Barb had a great check-up at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota last week. The liver is doing great! There is no further sign of cancer! She is doing real well and, through her physical theropy, she is growing stronger every day. Now to today's Bible Insight:
Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790's after another defeat in his 10-year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: "Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might." (sermonillustrations.com; from Our Daily Bread, June 16, 1989)
Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790's after another defeat in his 10-year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: "Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might." (sermonillustrations.com; from Our Daily Bread, June 16, 1989)
"Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might!" In other words, don't quit! Don't give up! Live by faith, and Jesus will see you through. Live by faith, and you will persevere! Jesus will see to it. When you have saving faith, it proves itself true by your daily walk of faith. When you have saving faith, you will persevere to the end. Your ultimate destination is heaven and eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is forever!
The doctrine of eternal security, or perseverance of the saints, is the Spirit-guaranteed fact that salvation is forever. The assurance of salvation is the Spirit-produced confidence that you truly do have eternal salvation. The doctrine of eternal security is objective truth that we can know. The assurance of salvation is subjective truth that we can experience.
Both the Old and New Testament mention assurance of salvation often. Just to mention a few:
"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27)
"The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." (Isa. 32:17)
"That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:2-3)
"For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance." (1 Thess. 1:5a)
"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end." (Heb. 6:11)
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22)
"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13)
That raises a crucial question: Why do many Christians lack assurance of salvation? The answer is complex in some respects, yet quite simple. Many have simply been taught wrong and misled. They sit under preaching that hammers home the high standard of righteousness and points out how far short they fall because of their sin, yet without any word about the comfort of Christ given to those under grace. They are left to suffer under the heavy burden of their sin, without being given the hope and comfort of God’s grace. And it is God's grace that produces genuine assurance.
Others feel they are too sinful to be saved. They believe that they are so far removed from God because of their sin that there is no hope of ever bridging the gap and making it back to God. Again, they are misled into believing they must earn their way to heaven through good works. They are right in one thing—they can't earn their way back to God. Good works won't save you. The grace of God saves you, and the grace of God gives assurance of salvation.
Some have a wrong understanding of forgiveness. They think that when they trusted Christ for salvation, only their past sins were forgiven. They believe they lose their salvation every time they sin in the present and future, requiring confession of sin and receiving Christ all over again. They lack a full understanding of how forgiveness at the cross works.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). "All sin!" Past, present, and future. "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18a, NASB). Our assurance of salvation comes from a proper understanding of how forgiveness at the cross is total and complete—once for all!
Some allow testing and trials to shake their confidence and cause them to question their salvation. But trials test your faith for the express purpose of proving your faith and strengthening your assurance of salvation. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Some simply are not walking daily with Jesus. They are not living every day by faith, and so fail to walk in the Spirit, hindering the Spirit's work in their life. Part of the Spirit's ministry in our life is to assure us of our salvation. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom. 8:16). But we are unable to hear Him when we are out of fellowship with Christ.
If you want to experience the joy of assurance, you must live and walk in the Spirit. "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). "Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22). When you walk in the Spirit and live by the Word, the Holy Spirit within you will assure your heart that you belong to Jesus, and you will experience the full assurance of salvation that you so long for.
When you lack assurance of salvation, you fall easy prey to temptation and the deception of false prophets and false teachers, who seek to devour you. Remember, God has given all believers His many "great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4). God has also given all believers "everything pertaining to life and godliness" (v. 3). So it is "for this very reason" (v. 5a) that they must apply maximum effort, "giving all diligence" (v. 5a) toward living for Christ, toward living the Spirit-filled life.
Philippians 2:12-13 says, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Salvation is a gift from God by His grace, but we are required to work out our salvation by "giving all diligence" (2 Peter 1:5a) to living the Christian life.
"Giving" (v. 5a), in the original Greek, means "to bring in" or "to supply besides," and implies making a strong effort to provide something necessary (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers, Chicago Illinois, 2005], 38). God provides salvation and all the spiritual resources needed to live the Spirit-filled life. Believers are to call on those spiritual resources with "all diligence" (v. 5a) to live godly lives. Alongside what Christ has provided, believers are to "add to your faith virtue" (v. 5b)—all virtues needed to maintain the assurance of salvation. Luke says, "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20b).
Peter instructs us to "add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (vs. 5b-7).
First add "virtue" (v. 5b), or "moral excellence" (NASB). This is the distinctive word in classical Greek for virtue. It was such a lofty term that it was used for moral heroism, viewed as the divinely endowed ability to excel in heroic, courageous deeds. It came to encompass the most outstanding quality in someone's life, or the proper and excellent fulfillment of a task or duty (Ibid, 40). Paul demonstrated the pursuit of such spiritual heroism when he said: "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).
Next add "knowledge" (v. 5c). "Knowledge" is at the heart of moral excellence. Knowledge refers to the divine truth that is the foundation of spiritual discernment and wisdom, the truth properly understood and applied. It is having your mind enlightened about the truth of Scripture. It involves diligent study and meditation on Scripture, to acquire "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16). (Ibid)
Flowing out of knowledge is "self-control" (2 Peter 1:6a). "Self-control" literally means "holding oneself in." It was used of athletes who sought self-discipline and self-restraint, even beating their bodies into submission. They would also abstain from rich foods, wine, and sexual activity to focus all their strength and attention on their training regimen. False theology (such as that taught by the heretics of Peter's day) inevitably separates faith from conduct because it cannot deliver the soul from the harmful effects of sin and forces its followers to battle for self-control on their own. (Ibid)
A fourth essential virtue to pursue is "perseverance" (v. 6b). "Perseverance" means having patience and endurance in doing what is right. It means resisting temptation, while enduring trials and difficulties. (Ibid)
"Perseverance" is a difficult term to translate into English. It is uncommon in classical Greek, but the New Testament uses the word frequently to refer to "remaining strong in unwelcome toil and hardship, the kind that can make life extremely difficult, painful, grievous, and shocking—even to the point of death." (Ibid, 41)
At the heart of spiritual pursuit is "godliness" (v. 6c). In the Greek, "godliness" means reverence for God. It could also be translated "true religion," or "true worship," and conveys the idea that one who has it properly honors and adores God. (Ibid)
In Greek thought, "godliness" encompassed all the rituals related to worship and loyalty given to the pagan gods—respect toward all that is divine. The early Christians sanctified the Greek definitions of the word and directed them at the one true God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Ibid)
Now, Peter turns from our vertical relationship with God to our horizontal relationships with one another. Godliness, or reverence for God, leads to "brotherly kindness" (v. 7a). John MacArthur points out: "The companion of affection for God is affection for others" (Ibid).
One day, the religious leaders came to Jesus: "Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to him, '"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'" (Matt. 22:35-40)
In our devotion to one another, brotherly kindness leads to the highest virtue of "love" (v. 7b). Our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is inseparable from and, in fact, flows out of our love for God. "But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another" (1 Thess. 4:9). This is agapē love—that sacrificial, selfless love that comes from God and flows through us. Amen.
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