God Repeats Himself...

Last night at devotions, we read from John Piper's A Godward Life how to have assurance of your salvation. In our short discussion, Daddy brought out the fact that if you see Christ's work on the cross as glorious, if you find it breathtaking -- apart from what it does for you -- that is an assurance that you are saved. It takes looking at Him, instead of engaging in agonizing self-introspection; and it takes a work of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart in this way. (I think that sometimes we don't see Him as glorious because we aren't actually looking at Him. We're looking at some lesser idea of Him.) The real Jesus in all His splendor shines in the Gospels and all through the Bible. We need to keep going back to that clear picture and letting the Holy Spirit illuminate the truth of the Beauty of Christ above all things.

Well, today I was listening to a Piper sermon from a completely different series, but he was talking about exactly the same subject. So I really perked my ears up because I knew it had to be important. He referred to Hebrews 10:14 "For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." (The same verse we read last night.) He said that another assurance that you are saved from His wrath (perfected for all time, or justified) is that you are indeed being sanctified. "Being sanctified" -- in the present tense. He said it's not about how good you are right now. It's about: Do you see your sin and hate it? And are you on a trajectory of doing better, by faith in future grace? (Piper said that we fumble and stumble our way toward right.) That is your assurance.

Every time God shows you another area where you are full of sin and you are repulsed by it, and by faith you beg Him to change it... that is a sign you are His. And when you look back and can see the work He has done -- humbled you by failure, made you patient by trials and setbacks.... (hmmm... sanctification doesn't sound like much fun, does it?) -- that is your assurance that you are included in His Promises. When you can see that you have increased in self-control or been willing to step outside your comfort zone to talk to a stranger for His sake... rejoice!! That is Him at work and that is your assurance. I rejoice that I have seen the sanctifying work of the Lord in you, my children, can you see it?

As Hebrews says, by a single offering of Christ, you are perfected for all time. You can rejoice in knowing that none of the mess-ups count against you -- and you can eagerly await Him coming again in judgment... which could be any day! You can be happy about His frightening wrath being poured out because it will destroy all sin; all will be made right, finally; all that you hate will be gone. (Even what you hate in yourself.) But you will be safe and -- above all, you will be with Jesus, right next to him as close as when you were little and still fit on my lap or on Daddy's bigger lap, and more intimately than you could ever imagine. Today, think about how badly you want Jesus to come again. Because He comes to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. (Hebrews 9:28)