Assurance
of Salvation - #3
Introduction
– The worship of the church and the lifestyles of so-called
Christians evidence just what those who teach against the doctrine of assurance
were afraid of. Our worship is trite,
silly, and man-centered. Our lifestyles
mimic the world, even if we go a little slower. All because ‘once-saved, always-saved’. What we are missing is an understanding of the fear of God; a
fear that flows from true assurance. We
are not simply missing an understanding.
If there is going to be a true reformation, we must repent of our lack
of fear.
Reconciling the Two
– While assurance of salvation produces a rest in the
finished work of Christ, it does not produce a presumptuous rest. True assurance produces a rest coupled with
a godly fear. Remember again the story
of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14). Who had true assurance?
Who had false assurance? Who
exhibited godly fear?
It is certainly true that perfect love casts out fear (1
John 4:18), that is, a fear of condemnation.
But there is another kind of fear.
This godly fear does not take away from assurance, but rather goes along
with assurance.
The Character of Godly Fear – Bunyan says “I
take this grace of fear to be that which softens the heart, and which makes it
stand in awe of both the mercies and judgments of God.”
It is a Grace – “…let us have
grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (Heb 12:28). It is the fruit of God’s love upon His people (Jer
32:38-40). This kind of fear is not in
opposition to your assurance, rather it strengthens your assurance. There is no way that you would have this
kind of fear unless God had changed your heart (Rom 3:9-18)
It is the
Beginning of Knowledge (Prov 1:7) - Godly fear begets
knowledge, and motivates the new believer to know God even more. He seeks to work out his salvation not only
with fear and trembling, but because he is afraid and trembling.
The Fear of the
Lord is to Hate Evil (Prov 16:6) – It is not simply our
thankfulness to God that instills obedience.
The character of godly fear is to hate sin. At the same time, this fear is called a ‘fountain of life’ (Prov
14:27) for it causes us to constantly contemplate the holiness of God. How much do you think about something you
are afraid of when you know it is right in your midst?
The Effects of Godly Fear – When this
gift is given to a man, godly fear produces wonderful results.
Devout
Reverence –
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints” (Psalm 89:7). Our worship will emphasize piety and sincerity, not entertainment
and triteness. This will also affect
how we approach the Word of God (“Princes persecute me without a cause, but
my heart stands in awe of Your Word” - Ps 119:161). It will produce a great zeal for the glory
of God over everything else. It will
produce in us perseverance in prayer and acts of charity (“Cornelius…a
devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms
generously to the people, and prayed to God always” - Acts 10:2).
Watchfulness – “I said ‘I will
guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue’” (Psalm 39:1). The one who fears the Lord is careful not to
despise the work of grace.
Holiness in
Your Vocation (Neh
5:15) –
Godly fear produces honesty, hard work, lawful treatment of others, and a sense
of doing everything unto the Lord.
Uncompromising
Righteousness –
Daniel in the lion’s den. David before
Goliath. Paul before the Jews. All of these stories of great faith can be
traced as well to their fear of God.
Fear and faith go together “…the people feared the Lord, and they
believed in the Lord” (Ex 14:31). “To
fear the Lord is to tremble at the awareness of what a terrible insult it is to
a holy God if we do not have faith in His future grace after all the signs and
wonders he has performed…It’s this faith in future grace that channels the
power of God into obedience.” (John Piper)
Humility &
Hope – “Do
not be haughty, but fear” (Rom 11:20).
There is no place for pride of any kind for those who fear the
Lord. But this is not a pity-party
either. True godly fear rejoices in the
mercy of God (“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who
hope in His mercy” - Psalm 147:11).
Assurance and Fear
- Assurance without fear is pride, fear without assurance is
despair; both joined together add sure confidence with deep humility to the
mind. Thus the believer fears on
account of sin, rejoices on account of grace, fears on account of his own
infirmity and threatening dangers and anxiously uses all the means that he may
not slip into carnal security. Still he
rejoices with confidence in the divine aid promised to him that he may not rush
into despair. We can “serve the Lord
with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11) knowing that no one can
bring a charge against the Lord’s elect.
If you have a godly fear,
cultivate it deeply, for it will only strengthen your assurance and therefore
your joy and hope. If you do not fear
God, you have much to fear. Your
assurance is false and your presumption and casualness towards the things of
God will be your destruction. Cry out
for the gift of godly fear.