Blessed Assurance As A Personal Possession
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long!” Fanny J. Crosby wrote over 9000 hymns during her lifetime but none is dearer to my heart than those words from “Blessed Assurance.” When singing them, it becomes evident that Blessed Assurance is a personal possession that God wants each of His children to experience.
Such was the case in Fanny Crosby’s daily walk with the Lord. She had blessed assurance throughout her life and God did great things through her surrendered life. Although blinded by an illness at the age of 6 weeks, she never became bitter. One time a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised clergyman. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”
Now Fanny Crosby shows us what it means to have Blessed Assurance as a personal possession. That is someone who sees with 20/20 vision through the spiritual eyes of faith. But one might question, “What gives one the Blessed Assurance that Jesus is mine?” You say, “I believe I am a Christian; I’ve repented of my sins and put my trust in Christ but I don’t feel I have assurance. What am I missing?” To address these concerns, the Apostle Paul’s points out 5 truths we need to understand before Blessed Assurance is experienced on a daily basis. Listen to Paul’s words to the churches at Ephesus:
“But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5. even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace, you have been saved), 6. and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. 7. in order that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
The first truth of salvation we need to understand to experience Blessed Assurance is that GOD MADE US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST. Listen again to Ephesians 2: 4-5: “But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5. even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace, you have been saved), An interesting paradox occurs when God makes you alive together with Christ: the dead live, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the empty are filled, the hungry are fed and the weary rest. We are made alive to a life we never dreamed existed -- a life that brings enrichment and fulfillment. The promise of our Lord in John 10:10 is experienced first hand: “I am come that they might have life, and that hey might have it more abundantly.”
Notice also, the causative agent. God made us alive not we ourselves. We were dead. There was noting we could contribute to our cause other than a corpse in need of life. All glory, all credit and all claim goes to God for He is rich in mercy and His love for us is great (John 3:16, 1 Cor. 6:19, 20). This salvation has brought us life and that life is found in Christ and Christ alone. We are separated from the enslaving power of our sins and now together with Him. We will never be alone again -- we will never be left behind or forsaken because grace and mercy was extended to us at the Cross and we accepted it as truth, repented and believed.
The second truth we need to understand to experience blessed assurance is that GOD HAS RAISED US UP WITH CHRIST (VS.6). We have been raised to a new level of existence – to heights the carnal eyes can never see. We have a life available that exists on a higher plain and that life is found in Christ and Christ alone. It is a life of faith that desires to seek things above not things of the earth (Colossians 3:1-3). It is a life that should challenge us to shed the grave clothes of our old existence and put on the righteous robes of our new existence (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) found in Christ everyday. It is a life that should exchange our carnal eyes for spiritual eyes. Also, being raised up with Christ is not only an event but also a process. The Apostle Paul said, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,” (Ephesians 4:15) He told the churches at Galatia, “my children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4;19) And Paul tells us in Romans 8:29: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)
The third truth we need to understand is that GOD HAS SEATED US WITH CHRIST (VS. 6). What greater honor and proof of assurance could we have? We are seated with Christ, God’s beloved son in whom He is well pleased. Imagine being invited by the President of the United States to sit in his presidential box at the State of the Union address. Think of being his special guest, having all expenses paid to go to the Nation’s Capitol and being recognized by all in the crowd as being seated with the highest leader in the land. Thank of the honor and identity that gives you as a person. Such is the case for the Christian. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Luke 15:7 tells us, “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Furthermore, being seated with Christ means the work of salvation has been completed for us in Christ. The writer of Hebrews says, “By this we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily minister and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right had of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10-14) As our High Priest, Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father because the work has been done, PTL! But notice where the Christian is in verse 6. The Christian is also seated with Christ meaning his salvation has been secured once for all time. Jesus said, “and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29)
The fourth truth we need to understand to is to accept by faith THE SURPASSING RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE IN KINDNESS TOWARD US IN CHRIST JESUS. (VS. 7-9) Listen again to verses 7-9: “in order that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. What are the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus? Paul answers this question in verses 8 and 9. He is saying that due to God’s unmerited favor (“For by grace”), I can turn from myself and my sins and place my total reliance, dependence, trust and commitment in another person to save me (“faith”) based on nothing in myself (“not of yourselves”) or my good works (not as a result of works) to warrant or desire it (that is grace without works). Paul is saying if I do this, I am saved (past tense). Again it is a completed work meaning all my sins are forgiven. This means past sins, present sins and future sins. This is what Paul told the Christians at Colossae: “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:13). The surpassing riches of God’s grace is described by Paul as the gift of God. It is a gift beyond human description and causes Paul to say to the churches at Corinth: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Therefore, it is a gift we should not neglect (1 Timothy 4:14) but stir up (see 2 Timothy 1:6).
Paul reminds us again like Jonah the prophet that salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9). Paul underscores again it is not as a result of works that no one should boast. The prophet Isaiah describes it this way: “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it. That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.” (Isaiah 10:15) Thus, we must agree with the psalmist: “In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever.” (Psalms 44:8)
Finally, we need to understand we are GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS (VS. 10). We are His workmanship which means we are not our own. Paul told the churches at Corinth: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) We are His beautiful poem, created in Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) for good works. These are works that flow from the life of Christ in us. “for it is God who is at work in you; both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
They are works that God prepared beforehand. God prepared us for good works and God prepared good works for us. The word for “workmanship” can be interpreted “beautiful poem.” We are God’s beautiful poem if we will submit and allow Him to weave the beautiful pattern of our life. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord; And He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23) Thus, our prayer should be to the Lord: “Establish my footsteps in Thy word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133)
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long!” I hope you like Fanny J. Crosby have Blessed Assurance is a personal possession and can sing this wonderful song to God’s glory. Fanny J. Crosby had blessed assurance throughout her life and God did great things through her surrendered life. The same God stands ready to do the same for you.
