Our reading today from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes from chapter 18 of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation, paragraph 3. This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance, so far is it from inclining men to looseness. So far, as we have looked at the assurance of grace and salvation, we've distinguished between a false assurance and a true assurance, and we've discussed three reasons for why we can have a certainty of an infallible assurance of faith.

The blood and righteousness of Christ, inward evidences of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. Today, we will address the position that a believer may lack infallible or full assurance, yet he has a duty to pursue it and thus receive the benefits of assurance of faith. Understand that there are some churches that hold to the position that it's not possible to have assurance of salvation unless God gave them some extraordinary, special revelation, and that ordinary means of pursuing a personal assurance of salvation is not possible. There was a concern that infallible assurance would lead to antinomianism, that there is no moral law God expects Christians to obey, or licentiousness, which is a lack of moral restraint, especially sexual restraint, that if one had full assurance of his salvation, why should he obey God's law? On the other extreme, there are some churches that teach that if you do not have a full assurance of salvation, then you're not even a believer.

You're not converted, and you don't have faith. Our confession contradicts both of these positions that extraordinary revelations are not necessary, that the right use of means or ordinary means of grace are sufficient to achieve full assurance. Also, we don't have to have assurance of our salvation in order to be in a state of grace. Faith in Christ is essential to one's salvation, not the assurance of that faith. The point is that salvation is tied to our relationship with God.

The assurance of our salvation is tied to how we feel about that relationship. Let's take a look again at the first part of our paragraph today. This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be a partaker of it. Joel Beeke states, we must first understand the relationship between faith and assurance. Assurance arises from the essence of faith, just as apples naturally grow on apple trees.

Assurance is the cream of faith. The essence of faith is trust. Faith grasps the covenant God and finds him sufficient. As Psalms 18.2 says, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust. Therefore, believers may rightfully have assurance of their salvation.

David confesses, The Lord is my shepherd. In Psalm 23, Paul declares, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Second Timothy 1, 12. The essence of assurance is knowing that I'm saved, that my sins are forgiven and I belong to God. And therefore, I know and experience communion with the triune God. However, assurance is not automatic.

Assurance is the fruit of saving faith. Just as an unseasonable frost may prevent a living tree from bearing fruit for a season, assurance may be wanting where there is true faith, and it may even be lost to a believer for a time. The Westminster Larger Catechism reinforces this point. Salvation, once a person really has it, is permanent. It cannot be lost.

But a person's certainty of it in his own consciousness is often obscured and interfered with by temptations, lapses into sin, or lack of understanding of the truths that are involved. For those he's actually called who are given saving faith, they are freed from the bondage of sin but not from sin. We still have a sinful nature, and there rages within us a battle between flesh and spirit, for the flesh lusts against the spirit." Galatians 5.17. It is not surprising, then, that faith that dwells in the heart of a believer is also dwelling in a heart that is tainted by remaining sin. John Calvin concluded that while we teach that faith ought to be certain and assured, we cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety.

How certain are you of your faith? Do you have any doubts? Is there something happening to you in your life that is causing you to question your faith, to question your relationship with God? So what is to be done for the believer who has wavering or little assurance? Our confession helps us with this issue, encouraging us to pursue our assurance because we should be able to attain it with ordinary means.

Let's read the next part of our paragraph today. Yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given Him of God, He may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means attain their unto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure. As believers, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Hereby we know that we dwell in Him and He in us because he hath given us his Spirit, 1 John 4.13.

It is the gift that keeps on giving. It is the Holy Spirit that comforts us, that helps us, that guides us, and that enables us to know the things that God gives to us. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 Corinthians 2.12. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3, 17-19.

We don't need extraordinary revelation to know that God loves us, that we are the children of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Romans 8, 15 through 16. We can, in the right use of means or in the ordinary means of grace, attain full assurance of our salvation. The author of Hebrews writes, and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.

That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6, 11, and 12. He desires that you show the same diligence to pursue the full assurance of hope unto the end. Same as what? Well, as he's speaking here, He's referring to the same as their work and their labor of love shown towards God's name and ministering to the saints. He calls us to be diligent, not slothful, to be imitators of them who had patiently waited, who had labored, and who had suffered in the obedience of faith and remained faithful.

This is not extraordinary. This is normal. This is ordinary. It is the right use of the means of grace. It's the biblical means of pursuing assurance.

Peter also extorts us to diligence. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, 2 Peter 1, 10. It is the Bible, God's Word, that tells us to make our calling and election sure. If we are lacking in assurance, it is our duty to pursue it. Well, what does that look like?

Pastor Jeffrey Smith offers four areas to focus on to be diligent towards growing in our assurance. Number one, give diligence to obtaining clearer and fuller views of the gospel. Be learning more and more about Christ, about His goodness, about His mercy, about the work He has accomplished for sinners by His obedience and death, His promises to all who look to Him in faith and meditate on them. Number two, give diligence to grow in grace and in practical godliness. Nurture the evidences of grace in your heart and life.

Sustain a habit of private prayer. Devotional input of God's word and consistent attendance at church and weekly prayer meetings. Love your neighbor as yourself. Number three, give diligence to proper and prayerful self-examination. There are few things more useful than honest self-examination to keep us humble, to keep us from turning to our own righteousness, and to cause us to build our hope of acceptance with God more firmly and exclusively on Christ, on Christ alone and what He has done for us.

Number four, give diligence to praying for the witness of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who makes these things effectual and to produce a conscious and strong assurance of salvation. If we would want more assurance, we must pray for greater measures of the operations of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we turn pages throughout scripture, we also find many passages that give us practical guidance for the pursuit of assurance, how we should live. In Colossians 312, therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, with kindness, with humility, gentleness, and patience.

From Galatians 5.23, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. In Matthew 5.3 through 10, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are the meek, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake. And finally, 2nd Peter 1, 5 through 7, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue knowledge and knowledge with self-control and self-control with steadfastness and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he's blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.

For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall." Second Peter 1, 8-10. Do any of these qualities describe you? Are they visible in your daily life? Are you consistent in your private prayers, in your daily Bible study and Bible reading? Besides, just before the Lord's table, do you ever stop and take time to examine yourself?

This should be a continual practice. If you're doing these things already, that's great. Are they increasing over time? We should want to be fruitful and effective and if you find that you're lacking in these qualities, pray to God. Ask God for them.

For our God gives generously. If you're living out these qualities, ask God to grow them, to increase them over time. It is through living out these qualities that we gain more and more assurance of faith. In our final part of today's paragraph, we read about the benefits of having full assurance. That thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience.

The proper fruits of this assurance. So far is it from inclining men to looseness. These are the proper fruits of the assurance of salvation, of faith, that the heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Spirit. The psalmist states, I will run the course of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart. Psalm 1, 1932.

Well, what does it mean here to enlarge my heart? Barnes notes on the Bible explains, the phrase to enlarge the heart means to make it free, to deliver it from all hindrances of what is right, to fill it with noble and holy purposes, to stimulate and animate it. The heart is contracted or made narrow by selfishness, pride, vanity, ambition, covetousness. It is made large by charity, love, hope, and benevolence. How great it would be to have a heart enlarged, swollen, because it was filled beyond capacity with peace and joy and love, thankfulness and cheerfulness.

Paul tells us that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 4.17. And he prays that, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15.13. In the Gospel of John, after Jesus announced to his disciples that he will be going to prepare a place for them and that he will be sending another comforter, Jesus speaks Kynes words to his disciples, 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. John 14, 27. Are you at peace? Is there trouble in your heart? Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night anxious about something or someone, or a problem in a relationship, or a concern over finances or work.

Look to Christ. It is Christ who loves you. He loves you so much that he died for you. Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5, 7. Jesus tells us, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11-28. And Paul tells us to be careful for nothing, but in everything. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4, 6, and 7. This does not mean that there will be no conflicts in your life.

It means that He will give you peace even through the various conflicts of your life. A peace that passes all understanding. What a joy to have peace rather than a troubled heart. What a blessing to have our hearts enlarged by the presence of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, that our hearts would be enlarged in love and thankfulness to God.

The source of all love is God Himself. God is love. We read in 1 John 4 19, we love because He first loved us. So we have come to know, to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 John 4.16. What is our response? Our response to His love, to His grace, is a life of grateful holiness, a life of grateful obedience to His commands. The psalmist proclaims, I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Psalm 9, verse 1.

When our hearts are enlarged in thanksgiving to God, we cannot but help to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5, 18. John Bloom comments, gratitude is what we experience when we perceive that what we have received is an undeserved gift of God's grace. It is a fruit of humility. It is inherently unselfish. Pride, on the other hand, always looks more powerful than humility on the outside.

But in reality, it's not. It's not even close. Humility is stronger than pride. In the same way, thankfulness is stronger than lust, which is a form of covetousness. And serving is stronger than exploiting.

The more thankfulness that is present in us, the less vulnerable we are to sin. That's why the Bible talks so much about Thanksgiving. Thankful people have set their eyes on God, recognizing to some degree how much grace we are receiving right now, trusting Him to cover all our sin and work our painful past for good, and looking to Him for all we need tomorrow and into eternity. Souls that learn to be content in God in whatever situation are souls that are the least vulnerable to temptation, particularly covetous temptations. As we look to celebrate this Thanksgiving this week, commit yourself to developing a habit of being thankful in all circumstances.

As you sit with your family this week over a meal or family worship or some other opportunity, share with each other all the things that you're thankful for. Have your kids join in. Don't stop after Thanksgiving Day. Make this a regular part of your week. Pray that it will become more and more a natural part of your daily life.

Finally, our hearts can be enlarged in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. We obey God because we love him, and he loves us. If you love me, you will keep my commandments," John 14, 15. Our obedience is not an effort to earn salvation. It is not a burden that we loathe.

Our obedience to God is a sacrifice of love, a reasonable service. Paul writes to the church in Rome, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12.1. Dr. Sproul comments, assurance of salvation gives us not only peace, but also joy.

It increases our love and gratitude to God, and it strengthens our resolve to be obedient. Here is where the assurance of salvation facilitates sanctification. If Satan can keep us unsure of our salvation, he can accuse us and keep us from being productive. The more certain we are of our salvation, the more resolved we are to obey God. Assurance gives us cheerfulness in the duties of obedience.

The proper fruits of this assurance, so far is it from inclining men to looseness. Instead of inclining men to negligence or looseness, assurance of faith tends properly to increase spiritual peace and joy, love and thankfulness to God, and strength and cheerfulness in the work of obedience. Amen.