Jonathan Edwards and Resolutions (26): Increase Your Assurance of Faith

Resolution

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

Commentary

Nothing is neutral. I tell myself (and even preach) this all the time, but I continue to fall into the same trap. Indulging in things that keep me from increasing my assurance of the gospel. I have a limited amount of time to steward and advance the gospel in the here and now. I have a limited amount of time to push back on the darkness in my various vocations. And when I step back and think about it, how much time do I spend in activities that lift my thoughts toward Christ and increase my confidence in His gospel? How much time do I spend on things that do not drive me toward thinking and speaking about my beautiful inheritance in Christ?

I would like to challenge you (and myself) today. Audit yourself. Pull out your calendar and audit yourself. Take a look at all of your wakeful hours and strategize about how best you can moment by moment cast away things that hinder your assurance of faith and embrace things that increase your assurance of faith. Here are maybe a few different things you can do:

Work as unto the Lord. The quality of your work is a way to push back anything that can hinder your assurance of faith.

Memorize Scripture. Let the Word of God roll around in your mind on a daily basis.

Read God-centered books. Whether this be audio books or actual books, select a few good books and commit to reading them so that your mind can be filled with what's true and your confidence in the Lord increased.

Try these three things and let's see how your assurance of faith can be increased. Happy Tuesday.