SINCERITY AND ASSURANCE

“Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" Romans 5:1

 Others severely judge faults in order to hide their own flaws, thus enabling them to carry on selfish designs with less suspicion. Absalom, for example, criticized his father's government as a stirrup to help himself into the saddle. And Jehu loved the crown more than he hated Jezebel's whoredoms, even though he swung a keen sword against them. False zeal thus becomes revenge and shoots at the person rather than at his sin; hypocrites can hate the tyrant while admiring his tyranny.

The better way is to test a person's boldness by his sincerity, and not sincerity by boldness. True confidence and a spirit undaunted at death and danger are glorious when the Spirit and Word of Christ stand by to fulfill them. And certainly it is good when a person can give some account of the hope that is in him, as Paul did when he showed people the source of it operating in his life. This was Christian courage, not Roman fearlessness.

But the Christian must pass many rooms before arriving at this place of assurance, which adjoins heaven itself. Faith is the key, which lets him enter into all these rooms. First, it opens the door of justification and takes him into peace and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Through justification the seeker passes on to another room-- the chamber of God's favor-- and is welcomed into His presence: "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (v. 2). Not only have we been pardoned from sin and reconciled to God by faith in Christ, but now we are brought into the royal court under Christ's wing as favorites of the Prince.

We not only enjoy God's grace and favor and communion now, but move on and open the door to a third room-- a hope firmly planted in our hearts for heaven's glory later, "rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God" (v. 2). 


Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617