Latest / Reformed Thinking / Full Assurance | Charles Spurgeon

Transcript

Full Assurance | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

0:00
It's time podcast intro audio reform thinking.
0:02
Welcome to the Deep Dive. We take your sources, unpack
0:06
them, and pull out the key insights so you don't have to
0:08
wade through everything yourself.
0:10
Giving you that shortcut to being well informed.
0:12
Exactly. And today we're looking at
0:15
something really central to Christian experience.
0:20
What does it actually mean to have full assurance of
0:24
salvation? Yeah, it's a big one.
0:26
We're diving deep into some great material, especially a
0:28
sermon from Charles Spurgeon called Assurance Full Assurance.
0:32
Right. So our goal here is to really
0:34
unpack what the certainty is, you know, why it's considered so
0:38
vital, what the risks are if you don't have it and.
0:41
Crucially, how someone can actually get it.
0:43
Hopefully you'll come away with a much clearer picture of this
0:46
foundational truth. It definitely touches on the
0:48
deepest parts of spiritual life, doesn't it?
0:50
You're standing with God. It really does.
0:52
And what's clear from the start, especially in Spurgeon, is that
0:55
this isn't just some abstract theological idea for scholars.
0:59
No, it's practical. Vital even for every Christian,
1:02
right? Spurgeon shows how assurance
1:04
isn't just like a nice feeling to have.
1:07
It's an active source of strength.
1:09
It fuels how you live out your faith.
1:12
That's a key distinction, Yeah. OK, so let's start right there.
1:14
What is this full assurance we're talking about?
1:17
Well, the sources define it as a solid conviction.
1:20
You're convinced about your salvation, about having a
1:23
favored standing with God. So it's knowing, really knowing
1:28
that God is your God, that your salvation is secure.
1:31
Yes, a settled certainty. Not just hoping or wishing.
1:35
It's meant to be a settled fact deep down in your soul.
1:38
And it's not something we can just conjure up ourselves
1:41
through willpower or something. No, not at all.
1:44
Or just because someone else tells you you're saved.
1:46
The source is really stress. It's divine origin.
1:49
Like David's prayer in Psalm 35. Exactly.
1:52
Saying to my soul, I am thy salvation.
1:54
That's a plea for God himself to speak that certainty directly
1:58
into the soul. A.
1:58
Supernatural witness, then, from God.
2:01
It has to be, otherwise it just doesn't have that real deep
2:04
conviction. Only God can provide that inner
2:06
knowing. And it also needs to be really
2:08
personal, doesn't it? Oh definitely.
2:10
It's not enough for God to say sort of.
2:12
Generally, I save Saints. Or make a broad statement to
2:15
everyone. Right.
2:16
David's prayer shows it needs that vivid, specific
2:20
personality. God has to say, I am thy
2:22
salvation to your soul. So you get this pointed
2:26
unmistakable sense I am yours and you are mine.
2:30
Exactly. God speaking right to you in
2:32
that inner part of your spirit, making it undeniable for you.
2:36
Which leads to another point. It's a present certainty, not
2:40
just hope for the future. Yes, that's critical.
2:42
It's not just about someday. Maybe when you die.
2:45
I remember reading the English translation Ads AM, but the
2:48
original Hebrew is broader. That's right, it can suggest God
2:52
was, is, and will be your salvation.
2:55
So it's this timeless, continuous certainty, past,
2:58
present, future. You don't have to wait until the
3:00
end to know. No, it's a present reality, but
3:02
one rooted in eternity. And here's something that might
3:05
surprise people. It's presented as actually
3:07
attainable and even a duty. Yes, not some impossible dream
3:12
for a few spiritual giants. David prayed for it, which
3:15
suggests it's possible. And doesn't scripture tell
3:18
believers to give diligence to make your calling an election?
3:22
Sure. It does that instruction to make
3:25
sure implies it's obtainable, something we should actively
3:29
seek. And the sources say lots of
3:30
ordinary Christians throughout history have known it, testified
3:34
to it. Absolutely, People saying I know
3:36
my sins are forgiven, it shows it's a real experienced reality,
3:39
not just theory. So what's the foundation for
3:43
this assurance? Is it based on how good we are
3:45
or how strongly we feel? No, and this is fundamental.
3:48
Its foundation is solely in the finished work of Christ and our
3:52
faith in Him, Not feelings, not good deeds.
3:55
The sources say you are justified by faith, not by
3:58
feeling. You are saved by what Christ
4:00
felt for you, not by what you feel being justified by faith
4:04
means. You're right standing.
4:06
Your acceptance is based entirely on trusting what Jesus
4:09
did. His life, death, resurrection,
4:11
the cross. Right.
4:12
Your feelings, your emotions, they're real, but they aren't
4:16
the anchor. Christ's work is the anchor.
4:18
OK, so once someone has this assurance, this deep personal
4:21
certainty, what does it actually do for them?
4:24
How does it change things? Well, the source is being a
4:26
picture of real spiritual strength.
4:28
Full assurance makes you strong to labor for God.
4:32
Bold to fight against your enemies and mighty to resist
4:35
your temptations. It's like feel for the Christian
4:37
life. Exactly.
4:38
It invigorates you for service, for spiritual battle.
4:41
And it's connected to Joy, isn't it?
4:43
Directly, this certainty brings the joy of the Lord, and that
4:48
joy is described as your actual strength.
4:50
So joy isn't just a nice side effect, it's a source of power.
4:54
Precisely which is the complete opposite of the weakness that
4:57
comes from doubting. Uncertainty drains you.
5:00
Assurance fills you with this powerful, sustaining joy.
5:03
And it boosts your courage, your spiritual valor.
5:06
Significantly doubts, the sources say they cut the sinews
5:09
of your valor. Like cutting the muscles you
5:11
need to stand firm. Exactly.
5:13
Then they blunt the edge of your sword.
5:15
Your spiritual weapons, prayer, faith, resolve become dull and
5:20
effective. So assurance prevents that keeps
5:23
you sharp spiritually. Right.
5:24
It makes a Christian brave, effective.
5:27
Spriggin calls the assured Christian a very giant in our
5:30
Israel. Strong like David, even lion
5:32
like. They stand taller, face things
5:35
more readily. Yeah, and this translates into
5:38
action too. Active service endurance.
5:40
Assurance is called faith come to perfection.
5:43
Yes, and when faith reaches that fullness, it makes the person
5:47
the most industrious man, the most active worker, the most
5:50
valiant warrior, and the most patient sufferer for God.
5:53
That's quite a list. Confidence leads to effort,
5:56
then. It seems so.
5:58
Believing in the outcome fuels the work and helps you push
6:00
through difficulties instead of backing down.
6:03
So, beyond strength, what are the the fruits of assurance?
6:06
What grows out of it? Well, a big one is gratitude.
6:10
Deep gratitude. Knowing your Name is written in
6:12
the Lamb's Book of life, that certainty.
6:15
Yes, knowing you belong to God, that inspires powerful
6:18
thankfulness and that makes Christians self sacrificing,
6:22
daring, zealous, enthusiastic in the cause of Christ.
6:25
It creates this desire. I do anything for him, live for
6:28
him, die for him because of his love.
6:30
Right, it's a response to grace, not trying to earn it.
6:32
And what about holiness? Some worry assurance makes
6:36
people slack off. That's a common objection.
6:38
We'll get to it. But the sources argue the
6:40
opposite assurances the very best means of making men holy
6:45
and keeping them in the fear of God.
6:47
Because you understand the grace you've received.
6:49
Exactly. It motivates you to honor God,
6:51
not take advantage of his forgiveness.
6:54
It's a powerful push towards living rightly.
6:56
It also brings peace, right? A deep inner peace.
7:00
Oh absolutely, A deep, sweet calm in the soul.
7:04
It lets you read your title clear, see your right to heaven,
7:07
and not be terrified by deaths or devils.
7:10
So the storms outside matter less because of the calm inside.
7:14
Precisely. It can feel like heaven below,
7:17
making the actual step into heaven seem like less of a
7:19
massive change. Your soul is already resting.
7:22
It makes happiness sure, provides everlasting substantial
7:25
peace. Yes, it puts your heart in
7:27
heaven while your feet are still on earth moving you toward it.
7:30
It's a state of real security. OK.
7:32
So if assurance is so beneficial, so empowering,
7:35
what's the flip side? What's the cost of not having it
7:39
when doubt rules? The sources are pretty stark
7:41
about the weakness and danger of lacking this conviction.
7:44
The biggest danger being. Your eternal state resting on
7:47
something incredibly fragile, like a puff of wind, a bubble
7:51
even frailer than a dream. Because life itself is
7:54
uncertain. People can die suddenly, not
7:57
knowing, saved or lost. That's terrifying miserable men,
8:01
as Spurgeon says. It really is, and it's presented
8:04
as well, Foolish, Illogical even.
8:08
Oh so. The sources say it's to be sure
8:10
to die and yet not sure whether you are saved.
8:13
You know you'll face God, but you don't know if you'll be
8:15
acquitted or condemned. Right.
8:17
And think about how careful people are with earthly things
8:19
like property deeds, making sure everything's secure.
8:22
But heaven left to if and, but, and perhaps it is illogical when
8:27
you put it like that. The uncertainty about your
8:29
ultimate end, glory or horror, that must be agonizing.
8:33
Deep anguish. Real misery.
8:35
Which points to the ultimate danger, the possibility of
8:38
actually being damned. Yes, the sources asked that
8:41
chilling question. What if your fears should be
8:43
true? What if you really are lost?
8:45
Then your companions become hellish spirits.
8:48
Your work becomes deathly serious.
8:51
Your music turns to sighs, dirges, and howlings.
8:55
Your bed becomes one in hell. It's a stark warning without
9:00
certainty of salvation. You are, in fact, sure of being
9:03
damned, whether you realize it or not.
9:05
Wow, that's strong language highlighting the immense
9:09
consequences. And this uncertainty doesn't
9:11
just affect eternity, it weakens you right now as a Christian.
9:15
Doubts and fears just generally weaken you.
9:18
Yes, they got the sinews of your valor.
9:20
Like we said, they diminish your courage.
9:23
You're resolved to stand firm. Like a warrior losing strength
9:26
in their legs. And they blunt the edge of your
9:28
sword. Your spiritual effectiveness is
9:30
reduced your. Prayers, your resistance to sin,
9:33
sharing your faith. It all becomes less effective,
9:36
like fighting with dull weapons. Exactly.
9:38
You're equipped, maybe, but you can't make real headway.
9:41
Plus, doubts and fears nourish your despair and diminish your
9:44
joy. Right.
9:45
Instead of strength from joy, you get weakness from despair.
9:48
So lacking assurance directly saps your strength for labor,
9:52
for fighting, for resisting temptation.
9:54
It drains your spiritual vitality.
9:56
Which leads to this overall misery of being uncertain.
9:59
People are left wretched and unhappy, especially if they've
10:03
lost their confidence. Like David praying for assurance
10:06
because he just cannot bear the doubts if feeling like his foot
10:10
slippeth, his feet are almost gone at that instability.
10:13
That loss of footing, and it often leads to spiritual
10:15
stagnation too. How so?
10:17
Well, if you doubt you're standing, you might be hesitant
10:20
or slow in prayer. And being slow in prayer leads
10:23
to being slow in progress spiritually.
10:26
Yes, your eyes will grow dim, hindering insight, making it
10:29
hard to move forward in faith. It becomes a downward spiral.
10:33
And it makes people vulnerable to false ideas.
10:36
It can doubt makes poor trembling souls grasp at straws
10:40
open to deceptive hope or lying in position.
10:43
Like the idea of purgatory. That's the examples Virgin uses.
10:46
If you're not sure of salvation here, you might desperately grab
10:49
onto a false hope like purgatory, that idea of
10:51
purification after death, just to avoid feeling completely
10:55
hopeless about eternity. OK, given all this, the benefits
10:58
of assurance, the dangers of doubt, it makes sense that the
11:02
idea itself faces objections. Let's get into those right?
11:05
The first one is pretty blunt. It's impossible.
11:08
Some people just claim you can't know in this life if you're
11:10
saved. Maybe a little hope at death for
11:12
the Super holy, but not real certainty for ordinary folks.
11:16
Exactly. But Virgin hits back hard.
11:19
He says not only is it possible, God's people have enjoyed it
11:22
throughout history. He points to David's prayer
11:24
again. Right.
11:26
God wouldn't tell us to pray for impossible things.
11:29
That's his logic. Doth the Spirit of God teach men
11:32
to pray impossibilities? Yet David prays for it.
11:36
And the command to make your calling and election sure.
11:40
That wouldn't make sense if it were impossible.
11:42
Precisely plus the historical witness 10s of thousands of
11:45
ordinary Christians have known it, testifying they had no more
11:48
doubt of their salvation than of their own existence.
11:51
And it wasn't a new idea in Spurgeon's time, either.
11:54
Church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, All toilet.
11:57
Yes, Augustine, Chrysostom, Luther, Calvin, the Puritan
12:00
Giants, they all affirm the possibility and the duty of
12:04
assurance. It's deeply rooted in Christian
12:06
history. OK, what about the objection?
12:09
It undermines purgatory. You mentioned this came mainly
12:13
from Roman Catholics and Spurgeon's era.
12:15
Right, their argument was if you can know you're saved and going
12:18
straight to heaven, well then there's no need for purgatory,
12:22
that intermediate state of fiery purification.
12:25
So assurance threaten that doctrine.
12:27
Directly, Spurgeon didn't mince words.
12:31
He called purgatory a lying imposition built on the fears of
12:35
people kept in ignorance. He had that colorful phrase,
12:38
Purgatory pick purse for the Sinner.
12:40
Purgatory, Phil Purse for the priest.
12:43
Yeah, suggesting it was financially motivated, praying
12:46
on people's uncertainty. He saw assurance as liberating
12:49
people from that fear and, well, that system.
12:53
Then there's the objection from people with no genuine
12:55
experience. These are the sort of nominal
12:57
Christians, the easy churchgoers and Chapel goers, as Persian
13:00
calls them. Religion is more like fashion or
13:02
habit, no real depth. Right.
13:04
They've never felt the weight of sin or the joy of forgiveness
13:07
themselves, so because they've never known their sins were
13:10
forgiven. They assume nobody else can
13:11
either, judging others by their own lack of experience.
13:15
Exactly. Projecting their own spiritual
13:17
state onto everyone else. And sadly, Spurgeon says even
13:20
some ministers fall into this telling seekers assurance is
13:24
impossible. Yes, he expresses real sorrow
13:27
about that. Ministers who actually rebuke
13:30
people for claiming assurance, leaving them in limbo somewhere
13:34
between hope and fear. When it should be taught as a
13:36
Christian's privilege and duty. That's Spurgeon's firm
13:39
conviction. Ministers should guide people
13:41
towards assurance, not discourage it.
13:44
OK, now the big one, the really common objection.
13:47
It leads to carelessness. Yes, the if I know I'm saved I
13:51
can live however I want argument it's an old one, goes way back
13:55
to lither's time. The fear that believing you're
13:57
justified by faith alone or knowing you're saved just breeds
14:00
laziness or even license to sin. Exactly.
14:03
But Spurgeon argues no, it does the exact opposite.
14:06
Assurance, remember, is faith come to perfection.
14:09
And it makes you more industrious, active, valiant,
14:12
patient. Yes, out of gratitude and love
14:15
for the God who saved you? He asks the hypothetical Sinner,
14:19
If you truly grasp that your massive debt of sin was wiped
14:23
clean, wouldn't that make you want to live for God, not run
14:26
off and sin more? It's a powerful point.
14:29
Gratitude is a stronger motivator than fear.
14:31
Perhaps that's the idea, he states it flatly.
14:34
Assurance of pardons is the very best means of making men holy
14:37
and keeping them in the fear of God.
14:39
Freedom empowers obedience. What about people who say it's
14:43
just presumption they see arrogant people claiming
14:46
assurance maybe? Right.
14:48
This objection comes from seeing folks who've clearly mistaken
14:51
arrogance for genuine assurance. People who aren't humbled, maybe
14:54
not even truly converted. So the concern is that promoting
14:57
assurance might lead to false confidence, especially in those
15:00
not truly born again. Yes, and Spurgeon acknowledges
15:03
that counterfeits exist. People do mistake presumption
15:07
for assurance. But his response is.
15:09
Because some make the counterfeit, am I to throw away
15:11
the genuine? Just because fakes exist doesn't
15:13
invalidate the real thing. He distinguishes between the
15:15
two. Clearly, true assurance belongs
15:18
to those genuinely born again with a new heart and a right
15:21
spirit. Presumption is arrogant
15:24
impertinence from a proud, unhumbled spirit.
15:27
True assurance is simple, childlike confidence from a
15:30
renewed heart. One relies on self, the other
15:33
relies on Christ. Humility versus pride.
15:35
That's the key difference. OK, one last objection.
15:38
Group certain Calvinists. This sounds specific.
15:41
It is, Spurgeon describes a particular group within
15:44
Calvinism in his day who seem to jeer and sneer at full
15:49
assurance. Almost promoting a kind of groan
15:52
in the Lord. Always attitude, like salvation,
15:54
is only for the perpetually miserable undoubting.
15:57
That's the picture he paints, an ungospel like gospel, suggesting
16:00
you have to constantly mourn and doubt to prove you're elect.
16:03
Why would they do that? What does Spurgeon think is
16:05
behind it? He attributes it to a subtle
16:07
kind of pride, the pride of being able to boast of a deep
16:10
experience, meaning pride in how miserable or conflicted they
16:14
feel. Or even pride in being a
16:15
blacker, grosser backslider. That sounds really twisted.
16:19
He calls it deceitful pride, more dangerous perhaps than
16:23
pride and good works because it looks like humility but still
16:26
relies on feelings and experiences.
16:28
Like Bunion's Mr. Live by Feeling, basing everything on
16:31
emotions instead of God's promises.
16:34
Exactly. Spurgeon pulls it right back.
16:36
Salvation is based on what Christ felt for you, not by what
16:40
you feel. The foundation is Christ's
16:42
finished work on the cross, period, not your emotional state
16:46
or depth of spiritual angst. OK, that clears up the
16:49
objections. Now let's look closer at David's
16:51
own quest in Psalm 35. The sources use this as a kind
16:55
of blueprint, right? Yes, a really helpful biblical
16:57
example. First point.
16:59
Even great believers like David had doubts.
17:02
Why else, pray say unto my soul, I am thy salvation, if he wasn't
17:05
struggling sometime? Exactly.
17:07
It's actually comforting, isn't it?
17:08
Shows that even the best of believers sometimes are troubled
17:11
with fears and anxieties. Even Abraham had moments of
17:14
unbelief. So doubt isn't necessarily a
17:16
sign you lack faith all together.
17:18
Not. Necessarily, yeah.
17:20
But here's the key thing about David He was not content with
17:24
his doubts. He didn't just accept them.
17:26
He did something about it. He went straight to the mercy
17:29
seat to pray for assurance. Yes, he went to God's throne of
17:33
grace. He valued assurance highly.
17:35
Like fine gold, He couldn't bear the misery of uncertainty.
17:39
He knew it wasn't a state to just endure passively.
17:42
It needed action. And he knew where to go directly
17:45
to God in prayer. That knee work.
17:47
The sources talk about persistent prayer.
17:50
That's the way faith grows, leading to a clear sense of His
17:53
love. Spending time much alone with
17:55
God is vital. And that warning?
17:58
Much in prayer, much in heaven, slow in prayer, slow in
18:01
progress. Your prayer life and spiritual
18:03
growth are linked. Directly linked.
18:06
Which brings us to the core of His prayer.
18:08
Say unto my soul He wanted it from the Divine Source.
18:11
No human could provide it, not even a priest.
18:14
Great God, if the priest should say it, it is nothing David knew
18:18
only a divine witness in the soul would satisfy.
18:21
The Holy Spirit has to supernaturally speak to the
18:23
conscience and heart. And I had to be personal,
18:26
vividly personal. Say unto my soul not just a
18:29
general truth. He wanted that pointed,
18:32
personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am
18:36
dying and that thou art mine. An unmistakable individual word
18:40
from God to Him. Yes, and it needed to go deep.
18:43
Speak it not merely to my ears, but speak it right into the ears
18:47
of my spirit. Not just surface knowledge, but
18:49
deep inner conviction reaching the very core.
18:52
Exactly. Seeking quiet in the deeps for
18:55
the soul to be sound and healthy to the very core.
18:58
And finally, it was for present assurance, that timeless
19:00
certainty we talked about earlier.
19:02
Right, God was, is and will be His salvation.
19:06
Past, present, future. A certainty to be grasped now.
19:09
So if this assurance comes from God, how does he actually
19:12
communicate it? How does God say this to the
19:14
soul? The sources layout three main
19:16
ways. 1st through His word, the Bible.
19:18
How does that work? It's about personal application.
19:21
If you read a promise or statement in Scripture, like he
19:24
who believes in Jesus Christ has eternal life, OK?
19:26
And as you read it, you recognize yourself.
19:29
You do believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit applies that
19:32
truth directly to you. So it feels like God is
19:34
personally saying through that verse, you have eternal life, I
19:39
am your salvation. Exactly.
19:41
The written word becomes God's personal message to your soul in
19:45
that moment. There was that illustration from
19:47
Doctor Mallon with the pastor and John.
19:50
Right, the pastor writes. Whoever receives this paper from
19:53
my hand, I hold him as my friend John receives the paper.
19:56
He knows the promise of friendship is for him because he
19:59
personally received the declaration from the reliable
20:02
source. Precisely so.
20:03
When you rest in Christ alone, recognizing yourself in
20:06
Scripture's description of a believer, you can know you were
20:09
saved. No ifs or buts.
20:11
You take God at His Word and apply it to yourself.
20:14
OK, so through the word personally applied, what's the
20:17
second way? Through his ministers.
20:19
Through preaching the connects. So similar to the word, but
20:23
spoken through a preacher. Yes, a minister accurately
20:26
describes the state of someone God saves may be a weary and
20:30
heavy laden Sinner feeling their sin.
20:33
And someone listening recognizes themselves in that description.
20:37
Yes, and they respond by embracing the promise of
20:40
forgiveness being offered in the sermon.
20:41
In that moment, they can gain assurance.
20:44
They can conclude God spoke to me through his servant today.
20:48
God hath said to me by his servant, I am thy salvation.
20:52
The preached word applied by the Spirit becomes God's voice.
20:56
And the third way. This one is perhaps the most
20:59
direct through His Holy Spirit's inner witness.
21:02
Beyond the Bible text, Beyond the sermon.
21:04
Yes, it's described as the spirit communicating directly to
21:08
your heart, gently like rain or dew, dropping like the rain and
21:13
distilling like the dew. A quiet supernatural work within
21:17
the soul. Yes, and the result is that
21:19
deep, sweet calm we mentioned, a profound settling of the soul.
21:23
Your conscience affirms you're washed in the blood of Christ.
21:26
And the spirit inwardly confirms I tis true, tis true.
21:29
It's his direct maybe from a mysterious internal agreement.
21:32
Bringing incredible peace and happiness that heaven below
21:35
feeling. Exactly this direct witness is a
21:38
key part of the assurance a true Christian needs.
21:41
OK, this whole discussion really builds up to an urgent call,
21:44
doesn't it? Especially in Spurgeon's sermon,
21:47
a call to those who lack this assurance.
21:49
Very much so. He speaks directly to different
21:51
groups, 1st to those who genuinely believe in Jesus but
21:56
maybe because of weak faith just don't know they're forgiven.
21:59
They are saved by grace, but they live like those who never
22:03
knew that they were saved. Right.
22:05
Living without the comfort and strength that assurance brings.
22:07
But then he addresses others, those who never cared to know.
22:11
Shocking, isn't it? People who carefully trace their
22:14
family tree or secure their property deeds, but completely
22:18
neglect to find out if heaven is theirs.
22:20
That's superficial religion again, thinking it's just about
22:23
buying a prayer book or showing up at church without any real
22:26
interchange. Yes, Spurgeon called it the
22:28
delusion of England, a curse and plague where outward ritual
22:32
replaces genuine conversion. And he blames a sleepy ministry,
22:36
sometimes one that avoids uncomfortable, soul searching
22:39
truths. He does, warning that people
22:42
might even take communion, eat and drink damnation to
22:44
themselves because they don't understand its meaning or their
22:47
own lack of connection to Christ.
22:49
He really emphasizes the foolishness of this uncertainty.
22:52
Absolutely to be sure to die and yet not sure whether you are
22:57
saved. He calls it awful, indeed even
23:00
perfect madness. It's irrational, securing
23:02
earthly things carefully, but gambling with eternity on if,
23:06
and, but, and perhaps. And it leads to misery, even if
23:09
hidden people without assurance are miserable, like someone
23:12
sleeping on a volcano's edge. Their eternal fate, hanging by a
23:15
thread, a puff of wind, a bubble.
23:18
They could die any moment. Uncertain.
23:20
That outward calm hides A terrifying instability.
23:23
Which brings us back to the ultimate danger of not knowing.
23:26
Yes, the danger of not knowing whether you shall be saved or
23:28
lost. Death is certain, and the
23:30
alternative to salvation is. Horrific.
23:33
He paints that stark contrast from parties to damn spirits,
23:37
from music to howls, from comfort to a bedded in hell.
23:41
That jarring shift from the scarlet of dives to the flames
23:45
of hell. Referencing the rich man in Luke
23:47
16. Earthly comfort versus eternal
23:50
torment. And that stark statement?
23:53
If you're not sure you're saved, you are sure of being damned.
23:56
In reality, by default, yes. You're certain of one or the
23:59
other. Indecision or uncertainty lands
24:02
you on the wrong side. So the call to action has to be
24:04
urgent. Absolutely, he pleads.
24:07
Turn makes your work of it and never be content till you know
24:10
that you are saved. Escape, escape.
24:13
But there's hope offered forgiveness available now.
24:16
Yes, there is forgiveness still. There is forgiveness now there's
24:19
forgiveness for thee. It's a present offer.
24:22
And the way simple. Remarkably so.
24:24
Trust Christ's center and you shall be saved.
24:26
Saved this moment. Believe in Him now, with all
24:28
your guilt and sin about you. Just rely completely on Jesus as
24:32
you are, and he prays for the Holy Spirit to enable that
24:34
trust. Yes, the goal is for you, the
24:36
listener, to go home assured that he had forever put away
24:40
your sin and you were accepted and blessed in him.
24:42
The final push is be not happy till you have made your
24:46
happiness. Sure.
24:48
Don't settle for peace until it's everlasting.
24:50
Substantial peace A. Powerful call to pursue and find
24:53
this assurance in Christ. So here's something to think
24:56
about as we wrap up If knowing you're saved truly fuels zeal
25:00
for God and encourages holy living, how might a lack of that
25:04
certainty be subtly holding you back in your Christian life?
25:06
Maybe in ways you haven't even considered?
25:08
What does it really mean for you to rest in that assurance?