Assurance In Philippians

There is true guilt and there is false guilt. There is true assurance and there is a fool’s assurance. Those who are “in Christ” are there because they have learned (Philippians 3:8 – 9) that only the righteousness of Jesus Christ matters – and that all else belongs in the dumpster and cesspool (see also Ephesians 2:1 – 10).

But what an assurance we have in Christ! As Fanny Crosby writes, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine.”

And so in Philippians 4:3 Paul writes concerning those who have served with him, “…whose names are in the book of life.”

Now one of the problems with the way we read the Bible, when we do read the Bible, is that we typically fail to work the land, to cultivate the acreage, and to view what is written holistically and as a whole – we tend to read verse by verse, ticking off the verses as we go but never going back over what we’ve read to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding.

When we read Philippians 4:3 about “the book of life” do we connect it with Philippians 1:6 and 2:12 – 13? Do we “see” that Paul can write about names already being written in the book of life because he has written 1:6 and 2:12 – 13? “He who began a good work in you is going to perfect it…” “It is God working in you…to accomplish His good pleasure.”

The Gospel is about Jesus Christ and God reconciling us to Himself in and through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14 – 21). It is God who works in our lives to accomplish His will and pleasure, it is not we who work upon God to have Him do our will. We do not reconcile ourselves to God (that is an example of a fool’s assurance), God reconciles us to Himself in and through Jesus Christ (see also Romans 5:1 – 11).

But what an assurance we have when we trust in Christ and His Cross of reconciliation! He who began the work will finish the work! Our names are right now written in the book of life!

Can you see your name written in the Lamb’s book of Life, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; Ephesians 1:1- 14; Romans 8:28 – 39)?

What do we “see” when we ponder Philippians 1:6; 2:12 – 13, and 4:3?