Shorter Catechism Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Commentary: Sometimes benefits flow from benefits. If you are born into a wealthy household, then you have the benefit of riches. Further benefits will flow from or accompany that benefit such as nice vacations, private schools, and an expensive vehicle for your sixteenth birthday present. The same is true in the spiritual realm. Further benefits will flow from or accompany from being justified, adopted and sanctified.
One such benefit is assurance of God’s love. God loves and reveals his love to his people, that is, those who are justified, adopted and sanctified. We love because he first loved us. Our love (from being sanctified), therefore, is evidence of God’s love for and in us.
Other such benefits include “peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” Instead of running from God because of a guilty conscience, we are at peace with him, filled with joy, grow in grace and we are enabled to run with endurance the race set before us because we are kept by God’s power.