Assurance is the strong belief and trust in God’s character. We have assurance in God’s truthfulness, righteousness, goodness, mercy, grace, and salvation. Every aspect of our Christian life finds strength and stability in this assurance. Since God is faithful and powerful, the believer finds assurance even in a world filled with uncertainty and anxiety. This assurance is specifically important to believers in challenging days. We believe God is able to keep safe everyone who comes to Him in faith. In John 6, Jesus talks about the assurance that all who come to God through Christ will be kept.
Listen as Jesus describes the Father’s sovereign power.
John 6:37–40 NKJV All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The believer has great assurance and security.
1 John 5:13 NKJV These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
God is able to save all who come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ.This assurance is the believer’s secure anchor for the soul. We can absolutely trust in God’s veracity and faithfulness. God does not lie and everything He has promised will come to pass. Our assurance is linked to God’s sovereign power, wisdom, and knowledge. In every aspect of God’s character and nature, the believer finds security and assurance. Since God does not change, we can rest assured.
Consider the depth of the knowledge of God. Before creation, God knew the plans that He had for you. This fact alone should bring us confidence.
This assurance is related to everything that God has promised.
Take note how assurance in God affected Abraham and Sarah. Even when Sarah’s womb and Abraham’s body were considered as good as dead, they had confident assurance in God.
Romans 4:20-21 NKJV He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Although faced with the impossibility of what God had promised, Abraham did not waver at the promise of God. Our confident assurance and faith in God must not waver regardless of the severity of the test and trial.
God gave Jeremiah a firm word that can help us. Jeremiah was feeling insecure in his calling and ability to fulfill what he was sent to do. He told the Lord “I cannot speak, for I am a youth,” but the Lord told him “do not be afraid.” God made at least two powerful statements to Jeremiah that helped him and will help us also.
Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
The omniscient and omnipotent God had a plan for Jeremiah’s life, even before he was born. Think about that in relation to your life. Whatever we are up against in life, we can have assurance that God has a plan for our lives. When God has a plan, He is able to fulfill His purpose. What kind of plan does God have for our lives?
Listen to God’s second statement to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Although Jeremiah recognized his own weakness, God wanted Him to have assurance in His ability to help him.
This message should also bring calm assurance to each of us. You can absolutely trust God with your life. This relates to your salvation and every other aspect of life. Our assurance is related to God’s sovereignty and control.
In John 6, Jesus is showing God’s intervention in our lives.
John 6:44-45 NKJV No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
Pay attention to this. The Lord God Almighty is sovereignly in control of all things. This may be hard for some people to understand, but God’s purpose and plan is going to be accomplished. God is able to turn all things around to accomplish His plan. He is God and He rules and controls all things. The Lord our God lifts up and He puts down. Who can resist the almighty sovereign God. It is easy to miss that point.
We are serving a sovereign and almighty God. What does sovereign power and authority mean? God is not caught off guard by anything that happens. His knowledge is supported by His power. God knows who will respond to Him and who will accept and receive His Son. He knows who will follow His will and who will rebel. God knows the plans He has for them.
John 10:27–29 NKJV My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
It is important to see this. Think about the tight grip that God has on things. Who can snatch anything out of God’s hands?
Read this again and pay close attention to the double assurance that we have in God.
John 10:27–29 NKJV My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Since we are securely within His hands, we can have calm assurance and security. This knowledge and faith gives us the ability to know that God is going to work all things out for our good.
Listen closely to these powerful words of assurance.
Romans 8:28–29 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… When we respond to God in love, He causes all things to work together for good. When we respond properly, God dispatches His great power on our behalf.
You need to see God’s multi-layered action to achieve His purpose and plan for our lives.
Romans 8:29-30 NIV84 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
Since the Father sees and knows all things simultaneously and instantly, He knows all hearts and has determined how He would respond to our faith and trust.
John 6:37 NKJV All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Look closely at the enormous security that Jesus gives the believer. Jesus clearly said that anyone who comes to Him will “by no means” be cast out. In the original language, this is a double negative. Jesus is saying, “I will never, never cast out.” This is a strong and forceful promise.
They will never, never be cast out. What does that mean?
- When you come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not be cast out.
- When you pray, He will hear you.
- When you ask for forgiveness and salvation, He will receive you.
- When you seek the face of God, He will come near.
Jesus has the authority to accept or reject men. He promised to accept the person who comes to Him. He will accept the person who turns from the world and the flesh.
Jesus gave His Word: “…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
The believer’s assurance and security are as good as Jesus’ Word. If you come to the source of life, He will give you life. If you need spiritual nourishment, you will find it in Jesus. The Lord will receive those who come to Him. He will feed, nourish, satisfy, and fill them. Jesus will not cast them out or reject them. Jesus will keep His Word with every generation of people.
Luke 21:33 NKJV Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
What does that mean to you? His promises to you are sure and steadfast.
Ezekiel 12:25 NKJV For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass.
Listen to that. His word will come to pass.
John 10:27–29 NKJV My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
This is the eternal security of believers.
If you choose Christ, God will stand there with you. No demon or devil in hell can drag you away from Him. No person can drag you from Jesus Christ.
This is a strong word for everyone who puts their trust in the Lord. Having said that, you also need to know that God will not make you love Him or choose Him. God will do everything He can to draw you to Christ. He will give you living bread and the water of life. He will send His Spirit to draw you. He has given His word and promise. He will show you mercy, grace, and love. The arms of the Lord are stretched out to save and deliver.
You have a choice. You must choose Christ. You have to give Him your “yes.” You must say, “Yes, Lord, to your will and to your way.” When you choose Christ, you can expect God’s intervention and power to bring a glorious transformation.
God has good plans for you.
The Scripture reemphasizes this repeatedly. God is looking to save, help, and secure you. You did not initiate this search for God, in mercy and great grace God called you out of darkness.
God came looking for a way to rescue you out of this world and save sinners.
He sent Christ to die for your sins and provide hope and salvation. This stresses God’s love and care.
God is watching over His creation like a father watches His children.
God only wants to do good and loving things and show mercy and grace. He wants to give good things to those who receive and believe in His Son. This is the love and kindness of our Father.
This is where assurance comes in. God has a pre-determined plan for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and loves Him. God is watching over you to see if and when you will put your faith and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will cover and cleanse you with Christ’s blood and provide eternal life in His presence.
God the Father has a plan for you. He has the power to keep all of those who come to God by Jesus Christ. We are kept by the power and blood of Jesus. We need to know God’s keeping power.
Philippians 1:6 NKJV Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
This is the assurance that we have in Him.
2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Watch how this commitment, faith and trust impacts our future.
Revelation 3:10 NIV Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
This is our most blessed hope. Every true believer in Jesus Christ shall be saved. In Christ Jesus, we have the victory.
We have a hope and assurance that the world does not have. Regardless of the hard trials, heartaches, or hurts you may face, Christ will always come through. Regardless of the attacks that Satan may bring against Christ’s church, Christ will always come through. We have this strong assurance that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. There is victory in your future.
Here are two major points:
First, for you to be saved, Jesus had to accept the burden of your guilt.
He did this when He came to this earth and died on a cross for your sins.
Second, for you to be saved, you have to choose Christ.
Come to Christ and believe in Him. When you respond to God’s aggressive and amazing grace, you will be saved. Put your trust in Him.
Jesus provides a calm assurance for the soul.
