"NAVEL WATCHERS"

Sometime ago I read about a very select group of monks, who lived in the dark ages, who were known as "navel watchers". Day after day they would go through a very "pious" exercise. All alone in their little rooms they would sit and stare into their navels.

We all laugh and say, "Such an exercise is beyond ridiculous." And it is, like many of those things performed by those who follow the pope's doctrine. But I know many believers who imitate this madness.Whenever they are looking for assurance, they look within themselves for evidences. Seldom do these people find any comfort by their practice. And if they do it is usually, if not always, a false, self-righteous assurance. I find no assurance in what I am, or in what I have experienced. All my assurance is in the crucified Christ. All the evidence of salvation that I have is that Christ died for sinners. And that is all I want or need. I do not very often feel much like a saint. If assurance depended on how holy I feel, then I would lose all hope of ever having it. But, if assurance depends on God accepting sinners through the merits of Christ, then I can have assurance. I know that I am a sinner. I come to God daily, trusting the righteousness and shed blood of Christ. The more sinful I feel, the more reason I have to cling to Christ alone. This gives me assurance - As a sinful man, I trust Christ.

Assurance, like every other aspect of salvation, is a matter of faith, not of works. It does not come by keeping your eyes on yourself, like those silly navel watchers. It comes by keeping your eyes on Christ.