DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Our Father, our faith is in you; our expectation is from you; our love goes out towards you. We believe you; we accept every word of your sacred revelation as being eternal and immutable truth. Sometimes we are troubled to know whether the promises are for us—whether we really have a share in covenant blessings; but we thank you that you have helped many of us to hold a trial in the court of conscience, and since our heart condemns us not we have confidence towards God (1 John 3:21).
Let this be the portion of all your children. May we come away from doubting and fearing and hesitating, and may we believe. Oh, for the faith which trusts the bare promise of God! Let us not be asking for signs and wonders, and withholding faith because these are not given to us; but whatever we find in your Word, may we believe it to be sure truth, and hang our souls upon it.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God” (1 John 3:21)
Think of the trial held in the inner court of man’s nature, within his heart. A man may get an acquittal from this court of conscience, for the question laid before the heart can be settled. It can be ascertained whether I sincerely believe in Jesus Christ. The court has before it no difficulty beyond its faculty; it is quite competent to decide the question in the light of Scripture by the help of God.
Note that this verdict has to be given upon gospel principles. The question before the court of conscience is not, “Have I perfectly kept the law?” The answer to that is simple enough: “There is no one righteous on the earth who continually does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The question is, “Am I a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? Am I resting in him for salvation, and do I prove the truth of that faith by loving God and loving others?
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Are you really saved? (You CAN know for sure)
Today’s prayer and verse are an invitation to examine yourself to see if we really are saved. Here’s a resource to help you examine yourself: Am I Really a Christian? by Mike McKinley.
This book is a short Bible study on seven ways that the New Testament describes all Christians. If these things are true of you, then praise God, you can have assurance that you are born again. If these things are not true of you, then come to the cross in faith and find life in Jesus’ resurrection.
This book is a great resource for any Christian struggling with assurance. It is also a great book to read with a non-believer who claims to be a Christian — buy two and read it with a nominal Christian you know this year.
I hope you’ll take seriously the call to examine yourself, and I know that this book will be a helpful tool in the process.