Assured by God: Living in the Fullness of God's Grace

By: Burk Parsons

Book Overview

Nothing stimulates Christian service more than the humble assurance of God's saving grace. Many of us are immobilized by lingering doubts about our salvation or, worse, by a false security. Is assurance of salvation reserved for the super-spiritual? Is it a sure sign of presumption? What are the benefits of assurance and the dangers of an unsure faith? Separating truth from error, and considering assurance in relation to its larger family of biblical doctrines, the contributors to this volume demonstrate its significance for grateful, productive Christian living.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596381019
• ISBN13: 9781596381018
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: P & R Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

The Reformed High View Of Salvation

'Everything that God does for our salvation, He does in Christ.' Philip Graham Ryken, p 39 Ryken surveys from eternity to eternity in a rich exposition of Ephesians 1. Assurance stems from the threefold divine work: that what the Father has decreed in eternity past (predestination) and that what the Son has accomplished (redemption) and that the Holy Spirit effectually seals 'every spiritual blessing in Christ' (Eph 1:3) to each and every believer, thereby applying redemption. 'By doing this work in us, the Holy Spirit makes our salvation a present reality.' p 40 'But whatever words we use to describe it, the point is that our salvation from sin depends on a gracious co-operation within the Godhead.' Philip Graham Ryken, p 38 'God's participation in history depends on His purpose in eternity. The Bible could hardly be stronger on this point: 'being predestined according to the purpose (Gk: prothesis) of Him who works all things according to the counsel (Gk: boule) of His will (Gk: thelema).' Ephesians 1:11 In this verse, three different Greek words are used to describe God's plan: thelema simply refers to God's will in general; prothesis means God's purpose, especially His foreordained purpose; and boule refers to God's deliberate counsel. Taken together, these words show that nothing lies outside the divine intention.' p 43 Burk Parsons deals with a passage of Scripture that exhorts believers most to perseverance: Hebrews 12:1-6. Says Parsons: 'In Hebrews, we are called to run the race set before us (12:1). If our perseverance in the faith is dependent on us, we will surely fail and will by no means finish the race set before us. (p 21) For not only is He the creator and sustainer of the universe, He is the creator and sustainer of our faith. (p 25) The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). In fact, the author of Hebrews uses an intriguing Greek word to describe Jesus as the author of our faith: archegos, a compound composed of arche and the verb ago. The word arche is familiar to us in English words such as archaeology and archetype. The general meaning of the prefix is 'early', 'beginning' or 'at the outset of'. The verb ago is not familiar to us, but it simply means 'to lead'. Together, the two make a fascinating word. (p 30) But what is more, we are in constant war with our own sinfulness (Heb 12:4). (p 32) It should not surprise us to know that the Lord God Almighty does not play games with our souls. He is our Father who continually demonstrates His love for us by revealing to us our sins, enabling us to repent, and reminding us of His holiness. The Word of God does not say that the Lord disciplines all people, but only those whom He loves (Heb 12:5-6). Such discipline is a gracious provision of the Lord whereby we are assured by God of His love for us and His protection of us. When we begin to yearn for God's loving hand of discipline, and, dare I say, pray for such discipline,

Assurance is Possible!

Many believers, if they are honest, have often questioned their own salvation. They see their sins and struggles and wonder if they are really saved or not. Editor Burk Parsons and the other contributors to Assured by God, desire to help everyday Christians find their assurance and hope in God's promises. As Parsons writes in the preface, "...many people who sit in the pews of evangelical churches throughout the world do not possess full assurance of their salvation. When trials come into their lives, many Christians find themselves doubting their salvation, doubting the imputed righteousness of Christ, doubting God's sovereignty, and doubting the grace of God instead of fleeing to their loving Father's arms. In this fallen world of despair and doubt, with minds and hearts that have been corrupted by sin, every Christian needs to understand fully the promises that the Lord God Almighty has established for us and within us." (pp. 12). Do you ever wrestle with feelings like that? This book is for you! The authors cover a range of areas, but they all weave their chapters together to form one wonderful picture of a God who has planned out every step of our salvation, and who has "granted to us his precious and very great promises" (2 Peter 1:4) for us to trust in and believe so that we might have hope! This is an encouraging book for any believer, so that they can understand how secure their salvation is, and yet also not be presumptive - as John MacArthur writes in his chapter: "Still, self-examination is a necessary and biblical aspect of gaining assurance. It is the process by which we evaluate the quality of our own faith, and the fruit of repentance is the evidence we must seek. This is especially crucial in the contemporary evangelical environment. Multitudes believe that they are saved merely because someone told them so after a cursory conversation, the simple reciting of a canned prayer, the raising of a hand in a public meeting, or sometimes even less." (pp. 135). It is a fine balance between presumption and assurance, but this book helps you navigate that channel with clear guidance! As I recommend books, my desire is to find works that are readable, Scriptural, and helpful. I think that this book is all of those things, and will benefit all who read it. Assurance of God's saving grace is something to be sought and desired by all who follow the Lamb - and it is possible, as R. Albert Mohler writes: "Assurance of faith is possible and is in one sense a Christian responsibility. Pernicious doubt concerning salvation may be an indication that the believer does not truly trust the character, power and purposes of God. Therefore, a believer's insecurity--sometimes disguised as artificial humility--can be evidence of a heart that does not adequately trust in the promises of God. This point must be strongly emphasized. Christians who are constantly or recurrently anxious about their salvation demonstrate inadequate faith