On July 11, 1795, John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace” wrote a letter to one of his friends, Mrs. Wilberforce describing how we can grow our trust in God. Newton stated, “Assurance grows by repeated conflict, by our repeated experimental proof of the Lord’s power and goodness to save; when we have been brought very low and helped, sorely wounded and healed, cast down and raised again, have given up all hope, and been suddenly snatched from danger, and placed in safety; and when these things have been repeated to us and in us thousand times over, we begin to learn to trust simply to the word and power of God, beyond and against appearances; and this trust, when habitual and strong, bears the name of assurance; for even assurance has degrees.” (Yacoviello, 2016) He described the natural occurrence of fruit produced on a particular tree yearly. We grow accustomed to and expect the fruit to return each year. The Biblical meaning of assurance refers to the self-confidence a believer has in God’s existence, the unquestioning belief that God answers prayers, and that there is eternal life for those that follow Jesus. Merriam-Webster defines assurance as the confidence of mind or manner, easy freedom from self-doubt or uncertainty, to speak with assurance about future plans, and having excessive self-confidence, brashness, presumption, and security.
The Bible gives us five assurances. The first assurance is salvation found in First John 5:11-12 which states, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” This assurance is made possible by the death of Jesus and his resurrection. The subsequent assurance is that prayers are answered. This assurance is described in Matthew 7:11, stating, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” To have this relationship, we need to consider John 14:6, which reminds us that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. Next, we have the assurance of victory in our daily lives. We are constantly involved in a battle against evil, knowing that we live in a shattered existence. Evil seems to be everywhere all the time, and we are all involved in sin.
We will all be looking for and needing forgiveness. First Corinthians 10:13 assures us that we can be forgiven. This verse reads, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” To receive this forgiveness, First John 1:9 requires us to admit our sins and to ask for forgiveness stating, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we ask for forgiveness, we break the cycle and restore our relationship with God. When we have a good relationship with God, we have successful relationships with those around us. Finally, we all need guidance and advice on how to live. God assures us that if we pay attention and ask, he will guide us. We all know and admit that there is no event, circumstance, or problem that God cannot solve. We have established that God answers prayer, but what about all the little miracles we experience daily and do not even realize? God guides us through everything, and for the most part, we blindly follow, not thinking about how it is all coming together. Unfortunately, sometimes when we are not giving God credit for guidance, we are influenced by the devil, which brings us back to asking for forgiveness. This assurance is the promise God gives us by placing the Holy Spirit in each of us. If we can ever learn to listen to his voice within our hearts, we will enjoy constant guidance. First Corinthians 2:13 “And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” Romans 8:14 tells us, “For all whom the Spirit of God leads are sons of God.”
As humans, we are always looking for assurance and asking for guarantees. Human or secular assurances are found in a person’s attitude, self-esteem, or self-confidence. Being assured is not a place or tangible thing we can lay hands upon. Human assurances are found in feelings, mental experiences, and physical health. The trust we grow in our judgments, capabilities, and ability to cope determine the assurances we enjoy. When we look closely at our human or secular assurances, they depend on our faith and beliefs in things more significant than we are. Folks may not openly praise God and praise all the religious assurances, but they all originate from God and His love for us.
Pastor Colin Smith was asked how faith and assurance were different. He said he did not have a definition but did have a story, and his story is:
“My friend Charles Price who was the pastor of the People’s Church in Toronto, tells the story of the first time he flew on an airplane. When he boarded the plane, he was in a middle seat of three. Next to the widow was an old lady who looked really nervous. On the aisle was a businessman who seemed like he had done this a hundred times before. Charles, in the middle, was up for the adventure, but never having flown before, he was just a little apprehensive. When the plane took off, the businessman opened the newspaper, Charles held onto the armrests of his seat, and the old lady reached for the barf bag. When lunch was served, the businessman ate the whole lot, Charles ate half of his, and the old lady just looked at hers and didn’t even touch it. Here is the conclusion to the story: All three passengers arrived at the same place at the same time! They were all equally safe, but they had very different experiences on the journey. Faith gets into the plane; Assurance enjoys the journey. Faith puts you “in Christ,” where you are completely safe, even if you are full of fear; Assurance is the joy and peace that comes from knowing that you are completely safe in Christ. Your eternal safety does not rest on the degree of peace and joy you experience in your Christian life. We are justified by faith, not by assurance. But the degree of assurance you know will make a big difference to your experience of the journey of the Christian life. That is why the writer says to people who believe: “We desire each one of you… to have the full assurance of hope!” (Smith, 2018)
We can be assured by reading Philippians 4:6-7 which reminds us. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We can be further assured by First John 3:18-22, which goes on to tell us, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth. By this, we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him, for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”
Smith, P. C. (2018, 5 31). Open Bible. Retrieved from What’s the Difference between Faith and Assurance: https://openthebible.org/article/whats-the-difference-between-faith-and-assurance/
Yacoviello, D. (2016, 7 16). Hope Point Church. Retrieved from assurance Grows by Repeated Conflict: https://hopepoint.org/assurance-grows-by-repeated-conflict/