"Let Me Assure You . . ."

"Let Me Assure You . . ."
The first 5 needs of every new believer.

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by Kathy Johnston

Issue #107 September/October 1998

Illustration by Laurie Lafrance

People constantly need assurance. We don't like the uncertainty that comes with any new enterprise or relationship. That's why banks require collateral for their loans and employers check references before hiring.

Unlike certain bank customers and prospective employees, God is totally trustworthy. But a new believer who is taking those first steps of faith toward a God he doesn't yet know very well needs certain assurances. His mind whirls with questions:

Am I really saved? Will God keep His word? Will He hear—and answer—when I pray? Will He reject me if I sin? How can I know His will for me?

When a mature believer comes alongside someone new in the faith and helps him solidify his sense of security in certain key areas, it whets the new Christian's appetite for intimacy with the living God, sparks his early growth, and gives him a foundation that will sustain him for the long haul.

What are the most important assurances for a new believer? The first step is always to make sure he understands the security of his salvation.

Assurance of Salvation

Many new believers have doubts about their salvation. The gospel seems too good to be true. Satan plants troubling thoughts: Saying a little prayer to become a Christian was too easy. Surely I need to do more. Emotions may shift: God doesn't feel very close, they'll think. This is why some people ask Jesus into their heart over and over again . . . just to make sure.

We must show those we disciple how the promises in Scripture clarify and affirm their identity as new creatures in Christ.

Recently I reviewed the gospel with a two-week-old Christian. Over lunch, I asked her, "Sarah, do you think you'll go to heaven when you die?"

"I don't know. I sure hope so."

"Did you ask Jesus into your heart?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Then let's read 1 Jn. 5:11–12."

After fumbling to find the passage, she read, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

"It says here that you have eternal life in Jesus. But if that's not true, we might as well rip it out," I challenged her. The thought of ruining her new Bible got her attention. I went on, "Let me explain it this way." I picked up a cracker. "This is eternal life, OK?" I wrapped the cracker in a paper napkin: "The napkin represents Jesus." I handed it to her. "What do you have?"

Sarah paused, then answered, "Jesus."

"Right . . . what else?"

"Eternal life?"

"Exactly. Titus 1:2 says that God doesn't lie about His promise of eternal life. You asked Christ into your heart, and Jn. 1:12 tells us you are part of God's family now. So if you were to die tonight, you'd be with Him in heaven. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. It really does."

"Good . . . but since our feelings can sometimes make us forget what the Bible says, I brought some index cards. Let's look up some verses and write them on these cards. You can display them on your refrigerator as a reminder. Let's start with 1 Jn. 5:11–12; then we'll look up Jn. 1:12 and Jn. 10:27–29. Then I think we should memorize the 1 John verses."

By examining the Bible's teaching about the security of her relationship with God, Sarah gained firm confidence in her salvation. Satan and her emotions would still whisper doubts in her ear from time to time, but she now knew where to turn for assurance.

Assurance of Answered Prayer

Once a new Christian is sure of his salvation, he's motivated to get to know this wonderful God. But baggage from the past may breed new doubts: God's too busy to listen to my problems. If my dad didn't care, why should He? or Why bother to pray when God's going to do what He wants to anyway? Meanwhile, the devil casts additional doubt on the goodness of God. So it's crucial for the new believer to know that when he cries out, his Father hears and cares.

A young Christian named Bill, entangled in adultery, told my husband about his affair during an early breakfast.

"It started out like any other friendship, Charlie. But it was wrong, I know. I've asked God to forgive me, but now what? I don't want to hurt my wife and son. I'm nervous because when I tell the woman it's over, who knows what she'll do!"

"Well, at least you've been smart enough to ask God's forgiveness," said Charlie. "And now you're ready to do the right thing and end the relationship. As for your fear of retaliation, remember, you've got a big God. In Phil. 4:6–7, God promises us His peace when we tell Him about our problems. Last week I was worried about coming up with money for taxes this year. Would you believe that the day after I prayed, a lady handed me a check saying, ‘This is a refund from our taxes. God brought you to mind.' Jesus wants us to bring all our needs to Him. You need to give your fear of this woman to God. I don't know how He's going to answer your prayer, but I know He'll listen because He cares about you."

They prayed, and Bill left for work. Later he phoned with good news. "Charlie, God really is looking out for me! The woman we talked about this morning called to say that she doesn't want to see me anymore. She's calling off the whole relationship!"

Bill learned a valuable lesson that day: When he prays, God responds. Hearing about one of Charlie's answered prayers planted the seed, but experiencing God's faithfulness firsthand cemented his assurance that God responds to his cries for help. In the days to come, Charlie showed Bill verses such as Jn. 16:24 and Heb. 4:14–16 to show him that our God truly wants us to talk to Him about everything.

Assurance of Victory

A new believer is easy prey for Satan, who will unleash an arsenal of temptations while whispering, "You may have resisted that last temptation, but you're way too weak to stand against this one!" That's why the person you're discipling needs the sure knowledge that he can survive temptations because God is faithful and can protect him.

Before Craig came to Christ, he had lived in the world of marijuana, materialism, and women. So the day he became a Christian, my husband read 1 Cor. 10:13 to him: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man."

Charlie then explained, "Basically, we all face the same stuff, Craig. You probably struggle with your thought life. I know how hard it is not to take that second look when I see a miniskirt. But there's hope for us. The verse in Corinthians goes on so say, ‘God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.'"

"How does He do that?" Craig wanted to know.

"I can't really answer that because it's different in every case. But I do know that whether you're fighting a desire for ‘messing around' or for marijuana, God can help you."

Craig attended church with us the next day. Meeting other new Christians encouraged him—he saw he wasn't alone in his struggle to follow Christ. Later that afternoon he phoned.

"Charlie, thanks for inviting me to church. I'm glad I went. By the way, I told you I'd been heavy into drugs. But what I didn't tell you was that I grow my own plants in the basement—not to sell, just to support my own habit. Anyway, listen to this! When I came home today, I discovered that all four of my pot plants had died. I think God killed them."

After a moment of thought, Charlie replied, "Yeah, I think He probably did!"

Sometimes our Sovereign God works in unusual ways to rescue us. Craig experienced firsthand that His Father knows how much he can handle and will provide a way out. The next time Charlie met with Craig, they read the "Assurance of Victory" section in a little booklet called Beginning with Christ, talked about temptations they struggled with, and thanked God for His faithfulness to them.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Satan knows that our growth ceases when sin cuts off our communion with God. That's why he feeds new believers lies such as, "You've really blown it now. God won't tolerate this kind of stuff!" or "You can't handle being a Christian, so why not go back to the old ways?"

It's our privilege to help young believers gain assurance of forgiveness—the joyful knowledge that when they confess their sin, God will cleanse them.

It's hard to be honest with others about our weaknesses. That's why we were surprised one night when, halfway through a couples' Bible study, Diane blurted out, "I've got a confession to make. I stole a tree from Wal-Mart."

"How do you steal a tree?" someone wondered aloud.

"Well, when I went through the check-out lane, I realized the total was low, but I didn't say anything. When I looked at the receipt at home, I saw they hadn't charged me for the tree. I still didn't do anything about it. That was two days ago, and now I'm really feeling awful."

"That's good," said Charlie. "God is convicting you, and you're responding. I'm glad you told us. Proverbs 28:13 says, ‘He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.'"

"That reminds me of 1 Jn. 1:9, " said Diane. "I read it this week. It says, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.'"

Charlie probed, "Is that something you want to do tonight, Diane?"

As we prayed with her, Diane experienced God's peace. But she still looked puzzled. "What should I do now? I can't take the tree back. I already planted it!"

"What do you think you should do?"

I asked.

"I've got a pretty good idea . . . but it won't be easy."

Diane and her husband left early that evening, heading north toward Wal-Mart.

Two days later, we did a Bible study about forgiveness, using a book called Lessons on Assurance. We were both encouraged by Ps. 103:12: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

That passage affirmed what God had already done in her heart. Diane now had assurance of forgiveness.

Assurance of Guidance

Giving your life to Christ implies giving God control. That's scary for a new Christian. He may wonder, Can God really lead me? Will He ask me to do something I don't want to do? The enemy's intention is to thwart the potential service of the young believer. So it's crucial to strengthen his conviction that even though he may not have a clue about what lies ahead, God's plans for him can be trusted.

Sue and I had just finished a quiet time together when she said, "Kathy, sometimes I wonder what God can possibly do with me. I've got so much to deal with from my past. Can He still use me?"

"You'd better believe it. God's got something good in mind. In Jer. 29:11 He says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

"You know, I sense that," Sue responded. "In fact, it seems impossible right now, but I feel like God wants me to be a missionary someday. How can I really know His will for me?"

"Look up Prov. 3:5–6, " I told her.

She read aloud, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

"You don't have to know all that lies ahead, Sue. Just keep trusting God and talking to Him, and He'll lead you day by day. Let's pray about it right now."

After I opened in prayer, Sue shared her heart: "Lord, You've been giving me a lot of wisdom since I've been reading Your Book. It's about time for me to give back, so if there's someone who's needing what I've got, show me what to do."

Before we parted that day, we read about some men and women in the Bible who needed God's guidance. David prayed to understand God's will before going into battle. Daniel asked the Lord for help to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Esther needed courage and wisdom for presenting the plight of the Jews to the king. After seeing God's faithfulness to direct each of these people, Sue could hardly wait to see how He was going to lead her.

Three days later she phoned me. A friend who'd "hit the wall" had just called her. Sue told him all that Jesus had done for her, then she connected him with her pastor. God's guidance in answer to Sue's sincere prayer made her day . . . and mine!

Deep Roots

The heart of follow-up is life on life, not mechanically covering content. Yet understanding these basic needs of a new convert provides a blueprint. As you've seen, there are many ways to strengthen a young believer's security—including memorizing verses, exploring what the Bible says on a topic, relating stories of how God has worked in your life, and looking at biblical examples. Once a new Christian is assured of the steadfastness of God's promises in the foundational areas of salvation, answered prayer, victory over sin, forgiveness, and guidance, he is ready to "continue to live in [Christ], rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith, . . . and overflowing with thankfulness" (Col. 2:6–7).

About the author:

Kathy Johnston and her husband, Charlie, are on staff with The Navigators in Nebraska. Kathy is a retreat speaker, Bible study leader, discipler, and freelance writer. About this article she says, "Ministering to people has been our passion for 32 years. I am so grateful for the background God has given me and want others to know God can use them to minister to others, too."

On Your Own:

Next Steps

1. According the following verses, what are some goals for discipling a new believer?

2. The five assurances that Kathy Johnston describes in her article are just the beginning "curriculum" for young Christians. What other needs of new believers are suggested by the following verses?

2 Tim. 3:16–17, 1 Pet. 2:2

3. Select one of the above verses, and list two or three ideas for how you might help a new believer grow in that area. For example, 1 Pet. 3:15 suggests that we need to know how to share our faith. To help a new believer in this area, you could share your testimony with him and then help him write his own. You could teach him how to use a gospel tract—then you could "practice" witnessing to one another. You could also study the Bible with him, looking at how the Holy Spirit empowers those who witness.