Blessed Assurance

It's interesting that two of my devotional readings hit upon the same note.

Oh, believer, do not rest until you have full assurance of your position in Jesus. Let nothing satisfy you until, by the infallible witness of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your own spirit, you are confident that you are a child of God. Don’t play around here—don’t let “perhaps” and “possibly” and “if” and “maybe” satisfy your soul. Build on eternal truths, and build on them truthfully. Get the “sure mercies of David” (Isaiah 55:3 NKJV), and surely get them.  - C.H. Spurgeon

Sometimes we desperately want others to believe that we have changed, that we are more godly, more devoted, more Spirit-controlled. It is not necessary, however, for those who have been truly transformed by Christ to convince others of the difference; the change will be obvious. Don’t become too introspective, always focusing on yourself and the small changes you see happening over time. If you have to prove to someone that God has really changed you, He has not. Those around you will surely notice when your life has been transformed by your relationship with Jesus. - Blackaby

If you are going to look at yourself, look through the lense of Scripture, as Dr. John C. Whitcomb would say it.

Look not at your successes or your failures.  God's view of our lives is more complex.  If indeed we are in Christ, the change will be noticed.  Our priorities will show it.  What's important to God becomes important to us.  It's not so much that incredible things will happen to us or for us, but within us. Where nothing in this world can touch.

If our priorities don't include God, then a reason to question exists. Getting saved by Jesus isn't about getting a get out of Hell free card.  It's not a season pass to go do what you want with your life once you come to Christ.

Taking up your cross is a serious business.  You can't hold onto other things while holding onto that cross.

Trying to convince ourselves that we are saved isn't it either.  Jesus speaks of many who say they did all kinds of things in His name...and tells them to go away. Because they never knew Him.

There was no relationship.  They were there by the fire of someone else who was saved to be warmed and to share in their blessings, but salvation wasn't in them. The seal of the Holy Spirit wasn't there. 

Like Spurgeon said, don't rest until you KNOW that you are a child of God. 

Take time to look at your life. Can you point to a real moment in time when you know that you came to Christ? 

Is there real fruit to show that the tree of life is part of you?   It's not about guilt or regrets.  Feeling sorry.  It's about newness of life.  It's about seeing and seeking to please the one who saved you. Is what's important to Jesus important to you?
Really?  This isn't a one time question.
It can be a daily question.  When you get up. When you are out and about.  When you are at work or school. 

What's important to you?  This is as much to me as you.  I look at what I am doing.  Where am I going.  Is this the path of God for me.  Am I going to the right Church. Am I spending time with Jesus. Does my prayer life reflect that. Looking at what motivates me.  What's important. What drives me. What am I not doing that I should be.  Have things in this life been more important than what God has for me to be doing.  Just because we are centuries ahead of Biblical times, idols still exist.  Are there any in my life? 

But the truth will show if your life is the reflection of one spent with Jesus.  He is the light of the world.  Like it says in the book of Acts. They knew these men.  They knew that they were 'uneducated', yet they could also see they were with Jesus.  Can the same thing be said of you? 

I know people who love to be warmed by the fire of someone else who is indeed saved.  They love the warm feelings. The warm fuzzies they get being around Christians.  I pray just about every day for them.  Their eternity depends on it.
My hope is that they indeed receive the free gift of Salvation themselves.  That they get over the thought that they need to be good enough first.  That they are too far gone for Jesus to save them.

Consider the people who the Bible shows us who are saved.  Former adulterers, former murderers. Former idoliters. Former homosexuals. Former...you name the sin, you likely can find someone in the Bible who God saved. Jesus took ALL the sin of mankind on Him on the cross. Every single sin of humanity. Paid the debt of sin for every single human being. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. A single sin means a death penalty. One.
Yet for those who come to Christ for His free gift of Salvation, it is wiped clean. No sin is counted against believers.  No penalty of death. The Bible says He casts our sins as far as the East is from the West. Remembering them no more.
But the better part is we get to live! Live for the one who saved us!  Freedom! It's nor freedom to go do what we want.  It's not freedom to go on sinning.  It's freedom to serve.  Rather than be served.
Our world tells us to go out and get what you want.  To be blatant. It tells you to be selfish.  Think about you and what makes you happy.  Forget about others.  They must accept you as you want to be known.  They must literally bow before your identity.  That's not what a Christian is to be like.  

Like Andrew, we point people to Christ.  We will be wronged in this life.  We will give up things in this life.  This world is not our home.  We now belong to the Kingdom of God.

What do you show people?

When you look in the mirror.  Who do you see?   The turning point of the Prodigal Son was to see himself as God saw him.  One who had a need that only His Father could fill.  When he arrived near home, he saw that his Father had been earnestly waiting for him.  He hadn't set foot on the property yet when his Father ran to him.
His Father didn't need to hear about his failures.  Didn't need to hear about how bad he messed up.  Didn't need to hear about anything.  He was forgiven. The slate wiped clean.  The Father said his son who was dead is now alive.  Read that story again.  It's no fable. Countless millions have lived that story in their lives.
Help me. Save me. Is what a child would ask. That's what his son asked.  Have you a point in your life when you asked the same question of God?  Know today.  If you can't point to a time. Know today. 
Millions today woke up dead.  They have no second chance.  They have no do-over. There's no praying them out of Hell.
For many it happened so fast they never knew what hit them. 

Know today that you are saved.  Again Google 'Roman's Road'. Know without a doubt that you have a new Birthday in Christ.  Know that your name is written down in the Lamb's book of Life. 

Jesus loves you.  Jesus has more love to show you than you can possibly fathom.

Know today.  Right here, right now. Know.
Oh what a Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of Salvation, purchased of God, brought with Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story this is my song praising my Savior all the day long.

Jesus is right outside of the door of your heart. Only you have a doorknob to open it. He will not force His way in.  Bid Him enter while you may.

Know.
Know today. What greater day could you possibly have than to know you are forgiven and have a new life in Christ!