Seek and You Will Find
Commentary
“Lord, I want to be as godly as him… Why do I keep falling into the same sins while those around me seem to keep progressing in godliness? I must not actually be saved.” The anxiety creeps in. Sleep starts to fail. The mind becomes consumed with doubts.
Perhaps you have experienced this cycle concluding that assurance is beyond reach while being destined to fight this psychological battle until the end of your life. You are resigned to simply hoping you are a believer but never sure. If so, you have bought into a lie planted firmly by our enemy. Assurance is within reach. In fact, God’s Word commands us to pursue it. If it were unattainable, He wouldn’t have demanded that we seek it.
So, what are we to do? How are we to strive for assurance? What does it look like?
Enter the Puritan Anthony Burgess.
In Faith Seeking Assurance, Anthony Burgess provides an excellent resource on the issue of assurance. First published in 1652 as a series of 120 sermons, this work from Reformation Heritage is reduced to 14 of the most helpful on the topic (For the complete work, see the recommended reading below). In these sermons, Burgess comforts true believers who wrestle with doubt over their salvation. He also challenges those falsely assured who merely think they are true believers but are woefully deceived.
First, Burgess argues that we must believe that assurance is attainable. Paul writes in the first half of 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” God is not a God of trickery and confusion. He is the God of order. By commanding that we should examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith, the implication is that assurance of being in the faith is possible. He does not send us on worthless endeavors. Our belief that assurance is possible rests on God’s Word and on who He is. By not believing we can have assurance in this life, we are dismissing His Word and diminishing His character. It’s a serious issue.
Once we’ve settled the issue of attainability, the next question is against what are we to “test ourselves?” Simply put, we are to test ourselves against the Word of God. It is our standard. So, what does His Word say?
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” – Matt 12:33
“Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” – Luke 3:8a
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” – Gal 5:22-24
We are to test ourselves to see if we are producing good fruit according to what the Scriptures lay out. If we say we believe but have no fruit whatsoever in our lives, we should not presume to believe we are true believers. Instead, at that point, we should repent, believe, and thank the Spirit for opening our eyes to this fact. However, this is not an easy thing for someone who is deceived. Burgess says, “No one has higher mountains and hills to overcome than a falsely deluded Christian, for no one is more indisposed for Christ.”
An important aside here is relevant because one can easily fall into despair. If you find yourself to be deceived, realize this: “A believer cannot come to this assurance by himself, for it is a gift of the Spirit of God.” Therefore, if you have come to the conviction that you are not a true believer, rejoice! The Spirit of God has already overcome that mountain for you by opening your eyes. You are no longer deluded and deceived but stand on the far side of the mountain looking back.
For those that are true believers, it is vital that we continue to examine ourselves because our enemy will surely attack. Burgess says it this way, “If our assurance is of God and is spiritual and heavenly, the heart of a man and the devil will surely oppose it. Presumption, which is the sin of man’s self-flattering heart, struggles with no contradictions.” When you find yourself wrestling against assurance, seeking it diligently, but doubting, you must see that you are in a spiritual battle. If you were falsely assured, our enemy is content to leave you alone. If you are truly assured, you must expect an attack. This often comes in the form of doubt.
In these moments, Burgess reiterates that we must continually+ return to the Scriptures: “Therefore, that you may not deceive yourself, study the Scripture and the characters of grace, for they may teach you those signs by which you may comfort yourself.” In addition, remind yourself of the differences between true assurance and simple presumption of faith. Burgess compellingly lays this out in chapter 14. Here are a few takeaways worth quoting at length:
Assurance supports the heart during afflictions and outward miseries
Assurance brings contentment of mind and a thankful, cheerful heart in every condition
Assurance is an antidote against the fear of death
Presumption is unwilling to be searched and tried
“A person who presumes to have assurance of faith flees from the light of examination.”
Presumption does not bear up under calamity
Presumption is not opposed by the enemy
Presumption hopes for the privileges of faith, though it wills not to perform the duties of faith
Presumption takes pride in self while condemning others
“True assurance is accompanied by deep humility and a profound respect for others, praying and mourning for them.”
When you experience true assurance, it brings many benefits for the mind and soul. You start to long for the Lord to return. You lean on your assurance during difficult times, as Burgess eloquently pens: “A savory inward knowledge of divine truth is excellent ballast in the soul.” It keeps you steady amidst afflictions and unwavering in your pilgrimage through life. Your gaze is fixed on Christ and eternity because you have tasted the sweetness of knowing you belong to Him.
Burgess had a heart for the people he was preaching to. He wanted them to be sure of their salvation. He wanted to comfort the doubting believer. He wanted to challenge the deceived. He wanted all in his congregation to seek assurance, test themselves regularly, and experience the true joy of communion with Him. This book will guide you through a biblical examination of your faith to ensure it is true. In it, you’ll feel Burgess’ heart pulsing through the pages almost four centuries after he preached these words. Given his rich pastoral heart, it is best to let Burgess close this review in his own words: “Let me press you to be upon sure and certain terms about your souls … you must be diligent to seek assurance of faith, for at the Judgment Day your failure to do so will rise up and condemn your jollity and carnal security.”
Structure of the Book
The book is divided into 14 chapters:
The Necessity and Advantage of Assurance
Additional Advantages of Assurance
Can Hypocrites Attain Practical Knowledge about Religion?
Assurance May Be Experienced
The Adjuncts of Assurance
The Difference between True Assurance and Presumption
Remedies for Carnal Confidence and Directions to the Godly Who Lack Assurance
Marks of Grace and Assurance
Using Signs for Assurance and Proving that They Evidence Justification
The Lawfulness and Obligation of Proceeding by Signs, and Answering Doubts
How People Miscarry in Self-Examination by Signs
The Duty and Particulars of Assurance
The Assurance of Our Calling Demonstrated and Answers to Objections
Assurance versus Presumption, with Directions to the Godly
Five Key Quotes
“We have no certainty of predestination, justification, or glorification if we are not certain of renovation in us.”
“You may dispute about what a true church, a true ministry, and true ordinances may be, but oh, consider whether there is true grace in your heart.”
“No one has higher mountains and hills to overcome than a falsely deluded Christian, for no one is more indisposed for Christ.”
“Scripture clearly describes the characters and sings of the state of grace such that a godly man, by the faithful application of them to himself under the guidance and enabling of the Spirit of God may be assured that he is in such a state.”
“A believer cannot come to this assurance by himself, for it is a gift of the Spirit of God.”
Recommended Complementary Reading
Heaven on Earth: A Treatise on Christian Assurance by Thomas Brooks
Spiritual Refining: The Anatomy of True and False Conversion by Anthony Burgess
The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie
Where to Buy the Book
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