Assurance - The Spirit's Witness
Perhaps the most famous Wesley quote of all is this from John: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: and an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."
The Heart-Warming Gift of Certainty
Many books have been written about that quote alone, and many Methodist or Wesleyan projects get named "A Heart Strangely Warmed" after that unusual phrase.
Wesley, for years, had tried to prove himself to God by his good deeds. He had lived a life of great commitment, but he always felt that he was falling short of God's standard. He never knew, at this point, what we've spoken of this week - that salvation is a gift to be received by faith and repentance. He thought that his own efforts would get him right with God.
But on this particular day in 1738, he heard somebody reading about how God's grace is a gift, not something you can earn. And that's when he felt that strange warmth in his heart - and he realised that God had forgiven him, and that he was saved. This became the basis for the great Wesleyan doctrine of assurance.
Finding Rest in God's Promise
Christian assurance is the knowledge that you are saved, not that you might be saved hopefully. A lot of people don't have this assurance. They worry constantly that they are no longer in God's grace. The irony is, if you're worried about it, then you have nothing to worry about. It's a bit like the unforgiveable sin - if you're worried you've committed it, then you haven't. Because it is the hardening of the heart against God that is unforgiveable, and such a person would never worry about what they may have done to hurt God.
But sincere Christians, despite their imperfections, can know that they are forgiven - because their faith is not in their own works, but in Jesus' sacrifice. In fact Paul said this to the early Christians: "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:16). Assurance is this wonderful gift of God's Spirit, where the Spirit Himself gives you the knowledge that you belong to God.
The Anchor of the Soul
Charles Wesley captured this beautiful theme in the hymn "Arise, My Soul, Arise." Wesley writes "His Spirit answers to the blood, and tells me I am born of God." He's expressing how the Holy Spirit confirms within us what Christ's blood has accomplished for us. This isn't arrogance or presumption - it's the gentle, persistent whisper of God's Spirit saying, "You are mine."
Do you know that you are in good standing with God? If you do have this assurance, give thanks with a grateful heart. If you find yourself struggling with this, pray that the Spirit would give you this gift. May it be that like Wesley, your heart becomes strangely warmed as He draws near and whispers to you that you are His.
