Assurance of Faith
Meets downstairs in room 141, 9:45 am till 10:30 am
Sunday, October 2, 2022
ASSURANCE DEFINED
Many Christians—true followers of Jesus—are missing out on the robust fullness of their faith. This fullness, and all its accompanying fruit, comes from having full assurance of faith. In this lesson, Dr. Beeke defines assurance and explains why it is a crucial part of the Christian life.
Sunday, October 9, 2022
LACK OF ASSURANCE
After clearly defining assurance and communicating its importance, Dr. Beeke now looks at the reasons why many Christians lack assurance. This lesson breaks down the common misunderstandings about the character of God, His gospel, and salvation. It lists ten reasons why believers question their faith and shows how these reasons run counter to God’s truth.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
BIBLICAL AND NORMATIVE VIEWS
To underscore the importance of having assurance of faith, Dr. Beeke uses Scripture to prove that assurance is both biblical and normative. This lesson explores both Old Testament and New Testament sources of assurance. It shows how believers today have reason to seek, strengthen, and even expect assurance of faith because of the person and work of Christ.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
CHURCH HISTORY
In order to study more fully into the doctrine assurance of faith, we must consider the profound and biblically nuanced way the Puritans dealt with the topic of assurance. In this lesson, Dr. Beeke examines Westminster Confession of Faith 18.1, which many people consider the greatest statement ever written on the subject of assurance. Through this section of the confession and the history behind it, we will further examine the subjects of false assurance and true assurance.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
DIVINE PROMISES
According to Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2, our assurance comes from three foundational truths: God’s promises, inward evidences in the Christian’s life, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson, Dr. Beeke examines the divine promises of God and how they provide the Christian with assurance.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TODAY
Please join us in the Fellowship Hall for a presentation and a time of prayer for the Persecuted Church.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
PERSONAL EVIDENCES
God’s promises, inward evidences in the Christian’s life, and the work of the Holy Spirit are the three sources of assurance outlined in Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2. Previously, Dr. Beeke examined the first—God’s promises. In this lesson, we will look at the second—evidences of grace in us—and Puritan beliefs about the necessity of these subjective evidences as marks of faith in God’s objective promises.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
THE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Having discussed God’s promises and personal evidences of grace as sources of our assurance, Dr. Beeke now examines the third foundation for assurance: the testimony of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson, we will learn how the Spirit can apply God’s Word directly to the soul, resulting in great assurance. We will also learn how to test whether this experience is truly from God.
Sunday, November 27, 2022
CULTIVATING ASSURANCE
Westminster Confession of Faith 18.3 deals with the nature and cultivation of assurance. In looking at this topic, Dr. Beeke explains five elements of assurance: the relationship of faith and assurance, the time involved in attaining assurance, the means to attain assurance, the duty of pursuing assurance, and the fruits produced by assurance. We will also look closely at four spiritual disciplines that cultivate assurance.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Previously, we learned about the inseparable connection between God’s promises, our inward evidences, and the Spirit’s witness for our assurance. This lesson takes a closer look at the role of the Holy Spirit. Using Romans 8:12–17, Dr. Beeke provides five evidences of the witness of the Holy Spirit in relation to our assurance and an application on the Spirit’s role in our suffering.
Sunday, December 11, 2022
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
At the conclusion of this study on assurance, you should have an understanding of the importance of assurance, why some Christians lack it, its foundations, and how to renew it. In this final lesson, Dr. Beeke explores some practical applications of assurance. He offers advice for those who lack assurance of their salvation or who struggle with doubts.
RENEWING ASSURANCE
A Christian can have real, saving faith without full assurance. Assurance can increase or diminish over time and sometimes never be fully attained. In this lesson, Dr. Beeke pastorally considers Westminster Confession of Faith 18.4 and the various reasons why a Christian may lose a sense of assurance and how it can be renewed. This lesson will not be covered in Sunday school so I have provided it for those who want to view it.
Watch the video for this lesson
No handout for Lesson 9