3 Questions of Assurance

What are we to say about these Things?

Romans 8:31–39 CSB

What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Homilectical Idea: When we love God He works all things together

Intro:

Romans 8:28 CSB

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Those who love God- The Greatest commandment “Love the Lord your God” god is after our hearts

He could have made any rules for His creation, but the first is to “Love the Lord with all your Heart” Deut 6:4-5

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

When God has our heart and our love then we walk in complete trust and obedience to Him and we experience all of His goodness and all of His blessing

Deuteronomy 28:1 CSB

“Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all his commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth.

Jesus says it in John 15- If you love me you will keep my commandments, and this leads to a Fruitful life.

God has given us every reason to have complete assurance of our salvation, and has shown that He is for us.

We know that he it the God that, “works all this together for the good of those who love” Him and “are called to His purpose.” - the evidence is the cross

Our assurance is seen in the display of God love for us. God is for. God has redeemed us, and God’s love is with us.

God’s purpose for us is salvation.

There are three question that we all must asks ourselves when we doubt our assurance in God.

Will oppositions from Satan or even people be too great?

What can stand in the way of God’s purpose for us?

God’s promises are yes and amen. Verse 32- God didn’t even spare His own Son, but gave Him for us. When was Christ given? While we were still sinners (Romans 5:8)

Romans 5:8 CSB

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Three can be no question of god being for us, when we look to the cross and see that God loved us when we were fallen and in sin- which is the very reason why Christ came

We face opposition yet God has given given us His promise that we are more then conquerors. Joshua 1:2-6

Joshua 1:2–6 CSB

“Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance.

God’s had given the Land to the People. He promised it to Abraham- He promised His presence to be with Joshua, but Joshua still had to take the land. Opposition stood before Joshua, but so did the promise of God- “to the land I am giving the Israelites” John 1:2

Even though we face opposition, we have assurance that God is with us, and He is for us, working all things together for our God. It began at the cross and it continues everyday of our lives.

Will we fail because of our sinful nature?

The only thing that keeps the promises of God from us is ourselves. When we walking in faith and obedience we experience God’s blessing in our lives. Even in difficulties God is working for us as we walk in obedience.

Joshua had been to the land twice and only was able to enter into God’s promise the second time Numbers 13:30-31

Numbers 13:30–31 CSB

Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “Let’s go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!” But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are!”

Numbers 14:8–10 CSB

If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

Their disobedience disqualified them from the promises of God.

Romans 8:33–34 CSB

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

God has justified us and nothing can condemn us nor keep us from Him. When we walk with God we can say with assurance “who can condemn me?” What can keep me from God’s promise. There is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus

will difficulties overcome us?

Trust in God leads us to victory.

We are more then Conquerors in every situation

Paul is writing to people who would face some of the worst persecution, which Paul himself had already experienced.

Paul even faced death by stoning yet even in that He was more then Conqueror Acts 14:19-23

Acts 14:19–23 CSB

Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

No difficulty can overcome us.

Proverbs 3:5–6 CSB

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

Trust and obedience leads to obstacles being removed

Paul’s list of situation: “In all these things” (Trial and Hardships)- The things Paul has already experienced- And what the Roman church would soon experience - Instead of being Separated from Christ, we are conquerors In Christ.

2 Chronicles 16:9 CSB

For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”

God still shows Himself strong

Conclusion:

It is all based off of our relationship with Christ. These are promises of assurance to those who are in Christ Jesus

David writes

Psalm 23 CSB

A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

The base of this is His assurance of Who God is.

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Assurance Is Assurance about God

“Christian assurance is essentially assurance about God. It does not focus upon man or upon anything which man can devise. It exists only in the heart and mind of a person who has been grasped by God and has turned to Him in trust and love … assurance gives a man poise in the midst of a troubled world, though it does not give him cut and dried solutions of life’s problems”