September 15

All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. — Mark 4:28 BSB

Faith always contains some measure of assurance. What is assurance, after all, but faith in its more developed and fuller form? The nature of assurance is often misunderstood. Many people see it as something separate from faith, but it’s not. It’s simply faith that has grown stronger and fuller. The original word for “assurance” has a simple yet beautiful meaning. It literally means “a full bearing” and is sometimes used to describe a large harvest of grain or a tide that comes in with greater force. The same crop grows in the fields, whether the harvest is large or small, and it’s the same tide that flows into the river, whether in a small or full swell. So it is with assurance and faith—it’s the same faith, only grown and expanded, bearing more fruit or flowing in a fuller stream.

In Scripture, assurance isn’t limited to faith. There is “the full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2), which means a fuller, more abundant grasp of God’s truth. The understanding is the same, but it’s expanded and deepened. Similarly, there is “the full assurance of hope” (Heb. 6:11), which is a hope that has grown stronger and more certain. But it’s still the same hope, just larger in degree—like a stronger anchor that’s still an anchor. Likewise, we read about the “full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22), which means a larger, fuller measure of faith—a richer crop, a more abundant tide. So, if you have faith at all, you already have a measure of assurance.

In fact, if you had no assurance that these things are true, why would you pursue them? Why would you hang onto them, hope in them, and seek to experience their power in your soul? Have you not come to this point yet? “We have not followed cleverly devised fables; these things that I am following after are real; these objects before me are certain.”

Yes, you may struggle with doubts about your personal interest in these truths. But if you didn’t know they were certainties, why would you believe them? Why would you care about knowing your personal interest in them? Why would you sink into doubt and fear when you don’t see clearer evidences of your saving interest in them? And why do you rise up with peace and joy the moment a little light from them shines into your soul, and a little sweetness from them touches your heart? Because you know these things are realities. So, in this sense, you already have an assurance that they are certain. And, in due time, as God pleases, you will have the assurance in your own heart that not only are they certain, but that they are yours by sure and personal possession.