The assurance of salvation is that confirmation that God gives us when we have been redeemed. It’s that confirmation we have within. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. This confirmation gives comfort that the transaction is complete. Just as if we’ve bought something that is being shipped in the mail. The purchase order with dates and numbers assures us that even though it’s not in our hands, it soon will be.
What if we don’t have this assurance? I can think of a few things; either we aren’t saved, we are stuck on a matter of obedience or we’ve drifted from Him.
If we aren’t His child, just invite Him into your heart as lord and savior. He will follow through.
Sometimes we are challenged to obey Him on a matter through the bible or a prompting within. When we don’t comply, our conscience starts to interupt things. Our guilt or disturbance shouts down the quiet peace within. David refers to this often in the psalms. In Ps. 32:3 he says, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” The assurance of salvation is still there. The problem is we are conflicted, so that it’s not noticeable. When we yield to Him, the peace returns and the wonderful assurance is there.
Another possibility is that we’ve drifted from Him. Just as if we stay out of contact with a friend, things aren’t familiar, so also if we don’t seek Him, we lose touch. When we stay out of the sun, we grow cold. When we don’t intentionally sit down to pray or read, we lose peace and assurance.
There are several benefits to this assurance. The first is the removal of the fear of death. The second is that it is an ever-present reminder that God is with us. Just as Adam and Eve walked with The Lord in the garden, so this assurance reminds us of God all throughout the day. Many could quit there therapists, if they had these two benefits. Maybe that’s why He is called the Wonderful Counselor.
For further study, in 1873 Frances Crosby penned the hymn titled, Blessed Assurance. It’s a interesting bio of what a life looks like with this assurance. Read it on Yahoo or listen to it on YouTube.