To be assured, and re-assured is one of our most basic human emotional needs. A child needs to be assured of their parents love for them, so they don’t grow up in a despairing desert of loneliness. A teenager needs to be assured of their friend’s companionship, that they “got their back”, so the channels of adolescence are lived out in meaningful friendships. A wife needs to be assured of her husband’s unfailing love, so she feels safe and cherished in the arms that still want to sweep her away into the horizon called “happily ever after.”
Many things confuse people, but just as many bring stability. A teacher who doesn’t know an answer, or a friend who just doesn’t know how to console can be very frustrating and unassuring. But a teacher who has wise answers and a friend who can pour wisdom into your life can breathe the fresh air of assurance into your life.
And because we are spiritual beings, we also need spiritual assurance. We like to know that our spirits are at rest for good reason and not just for the feeling, or if our spirits are in turmoil we need to know how and where to remedy the tumultuous boilings that spring up in our soul.
There is immense assurance in spirit that we can have through knowledge of the mystery of God. “Ok, that’s weird. That’s a little spacey and ‘out there’. So if I know the mystery of God, I’ll find assurance?” Indeed! The mystery of God is knowable. Consider this word from Colossians;
“For I want to you know how great a struggle I have for you…to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery…” Col. 2:1-4
The “full assurance” is attainable. Not partial, not a down-payment, FULL assurance. Bombproof assurance.
Now a quick word about this “full assurance”. It is attainable, yes, but how. Through understanding. The full description of this assurance is “the riches of full assurance of understanding”. To get a larger contextual picture of what’s being talked about it, lets enlarge our view of the surrounding verses;
“…to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col. 2:2-3
So the mystery of God, is Christ (read the surrounding chapters to get a feel for why he chose that word ‘mystery’). The answer to humanity’s crys and pleas, is Christ. All wisdom and truth finds its culmination in Christ, from whom every wisdom and truth comes from. Christ is the source; he is the lake of wealth from which all rivers finds its source.
Perhaps you need assurance for your spirit. You may not be entirely sure in terms of really knowing where you will go after you die. You can’t be sure. Or maybe you are sure, but you’re not sure where you stand with Christ. Who is He to you? What if you knew one thing, that if you knew it, could save you from everything, and rejecting that one thing will cost you everything?
That one thing is Christ. Know Christ, you gain…everything! Reject Him….you lose everything. It is said in Christ, “all treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden. Know Christ, you have access to that treasure. Know Christ, gain assurance in your spirit. You may not have “full” assurance at first, but by learning the word of God, learning what Christ said, learning about your place in Christ, your assurance will grow to its fullness.
Take a walk with me 