Perfect Assurance In Christ

Perfect Assurance In Christ

I John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

In this world of slips and falls, where is any state of perfect assurance that it is well with our souls? We surely cannot trust to ourselves for perfect assurance: believers put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). Believers do not walk after the flesh, by seeking justifying righteousness through the deeds of the law for by the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight; because, by the law is the knowledge of sin, as it is written: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20). If the arm of flesh had been able to fulfill the law there would have been no weakness in the law: but, according to scriptures, the law is weak through the flesh (Romans 8:3). If the arm of flesh had been able to keep the law there would have been no fault in the law, nor in them under the law: but, “finding fault in them” God in unspeakable grace promises a new covenant (Hebrews 8:6). If men had been able to answer the demands of the law, there would have been no need for a new covenant; and there would have been no need that God should send His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, there would have been no need for a Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:11) there had been no need for Christ: as it is written: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:21).

Christ Jesus is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). It is not said, that He is the Lamb that would be Slain, although, He would be slain: but in the sense of the verse: He is the Lamb slain; that is, in the reckoning of God the slaying of the Lamb was finished from everlasting, it was finished in God’s predestinating purpose of grace.  God in a judicial sense looked at it as accomplished from eternity, because of the infallibility of His own determinate counsel.  For it is written: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Acts 2:22-23).    All that was to be accomplished by the cutting off of Messiah (Daniel 9:26) was judicially accomplished before the world was made. Those who were to be justified by the blood of Christ Jesus (Romans 5:9) were justified in the purpose and grace of God from eternity Past (II Timothy 1:9). The God of the Bible knows no limitations of time, nor of the chronology of events, but hath chosen those things that are not, to bring to naught things that are: as it is written: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things that are not, to bring to naught the things which are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.” (I Corinthians 1:27-29).     

Frustration of the grace of God, that is, men seeking to make themselves righteous in the sight of God by their own works: or seeking to justify themselves by their repentance, and faith: is the extremity of folly. Faith and repentance are covenant gifts of God, (Ephesians 2:8; II Timothy 2:25) for those who were justified in Jesus Christ, by His blood, through union with Him and in Him from eternity. Some may object, saying, the saints of God are “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28; 5:1; Galatians 3:24). It is through faith that the saints of God understand the immutable stability of their position in the everlasting covenant of grace in Christ (Hebrews 11:3). It is by faith that the saints of God understand spiritual truth, it is by faith that the saints of God understand their unconditional election in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  The saints of God understand that they were chosen in Christ of the Father, and given to Christ of the Father, as members in Christ, and being joined to Christ Jesus in one spirit: (I Corinthians 6:15-17; 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:23; 5:30; Romans 12:5; Colossians 1:18) they are the spouse of Christ (Revelation 21:9-11; Hebrews 12:22-24) and stand in covenant union in Him from everlasting. Therefore the saints of God rest in Christ Jesus, they rejoice in His accomplished redemption, they know they are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10) who is their wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. The welfare of the souls of the saints of God is in the hands of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, and they know that by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are set apart in the everlasting covenant of grace (Hebrews 10:14) therefore their assurance is in Christ, through Christ, and by Jesus Christ. And they know that in them, that is in their flesh, dwelleth no good thing and therefore they put on Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27), and in this world seek to die to themselves. The saints of God seek release through grace from self love, self righteousness, vain glory, self promotion, self indulgence and all such things. But the saints of God know that the flesh is still flesh, with indwelling sin, and so the warfare continues.

And we know that the Son of God is come,  “And we know” the people of God are not left to guess, or blindly wonder in the darkness of unbelief; but, by almighty power they are given the faith of God’s elect. The faith of God’s elect is that doctrine of Christ, “put” (for He saith “I will put”) in the heart of the elect by the almighty power of the Holy Ghost. God The Holy Ghost is the Divine Teacher of the everlasting covenant, for: “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34). There is no possibility of failure here for God has said “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33). Again it is written: “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13). And the Apostle John saith: “And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45). Therefore the children of the covenant know the things that are taught of the Holy Ghost. And what is it that the Holy Ghost teaches?

 “And we know that the Son of God is come.” The people of God are taught of the Holy Spirit that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God, of the same Divine Nature with the Father, one God with Him in Nature, Power and Glory (John 10:30), “over all, God blessed forever.” (Romans 9:5). Jesus Christ is God manifest in flesh (I Timothy 3:16): He is God, whom the Father acknowledged, as God in His office as Mediator of the everlasting covenant, saying: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above they fellows.” (Psalm 45:6-7). The people of God know that God the Son has come to us in His office of Mediator of the everlasting covenant of grace, in the Person of Jesus Christ, and we know that He has finished the work of redemption that the Father gave him before the world was made, He has propitiated the justice of God; He has made peace by the blood of His cross, and He did all that for the children of God, therefore those who believe the doctrine of Christ rest in Christ and are assured by His finished work that all is well with their immortal souls. The doctrine of Christ is very briefly: Election of the Father in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4): Redemption of the elect from the curse of the law by the bloody death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. (Galatians 3:13; II Corinthians 5:21): And finally The Effectual Call of the elect by the God the Holy Ghost in their respective generations. (Romans 8:30; II Timothy 1:9).

And hath given us an understanding, God’s chosen ones are given an understanding that is above nature; and not of this world, because it is taught by God the Holy Ghost. It is the Holy Ghost who, engrafts, the “engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21) in the heart of the people of God. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; (by the engrafted word: writer) the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (I Peter 1:23). When the Lord Jesus speaks the “word of life” (Philippians 2:16) through the preaching of the gospel; to His chosen one: that one, is given life by the “Word of life” (I John 1:1; Ezekiel 16:6). And that chosen one is given a new heart of faith and love, he is born from above, of the Spirit of God.  And through the gift of faith is made to know who Jesus Christ is, what He did, where He is now, and the reason of all these things.

That we may know him that is true, Whom to know is life eternal, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3).             

And we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. The people of God have been in Jesus Christ without beginning, for, the saints of God are His members as He is the Christ of God. There would have been no office of, The Christ, if there had been no people who were to live from that Christ in that office. It is not Biblical, nor is it true, to speak of the Christ of God without His body the church of God, who have covenant relation with Christ from everlasting.

This is the true God, and eternal life. This is the true God, Three Divine Persons: God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in one God. And to know Him in the Person of Jesus Christ is eternal life. (John 14:9-11; Colossians 2:9-10). For God Purchased His church with His own blood in the Person of Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:28).   

AJ Ison      

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