What is Assurance?

SEla_Kelly wrote:

158:7.5 After they had recovered from the first shock of Jesus' stinging rebuke, and before they resumed their journey, the Master spoke further: “If any man would come after me, let him disregard himself, take up his responsibilities daily, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life selfishly, shall lose it, but whosoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's, shall save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What would a man give in exchange for eternal life? Be not ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and hypocritical generation, even as I will not be ashamed to acknowledge you when in glory I appear before my Father in the presence of all the celestial hosts. Nevertheless, many of you now standing before me shall not taste death till you see this kingdom of God come with power.”

181:1.8 in the full assurance that he was achieving the Father's will
When I heard the first staged-production of "Resurection of the Publick Universal Friend", in Penn Yann, NY, I remember the actor saying, as Jemima Wilkinson, "Remember that God loves ya," during the epilogue of the play. But Remember this, she tried to do God's will, and she forsook herself. God's love is stern, and often enough it is the thing that you are most afraid of.

Jesus said "if you love me" you will feed my sheep. There is an advanced injunction that comes out of Peter's love, man's loyalty. If you know that God loves you, you must reciprocate this love.

180:5.8 this rule of universal relationship is revealed only in its spiritual realization, in the interpretation of the law of conduct by the spirit of the Son to the spirit of the Father that indwells the soul of mortal man
"Any man's interpretation of the law", meaning "Universal Law", that every man has this relationship to the First Source, has that relationship to the Paradise Father.

Another horrific falsehood and misrepresentation!! God's love is NOT stern!! Or aloof or angry or withheld or difficult to acquire or to receive nor is it earned or deserved. Neither do we need to forsake ourselves or our own best interest or our happiness do know God's will or to do God's will!!!

To "disregard" self is merely to set aside self importance and false liberty in recognition of the value and importance of others - each and all others - as fellow children in the family of God. We may choose false liberty or true liberty and thereby come the results which accompany each of those choices....either blessing or consequences and suffering. The choice is ours.

You are posting quotations here again for which there are no sources except your own imagination!! Who said and where is it written - "Any man's interpretation of the law..." or that those words might mean "Universal Law"???????

180:5.8 is about the assurance that comes to mortals by their understanding of the Golden Rule:

180:5.8 (1950.3) But the highest realization and the truest interpretation of the golden rule consists in the consciousness of the spirit of the truth of the enduring and living reality of such a divine declaration. The true cosmic meaning of this rule of universal relationship is revealed only in its spiritual realization, in the interpretation of the law of conduct by the spirit of the Son to the spirit of the Father that indwells the soul of mortal man. And when such spirit-led mortals realize the true meaning of this golden rule, they are filled to overflowing with the assurance of citizenship in a friendly universe, and their ideals of spirit reality are satisfied only when they love their fellows as Jesus loved us all, and that is the reality of the realization of the love of God.

181:1.8 (1954.5) A certain amount of both stoicism and optimism are serviceable in living a life on earth, but neither has aught to do with that superb peace which the Son of God bestows upon his brethren in the flesh. The peace which Michael gives his children on earth is that very peace which filled his own soul when he himself lived the mortal life in the flesh and on this very world. The peace of Jesus is the joy and satisfaction of a God-knowing individual who has achieved the triumph of learning fully how to do the will of God while living the mortal life in the flesh. The peace of Jesus’ mind was founded on an absolute human faith in the actuality of the divine Father’s wise and sympathetic overcare. Jesus had trouble on earth, he has even been falsely called the “man of sorrows,” but in and through all of these experiences he enjoyed the comfort of that confidence which ever empowered him to proceed with his life purpose in the full assurance that he was achieving the Father’s will.

181:1.10 (1955.1) The peace of Jesus is, then, the peace and assurance of a son who fully believes that his career for time and eternity is safely and wholly in the care and keeping of an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful spirit Father. And this is, indeed, a peace which passes the understanding of mortal mind, but which can be enjoyed to the full by the believing human heart.

Me here: The lessons in the quotes referenced (but not posted) by Stephen are that the more we progress in the Spirit and the more we grow the fruits of the Spirit and embrace the Golden Rule, the more Divine Assurance we receive. Assurance is a mechanism and force of response by Deity to our response to Deity!! Divine Assurance is a feedback loop of reinforcement and supporting comfort and confidence and affirmation....assurance of our standing as beloved children!!

Only those living without Divine Assurance might believe or preach that God's love is stern or earned. The quote from Paper 158 is irrelevant to the topic and, as usual, posted out of context!! Here Peter has the audacity to lecture the Master on the mission and ministry of Michael's 7th bestowal and does so out of the childish belief in the earthly material kingdom he hopes to help rule and sit near the throne of!! This is a very particular and very personal and very situational rebuke of Peter's immature blindness and self interest. Peter's embrace of false liberty and self interest roused the Master's rebuke!

158:7.3 (1759.5) In answer to Andrew, Jesus said: “My brethren, it is because you have confessed that I am the Son of God that I am constrained to begin to unfold to you the truth about the end of the bestowal of the Son of Man on earth. You insist on clinging to the belief that I am the Messiah, and you will not abandon the idea that the Messiah must sit upon a throne in Jerusalem; wherefore do I persist in telling you that the Son of Man must presently go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be rejected by the scribes, the elders, and the chief priests, and after all this be killed and raised from the dead. And I speak not a parable to you; I speak the truth to you that you may be prepared for these events when they suddenly come upon us.” And while he was yet speaking, Simon Peter, rushing impetuously toward him, laid his hand upon the Master’s shoulder and said: “Master, be it far from us to contend with you, but I declare that these things shall never happen to you.”

158:7.4 (1760.1) Peter spoke thus because he loved Jesus; but the Master’s human nature recognized in these words of well-meant affection the subtle suggestion of temptation that he change his policy of pursuing to the end his earth bestowal in accordance with the will of his Paradise Father. And it was because he detected the danger of permitting the suggestions of even his affectionate and loyal friends to dissuade him, that he turned upon Peter and the other apostles, saying: “Get you behind me. You savor of the spirit of the adversary, the tempter. When you talk in this manner, you are not on my side but rather on the side of our enemy. In this way do you make your love for me a stumbling block to my doing the Father’s will. Mind not the ways of men but rather the will of God.”

158:7.5 (1760.2) After they had recovered from the first shock of Jesus’ stinging rebuke, and before they resumed their journey, the Master spoke further: “If any man would come after me, let him disregard himself, take up his responsibilities daily, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life selfishly, shall lose it, but whosoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s, shall save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What would a man give in exchange for eternal life? Be not ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and hypocritical generation, even as I will not be ashamed to acknowledge you when in glory I appear before my Father in the presence of all the celestial hosts. Nevertheless, many of you now standing before me shall not taste death till you see this kingdom of God come with power.”

158:7.6 (1760.3) And thus did Jesus make plain to the twelve the painful and conflicting path which they must tread if they would follow him. What a shock these words were to these Galilean fishermen who persisted in dreaming of an earthly kingdom with positions of honor for themselves! But their loyal hearts were stirred by this courageous appeal, and not one of them was minded to forsake him. Jesus was not sending them alone into the conflict; he was leading them. He asked only that they bravely follow.

158:7.7 (1760.4) Slowly the twelve were grasping the idea that Jesus was telling them something about the possibility of his dying. They only vaguely comprehended what he said about his death, while his statement about rising from the dead utterly failed to register in their minds. As the days passed, Peter, James, and John, recalling their experience upon the mount of the transfiguration, arrived at a fuller understanding of certain of these matters.

SEla_Kelly wrote:

I think that what you or I think about assurance is not as significant as what the midwayer author of Book IV wished to convey through the usage of that word "assurance". To me, he meant that assurance was Jesus' personal means of signification, in order to convey to the mind of another human individual that you are doing or have done God's will.

If you try to assure others, you are attempting to justify their actions, and you are also suggesting "this is what it means to me to do God's will." Assurance might also be significant of one's love and affectations, for "as a man wills, so goes his love." But if you stake your assurance merely on the prospect of "earning God's love", you are forgetting the persent actionable imperative in the highest moral goal of your own household. You are forgetting the simplicity of "returning to one's responsibility", and what that might mean for every man.

As I have previously (and redundantly) stated...We mortals do not and cannot deliver Divine Assurance one to another!! We may, and indeed should and are taught to, share our own personal Assurance with others. Our faith and truth Assurance experience should, if genuine, result in a poise and sublime peace of mind and sweet natured perspective of reality - even in the midst of turmoil and loss and uncertainty and even chaos and material collapse!! Divine Assurance is a very real and very powerful force!! To share or give testimony of that Divine Assurance we know for ourselves by our faith and truth and trust experience is a kind and generous and helpful force for good and certainly is NOT an endorsement or excuse for ANY bad behavior. What a horrific and false claim!

Only you have preached here that we must earn God's love...and you still do so again here and now in this very post! And again you post unattributed quotations which have no source except your own imagination!!

Jesus did not convince others of the truth of his words or the sincerity of his intentions...he demonstrated those in his life and his demeanor and his faith and his trust in God and the friendly universe...no matter the trials and tribulations suffered, including his own torture and murder. Divine Assurance has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with conveyance or convincing another mortal of anything at all.

We are taught that for mortals and to mortals and between mortals there cannot be any proof or conveyance or convincing that any know or do the will of God...but one. The only such evidence is demonstrations of the fruits of the Spirit!! Only that poise and trust and joy of faith and truth Assurance experience can convey to others our own personal Spirituality or Spirit and reality alignment.

But no one may convey to any other a personal religious experience and that Divine Assurance which comes by that individual and direct relationship with the inner Spirit.

101:2.16 Religion must ever be its own critic and judge; it can never be observed, much less understood, from the outside. Your only assurance of a personal God consists in your own insight as to your belief in, and experience with, things spiritual. To all of your fellows who have had a similar experience, no argument about the personality or reality of God is necessary, while to all other men who are not thus sure of God no possible argument could ever be truly convincing.

Me here: However, since the Spirit of Truth was gifted to us, that ministry of mind is one of confirmation and affirmation which can and does deliver Divine Assurance.

Divine Assurance, according to the UB, is not about any proof or validation of doing God's will either...or not exactly. Assurance is a result of our faith and truth experience and our personal spiritization and branch being connected to the vine. All of these are indeed God's will but they have nothing to do with "what" we do or "what" we choose or "what" we know or understand or believe so much as "why" we choose what we choose. God does not judge our knowledge OR our wisdom but ONLY our intentions. God's will is expressed by our motives, intentions, and priorities in the intersections of choice related to circumstances, situations, and relationships. The "what" of God's will takes care of itself over time by our growth and experiential wisdom acquired.

Assurance is a paternal affection and our emotional reaction to that affection as children of God who enjoy God's personal presence within and that Divine Affection of a loving parent. A baby knows such assurance without doing or knowing the "will" of the parent.

Still do you cling to and proclaim this falsehood Stephen...that things must be known and believed and things must be done and that God's will must be known to make progress in the Spirit or to experience the Divine Affection and Divine Assurance. These are complete fabrications of your own invention which totally contradict the teachings within the Urantia Papers.

True religious experience is not about knowing God's will, it is about RESPONDING to God's presence! Assurance is itself a religious experience.

To wit:

1:5.4 Even though material mortals cannot see the person of God, they should rejoice in the assurance that he is a person; by faith accept the truth which portrays that the Universal Father so loved the world as to provide for the eternal spiritual progression of its lowly inhabitants; that he “delights in his children.” God is lacking in none of those superhuman and divine attributes which constitute a perfect, eternal, loving, and infinite Creator personality.

101:0.3 Religion, the conviction-faith of the personality, can always triumph over the superficially contradictory logic of despair born in the unbelieving material mind. There really is a true and genuine inner voice, that "true light which lights every man who comes into the world." And this spirit leading is distinct from the ethical prompting of human conscience. The feeling of religious assurance is more than an emotional feeling. The assurance of religion transcends the reason of the mind, even the logic of philosophy. Religion is faith, trust, and assurance.

101:1.6 Faith unites moral insight with conscientious discriminations of values, and the pre-existent evolutionary sense of duty completes the ancestry of true religion. The experience of religion eventually results in the certain consciousness of God and in the undoubted assurance of the survival of the believing personality.

101:2.14 Your deepest nature—the divine Adjuster—creates within you a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a certain craving for divine perfection. Religion is the faith act of the recognition of this inner urge to divine attainment; and thus is brought about that soul trust and assurance of which you become conscious as the way of salvation, the technique of the survival of personality and all those values which you have come to look upon as being true and good.

101:2.15 The realization of religion never has been, and never will be, dependent on great learning or clever logic. It is spiritual insight, and that is just the reason why some of the world's greatest religious teachers, even the prophets, have sometimes possessed so little of the wisdom of the world. Religious faith is available alike to the learned and the unlearned.

101:5.11 Personally revealed religions are sponsored by the bestowal spirits representing the three persons of the Paradise Trinity and are especially concerned with the expansion of truth. Evolutionary religion drives home to the individual the idea of personal duty; revealed religion lays increasing emphasis on loving, the golden rule.

101:5.12 Evolved religion rests wholly on faith. Revelation has the additional assurance of its expanded presentation of the truths of divinity and reality and the still more valuable testimony of the actual experience which accumulates in consequence of the practical working union of the faith of evolution and the truth of revelation. Such a working union of human faith and divine truth constitutes the possession of a character well on the road to the actual acquirement of a morontial personality.

101:5.13 Evolutionary religion provides only the assurance of faith and the confirmation of conscience; revelatory religion provides the assurance of faith plus the truth of a living experience in the realities of revelation. The third step in religion, or the third phase of the experience of religion, has to do with the morontia state, the firmer grasp of mota. Increasingly in the morontia progression the truths of revealed religion are expanded; more and more you will know the truth of supreme values, divine goodnesses, universal relationships, eternal realities, and ultimate destinies.

101:5.14 Increasingly throughout the morontia progression the assurance of truth replaces the assurance of faith. When you are finally mustered into the actual spirit world, then will the assurances of pure spirit insight operate in the place of faith and truth or, rather, in conjunction with, and superimposed upon, these former techniques of personality assurance.

Bradly

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