Morning Meditations: Assurance

I’ve been reading Jonathan Edwards masterpiece “Religious Affections” as part of my morning devotions and he a few more gems for me this morning: “It is not God’s design that men should obtain assurance in any other way than by mortifying corruption, and increasing in grace, and obtaining lively exercises of it.” 

Many people struggle with the question of assurance. How can I know that I’m saved? How can I really know? Edwards’ answer here is that we must “mortify corruption, increase in grace, and obtain lively exercises of it.” What does all of this mean? 

1. Mortify Corruption

To mortify is to make something dead. Dead-ify it. Kill it. The calling upon the life of every Christian is to mortify their remaining corruption; their indwelling sin. As the great puritan John Owen famously said: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.”

Colossians 3:5-6: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” 

Mortify that which is earthly; worldly, sinful, within you. We all, until we behold the Lord face to face, will continue to battle with indwelling sin. The desires of the flesh war against the desires of the Spirit (Gal 5:17). The Christian life therefore must be a life of constant warfare. We are not to tolerate indwelling sin, we are not to mildly resist indwelling sin, we are to kill it. Mortify it. Make it dead. Take it out behind the shed and put a bullet in its head. If you are not constantly in the process of killing your sin, your sin will be in the process of killing you. 

Edwards argues that this is one of the keys to arriving at assurance. Nothing will erode your assurance like unmortified sin. It undermines everything in the Christian life. You claim Christ is your Lord, but when you serve sin instead, it indicates you have a different master. The Holy Spirit inside you will not give you peace of conscience, or a settled assurance, while there is yet known sin that you are serving. And in fact, this is a great blessing. Sin, in all its forms and manifestations, is utterly evil, wicked, and destructive. A heavenly Father who loves His children, will not surrender them to sin. The lack of peace, the troubled conscience is a great blessing, intended to stir us up to put that sin to death. 

2. Increase in Grace

Scripture is full of examples of what the puritans would call ‘the marks of grace upon the soul’ These are the distinguishing characteristics that mark out a true believer. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:2-11, etc. 

True Spirit-indwelt Christians will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Self-examination plays a role here; do I display love, joy, peace, etc.? 

Am I poor in spirit? (Matt 5:2). Have I ever been broken before God over my sin? Have I recognized my need for the mercy of God in Christ? Have I forsaken all self-righteousness and thrown myself upon the Mercy of God in Christ? Do I now hunger and thirst for righteousness? (Matt 5:6)

3. Obtain lively Exercises of Grace

Edwards goes on: “…Although self-examination be a duty of great use and importance, and by no means is it to be neglected, yet it is not the principal means by which the saints do get satisfaction of their good estate. Assurance is not to be obtained so much by self-examination as by action.” 

Assurance is strengthened by seeing yourself live in a way that is consistent with what you claim to believe. If unrepentant sin undermines assurance by contradicting your profession of faith; this is the opposite. As we walk by the Spirit, pursuing the Lord through His means of grace, as we worship Him, serve Him, and seek to stir up our heart’s affections in Love to God, as we serve Him by obeying all His commands, it gives us great confidence; for our living testifies that we really believe what we say we believe. We experience the Grace of God in our lives, and are encouraged, edified, and assured in the process. 

Edwards again: “Giving all diligence to grow in grace, by adding to faith, virtue, etc. is the direction that the apostle Peter gives us for “making our calling and election sure, and having an entrance ministered to us abundantly into Christ’s everlasting Kingdom.” 

Conclusion

If you are seeking to grow in assurance of salvation, pursue the Lord. Kill sin and aim to align your life in every way with God’s Word. Live in a way that is consistent with what you claim to believe.

Soli Deo Gloria