Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance

Chad Werkhoven

2 hours ago

You can know for sure if God has elected you.

Hebrews 11:1-6 (NIV)

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Articles 1-11

Article 12: The Assurance of Election

Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,
1. though by various stages
2. and in differing measure.
Such assurance comes
1. not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,
2. but by noticing within themselves,
  1. with spiritual joy and holy delight,
  2. the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—
  3. such as
    1. a true faith in Christ,
    2. a childlike fear of God,
    3. a godly sorrow for their sins,
    4. a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.

Summary

When we read this passage last year, we noted that there's so much meaning packed into the Greek word translated as confidence that it takes multiple English words to capture the essence. Faith certainly results in confidence, but it also enables you to be sure, to realize what you hoped for, so that you have full assurance and conviction that what God has communicated to us in His Word is absolutely true.

True learning and understanding are only possible for those who have faith in God's Word. Sure, people can discover facts apart from true faith, but on their own they'll often assemble all of those facts in a way that conveys something far different than the truth, sort of like the incomprehensible picture that would come out of forcing puzzle pieces together in the wrong order. It's only by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

But even more importantly, you need true faith to make you right with God. Abel's offering wasn't any different than Cain's, but only Abel's was acceptable because he offered it in faith, and therefore God commended it as righteous. In other words, as the Bible also says of Abraham, God credited righteousness - the most important thing you need to be at peace with God - to Abel based on faith alone.

Dig Deeper

Can you really know if this unconditional election we've been studying all year applies to you? It would be nice if the thumbs of those God elected turned blue or we had some other sort of physical mark we could see to know for sure if God had chosen us or not.

Even though your thumb won't change color, you can be just as certain of your election as if it had. This week we're going to be discovering how God conveys assurance of your eternal and unchangeable election to salvation through four unmistakable fruits of election. The first of these four fruits is a true faith in Christ.

As we've already learned this year, the only way that you can have true faith is if God gives it to you. This means that if you truly do trust Christ as your Savior, you have faith, and therefore can be certain of your election! And since you know that God's election is irrevocable, you can continue to be certain of it even when doubt encroaches upon your faith.

As an added bonus, this faith you've been given in your election helps you fulfill the very purpose you were created for. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but because you believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, you can confidently do the work He's set before you, knowing that it's pleasing and acceptable to Him through Christ.

AAA Prayer (About)

ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is pleased with all those He's given faith to;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will make every effort to build up the faith that you've been given;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: