Assurance | Knowable Word

You Better Believe in Certain Vengeance

December 15, 2023 By Peter Krol

‌You better believe it’s worth it to keep going as a Christian. The second reason for this is the Lord’s certain vengeance.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26-31

‌A Serious Warning

Here is one place in the book of Hebrews where it’s tempting to disregard what the passage says. What I want to write is that Jesus paid it all, and that nothing can ever change that. So if you trust him, you are secure now and forever.

‌And that is all true — but only if you hold fast to your confession.

‌Heb 10:26 says that there is no sacrifice for deliberate sin. That’s right from the Old Testament. One of the most common misconceptions of the OT sacrificial system is that people could commit any sins they wanted, and then just go and offer a sacrifice to fix it and keep themselves good with God.

‌But the Prophets are abundantly clear that God hates sacrifices offered under such presumption. In the book of Leviticus, where the sacrificial law is laid out in great detail, there is no sacrifice prescribed for those who go on sinning deliberately, in total disregard of God, his commands, or his fatherly affection.

‌A Clear Warning

But don’t misunderstand me. When the author mentions “sinning deliberately,” he’s talking about something specific. He’s not talking about my struggle with overeating, nor with anyone’s honest struggle with lust, anger, or greed. Those are all problems that must be addressed, but those are not what he has in mind here.

In Heb 10:28, he talks about the law of Moses prescribing execution for those who set aside the law. He’s referring to Deut 17:2-6 which says the following:

‌“If there is found among you … a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them … then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death…

‌You see, the sort of “deliberate sin” that was punishable by death was the sin of transgressing the covenant — abandoning Yahweh, the God of Israel, as their God. Such folks might have still participated in temple worship as a cultural experience, but they did not hold fast to the true God as their God.

‌That’s what he’s talking about in Heb 10:26-31.

He’s talking about the same thing he talked about in Hebrews 6. He’s talking about those who give up on Jesus. Those who decide it’s not worth it to keep going with him. Those who believe they can find something better than Jesus in this world and in the acceptance of those who are in this world.

‌He’s talking about what we call apostasy: the act of denying the Christian faith, renouncing Jesus Christ as your king and priest, and relying on yourself to figure out what is true and what is right.

‌A Dramatic Contrast

So if you fear whether this might be about you, just keep in mind the contrast between this paragraph and the previous one.

‌In Heb 10:19-25, he talks about those who hold confidently to their confession of Jesus and maintain loyalty to him. They are not perfect. They are not sinless. They have not yet completed their growth curves in Christ. But they won’t let go of him.

‌And in Heb 10:26-31, he describes those who deny Christ. They are finished with him. They’re done with following him. They have set him aside in favor of another god or an alternate lifestyle. Holding on to him is the last thing they want to do.

‌And what can such a person expect?

‌Well, the good news is that the death penalty for apostasy is no longer in force among the covenant people of God. But the bad news is that there is a fearful expectation of judgment; a fury of fire awaits (Heb 10:27). Something worse than death awaits, because God does not take it lightly when people trample on his Son and outrage his Spirit (Heb 10:29). There is a future of certain vengeance (Heb 10:30). Apostates are now in God’s hands, which ought not be a comforting reality (Heb 10:31).

Application

‌Please take this warning seriously.‌ No matter what you have ever experienced or done, there is only one sin that will warrant the certain vengeance of God: unbelief (or disloyalty).

‌I am often tempted to fear that my behavioral sin is “deliberate” and thereby deserving of judgment. But it is tremendously assuring to recognize that “sinning deliberately” in this context refers to the sin of unbelief or apostasy. This motivates me more than ever to hold fast to Christ through whatever trials I face.

‌But holding fast to Christ means confessing sin and turning away from it.

‌One of the most common reasons people turn away from the faith, is because their sin becomes more pleasing to them than the Lord Jesus. So they need to keep their sin a secret in order to continue pretending to be Christian.

‌Therefore, some of you may need to stop being so afraid of being found out. Being found out now might be the best thing that ever happens to you, as you do not want to fall into the just and outraged hands of the living God.

‌Hold fast to Jesus, and you have confident entrance into heaven. Whatever you have done can be forgiven! No sin can ever disqualify you from being with Jesus forever, except for the sin of not trusting Jesus to forgive your sins.

‌Let go of Jesus, and there is little but certain vengeance.

‌There will not be any unbelievers in heaven. No-one there, except those who want to worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

‌You better believe it’s worth it to keep going. But how do we do that. What does it look like?

‌That takes us to third reason it’s worth it to keep going, which, after the holidays, we’ll discover in the final paragraph of Hebrews 10.

You Better Believe in Confident Entrance

December 8, 2023 By Peter Krol

You better believe it’s worth it to keep going as a Christian. The first reason for this is your confident entrance.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:19-25

‌‌Draw near (Heb 10:22) and hold fast (Heb 10:23). Those are the chief instructions of this paragraph.

Draw Near

‌You ought to draw near to the holy places of heaven. The place where Jesus now lives and reigns and ministers as a high priest forever. You and I, even now, even today, can draw near to that place with him.

‌Why can we do that? Two reasons:

Jesus has opened a new and living way to get there (Heb 10:20).
We have Jesus as a great high priest (Heb 10:21).

‌In other words: He went ahead to blaze a trail before us, and he’s now waiting with open arms to receive us. Because of both those things, v.19: We have confidence to enter the holy places (Heb 10:19).

‌I remember the first time I went camping with my sons. I had never gone camping before, mostly because of my sleep disorder. But as a result, I had grown solidified over time in my inability to do anything outdoors, such as camping.

‌But the first time my sleep was healthy enough to allow me to try it, I really needed some friends to show me the way and to welcome me. One friend blazed the trail: making all the arrangements and setting up all the equipment. Other friends got there ahead of me, welcoming me at my arrival, and showing me what I needed to do, so that I didn’t have to figure it all out on my own. I’m sure you can imagine that this gave me great confidence!

‌That’s what Jesus does, in order to lead us to be with his Father in heaven. He blazed the trail ahead of us. And he serves us and waits for us there with open arms and ready hands. All of this enables us to draw near to him in heaven.

‌“But,” you might say, “I’m not in heaven with Jesus! So what does this mean for me now?”

‌That’s a great question, because until the Day comes when we are actually present with Jesus in heaven, what that means for us now is that we follow the second chief instruction in Heb 10:23: hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.

Hold Fast

‌All through the book of Hebrews, the author has been urging us to hold fast to Jesus by holding fast to our confession of him. This means we publicly acknowledge him as our King, Priest, and Inheritance. We confess this before the church — not only when we are baptized, but every time we gather to sing, pray, and teach one another. Because in Jesus, heaven and earth are coming together.

‌So we confess these things before the world — at any cost.

‌Holding fast to our confession of Jesus as king, priest, inheritance, and superior to all creation under heaven — that’s how we draw near to Jesus in heaven for now. Until we reach that day when he returns, and we get to be with him forever, physically.

‌But even that drawing near, that holding fast — that confident entrance into heaven with Jesus — that is really difficult to do. And it’s even more difficult to persevere in once you’ve tried it.

‌For example, let’s say a young person is in a class at school, or playing on a sports team, and they give credit to the Lord Jesus for their success. Or they testify to how good it is that God created us male and female. They might be laughed at to the point of embarrassment. Once that happens, it’s not so easy to do it again, is it? The memory of that public ridicule makes them think twice about confessing Jesus as king and Lord of all.

How much more difficult is it for adults, whose respect, reputation, or livelihood might be on the line? Many of us try to make it seem more “grown up” to keep our mouths shut about Jesus in public places.

‌This is hard. This is really hard. Is it worth it to keep going, especially when we’re punished for it? How do we do this?

Consider How to Stir One Another Up

‌Because of that difficulty to endure, the author concludes that we need each other (Heb 10:24).

It is not enough to consider how I ought to hold fast the confession. It is crucial that both you and I consider how to stir one another up to love and good deeds. That means we must not neglect our meeting together (Heb 10:25). The closer we get to the day of Jesus’ return, the more important it is to continue meeting together, so we might stir one another up.

‌Application

‌Let the truth of place and priest fuel your confidence. Because Jesus your priest is in heaven, you get to be with him. You are with him now, in spirit, when you confess him as your king, priest, and inheritance. You will be with him then, in the body, when he returns and reunites heaven and earth once and for all.

‌Your priest is in that place, so you can approach with confidence.

‌But that’s not all. There’s another crucial application: Do not isolate yourself! If you think you can get through the challenges you’re facing on your own, you are terribly deceived. Drawing near to Christ, to our confession, and to each other is how we nurture our confidence and endurance.

‌Perhaps you need a reminder of what is true, lest you throw away your confidence. Perhaps you need to be more honest and vulnerable about what you’re going through. Perhaps you need to be more receptive to the help that is available to you.

‌Whatever it is for you: draw near and hold fast.

‌This is not just about you, but about your entire church. You might hold the key to someone else’s confidence. You might have the experience, or the Scriptural insight, to stimulate another brother or sister to believe it’s worth it to keep going.

‌So you better believe it’s worth it to keep going as a Christian.

‌Jesus has given you confident entrance into heaven, which is not yours to keep for yourself, but something to help you encourage others with.

‌In the next paragraph, we’ll discover the second reason it’s worth it to keep going as a Christian.

Context Matters: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

June 8, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that perfect love casts out fear. Maybe you’ve been told that Christians shouldn’t be scared of anything, no matter how large or small. Or maybe you’ve doubted your standing with God because of an anxiety that grips you.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible carefully—instead of picking out verses and phrases—we will see that some familiar passages mean much less than we thought.

The Context of 1 John 4

Let’s read this phrase “perfect love casts out fear” in its immediate context.

So we have come to know and 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. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:16–18)

John explains what “fear” means in this passage. Fear has to do with punishment (verse 18), and perfect love pushes this fear away. When love is perfected in us, we can have confidence (instead of fear) for the day of judgment (verse 17).

The matter of understanding “perfect love” remains, but we also learn this through context. Love is perfected in those who abide in God and in whom God abides (1 John 4:16). “We know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). There is tangible evidence of God abiding in us—we love one another (1 John 4:12) and we confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15). The love of God is the basis and motivation for our love for one another (1 John 4:11).

For those who experience the richness of abiding in God, and God abiding in them, this love will clear away all fear of judgment and punishment. Beyond a short phrase, this is a beautiful, glorious truth!

The Book of 1 John

John tells us why he wrote this epistle, so we can understand how the phrase “perfect love casts out fear” fits with his purpose.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

John wanted his readers to be assured of their salvation. He returns to this theme throughout his letter, answering the question, “How can we know we have eternal life?”

Those who have come to know God keep his commandments (1 John 2:3–6).
Whoever confesses the Son has the Father (1 John 2:23). Confessing Jesus as the Son is evidence of God abiding in him (1 John 4:15).
The one who is righteous practices righteousness. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning. (See 1 John 3:7–10.)
Those who have passed out of death into life love the brothers (1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7–8).

There is a clear contrast in 1 John between those who belong to God and those who don’t, between those inside and outside of the community of faith.

Why then is it important to discuss love and fear? There should be no fear of judgment for those who belong to God. Those who abide in God (and he in them) will find this fear receding into the distance. As we get to know the Father, through his Spirit, and as we meditate on the love of and work of the Son for us, as we experience thorough forgiveness, we have no remaining fear of punishment. We are beloved children of God, and the punishment we deserve has already been given to Jesus.

No Fear

When John writes that “perfect love casts out fear,” he’s not referring to a fear of snakes, nor of heights, nor of scoring poorly on an exam. This verse is not a blanket to throw over all concerns and dreads.

The Bible is not silent on these matters, of course! This passage has implications for all other fears, but that is an issue for a different article.

John has a specific focus in his first epistle—to assure believers of their salvation. As we experience the love of God and develop that assurance, we lose the fear of punishment and hell.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

How to Know if You’re a Christian

May 20, 2015 By Peter Krol

Last week, Kevin DeYoung wrote a fabulous post explaining 3 evidences of true faith given to us in the book of 1 John.

Whenever counseling Christians looking for assurance of salvation, I take them to 1 John. This brief epistle is full of help for determining whether we are in the faith or not. In particular, there are three signs in 1 John given to us so we can answer the question “Do I have confidence or condemnation?”

DeYoung’s article models some important principles of good Bible study:

DeYoung shows why it’s important to understand the main point of not only passages but also books. Many people quote verses from 1 John but miss the thrust of John’s argument (“that you may know that you have eternal life” – 1 John 5:13). We ignore this main idea to our peril. We won’t know what to do with John’s extreme statements, such as “you have no need that anyone should teach you” (1 John 2:27) and “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” (1 John 3:9).
DeYoung models the value of a good book overview.
DeYoung masterfully shows how the hard work of getting the main point right enables you to make practical, specific, and penetrating application for people today.

I unpacked these same three tests from 1 John when I wrote about evaluating the success of your Bible study. DeYoung writes more briefly and with more personal application to those struggling with assurance.

Check it out!

How to Tell if Someone Knows God

February 27, 2015 By Peter Krol

At a church dinner on Sunday, I was discussing last Friday’s post with an older, wiser gentleman in my congregation. We reflected on the main measure of success for any Bible study: Do people know God better through his Son Jesus Christ? And this good man asked a great question: How do we know whether someone knows God (or knows him “better”)? How does one observe and evaluate such a thing?

The question was neither aggressive nor condescending. This kind brother intentionally stimulated further meditation and consideration of the Scripture. Thank you, Denny!

Easy but Unacceptable Answers

Of course, some answer the question in clearly unbiblical ways:

People can’t know God unless they are members of our church.
People can’t know God unless they adhere to every specific of a certain extra-biblical creed, doctrinal statement, or code of conduct.
People can’t know God unless they use a certain translation of the Bible.
People can’t know God unless they are baptized.

Now I’m no hater of church membership, historic Christian creeds, decent Bible translations, or baptism. But reacting against unbiblical abuses of such things is right and true. (For example, consider Paul’s reactions to abuses of circumcision and law in Galatians 5:2-12, 6:14-16.) And it’s not hard to come up with exceptions that disprove each proposed rule.

However, let’s not over-react with equally unbiblical conclusions, such as “I’m not God, and I can’t see people’s hearts. Therefore, I can’t know whether someone truly knows God or not. I won’t play God by even asking the question.”

Though a question as personal and invasive as this can inspire fear in the stoutest heart, let’s not hesitate to speak clearly where God has spoken clearly. What can be more helpful than to have a clear way to observe and evaluate the presence or absence of true faith and knowledge of God?

So what has God spoken on this topic?

Three Clear Tests

Chiceaux Lynch (2007), Creative Commons

God gave us an entire book of the Bible to answer this very question. Consider this explicit purpose statement for John’s first epistle:

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

While John intended his Gospel to stimulate faith leading to eternal life (John 20:30-31), he intended his first letter to promote assurance of eternal life for those wondering whether their faith is true faith. As a result, the teaching of 1 John helps us test not only ourselves but also other people, including professing Christians. John doesn’t hesitate to apply his principles to the spirits and teachers within the church to call out the false prophets, devil’s children, and antichrists among the membership (or former membership). The letter’s tagline is “We know.”

John gives three clear and objective tests of genuine faith. He states them early and returns to them repeatedly throughout.

Keeping God’s commandments: the test of personal change.
Loving the brothers: the test of personal affection.
Confessing Christ: the test of personal witness.

The first exposition of the tests occurs in chapter 2: Change (1 John 2:3-6), Affection (1 John 2:7-11), Witness (1 John 2:18-25). But John repeats and develops the three tests repeatedly through the letter, climaxing with his closing statements.

Change: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18).
Affection: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19). See 1 John 4:7 for John’s definition of what it means to be “from God.”
Witness: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:20-21).

Applying the Tests

As you evaluate whether your Bible study (or any other ministry) was a success, you’ll want to observe attendance figures, participation levels, and the faithfulness of the leaders. But please don’t neglect to ask the most important questions.

As a result of the study, do people know God better through his Son Jesus Christ?
How do we know?
- Are people changing to become more like Christ?
- Do they have more affection for each other, and are they acting on it?
- Are they more empowered to confess Jesus as the Son of God? Do they firmly believe it, and do they boldly declare it?

John doesn’t expect anyone to be perfect (1 John 1:8-10); neither should we. These questions aren’t concerned with people’s position as much as with their direction. We know that those who head in the right direction in all three areas have eternal life.

Assurance Requires Exposure

June 30, 2014 By Peter Krol

I’m taking a short break from my Monday Proverbs study for this reflection on assurance from 1 John.

‘Tis the season for going to the pool, which means I get to do more reading than usual. But I can’t sit comfortably poolside unless I have assurance of my children’s safety, which involves:

Strategic positioning to see all pool areas.
Head counts every 5 minutes.

If I can’t see a child, I must get up and walk around until I have all the facts. Only when the facts come to light can I rest assured and return to my literary bliss.

This process is also true of the Christian life. John wrote his first letter to those who believe in Jesus, to give them assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:13). But assurance requires exposure. There can be no assurance without first exposing the cold facts. Though John will give three tests for assurance (obedience, love, and confessing Christ), we cannot evaluate our lives without first exposing them (1 John 1:5-2:2). And we’ll never be comfortable with exposure unless we know 3 things.

1. God’s nature is to expose

John’s message is simple: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Any hint of darkness is incompatible with this God who is light. God is not like light or with the light. He is light; it’s his nature to be light, to shine light.

James Wheeler (2013), Creative Commons

What does light do? It shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:5). When God—light—is in the picture, there is nowhere to hide. There is no such thing as “under cover of darkness.” God is a constant illuminator. He is the great exposer. You can’t know God and avoid the light. You can’t be a Christian and keep parts of your life hidden in the dark.

2. We don’t respond well to exposure

The fact that God illuminates and exposes rightly terrifies. So we use a few tactics to cope with this God-light.

Tactic #1: Shore up our defenses

We say we have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness (1 John 1:6). In other words, we talk a lot about God, but very little about ourselves. We love the sentiments of a relationship with God (love, joy, peace, etc.), but we hate the threat of total disclosure.

For example, I’ve always struggled with my weight and body image, and I hate myself for it. I want to keep this part of my life tucked in a dark corner never to come out. I spend too much time in front of the mirror…until someone else walks into the bathroom. Then I’m happy to pretend I wasn’t fixated on my appearance.

How will we ever come out of hiding? John gives both motivation and power (1 John 1:7):

Motivation: We have fellowship with one another.
Power: The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

It’s worth it to walk in the light.

Tactic #2: Deny our sinfulness

We say we have no sin (1 John 1:8). In other words, we talk a lot about ourselves, but very little about God and his view of sin. We see ourselves as “nice,” “innocent,” or even “good.” We deny that our fundamental identity apart from Christ is “sinner.”

For example, I don’t see myself as a “glutton”; I just like food. I’m not “greedy”; I like my hobbies. I’m not a “gossip”; I’m merely concerned about the situation.

How will we ever acknowledge the truth? John reminds us that God is both faithful and just (1 John 1:9):

Faithful: He has promised to forgive those who confess their sin, and he must keep his word.
Just: Jesus paid for those who trust in him, so God must forgive them when they turn.

Because the faithful and just God already executed his wrath on his Son for you, you are free to label things accurately. The Bible calls such labeling “confession.”

Tactic #3: Refuse to change

We say we have not sinned (1 John 1:10). In other words, we talk a lot about what we did right, but very little about what we did wrong. The difference between tactics 2 and 3 is the difference between general and particular. This third tactic represents a move from the broad “I’m not a sinner” to the specific “This thing I did was not sin.”

For example, it might be easy for me to admit being a prideful person. But if I never ‘fess up to specific instances where I have acted pridefully, I haven’t yet begun walking in the light. I must connect recent behaviors with long-standing patterns. I must take ownership to search and destroy the issue in my life, without waiting for others to point it out to me.

How will we ever be free to stop defending ourselves and make changes? John reminds us that we already have a double defense in Jesus (1 John 2:1-2).

3. Jesus defends the exposed

John doesn’t want us to sin, but if anyone does sin, we have two lines of defense. If we don’t feel the need to defend ourselves, we might be willing to risk true exposure.

As a defense attorney

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). An advocate argues for the accused before the judge. God, the great judge, the exposer of all people, allows only one attorney into his courtroom. If you have Jesus, you have one who pleads for you—not because you are righteous, but because he is.

As a defense barrier

He is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2). A propitiation is a defense barrier. Jesus is like the bulletproof vest that prevents rounds of ammunition from penetrating your vital organs. He is like a baseball glove that absorbs the shock from the foul ball that almost knocked you silly.

Every time you sin and face exposure, you rightly sense God’s displeasure hurtling toward you. And every time, Jesus still deflects the blow. Not by dying again (that happened only once for all), but by reminding the Father of his death and by pleading your case.

You can’t have acquittal without a trial. You can’t have a trial without a defendant. You can’t have a defendant without charges of wrongdoing. You can’t have charges of wrongdoing without exposure. Thus, we must be exposed before we can be acquitted.

It usually doesn’t feel good, but what could be better for you?