Someone from another U.S. state wrote to me today (name withheld):
“I have listened to a message on imputation you delivered July 2019. I am in despair as I neglected God over a few years. I believe you delivered a very truthful message. I neglected God and I am guilty. I have become aware of sin overwhelming. I had left free will salvation and become awakened clearly. Now I see the past seeing my speech was frequently without grace with family friends etc. I became worldly. I was a fool. I did not cherish God. I deeply regret for not living daily for God. I had a stroke I have aphasia so my writing can be jumbled. I believe strongly in God and the bible. I wonder if I deceived myself that I was a believer. I beg for mercy for forgiveness with God. I tend to focus on myself rather than on God and I cannot seem to overcome that. I do not need feelings but I need God. Please pray for me and please cite bible verses to help my unbelief. I believe Christ can forgive me and save me. Christ is everything and I am nothing. I seem to doubt the transfer of remission even though I know Christ can do that. Thanks so much.”
Here’s my reply – I share it in the hope that it might encourage someone else who may be struggling regarding assurance of salvation.
Dear (name),
I believe all of us can acknowledge the depths of our own sin and find it a condemning experience when we do – except for Christ – except for His power as a Savior. If I can help you in any way, I believe it would be in pointing you to the Lord Jesus Christ as the powerful Savior rather than trying to summon something in yourself. Look away from yourself and look to Jesus Christ. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is sufficient to save.
Seeing the depth of our sin and seeing the power of Christ to save are not contradictory truths. In fact, this in essence is the very truth of the gospel. John Newton said it well in a famous quote, “Although my memory is fading I remember two things clearly. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
In one sense, we never can get enough scripture. In another sense, just one can do the job for us when we contemplate its truth and believe it. Hebrews 7:25 is such a scripture. Look it up in your Bible – asking God to show you its meaning.
Read it again… Think on it… dwell on it. Take a few minutes away meditating/thinking on it.
Then come back to the text. Open your Bible back to Hebrews 7:25 – and read it again and perhaps your heart can soar as you acknowledge the amazing power of the Lord Jesus to save.
It is not about the power of the one expressing faith – it is not about how fervently people come to Him… It is about coming to Him at all. The emphasis of the text is that HE IS ABLE TO SAVE those who come to Him…
Sinclair Ferguson said it this way, “True faith takes its character and quality from its object. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
Think on that and it might be just what you need to know.