Assurance

[0:00] Amen. Amen. I know we had a funeral just this week and Blessed Assurance was the song that we sang.

[0:12] ! And we know that our loved one is with the Lord today.! Blessed Assurance! Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory! Divine! She's enjoying it, isn't she, brother?

[0:24] Our sister June is with the Lord today and we thank God for the life lived and for the blessed assurance that we can know she's with her Saviour now, rejoicing around the throne.

[0:34] And my sermon today is about assurance. Assurance! You can have an assurance! Nowadays we know that there's many folk who are struggling in many ways in terms of how I like to kind of sum it up is in these words here.

[0:56] As a pastor I get to see people and talk to people and many of the folk that I meet and talk with and myself at times can be filled, let's face it, it's common to man with these three things, doubt, dismay and defeat.

[1:14] Many folk are filled with these things such that it overwhelms them and I want to encourage you to reverse that, to reverse doubt, to reverse dismay and to reverse defeat with these three things, salvation, hope and victory.

[1:31] That's my message today. It's about assurance, a glad assurance that we can know. You can have an assurance, a security, an assurance that has an eternal quality to it, a security that is full and sure, a confidence that is in your God.

[1:51] God can establish you, it says. Establish. He can establish you. In other words, he will be your stay and your refuge. He will be your rest and your reassurance.

[2:02] He will be your refuge and your defence. He will uphold you and he will stand by you and he will sustain you. It tells us in the word of God in 2 Corinthians 1 from verse 20 through 22.

[2:18] We read, For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen. Definite. The promises of God, they're definite.

[2:30] Yes, amen. Absolute, guaranteed. You can count on it. All the promises of God are in him yea and in him amen.

[2:41] Unto the glory of God by us. And it says, Now he which establishes us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God, who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

[3:01] It's saying a number of things here. Notice that he establishes us, he makes us secure and stable. He anoints us, he seals us, and he's given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

[3:15] He gives us security and strength. We can know that as God's people. A security and a strength, no matter what is going on all around us, no matter the storm, we have security and strength.

[3:26] And it says he anoints us, he fulfills, he abides, he seals us. In other words, he's placed this stamp of his ownership, the stamp of his authority.

[3:38] As the kings of old had a signet ring that they applied to the wax, he stamps his authority with his signet ring. He stamps, he seals us, and he stamps with his authority and he says this, You are mine.

[3:54] You are mine. You are his purchased possession. You belong to him. He has placed his seal on you, stamped you with his name, with his ownership.

[4:07] As the king of kings, with his authority, he's declared, You are mine. Sealed. He has sealed us. And he's given us so freely his great gift of salvation, the witness of his Spirit.

[4:21] And he lives in our hearts by faith. Now, when we look around us, many people have lost hope. And there's this consuming hopelessness that overwhelms and saps their strength.

[4:34] Some people turn to this or that. Some God substitute. Whatever it be. And it doesn't satisfy. They struggle with uncertainty.

[4:45] They're groping in the dark, in this fog that overwhelms them. And let's be honest, it can affect Christians too. We're not immune to human emotion.

[4:56] We are human. We feel hurt. We suffer pain. We know the depths of downtimes and bruising. It's common to all that are flesh.

[5:07] And we still are. Some can even doubt that God is with them. When they get so low and down, downhearted. Some have a feeling that salvation itself is shaky.

[5:21] Such that they can't grasp the eternity of it in the present tense. Eternal life. Now.

[5:32] And they constantly have this sense, this trepidation, this, I just don't measure up. So maybe I'm not even saved.

[5:43] But that's not what it's about. That's not your salvation. Some live in this doubt, in this unbelief, and it eats away at them. I see this all the time.

[5:54] I hear this all the time. If you're feeling alike to this, you're not alone. Others face enormous challenges and the difficulties of life, life circumstances.

[6:13] And it can feel like God is so distant and far, far away when difficulties come. And we can be overcome with disappointment. Some folk have battled with tragedy, with loss, with hard times, deep waters, deep troubles.

[6:28] Loved ones passed away. Or in some sinking sand of drugs and drink, abuse.

[6:41] And we grieve for them. People we've been close to turn away or treat us with disdain. It hurts. I can identify with that.

[6:53] I've had long-term friends be very hurtful to me. It's the reality of life, brothers and sisters. In ministry, it seems there's more of it.

[7:05] But we must press on regardless. Some have had the wind taken out of their sails, right out of their sails. And they just feel, wow, where is God? What's happening?

[7:17] And even as believers, it can be wearing. Let's be honest. I'm being honest with you. Life with its twists and turns, it's like this windy road. You don't know what's going on.

[7:28] Yet in it all, we have found hope. You can find hope. And I want to assure you of some things this morning, some truths that you can count on because they're guaranteed by God.

[7:39] God's given his 100% guarantee. These are eternal realities. Truths that the Bible tells us of. And we can trust his word, every word of it.

[7:54] There are sure truths that you can count and absolutely be sure of today. So I'd like to leave you with some sense of assurance this morning, some positive assurance.

[8:06] And not as some, maybe some car salesman might say, look, you've got 100% warranty. And I saw something. Yeah, it's a nose to tail warranty.

[8:18] But then someone had tyre trouble. They said, oh, that's not included. But God's warranty, God's guarantee is nose to tail. It's 100% from head to toe. It's from alpha to omega.

[8:31] Amen. His guarantee, his warranty, his eternal assurance, his eternal guarantee is 100%. Yay and amen.

[8:42] So there's some sure truths you can be absolutely sure of today. And I pray that this will help. If you're in those circumstances that I spoke of and, hey, I've been there, doubt, dismay, defeat, you can reverse that.

[8:57] And know God's assurance today, deep down in your heart. And I want to assure you of these three things that we can know of. And firstly, a sure salvation. A sure salvation.

[9:09] I know our brother was talking earlier about some that have been through this wandering of occult, of Mormonism, of Seventh-day Adventism, of works-based kind of salvation thinking.

[9:22] And finally, they have found sure salvation. Sure salvation. God's salvation. And you can know sure salvation. Of course, we must not rest on a false assurance.

[9:34] But our assurance comes from our salvation wrought by God. God's salvation. And we can come to know genuine biblical salvation.

[9:45] And this is where it starts. When we realise our own inability, you are not able. You're like this man about to drown, as it were, pictured here.

[9:57] We realise our own inability. Without a saviour, we are lost. We're going to go glug, glug, glug, glug, glug. Deep down in the deep blue sea.

[10:09] You are not able. You need a saviour. You need someone to rescue you. You cannot save yourself. You can't pick yourself up with your own bootstraps. You can't save yourself.

[10:20] It's important that we realise our own inability. We're not able. You are not able. Try as you might. It's right to feel your sin, your need, your lack, your inability.

[10:35] Our security and our assurance comes from him. It's not based in ourselves. Our security and our assurance is in the hand of the Lord that is not shortened that it cannot save.

[10:47] And it is a sure foundation. He can reach deep, deep, deep, deep down to the guttermost, to the uttermost. And it's not based, this salvation, it's not based on our feelings, but on the facts.

[11:01] Some think, well, I just don't feel saved. Have you done what he's called you to do? It's not about your feelings. And feelings are fickle, aren't they?

[11:12] They come and go. They change. Our salvation is not based on how we feel. And when we trust the Lord, we might get some goosebumps. Or we might get some sense of the wonder of it all.

[11:24] We might get some tears. We might get some joy and gladness deep down in our heart. But it's beyond any of the feelings. It's the fact of his saving grace.

[11:35] It's the fact of his salvation that he offers, he extends, and it's a gift unto us, entirely a gift. Our salvation is not some reward. Some would think that in various philosophies, if not all philosophies, as if it's something you work for that you get rewarded for.

[11:53] Salvation, our salvation is not some kind of reward. It is entirely a gift. Entirely a gift. And our security and assurance is not based on ourselves.

[12:04] It's based on that sure foundation, the very guarantee of God. So we're going to look at some scriptures to tell us about this sure salvation as we look together to Timothy 1. Paul writes to Timothy, For the which cause I also suffer these things.

[12:18] Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom... Whom I have believed. I know Jesus. I believe him.

[12:29] I trust him. I know him. I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that he is able. He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

[12:42] Our salvation rests upon the ability of... Not you. God. The ability of God. He is able. Our salvation rests on his merits, his righteousness, his obedience.

[12:57] Not ours. The Bible declares that salvation is of the Lord. And God's salvation is irreversible. Irreversible.

[13:08] It cannot be changed or lost. We see our Lord promises this. Verily, verily. He says this is absolute guarantee. Truly, truly.

[13:18] Verily, verily. This is very truth of very truth. He says, Verily, verily. I say unto you. He that believeth on me. Have everlasting life.

[13:30] Make sure that on me is in your Bible because it's in mine. The Bible says, Believeth on me. Jesus says, Believe on me. Have everlasting life.

[13:40] Have. Present sense. He says further in John 5.24. Verily, verily. I say unto you. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life.

[13:52] Present sense. You have it. Present tense possession. You have everlasting life. And shall not come into condemnation. But he's passed from death unto life.

[14:03] What a contrast. He's taken us out of death. The wages of sin is death. He's given us the gift. Eternal life. We've crossed over this chasm, this gulf that is our sin. By the grace of God, he's transported us.

[14:15] He's translated us. He's relocated us from death unto life. What a wonder it is. What a transformation to go from death to life. That's the transfer.

[14:27] And you can be sure, 100%, 100% guaranteed sure that you have passed from death unto life. If you believe. Believe. You can be sure.

[14:39] You can know peace with God and security for your soul. And the word tells us in 1 John, it says, this is the record. It says that you may know. He says, these things I've written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

[14:54] That you may know that ye have, present tense, possession, ye have eternal life. And that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Again, brother, sister, you have God's promise.

[15:06] His watertight guaranteed promise. These things I've written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God. That you may know that ye have, ye have it, eternal life.

[15:16] Believe on the name of the Son of God. There's many confusing voices out there. Adding all kinds of works to salvation.

[15:28] They're adding works. Or they're saying that salvation is about our perseverance. There's some preacher of renown who heard about another reputable man of God who was passing away.

[15:43] They said, pray that he'll persevere to the end. Pray that he'll persevere to the end. So he won't sort of give up like at the last stretch of the race. You've got to persevere, persevere, persevere.

[15:55] It's a false doctrine of Calvinism. There's no such thing. Our salvation is not about our perseverance. It's about God's perseverance, isn't it?

[16:06] It's about God's provision. It's about God's preservation. It's about God's doing, not ours. There's confusing voices out there saying that salvation is dependent on our showing certain works.

[16:18] It confuses the simple message to believe on Christ. There are no other conditions or requirements. Let me quote a source to you. I'm quoting someone here. My commitment to Jesus Christ does not save me.

[16:31] Christ saves me by his grace. My surrender to his lordship does not save me. Christ saves me by his grace. My obedience to his word does not save me.

[16:42] Christ saves me by his grace. My love for the saviour does not save me. Christ saves me by his grace. My ability or lack of ability to fulfil all the demands of discipleship does not save me.

[16:55] Christ saves me by his grace. My behaviour, my conduct does not save me. Christ saves me by his grace. You know, it's getting the cart before the horse when people count on such things.

[17:08] The sure salvation we can know happens at that moment of trusting Christ. It's founded upon faith alone, by God's grace alone. At that moment you are saved for eternity.

[17:20] As a saved man, of course, I am to labour. I am to strive. I am to surrender. I am to live righteous. I am to be a disciple. Yet none of my doing makes me saved.

[17:32] It's his finished work at the cross. We're justified freely by his grace. Salvation happens at the point of faith. Here's another quote. Eternal life is not something that we earn or achieve by our faithful living throughout our Christian life.

[17:48] Instead it is a free gift. A free gift that we receive at the moment we believe in Christ. And this life is in the present possession of every believer.

[17:59] As it says, He that hath the Son hath life. You have it. If you have Christ, you have life. If you have not the Son of God, if you have not Christ, you have not life.

[18:10] It's present tense. As I say, there's lots of confusing voices out there that try to load people with burdens that Christ does not burden us with as far as salvation.

[18:25] We have absolute security if we know him, if we trust him. We have God's seal. He establishes us and he has given us his guarantee. And as I say, this guarantee is not like some shonky used car salesman.

[18:40] I'm sure there's some good ones out there. But this is a full 100% guarantee. Amen. His seal of ownership. You are mine. Sealed. His seal of ownership is upon you.

[18:52] You are his. He is yours. And this salvation is not shaky or unstable. It's certain and sure. It's rock solid, established.

[19:04] And we can have full assurance of faith. We don't have to linger in some fog of doubt or unbelief or some uncertainty. Am I saved? Oh, I was saved. And then I think I lost it.

[19:15] And then I think I've got it back again. Maybe I've got to get baptized again. You know, I lost it again. I've regained it again. I've got to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior again.

[19:26] People live in this confusion and unbelief. It's not of God. His salvation is a gift. It's guaranteed. It's sure. And you can have a full assurance of faith.

[19:38] He tells us in Hebrews 10, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. We can have a full assurance of faith. That's a blessing to know.

[19:50] That's a blessed assurance, isn't it? A blessed assurance. And we can know that we are kept by the power of God. Not by your own keeping. Not by your own persevering.

[20:02] Not by your own doing, doing, doing. But he's done. He's done. Who are kept by the power of God. Through faith unto salvation. Ready to be revealed at the last time.

[20:12] It's telling you you're kept. His hand keeps you. His arm encircles you. His arm underneath are the everlasting arms. No man can pluck you out of the Father's hand.

[20:23] No man can pluck you out of the Savior's hand. We're kept by the power of God. I put to you the power of God is the most powerful thing, isn't it? It's greater than the power of any evil.

[20:36] The power of the devil. The power of any unbelief. God's power, the power of God will keep you. And people can be filled with doubt. But we can know a full salvation.

[20:47] A sure salvation. Also people can be filled with dismay. When life throws its curve balls. Who's been there? Well, where did that come from?

[21:00] And we face struggles. And trials. I'm sure none of you have ever had such things. I want to assure you that whatever your situation, if you're feeling some dismay about the troubles of life from time to time, I want to assure you that you can know a sure hope.

[21:23] A sure hope. In life, it's easy to get dismayed. People hurt you. Situations wound you. Pastors fail you. Churches.

[21:35] There's all manner of voices out there. There's people hurting. And yet there's hope. We have a hope and it's sure. It's a sure hope. And it tells us in Hebrews 6.19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.

[21:51] Both sure and steadfast. You've got an anchor that is sure and steadfast. An anchor that will hold you when the stormy seas are choppy and changing and you're getting blown by contrary winds and tidal waves.

[22:08] You've got an anchor of your soul that will keep you strong. And our Christian walk, our life, it is a walk. Keep on plotting. The hope that we have is a sure and confident expectation.

[22:21] This word hope in the sense of it, it's not a hope so or a hopeful thing in the sense of hope, depending on how I think or feel. But it's a sure and confident hope is the sense of it here.

[22:35] And in Hebrews 13, we read that the Lord writes through the writer of Hebrews, Be content with such things as ye have. For he hath said, I will sometimes leave you.

[22:49] I will be with you most of the time. No, that's the wrong version. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you, it says. Never, ever, never.

[23:02] I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me. This hope that we have is a sure and confident expectation.

[23:15] And it's founded upon the reliability of God, the one who has given us his promise, a sure hope. The one who is your hope is always there with you and for you.

[23:27] Can we just grasp that truth of those words there? I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That says it all, doesn't it? That he's never going to let you down.

[23:40] He's never going to leave you. He'll always be there for you. And this hope sustains us. Now, the one who shone his glory on Paul, as he was Saul at the time on Damascus Road, he shone his glory and the man who became known as Paul was gloriously saved.

[24:00] And Paul saw the glory on the Damascus Road, the saving grace of God. And that same one is the one who stood by him in the privations of his prison cell, where he could write, rejoice in the Lord most of the time.

[24:24] No, always. Rejoice in the Lord 99% of the time. No, always. Always. And again, I say, he emphasizes it again, rejoice.

[24:36] Here he was in a prison cell, in suffering and privation, in difficulty, in some dank, dark, dingy dungeon, and God was still there with him, and he could still rejoice.

[24:52] And he urges others too. The God who works still in human hearts, he works still today, and he is our hope and strength. He is our redeemer, our sustainer, our supply.

[25:04] And even when you may face trials or testing, as Paul many, many times did, he is with you. With you still.

[25:15] Peace, be still. Peace, be still. Even when you may suffer a thorn in your flesh. Oh, and I've heard stories of that from dear relatives, the thorn in the flesh, just driving them nuts.

[25:30] Even as Paul, as he was injured and suffering pain, this one with a capital O, he says to you, my grace is sufficient for thee.

[25:42] My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

[25:54] Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses. For Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong. Paul knew what the grace of God meant, didn't he?

[26:08] The sure hope. A hope that goes beyond the circumstance. You might feel like you're in a bit of a dungeon right now. There's hope still. He says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

[26:21] You can count on him. People will come and go. Friends, people that you trusted, they fail you.

[26:34] But he says, I will never leave thee. I will never forsake thee. And in a world where hopelessness prevails, we have an eternal hope, an eternal hope. The Bible tells of some who are without hope.

[26:45] We're not of them. It tells of them in Ephesians 2. It tells of some, without Christ, they've got no hope without God in the world. Let's not be in their number.

[26:56] We are not in their number. We have sure hope. In contrast, we as believers, we have a blessed hope. The Bible tells of he's coming again for us. It's a blessed hope. It's a joyful, glad-hearted hope.

[27:07] A living hope. A lively hope. And dear saint of God, even if you must suffer, and some of us will, even if you must suffer, you have a living hope.

[27:22] A living hope that sustains you, that keeps you, even if it be some thorn in the flesh, even if it be some sadness of life, even if it be in infirmities, in reproaches, in distresses, in necessities, in persecutions, for Christ's sake.

[27:41] My grace is sufficient for thee, he says to you. And you've got a hope, a hope that sustains you. A hope that is like an anchor for your soul.

[27:54] This gospel hope. And this hope that we have is too important, it's too precious for us to keep it to ourselves, isn't it? As we read in 1 Peter 3, make the Lord holy in your hearts, sanctify him, be separated unto God, sanctify the Lord your God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

[28:23] And the context there is, if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

[28:35] You've got a hope that endures. And brother, sister, whatever your cross, he'll help you. You have hope.

[28:48] You have a hope that endures the circumstances and situations of life in a world that has no hope. You have reason for hope, the gospel hope, the glad hope, the knowledge, the certainty, the sure hope that you are saved, and you can share that saving gospel message with others too, to a world that's torn and wounded and bruised.

[29:09] And friends, when we're in such a world, we see that the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. The effect of righteousness shall be quietness and assurance forever.

[29:25] You've got an eternal assurance, an eternal hope. Even when the storm rages, we have peace with God. We have peace with God, we have the peace of God, and we have the God of peace.

[29:39] Three things. Notice that. The word tells us you've got peace with God, you've got the peace of God, and you've got the God of peace. And when we are tested, we still can know hope within.

[29:50] When we're going through struggles, the present struggles will seem just a moment. One day, it'll just be momentary. Because for the meantime and for eternity, God is our refuge and strength.

[30:03] He is your refuge, your strength. And we've got the reassurance of his word. And we can learn to confess the scriptures. Bear with me while I share some.

[30:15] I know there's a couple of folk and they're present here that sought to have some scriptures to encourage them. And I looked up some and shared them and it was a blessing to them.

[30:26] And the word of God is a comfort to you. There's an encouragement that comes from the word of God. As we lock these words in our hearts, as we lodge them there, as we plant them there, as the word is engrafted in us, implanted.

[30:47] 2 Timothy 1.12 it says that Paul writes, I know. I know. I know that I know that I know. I know whom I have believed.

[30:58] And I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. It tells us thou wilt keep him in perfect peace.

[31:09] His mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Perfect peace. Shalom, shalom. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

[31:21] They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Amen. It tells us in Isaiah 41, Fear thou not for I am with thee.

[31:34] Be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Look at that one.

[31:46] Fear thou not. I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. I will help thee. I will uphold thee.

[31:57] These are the promises of God. He says, Peace I leave with you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.

[32:08] The promises of God. There's hope here for you. Have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid. Be thou not dismayed.

[32:19] For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Wherever you go, he is there already. He's there for you. Paul writes to the Philippians being confident of this very thing.

[32:32] He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. These are confessions we can make.

[32:44] You know, I was blessed lately by a little gadget I've got that I can hook into my speaker on my car and I've got scriptures on this little electronic gadget and I can hear the scriptures.

[32:57] I can hear the word of God over and over and over again. Hear the promises of God. Hear the promises of God they're for you.

[33:09] These scriptures are for you. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

[33:20] There's promises here for you. He says, be careful. In other words, don't be full of care for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

[33:33] By prayer and supplication ask God to supply. Supplication means ask God to supply and don't forget thanksgiving and it tells us that the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[33:51] Brother, sister, be not dismayed. Be not dismayed. Hope thou in God. Hope thou in God. Why art thou cast down O my soul?

[34:02] Why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my counselance and my God. And the Lord he it is that doth go before thee he will be with thee he will not fail thee neither forsake thee fear not neither be dismayed.

[34:23] Notice his promise for you he will not fail thee neither forsake thee he will be with thee. That's a promise of God for you isn't it?

[34:34] Of course we know textually and contextually and dispensationally it might have been in a different application but nevertheless the word of God is written for our learning that we through comfort of the scriptures can be encouraged and we can apply these words today can we not?

[34:53] I will be with thee I will not fail thee I will not forsake thee you have hope brother sister you have hope hope a sure hope a confident hope a certain hope an eternal eternal hope and notice what it says in Romans 15 13 he is the God of hope not only the God of peace he is the God of hope the God of peace who will fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope he wants you to abound in hope have a hope that's overflowing that's a hope that is ever expanding ever abounding an abundant hope through the power of the Holy Ghost now we've come to see we can be filled with doubt or we can have salvation we can be filled with dismay or we can have hope and people can be filled with defeat we can have victory people can be filled with defeat it's like they're battling but losing ground and falling and failing in the fight feeling like giving up as a preacher encouraging

[36:21] God's people I see many defeated Christians it's like they're battling but losing ground they feel like giving up I want to assure you that we can have a sure victory a sure victory in the meantime we just have to keep in the battle and brother sister this is an internal struggle isn't it as Paul talks about the fighting within the spirit the flesh the spirit the flesh a believer expressed to me that she has some fighting to do I was going to see her in a hubby and she made the honest admission to me that her enemy is the flesh she was honest wow she could have tried to beat around the bush and pretend it's oh I've got this excuse or that excuse or this situation or he or she or it or what not she saw where the problem lied flesh that was an honest confession from my sister and she made the honest admission her enemy is the flesh she told me how she is battle weary how the battle wears us down doesn't it the enemy this enemy this fight going on in all of us isn't it and it's not circumstances or other people so much as realising our own weakness it's within it's in me this testing is for a reason this battle that's going on this fight and it's for our strengthening you know there's people who regularly engage in all kinds of how would you put it physical sports where they strain and stretch and they're stronger for it you might get a few injuries but they're stronger for that battle aren't you and it's like that in life isn't it but it's easy to feel like quitting when the battle wears us down but it's for our strengthening and so let's be like this one who tells it's my flesh that's the problem and the word tells us crucify the flesh you know nail it down let it die recognise the flesh and God will help you to overcome what are we fighting for some it's unbelief some are fighting unbelief they have times of doubting there's so many as I say this fog of voices of noises of noise of doubt of conflicting and contradictory messages and doctrines and philosophies and some just can't cope with the confusing signals and they're filled with doubt we can all have times of doubting of uncertainty for some it's disobedience they just they know they're not where they ought to be with God they've got this conviction

[39:26] God's God's stretching them and urging them get it sorted there's a chastening oh I know I'm out of fellowship with God but we can turn unto him we can know his grace we can be restored to fellowship with God you can know a greater faith for all of that that you've been through it's for your growth it's for your blessing ultimately for some the battle is the flesh it's unbelief it's disobedience for some it's pride oh don't go there preacher don't have a go at me now it's pride oh I'm not like any of those people you talked about I've got it all together I'm just you know I'm a super Christian I'll never have these oh we've got one here we'll counsel you later brother no we've got this idea the devil can't touch me

[40:30] I'm just super spiritual knowledge puffeth up it's pride they will not humble themselves I could make some confessions this morning what a terrible pastor you've got we can't be prideful can we we we got to be humble don't we we're all flesh we're all weak unworthy and humility is ultimately the pathway to victory isn't it it's when we realise I'm lacking I'm inadequate I want to tell you what the best dress Christians are wearing today now some of you might have some I don't know some expensive PR card in or whatever it be or some flash fashion labels on your clothes but we're not talking about that what is the best dress Christian wearing humility humility humility you know it says you're younger submit yourselves unto the elder all of you be subject one to another be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble don't you want some grace oh don't you need some grace don't I need some grace he gives grace to the humble humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time be clothed with humility such that you will have grace with others knowing that you fail too he will exalt you he will exalt you

[42:03] I would urge you battle weary warrior today that you soldier on in this present trial be not deterred press press ever forward in the fight you can get a breakthrough there is a sure and certain victory for you Paul says after he talks about various testings and situations that stretch he says but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ thanks be to God some would give up even before they face a fight they think they will not win so they don't even try you ever come to that situation where oh look it's too hard I'm just going to quit I'm just I'm just not I'm not going to try anymore because it's too hard the truth is they've already lost but know that the victory comes after the battle after the battle the battle precedes the victory keep in the battle dear

[43:11] Christian soldier man or woman of God persevere hold on press on hold fast Satan wants you to be a battle weary warrior he quits Satan wants you to steal your peace your joy your victory but you can have an assurance our victory is not based on what we do it's on the protection of our God and we have confidence in him let me winding up shortly here it tells in Philippians 3 how we worship God in the spirit we rejoice in Christ we have no confidence in the flesh the minute we start to feel like oh I've arrived I've got my doctrine just down pat and I know from A to Z and Z to A and Alpha and Omega I just know it all it's when we fail isn't it have no confidence in the flesh don't ever get to that point our confidence is not in the flesh where is it the

[44:17] Lord shall be thy confidence he is thy confidence he shall keep thy foot from being taken Proverbs 3 26 the Lord shall be thy confidence our confidence is in him our great saviour our great salvation our confidence is in him and it says of the Lord Jesus in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him our victory is founded here in him in him in him on the promises of God you may ask what assurance do you have about such a promise boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him we've got the final authority this book the Bible the final authority behind this claim and further more the one who promises these things is the God who cannot lie it's one thing God cannot do he cannot lie amen he cannot lie it tells us that in Titus 1 in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began this is not the promise of a lying man you know

[45:23] I've had some people lie to me and you know I looked into their eyes and they didn't blink and oh yeah okay he must be telling me the truth and he was telling me a lie but God cannot lie he cannot every word of God is true he is true he is truth and the promises of these eternal truths that we've talked about today is the promises of the living God who himself is the truth and he cannot lie and he is the truth incarnate he came clothed in human skin the truth the way the life the man the God man the God the word Christ Jesus for the meanwhile the battle rages on we know that life is like this turning twisting road there's battles there's fighting within without sometimes people and situations get us down provoke us sometimes when we really honestly face up to it the ultimate enemy is within you know the one person in the church

[46:26] I have the most trouble with here I'll just tell you who he is Andrew Craig just every time I look in the mirror I think there you are again you're the problem the flesh the flesh the flesh isn't it it's what the real problem is the battle rages on and it's within within crucify the flesh die to self nail it down many feel defeated life is too hard do not quit you've got sure hope you've got a certain hope you've got a victory wow really I don't feel like I've got the victory you know it tells us you're more than a conqueror through Christ who loved you how do I know this victory how can I get this how can I grasp this I don't feel like I've got victory this morning take small steps one step after the other and you'll know small victories daily victories and ultimately you'll know that he will fight for you and that the battle is the

[47:33] Lord's and guess what he is the winner isn't he and you can be an overcomer by faith friends many are filled with these things we talked about today and look you might say I need to come and talk to you about one of these things you might say to me well look I know brother sister it's common to man you're not alone filled with doubt confusing voices I don't even know if I'm saved or not do you believe then you are saved he promises that believe simply believe you might be like the man Lord I believe help thou my unbelief he will help you with that you don't have to live in doubt trust Jesus Christ as Lord as Saviour believe that he died on the cross for your sins that he rose again that he ever lives as your

[48:34] Saviour and Master you can know him personally truly trust him that can dispel all doubt what about dismay life's tough it's been hard for me you don't know what I'm going through what I've been through what I've still yet to go through dismay it's the lot of life at times yet you have hope you have you have you have a certain sure blessed living eternal hope and the one you trust will never fail you and you might say preacher I'm in defeat look I've sinned I've fallen and I just struggle every day is a struggle I'm one step forward two steps back I don't have victory in my life I don't feel like I'm a successful Christian I know that I'm a failure he is your victory he is your strength he is fighting for you and he says I will not fail thee

[49:42] I will not forsake thee I will be with thee I will never leave thee never forsake thee and it tells you that whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith we can know by the authority of God these three things by the authority of God who cannot lie you can know an eternal salvation a sure salvation present tense salvation not a not a think so hope so but a know so salvation I know that I'm saved because this is the record God's given his son I believe on his name I am saved he tells me he declares me saved he's signed with his seal he says you are mine you're saved don't stay in doubt trust him and you've got a hope beyond the grave a hope in the present and a hope beyond and you've got victory though trials come though battles are yet to be fought he is your victory he is your victory and this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith

[50:56] I pray you've been encouraged this morning as a Christian soldier if you're saying to me preacher look I've heard these things but I don't know that I'm a Christian believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved believe trust him Jesus you died on the cross for my sin I trust you as my substitute dying in my place I receive your gift of eternal life I receive your saving grace your part of payment on my penalty on my part I receive your salvation as your gift to me and he will change you he will save you he will save you he will receive you in that simple transaction from life to death can happen just like that amen let's pray Lord we bless you thank you for everyone here present Lord and receiving these words Lord let it be all to your praise Lord help us to have that sure and glad and certain hope that sure victory and that sure salvation as we know you give it as you promise for those who will receive we can know these things these eternal truths in Jesus name amen