Assurance
Our CO detector sounded late last night, then stopped. No apparent reason. A fluke? It sounded again in the middle of the night, then stopped. That was it. I couldn’t get back to sleep again. Was there a real danger? I got up and began scouring through the newspaper columns of fine print instructions that came with our unit. Nothing! I searched online. Each manufacturer had a different explanation of possible CO behaviours. Over an hour had passed and I was no more certain as to our safety or danger.
The desire for assurance of safety, security, shelter and sustenance is natural to fallen mankind. In the beginning, as our Creator intended it, there was for our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, no sense of this need. Everything was provided in God’s original design. Paradise knew no lack. God, the Creator, walked among them and their fellowship was sweet. All was well with their souls.
But sin changed everything!
Oswald Chambers comments,
“We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that.” – Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, June 23 entry.
Spiritual assurance of one’s salvation and acceptance before God is only possible as we recognize this fact of sin… personal sin… personal “blatant mutiny against God” and as we are willing to surrender our rebellion to His Lordship. We must decide which will live in our lives: sin, or God. We cannot have both!
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24).
I finally found what I needed to do regarding our CO detector. Assurance is always found when one finds, faces, and follows the instructions.
Press on…
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