2 Timothy 1:9-12 - Certainty Is NOT a Sin
- Chad Werkhoven
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
You can be absolutely certain of your salvation!
2 Timothy 1:9–12 (NIV)
9 God has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation
Concerning
this preservation of those chosen to salvation
and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith,
believers themselves can and do become assured
in accordance with the measure of their faith,
by which they firmly believe
that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church,
and that they have
the forgiveness of sins
and eternal life.
Summary
It's interesting how it is that Paul describes what it is that God has done for us as Paul writes to Pastor Timothy, his young protégé. We're quick to pick up on and celebrate the first aspect: God has saved us, but we tend to skip right over the second part: that God has called us to a holy life. We like the salvation God grants, but not the commitment He now expects!
We focused on the comforting, yet mind bending, reality that this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time at the beginning year, but it's good to come back and be reminded of this once again as we wrap up our study of these wonderful doctrines of grace and focus on the certain assurance of salvation you can have because of these truths.
As important as these truths are - that God called us to salvation and holiness before time began - Paul's emphasis here is that these blessings come to us not because of anything we have done, but because of God's own purpose and grace. Indeed, that's the core definition of grace: an undeserved gift.
If you deserved salvation, you would not be saved by grace. But if you were somehow able to be able to both atone (pay) for your sins and live with the perfect righteousness you're covenantaly obligated to, you'd have to let go of this comforting doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. For if you had what it takes to earn salvation on your own to begin with, you'd have what you need to hang on to it yourself.
But you don't have either of those abilities. So thank God for His grace, both that brought you into His salvation through Christ alone and that keeps you there!
Dig Deeper
Unfortunately way too many Christians make a subtle error in how they understand what Paul writes here, thinking it to be that God has saved people and called them to a holy life. They know all about God's grace, but they lack the full assurance that it's been given to them personally. They know how ugly and awful their own sins not only have been, but still continue to be. They've ironically concluded that since they don't deserve God's grace, they don't have God's grace.
This angst has been compounded by preachers and theologians - even those who call themselves Reformed - who now denounce what they call “the sin of certainty.” They insist it is wrong to claim that one’s understanding of anything could be exclusively correct. To do so necessarily implies that anyone who disagrees is wrong - and to call someone wrong has become, in their view, the height of arrogance and the antithesis of tolerance (ironically, though, they do seem certain that uncertainty is wrong).
While it's good to humbly hold most of your opinions lightly, God wants you to be absolutely certain beyond even the shadow of doubt about the grace He gave you before the beginning of time and that He will preserve you in until all things have been made new and sin and death are completely destroyed. God wants you to have the same confidence that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, imparts to Timothy and us.
God wants you to know whom you have believed and to be persuaded that He is able to keep what you have entrusted to Him until that day!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who gave you grace in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would be absolutely certain of your salvation in this otherwise uncertain world;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Peter 1
