Wretched Radio begins in 3... 2... 1... God's little G. You are God's because you came from God. When I read in the Bible where he says, I am, I just smile and say, yes, I am too. God came from heaven, became a man, made man into little gods. We have the potential and the capacity through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to know God, but that does not mean we are God. The Bible is very clear. There is only one God, and he will not share his glory with another. It's time for Wretched Radio with Todd Friel. Imagine Air Supply being backed by Metallica. This is Wretched Radio, and this is not the way I actually intended to begin. What I hope will be so helpful for you if you struggle with assurance, knowing that you are God's child. It is a malady. It perplexes many. And there's a booklet called Resting in God's Salvation by William P. Smith. Yeah, we do have it at the Fortis Institute store. that I believe will help you. And I want to talk about that book. But first, music and lyrics. I wanted to play Blessed Assurance. See what I... Blessed Assurance, because it's about assurance. See how clever we are here at Redshed Radio? And so I go to the YouTube machine, I put in Blessed Assurance, and it looks like there's a contemporary version. And I have not listened to this, but I thought we would give it a go to see if the music matched the lyrics. Because it should. There are just some songs that require a certain style of music. Otherwise, they contradict one another. I mean, you got Air Supply singing, I'm all out of love. You go, they aren't really matching there. And I think the same thing is true when it comes to hymnology. And incidentally, if you're not listening to Dr. John Kratz, his podcast, Integrated, integrating faith with life from head to heart, He just did his take on worship. John Kratz, he is such a nice guy. John Kratz. And I didn't know this, but it appears he has a sarcastic bone in his body. Jimmy, do you remember the way that he began the worship? You're so overwhelmed with podcasts, I'll bet you don't remember anything anymore. I do not. OK. So he began by saying, we're going to talk about a sub... He's so nice. We're going to talk about a subject today that probably isn't worth discussing because everybody has complete agreement on worship. That's sarcasm. Because it is probably the most contentious subject in most churches. It's a big deal. And he stretched me a little bit on some of it, and I'm still chewing on it, but he did a super fine job of identifying all of the different genres and that we should be willing to accept other, you know, you, for instance, you rightly so will like the classic hymns, you know, the Wesley, the Watts type hymns, but there's a group of people, they dig the Southern gospel style, and it might not be your style, But it doesn't have to be for your preference. Is it biblical? And the issue that I always look out for is, is it as exalting as it can be? Whatever the genre is, are we doing it in a way that speaks well of God? Are we doing it in a way that says, ah, God is otherly, even if that means doing it with bagpipes? No, no, you can't do it with bagpipes. The point is, whatever instrument it is, does it sound otherly? Does it sound like we're singing about somebody other than, I don't know, our girlfriend? Because music matters. And John said something. Jimmy, you tell me if you agree with this. because we've seen the emotional manipulation that comes from worship and you know the moodiness and the lights and the fog and the synthesizer thing and we've all got our eyes closed and it kind of gets you into the mood and we've seen that abuse and that is why when John started talking about it's okay that music actually supports and perhaps enhances your emotions because his premise was worship is emotional. It's not just cognitive. Now, it needs to start cognitively, in other words, with facts, but those bites of truth should stir and they should move us and we should respond to God. And how do we see that response expressed in the Old Testament? It ain't It ain't stodgy, it's super expressive, hands raised, sometimes dancing with instrumentation. These were joyful songs unto the Lord. Why? Because their affections had been stirred by the truth. And now here was the interesting thing that John said, and the music, I'm not talking about the lyrics, the music can help that. Hmm, that's interesting. Maybe the next time I get to see John, we'll be talking about that because I'd like to dive into that a little deeper because that challenges me because I've seen the abuses of emotional manipulation when it comes to musical presentation inside of the church. And I just have an allergy toward it. And he used movies as an example. He said, think of, I don't know if he was citing a study or somebody did this on the internet, but a movie scene that was like, Oh, It just makes me cry every single time. Okay, it's like a Jane Austen movie. Every time you see it, it makes you cry. At least it does that to my wife. The point is, strip the music from it, and it's maybe not as emotional. Because the music can inform, enhance, support your emotions. And worship is intended to be a cognitively informed, emotional response to God's glory. Jimmy! What do you think about being okay with music moving you? I don't have a problem with that at all. I think it's actually biblical. In what way? Okay, I'm not talking about the lyrics. Yeah, no, no, no. I'm talking about the music. Right, right. I think, again, David did it. What was it, 1 Samuel? He played the harp to soothe... To soothe him? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, it does happen. So I think it's biblical. I don't think it's... It's definitely not emotional manipulation or it shouldn't be used for emotional manipulation. So we should definitely be very discerning. But I think it does have a place for sure. All right. I'm going to see. I was just I've just had a thought. And please, you can do with this thought as you see fit, because it's just that a thought. I went, while Jimmy was talking, I went to look up I Can Only Imagine, the song by Mercy Me. I don't know why, but it just, it came to mind as one of those songs where, come on, it moves you, doesn't it? I can only imagine what it'll be like when I walk by your side, what my eyes would see, what your face is before me. I can only imagine. Now, that's great, true, that's like, okay, I'm thinking about what it is gonna be like to see the face of God. I don't know, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I think my body is just gonna do whatever it does because it is gonna be the most awesome experience of anybody's life ever. And I don't care whatever the whoop-de-do is that you, I landed on the moon. Yeah, I get to see the face of God. Boom! There's your little, your moon trump card. I don't mean that politically, your little moon trump card. I just trumped your trump card because I get to see the face of God. What is that going to be like? Now, does music enhance that, move me more? I think it does, doesn't it? All right. I could read all of the lyrics and you're going to go, yeah, that's good. But if I could sing, and I could sing it, it would be better, wouldn't it? It might stir you and move you more. But what then if I added instrumentation that enhanced that? Is that necessarily a bad thing? Please note, This is, I gotta tell you, I just love the fellows that are a part of Fortis Institute because they produce content like this. And it wasn't wild. It wasn't saying, hey, let's become seeker-sensitive and let's dim the lights and do the whoop-de-doo on stage. No, it wasn't even remotely close to that. But he was making a compelling case that good instrumentation, which we see in the Psalms, It can actually help us to worship more emotively. Are you allergic to emotions? Are you so perhaps scolded from your former emotional, exclusively emotional experience that you had in church that you're afraid of it, or you've seen the emotional abuse that goes on in so many of these wildly popular mega church fiestas that they do, and you go, hold on a second, let's not get carried away with the feelings here. Is it possible that maybe we're missing something here? Okay, here's the song that I'm thinking of. I'm thinking of Behold Our God, that California Baptist University choir. It was about a decade ago. They sang Behold Our God. It was at a Christmas concert. Wow. Man, Scylla, that just, it just got a little thing in my throat, a popcorn hole, apparently, because, ugh. Is that so bad? And maybe, just maybe, this provides a segue back to our subject, the subject of assurance. Is it possible that your feelings are driving your lack of assurance? And maybe one of the antidotes to that is to let yourself have other feelings, feelings like you are a child of God. If you are born again, you've repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ. You are adopted into the family of God. You are a member of his eternal kingdom. You will get to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ for eternity. Are you scared to feel good about that? Are you afraid to let yourself go, wow, I'm actually in? If you're still confused about that, a book titled Resting in God's Salvation by William P. Smith, the subject Assurance, we hope will help you next on Wretched Radio. lost generation wandered without direction after World War I. Well, today, there's another war raging. It's a cultural battle, and it's leaving young men disoriented and directionless. Raised on unfiltered entertainment and endless online content, Gen Z is facing unprecedented challenges with loneliness and depression. But there is hope. That's Way of Manhood with Dr. Adam Tyson We want to be the biblical ideal of being a man, which means that we want to be loving, patient, kind, and we want to exercise humble leadership. As Jeremiah 616 says, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it. That's Way of Manhood with Dr. Adam Tyson. And it's available right now at Fortis Plus. and all of your favorite podcast platforms. And you can also visit fortisinstitute.org to learn more about Dr. Adam Tyson, Way of Manhood, and all of our other content. the life issue, we cannot disengage from the battle. And there is a way that you can win a life and rescue a soldier who's about to be executed through abortion, preborn.org slash wretched. Ultrasounds still save lives. These pregnancy centers that progressives would love to shut down or arrest people for praying in front of abortuaries, they're still doing excellent work and babies are still being rescued. This is a tangible way to save a life. An ultrasound is $28. 80% of the time, mom chooses life. Want to engage in the battle? This ain't about politics. This is about saving those who are staggering to the slaughter, period. Preborn.org slash wretched, preborn.org slash wretched. What if you could strengthen your marriage in just minutes a day? Well, we're making that possible and easier than ever before, because now through the end of the month, we're giving away our resource, Drive By Marriage, completely free at fortisplus.org. And also don't forget to pick up the study guide, absolutely free, as well. Drive by Marriage gives you 31 powerful bite-sized lessons that fit into your busy schedule. And with the study guide, you're going to get deeper insights and practical exercises to apply what you're learning. This complete marriage-building package has helped couples grow closer to each other and closer to God. You're going to discover keys to better communication, biblical solutions for resolving conflict, and ways to build lasting trust and intimacy. Don't miss this opportunity. Visit fortisplus.org now to get your free digital copy of Drive by Marriage and the study guide. Remember the special offer ends at the end of the month. Head to fortisplus.org right now. It's Drive by Marriage because a few minutes a day can transform your marriage forever. Fortisplus.org. Know your church fathers. John Chrysostom was the Bishop of Syria and Constantinople in the 4th century. He was an eloquent preacher and earned the moniker Chrysostom, which means golden-mouthed. He denounced abuses of authority in church and government and fought for purity of life and doctrine. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel. Oh, you know that I can't resist Behold Our God from the California Baptist University. It's just so moving. The question that was raised by Dr. John Kratz in his integrated podcast, which you can find at fortisplus.org or wherever you do your downloading business, asking the question. No, he wasn't asking it. He seemed like he was comfortable with this. And increasingly, as I think about it, I'm comfortable with it, too. Instrumentation can enhance our emotive response to God. I know that makes you twitch. No, that's musical manipulation. It can be that. There's no question about it. If you go to some of these contemporary worship songwriting festivals that they do, they teach you how to manipulate the crowd. Oh, Jimmy, you're going to love this. Oh, who was telling me this? Oh, I think I'll leave his name out. so that this doesn't find its way back to the original source. But the story was a professor was going to preach at a church and the worship leader walked off the platform and said to the man who is now about to preach the word of God, ready for this? got them worshiped up for you. Oh, man. Now that is a case of using music to manipulate, but that's a line. On the other side is using music to actually enhance and to help us worship more effusively. I'll say it more emotively. And as I think about the instrumentation that we see in the Old Testament, Well, what is that? What's the purpose of that? What are those instruments doing? Does somebody blasting on a trumpet contribute to the, is he worshiping? And the answer is yes. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Clash your cymbals. That's offering worship. You're not using lyrics. You're not using the words of your mouth. You're using instruments to make a beautiful sound for the Lord. And that actually enhances worship. Isn't that the point? One of the points of worship, by the way. What are we commanded to do? We're commanded to encourage one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. So you hear me sing, and after you're done cringing, it should encourage you. Somebody else is singing to the Lord. Somebody else loves Jesus Christ. Look at that guy. He just got laid off and look at him sing to the Lord. I am so encouraged by that. Your singing enhances my worship. Why can't instruments do that very thing? And so Jimmy adds, behold, our God is an example of that. which you know that I can't resist playing, Jimmy, because I think this is an instance where, and by the way, what you're about to hear from CBU, the kids, 18 to 22 year olds, they're the orchestra. It sounds seriously, this sounds like an amazing production. It's live, it's in a church someplace with an orchestra from CBU and kids singing. And the instrumentation, the voices, amazing. The instrumentation, so moving. And isn't that okay? Who has given counsel to the Lord? Who can question any of his words? Who can teach the one who knows all things? God let us adore Him. Who has felled the nails upon His hands Bearing all the guilt of sinful man God eternal, humble to the Lamb Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign Well, enough of that. No. Just kidding! So let me tell you why I'm thinking John Kratz increasingly is right with this. The instrumentation that you're hearing behind these voices, who's producing it, human beings, image bearers? What are they presenting here? They're attempting, and it is an honest attempt, to present worship that is worthy of the Lord. And when you consider lyrics, it's poetry. So we're using language which no other creature can use. They don't talk. They don't write. anything. And they certainly don't write poetry. Poetry is a higher form, perhaps the highest form of human expression. But then you embellish that with music, and it becomes a sweet incense. It's like, This is all the stuff you've made us to be able to do. Chimpanzees ain't playing the trombone anytime soon, but we do, and we can, and we're gonna blast it for you in a way that speaks well of you. And if that makes sense to you, it seems that we can draw the conclusion. Therefore, it is okay to let the music help you to feel your worship. You will reign forever You will reign forever You will reign forever You will reign forever You will reign forever You will reign forever Seated on his throne Come, let us adore him Oh, God, our God Nothing can prevent Come, let us adore him Plot twist! Oh, God, our God Seated on his throne Come, let us adore him What a sweet sound in the Lord's ear. Lyrics and music. All right, here's the other song. Jimmy, you be the judge. Do these go together? This is Blessed Assurance. When you think Blessed Assurance, give me the sound. What's the music that you hear? Oh, piano. Yep. Maybe an organ? Maybe. Maybe. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. All right, well, now this appears to be a contemporary version. Let's see if the music and the lyrics are compatible. Oh, it's jazzy bluesy. Please, please, please, whatever you do, madam. Don't, don't sing it sexy, please, please. Good. She's not. Have you ever heard? Oh, we got to just mowed our way through. All right, Jimmy, does that work for you? It does. Is it your cup of tea? Probably not. But it doesn't have to be, though, does it? No. I don't have to like the genre if it is an actual attempt not to manipulate and not to, you know, that emotive singing. But you're worshiping the Lord, and the music is at least reverential, and it's being done as well as you can, and it's not contrary to the lyrics. Like, you know, Metallica playing backup for Air Supply. Hold on, that's just kind of... But this seems to go together okay. Get a little emotive there Now, I know what you're thinking. Freel, you're playing the song about assurance. We ever gonna get to it? We will next on Wretched Radio. Know your church fathers. John Chrysostom was the Bishop of Syria and Constantinople in the 4th century. He was an eloquent preacher and earned the moniker Chrysostom, which means golden-mouthed. He denounced abuses of authority in church and government and fought for purity of life and doctrine. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel. Are you not feeling blessed because you lack assurance? This is Wretched Radio, assurance resting in God's salvation. William P. Smith, the author, for the myriads of Christians who struggle with knowing that they are God's child, this is a plague inside of the church. I think there are a number of reasons for it, but it is my experience, one of the number one emails that we receive here at Wretched Radial, okay, porn is one, that's for sure. Marriage troubles, that's one, that's for sure. Oh, here's another one. OCD. I'm telling you. In fact, sometimes people with OCD sometimes lack assurance. They can be connected because they're constantly wondering, not did I lock the door, but did I really repent? Do I really believe? And they get stuck. And it's really miserable for them. And we continue to hear from people who are saying, I'm not sure that I'm saved. How do I know what I know? Well, this booklet is going to help you. And I'm not going to rehearse the whole thing. I do encourage you to get it, whether you get it at the Fortis Institute store or wherever you want to is fine. It's a 31-day devotional. So it's like you're reading a page a day. It's nothing. Honestly, I read it like two nights ago in bed. Before I went to, before I fell asleep, I was able to read the entire thing. So this ain't heavy lifting, but it might be balm to your soul. I'm not going to give you all 31 days and all the intricacies because you just need the book for that. But perhaps some random thoughts to help you deal with your lack of assurance. Quote, Personal questions about the status of your relationship with God require knowing things about Him. And yet, assurance is ultimately not a matter of what you know. The problem is that you don't believe what you know. Now, don't panic on me, my dear brother or sister. That is not to say that you're not saved, that you don't possess salvific faith. What it's saying is you are not trusting those particular promises that God has uttered that make it crystal clear that if you are born from above, you can't get unborn. You can't get adopted and unadopted. He'll never sign you over to the state. You're in. Whoever is in his hand, ain't nobody, nothing gonna snatch you out of it. Those promises are sure. You're just not believing them. I didn't say you didn't believe in God. I said you're not believing those promises. Growing an assurance then is not just a matter of simply getting more information. It is a matter of trust. It's a matter of believing the character of the one who is trying to communicate information to you. And it's broken up in different sections, but it deals with issues like, how can God forgive me after what I've done? So one of his angles in this book on assurance is that sometimes people lack assurance because their sins haunt or they still struggle with sin. And I believe that that does trip you up, especially porn. That'll just rob you of assurance every single time. Any sexual sin will do that, I think, more than other sins simply because no sin so affects the body as sexual sins. Nevertheless, these are, again, nuggets. In this particular chapter, he talked about the sin of Adam and Eve. Now, How colossal of a sin was that? Staggering! Threw the whole world into a curse and we're still living in it. It was a monster sin because they were walking in the garden with God in the cool of the evening, enjoying his fellowship with one command and they rebel because they wanted to take his job. Whoa, cosmic treason. R.C. Sproul, what he went on his tirade. What's the matter with you people? The dirt defied God? And it was a monstrous rebellion. And what did God do with Adam and Eve? That's right. He tossed them in a dumpster, washed his hands and walked away. No! He met with them. He gave them hope that there's going to be a head crusher. He covered their shame. with the first animal that was ever killed as a foreshadowing of the head crusher, the seed, Jesus Christ. In other words, he didn't abandon them. And if you think that because of your sin, which by comparison to Adam and Eve's is puny, that God is going to abandon you, you're simply wrong. He's not going to abandon you. Here's a reflection. Think about the thing that most haunts your conscience. How does its result compare in size or scope to that of the first human sin? Question, what do you think is more powerful, your ability to ruin your life or God's ability to rescue and restore it? Hint, which do you spend more time thinking about? Now, okay, this takes us back to the cognitive process, which you do need to employ. You've got to be thinking about God more than you think about yourself. Because if you're spending time going, oh, I've really biffed it, I've really blown it, I did this, I said I was going to do that, I lipped off to my mom again. You should be aware of those things, but ask yourself the question, is my sin greater than God's goodness? And the only way to be affirmed about that is to study his character and his nature. Another chapter, I can't stop thinking about what I've done. What is the ugliness of David's sin tell you about the greatness of God's grace? Now you talk about a whopper. How's about David's Lulu with Bathsheba? And God did not destroy him. And he let him sit on the throne. It got real messy after that. He felt the consequences of that, but he didn't abandon David and he won't abandon you either. Don't think you can out sin God's grace. Have you fallen into the trap of evaluating God's effectiveness at justifying you by how well you are living a holy life? Oh, Maybe you're confused about who does the saving here. Are you thinking that you've got to contribute to your justification? You can't, it's been accomplished by Jesus when he said it's finished, you can't add anything to it. But you're trying to, you're confused. God's unchangeableness means that he keeps wooing you back when you stray, just as he did before you first turned to him. When was the last time you told him how amazed you are at his commitment to you? This is my experience with folks who struggle with assurance. It becomes very introspective and you turn all of your energies toward yourself and you will forever find sufficient cause to believe you're out of the kingdom. So it doesn't mean that you stop being aware of your sin, but it's a scale issue that you spend so much time weighing your performance and not weighing and considering the performance of God. So maybe rather than so lamentably, lamentingly looking at yourself, Turn away and look at God and talk to Him. about His patience and His goodness to you and how grateful you are for that. It's not a silver bullet, but what it is doing is it is turning your eyes from self to Jesus as you look long in His wonderful face and you talk to Him about His goodness and how wonderful He is and how amazing He is. And if you want to inject praise into it, if you struggle with assurance, I'm telling you, get into your car with your favorite hymn, whatever it is, and belt it. I'm telling you, it will affect your feelings. It will grow your assurance. Why? Because you're not studying you. You're proclaiming Him. This is from the Unforgivable Sin chapter. If you really have done what God considers unforgivable, Who cares? Now, hang in there for this, because you're the one who's constantly, I don't know that I'm really saved. I do these things. And you toss and turn. This is a constant engagement with concern about the state of your soul. In other words, you care. But let me ask. Who cares? Who cares about the status of your soul? Satan? Nope. He'd be thrilled that you're not saved. He doesn't care. What about Satan's minions, his underlings? Nope. You just made their job easier if you're not a convert. How's about your unbelieving relatives, neighbors, coworkers, acquaintances? Nope, nope, and nope. They don't care about the status of your soul. So who does? Who does care about the status of your soul? Does God care? Absolutely. How's about the angels in heaven? You betcha. What about your church mates, your believing friends? They care. What about your pastor, your elder, your small group leader, your counselor, anyone else who watches over your soul? All of them care. Now here comes the punchline. In other words, when you think about those who may be interested in whether you are beyond forgiveness, you discover a distinction. No power or representative of the kingdom of darkness cares. while all of those who are in the kingdom of light do care. Let's do some math. If you care that you may have eternally offended God without the hope of being pardoned and you can't stand the thought, what does that tell you about which kingdom you are a part of? You care. It's an indication you are saved because those who aren't saved don't care. They can't care. Here's an action for you. Practice letting thankfulness replace your fear. Tell God how thankful you are that he's given you a heart that cares about what he thinks. Thank him that you can't stand the thought of missing out and belonging with him. Thank him that you now care about being forgiven and then allow your thankfulness to push out your worries and your concerns. We will continue the conversation next on Wretched Radio. Hey, thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. Picture this. Every morning, countless Christians are waking up and wondering how they're going to navigate today's increasingly complex and upside down world. And that's where Fortis Institute comes in. Not just another ministry, but your daily partner in standing firm in biblical truth. I mean, you've probably noticed that we're different from our daily podcasts, like Integrated with Dr. John Kratz or Thrive with Pastor Brad Bigney. We're bringing together some of the most trusted voices in Christianity to help you and your local church thrive. But here's the thing, this mission, well, it takes resources, and that's where you come in. By becoming an ongoing monthly gospel partner, you're not just supporting a ministry, you're investing in the spiritual fortification of countless believers and local churches across the nation. So will you join us? Visit PortisInstitute.org right now to become an ongoing monthly gospel partner and together we can help Christians stand strong in their faith no matter what challenges tomorrow brings. Ratchet, amazing grace, amazing gospel. Perhaps you've been wondering, is there a Christian university that isn't woke? or that hasn't compromised on important biblical doctrines like, you know, the age of the earth? There is. It's the Masters University in Southern California. Beautiful campus, all of the athletics and activities that you've come to expect from universities. But it's more than that. The academic programs are most excellent preparing students for the future. The Washington Post just said number six for preparing students for the real world. All that plus The Masters University isn't woke, and it is thoroughly biblical. Would you like to learn more? I encourage you to visit the Masters University at masters.edu slash wretched, masters.edu slash wretched. For 25 years, we've watched Christianity's place in America change dramatically. This is Wretched Radio. But one thing hasn't changed. Our commitment to proclaiming God's truth without compromise. A quarter century of preaching the gospel, equipping others to preach the gospel, and strengthening the local church. 25 years of equipping pastors. 25 years of helping Christians navigate an ever-changing world with biblical wisdom. From our early days to our current home at Fortis Institute, we've had one mission, equipping believers to stand firm in their faith. Today, we're creating more content than ever before. Hundreds of hours of audio and video resources, daily biblical teaching and tools to help you thrive. Thank you for standing firm with us for a quarter century. Together, we built something extraordinary for the kingdom of God. Visit fortisinstitute.org and join us as we continue this vital work, 25 years of together, faithfully serving our King. And we're just getting started. Until tomorrow, go serve your King. Important dates in Christian history. 1456. Johann Gutenberg produces the first printed Bible, and his press becomes a means for dissemination of new ideas and catalyzing changes in politics and theology. Without the printing press, the Reformation may have looked very different. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Freel. Blessed assurance, you've got it, don't you? This is Wretched Radio. If you don't, God wants you to have it. He wants you to have assurance. He does not want you perpetually wondering, am I saved? Am I really a Christian? Was this act genuine? Was my repentance sincere enough? He doesn't want you in that fitful state. In fact, according to the booklet I hold in my Never Before Nicotine Stained Fingers by William P. Smith, called Assurance, Resting in God's Salvation. That twisting and turning you do, it's the sign that you are saved from his book. Far from being a sign you're not connected to God, being dissatisfied with his absence indicates you already are connected to him and that he's calling you to have even more of him. Now that's maybe another way of looking at it. You say, I don't feel like I'm connected to God. All right, I don't know what that's supposed to feel like, but nevertheless, that feeling that you have, rather than it being a disqualifier for the state of your salvation, how's about it's a qualifier that you want more of him because you are connected. It's simply a different way of looking at the issues and you might be stuck in a pattern where you just, you're so comfortable in it. It's just, no, I've got a question. I've got a question. It really is a bit obsessive. It's scrupulosity. Just always looking at the downside, the negative. There's another way of looking at these issues. Your struggles are indeed indicators that you are saved, because those who aren't saved, they don't struggle. Here's another day in this 31-day worship book, which is well worth your time if you wrestle with assurance, resting in God's salvation. Great word, resting. Some people wonder, how come life is so hard? If I'm really saved, what am I doing wrong? What am I missing? The author writes, instead of recognizing that it's harder to live now that the world, the flesh, and the devil are on the offensive in ways that they weren't previously, people start looking for the key that will open the lock of the Christian life, and that's a fruitless search. You're just going to become exhausted. The reality is this. In a fallen world, faith has never been easy for the people of God. Never. In fact, in many ways, isn't like grace is hard. You say, no, grace is easy because you just have to receive the gift. Now I'm talking about living in grace, that God gives you liberty and God allows us to sin, doesn't like, but allows us to sin. So what are our bumpers? We're in. We are absolutely in. You can't get out. You can't out-sin yourself. You cannot drive yourself out of the kingdom by sinning. Can't do it. So what motivates us to not sin? The fact that we have been totally forgiven of our sins. And that it is grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone. And that energizes us to be obedient. And that is far easier than keeping laws. Because laws can never get to the minutia of the heart. Laws can deal with so many things in society and culture, even in churches, but they can only go so far. It is when the conscience increasingly is informed about right or wrong and recognizing, I don't want to do the bad thing because the good thing was done for me by Jesus Christ. And now I want to be perfectly obedient, not just keep the rules, Because you can kind of do that. You can be pharisaical, you can broaden your phylacteries, you can enhance your tassels, and you can look super religious, but that doesn't mean that your heart is right. Grace is harder than the law. And maybe that's what you're feeling. This is such a struggle. Yeah. Yeah, it is. So you say, well, how do I get rid of the struggle? It's not by somehow finding a golden key that says, well, you're really saved because this feeling actually means this or that. No, you keep going to church, you keep consuming the word, you keep listening to sermons, you keep taking communions, you keep witnessing baptisms, and increasingly you will grow in your assurance because you are looking outside of yourself, away from your innards, what you're thinking, what you're doing, and you will increasingly love the object of your faith, and that will give you the power to not sin and to walk in grace. Back to the book. God examines and reveals your heart to you. which would be terrifying if he hadn't also taken the responsibility of paying for everything that he convicts you of. Your role is to be open and sensitive to his spirit. When he convicts you, repent. His conviction will be specific, which means you can ask for specific forgiveness. This might be important for you. When you're just feeling uneasy, You can confidently push that feeling aside as you trust God to do his job. Look out for a general malaise. It's really hard to repent of that, I don't know, I just don't feel, all right, if there's sin that's causing you to not have confidence, what is the sin? Identify it, repent of it. And that'll remove the obstacle and it'll help you to be assured. Is there something God is clearly putting his finger on in your life? If so, ask his forgiveness just as clearly, and then act on it. If there's nothing explicitly wrong in your life, but you feel vaguely guilty, ask God to either make clear what you've done wrong or give you greater trust that he will do so when something stands between the two of you. This book, it's gonna get into you. And it might just put your heart out on the table and reveal not a heart that isn't born again, but a heart that is too consumed with self. And you might find pride in there. And you might find that you're trying to play God's role. And you're trying to do more work than Jesus has already done for you. You've got to make sure. You've got to repent. You've got to try harder. You've got to be more beat. You've got to be more certain. Careful. That's a sign of heart disease. Back to the book. Hearing that God loves you won't mean much if you're convinced that he's frustrated and critical. wondering when you'll get your act together, wondering if you'll get it together at all. Little will torpedo your confidence in His love faster or more effectively than believing that He sees you with judgment. Maybe this is your issue. And I don't want to get Freudian here, but is it possible you just struggle to feel loved? Is that hard for you? I mean, to feel like you are really, you are really loved. Maybe because of your upbringing, that's very possible that it is informed. Your ability to delight in knowing that somebody has warm affections for you, but God has those for you. And if you struggle to just go, He does. Amazing. Pride could be the problem. You say, hold on, what does pride have to do with being willing to know that you are loved? Because you think that your inability to be loved is greater than God's ability to love you. In other words, pride could be lurking there, and that is a regular component for people who lack assurance. God sees you with compassion. It's who He is. When you've lost confidence in Him and believe that He sees you with judgment, you need to remind yourself, no, He sees me with compassion. This is really good. Sometimes repeating something is really helpful, and I'm not talking about worship songs that drone on for forever. I saw a little snippet of Paul Washer, and he said, one of the things that I do that is so profoundly helpful when I wake up in the middle of the night from feeling the weight of the world on little old me, troubles, difficulties, whatever the problems and struggles are, he said, I like to stand at the window Look out at the night sky and say two words. He knows, he knows, he knows. And these are words that you maybe need to repeat too. He sees me with compassion. When you cringe and you're waiting for somebody to drop the shoe on you, remind yourself, God sees me with compassion. When you've got dread that is overwhelming you, he sees me with compassion. When you're afraid, you're about to be found out for the fraud you think you are. Remind yourself, he sees me with compassion. This is a truth that you need to rest in. that your God, if you are in Christ, isn't angry at you anymore. Yeah, you can disappoint him, but that's wildly different than being outside of the kingdom because of your ability to sin. He sees you with compassion. In other words, God thinks kindly toward you because you are in Christ. May I ask you a question? Could you perhaps this day rest in that? That in Christ, God loves you. He's forgiven your sins. And your mustard seed size faith, it's punier than you think it is. Your repentance needs repenting. But God says, anybody who comes unto me, I will not cast out. Rest in that and experience the joy of knowing that you are God's child. And you will indeed experience as you look outside of yourself unto another and stare long in his wonderful face. You will continue to grow in having blessed assurance. And until tomorrow, go serve your King.