What prompted my thoughts on this subject were the words of the wonderful hymn "Blessed Assurance"
vs.1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)
- F.J. Crosby
The Lord would not have us to be in doubt or fear concerning our eternal future, but to have the "blessed assurance" of His promises, that say: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" 1 John 5:13.
The second line of the second verse of the hymn says "Visions of rapture now burst on my sight." In 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 15-18, the rapture is explained, giving us more comfort and assurance: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
The third line of the third verse of the hymn says "Watching and waiting, looking above." How important it is for the believer to be watching and patiently waiting for the soon coming return of the Lord, it could be any moment! "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord... Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching... And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants... Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." Luke 12:35, 36a, 37a, 38, 40.
I hope these words have been a comfort and encouragement to you, as we remember what a "Blessed Assurance" each believer has of everlasting life!
I will close this post with the last two verses in the Bible.
"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
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