“I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him against that day.” (2Timothy 1:12)
One of the issues that plague many Christians is the struggle they have in knowing convincingly, with absolute assurance that all that God has said in His Word is true. Verbally, we may credit His word with absolute truth, but when it comes down to living our lives accordingly, we too often negate what we say we believe!
One of the main reasons for this dichotomy is we lack the assurance we ought to have in the infallible, inerrant Word of God. We know what God has said is right and true, but fail to follow through with submissive, obedient living.
This results in trying to have a ‘foot in both camps’ where we say we love God but never give our full commitment to Him. We satisfy the “flesh” as we pamper and love it and we also try and satisfy the “Spirit of God” by a limited, self-styled obedience!
What all this means is that such a person lacks assurance in the salvation of God and the God of their salvation! They are half hearted. They lean on their own understanding at the expense of the promises and wisdom of God.
I love what J.C. Ryle has to say on this matter: “Assurance after all is no more than a full-grown faith; a masculine faith that grasps Christ’s promise with both hands – a faith that argues like the good centurion, if the Lord “speak the word only,” I am healed. Wherefore then should I doubt?” (Matt. 8:8).