Here’s how.
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Heb. 6:10-12).
Or, said differently:
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:16b-18).
Words too sublime for blogs. Please read them again slowly and prayerfully.
These were the passages my girls and I studied this morning. Seems the Lord desires us to know with certainty our standing in Him and to give confirming evidence through love.
Heb. 6:11 says God will not forget the love we show Him as we help His people. We love God, in part, by loving and helping His people. If we’re diligent to love this way–not lazy in love–such love makes our hope sure. Assurance is held out as motivation for loving God by loving His people.
1 John 4 teaches that if we live in love we live in God and God in us. God is love. So, one dominant quality of a genuine Christian life is love for the brethren. In fact, the church is to be a place of increasing mutual love, where God’s “love is made complete among us.” The result: “we have confidence on the day of judgment.” The abounding and maturing love of God in and between us drives out the fear of judgment. “There is no fear in love.” Divine love and fear of judgment cannot co-exist.
If we lack assurance, one remedy is being with and loving God’s people. It’s another argument for the centrality of the local church and the necessity of our meaningful involvement in her. As Mark Dever sometimes puts it, “The local church is like an assurance of salvation co-op.” I think he stole that from the Bible.
Do you lack the assurance of salvation? Here’s one remedy: Join a church. Love the people. Receive assurance.
