Full Assurance in Christ’s Complete Work

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
(Hebrews 10:14 ESV)

Full assurance lies at the very essence of the Gospel work of Jesus Christ! Through the Holy Spirit revealing Christ to us in saving mercy, we receive the confident assurance that God is completely satisfied with Christ’s work on our behalf.

Because of this finished work (Christ’s sinless death and vindicating bodily resurrection), we have passed from death to life. Jesus Himself assures us:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)

We will never again be dead in our trespasses and sins, for God has made us alive in Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly places:

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins . . . But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1, 4–6 ESV)

Beloved, we will never be loved more by God than we are right now in Christ! We cannot earn greater favor than what we already possess in Him. Indeed, God has freely given us everything in His Son:

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 ESV)

Full assurance proclaims that Christ has completed the work—once for all! Away with fear and fear-mongering! Away with introspective navel-gazing and vain attempts to commend our feeble works to God, as if they could add to or strengthen what Christ has already accomplished perfectly.

Rest in Christ, for He is our true Sabbath rest. Trust in Him as your shelter in the storm. Delight in His finished work, which ascended to the Father as a sweet-smelling aroma. Glory in the work of Christ alone!

This full assurance grounds God’s command to “fear not!” in unbreakable reality. Our failures do not make forfeit the atoning blood Christ. It was for those very failures Christ bled and died! He paid the entire debt for the sin of His elect people! We need never fear condemnation, for God Himself has finished the work through Christ. On your best days and your worst, fear not! Christ has gone before you. In mountain highs and valley lows, rest assured that He saves completely:

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25 ESV)

And He grants His sheep eternal life, never to perish:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 ESV)

From this inexhaustible wellspring of mercy, we are graciously called to explore the depths of God’s kindness, to taste and see that the Lord is good as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Even as we see more clearly the depths of our own sin, we experience the ever-abounding riches of His love. He will never let us go!

Be fully assured:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

Full assurance in Christ alone!

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Jason K. Boothe is a Pastor at Redeemer Church of Piketon, Ohio.