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Helps to Full Assurance | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to reformed Thinking in the deep Dive.
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Great to be here. Today we're digging into
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something really central, I think, for believers, the
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assurance of eternal life. Yeah, it's a topic that hits
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close to home for many, that question of can I really know
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I'm saved? Exactly.
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And our guide for this deep dive is Charles Spurgeon, looking
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closely at what he draws from the Apostle John's first
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epistle, specifically that key verse first John 5.33.
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These things I have written to you who believe in the name of
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the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
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Such a direct statement. It really is.
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So our mission today is to unpack what Spurgeon helps us
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see here. We want to understand how John
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guides believers towards this well, this certainty.
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Right, we'll look at John's writing style itself, who
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exactly he's speaking to in this letter.
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And then why this assurance is so valuable, maybe even
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necessary? And crucially, how you actually
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get it. And maybe just as vital, how you
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hold onto. It it's about moving from just
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hoping you have eternal life sometime in the future to
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actually knowing you possess it right now.
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That's a big shift. It is.
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OK, so let's start with John himself.
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Spurgeon uses this really striking imagery.
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He talks about John having an eagle's wing and an eagle's eye.
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Sounds quite locked to you, right?
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It does suggest incredible insight, soaring vision, but
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then Spurgeon immediately contrast that.
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But calling John one of the simplest writers in all of
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Scripture? It's an interesting pairing.
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It is, he says. John never endeavors to show you
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the greatness of his mind or the grandeur of his rhetoric.
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He's not trying to impress anyone.
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No, not at all, Spurgeon notes. He speaks as a child to those
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who are children in the school of love.
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There's a beautiful simplicity and directness there.
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It makes me think of like if you need directions, you don't want
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some super fancy artistic map with loads of calligraphy that's
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hard to read. Right, you just want the clear
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path. Yeah, you want a clear, precise
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map that gets you straight there.
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No confusing detours, no distracting artwork.
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Just point A to point B, Spurgeon seems to be saying.
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John's writing is like that map. That's a great way to put it,
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Spurgeon says. John's goal isn't to dazzle you,
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nor to lead you into speculation, nor to gratify your
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curiosity. So no intellectual fireworks,
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just for show. None.
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His single clear purpose. The reason he wrote, especially
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highlighted in this verse, is that ye may know that you have
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eternal life, full stop. And Spurgeon points out that
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some might see that as, I don't know, maybe a bit basic or
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commonplace as he puts it. Yeah, perhaps compared to
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predicting the fall of empires or explaining deep cosmic
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mysteries. But John and Spurgeon agrees,
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sees this goal as infinitely more to our benefit.
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More beneficial than prophecy or solving mysteries.
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According to Spurgeon, yes, knowing you possess eternal life
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right now is foundational. It's the core truth for God's
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people. It's like leading sheep to the
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best pasture. It's practical nourishment for
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the soul, not just interesting ideas.
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That makes sense. Practical, accessible, direct.
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OK, so if that's John's aim, who is he aiming at?
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Who is this message for? He says it pretty plainly unto
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you, that believe on the name of the Son of God.
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And that's absolutely crucial. Spurgeon really focuses on this.
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He emphasizes that this phrase covers all believers.
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It's not just for some spiritual elite.
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Not just the Super Saints. Not at all.
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He mentions John addresses little children in the faith,
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those just starting out, maybe still full of wonder and simple
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trust. OK, then there are the young
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men. Those were actively fighting
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sin, engaged in spiritual warfare, maybe feeling the heat
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of the battle more intensely. Right, the ones in the fig of
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it. And also the Fathers, those
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mature believers, seasoned, perhaps more established in
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their faith and wisdom. So the whole.
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Spectrum, the whole spectrum. Spurgeon summarizes it babes to
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young men and to fathers, under the one comprehensive
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description of those who have believed on the name of the Son
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of God. It shows that this call to
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assurance, this possibility of knowing, is universal for
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everyone who belongs to Christ. That's really encouraging, but
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there has to be a flip side, right?
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What about people who haven't believed?
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Is John writing to them at all here?
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Good question and Spurgeon is very, very clear on this.
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No, absolutely not. He's quite firm.
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Extremely, he says. It would be preposterous, that's
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his word. Preposterous to wish men to be
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assured of that which is not true.
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You can assure someone of possessing something they don't
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actually have. So assurance isn't for someone
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who hasn't genuinely trusted in Jesus.
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Definitely not. Yeah.
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Spurgeon warns that leading someone to presume they have
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eternal life before they've truly, unreservedly believed in
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the Lord Jesus Christ would be a fatal error.
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It's dangerous. Why?
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Because it gives false hope. False hope, false security.
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Faith has to come first. He calls faith the necessary
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preliminary You need the foundation before you can build
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the house. He uses this great image.
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Faith is the blade of faith, like the first green shoot
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coming out of the ground, and assurance is the ripe corn that
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grows from it later. You can't have the ripe corn
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without the blade for sprouting. That makes sense.
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You need the root before the fruit.
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Exactly. And he even uses this powerful
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analogy, saying John's words here about knowing you have life
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because you believe they guard the way they act, like the
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cherub with the flaming sword at the gate of Eden.
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Wow, OK, to keep people out, to keep those who haven't truly
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believed from wrongly entering into a false sense of security,
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from dreaming they have eternal life when they're still outside
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of Christ. It protects the truth of
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assurance for those it truly belongs to.
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So the message is clear, if you're listening and you haven't
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yet placed your trust fully in the Lord Jesus, that's the first
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step. This deep dive into assurance is
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really for those who have taken that step, who belong to Christ,
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but maybe haven't grasped the certainty that comes with it.
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Precisely. And that leads right into
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another point. Spurgeon really highlights the
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surprising fact that many tree believers don't actually know
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they have eternal life. They believe that they don't
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know. Yes, they might think their
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salvation is fragile, maybe temporary.
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Or they might see eternal life only as something way off in the
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future, something they'll get after they die, not something
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they possess now. And John is writing to correct
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that. Directly, his whole point in
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Five Point that routine is to counter that uncertainty.
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He wants them to us to know, know it now.
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Spurgeon emphasizes that the life the Holy Spirit gives us
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when we believe isn't just a temporary thing.
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It's not like a lease. No, not at all, he says.
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It's not a thing of days and weeks and months and years.
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It's dwelling place is in the region of eternity.
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It's eternal and it's very nature.
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So it's a different kind of life altogether.
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It really is. Spurgeon calls it practically a
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divine life. God actually puts his life into
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us, making us, as Peter says, partakers of the divine nature.
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Wow. And he uses another lovely
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image, this grace life, the life we get by grace through faith,
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is the glory life in the bud. In the bud meaning.
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Meaning it's the very same life we will experience in heaven in
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glory, just less developed right now.
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Like a tiny seed that already contains the potential for the
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full grown tree. So death doesn't give us a new
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kind of life. No, Spurgeon says.
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Death just sets a seal on the life that's already there.
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The life of God that dwells in a believer now is the very same
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life that will dwell in them throughout all eternity.
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It doesn't get swapped out for a different model.
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So knowing you have this life, this eternal divine life right
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now, that's what John wants us to grasp.
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That's the heart of it. It's, as Virgin puts it, the
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crown of the gospel that believing in Jesus means
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receiving an everlasting blessing, a life that starts the
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moment you believe and simply never ends.
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OK, that's a powerful description of the life itself,
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but it still brings me back to that puzzle.
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If this life is real and eternal, why do so many genuine
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believers struggle with doubt? Why don't they feel certain?
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It seems like they should. It does seem counterintuitive,
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doesn't it? And Spurgeon acknowledges this.
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He actually calls it a very singular thing, meaning strange
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or peculiar, that people should not know whether they believe in
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Jesus or not. So even he finds it a bit odd.
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From a purely logical standpoint, yes.
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But he immediately explains why it happens.
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He points to his words, the terrible twist at the fall.
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Original sin and its effects. Exactly.
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The fall didn't just separate us from God, it messed things up
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inside us too. It clouded our spiritual
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perception, created this inner disunity.
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Spurgeon describes it as living in a foggy region where our
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understanding is impaired, our self-awareness gets distorted.
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A foggy region? That's a good description for
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how doubt can feel. Isn't it?
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And he doesn't just diagnose it from afar.
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He speaks very personally about his own struggles.
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He admits he was often much tumbled up and down in his
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thoughts, questioning if he truly had grace.
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Spurgeon doubted the Prince of Preachers.
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He did, especially earlier in his life, he says.
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Even while he felt he clung to Jesus with a death grip, the
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doubts could still surface. So he recognizes this struggle
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is very real for believers. Even if it seems maybe
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unreasonable from a purely theological viewpoint.
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Right. He acknowledges the reality of
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the struggle, even if it logically shouldn't be there for
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someone truly alive in Christ. And because he understands it,
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he calls for real tenderness towards, as he calls them, poor
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doubters. Don't beat them about it, no.
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He references Isaiah reminding us not to break the bruised Reed
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or quench the smoking flax. That image of crisis, gentleness
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towards the weak and struggling. He urges patience and
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compassion. That's helpful.
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So for those of us who might find ourselves in that foggy
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region, maybe wrestling with these doubts is full assurance
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actually achievable? Is it really possible to know?
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Because, you know, some views suggest it's rare, maybe only
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for spiritual giants or those with special visions.
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Yeah, that idea has certainly been around, but Spurgeon
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confronts it head on. He absolutely rejects the notion
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that assurance is only for a select few.
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He thinks it's possible for ordinary believers.
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Definitely, he argues quite strongly.
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Impossible to know that you are quickened, quicken, meaning made
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spiritually alive. They'd are to be impossible to
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have any doubt about it. He turns it around.
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He does. He uses a very down to earth
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argument. Rationally, a living man should
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know that he is alive. If you're breathing, walking,
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talking, you generally know you're alive, right?
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Right, it seems obvious. His point is that spiritual
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life, while invisible, should also have discernible evidences
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that make it knowable. So, he concludes, it is possible
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to know. And if it's possible, he adds,
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it's eminently desirable. Highly desirable.
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So he pushes back against any idea, maybe historically from
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say, the Roman Catholic Church, that assurance is presumption or
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only for Saints. Yes, he directly challenges that
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view, which he saw as keeping people in needless fear and
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uncertainty. He insists that believers can
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and should seek this assurance. It's not some mystical state
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reserved for a tiny minority. OK, so it's possible it's
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desirable. Let's talk about why it's so
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desirable. What are the actual benefits of
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having this full assurance? How does it change things
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day-to-day? Oh.
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The benefits are huge, according to Spurgeon.
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He lists quite a few. First off, it brings immense
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comfort. Comfort.
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How so? We'll think about the opposite
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constant doubt. It's draining, isn't it?
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Always wondering, am I saved? Am I not?
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It consumes so much spiritual energy.
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Assurance removes that burden. It brings peace.
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Like finally reaching solid ground after being tossed on
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waves. OK, peace instead of turmoil.
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What else? Degratitude.
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When you know you're saved, truly saved by grace, not by
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your own efforts, it just wells up inside you, this profound
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thankfulness to God. It's not just a fleeting
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feeling, but a settled seat of gratitude.
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That makes sense knowing you've received such an incredible.
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Gift Exactly. Then third, it helps believers
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live above the world. Above the world meaning
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detached. Sort of.
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Not uncaring, but less entangled.
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When your eternal destiny is secure, the temporary worries
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and lures of this world lose some of their grip.
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You know your focus shifts. You have a heavenly perspective
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that anchors you. Right, You're playing for higher
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stakes, so to speak. You could say that. 4th It fuels
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holy ardor, a real passion in serving God.
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How does assurance lead to more passionate service?
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Because you're not serving out of fear, fear of losing
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salvation if you mess up. You're serving out of love and
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gratitude. Knowing you're secure frees you
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to take risks for God, to serve boldly, to persevere even when
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it's hard. Because you know your labor
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isn't in vain. OK, so it changes the
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motivation. Completely 5th and this is a big
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one. Practically, it stops you from
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wasting time constantly calculating evidences and
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perpetually examining himself. That endless cycle of
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introspection. Am I good enough?
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Did I feel enough? Yes, that agonizing self
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analysis assurance frees you from that.
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Instead of always looking inward with uncertainty, you can look
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upward to Christ and outward in service with confidence.
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Which must lead to more growth, right?
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That's the 6th benefit Spurgeon mentions.
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It allows for rapid spiritual progress.
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He talks about going from strength to strength in
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rapturous fellowship and ecstatic enjoyment.
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When you're not bogged down by doubt, you can run the race with
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joy. Faith can start to make the
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future realities of heaven feel substantial, even now.
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So comfort, gratitude, perspective, passion, freedom
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from introspection and faster growth.
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That's quite a list. It really is.
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It paints a picture of a much more joyful and effective
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Christian life. You also mentioned Spurgeon
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doesn't just see it as desirable, but as a duty.
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Why a duty? That sounds quite strong.
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It does, but he bases it on Scripture.
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He points specifically to Second Peter 1.10, which tells
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believers to give diligence to make your calling an election
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sure. Give diligence, so make an
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effort. Exactly.
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It implies it's something we should actively pursue, not just
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passively hope for, Spurgeon argues.
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It's simply right for a child of God to know their Father loves
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them. Like a child wanting to be sure
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of their parents love. Precisely how much more should
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we desire to know our standing with our Heavenly Father?
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He says it's right for a soul married to Christ the Heavenly
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Bridegroom, to know His love and not tolerate clouds of doubt
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hanging over that relationship. And how does this confidence
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honor God? It honors God because it takes
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him at His Word. It shows we trust His promises,
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His faithfulness, His Son's finished work.
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Wavering doubt, while understandable sometimes,
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doesn't ultimately glorify God's reliability as much as settled
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faith does. Assurance grounds us, stabilizes
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us, lets us rest fully on His Word.
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So seeking assurance isn't selfish, it's actually part of
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honoring God and living in the relationship He intends for us.
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That's exactly Spurgeon's perspective.
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It establishes the believer for a more stable, fruitful and God
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honoring walk. OK, This is really building a
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strong case for assurance. If it's possible, desirable,
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beneficial and even a duty. The big question becomes how do
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we get there? How do we obtain this assurance?
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Spurgeon says. John's whole letter bears on
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this. Yes, he sees that desire that
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you may know as the thread running through the entire
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epistle, the silken thread upon which his pearls are strong.
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As Spurgeon poetically puts it, the whole letter is designed to
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build this certainty. So where does the journey to
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Assurance begin? What's the foundation?
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The absolute bedrock, the starting point, is God's own
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Word, the divine testimony. Just believing what God says.
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Fundamentally, yes, Spurgeon points right back to verses like
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John 6.47. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
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he that believeth on me have everlasting life.
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Present tense has it now. So Jesus himself said it, yes.
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And Spurgeon insists that Christ's word, unsupported by
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any external evidence, is quite enough to satisfy every gracious
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mind. If we accept human testimony
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about things, how much more should we accept God's testimony
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about his Son and the life found in Him?
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So step one is simply taking God at His word, believing the
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promise because He made it. That's the core.
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He uses that analogy we touched on earlier.
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Faith is like pure and unadulterated milk.
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It's simple. Trust in God's statement.
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And assurance. Assurance is the cream upon it,
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he says. When faith is stood long enough,
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settled and undisturbed, the rich cream of holy confidence
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naturally rises to the top. So it's not something you
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necessarily whip up, but something that develops out of
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steady faith. That's the idea.
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It flows from believing God's testimony to doubt.
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His clear word, Spurgeon argues, is essentially to call God a
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liar, which undermines the gospel itself.
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Believing his testimony resting on his declaration alone is the
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primary ground. OK, God's Word is the
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foundation, but you mentioned John's letter provides more.
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Our hearts are sometimes deceitful.
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We do live in that foggy region. Does John give us ways to sort
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of confirm that our faith is real and therefore that the
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promise applies to us? Yes, exactly.
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While God's Word is the ultimate basis, John provides practical
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evidences or tests. Spurgeon is careful here.
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These are not the source of our salvation.
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They don't save us. They're not things we do to earn
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assurance. No, not at all.
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They are marks or signs that genuine saving faith is actually
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present. They help us answer that
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personal question. Is my belief the kind of belief
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that John is talking about? Am I truly a believer who have
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everlasting life? They are the fruit that
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indicates the tree is alive. OK.
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So what are some of these tests or marks that Spurgeon
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highlights from First John? Well, he draws out quite a few.
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The first one is what he calls truthful, dealing with God.
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Truthful dealing. What does that look like?
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It ties into John's language about walking in the light.
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It means being honest with God about our sin, not denying it,
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not trying to hide it or excuse it.
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So open confession. Yes, honest confession coupled
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with a complete reliance on the blood of Jesus Christ alone for
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cleansing. It's about transparency before
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God, acknowledging our need for his mercy, not pretending we're
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OK on our own, Spurgeon says. If you're dealing truthfully
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with God about your sin and your need for Jesus, that's a good
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sign you're in the light. OK, honesty with God about sin.
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What's next? 2nd is obedience to God's
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commandments. Obedience.
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Does this mean perfect obedience?
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No, Spurgeon is clear. It's not about perfectionism.
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It's about the direction and desire of the heart.
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Is holiness the aim and object of your life?
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Are you genuinely striving to align your life according to the
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law of the Lord? So the intention and the effort
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matter. Yes, it's like Jesus said, my
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sheep, you're my voice and they follow me.
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If grace has genuinely changed your heart, there will be a new
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desire and a real effort, however imperfect, to obey God
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that demonstrates a new principle of life within you.
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Got it. Truthfulness.
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Obedience. What else?
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3rd Love for the brethren, love for fellow Christians.
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John talks about this a lot, doesn't he?
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We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love
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the brethren. Exactly.
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Spurgeon picks up on that. This isn't just a vague, warm
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feeling. It's practical, active love for
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all who are in Christ, even those who might be difficult to
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love sometimes. So it's more than just liking
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people who are like you. Much more.
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It means forgiving, bearing burdens, seeking their good.
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Spurgeon says this kind of love is supernatural.
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It comes from God. Everyone who loves like this
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shows they are born of God and know God.
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It reflects God's own nature in your heart.
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That's a high bar, but a clear sign, OK #4. 4th is separation
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from the world. Not loving the world.
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Right. Not loving the world's systems,
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its values, it's sinful ways that are opposed to God.
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It's about where your ultimate affection and allegiance lie.
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Does. This mean withdrawing
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completely. Not necessarily hiding away, but
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having a distinct set of values and priorities.
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Spurgeon even points out that experiencing opposition or
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misunderstanding from the ungodly world can paradoxically
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be a comforting sign. How so?
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Because it shows you're not of the world, just as Jesus wasn't.
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If the world hates you, Jesus said no, that it hated him
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first. Being distinct, maybe even
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facing some friction for your faith, can indicate your
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citizenship is elsewhere. Interesting perspective.
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OK, what's 5th? 5th is continuance, or you could
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say perseverance in the faith and in holiness.
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Sticking with it. Yes, true faith isn't a flash in
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the pan, Spurgeon says. Steadfast perseverance is a sure
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mark of election. It shows the Holy Spirit isn't
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just visiting, but abiding permanently in true believers.
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Unlike those who fall away. Right.
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He contrasts true believers with those whose faith is temporary,
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maybe based on emotion or circumstance, but doesn't last.
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The ability to keep going, keep battling sin, keep trusting
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Christ over the long haul, empowered by grace, is strong
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evidence of genuine saving work. That endurance is key number
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six. 6th is purification. John writes Every man that hath
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this hope in him purify it himself, even as he is pure.
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Aiming for purity because of our hope in Christ.
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Exactly, Spurgeon explains. This involves a daily effort to
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steer clear of known sin, genuine bitter repentance when
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we do sin, and actively fighting against those be setting sins
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and worldly habits that trip us up.
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Again, not perfection, but the fight.
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Yes, the struggle itself is evidence, he says.
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This conflict and victory are evidences of grace.
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It shows there's a new nature within you that hates sin and
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loves righteousness, battling against the old remnants of sin.
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OK, the ongoing pursuit of holiness.
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What's #7. A clear conscience, John says.
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If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward
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God. A clear conscience?
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Does that mean never feeling guilty?
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Not quite. It's more about a conscience
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that has been purged from dead works, as Hebrew says, through
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the blood of Christ. It's a conscience that doesn't
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constantly accuse you of unconfessed, unrepentant sin or
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fundamental unbelief. So it's a sense of peace with
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God, knowing your sins are forgiven in Christ.
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Yes, Spurgeon calls this inner witness, this freedom from
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paralyzing condemnation, one of the seals of the Holy Ghost.
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It's a confidence towards God that only comes when sin has
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been dealt with through Christ. That internal peace is a sign,
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OK #8? 8th is Answers to Prayer.
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God hearing and answering our prayer.
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Yes, John connects answered prayer with keeping God's
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commandments and doing what pleases him.
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Spurgeon argues that if God is regularly hearing your prayers,
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especially prayers aligned with His will and granting your
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requests, it's a token of the love of God towards you.
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A. Sign of relationship, right?
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God doesn't promise to hear the prayers of those willfully
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persisting in sin, but He hears those who seek to do His will.
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Each answered prayer, particularly for spiritual
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growth or needs, becomes a little confirmation of your
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standing as His child. That's encouraging #9. 9th is
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adherence to the truth holding fast to the true gospel?
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Sticking to sound doctrine, yes. John Contrast those who know God
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and listen to the apostles teaching with those who are LED
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astray by false spirits, Spurgeon says.
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Being able to discern truth from error, loving the core truths of
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the Gospel as taught by the apostles, and rejecting things
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that corrupt it. That's a mark of being one of
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Christ's sheep. Because his sheep know his
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voice. And know not the voice of
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strangers exactly. A love for God's truth and
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resistance to falsehood indicates you belong to Him.
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Makes sense. And the last one, number 10.
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Finally, 10th a holy familiarity with God.
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Holy familiarity. What does that mean?
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Sounds a bit contradictory. It means relating to God not
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primarily with slavish fear, like a terrified servant before
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harsh massacre, but with a childlike confidence, like a
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beloved child with a loving father.
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Approaching God his Father. Yes, dwelling in His love,
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having boldness even when thinking about the day of
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judgement because of Christ, being able to speak with God as
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a friend, finding more joy and fellowship with Him than
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anywhere else. This intimacy, this sense of
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belonging and acceptance shows the spirit of adoption is at
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work. Witnessing with our spirit that
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we are His children. Wow.
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OK, so those 10 truthful dealing, obedience, love for
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brethren, separation from world, perseverance, purification,
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clear conscience, answered prayer, adherence to truth, and
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holy familiarity. These are practical things
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believers can look at in their lives.
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Yes, not as the basis of their assurance, which is always God's
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Word in Christ's work, but as confirming evidences that the
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faith they profess is real and living.
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They help connect the objective promise to your subjective
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experience. That distinction is really
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helpful. It's not about earning it, but
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about seeing the genuine effects of God's grace.
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Precisely. But then Spurgeon adds something
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crucial. He calls it an appendix to
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John's design. Something vital after
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considering all these evidences. An appendix.
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What's the point? He wants to make sure we don't
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miss. He wants to make sure that
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gaining assurance, even strong assurance based on these
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evidences, never leads us to stop doing the very first thing,
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believing on the name of the Son of God.
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So assurance isn't like graduating from faith.
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It doesn't replace the need for ongoing trust.
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Not first. Second, That's the vital
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clarification. Gaining assurance should never
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lead to a cessation of simple trust in the blood and
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righteousness of Jesus Christ. You don't move past needing
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Jesus. Believers shouldn't think, OK I
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was born again years ago, I see these evidences in my life.
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So now I can sort of coast, or rely on my past experience, or
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even rely on my feeling of assurance itself.
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So don't put your confidence in your confidence.
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That's it exactly. Spurgeon says it plainly.
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My ground of confidence today is precisely what it was when first
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I came to Christ and placed no reliance upon my own assurance.
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The foundation doesn't change. What is that foundation then
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that needs to remain constant? Simple reliance on Christ
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himself. Spurgeon keeps bringing it back
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to Christ. Jesus came into the world to
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save sinners, and whosoever believeth in him hath
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everlasting life. That's the bedrock today,
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tomorrow, always. Assurance is wonderful, but it
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flows from that ongoing faith. It doesn't replace it.
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This sounds like a really important warning against maybe
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spiritual complacency or letting past victories or feelings
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become a substitute for a living relationship with Christ right
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now. It is a powerful warning,
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spurging cautions against trying to get food, spiritual
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nourishment from your signs and evidences, or trying to live
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without Christ on what you have known in the past.
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Trying to live off yesterday's experience.
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Yes, and he uses that vivid picture of the Israelites trying
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to keep manna overnight. Remember what?
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Happened bread worms and stank. It went bad.
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Exactly. The spiritual lesson, Spurgeon
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says, is stark. Everything you look to apart
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from Christ will rot in due time so that you will loathe it.
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Wow, so relying on past conversions, past feelings, past
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good deeds, they can't sustain you?
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They become stale mana. They lose their power.
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Our spiritual life needs fresh reliance on Christ today, every
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single day. He uses another analogy too,
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doesn't he, about hanging on a nail?
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Yes, he says, every believer, no matter how mature or full of
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grace, whether a great flagon or just a little cup, must
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continually hang upon the one nail which is fastened in a sure
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place. And that nail is Jesus.
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That nail is Jesus. To try and hang your hope
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anywhere else, even on your own assurance or experiences, is to
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wander off that secure point. It's wandering, he says, into a
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land of darkness and of the shadow of death.
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Only staying connected to Jesus keeps us in the light and life.
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So the calls always back to that simple fundamental posture,
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trusting Christ as a Sinner saved by grace.
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That never changes, no matter how assured we feel.
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That is the enduring posture. Spurgeon sums up his own
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personal daily confidence with absolute clarity.
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I am Sinner and Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and they
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that trust in Him are saved, therefore I trust Him, therefore
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I am saved. Present sense I am a Sinner, I
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trust him, I am saved. It's an ongoing reality, an act
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of trust right now, that simple, humble reliance is the source of
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both salvation and assurance. Constantly refreshed by looking
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to Christ and His Word, not by looking primarily at ourselves
28:10
or our past. This deep dive through
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Spurgeon's lens on 1st John 5 front 13 has been incredibly
28:16
illuminating. It really maps out a clear path.
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Assurance isn't some vague, far off hope.
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No. It's presented as a present
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possession, something believers can know, and seeking it isn't
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presumption, it's a godly pursuit.
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And it's grounded first and foremost, not in our shifting
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feelings, but in the solid rock of God's promise, in His Word.
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Absolutely. That's the foundation, and then
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the evidences John gives. They serve as confirmations like
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Signpost showing that the life he promised is indeed at work in
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us, but they always point back to the source.
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Christ Himself, He remains the sole ground for our herp, our
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confidence, our life, both now and forever.
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Today and always, the focus never shifts from Him, even when
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enjoying the cream of assurance. We live by the milk of simple
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faith in Jesus. So perhaps the challenge for us,
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for you listening, is this. How can you actively lean into
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God's declaration that believers have eternal life?
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And how can you, by His grace, cultivate those practical
29:11
manifestations of faith, the obedience, the love, the
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perseverance in your daily walk, allowing that rich cream of
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assurance to rise in your heart, all while keeping your eyes
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fixed firmly on Christ? That's a great thought to carry
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away, resting in his promise, living out his life.
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Let that be something to Mull over as you continue to think
29:29
about what it means to be truly well informed in matters of
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eternal worth. You've been listening to
29:34
Reformed Thinking's The Deep Dive.