“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Charles Spurgeon said that he was so certain of his salvation that he could grab hold of a corn stalk, swing out over the very fires of hell, look the devil straight in the eye and sing, “Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine.” That assurance is based upon the truth of God’s Word — yet many Christians today struggle with doubts about assurance of their salvation.
The truth is that if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we are eternally secure because our salvation is not based upon what we do or don’t do; but upon our faith in what Jesus Christ has already done.
During the American Civil War, an informer in a small town disappeared and the commander in charge ordered ten men to be shot in reprisal. Several men were being detained in the local jail as prisoners of war, and ten of them were selected from among them. One of the men was a man by the name of William Humphrey — the father of several small children. Another young man in the prison cell by the name of Hiram Smith volunteered to go in the place of William Humphrey since he thought it was better for a single man to die rather than a man with a family. Hiram Smith was subsequently taken and shot in the place of William Humphrey. As the years passed, Humphrey could have reflected on those events and stated, “I’m here today because he died in my place!”
That will be our only boast in heaven — not, “I am here today because of how good I am,” or “I am here today because I belonged to a certain church” — but, “I am here today because Christ died for me; because He took my place and bore the condemnation of my sins on the cross at Calvary.”
Talk with your children. Know what their struggles are and where they are coming from. If they have trusted Christ as their Savior, help them understand the truth that they are eternally secure in Jesus Christ.
Morris Hull, Home Life Ministries