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Blessed Assurance Slack Abiding www.francisasburysociety.com January—February 2018 a bimonthly publication of The Francis Asbury Society Blessed Assurance By Stan Key remember as a young pastor being told by an older Isaint that a minister’s job description really consists of only two basic responsibilities: 1) to comfort the afflicted, and 2) to afflict the comfortable. Anyone who has ever served in pastoral ministry recognizes the sober truth contained in this playful statement. Preaching the gospel is serious business. Every Sunday or to instill doubt and discouragement in those who are morning, the preacher feels the fresh breezes of heaven truly born of God is to commit pastoral malpractice of on the one hand and smells the fiery smoke of hell on the the worst kind! other. The stakes could not be higher! There are some Perhaps no book in the New Testament has a clearer in the congregation who desperately need a word of message on how to preach the doctrine of assurance than peace and reassurance: “God loves you; all is well.” But 1 John. In fact, this is the very reason John wrote this there are others who need to have the hell scared out of little epistle: “I write these things to you who believe in them—literally: “Repent, before it is too late.” To stand the name of the Son of God that you may know that you in the pulpit and leave sinners comfortable in their sins Continued on page 3 Slack Abiding By Robert E. Coleman In his excellent book The Heart of the Gospel more devious than our own, yet never having sinned, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011), Robert we can be sure that he is able to help those who are Coleman tackles the delicate issue of backsliding. being tempted (Heb 2:18; 2 Pt 2:9). But if we yield to Treating the issue with both a theologian’s head and a pastor’s heart, Coleman enables sin, inevitably we will backslide. Disobedience breaks us to better understand the nuanced precision fellowship with Christ (1 Jn 1:6–7). By not walking in his of what the Bible actually says. This article is a light, the joyous sense of his presence loses its freshness, slightly edited abridgement taken from Chapter and eventually, if not corrected, impacts assurance of 14, “Perseverance of the Saints” (199–203). salvation. hat is called backsliding results from Wunfaithfulness to Christ, or as someone has said, Now the question must be asked: Does the loss of backsliding comes through slack abiding, meaning it is a fellowship also mean the loss of a relationship with the willful act of disregarding the will of God. Having begun Savior? Evangelical interpretations of security, with in the Spirit, one turns aside and again starts to walk in many variations, answer differently the question of the the flesh (Gal 6:1). This can happen to the best of people. saint’s perseverance. Basically, they come down to two Remember how even Peter in his weakness three times options: unconditional security and conditional security. denied his Lord (Mk 14:66–72). Unconditional Security Knowing our human weakness and remembering The classical Reformed position holds that the truly the warnings of Scripture, we should pray to avoid converted will be kept secure in their faith by the power temptation (Mt 6:13). God is not the source of of God until the end of their lives. Fellowship with Christ temptation (Jas 1:13) and he will not permit anyone can be lost and often is, but never a relationship. A to be tempted more than our ability to endure (1 Cor person once born of the Spirit is forever a child of God. 10:13). Because our Lord has been through it all, in ways Continued on page 8 The Witness of the Spirit By Samuel Logan Brengle (1860–1936) Samuel Logan Brengle was a commissioner in The The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that Salvation Army and a prominent author, teacher, we are children of God. (Romans 8:15–16) and preacher focusing especially on the doctrine and practice of Christian holiness. The following In other words, unless God himself assures me that I am article is a slightly edited abridgement of a chapter entitled “The Witness of the Spirit” taken from his his child, I will never know for sure. I will continue to live book When the Holy Ghost Is Come (Atlanta: The in uncertainty all my days. Salvation Army, 1976: 23–30). But there are also other evidences that will appear when ow can I know that I am accepted by God? The someone is truly saved and adopted into God’s family. Bible declares God’s love for sinners and reveals H These secondary witnesses verify that the primary his offer of mercy to me on the condition that I repent of witness of the Spirit is indeed valid and real. my sins and believe on Jesus Christ, taking up my cross to follow him. But how can I know that I have met these A first evidence comes from my own spirit. It bears conditions? How can I be sure that I am truly saved? witness to the fact that I am indeed a new creation. Deep inside, I know that old things have passed away and all The Bible cannot tell me this because it can only tell me things have become new. My very thoughts and desires what to do. It does not tell me when I have done it any have changed. Love, joy, and peace reign within me. My more than a road sign pointing out the highway that heart no longer condemns me. Pride, selfishness, lust, and anger no longer “Be all the more diligent dominate my thoughts or enslave my will. to make your calling and A second evidence of my new status election sure, for if you with God is that my conscience bears practice these qualities you witness that I am honest and true in my purposes and intentions; my will never fall.” eye is single to the glory of God and (2 Peter 1:10) my service to him is now done with simplicity and sincerity. A third evidence comes from the Bible itself; it bears witness that I am born of the Spirit and redeemed. Scripture describes the characteristics of a child of God and because I see these characteristics in my own heart and life, I draw the conclusion that I am saved. leads to a certain city tells me when I have reached that city. My spiritual leaders and friends cannot tell me this The witness of the Spirit is not likely to be mistaken because they cannot read my heart nor can they know for something else, just as the sun is not likely to be what God really thinks of me. They can assure me that mistaken for the moon or a glow-worm. But one who has if I repent, believe, and obey, God will accept me. But never seen the sun might possibly be confused. So, an beyond that they cannot go. And my own heart, owing to unsaved man may mistake some flash of fancy or some its darkness, deceitfulness, and liability to error, is not a pleasant emotion for the witness of the Spirit. But if he is safe witness either. How, then, can I know that I am right honest, the absence of these three secondary evidences with God? There is but one way and that is by the witness will correct him. It will be obvious to him that as long of the Holy Spirit. God himself must notify me and make as sin masters him and he is devoid of the graces and the matter clear. Paul says it this way: dispositions of God’s people as portrayed in the Bile, he simply cannot with integrity call himself a child of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the Spirit of The Holy Spirit cannot witness to what does not exist. adoption as sons, by whom we cry “Abba! Father!” He cannot lie. Not until sin is forgiven does he witness to Continued on page 10 2 The High Calling | January–February 2018 Blessed Assurance continued from page 1 have eternal life” (1 Jn 5:13). As a pastor, John carried a “We know that we have passed out of death into life, burden for those who had no assurance, those who lived because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love with constant uncertainty of their identity in Christ. But abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14). at the same time, he was also concerned for those who The third type of evidence John appeals to is the had false assurance, those who were deceived about subjective witness of the indwelling Spirit. While the their spiritual status. How could he wake them from their objective witness of the Word and the practical witness delusional slumber? of our actions are both outward evidences that we are God’s children, the witness of the Spirit is an inward In this amazing letter, Pastor John explains what impression on the soul that we are God’s and God is ours. assurance in Christ looks like and what it means to be John’s epistle speaks of this inner witness more than secure in our salvation. He gives three types of evidence once. “And by this we know that he abides in us, by the that can help the honest soul to discover his true status Spirit whom he has given us” (1 Jn 3:24).
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