finishes what he starts in
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  each believer. He guards them, guides them
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  right to the finish line. And this confidence wasn't just
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  for individuals, was it? Didn't Paul have a bigger
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  picture in mind for the whole church?
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  He absolutely did. He also expected that the whole
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  Church of God, in every place and in all time, would be kept
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  to the end of the dispensation. The entire church, across all
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  time. Yes, until the Lord Jesus
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  returns as the Bridegroom to celebrate the wedding feast with
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  his perfected bride. It's this grand cosmic vision of
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  assurance. The entire body of Christ,
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  gathered from every generation and nation, will be preserved,
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  purified, and presented spotless to Him.
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  That's staggering. Corporate preservation, not just
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  individual. Right.
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  God's plan for His church will succeed completely.
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  So what's the bedrock for this incredible confidence for Paul
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  and for us today? Where does this assurance
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  ultimately come from? It rests squarely on that
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  promise we touched on earlier. He that hath begun a good work
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  in you will confirm it unto the day of Christ.
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  That good work isn't superficial.
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  It's the deep work of regeneration.
• 20:24
  Exactly stemming from that incorruptible seed which liveth
• 20:28
  and abideth forever. The new life given by God is
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  inherently permanent, cannot decay, it cannot be lost, unlike
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  anything human. Because its source is eternal.
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  Precisely. The salvation we receive by
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  faith is eternal. It cannot come to an end.
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  Why? Because our Lord Jesus hath
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  obtained eternal salvation for us, what He did was final,
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  complete, everlasting in its effect.
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  His work guarantees our perseverance.
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  His faithfulness is our security.
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  So wrapping this all up, it what does this mean for you, our
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  listener walking through life today?
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  What's the take away? It means that this path of
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  holiness, this steady perseverance you're called to.
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  It's not all on your shoulders, your strength will fail, but
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  this is a divine confirmation, a work.
• 21:14
  Of the Holy Spirit. Yes, initiated and sustained by
• 21:16
  the Spirit, guaranteed by Christ himself.
• 21:18
  All leading leaning toward that goal of standing blameless
• 21:21
  before God. It means you can rest in God's
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  faithfulness even while you actively pursue holiness.
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  And here's where it gets really, really good.
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  The ultimate joy, the destination is to be found
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  blameless in the Day of Judgment.
• 21:32
  Think about that. Standing there with dauntless
• 21:34
  courage, completely cleared. Absolved from sins, tremendous
• 21:38
  curse and shame, all because of Christ's blood.
• 21:41
  No charge holding against you. That future reality, that
• 21:44
  blessed state, it's the guaranteed inheritance for
• 21:46
  everyone who looks only to God's grace in Jesus.
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  Is so the call today is to trust.
• 21:51
  Trust that God's work in you is real, it's ongoing, and it is
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  sure He is guiding you towards a life that reflects His Holiness
• 21:59
  and He will bring you home blameless on that final day.
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  That's a powerful assurance to live by.
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  Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into divine
• 22:07
  confirmation and blamelessness. Until next time, keep seeking,
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  keep learning, and keep growing in His grace.