Blessed Assurance
by Tracy Gordon
“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 8:38-39
As we head into Holy Week toward Resurrection Sunday, I have found myself focusing on how blessed I am to be saved by Christ and the blessed assurance He gives us. This blessed assurance makes me think of my precious grandmother and her spiritual encounter that I had the privilege to witness.
It was Mother’s Day of 2018 and our extended family had gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day and the May birthdays in our family. My Memaw, 97 at the time was sitting in her favorite reclining chair that faced the front door waiting for her hugs as everyone entered. After everyone had arrived, my daughter Holly and I were chatting with her when all of the sudden she said, “Holly, answer the door! Come on now, let him in!” Holly and I looked at each other not knowing what to do as there was no one at the door. We politely told her that nobody was there and that everyone had arrived to the party. She looked at us like we were nuts and insisted that we let “Him” in. When we asked, “Who, Memaw?” she screamed at the top of her lungs, “It’s Jesus for Heaven’s sake!!” Wow, we were stunned, but what came next was amazing. A little while later, out of the blue, Memaw started singing. Now mind you, the only songs we ever heard Memaw sing were silly songs she made up, and she did not have a great voice. But now she was singing a beautiful hymn at the top of her lungs: ”Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His spirit, washed in His blood.” Thankfully, I thought quickly enough to grab my phone and was able to record her. It is a precious gift our family will treasure forever. We firmly believe she had an incredible encounter with her Lord that day and that He was “assuring” and preparing her to come Home. One week later, He escorted Memaw to her Heavenly home.
Fanny Crosby, who wrote the hymn Blessed Assurance, became blind shortly after birth. She went on to pen more than 3,000 hymns. Crosby wrote out of the conviction and the solace she had found in the Lord. She felt that there was no greater or more blessed reality than to know that Jesus is yours and that the Lord holds you in His hand (John 10:27-29).
What a comfort and relief it is to know with certainty that you abide in Christ and that He abides in you (John 6:56; 15:4-5). How glorious it is to have, as we read in Hebrews 6:11, “the full assurance of hope.” The message from this hymn is one that is such a blessing to hide deep in our hearts; a musical expression of praise and glory to God for His work of salvation in our lives. Crosby wrote about the assurance Christ gives us of His redemptive work in our lives here on earth and a foretaste of the glorious rejoicing that will take place through all eternity.
In Romans 8:38-39, Paul writes, “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.” Here he is emphasizing the assurance of salvation. Once someone truly believes in Christ and asks Him into their heart, nothing can separate them from God’s love and the promise of salvation. These verses also offer comfort in suffering in times of hardship, reminding followers of Christ that God’s love remains constant despite death, trials, or spiritual challenges.
One of the greatest blessings of life is to have full assurance of faith. Blessed assurance can be a testimony we all share as we consider the provisions of God in our past, the presence of God in our present, and the promises of God in our future. May the Lord fill your heart with His blessed assurance today.
Lord Jesus, thank You that we are heirs of Your salvation. We have the blessed assurance that we are redeemed from sin and saved for eternity in Heaven. Thank You for such wondrous love and abundant provision on our behalf. In Your precious Name we pray, Amen.
Please enjoy the hymn, Blessed Assurance.