Witness in the Word · Module 5 — What It Means to Actually Cross Over
Class 22 – Assurance That Is Real
Source: The Almost Christian, Chapter Sixteen
Assurance is often claimed, but not always established. Scripture does not leave assurance to feeling or assumption. It defines where assurance comes from and what it is built upon.
Real assurance is not produced by repeating statements about oneself. It is grounded in what has actually taken place. If the condition has not changed, then assurance cannot be real, no matter how strongly it is expressed.
There is also a difference between assurance and presumption. Assurance is built on what is true. Presumption is built on what is assumed. The Almost Christian often confuses the two.
There is also the issue of emotional assurance. Feelings can accompany assurance, but they cannot establish it. When assurance is tied to feeling, it becomes unstable.
Real assurance is not dependent on emotion. It is rooted in what has taken place. The Almost Christian must move from assumed assurance to established assurance—not by increasing confidence, but by ensuring that the foundation is correct.
Summary
This chapter defines real assurance. It shows that confidence must be grounded in transformation, not assumption. Assurance is not established by what a person says, feels, or believes about himself, but by what has actually taken place. Where there is no change, assurance cannot be real.
For Reflection
Read: 1 John 5:13; 2 Peter 1:10
1. What is the difference between assurance built on a memory and assurance built on a present, ongoing relationship?
2. Do you have real assurance, or hopeful assumption? How can you tell the difference in your own life?
3. What would it take for you to "make your calling and election sure," as Scripture commands?
This Week: Do not assume — examine. Spend focused time this week testing your own assurance against Scripture rather than against a memory or a feeling.