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Hebrews 10:19–25
. . . let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:22a).
The ordo salutis, the order of salvation, is the sequence of events that unfolds when God saves a person. The process begins with regeneration and continues on with belief (faith), justification, and sanctification, the part of the process we are studying this week. In order to be completely saved, a person must pass through all these steps in the order above; only those who are regenerated will believe, only those who believe will be justified, only those who are justified will be sanctified, and so on. The Word of God tells us that when we see this process unfolding in our lives, we can have great confidence that the God who began it will complete it (Phil. 1:6).
Because that is true, the assurance that we have been justified (part of the beginning of our Christian lives) gives us confidence that God will assist us in the next phase, sanctification, the lifelong portion of our Christian walks, in which, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we pursue righteousness. This assurance serves to motivate us to pursue righteousness and affords great encouragement when we suffer setbacks as we strive to grow. It is, as the Word of God says, “an anchor of the soul” (Heb. 6:19). Clearly, such assurance is a great help for our efforts to reflect the character of God and to glorify Him. However, a lack of assurance of justification short-circuits our progress toward sanctification. A person who is unconvinced that he is truly in a state of grace will have little hope of achieving greater holiness. Though he may well be truly saved, he can fall victim to an inner turmoil of doubt and second-guessing that defeats spiritual growth.
How can we have genuine assurance of genuine salvation? The Bible tells us that we can be assured we have been saved if we keep God’s commandments (1 John 2:3). As we have seen, obedience to God’s directives is possible only for those He has justified; unbelievers cannot obey because they do not want to obey. Such obedience equates to love for God (John 14:15). But not only does love for God point to the accomplishment of salvation in our lives, so does love for our fellow Christians (1 John 3:14). If we can put aside our natural selfishness to serve our brothers and sisters, God certainly has worked a change in us. By these and other signs we can gain the assurance that will fire our pursuit of righteousness.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Do you have assurance of salvation? If not, read through 1 John, noting all the instances in which the apostle notes signs of salvation. Honestly evaluate yourself as to whether these signs are present in your life. If they are, rejoice that God is at work, saving and sanctifying you. If not, seek counsel from a pastor, elder, or Christian friend.
For Further Study
- Romans 5:2–5
- Hebrews 6:17–18
- 2 Peter 1:4–11
- 1 John 5:13