Assurance of Being God’s child

The first thing I read after opening my online Bible was, ‘How can I know I’m a Christian?” My first thought was, “If you don’t know, you likely aren’t.”

Most people know what they believe. Yes, there are worry warts, and Satan lies to us with whispered thoughts such as, “Look what you did. How can you be a Christian?” And others will point to our weaknesses with the same question, but God says this:

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (John 1:12)

The Word of God says it. Those who know what it says either believe it or not. However, if a Christian is not reading the Word, assurance will likely go missing. This indicates a better question could be, “If I am a Christian, why am I not reading this book from God?”

He does tell His people to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22) This indicates another question: Am I convinced of sin and confessing those things that bother my conscience? If not, then true faith could be missing.

Being a Christian involves putting my faith in Jesus Christ. What then is faith? God says:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith is that inner ‘I just know’ that this Word of God is true. I was not at Calvary, but I know that Jesus died. I did not see the empty tomb, but I just know that it is empty and that Jesus is alive. I also have assurance, based on the promises of God, that Jesus died for my sin and all are forgiven. It is an inner thing, not based on present performance or the swarm of doubts that come when the God who is good allows me to suffer. It is based on what Jesus did, not what I do.

Perhaps that is the biggest test: what do I base ‘being a Christian’ on? What I do, or what God has done?

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Am I His workmanship (verse 10) or am I looking at my lack of works and thinking I am not good enough? No one is ‘good enough’ otherwise Jesus would not have needed to die.

One more question: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14–15) If that fear of death is overwhelming, it may be that way because there is no assurance that Jesus conquered it.

And that assurance is not an outward thing but comes from the Holy Spirit. If He lives in me, He tells me who I am:

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:15–17)

Personal sin, Satan’s lies, and suffering can take eyes and hearts off what God has done and rob His children of their assurance of being His children, but the salvation of God is more powerful than all three of those negative S’s. If the human  heart is not responding to His Spirit, then it is vital to get down on those knees and talk to the Lord.

PRAY: Jesus, I’ve no idea how many are duped into thinking they are believers but are not, or how many are believers but without assurance. You know how to right all errors and bring doubters to the truth. Today I pray for those whose assurance or lack of it is messing with their minds. May they hear and know truth and be set free from crippling doubts.

Update: Our granddaughter is home. She is cheerful and clear-headed, but looks like a train hit her. Black eyes, bruises all over, a smashed foot, broken arm and broken kneecap that looks terrible, but she is joyful and thankful to be alive, spared, and in many prayers.

Say NO to Doubts

Many years ago, our daughter was reading at the kitchen table. The book was something about the power of choice. She suddenly said, “It is about motivation. I could say I will not or was unable to do something, but if a gun was put to my head, I would do it.”

My memory could be wrong. She may have illustrated with a negative, something like, “If I said I could not stop eating ice cream, I could stop if there was a gun to my head.” Either way, she made a point that I remember. It is easy to say “I have no time to restart exercising every day” or “I can’t resist eating chocolate” but her statement reminds me that God has given choices. In my own strength, I may not have the will or the power to do what He asks, but today’s devotional takes me back to what my daughter said — I can choose:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

These were God’s people and given a choice between obedience to Him or to the gods in their world. They had a decision to make. The OT is full of warnings about the consequences of their choices. It is obvious as His people, they needed to make His will their priority and be blessed, but  disobedience would give them problems.

It is the same for NT believers. We are told to trust and obey, yet the trust part is easily smeared with doubt, especially if those OT benefits stop happening. When life hands me lemons, my faith may go sour. Part of that comes from thinking the “good life” comes from good behavior and like Job, we wonder why what happened when our comfort zone is violated. Did God forget me? Why did He stop blessing me? I easily assume obedience will feel good, yet Jesus was made perfect by suffering so why not me?

Sometimes I doubt because a voice in my head says I’m guilty but that voice is vague. I know the Holy Spirit is specific. I must remember that the devil will try to make me doubt with that accusation. However, God says this enemy is defeated:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11)

Whatever makes my faith waver, I can choose to say NO to it  — based on the Word of God. Like any sin, I do not have to give into it. If I’m thinking God does not love me, I can say, “Nonsense. Jesus died for me.” If I’m thinking God does not hear my prayers, I can say, “Jesus says He does so am I willing to call Him a liar?”
Whatever the doubt is about, there is a biblical answer that counters it. The answer may not be easily seen or seen at once, but if God said it and I’m doubting it, then I am accusing God of lying — not very wise of me!

The nature of faith a renewal of choice. As a sinner, all I could choose was sin and was without knowledge or desire to be godly. Being ‘good’ was always fake goodness for beneath any action that seemed good was a selfish motive. My sin made me blind to my sin.

On the other hand, the gift of faith includes the ability to see and choose His way. It is sometimes easy, somethings very difficult, depending on the challenge to my comfort, or the work required, or other plans I might have, or if doubts are present. Does God really know what is best for me? Does His way work? Will it turn out for good?

A big part of faith is knowing God well and rightly. Reading His word is the way to know Him yet many times the Bible is read to prove a point, to affirm an idea, to refute or accuse the ideas of others. Wrong motives raise doubts rather than getting rid of them.

PRAY: Jesus, saying NO to doubt might seem too easy, yet I know that without You, I would always be selfishly choosing what I think would make me feel good. Besides that, You often remind me that great things happened because You choose to say, “Not my will but thine be done.” I’m learning, slowly as usual but learning, to choose to say NO to doubt and a few other things that try to hold me in their grip. Thank You for the power of choice.