“BLESSED ASSURANCE”
Our Bible reading this past week in 1 Kings has been filled with unrest, conflict, and division; anything but blessed assurance. After reading last Monday’s assignment, my mind went back to the following true story:
The hospital room was small for two patients but a curtain was drawn down the middle of the room to offer some sense of privacy. I had been called to the bedside of one of God’s saints, a four-score and more sister-in-Christ, who was getting ready to meet her Maker face to face. We talked; I read a Scripture of comfort and sang a song.
Then she said the words many before her have said to me in similar situations. Words of doubt: “I hope I make it to heaven.” I felt led as I opened my pocket N.T. and read to her
1 John 5:12-13.
“He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
As I held her hand, I told my dear sister-in-Christ that 1 John was a little book filled with blessed assurance! Salvation is in Jesus; her life was in Him not in her performance. She had confessed her faith decades ago and had been immersed into Christ. She had lived a life of faith and the Apostle John wanted her to know that even now – she had eternal life! She smiled and said “Thank you.”
I told her I loved her and prayed with her again before she quietly dozed off. Hours later she passed. As our church family sang the song, “Blessed Assurance” at her funeral, I couldn’t help but remember our last conversation.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste 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; this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.”
God is good all the time and all the time God is good! Mr. Steve
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