Blessed Assurance

Isaiah 32:17-18
The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine...”: the first line of a hymn written by Francis J. Crosby back in 1873. It’s baffling to see how Christians have forgotten this fundamental truth that is crucial to understanding the gospel and receiving God’s infinite grace in our lives.

Today we live in a world full of turmoil and strife; wars are being waged on nearly every continent. The Taliban is a threat to the U.S. lifestyle. Domestic terrorists are plotting to get us. The “Lone Wolf” is making his move. Economies are on the verge of collapse; governments are preparing to shut down. Droughts, diseases, famines, global warming, torrential rains; the list goes on, all threatening our way of life.

Sadly, seeing these things happen has put many people into a state of constant fear and worry. Even more alarming is the number of Christians who live their lives in fear, forgetting their Blessed Assurance, Jesus Christ. Well, if you’re one of those Christians living in fear, worrying about the state of the world or the economy, I’ve got some wonderful news for you!

First and foremost, the redeeming work of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His full satisfaction of God’s righteous judgement has left us in a state of perfect peace. This is a spiritual peace; we are at peace with God. He is no longer mad at us for sinning; He does not have to punish our sin. Our punishment was placed on the cross in the body of Christ. The effect of that righteous sacrifice, the substitute for us, is a calm, quiet assurance, forever.

Because of Christ’s finished work on the cross, we are God’s people, sanctified and redeemed by the blood. He [God] tells us in His word that we will dwell in peaceful, secure, quiet resting places. This means no worries, no fear of war, terrorists, or economic collapse. We are His people; we are His children; we are His bride. Ask yourself the following questions:
Would a ruler not protect his country?
Would a father not protect his children?
Would a husband not protect his wife?

That all sounds good, but what about the struggles going on in the world around me? The answer is found in the remaining verses of this chapter in Isaiah (Though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought low in humiliation. Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. Isaiah 32:19-20)

Though everything around you is falling apart, you are blessed.

Friends, Christ did not come to give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10); He left us with His peace (John 14:27) so that we could rest in His finished work, under His covenant of Grace.