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Spurgeon defines saving faith as personally committing one’s sinful and needy self to Christ for cleansing, salvation, and preservation. This trust is justified by knowledge of Christ’s character: He is powerful, willing, loving, truthful, and worthy of confidence. Assurance is therefore grounded not in the believer’s ability to keep himself but in Christ’s ability to keep those entrusted to Him. The sermon calls both sinners to conversion and believers to humility, deeper knowledge of Christ, and perseverance through every trial.
Theological center: Salvation and perseverance depend on the trustworthy, atoning, and preserving work of Christ rather than on human ability.
Applications: Commit Yourself to Christ · Trust Christ Alone · Renounce Sin and Self-Ownership · Consider Christ’s Worthiness
Primary texts: 2 Timothy 1:12 · Luke 10:20 · Romans 8:39
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for 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.” 2 Timothy 1:12 AN ASSURANCE of our safety in Christ will be found useful to us in all states of experience. When Jesus sent forth His seventy chosen disciples, endowed with miraculous powers, they performed great wonders, and naturally enough they were somewhat elated when they returned to tell Him of their deeds. Jesus marked their tendency to pride, He saw that in the utterance—“Behold even devils were subject to us,” there was mingled much of self-congratulation and boasting. What cure, think you, did He administered, or what was the sacred lesson that He taught them which might prevent their being exalted above measure? “Nevertheless,” said He, “rejoice not in this, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” The assurance of our eternal interest in Christ may help to keep us humble in the day of our prosperity, for when God multiplies our wealth, when He blesses our endeavors, when He speeds the plough, when He wafts the good ship swiftly onward, this may act as a sacred ballast to us, that we have something better than these things, and therefore we must not set our affections upon the things of earth, but upon things above, and let our heart be where our greatest treasure is. I say, better than any lancet to spill the superfluous blood of our boasting, better than any bitter medicine to chase the burning fever of our pride, better than any mixture of the most pungent ingredients is this most precious and hallowed wine of the covenant—a remembrance of our safety in Christ. This, this alone, opened up to us by the Spirit, will suffice to keep us in that happy lowliness which is the true position of the full-grown man in Christ Jesus. But note this, when at any time we are cast down with multiplied afflictions, and oppressed with sorrow, the very same fact which kept us humble in prosperity may preserve us from despair in adversity. For mark you here, the apostle was surrounded by a great fight of affliction, he was compassed about with troubles, he suffered within and without, and yet he says, “Nevertheless I am not ashamed.” But what is that which preserves him from sinking? It is the same truth which kept the ancient disciples from overweening pride. It is the sweet persuasion of his interest in Christ, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against t…