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The Book of First Peter: Message Six
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
A composer called on Fanny Crosby
and said, "Here's a new hymn tune I've written. What does it
say?" As Mrs. Knapp played it, Fanny Crosby said, "Why,
that music says, 'Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.'" That's
how that gospel song was written.
Let's look at the word
"assurance." It means "the state of being sure."
As applied to salvation, it means that the believer knows that
because he welcomed the Savior into his heart, he possesses
salvation. A soldier was badly wounded, and the doctor said to him,
"I must operate right away. But you have only one chance in a
hundred to come through. Have you anything to say?" "Go on
with the operation," said the Christian. "All is well with
my soul. Whichever side I come out there'll be a welcome for me. If
I come through, Mother will welcome me. If I don't, Jesus will
welcome me." Now that assurance is based on fact, not feeling.
Jesus said, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast
out." "Oh," but you say, "I'm afraid my faith
isn't real." It's not your faith that saves, but the Savior.
He's real, so believe Him. "But," you say, "I'm
trying to believe." Trying to believe whom? Dare you even think
of trying to believe that One who can't lie? Suppose you were to
tell me a fact, and I'd say, "I'm trying to believe you."
Wouldn't that mean I didn't believe you? Don't, then, talk of trying
to believe. Either you believe Him or you don't. If you don't
believe Him, you make Him a liar. If you're making Him a liar, then
ask Him to forgive you. Then take Him at His word.
"Faith," said a little boy, "is believing God, and
asking no questions." So confess with the poet,
"I do believe, I now believe
that Jesus died for me;
That on the cross He shed His
blood from sin to set me free."
Now let's look at the word
security. This has to do with the continuance of salvation of the
one who has received Christ. But get this: there's a difference
between actual salvation and apparent salvation. Some profess
salvation, but they don't posses it. Look at Judas. He professed,
but he didn't possess salvation. Outwardly he seemed to be saved. At
the last supper, when our Lord said, "One of you shall betray
Me," no one suspected Judas. But the Lord knew that Judas was
never saved from his sins. He said to Peter, "He that is washed
needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean, and ye are
clean, but not all." And the Bible explains His statement,
saying, "He knew who should betray Him; therefore He saith, Ye
are not all clean." But before this, the Lord said, "Have
I not chosen you 12, but one of you is a devil." So Judas the
professor perished. He went from apparent salvation to actual
suffering in a Christless eternity. Oh, my friend, make sure that
you possess what you profess. And don't mistake tasting for trusting
or conviction for conversion. One day a man of God preached in the
power of God. The people were convicted. The Bible says, "they
were cut to the heart." But they weren't converted. For they
not only spurned the Savior but stoned Stephan.
Now this brings us to our text for
this broadcast. It's found in 1st Peter 1:5, "Kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time." The word "kept" is a
military word. It means "to guard, or protect." It
declares that the child of God is garrisoned by God. Think of
it...God stands guard over His children 24 hours a day, 12 months a
year, year in and year out, until He takes His children home to
heaven. No, this doesn't mean that a Christian may not fall into
sin. Consider Peter. To him our Lord said, "Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:
but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do
thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy
brethren." Now Peter sinned, but he didn't lose his salvation.
He did lose, however, the joy of God's salvation. For the Bible
says, "Peter went out and wept bitterly." Jonah was
another one who sinned, but who didn't lose his salvation. An old
preacher in commenting on this said, "We read in the Scriptures
of two men who 'went out from the presence of the Lord.' One was
Cain, the other Jonah. Now when Cain went out, the Lord left him
alone. But when Jonah went out, the Lord didn't leave him alone.
Why? Cain wasn't a child of God. Jonah was." You see, God who
begins a good work at the time of your salvation, will surely
complete it. The Bible says, "I am sure that God who began the
good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in grace
until His task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus
Christ returns." Well might we sing
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is
mine Oh, what a fortaste of glory divine;
Heir of salvation, purchase of
God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long."
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version..
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
