John said, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). From Genesis to Revelation, each biblical author wrote to people and sought to help the recipients to believe and to persevere in that belief. Biblical authors consistently testified to the certainty believers can have in the promised one, Jesus the Christ. Gospel assurance is a God-given confidence in Christ.
Gospel believers can experience this confidence in life and in death. This confidence is rooted in our present approval from the Father and in our future acceptance by the Father. This present approval and future acceptance are both found solely in the person and in the work of Jesus Christ.
Gospel assurance produces joy, comfort, and authentic obedience. Acts of mercy, works of righteousness, and love for neighbor come from assurance of one’s standing with the Father. If a Gospel believer loses sight of the work of Christ on his behalf, he will forfeit his assurance and he will not love his neighbor as he has been loved in the Gospel.
Why, then, do so many believers lack assurance? After all, John addressed a believing community when he said, “whoever fears.” If one notices, John used the word fear four times in this one verse. He does not do so accidentally. The Gospel believer faces fear on a regular basis. Fear is an alarmed conscience due to the guilt in our lives because of our lack of obedience to God.
John said, “fear has to do with punishment.” The believer’s fear considers what is deserved. Fear has to do with punishment, the consequences of our guilt. However, the believer’s conscience always considers the guilt, but the conscience never considers Christ.
John explained further, “perfect-love casts out fear.” In order to have Gospel-assurance, the Gospel believer must take his conscience to Christ. Christ not only saves sinners, but he also grants assurance to those sinners of their salvation.
There is a vast difference between being guilty and being innocent. The Bible does not speak of a person being innocent after they come to Christ. Rather, the biblical authors went to great lengths to explain that a believer becomes guiltless after coming to Christ. That is to say, God does not count the person as guilty because God counted that guilt on Christ at the Cross.
So, why do believers lack assurance? Why does guilt, instead of gratitude, drive believer’s obedience to the Father? The answer is sharp. Believers look to Christ for salvation, then they look to their good deeds for assurance. This is an awful cycle that must stop. Look to Christ for salvation; Look to Christ for assurance of that salvation.
Dr. Kevin Jackson is pastor of Grace Baptist Church.
