Confident Assurance

Bridges starts off by asking us, "How can I know that I have eternal life, that I have indeed come into a right relationship with God?

In the Scriptures, it shows us three means by which God assures us that we do have eternal life:

1. The promise of His word
2. The witness of the Spirit in our hearts
3. The transforming work of the Spirit in our lives

Here are a few invitations and promises:

• Isaiah 55:1 - Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
• Revelation 22:17 - The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
• Romans 10:13 - Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
• John 6:37 - All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

One thing we must do is constantly examine ourselves. We should never be afraid to examine ourselves either. But when doubts do arise, the solution is not to try harder to prove to ourselves that we are believers. The solution is to flee to the cross and to the righteousness of Christ.

The work of the Spirit within us is as much a gift of God's grace as is our justification and adoption as sons. But whereas justification and adoption are instantaneous and complete at once, our growth in Christlikeness is a lifelong process. Knowing that, we should never look solely to our love and obedience for our assurance of salvation. At most they can demonstrate our salvation, never proving it. Ultimately our assurance must rest on the gospel and on the fact that God has said that all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1 John 3:19 - 24

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; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.