You Can Have Assurance

You Can Have Assurance

by Wayne Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Matthew 16:13
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

A serious question is brought to light here: "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"

Jesus is asking His disciples about the things they were hearing — the things the crowd was saying about Him (not that He didn't know, but He wanted to hear it from His disciples).

Matthew 16:14
And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

We see here that there were a lot of thoughts about who Jesus was. Notice that all the names mentioned here were great men of God. It isn't so much what they said here, but what they didn't say: They weren't saying that He is the Christ.

Matthew 16:15
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

So Jesus said all the other to get to this point: "Whom do YOU say that I am?" In other words, Whom do you believe that I am? He wanted His disciples to fully know Who He is.

It Takes Revelation

Matthew 16:16
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Peter was quite bold in his expression. No matter what those people out there had to say — though they were saying some great things — Peter got down to Who Jesus really is: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Peter had to find this fact out some way to make a bold statement like this.

It's not always what some person tells me, but it's what the Spirit of God would tell me — it's what God would show me, what God would say. That would become more important because I didn't hear it from the crowd; I didn't hear it from a few people, but I heard it and knew it from the Spirit of God.

Matthew 16:17
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.

Jesus was willing, then, to let them find out Who He is, rather than, with His own mouth, telling them Who He is.

Peter knew that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He found this out from the Father. No man revealed it to him.

We think, then, that there are some pretty important things that should be heard and known. And how many things do we know only because God showed them to us, because He revealed them to us?

There are many things we wouldn't know unless God revealed them to us. But there's no greater point that we should learn than what the Father had revealed to Peter: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the Father's Christ.

That word Christ is Greek, and is one and the same as the Hebrew word Messiah. It's merely a matter of language.

But to know Who Jesus really is — and to know it because it has been revealed to you deep down in your heart!

We teach Jesus out of the Bible, but it really takes God to make this known. Many things are taught to us:

I John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.

The anointing: We have an anointing given to us — the presence of the indwelling Spirit. He's always at work revealing to us. He teaches us, bringing the Word home to our heart. We might hear it with our ears, but it takes the Holy Spirit to bring it into the heart and quicken it so it becomes alive and real.

To Peter, this truth was alive and real: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! And this truth should be just as real to you and me.

Truths that Bring Assurance

There are so many things we need to know about Him. And there are so many things we already know that we need to learn to apply.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

Here's a great truth that's revealed — Jesus taking on the title of the great I AM: "I am the way! I am the truth! I am the life!"

If we took these three thoughts and kept them together, letting the Holy Spirit work them into our heart and soul, what assurance they would really give to us.

You want to go to heaven, don't you? You want to be there in His presence. Jesus made it very clear that no man can come unto the Father but by Him.

He is the way — the way unto heaven, the way unto eternal life. He is the truth — there are all these so-called gods (little 'g' gods) that are nothing more than a piece of wood or stone or something else: but there is one real God. He's neither stone nor wood. He's not a thing, but He is the true and living God.

We recognize when Jesus is saying, "I AM the way," He is the way God made for us to get to heaven. It is through the cross, through the sufferings of Jesus, through the blood. Yes, through the sacrifice of Christ the way was made — He is the way.

So we're not looking for another god; we're not looking for another saviour. There is none other. If someone teaches any other saviour, they are teaching a lie.

I AM the truth. We have to bear up to the truth. The truth is a very important subject. Jesus is the truth. He is the truth. We see in Him the way and the truth — and we also see in Him the life.

Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory (italics mine).

Christ is our life. Our life is in Him. God gave unto Him to give life unto us and to raise us up in that day.

Well, it's knowing Jesus, and it's having Jesus revealed to us.

Has this happened to you? If so, it's not by mere accident that you really know Jesus. He has been revealed to you.

The Holy Spirit is the Revealer

Jesus set forth in His own work to reveal His Father unto us. And in His teachings He makes the Father known. If you want to know about the Father, read the teachings of Jesus. He's the one who makes that real to us.

But, then, we see Jesus has been raised up from the dead and ascended into heaven, and the Holy Spirit now makes Him real to us. So we don't just know Jesus: the Holy Spirit makes Him real to us. One of the things that would tell us He has been made real is because we can let our heart go to love Him so deeply and so richly. We can have such great fellowship with Him. It's there! It's ours!

Think, then, that the Father would reveal something which flesh and blood didn't reveal, but it is revealed by the Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit living within who reveals these great truths to us.

Jesus asked a question — Peter answered. And Jesus lets him know he didn't receive that answer from man — it was the work of the Father making the Son of God real to him.

I'm glad that God can make these things real so we don't have to just depend on the words of people. We're not depending on flesh and blood, but on the Spirit.

Thank God that in the midst of our flesh we have the Holy Spirit, and we can trust His leading in our life.

I know there are those who get off into error, saying the Spirit is leading them contrary to the written Word of God. But we can trust in the true leadings of the Holy Spirit, that He will lead us to walk in truth.

You Can Trust Jesus

I serve the true and living God — and He's real. I serve a God Who is ever present with me. He's always there — both day and night. He'll not leave me, nor will He forsake me.

We need to know in our hearts that we should depend on the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom God has sent — leaning hard, fully trusting, putting ourselves in that place where we reach out to fully commit ourselves to trusting Him.

Many times in life you find yourself where you have occasion to put yourself out there to trust Him. The world might say you're climbing out on a limb and the limb might break . . . but not in Jesus! We can fully trust Him. But we have to learn through experience. It's experience that teaches us to trust Him.

I didn't learn to trust the Lord over night. I didn't learn to trust the Lord all in one day. I learned to trust day by day.

And as the experiences of life arise, it's in those experiences and through those experiences that Jesus is made manifest just like He was here with Peter.

It was just through those days, just walking along with Jesus, seeing His works and so on. But when it got down to who He truly was, Jesus makes it known that flesh and blood had not revealed that. It was the work of the Father to reveal that to Peter.

Let's be in that place in our experience where we learn about trusting. We have to trust in some things, but we also have to trust in Somebody.

We don't live all alone in this world (even though we might think we do). Some folks might live alone in a house, but they're not alone. Jesus is there.

We find that life's circumstances bring us into a place where we learn to trust Him. We learn to trust Him to heal us. We learn to trust Him to supply our needs.

We also need to learn to trust Him for our salvation, for our being caught up with Him and meeting Him in the air.

There's a lot of things we've got to trust the Lord for when there's no other way — that is, no other way but to trust in Him.

I'm glad I can trust Him as the way, the truth, and the life. There's no searching going on in my heart where I'm looking for someone else. I'm not looking for another door, for another way. I'm perfectly convinced in my heart that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. If I believe that and I trust in that, one day my standing before the Father will be on the merits of Jesus — not upon my good works.

It will be on the merits of Jesus alone — the cross, the blood, the grace that's given us to bring us through.

We learn to trust Him. Let's be in that place where it's our way to trust Him fully — leaning on Him, depending on Him.

Do you think the Lord wants us, somehow, to grow so strong that we don't have to lean on Him? that we don't have to depend on Him?

There is no such place. We'll always have to lean on Him. He is the way! He is the truth! and He is the life!

Now, there's a difference between just believing Him and trusting Him.

If we could really trust the Lord with all our heart . . . if we could just really believe and trust, then we could go on to where other things would come into our life.

Trust Brings Rest

One of the things trust brings is a rest in one's heart and soul. And when you find a resting place, it's like you're not working and laboring to know any more: You know. You're not working and laboring to believe: You simply believe. You're not working and laboring to try and find the Lord, to try and search Him out: You have found Him. Yes, you have found Him — and you know Him, and you trust Him. And now you can rest in Him.

Hebrews 4:9
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

While we're here in this world, the rest we find in trusting and knowing and believing is not the rest of a lazy person. It's not the rest of one who sits down with nothing to do.

This isn't talking about that type of rest. That's a physical rest. But we find a spiritual rest where we rest in Him in our heart and soul. And while we're resting in Him, we feel free in our spirit to walk in the Spirit and to live in the Spirit — going forth in Him to do the things that He would want us to do.

We're not wrestling or struggling in our walk any more — we have a complete trust in Jesus.

Peace

Now, there are things that He wants us so much to have, things He has given that we need — things like His peace:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

He left His peace with us. When you have something given you, it's for you to possess. You have it. It's yours. It belongs to you. He gave us His peace. Therefore it shouldn't be war, nor should it ever be a struggle in our soul.

We think of peace as calmness, as stillness, as quietness. And that is a type of true peace, but there is also another kind of peace: Jesus left His peace with us — a perfect peace between Him and His Father.

Ephesians 2:13,14
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.

True peace is peace with God. When you make peace with God at the altar of salvation, you make peace on God's terms. You don't come and say, "Well, God, I'll be at peace with You if You . . ."

No, you come surrendering. You come holding a white flag up and saying, "Lord, I surrender! God forgive me." You turn your heart and life over to Him, and in the surrendering up of your own way unto the Lord's way, you find a peace.

So, through the cross, God made peace with us. Through the mediator, Christ, peace was made. Christ mediated a peace between God and man.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Before we found Christ, we were at war with God. We were at the place where the wrath of God was abiding upon us. It was because of our wickedness, because of our evil ways. But God made it that we could have peace with Him — and we can only have that peace through Christ.

Man, now, saved and sanctified, is at peace with God. Before that, where were we? I'll tell you where we were — we were a long ways from God!

Today, do you feel at peace with God? Do you have peace in your heart and soul? Has something been settled — as the song says, "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago"?

What was that song writer thinking about? The Old Account. In the book of heaven there was a recording of all of our deeds — from our birth right up to our salvation. There was a book that contained all that we ever did: an indictment, you might say. A complete record.

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

God knew what we had done. Salvation brought us forgiveness of sins past. So when we came to the Lord, all our past sins were forgiven. They were blotted out, not charged against us in the Book any more.

We ought to rejoice in that. Why shouldn't we rejoice? Do you believe there's a book still up there containing your sins, that your sins are not forgiven you? If you believe that, then you need to get down to the altar and cry out to God that He will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you.

When He does, they are removed, washed away, to be remembered against you no more.

Revelation 21:27
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Sin was charged against us all our life until salvation — till the record was settled. Then God opened a new book: the Lamb's Book of Life.

Imputed Righteousness

One of the great things that was imputed to us was the righteousness of Christ. His righteousness is given to us. His righteousness is added to us so that we have a righteousness that's a perfect righteousness.

It's not our righteousness. It's His righteousness that is imputed in the Book for us. It's given by faith. By faith we receive it, not by works.

Now, why should you let your heart be so tossed and torn without peace? What is there that you should be so alarmed about? What would cause you to lose your peace every day? You don't have to lose your peace — just keep believing and trusting.

You're going to get to heaven on the basis of what Jesus did, not on the basis of what you did.

What did you do? The only thing you've done is believe — and that's all God requires of you.

Ephesians 2:8,9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation is the gift of God. We had little to do with it. When Christ suffered on the cross; when He said, "It is finished," He made the way for us to find life and peace. He became that mediator between man and God. And He'll make sure that all these things are there for us.

Now, God is always revealing truths to us. The lack of truth can make one fearful.

Many people are afraid. Some are afraid of their own shadow! Others are fearful because they lack a complete trust in the Lord, making them afraid that they're not saved, that they're not going to make it, or that they're not good enough — or some other fear about their walk with the Lord.

Let's realize in our hearts that when we receive Christ, He makes us what we are. And that's what He's going by.

You may shake and tremble at some things, but you're not saved by what you do. There are those things we should do, things which we are called to do.

We are called to not only believe, but in giving us this salvation, God also ordained us unto good works. Our manner of life, our manner of living should be bearing forth good works.

Instead of doing evil continually, instead of being a trouble maker, now we're in the place where our life is filled with good things. Our life is now filled with works of righteousness, works of peace, works of faith, works of love — things which add up to God as good things.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

He ordained us unto this. That's the life He would have us live: to love Him with our whole heart and to love one another.

So we put ourselves in this position when we hold fast and believe and trust — if we just totally depend on Him for our salvation and simply do those things that He has taught us to do.

Keep believing. Never cease to believe. Never let up from believing. Never draw back from believing.

We believe what Peter said: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

We know Him. We believe on Him. We know He's our way to heaven. So why wrestle and struggle?

May you find a place of rest and peace. But you won't be at peace as long as you believe you're at war. Are you at war with God?

People say, "I think God must be angry with me." They're not feeling what God feels.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

"You don't know My thoughts about you. I think thoughts of peace for you. I think about you walking with Me. I think about your relationship with Me, your fellowship with Me."

God thinks thoughts of good toward us. But while He's doing that, we may be down here saying: "God's angry with me. God must be mad with me." Don't ever say that!

God's anger could be kindled. In this last day there are a lot of people who kindle His anger by the way they walk. But let's understand that our relationship with Jesus is sound. It's real. And we've got to depend on it.

No matter how good you are, that's not going to get you to heaven. If you could get there on goodness, then Christ died in vain. If you could just be good and go to heaven, why would God put His Son to such abuse? Why would God subject His Son to Calvary? Why would He do that if we could go to heaven by just being good?

You can't go to heaven by being good. That's not the way. It took the sacrifice of Christ to bring forgiveness of sin.

Loving God Brings Obedience

Let's hold fast in our walk and our trust, and let's get our love for the Lord fired up. When our love is really fired up, when it's really hot, then we really love Him, then our heart really reaches out to Him with a first love.

And if we love Him from day to day, there's nothing that will please God as much as that.

Bear in your mind this truth: When a man really loves the Lord, he won't be trying to get around His commandments and His teachings. Someone who really loves the Lord will want to keep His commandments.

John 14:15
If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

If you love Him, then you will obey Him. He wrote His covenant upon the fleshly tables of our heart. He gave us a new heart and a new spirit, and He wrote down His commandments deep within us.

His commandments are not grievous. They don't have to be enforced. You want to keep them. They're like the fence you build to keep your children from running into the street. You look out and see them running across the yard, and you're glad the fence is there. When they come to that fence, they'll stop.

How important it is that we keep that fire burning. They that love Him are they that obey Him. And they that obey Him not are they who love Him not.

Without this love for Him how are you going to obey Him? How are you going to obey when you don't want Him? when you don't want to be with Him?

And to know that He loves you — does that mean a lot to you? Just think of the reality of that: He loves you!

Why does He love you? It's not because of who you are. Christ died for you — why shouldn't He love you? God loved His Son Jesus, and He told us that He loves us with an everlasting love.

Loving God will cause us deep in our heart to become obedient.

So this person Jesus — Who was revealed to Peter as the Christ, the Son of the living God — Peter loved Him. His own confession was, "Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee!" (See John 21:15). Our love has to radiate out to the Lord. Our greatest love should be centered on Him.

If you're one who loves the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, with all your soul, you shouldn't be having any trouble at all knowing Him.

That type of love isn't there just once in a while. It's a fire! a fire deep in your heart! Let's assure our hearts more and more that we're doing what's right because we know down in our hearts how much we love Him.

I don't forget that I love Sister Dailey. And I wouldn't want her to forget to love me. And I wouldn't want her to love me because I carry a big stick!

No, we live together, and we love one another. And we should love one another. We should cherish one another.

And I live with Jesus. Don't you live with Him?

Expect Him to do things to promote love in your life, things to let you know how much He loves you.

He gets down where your capacity to love is, right down in the depths of your heart, where His love is shed abroad.

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts