CHRISTIAN ASSURANCE If there is any area of danger in which Satan works, it is this one. It is my belief that far too many people simply trust in what they have been told or assume about God saving us. I can see the results of this everywhere in the lackadaisical complacent lack of efforts and assumptions of the modern believer comparing what most people believe with what Gods word says about His expectations. Friends, it is alarming and very scary to me as a bible reader and Christian for 55 years. Just as all, when I first came to Christ, by His grace, I knew nothing, then years later when I began to participate in church activities and got my first real bible. I remember well how I saw my ignorance of Gods word as I lay across our bed in that little garage apartment in Alexandria. I thought, little children know more than I do about this book than I do, but then remembered...that Chinese proverb which says, A journey of a 1000 miles begins with the first step. So I began to read, but nothing made much sense and it took years of reading, attending church services, moving from this church to that one, changing denominations, leaving no stone unturned in my pursuit of God and understanding. Learning is cumulative and over time you begin to assimilate the truth though shot through with much error and mistakes. The early part of my life and preaching, I was the traditional Arminian or the natural mans ideas about God. It took about eight years of blunders, mistakes, different denominations...many of them of the Pentecostal variety...but all Arminian, until one day an elderly lady, who we knew as Ma. Price, gave me a book to read that began to clear things up for me. It was Arthur Pinks, The Sovereignty of God [1919]...the unabridged edition...about 320 pages which is back in print from Sovereign Grace Publishers. That little book revolutionized the world of religion...but still only a few by comparison will embrace it as the truth. That is why there is so much hatred of Gods Sovereignty. That little book which is theological turned my world of beliefs upside down. But even then it took years for God to help me put it all together so that it made sense. Now I am an old man, soon to be gone, from this world. But do you know what, now, despite repeated failures [sin] I now know Christ and am assured that He is working in my life. Life has become a continual joy...every moment of every day despite the problems and the difficulties. And from what I see about the contemporary beliefs of the majority of religious people around me, there is very little Christianity at all...and, that extends to all denominations and most people who are only religious minded church members. [This is not a condemnation of anyone but an appeal to all of you who may have trusted in what some man said....rather than in the word of God says]. It would be wise and prudent of you all to get your assurance from God who never tells a lie because, He is the One who can tell the difference where it counts the most. [An assumption that you are saved is a terrible thing...when in fact, you may be as lost as the proverbial goose in a snowstorm.] May God help you to be sure and not deceived into thinking that you have something when you do not have it at all. One scripture in closing that has meant more to me than any other. Ye shall seek Me and find Me...[when, ye shall seek Me...with all your heart. ~Jeremiah 29:13~ May God be merciful to and help you to learn the difference.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 10:38:58 +0000
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