ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

IN CHRIST - 2

In a previous meditation on assurance, we focused on the ‘in Christ’ concept. There we looked at Paul’s teaching in 2Corinthians 5:14 – 6:1, where a pivotal statement is ‘if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come’ (2011 NIV). This truth speaks of the massive change that occurs at the moment a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord – that an entirely new relationship with God, a new way of relating with God, begins at that time, and remains in place. In this new relationship with God, we no longer relate to him on the basis of our merits and demerits. We now, and forever, relate to God only and always in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In receiving Jesus Christ, we also receive, in him, all that he accomplished on the cross as our substitute under the judgement of God, and all that he is at every moment as our present mediator in the presence of God. Paul repeatedly draws attention to this ‘in Christ’ truth; indeed, the whole of our salvation, and our assurance of salvation, depend on it.

In his letter to the Colossians, he teaches us:

That in Christ ‘we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins’ – 1:14. Note ‘we have’ – this redemption, this forgiveness of sins, is our present, perpetual possession.

It is not on again/off again dependent on our actions, as some people want us to believe. If we have Christ, then we have, in him, redemption, the forgiveness of sins. God no longer takes our sins into account – he no longer holds them against us (Romans 4:8, quoting Psalm 32:2; 2Corinthians 5:19).

That in Christ we ‘have been brought to fullness’ (NIV), ‘have been made complete’ (NASB), ‘are complete’ (KJV) – 2:10.

We do not have to add anything of our own to secure or to maintain our relationship with God, or to fill up something lacking in our salvation. As we noted in the previous meditation, our salvation is not a matter of Christ PLUS. Christ is, himself, our salvation. If we have received him, we have in him, received God’s total salvation package.

That ‘in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ’ – 2:11 (NASB).

Whereas in physical circumcision only a very small portion of the body is removed, in this spiritual circumcision, all that we do in our body – all of our perceived merits and our real demerits – is removed, discarded. Like Paul in Philippians 3:1 – 9, we no longer relate to God on the basis of what we personally are or have done; all of that has been cast aside. We relate to God only in and through Jesus Christ.

That those who have received Jesus Christ are identified with his death, burial and resurrection: they have in him died, have in him been buried, and in him have been raised to new life – 2:12, 13, 20; 3:1 – 3.

Obviously, this is not physically true; it is a totally spiritual concept: that God reckons the death of Christ for our sins to be our death for our sins – that we, in the death of Christ for us, have paid the just penalty for our sins. This is so certain that God reckons us ‘buried’. Similarly, being raised to new life with Christ is so certain and so real in the spiritual sense, that God relates to us as already present and alive with him in heaven.

Each of these is non-reversable.

Because our forgiveness is in Christ, we cannot become unforgiven.
Because we are complete in Christ, we cannot be cast out by God because of some personal lack.
Because we have been circumcised in Christ, we cannot revert to a status of uncircumcision.
Because we have died in Christ and been raised to life in Christ, we cannot return to a state of spiritual death.

Jesus Christ is the salvation that he gives. Our salvation is assured because it is in him. May our response reflect this confidence, and so give him praise and glory:

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge,
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold – Psalm 18:1, 2.

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation – Psalm 118:14.

© Rosemary Bardsley 2026