Title: Saved, But are you sure

Text: 1 Jn 5:13

Date: 8-13-06.am

I Jn 5: 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (NAS)

Introduction:

In writing to the early church, the apostle John wanted to make something perfectly clear: God offers His children everlasting life. In Christ, men and women should have no fear of physical death, because their true lives their eternal lives are secure in Jesus. First John 5:13 is a unique Scripture passage because in it, John plainly states his purpose for writing. The point of his entire ministry was to empower believers with the unshakable faith of eternal life in Christ. It’s clear from what John wrote in verse 13 he was addressing believers those who had already placed their trust in Christ for salvation.

In his gospel in John 20:30,31 he wrote: Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (NAS) In I Jn 5: 13, he wrote: These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (NAS) In other words that you might be sure.

Baptists believe the Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of eternal security, or once saved always saved. If we have placed our faith in the person and work of Christ for salvation eternal security is a fact. It is a spiritual reality whether we understand it or not or whether we believe it or not it is true.

Assurance, on the other hand, is the realization of that truth. Being sure has to do with our comprehending the fact of our eternal security. That’s what John wants us to know. First let’s consider some of the reasons why people lack assurance of their salvation? Here’s a partial list I found in a paper ABCs For Christian Growth by J. Hampton Keathley III.

(1) People often lack assurance because they cannot remember or point to a specific time when they received Christ. Some doubt or wonder if they were ever really saved. There is a specific point in time when salvation occurs-the point when regeneration takes place. We all want a Damascus Road Experience that we can look back at and say that was it. The issue for us is to know now, we are really trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

(2) People often lack assurance because they question the procedure they went through when they accepted Christ. Many evangelists and preachers emphasize the need for some form of public confession of faith like going forward at the end of a service or raising your hand. If people receive Christ privately, they may wonder if they should have made a public confession or prayed a different prayer.

(3) People often lack assurance because of struggles they have with certain sins. They wonder if a true believer would have these kinds of problems. The real problem is ignorance of man's sinful nature, the spiritual war-fare we are in, God's means of deliverance, and the need to grow and mature in Christ.

(4) A primary reason behind a lack of assurance is doctrinal misunderstanding and the consequent lack of faith in the finished work of Christ. This means a failure to understand the Word and its teaching regarding mankind, our sin and inability to work for or maintain our salvation. We want to be sure we understand God's perfect holiness, and the finished nature and sufficiency of the work of Christ.

You might think of some other reasons people struggle with assurance of their salvation.

(5) Another key reason behind a lack of assurance is the work of Satan.

Satan is the great accuser of mankind. He loves nothing better than to plant doubt in the mind of a believer that they are saved. He uses all the reasons to steal the joy of salvation away from believers since he knows he can’t steal there salvation.

So, I want to talk this morning about the basis for being sure of your salvation.

SALVATION = Deliverance

From God's perspective, salvation includes the total work of God in bringing people from condemnation to justification, from death to eternal life, from alienation to filiation. From the human perspective, it incorporates all of the blessings that being in Christ brings both in this life and the life to come.

1. THE UNCHANGING WORD OF GOD. What John had just written about God's testimony aims to assure his readers and of course believers today that, despite anything false teachers or other religions or false doctrines teach or anything else, believers do indeed possess eternal life. The assurance of a person’s salvation always rests fundamentally and sufficiently on the direct promises that God makes. In other words, one's assurance rests on the testimony of God.

The Word of God is clear on the issues of salvation.

Forgiveness of Sin - Acts 10:43; Col 2:13

Does this mean we no longer sin? No, certainly not.

I Jn 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NAS)

Once we trust Christ for salvation our sin all of our sin is forgiven in the matter of salvation but it severely and critically affects our relationship. That’s why the Spirit convicts of sin and why Christ intercedes continually on our behalf and why it is necessary to confess and repent of our on going sins.

Freedom from condemnation

Condemnation is being under the Judgement of sin and the penalty of death because of sin.

John 5:24

24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (NAS)

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (NAS)

Justification The legal act of being declared righteous or given a right standing before God.

Rom 4:24-25

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (KJV)

Rom 4:25

25 Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God. (TEV)

Rom 5:16

16 And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of “Guilty”; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of “Not guilty!” (TEV)

Eternal Life:

Over and over in his gospel and letters, the apostle declares God’s assurance of never-ending life. For example, he quotes Jesus’ promise of eternity in John 3:16, 6:37;, and 10:27-30. and states the matter clearly in 3:36

2. THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF GOD. Our Father loves us so much that He wants an everlasting, intimate relationship with each one of us. To accomplish this, He demonstrated His love in a remarkable way: by providing our salvation at a great price.

Rom 5:8

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (NAS)

Eph 2:4-5

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (NAS)

I Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (NAS)

3. THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

Salvation is not by works or merit

The reason we can be secure in our salvation is because it doesn’t depend on us. By offering His life as a substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus provided the means of salvation once and for all. Our part is to accept the gift He so freely gives (Hebrews 10:23-28).

Eph 2:8-9 is a passage most Christians are familiar with – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (NAS)

Salvations is based solely on the finished work of Christ.

Heb 9:11-12

11 But when Christ appeared {as} a high priest of the good things to come, {He entered} through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;

12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (NAS)

I Jn 5:11-12

11 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (NAS)

Acts 4:12

12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

(NAS)

4. THE WITNESS AND MINISTRY OF GOD’S SPIRIT.

Always bear in mind the Spirit is not a power although He is powerful. He is not inanimate. He is the Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God or Trinity. The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active on going presence of God in the world, and especially in the church.

The Spirit has a wide ranging ministry in the world.

It is the Spirit who convicts of sin John 16:8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; NASB

He is the agent of regeneration or new birth John 3:5-6 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. NASB

He is the agent of sanctification both the initial experience and the on going experience 1Thess 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. NASB

He Seals us unto God

2 Cor 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. NASB

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, NASB

Eph 4:30 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. NASB

Our Father places His Holy Spirit within every believer to testify to the truth of our salvation

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. NASB

Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, NASB

“If you are a child of God, I have some good news for you! Because Jesus lives, you live. Because you are part of Him and He will never die, you will never die. Jesus Christ is more than Savior, He is Intercessor and High Priest. I have often said that I will get worried about losing my salvation, when Jesus dies. And He is not going to die! Where is He today? At the right hand of God to make intercession for you. You can be secure in this world because your salvation is rooted in the Father’s mercy, obtained by the Son’s obedience, and made possible by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit!” Dr.Adrian Rodgers

Do you know that assurance in your life this morning, have you realized it and comprehended it? If not you need to turn your eyes upon Jesus trusting Him and resting in His testimony of eternal life.