When I think of what it means to know the assurance of God’s love and his saving grace, these are the three names that first come to mind.
The Apostle Paul, once a persecutor of those who followed Jesus, would later share his assurance of God’s saving grace in his second letter to a young Christian named Timothy:
“I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able, to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”
John Wesley, who as a young man sought God’s approval through works of righteousness and founded the Methodist movement as an Anglican Priest, tasted the joy of assurance for the first time at the age of 34 when he wrote in his journal:
“I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
Fanny Crosby lost her sight in infancy but described in thousands of poems and hymns the ecstasy of the assurance she received through God’s grace:
“Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blessed
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.’
Assurance of salvation is elusive for many Christians. We lapse into sin and doubt we were ever saved. We strive to “feel” God’s presence but feel instead a the pangs of an empty inside. We wander through spiritual deserts, wondering if God will ever quench our thirst again.
This Sunday we’ll explore Christian assurance – it’s challenges and God’s promises. I hope you’ll come and find a greater assurance of his love and salvation.