I am currently reading through a soon-to-be-released devotional on the topic of assurance. The book is Assurance: Resting in God’s Salvation by William P. Smith and it will release on May 1 (from P & R Publishing).
The book contains 31 days of devotional readings. One of those readings hits home with a helpful reflection on uncut altar stones and how they teach us about assurance. I wanted to share that quote here and encourage you to pre-order a copy of this book.
Many times people wonder if they were sincere enough when they accepted Christ or when they repented over a stubborn sin. To this, Smith responds with the following:
Even before God established the tabernacle or the temple, he told his people that they could make an earthen or stone altar on which to offer their sacrifices (see Ex. 20:24-26). But he gave them explicit instructions not to shape or cut the stones (see v. 25). They had to use them as they found them. This didn’t simply distinguish the appearance of their altars from those of their surrounding neighbors. It clarified the role that his people played in atoning for their sin: none at all. They didn’t create or give life to the creatures that they sacrificed, nor did they create the materials that were used to sacrifice them. They couldn’t even set their own stamp on those materials.
The altar pictured the mind-set that the people needed to approach God. It was a mind-set that said, “I have no part in fixing the problem I have created between God and me. All that I bring to this altar is my sin. The only reason I don’t die for my sin, as God’s presence comes near, is that he has offered to accept a substitute for me. If he’s satisfied with the sacrifice, then I live. If he isn’t, then there’s nothing I can do to satisfy him.
It was never a matter of doing enough, because there was never anything you could do. By asking, “Did I do enough? Well enough?” you’re really asking, “Is God satisfied with what I’ve done?” The question that you need to ask instead is “Is God satisfied with what Christ has done?”
Amen to that!
You can pre-order this book at Amazon.com, Westminster Bookstore, or check it out direct from P&R Publishing.