Redeemer Equips: 1689 Chapters 18-19 Assurance and Obedience

Welcome & Prayer (1–2 min)

Pray:

On a scale of 1–10, how confident are you in your assurance of salvation on any given day? Why does it fluctuate? Today we cover two connected truths from the 1689 Confession—assurance (can we really know we're saved?) and the law (does God's law still matter for Christians?). These chapters should encourage believers: assurance brings joy and holiness, while the moral law guides grateful obedience under grace. Again, like most of the doctrines we have looked a so far, these are closely related and one elevates the other. I think as pastors, one of the bigger questions we often get asked, is “how can I know that I am saved?” If we aren’t careful we can oversimplify that answer to the point that it becomes unhelpful, but on the other hand, we can overcomplicate it to the point that it is also unhelpful. So, my hope is that by the end of this, we can walk away with some middle ground knowledge of this issue and these two chapters will help us with that. So, let’s start with chapter 18.

Chapter 18: The Assurance of Grace and Salvation (15 minutes)

Temporary believers and other unregenerate people may deceive themselves in vain with false hopes and fleshly presumptions that they have God’s favor and salvation, but their hope will perish. Yet those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love Him sincerely, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may be certainly assured in this life that they are in a state of grace. They may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and this hope will never make them ashamed. This certainty is not merely an inconclusive or likely persuasion based on a fallible hope. It is an infallible assurance of faith4 founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the gospel. It is also built on the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit about which promises are made. It is further based on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. As a fruit of this assurance, our hearts are kept both humble and holy. This infallible assurance is not such an essential part of faith that it is always fully experienced alongside faith, but true believers may wait a long time and struggle with many difficulties before obtaining it. Yet with the enabling of the Spirit to know the things freely given to them by God, they may attain this assurance using ordinary means appropriately without any extraordinary revelation. Therefore, it is the duty of all to be as diligent as possible to make their calling and election sure. In this way their hearts may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. These effects are the natural fruits of this assurance. Thus, it does not at all encourage believers to be negligent. True believers may in various ways have the assurance of their salvation shaken, decreased, or temporarily lost. This may happen because they neglect to preserve it or fall into some specific sin that wounds their conscience and grieves the Spirit. It may happen through some unexpected or forceful temptation or when God withdraws the light of His face and allows even those who fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light. Yet they are never completely lacking the seed of God, the life of faith, love of Christ and the brethren, sincerity of heart, or conscience concerning their duty. Out of these graces, through the work of the Spirit, this assurance may at the proper time be revived. In the meantime, they are kept from utter despair through them.

Main Teaching Points & Discussion (10 min):

Here is the thing about assurance: True believers can have real, comforting assurance, but that assurance wavers and it is not an automatic response or feeling that we get in difficult times. None the less, God preserves His people. That is the more important truth that we cling to. I think it would be good to evaluate what true assurance and false assurance both look like.

False assurance: False assurance is always temporary deception. What I mean by that, is that we are prone to deceive ourselves in issues of salvation. We look for ways to prop ourselves up. We do good things, we go to church every Sunday, we go to every prayer meeting, we go to every class, every event, or whatever else there is and we think to ourselves, “Man, I am good!” Not only do we want others to see how good we are, we also brag about these things to God, as if He doesn’t know our hearts already. These are temporary, deceptive, assurances of salvation. Every time I mess up, and begin to doubt myself and doubt God’s love for me, I run out and do something good to prop my self back up. It’s a false hope, built on false works, for a false salvation. It is assurance according to my works. It is always temporary and fades overtime and some even walk completely away from God. Some, unfortunately die in their deception. Matthew 7:22–23 is important to remember here. “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

True Assurance: True assurance on the other hand comes to true believers who love Christ and live a life of good conscious before Him. But here is the thing about assurance, we tend to treat it as a magical feeling, or voice from heaven assuring us of our salvation. Some even go so far as to base their assurance off physical blessings in this life. “Well I have a great job, family, wealthy, etc., so I must be in God’s favor.” But these are what we would call fallible hopes. They are fallible because they aren't necessarily true and they tend to lead us into that deceptive false assurance. True assurance is based on the infallible truth and promises of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone, the inward work of the Spirit working within us, and the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are truly the children of God. We see this in passages like Galatians 4:1-7 and Romans 8:15-16. Write down these passage and read them later on, meditate on it, pray through it, memorize it.

The ordinary means of assurance: In other words how do we grow in our assurance? Assurance is attainable through ordinary means (prayer, Scripture, obedience)—not requiring special revelation (para. 3). What is meant here is captured in that first line of paragraph three, “assurance is not an essential part of faith that it is always fully experienced alongside faith.” Essentially, faith is not the measuring stick, or standard, of true assurance. Someone may have great faith, yet struggle with sin for a long time, and therefore also struggle with their assurance. But, in a similar fashion as faith, we can build both through the ordinary means of grace: prayer, community, Scripture, and obedience. 2 Peter 1:10 reminds us, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” What are these qualities that Peter refers to? Look up a few verses in 5-7. 2 Peter 1:5–7 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” If we are diligent in making sure these qualities are known through us, we can be sure of our calling and election, our assurance. But what about when we fall into some sort of sin?

Shaken but not forgotten: Because of sin and temptation, we might find ourselves at times feeling less like a child of God and more like a child of Satan. But we are never without the “seed of God, the life of faith, love of Christ and the brethren, sincerity of heart, or conscience concerning their duty. (Paragraph 4)” When we fail to preserve our faith and assurance we tend to fall into all kinds of mess in life. This inevitably creates the deception that we must not belong to God truly. But that is not true, because God has promised, once we are His, we are forever His; God cannot break His promises. Assurance is a gift for encouragement and zeal, rooted in Christ-not perfection.

Quick group discussion: Share examples of times assurance felt strong or weak. How does the Confession comfort us here?

Chapter 19: The Law of God (15 minutes)

God gave Adam a law of comprehensive obedience written in his heart and a specific precept not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By these God obligated him and all his descendants to personal, total, exact and perpetual obedience. God promised life if Adam fulfilled it and threatened death if he broke it, and He gave Adam the power and ability to keep it. The same law that was first written in the human heart continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall. It was delivered by God on Mount Sinai in ten commandments and was written in two tables. The first four commandments contain our duty to God and the other six our duty to humanity. In addition to this law—usually called the moral law—God was pleased to give the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typological ordinances. In some ways these concerned worship, by prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits. In other ways they revealed various instructions about moral duties. Since all of these ceremonial laws were appointed only until the new order arrived, they are now abolished and taken away by Jesus Christ. As the true Messiah and the only lawgiver, He was empowered by the Father to do this. To Israel He also gave various judicial laws, which ceased at the same time their nation ended. These laws no longer obligate anyone as part of that institution. Only their general principles of justice continue to have moral value. The moral law forever requires obedience of everyone, both those who are justified as well as others. This obligation arises not only because of its content but also because of the authority of God the Creator who gave it. Nor does Christ in any way dissolve this obligation in the gospel; instead, He greatly strengthens it. True believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be justified or condemned by it. Yet it is very useful to them and to others as a rule of life that informs them of the will of God and their duty. It directs and obligates them to live according to its precepts. It also exposes the sinful corruptions of their natures, hearts, and lives. As they examine themselves in light of the law, they come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred of sin, along with a clearer view of their need for Christ and the perfection of His obedience. The law is also useful to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions because it forbids sin. The punishment threatened by the law shows them what even their sins deserve and what troubles they may expect in this life due to their sin, even though they are freed from the curse and undiminished severity of it. The promises of the law likewise show them God’s approval of obedience and the blessings they may expect when they keep it, even though these blessings are not owed to them by the law as a covenant of works. If people do good and refrain from evil because the law encourages good and discourages evil, that does not indicate that they are under the law and not under grace. These uses of the law are not contrary to the grace of the gospel but are in sweet harmony with it, for the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the human will to do freely and cheerfully what the will of God as revealed in the law requires.

Main Teaching Points & Discussion (10 min):

For some, when we think of the law of God we think about all of the OT books that are filled laws and ordinances. For others, they may think specifically of the ten commandments. Still, some think of the law being every command in Scripture that we might be able to find. None of these views would necessarily be wrong, they are each aspects of the law of God found throughout Scripture. But we must remember that not every law given in the Old Testament was meant for every person, in every place, and in every time. If you was at the Wednesday night classes you might remember hearing some of this about the laws of God and the proper distinctions we must make. I am going to quickly describe the different types of laws and their use and then our focus will remain on the moral laws.

Moral law (summarized in the Ten Commandments)—reflecting God's eternal character, still binding on believers today as a rule of life and gratitude.

Ceremonial laws (sacrifices, feasts, etc.)—shadows fulfilled in Christ's perfect sacrifice.

Civil/judicial laws—given specifically for ancient Israel's theocratic nation, not binding in the same way today.

Now we will focus on the moral law because it is still binding on us today. But that doesn't mean we forget all of the other laws. The ceremonial laws, judicial laws, are considered ethnic laws and each of them served a purpose in directing and pointing the people of Israel forward. They kept them focused on the coming promised seed of the woman spoke of by God in Genesis 3:15. They can also still contain good and godly principles within them that help us to live in better and godlier ways. Now back to the moral law, or the ten commandments, that God gave to Moses on Sinai. These ten commandments can be split up themselves, the first half showing us how we are to relate to our God and the second half showing us how we are to relate to others. Another view people tend to have is that when the New Testament came, everything in the Old Testament was voided, and no longer useful. But, this isn’t true and Jesus himself says in Matthew 5:17–19 ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus did not come to do away with the law, rather Jesus came to strengthen the law. Paul at the end of Romans chapter 3 is answering an anticipated question from the converted Jews, who are arguing this very point, that if everything is according to faith, then what is the point of the law, why not just get rid of it? Paul answers, “By no means!!” Christ already said the law stands even today, and it is because of our faith in Christ alone for our justification, that we act on these laws in obedience. If the law is going to continue teaching us and pointing us to Christ, then it must continue to be upheld; this is Pauls whole point in answering the Jews in Romans. The moral law continues to be written on our hearts and upheld in the ten commandments. They teach us how to relate to God and others. Thats why Jesus can say that the entire law and prophets can be summed up in saying Love God and love people. Throughout this chapter we the threefold use of the law being discussed. There are three specific ways the law helps us today:

The law condemns: The law helps us to see our own sin. As we look at the laws of God in Scripture, we plainly see that we fall short of these laws every single day. When we fall short the Spirit convicts us of our falling short and we are able to repent and turn from that sin. So, the law is important in that it helps us to see our sin.

The law Restrains: We see this restraint in two ways. The first is in the restraint of the wicked. The moral law is written on our hearts, and therefore binding on all people. Think about the case of murder, even tribes who have never heard of God or read a single law, understand that murder is wrong. That is because God has written his law on all herts and it is universal, so that no man may be excused. The second way we see restraint is in those not yet regenerated. The law humbles us and points us to our need for a Savior and those who might come to Him do so under this conviction. People will never know they need a savior if they are only ever told they don’t really need a savior.

The law sanctifies: The third use of the law is in sanctification. The law, in revealing our sin to us, urges us on to sanctification. John Calvin says, “For it is the best instrument for enabling them daily to learn with greater truth and certainty what that will of the Lord is which they aspire to follow, and to confirm them in this knowledge; just as a servant who desires with all his soul to approve himself to his master, must still observe, and be careful to ascertain his master’s dispositions, that he may comport himself in accommodation to them.”

So, we see that the moral law is still binding today, Jesus did not come to abolish this law, but to strengthen it, and that law is useful in at least three ways to keep pointing us to Christ. The law is necessary. This might sound contradictive but we are also free from the law and this is important to remember. What I mean by being free from the law, is that we free from the slavery of the law, it is no longer hanging around our necks. Because Christ fulfills the law for us, we no longer have to keep the law in order to gain our justification, but it does remain for us as a rule of life. The law is binding, but not in the same way it was for ancient Israel. Through faith alone, in Christ alone, we have our justification before God and stand perfectly righteous before Him. The law continues to work in our favor by revealing our need for the perfect Savior, who is Jesus Christ.

Quick group discussion: How does viewing the law as a guide (not a curse) change your daily walk? Any misconceptions about "we're not under the law"?

Connection, Application & Close (5 minutes)

So, how do these two chapters fit together.

Bridge the Chapters (2 min): Assurance fuels joyful obedience to God's law; the law drives us back to Christ when we fail, strengthening assurance.

Personal Application (2 min): This week, meditate on one evidence of grace (Ch. 18) and one commandment as a loving rule (Ch. 19). Pray for revived assurance and thankful obedience.

Closing Prayer & Q&A (1 min): Pray, then open floor for brief questions if time allows.