Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleNovember 24
Bible TextColossians 2:2
Date24-Nov-2014
Series Daily Readings
Article Type Article
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

November 24

 

Colossians 2: 2: That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

 

    There are believers who God has truly saved who do not realize they have assurance that God has truly saved them. One of the problems is where they look for assurance and what they think assurance is. We make a mistake if we look to past experiences, to religious works, to our fruit and love toward others, or if we seek a feeling. We, indeed, should seek assurance. But we will never have it if we seek assurance any place but where assurance is to be found. The assurance of understanding is given through the preaching of the gospel in spirit and in truth. (Col 1: 23) It is revealed by God. (Col 1: 26-27; Lu 10: 21) And it is in Christ alone. So, if we would have true assurance of understanding we must come to God, hearing the gospel and believing on Christ.

   First, full assurance of understanding is Christ himself. The hope of the gospel is not a what, it is a whom, “Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach,…” (Col 1: 27-29) The full assurance of understanding is knowing Christ himself from Christ himself, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2: 3) The highest wisdom and knowledge we obtain is Christ, whom to know is life eternal. (Jn 17: 3) “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” (Col 2: 5-6) When God reveals Christ in our heart, we do not begin in Christ then turn elsewhere for assurance. We go on walking in Christ, getting all wisdom and knowledge from Christ about Christ. (Col 2: 7-9) Everything God will reveal to us concerning God, our salvation and our pilgrimage in this world is in Christ.

   Two, full assurance of understanding is in what Christ has accomplished for his people. We have full assurance knowing we are complete in Christ. (Col 2: 10) Full assurance of understanding believes the body of the sins of our flesh has been put off by Christ, not by our hands. (Col 2: 11) We have full assurance believing that Christ accomplished this for us when our old man was buried in the baptism of God’s justice unto death when Christ endured that baptism on the cross. (Col 2: 12) Believers are fully assured believing our new man arose to eternal life with Christ when God raised him from the dead. (Col 2: 12) We have full assurance because while we were dead in our sins, God quickened us together with Christ, forgave us of all our trespasses, erased every charge against us, and took the law out of the way from barring our access to God. (Col 2: 13)

    Believer, full assurance of understanding is not found looking to self or listening to men who point us to the law. Assurance is given through hearing the truth preached in the gospel, by divine revelation, and is Christ and his finished works. By the term “assurance”, Paul means that we are settled on Christ in faith. When we know and believe the Lord Jesus we are done wavering between the various opinions of man’s vain imaginations. We stand fast in Christ, knowing we have this understanding from Christ so that we know the true Christ and are in the true Christ. The Apostle John said that, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1Jo 5:20) Whether we have a feeling of assurance or not does not change the truth that the believer has full assurance because our full assurance is Christ Jesus the Son of God himself.