I woke up today to another chilly February morning on America’s west coast with what seemed like an ODD QUESTION crashing the day’s opening thoughts: Is all of this REAL? My faith. My hope. My life?
I quickly realized that this question had nothing to do with me BEING genuine or living with spiritual authenticity. That’s a message for another day. I could see that my thoughts this morning have more to do with KNOWING how sturdy my faith should be in Jesus.
Then it hit me—this is about our ASSURANCE in Christ. Understanding THAT is how we answer the question “Is my faith real?”
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22
I love the way Paul inserts the word FULL in front of assurance.
The power of that verse cannot be denied. But it does not mean believers won’t have doubts about their faith. This assurance is CONFIDENCE in Christ. Here’s how the Gospel Coalition defines ASSURANCE:
Assurance of salvation is a God-given confidence for every true believer in Christ of their present approval and future acceptance by their Father.
Assurance in Christ comes from God’s deep interest in having his children experience his forgiveness and grace. In our pursuit of living a Christ-like life we can experience God’s full assurance.
Our faith walk is fueled by the power of Christ and our commitment to become more and more like him. Along the way we pray for that power and confess our sins. That creates the right environment for the Holy Spirit to bathe us in God’s assurance.
As we walk by his power — looking to Christ, becoming like Christ, and confessing our failures along the way — the Spirit gives us God’s assurance:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
I want to live every day with the confident assurance in Christ’s present approval and future acceptance.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you walking confidently in God’s full assurance that faith in him brings?
“Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, and gave glory to God. Being fully assured that he which had promised, was also able to do it.” Romans 4:20-21
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
