Chapter One
Assurance
Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know
them, and they follow me. I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish; no one can
snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater than all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father's hand."
John 10:27-29
[God] has set a day when he will judge the world
with justice by the man he has appointed. He has
given proof of this to all men by raising him from
the dead.
Acts 17:31
I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13
The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness
and confidence forever.
Isaiah 32:17
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal
life and will not be condemned; he has crossed
over from death to life."
John 5:24
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Romans 8:35, 37-39
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
Psalm 56:4
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:23-26
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:10-11
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's
mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due
time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
I know whom I have believed, and am convinced
that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to
him for that day.
2 Timothy 1:12
Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalm 55:22
Jesus said, "I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more important
than food, and the body more important
than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
much more valuable than they? Who of you by
worrying can add a single hour to his life? And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the
lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these."
Matthew 6:25-29
Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that
in me you may have peace. In this world you will
have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world."
John 16:33
There is terror on every side; . But I trust in
you, O Lord;
I say, "You are my God."
Psalm 31:13-14
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this.
Psalm 37:4-5
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is for you and your children
and for all who are far off-for all whom the
Lord our God will call.
Acts 2:38-39
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions
from us.
Psalm 103:11-12
No matter how many promises God has made,
they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the
"Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now
it is God who makes both us and you stand firm
in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership
on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, until heaven and
earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear
from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do the same
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but
whoever practices and teaches these commands
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:18-19
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Proverbs 3:24-26
Reflection on Assurance
Adopted through Love
As Christians, we are spiritually adopted by
God because he loves us. God speaks to us
through our love for one another, no matter how
we came into the "family." God's love makes us
part of his family regardless of our external situation.
God's love through Jesus draws us close and
reminds us: "I wanted you. I love you."
As God's children we are called to constantly
remember: "For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John
3:16).
Good parents take care of their children. We
have become a part of the family of God through
adoption because God wanted us-and still does.
Rejoice! You have been adopted!
V. Fisher
(Continues.)
