Confident Assurance and the Abundant Entrance: Rewards at the Day of Judgment
Orientation
Many believers struggle with uncertainty and fear about standing before God at the day of judgment.
- God's desire is for you to have unwavering confidence and boldness before Him.
- This confidence is not based on your performance but on your position in Christ.
- The alternative to this confidence is to stand ashamed and uncertain, robbed of the assurance He purchased.
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28)
— 1 John 2:28
Clarification
Confidence at judgment is not earned by spiritual progress but is the result of God perfecting His love in us.
- Boldness is grounded in the reality that 'as he is, so are we in this world.'
- This assurance is the birthright of every believer, not a prize for the spiritually elite.
- It is a denial of Christ's finished work to seek assurance anywhere but in Him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)
— 1 John 4:17
Structure
Diligence to confirm our calling and election results in an abundant entrance into Christ's kingdom.
- This diligence is a settled certainty, not frantic striving.
- The promise is that we 'shall never fall.'
- The outcome is a full, rejoicing welcome into the everlasting kingdom.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)
— 2 Peter 1:10-11
Weight-Bearing Prose
The theological assertion is clear: God’s will is for believers to possess confident assurance at the day of judgment. This is a positive result, not a conditional threat. This confidence flows from abiding in Christ—a Pauline category of union and position (Romans 6, Galatians 2:20). The ‘perfection of love’ (1 John 4:17) that produces boldness is God’s work in us, reflecting the nature of Christ Himself. This assurance correlates directly to the reward of an ‘abundant entrance’ into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:11). This entrance is ministered to us; it is not a wage earned. The counter-position—that believers should approach judgment with fear, uncertainty, or a focus on their own works—undermines justification and robs the conscience of its rest in Christ’s finished work. Our calling and election are made sure not by introspection but by resting in the objective truth of God’s promise and our identification with Christ.
Integration
Your standing before God is secure in Christ. He is your righteousness, your sanctification, and your reward. The boldness He provides is for you, today. There is no pressure to advance or achieve a higher tier of assurance. It is already yours in the Son. Abiding is not a test of endurance but a reminder of where God has placed you. Let your conscience be grounded here, in Him alone. Any other ground will shift, but Christ is your solid rock. The abundant entrance is your promised future, secured by His work, not your effort. Rest in this assurance.