The Song “Blessed Assurance”

I.         This song declares the praises of our Savior

            A.        What is meant by saying this is my story?

            B.        The foundation of this song is II Corinthians 3:1-6

                        1.         The Christians in Corinth were the living proof of the work of the apostle Paul.

                        2.         They have confidence towards God, not from themselves, but from the ability of God.

II.        A reason to praise Christ is our assurance of salvation

            A.        Can a person know they are saved?

            B.        John speaks of “knowing” 29 times in the book of I John

                        1.         I John 2:3-5 - If we keep his commandments

                        2.         I John 3:14-19 - By our love

                        3.         I John 3:24 - By keeping his commandments

                        4.         I John 4:2 - By our confession

                        5.         I John 4:6 - By our acceptance of the truth

                        6.         I John 5:2 - When we love God and keep his commandments

                        7.         I John 5:18-20 - Because we avoid sin and because God has given us Christ.

            C.        What is meant by “Jesus is mine”?

                        1.         Galatians 5:24 - We belong to Jesus

                        2.         Galatians 3:26-29 - We are baptized into Christ, so we belong to him

            D.        What is meant by a foretaste?

            E.        Heirs of salvation - Romans 8:15-17

                        1.         That passage in Galatians 3:29 also mentioned being heirs of promise

                        2.         Made heirs according to the hope through the washing of regeneration - Titus 5:7

                        3.         Revelation 7:13-17 - Washed in the blood of Christ

                        4.         Acts 22:16 - Wash away sins through baptism

                        5.         Romans 6:3-4 - Baptized into his death

            F.        Purchased of God

                        1.         I Peter 3:18-19 - We were purchased by the blood of Jesus

                        2.         Ephesians 1:7 - Redemption through his blood

            G.        Born of the Spirit

                        1.         Ephesians 1:13-14 - Spirit given as pledge (guarantee) of our inheritance

                        2.         John 3:5 - Must be born of water and Spirit

                        3.         John 1:13 - Born by the will of God (who is Spirit)

                        4.         I John 5:1 - Born of God

                        5.         I John 5:6-8 - The three witnesses to salvation: water, blood, and Spirit

III.       The next reason for praising Christ is our submission to God’s mercy

            A.        Submission

                        1.         Submission is the willingness to follow someone else’s lead.

                        2.         Christians are told to be in submission to many things

                                    a.         Romans 13:1 - Submission to government

                                    b.         Hebrews 13:17 - Elders

                                    c.         Ephesians 5:21 - To one another

                        3.         But most important is a willingness to follow God - James 4:6-10

            B.        How does submission lead to happiness?

                        1.         David showed this with his repentance over his sin with Bathsheba - Psalm 51

                        2.         Trust in God brings joy - Psalms 32:10-11

                        3.         Romans 15:13 - God fills us with joy through hope

                        4.         Jesus is our example - Hebrews 12:2

                        5.         Our trials are also our joy - I Peter 1:6-9

            C.        “Angels descending”

                        1.         Allusion to Jacob’s dream - Genesis 28:10-12

                        2.         What do the angels bring?

                                    a.         What is an echo? (a “shadow” of a voice)

                                    b.         Hebrews 2:1-3 - What did angels bring? When?

                                    c.         Colossians 2:16-17 - A mere shadow.

                        3.         What has been God’s message?

                                    a.         His love and his mercy on mankind.

IV.      Finally, we praise Christ in our contentment to wait for him

            A.        How does submission bring rest?

                        1.         Contentment in whatever circumstance - Philippians 4:11-13

                        2.         It comes from preparation:

I Can Sleep at Night

            A farmer needed a hired man. After trying several workers, all of whom failed to meet his standards, the farmer began to feel desperate.

            Then another worker applied for the job. The farmer asked him, “What qualifies you for this job?”

            The man answered, “I can sleep at night.”

            That didn’t sound too promising, but since he was desperate, the farmer hired hte newcomer.

            That night there was a terrific thunderstorm. The farmer awoke, ran to the hired man’s room and tried to arouse him. He could not.

            Muttering to himself something like, “I’ll take care of him in the morning,” the farmer went outside into the night and the driving rain. He found the barn doors securely closed, the haystack well covered and the tractor put away in the shed. There was nothing he could do but return to the house and go back to bed. Then he understood why his new hired man had said, “I can sleep at night.”

John Van Schepen

            B.        The preparation in the song is being in my Savior.

                        1.         “In” to enter and join.

                        2.         How do we enter? - Galatians 3:26-29

                        3.         In Christ are all blessings - Ephesians 1:3

            C.        Waiting for God - Psalms 37:7-11

                        1.         Too often we are impatient to see results.

                        2.         Sometime look up the passages that speak of waiting for God. There are a large number of them.

                        3.         Moses told the Israelites to stand still and see what God would do - Exodus 14:13

                        4.         Fear makes us impatient and rash. We cannot allow our fear to loose sight of our God - II Chronicles 20:15-18, 20-22