Spurgeon on Assurance
"The Holy Spirit, who enabled me to believe, gave me peace through believing. I felt as sure that I was forgiven as before I felt sure of condemnation. I had been certain of my condemnation because the Word of God declared it, and my conscience bore witness to it, but when the Lord justified me, I was equally certain by the same witness. The Word of the Lord in scripture saith, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned," and my conscience bore witness that I believed, and that God in pardoning me was just. Thus I had the witness of the Holy Spirit and also my own conscience, and these two agreed in one."
Taken From C.H.Spurgeon Autobiography: Vol.1 "The Early Years" page 92
In this same paragraph Spurgeon goes on to put down the teachings of a certain Dr. Johnson who held to the idea that no man could have assurance of faith. Spurgeon said that such a man was no reliable judge of theology. He added that Dr. Johnson should have studied his Bible a little more, and have a little more enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, then he too would have come to know his own pardon.I whole heartedly agree!I am sick of these super-spiritual people, who claim to be Calvinist, running around Christendom claiming that no man can have assurance. What a lie!
Labels: Spurgeon on Assurance
posted by mark pierson at 6:37 AM
7 Comments:
I think this vesre says it all Mark.
Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ah, what a mercy it is that it is not YOUR hold
of Christ that saves you, but HIS hold of you!
March 25, 2008 7:03 AM
Well said, Cristina!
I'm going to be gone most of the day today in the ongoing, already 2 month long, quest to get my dad signed up for medicade. His savings is all gone now and we need the government to help pay his bills. Please pray.
Mark
March 25, 2008 7:15 AM
Mark,
Good point. John states directly that he wrote 1 John that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Reading 1 John will give all Christians assurance.
March 25, 2008 10:57 AM
Mark,
We will be praying.
Cristina
March 25, 2008 12:42 PM
I have assurance as I was in the palm of Christ's hand, the record of my sin debt nailed to the cross...
March 25, 2008 1:57 PM
As a new convert I have a confidence, but all the cobwebs in my mind weren't yet swept clean.
Also, I went from Catholicism, to Pentecostalism, and I was preached to that you can fall away, and become unsaved.
One needed to keep his faith through dilegent disciplines, especially church attendance.
But by the grace of God, and through "the witness of the Holy Spirit and also my own conscience", as the Pastor says here, I was able to have the "blessed assurance" all God's children can have.
Though, there are times when the flesh is extra weak, with the spirit willing, that I allow doubt to enter in. Not a damning doubt, but a doubt of His steadfast love I would think.
It's kind of hard to put my finger on this doubt really. I simply pray and ask the Father to fill me with His Spirit, and with His truth, and to help my unbelief, and He is faithful and always merciful.
"No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand."
March 25, 2008 2:10 PM
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March 26, 2008 4:35 AM
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