SECURITY

                                                                       Security

Security? ‘Safe as houses!’ Shouldn’t Christians celebrate the fact of being the most secure people on earth? For don’t we sing, ‘And in God’s house for evermore my dwelling-place shall be’? (Psa. 23:6b). Then why is it that some Christians lack any sense of security? Could it be because God’s house had been destroyed twice, once in 586 BC and then in 70 AD? Would it help to know that God, for His own purposes, sovereignly had His house destroyed at these times? Or perhaps some Christians lack a sense of security because they are never sure whether they actually are in God’s house or not?

A change of imagery might help the insecure Christian feel secure. God had His house destroyed in 70 AD because His bricks and mortar temple was no longer needed. ‘Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple’ (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Therefore, not only are Christians in God’s house, they are God’s house – a house ‘made without hands’ which cannot be destroyed (Mark 14:58; 2 Cor. 5:1). Security! ‘Safe as houses.’

But wait! How does the Christian know that he or she is good enough or has done enough good stuff to be in or part of God’s house? Well, that’s where a lot of the feelings of insecurity lie. It’s because of their misunderstanding of the gospel. The security of salvation is only for self-confessed sinners, i.e., those who trust in God’s grace alone to save them, and not their own supposed good life and good deeds. Jesus saves sinners not saints! However, you can tell some people this till you’re blue in the face and they still won’t get it. Could it be because they are deluded? Consider the following scary verses, ‘Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness’ (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

A false gospel is any other that does not have Christ alone as Saviour. It’s not Christ plus attempted obedience, or perceived goodness. Our security lies in Christ alone. As Christians we dwell in Him, and He dwells in us. We are the temple of God because Christ is the temple of which Christians are the bricks. ‘As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’ (1 Pet. 2:4-5).

So, security comes with a proper understanding of the gospel. Do you know yourself to be a sinner? Do you know that Jesus is the Saviour only of sinners? Have you asked God to forgive you for all of your sins? Then Christian, what is it about ‘Your sins have been forgiven you’ that you don’t believe? Do you think God would lie to you? Try the following couple of verses, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 5:9). ‘And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins’ (1 John 2:1b-2a).

It is true personal assurance of salvation can be a long time coming for the Christian (Mark 9:24; 1 John 5:13). I wonder daily how God could save ‘a wretch like me’! But these are who God saves, i.e., sinful wretches like you and me. Therefore, paradoxically, our sense of security comes through understanding that you are not worthy of salvation (Luke 18:9-14).