Confidence: Assurance

Intro

Boldness in the Proclamation of the Gospel

Assurance of Christ’s Work on the cross

Resolve to stand firm for the truth

Keep trusting in God

We continue our series on Confidence and just as a reminder, let’s go through BARK.

Boldness in the Proclamation of the Gospel

Assurance of Christ’s Work on the cross

Resolve to stand firm for the truth

Keep trusting in God

If you have ever owned a home, then you will know that there is a lot of maintenance that needs to be done in order to keep everything in working condition. But one thing for sure that you would want is for that home to have been built properly and completed. No one would purchase a home to live in that had no walls, for example. Neither would anyone be content in today’s age to buy a home that does not have any restrooms. Could you imagine a builder selling you a home in which there were no doors, and the only method to get into the house was through a window!?

No, you want it to be complete and to serve its purpose. If not, you will not be fully confident that this house will meet your needs. Nor will you be confident that there were any other areas that they had neglected. Perhaps, you have an attic, but no means to get up there. Or a closet, but no doors to get into it. You wouldn’t be pleased with living in this place, nor would you be confident in the builders intelligence of what a house should be like.

They had built something to serve a purpose, but it never actually meets its intended design. It’s like a window you cant see through or a door that doesn’t swing or a chair you cannot sit on or a knife that does not cut.

It is ridiculous and although their is a finished product, it really is not a product at all. It is useless. Meaningless. A waste of space.

John Owen, commenting in his debate “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ” speaks to how the death of Christ was purposeful. He put a strong challenge against Arminianism and touches on Universalism when he wrote that the death of Christ on the cross fulfilled it’s desired end. Christ did not just die on the cross to provide a way, in hopes that possibly someone would be saved. With the hope that maybe someone will believe. No he died on the cross and effectively saved all those whom the Father had elected for salvation. As Paul said it in “3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world”

“5 having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will” “11 in whom also we were chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.”

God chose, He predestined, before the foundations of the world the elect. And so the question we may be thinking about in terms of Christs work is this, “Did it actually meet its intended purpose and if so, how does that bring us confidence?”

Body

But to answer that, we need to know what was the purpose for which Christ came?

Sent by the Father.

“If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I cam from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me.”

14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

4But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

So Christ came, having been sent by the Father to do the will of the Father. And what was that intended purpose?

Well, we see that most clearly in , He sent the Son to save us. Eternally, from the beginning God had purposed to provide a mediator with which to save us. It was not that God had to pivot when Adam sinned and so God is just reacting and had to spend 6,000 years trying to figure out how to save man and landed on Jesus. Before the foundations of the world, God had planned this.

We will look to what Christ has done and what that means for us. We will also look at what that looked like in practice by looking to the life of the disciples.

And so, did Jesus accomplish this plan? Well, this where many for some reason have issue and difficulty with. We only have three options:

Christ died for no ones sins and no one is saved. (Belief of all non-Christians)

This is folly and goes against God’s revealed word and against truth. If Christ died for no one then He was just a lunatic and nothing matters. We are dead in our sins and therefore have no hope.

Christ died for the all and all are saved. (Universalists)

We know this to not be the case. All throughout we read of those who will be forever in Heaven or forever in Hell. So we know that that was not the purpose or meaning in sending the Son, nor the will of God.

And if that were the case, then that means the God failed. to meet the desired end that He had intended.

Christ died for the sins of all and many, not all, are saved (Arminian)

This would mean that Christ died on the cross for the sins of everyone and God is waiting and hoping that people will be saved. Sometimes you will hear this being taught as come and choose God. Or choose Jesus or make a decision for Christ. God is a gentleman waiting for you to respond to your call or that he is knocking on the door of your heart and waiting for you to respond.

What is wrong with this? Well, for one it means that God intended nothing. That there is no benefit to any immediately by Christ’s death. It also removes the power from God and puts it into man’s hands. God is waiting on me, I will do what I want, when I want.

I…am…God.

Worse it has a logical inconsistency. If Christ died for the sins of all, then all should be saved. But they may argue, no because in order to receive it you must believe. And there we see the crux of it. The crack in the armor. The question that needs to be raised is this, “is unbelief a sin?” If they say no, then you have a really big problem there.

"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:36 LEB

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life—but the wrath of God remains on him.

So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

But if they say rightly and in accordance with God’s Word that unbelief is a sin, then you have an altogether different problem. The Arminian will say that Christ died for the sins of all people, but only those who believe will be saved. Did you catch it? If unbelief is a sin, then it doesn’t matter if you believe or not. Because Christ died for all the sins, including unbelief. So you are left with a Universalist stance.

3. Christ died for the sins of many and many are saved (Calvinist and Molinists)

And this is the Biblical position.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9

27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment — 28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 10

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Isaiah 53:11–12 HCSB

He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

And this is a beautiful thing. It gives us confidence. Why? Because we know that God’s intended end, through the means of His son was effective. It met its intended goal. Our salvation.

We who are in Christ have no fear in this world, because we know that Christ’s work was accomplished on the cross. And what did it accomplish? I want to just look at three things it accomplished and how they each bring us confidence in this life for eternity.

We have the free gift of salvation.

We did not have to work or earn it.

We cannot lose it and it cannot be nulliifed

Eph 2

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 2

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

sds

This is good, because if it were up to me to gain salvation, I would very quickly lose it. So I can be confident before God that Jesus has bore my sins and that I am saved, in spite of what I have done, all because of what Christ has done. I have confidence into eternity, because I am sustained by God and not myself.

2. We have peace with God

We have peace with God

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

“. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”

Heb 10

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.”

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 10

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh ), 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

This is also good because I deserved to bear the wrath of God. But by His grace, I am saved. I have peace with Him, not only to have peace with God, but to abide in His peace and have peace myself no matter what happens in this life.

Phil 4

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

He is with me and that brings peace and a confidence knowing that no matter what may come, God is with me.

3. We have a God who cares for us

He did not just save us and then leave us alone. He is the good shepherd who cares for His sheep as we read in .

He also provides for us.  And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

ss

33 But seek first the kingdom of God w and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

“ I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 28

I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

We will look to what Christ has done and what that means for us. We will also look at what that looked like in practice by looking to the life of the disciples.

Conclusion

No, God did not create a house with no doors. His plan met its intended end. And Christ’s work on the cross and in our lives was not for nothing. It was good. And it brings us confidence in this life and into eternity. Hold fast to the Gospel and let yourself be reminded of all that God has done for you. Meditate on His goodness and His blessings in your life. But first and foremost, think on Christ and the perfect work He accomplished on the cross in bringing sinners to the Father. In being our perfect mediator and bringing redemption to us. He is good and for that, we can have assurance in Christ’s work, not wondering if our salvation stuck. We will not have to worry about whether or not Christ died for some sins, but we need to pay off some remaining debt. It was complete and whole. It brings us confidence in this life and into eternity.