M. A. - Mightily Assured
In Jesus Christ, we can experience full assurance of faith, a complete and unwavering certainty that our salvation is secure.
Selwyn Hughes emphasizes the importance of having full assurance of faith in Christianity, contrasting it with the uncertainty found in other religions. He highlights the human heart's longing for certainty in salvation and how Jesus Christ provides that security. By taking God at His Word and accepting His promises, such as the assurance of salvation through calling on the name of the Lord, believers can have full confidence in their relationship with God and their eternal destiny.
Text
"... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith ..." (v. 22)
For reading & meditation:
Hebrews 10:19-25
In every religion in the world apart from Christianity there is a note of uncertainty concerning this matter of personal salvation. Many modern religious attitudes are expressed in the limerick: For as much as without Thee We are not able to doubt Thee, O grant us Thy grace To inform the whole race That we know nothing whatever about Thee. Can we be satisfied with this? St. Augustine said he wished to be as certain of things unseen as that seven and three make ten. The human heart longs for certainty - it needs to know without a shadow of doubt that the salvation of the soul is secure. The good news is that in Jesus Christ such security is found. When we turn from other religions to the Word of God, it is like stepping out of thick fog into clear and brilliant sunlight. Our text today talks not just of assurance but full assurance - the full assurance of faith. What is faith? Faith is simply taking God at His Word, accepting what He asserts and acting accordingly. Listen to just one of the many things God says concerning this matter: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom. 10:13). Have you called on Christ and received Him into your heart? Then you have scriptural warrant for believing on that basis alone, quite apart from personal feelings, that you are a child of God, and that you are going to spend eternity with Him. What a salvation! What a Savior!
My Father and my God, what a joy it is to know that You make available to me not just assurance but full assurance. Fill the cup of my heart until it is overflowing with the sense of divine assurance. And keep it full, dear Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Sermon Outline
- The Human Heart's Longing for Certainty
- The Good News of Jesus Christ
- What is Faith?
- Scriptural Warrant for Assurance
- Calling on Christ and receiving Him into the heart
- Scriptural basis for believing in salvation
Key Quotes
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” — Selwyn Hughes
“What a salvation! What a Savior!” — Selwyn Hughes
“Fill the cup of my heart until it is overflowing with the sense of divine assurance.” — Selwyn Hughes
Application Points
- You can be certain of your salvation by calling on Christ and receiving Him into your heart.
- Faith is simply taking God at His Word, accepting what He asserts and acting accordingly.
- You can experience full assurance of faith by filling your heart with the sense of divine assurance and keeping it full through prayer and trust in God's Word.