“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” – 1 John 5:11-13 KJV
The opening chapter of this book assures us that God, in His love, not only saves us, but wants us to know it as well. One blessing of reading this older book (1963) is that it predates modern decay of thought. Importantly, he portrays God as both loving and holy–and willing and able to assure us of salvation.
Chapter two tells us that we “should know” if we are saved, then encourages us to seek that peace. Chapter three is an eye-opening guide to why we may be struggling to find that peace.
Chapter four warns us of the dangers of doubt, and chapter five focuses on one of the biggest doubt-generators, our feelings. He concedes that feelings are a natural result of circumstances, yet they are far less trustworthy than the Word of God. Let faith in the facts, the Word of God, steady your soul.
In the sixth chapter, he explores four types of people: 1. those who are not saved and know it; 2. those who are not saved, but think they are; 3. those who are saved, but think they aren’t; 4. those who are saved and know it. I won’t spoil the compelling breakdown. You need to read it for yourself.
The next two chapters, “The Account Is Settled” and “Attitude Is Important,” address the fullness of Christ’s payment for our sin and how our attitude affects our salvation. Lastly, “The Final Seal” brings these two components together in a nuanced and powerful illustration using the Passover story–and two young men with very different destinations.
I appreciate the concise nature of this book. Where Charles turns a point so well within a paragraph, lesser books have taken a chapter or two. This is neither a shallow read nor a technically difficult one. He points us to the promises of God. What more compelling evidence and assurance could there be?
When you read, perhaps there will be some questions left unanswered in your mind. If so, feel free to contact us. Or show this book to your pastor and see if he can fill in some of the blanks. Either way, we hope this resource will be a blessing to you.
— Eric Druist