Discussing Assurance - Want of clear views of the Gospel, and mixing up your own work with the finished work of Christ.

Today we continue our discussion of issues that may cause a lack of assurance. [For more details see here]. Today we center our discussion around the statement that an unclear view of the Gospel & an attitude of works can lead to a lack of assurance. Here's what William Patton says:

3. Want of clear views of the Gospel, and mixing up your own work with the finished work of Christ.

Old Brooks, the Puritan, tells of a minister who had great joy in Christ. Speaking, on his death-bed, regarding his peace and quietness of soul, he said that he enjoyed these - not from having a greater measure of grace than, other Christians had, but because he had more clear understanding of the Covenant of Grace.
Lord give us all this clear understanding.

It is really wonderful what ignorance of the very elements of the Gospel there is among professing Christians. Some of them do not seem to know that “Christ died for the ungodly," and seem rather to think that it was for good people that He died.
Or they do not see that He finished the work, and that when they accept Him they get a finished atonement for their sins, and do not need to atone for their own sins at all, but simply to go on their way rejoicing, and thank Him, and love Him, and please Him Who has done so much for them.

Or they do not see that Christ's death is as free to them as the air, or as the rain from heaven, and that anyone who comes to Him, He will in no wise cast out.
Or they do not see that "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"; and rather think that He wants them to wait till tomorrow.
Or they do not see that the moment they are enabled to accept Christ, God pardons all their sins, and they become His children.

They have no clear views at all.
Perhaps they say that this way of salvation is too easy. Too easy! Was it too easy for Christ, Who paid their debt? Did Christ not suffer enough when He cried: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Too easy! Was it too easy for Christ?

And if it were a particle more difficult for us than it is, not one of us could ever possibly be saved. Lord! forgive people who talk about Thy plan of salvation being too easy, for they know not what they say."
-----------------------------------

Again I think that Patton serves us with a spring-board from which to jump into this topic.
An unclear understanding of the Gospel will undoubtedly cause a lack of assurance & it may cause an attitude of works.

Often a muddy view of the Gospel can lead to false teachings & false religions which lead people to worship demons & end up in eternal hell rather than worshipping Jesus & going to spend eternity in Paradise with Him. Paul wrote against the 'adding of anything to Christ's atoning work' in Galatians where a group of men were teaching that alongside the Gospel you had to be circumcised.
Paul wrote:

"Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth...Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"
[I'd advise you to read the whole book of Galatians - especially note Galatians 5:12 where Paul wishes those teachers of circumcision would go a step further and emasculate themselves, showing how serious it is to add any form of works for salvation into the Gospel].

Enough from me, as I could probably talk about this all day -- over to you!