Title: FULL ASSURANCE Post by: Brother Love on August 06, 2004, 05:08:13 AM FULL ASSURANCE
By Cornelius R. Stam It is wonderful to have the full assurance of salvation, and it is Gods will that every one of us enjoy this assur- ance. Toward the close of his life the Apostle John wrote by divine inspiration: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, THAT YE MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life..." (I John 5:13). There are three bases upon which believers in Christ may enjoy the full assurance of salvation: First, God urges every true believer: "Let us draw near, with a sincere heart, in FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH..." (Heb. 10:22). This is the full assurance that results from simply believing God; much as a child implicitly believes what his father has said and is absolutely sure that it is true. God says: "He that believeth on the Son hath ever- lasting life" (John 3:36). We may simply -- and with good reason -- believe His Word and enjoy the full assurance of faith. Second, we may enjoy what Heb. 6:11 calls "THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE." The hope of the Bible, however, must not be confused with wishing. The Christians "hope" is "an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast" (Ver. 19). It comes from having proved God. Thus the full assurance of hope is the confidence that results from having accepted Gods Word. But third, and best of all, is what Col. 2:2 calls "riches of THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING." This full assurance is Gods reward to Christians who study His Word and His purposes, beginning with His plan of salva- tion as revealed in "the gospel of the grace of God." When one not only believes Gods Word, but begins to understand it he cannot but be gripped by its sublime reasonableness, its powerful logic, and its provision for his deepest needs, and thus he comes to enjoy "all [the] riches of THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING." ========================================== To the Reader: Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface: "It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles." We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless. Reply: If you would like to ask a question or make a comment regarding the content of this article, please email berean@execpc.com Literature: One year's worth of Two Minutes With The Bible daily devotional articles are also available in book form, along with many other Bible study materials, in the Literature Corner section of our website at https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/literature. Subscribe: If this message has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, visit the Two Minutes page at http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html. |