Whats Assurance Got To Do With It?

What’s assurance got to do with it?

Quiz Time: True or False….                    Assurance=Love  ??

When a passage of scripture makes it onto my bathroom mirror, you know it has ‘arrived’ in the forefront of my heart and mind and the Lord is ‘working on it‘…. Or me…. Or it in my life :0)

1 John 2:15-17(AMP) reminds us:

¹⁵Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

¹⁶For all that is in the world

·        the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification]

·        and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind]

·        and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]

these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].

¹⁷And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

In this verse, John is reminding us not to love the things of this world, for they are fleeting and will pass away, but instead we should look to God and fulfill His purposes. 

When I saw the phrase “assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things“, my mind immediately jumped to The World Race.

The word assurance defines the “pride of life” and “the boasting of what man has or does” (NIV). Pride and Boasting are easy to identify as qualities I do not want in my life. Assurance and Stability on the other hand, are things I desire! How can these be bad? The heart of this caution lies in the source of our assurance or stability.

In what was will my Own Resources Fail me?

·        In deciding what to pack – how can I truly know what I will need

·        In what I bring – things break, get lost, ect

·        In having enough money – it truly takes a village

·        In thinking quickly on my feet in ministry – I will need the Holy Spirit instead of my own knowledge

·        In recalling specific Bible verses without a concordance – again, Holy Spirit needed

In what ways will the Stability of Earthly Things fail me?     

·        ·Our plans will usually be completely unstable

·        · Our transportation will be late, breakdown, or not show up at all

·        ·My luggage could be lost or stolen

·        ·My internet connection will be sporadic at best

·        ·In relying on my bank account to meet my needs – I may not have the funds I hope for

      But instead! I put my full trust, and hope in the Lord! My Assurance and Stability comes from Him and Him alone! AND ….. I Love Him for that!!!

As I look at the details of assurance, I choose to place my FULL assurance in my King, my Father, My Creative Maker….

as·sur·ance

1.    a positive declaration intended to give confidence:

2. promise or pledge; guaranty; surety:

3. full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty:

4. freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one’s abilities:

Where do you place your Assurance and find your Stability? It may say something about where you place your love. Sometime we can love ourselves more than we love the Lord and put our assurance in our own abilities or trust the stability we have built for ourselves. I encourage you to make the Lord your foundation. He is the Solid Rock beneath our feet when all else is sinking sand. This way, when you fail, and dear friend, you will….your world is not shaken! Let your Love and Assurance be in the Lord!