There is a saying that the only things we can be certain of in this life are death and taxes. As United Methodists, who adhere to a Wesleyan understanding of the Bible, we believe that there is something else of which people can be certain. Methodists believe people can know they are saved. We refer to it as assurance. Assurance is not presumption about the future. The focus is not on what God is going to do for me at some future point in time. Belief in a doctrine of assurance does not give me license to go out and live any old way I want to today, believing all the while that my duty for God has been done, and that my position with him is secure. Scripture affirms that, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 To presume upon God being merciful in that hour would be pure arrogance. If we all were to receive what we truly deserved from God, none would survive that day. Assurance is not saying, “What a good Christian I am!” Rather, assurance is declaring, “What a great Savior I have!”
Romans 8:15-17 is probably the most often
referenced verse when talking about Christian assurance: “…you received
the Spirit of sonship…The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that
we are God’s children…” Assurance is a work of the Holy Spirit
resulting from the work of God in Jesus. It is given to us not to toy
around with, but to enable us toward those greater works that Jesus
said we would be capable of in His Name. If you have any doubts
about that look at the remainder of the Romans 8 passage: “Now if we
are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
The doctrine of Christian assurance is that empowering presence of
God’s Spirit that makes it possible for us to move into uncharted areas
of ministry knowing that, should it be our last day on earth, we are
destined to share the glory that belongs to Jesus Christ. It is our
rightful inheritance.
One more thing: John Wesley was convinced that
true holiness would be accompanied by a deep happiness. In other words;
to know deep in my spirit that Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross was
all-sufficient to rescue me from the due penalty for my sins was a
source of tremendous joy, in spite of what this life might do to me.
The Christian life is a “blessed life” through all its highs and lows,
according to Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. Assurance is God’s gift
to those whom He has drawn unto himself by His Spirit. God wants us to
enjoy the fruit of our salvation in this life. He wants us to
have life and have it abundantly. Only when we have an assurance of our
position with God through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus can
we live truly abundant lives, as God would have us live them. What a great Savior we have!
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