God’s Grace: The Basis of our Assurance

Do you ever struggle with believing? Not that you find yourself wondering if God is really there. You know he is there. But maybe wondering if he really meant all that stuff he said? Wondering if all those things he has promised are really true? Do you sometimes find yourself
saying, “This sure sounds too good to be true?” I don’t want to sound sacrilegious but there are times when I think, “You know I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck yesterday – no one just gives things away like this!” But that is the message of the Gospel. Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace. It is the result of God’s unmerited, undeserved favor. It is God’s saying, “Here take this.” “No, you don’t deserve it, in fact you deserve my wrath but I choose to make you my child instead.”

The idea of the Sovereign King of the universe coming and living a perfect life and then dying a horrifying, agonizing death on the cross for stupid, wicked, ungrateful humanity was a stumbling block to the Jews and little more than a joke to the Gentiles! But for those who were willing to believe – it was the power of God unto salvation.

Sometimes we struggle to believe. We know the truth, and we have embraced the truth. Yet sometimes we struggle. Most often we struggle because deep down we want to be responsible. We want to pay our own way and the Gospel just does not allow for that…