Assured by God,
edited by Burk Parsons
a review by Adam Pohlman
Assurance in the faith is a conviction that you have been redeemed by Christ and you will enjoy the benefits of salvation eternally. But many Christians today are severely lacking in assurance because they misunderstand the message and purpose of salvation and the base their assurance on constantly changing emotions rather than the Solid Rock revealed to us in the Word of God. "He assures us not by giving us confidence in ourselves but by bringing us to the end of ourselves so that we might know and love him." (pg. 11)
Assured by God, a book edited by Burk Parsons, is a collection of essays from various well-known Christian teachers (such as Albert Mohler, Jerry Bridges, and John MacArthur) that discuss the various aspects of assurance in salvation that point to the true Source of our assurance. There are many misunderstandings in the doctrine that leave many people feeling desperate for comfort and others working endlessly to be able to tell themselves they will make it. The overwhelming theme of the book is that we are utterly hopeless if we look for assurance within; we must always look to the cross. John MacArthur says, "[A]uthentic repentance begins with the sinner's recognition that one is hopelessly in bondage to sin and powerless to change." (pg. 131) "Self-examination can destroy false assurance, but it will never derive settled assurance merely by looking at ourselves. In the end, we have to look away from self and rest in the objective promises of God's Word. If we seek to anchor our assurance in our own performance rather than in God's promises, we will never know full assurance." (pg. 134)
Going to the Word of God, the authors unpack some important theologies that have direct impact on whether or not we can be sure of our salvation. Burk Parsons explains that much of our doubt comes from a misunderstanding of the gospel. We must understand that salvation is primarily about Him and His kingdom, not about us. He saves us for His own glory, not to make us feel better or to give us a better life. God has eternal purposes in mind when he redeems hopeless souls who love their own sin and turns them into Christ exalting sons of God.
In the chapter written by Philip Graham Ryken, he looks into the ministry of the Holy Spirit and especially ponders what it means to be "sealed" (Ephesians 1:13). Ryken says that in ancient cultures, the seal was proof of ownership; being sealed by the Holy Spirit proves we really belong to God and will belong to Him forever.
Sinclair Ferguson discusses in his chapter the nature of justification and how it shapes our understanding of assurance. Ferguson says, "God's verdict on Jesus will be neither reversed nor repeated. It was once and for all – final. But precisely because we are justified in him – that is, in his justification – our justification is also final and irreversible." (pg. 91) We were guilty sinners, condemned to eternal punishment, but now are declared righteous in Him. His "not-guilty" on us verdict will not be reversed. We should take comfort in knowing that God has ransomed our souls; but not only that, he gives us a new heart and new life that grows in holiness. We no longer desire to sin because he transformed our hearts, giving us further assurance of His work. "Believers are those who have 'died to sin'. It follows that, if they have died to sin, they cannot go on living in it. Moreover, they have also been raised with Christ into newness of life. There is a double reason why the old way of life is impossible for the justified." (pg. 97)
One more topic, written about by John MacArthur, addresses how we know we have been redeemed by calling for true repentance. While God says he will never let us fall away from Him, and we are permanently justified, we must examine ourselves to be sure we have truly repented and are children of God. True Christians hate sin. They have died to sin and "abstain from evil, holding fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22). This emphasizes the importance of understanding the gospel properly; humans are dead in their sin, but are raised to new life in Christ. Only when we recognize how utterly sinful we are and powerless to change can we have assurance in Christ. The key is understanding whether or not we have repented. When speaking of Russian Christians MacArthur met he says, "They do not speak of accepting Christ as one's personal Savior. They would never say merely that someone 'made a decision for Christ' or that the person 'invited Jesus into his or her life.' The language they use is simple and entirely biblical: the new believer is someone who has repented...multitudes of people nowadays think of themselves as Christians but have never truly repented." (pg. 127) Because of this language, Christians today have nowhere to start when examining their own lives. They look to a prayer or a decision they made instead of biblical fruits of repentance. To gain assurance that we are in the family of God we must look to whether or not we have repented of our sins and look for fruits manifested from that repentance.
Assured by God is a theological book discussing doctrine not necessarily a practical guide to assurance and therefore can be slow reading. However, as Dr. Mohler explains, "[A]ll doctrine is practical and that great biblical truths of the Christian faith are meant not only for our intellectual acceptance but for our spiritual health as well." (pg. 53) Each author does spend some time giving the reader fruits to examine to be sure of his faith. Although some parts may be long or difficult reading, it is a book that will help the reader be more assured in his faith by understanding better the purposes of God in salvation and his place in it. "In the end, the gift of assurance and the doctrine of perseverance take us back to the very essence of the gospel – we are saved by grace through faith – nothing more, nothing less." (pg. 67)