Assurance on SermonAudio

This sermon is comfort with a little kick—rich in its consolations but not feeble in its applications. It begins with God's everlasting covenant, rooted in his own unchanging being, and the promises which cannot be broken, with all the assurance of unending good to those upon whom he sets his love. Spurgeon explores the certainty and security of the covenant, never straying far from Christ's finished work, whether he is speaking of the covenant itself, or the God who makes the covenant with his people. Then he turns to the promise, "I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me" (Jer 32:40). Here he considers how God fulfils that promise, not by a twisting or emptying of certain spiritual realities, but by God's gracious and sovereign work in the soul, granting his people a holy awe, a filial fear, and a sense of grateful obligation. He considers the work of the Holy Spirit in this connection, giving us a trinitarian perspective on the whole, and uses the guarantee of a people united to God in holy fear to draw sinners to Christ to find certain peace and life everlasting.

John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." King James Version (

The sermon centers on the assurance that believers in Christ are free from condemnation due to the perfect atoning work of Jesus. It highlights John 3:17-19, emphasizing that God sent His Son not to condemn the world but to save it, and that those who believe are not condemned. The message contrasts the natural state of humanity, which loves darkness and sin, with the transformed life of the believer who is washed clean by Christ's blood. By connecting this truth with Romans 8:1, the teaching affirms that there is no judgment for those in Christ, offering profound comfort and rest to the soul. The tone is pastoral and comforting, urging believers to rest in the finished work of Christ and rejoice in their complete justification.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:1-2) ~~~~~ Harvest Thanksgiving Evening Service Brixton Tabernacle, London ~~~~~ *1/ An end in view - fruit that brings glory to the father. 2/ The husbandman's use of means. 3/ The Fathers treatment of the different characters of his people.* **Sermon summary:** The sermon explores the parable of the true vine in John 15, emphasizing that God the Father acts as the husbandman who prunes and purges branches to ensure they bear abundant fruit. The central message is that this divine work serves to glorify the Father and provide assurance to believers that they are truly grafted into Christ, distinguishing genuine disciples from those who merely profess faith. The exposition details the specific fruits of the Spirit, such as joy, sacrificial love, and obedience, which are produced not by human effort but by the Father's work through the Son. It further illustrates how God uses various means, including trials, chastening, and providential circumstances, to prepare the soul and refine character, much like a farmer prepares the ground. The tone is pastoral and comforting, urging listeners to trust in the Father's wisdom and measure in their dealings, recognizing that even severe pruning is intended to yield righteousness and honour to God.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1) ~~~~~ Harvest Thanksgiving Afternoon Service Brixton Tabernacle, London ~~~~~ *1/ Seasons. 2/ God's appointing seasons. 3/ God's use of seasons.* **Sermon Summary:** The sermon explores the theological concept of divine seasons, asserting that God sovereignly appoints times for all purposes under heaven. It examines how these seasons manifest in the history of the world, the corporate life of the Church, and the individual spiritual journey of believers, emphasizing that both prosperity and trial are part of God's ordered plan. The preacher highlights the necessity of trusting God's control during periods of darkness or despondency, using examples such as Joseph and Job to illustrate how suffering serves to deepen faith and fulfil divine promises. The message encourages believers to recognize God's handiwork in their changing circumstances, finding comfort in the assurance that even difficult seasons are ultimately for their good and God's glory.

Welcome to today's episode, where we trace one of the most profound and comforting truths in the Christian life: the vital distinction between saving faith and the full enjoyment of assurance. Drawing from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, we explore Christian's journey from passing through the Wicket Gate to the climactic moment at the Cross where his heavy burden finally rolls away into the empty tomb. Guided by Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 81 and the classic pastoral insights of Thomas Ridgley, Thomas Brooks, Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, and Richard Sibbes, we confront modern misunderstandings—including the polemical debate between Dr. Joel Beeke and David Engelsma—to show why full assurance is not the immediate essence of faith, but a precious fruit grown over time. Join us as we consider Goodwill's tender counsel to be content to bear our burdens until the place of deliverance, offering deep encouragement to every "bruised reed" and "smoking flax" looking away from their own fragile feelings and fixing their eyes on the finished work of Jesus Christ.

~~~~~ No 33 in the series - The Epistles of Peter. ~~~~~ **Considering 2 Peter 3:8-10** But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. *1/ Time and eternity. 2/ Concerning the Lord's promises. 3/ The coming of the day of the Lord.* **Sermon Summary:** The sermon addresses the theological tension between the perceived delay of Christ's return and the assurance of God's faithfulness, drawing primarily from 2 Peter 3. It argues that the current age is a period of divine long-suffering intended to allow for the salvation of the elect, rather than a sign of divine slackness. The exposition contrasts human perception of time with God's eternal perspective, using Psalm 90 and Matthew 24 to illustrate that God's promises are certain and will be fulfilled in His appointed time. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging believers to rest in the certainty of God's character while maintaining a watchful expectation of the sudden coming of the Day of the Lord.

This sermon explores the theme of stilling the conscience to find assurance of salvation, beginning in the lower court of conscience and then in the higher court of the all-knowing God.

This sermon explores the assurance of salvation found in 1 Peter 1:2, addressing the instability of modern society by emphasizing the believer's secure position in Christ. The central message defines the term 'elect' not as a mysterious theological abstraction but as a description of those who are in Jesus, thereby sharing in His status as God's chosen one. The exposition breaks down the verse into three components of salvation: the foreknowledge of God the Father, which is illustrated as a divine diagnosis of sin and the provision of a cure; the sanctification of the Spirit, which convicts the heart of sin and draws the believer toward holiness; and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, which satisfies the requirement for atonement. The preacher stresses that while God initiates and provides salvation, the individual must respond with obedience, moving from mere head knowledge to personal faith. The tone is pastoral and urgent, inviting listeners to examine their spiritual standing and place their trust in Christ rather than their own efforts or cultural norms.

This sermon examines the historical decline of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, tracing their trajectory from the glory of Solomon to the final exile under Babylon. It highlights how persistent idolatry and rejection of God's prophets led to divine judgment, yet emphasizes that God remained sovereign over the nations, using Assyria and Babylon as instruments of chastisement. The message underscores the faithfulness of God to His covenant with David, preserving the messianic line through figures like Josiah and ultimately pointing to the virgin birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of royal promises. The tone is instructional and comforting, assuring believers that God controls history and political outcomes, inviting them to rest in His supreme authority and grace.