Assurance

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." (1 John 3:19-20)

Obedience to God's Word and agape love (the fruit of the Spirit) towards people not only prove (to others) that we belong to the truth but also give our own hearts confident assurance of being in the truth. Our hearts are at rest (at peace) in God's presence because we know we are in His will; we are doing what He wants us to do.

Well, nobody (not even pastors or theologians) can obey God's Word and practice agape love perfectly all the time. Yes, we all fail at times. Our failures may make us question whether we belong to the truth. Our hearts may condemn us and make us doubt our salvation. This could be the work of the enemy (the accuser of our brothers and sisters, mentioned in Revelation 12:10) or the work of our oversensitive conscience. When this happens, we must trust what God's Word says about our standing in Christ, not how we feel. We know that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything. God is greater than our lack of assurance. He says in His Word: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24) If you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and relied on His finished work of redemption on the cross to pay for the penalty of your sins, you have been justified (declared not guilty) and all your sins have been forgiven as if you had never sinned. In addition, Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us. God knows all the good, the bad, and the ugly in us and He still loves us, cares for us, and forgives us. We are still His children. "The believer's ultimate foundation of assurance is the character of God." (Criswell) Even when we fail Him, He will never fail us. We can always depend on Him. God's love will never let us go. We are His forever.

John's intention for these verses is to encourage us with blessed assurance of salvation. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) Notice that John used the word "know" many times in this letter. He really wanted us to know all these truths so that all doubts can be removed. Be confident in your salvation; know that you're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not by your performance.  

Don't let doubt discourage you, make you spiritually lethargic, and render you useless for the kingdom of God. Never give up pressing into God and pressing on trusting God and living for God. Authentic faith perseveres. Persistence and perseverance will eventually lead to confidence and assurance. 

1. Keep going to God in prayer. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) "Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory due to His name, and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort. The most praying souls are the most assured souls." (Thomas Brooks)  Keep praying and asking Holy Spirit to increase your faith, to give you confident assurance, and to empower you to walk in obedience and to love like Jesus.

2. Keep going to God's Word. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) The assurance of salvation is simply a matter of taking God at His Word.

No condemnation now I dread, 
I am my Lord’s and He is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine.
(Wesley)

3. Keep loving God and loving people. Focus on these two greatest commandments and rely on God's strength and power to do this. 

4. Keep throwing yourselves on God's mercy and grace. Again and again. Our sins are many but His mercy is more and His grace is inexhaustible!

5. Keep clinging to Christ no matter what and remembering what Christ accomplished on the cross ("It is finished!"). "For every look at self--take ten looks at Christ!" (Robert Murray McCheyne) The antidote to self-condemnation is to gaze and camp on Christ's redemption and justification. "When I cannot enjoy the faith of assurance, I live by the faith of adherence." (Matthew Henry)

"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 a 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." (John Newton, a former slave trader, who wrote Amazing Grace)