Are doubt and fears the lot of all believers in this life? To doubt the work of God's Spirit in us is sinful,but every Christian deals with remaining sin and corruption until the end of their earthly course.Thus there will be struggles with doubt,fear and even accurate assessing the true state of their standing before the Lord at times.The degree and frequency will differ with the individual due to a number of various factors-p.61"The assurance that God's people have of their state of grace is not so high and full that it excludes all doubt,for there is nothing perfect in us this life...".One of the reasons why no believer is immune from all doubt(and it will affect their assurance at times)is because it-"is grievously assaulted by Satan...and by the unbelief of our own hearts."
What is the importance of having assurance of our salvation? 'Assurance breeds spiritual strength'.Fear and doubt foster timidity and can cripple some at times from any usefulness.Strong assurance encourages the believer to godly living,strength and vigor in duties and boldness to bring the Gospel to those in need.-Assurance is the-"pillar and anchor of the soul","...by strong and customary acts of believing in Christ and patiently waiting,we come at last to be assured." Assurance will help one to remain steady,to press on 'to be strong in the Lord' and the power of His might amidst the fierce winds of trial,that this life brings at times-p.199 "There is no stronger wall to repel the devil's darts than the testimony and knowledge of the truth and knowledge of grace in our hearts." There are many obstacles to assurance.Doubts and fears are two of the most significant obstacles.Carelessness is also an obstacle.2Peter1:10a '...give diligence to make your calling and election sure...'. One great help to assurance is to be tender and watchful towards all known sin-"sin separates the soul from God and causes a great gulf between them."
While faith and assurance are not the same thing,there is a close connection between them.When faith is strong it weakens and removes doubt,sometimes completely for a season.When faith is weak or unsteady,then doubt and fear will gain strength and seek to overcome the saint of God,so much so that they wind up in John Bunyan's 'Doubting Castle' and battle with the 'Giant Despair'(from Bunyans' allegory of the Christian life 'A Pilgrim's Progress).
The Puritan's preached and wrote frequently on 'The Nature Of True And False Conversion'.Though Burgess's 'Spiritual Refining'(Faith Seeking Assurance is an abridged version of that work) is one of the great works on 'Assurance of Salvation', there is an intimate connection between these two things.One of the ways a person comes to a Biblically grounded assurance of faith is by being able to discern 'The Mark's Of God's Children' in their lives.Some lack assurance because they mistake some of their weakness and frailty for a lack of sincerity,or they don't have an adequate understanding of 'The Mark's Of Grace'.A book,such as this,which clearly distinguishes these things,might help to clarify for some,who lack or struggle with assurance, that they have been reconciled to God.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016
