Several years ago, I read a story in a Christian magazine
about a man whose wife had been killed in an accident.
They'd only been married a year and a half,
but that really wouldn't matter, would it?
Something like that, such a tragic death.
It would just be devastating.
Well, as he went through the grieving process,
he said it just kept going through my mind.
Where is she now?
Where is she going to spend eternity?
And it really bothered me.
Well, the man said in the article about two weeks later,
he found in a nightstand drawer a card
that she had filled out at a Billy Graham crusade
shortly after they were married.
It was a decision card.
And on the card, she had stated
that she had professed faith in Jesus.
And in this article, he said,
when he found that card,
it gave him a sense of assurance about her.
But I want you to think with me.
This man lived with his wife
for more than a year
after they had attended that Billy Graham crusade.
But he had no assurance that she was in heaven.
He was really worried
until he found the card.
Evidently, this man,
as he lived with his wife,
had not seen anything about her
that made him think
she was a Christian.
And because he saw that evidence in her life,
he had assurance she was in heaven.
So I want you to think,
how could something like a decision card,
just a signed card,
but no evidence in the woman's life,
how could that have brought comfort
to that grieving husband?
Well, I can guess why.
Some of you can too.
Like many people,
he had an erroneous understanding
of what salvation involves.
He evidently had the thought,
making a profession of faith
is all that matters.
Making, quote,
a decision for Christ
is what determines our salvation.
Well, as a pastor for 35 years now,
one of the most common ways
I hear people talk about
their being a Christian is,
well, I made a profession of faith.
I made a decision to trust Christ.
I have even known people,
and maybe some of you have over the years.
I've had people come up to me
and talk to me
and say that they lacked assurance
because they could not pinpoint
the exact day
when they trusted Christ
as their Lord and Savior.
I've even heard people talk about someone
after they died,
and everyone knew
they lived anything but a Christian life.
I've had people to make a statement
knowing they didn't live the Christian life.
But say something like,
but he or she made a decision
to accept Christ
a long time ago.
As we continue our series
on assurance of salvation,
I want to issue this morning
a warning
about false assurance.
I want us to look at several passages
in the New Testament
that show us
that assurance of salvation
cannot be based upon
a one-time
past decision
to trust Christ,
but
the life was never changed.
I want you to turn with me,
if you would,
first to 1 John chapter 5.
1 John chapter 5.
I want to look at
a verse that we began looking at last week.
It really states
one of the themes
of the letter of 1 John.
Not the only
theme of the book,
but one of the major ones,
and that is
John wrote the letter
to give Christians
assurance of their salvation.
But I want us to read
verses 11 and 12
along with 13
right now.
It says,
and this is the testimony
that God gave us
eternal life
and this life
is in His Son.
Whoever has the Son
has life.
Whoever does not have
the Son of God
does not have life.
I write these things to you
who believe
in the name
of the Son of God
that you may know
that you have
eternal life.
Let's pray together.
Dear God,
help us all right now
to have a
clear
understanding
before this day
is over,
before this service
is over
of the true nature
of our relationship
to you.
Help us to see
ourselves as
as you see us,
as we really are.
Speak
through your word
and through your spirit
and make that
clear to us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
First thing I want us
to think about this morning
is that assurance
of salvation
is available
for all
who have faith
in Jesus Christ.
Every Christian
should have
assurance
of their salvation.
It's something
that God
desires for us.
It is not
being presumptuous.
Some people might
think it is.
It is not,
according to Scripture,
being presumptuous
for us to think,
I can know
for sure
that if I died,
I'd go to heaven.
I can know
for sure
that I have
a right relationship
with God
right now.
Let's look first.
True faith
is present tense
faith.
As we think about
how to have
real assurance,
understand,
true faith
is present tense
faith.
Look at verse 13 again.
Look how it's worded.
He is writing
to you
who believe
in the name
of the Son of God
that you may know
that you have
eternal life.
John is addressing
people
who would be,
most of them
would be hearing
the letter read to them.
They wouldn't be
reading it themselves.
But John is
writing a letter
that he knew
would be read
by people
or heard
by people
who were
at that moment
in time
trusting in Jesus
as their Savior
and Lord.
He's writing
to you,
you who right
now
believe
in the name
of the Son of God.
Verses 11 and 12
tell us
that eternal life
is more than
just a life
that never ends.
I want you
to look at that.
Look at it
one more time.
God gave us
eternal life
and this life
is in His Son.
Whoever has
the Son
has life.
Whoever does not
have the Son of God
does not have life.
A lot of times
people think
if you have
eternal life
it means you're
going to live forever.
They think in terms
of a quantity
of life.
Well certainly
eternal life
is a quantity.
Certainly it is
we'll live forever.
But eternal life
is more than that.
Eternal life
as these verses
point out
it's a quality
of life.
Look what he says
specifically.
God gave us
eternal life
and this life
is in
His Son.
It's all
wrapped up in
our relationship
with His Son
Jesus Christ.
Whoever has
the Son
whoever has
a relationship
with Him
whoever is
bound to Him
by faith
whoever knows
Him and
lives in
fellowship with Him
we can say all
these kind of things
whoever has
the Son
has life.
Whoever does
not have the Son
whoever does not
believe
whoever does not
really have a
relationship with Him
does not
have
life.
true
saving faith
I want you to
understand
it's a living
faith
it is a present
faith
that unites
us with Jesus
Christ
in a real
relationship.
Look at one
other thing
true faith
is continuing
faith.
The Apostle Paul
stressed
that salvation
should never
be thought of
as a
transaction
salvation
like a
business deal
you make a
you have an
agreement
you sign
that you
will do
this
but you
won't do
that.
Salvation
is not like a
transaction
it's not like a
business deal
that you make
a commitment
you sign the
card
it's a done
deal
then you just
walk away
and forget
about it
everything's
taken care
of.
That is not
how we should
think in terms
of our
relationship
with the
Lord.
Paul
deliberately
stressed
that a
person
begin
that
once a
person
begins
to trust
in Jesus
that person
will continue
to trust
in Jesus.
In other
words
saving faith
is continuing
faith.
I want you
to look at
two or three
examples.
1 Corinthians
chapter 15
1 Corinthians
15 verses
1 through
6 or 7
that is
the clearest
most basic
explanation
of the
gospel
you'll find
in the
New Testament.
Note how
Paul begins
here.
Verses 1
and 2.
Now I
would remind
you brothers
of the
gospel I
preached to
you which
you received
in which
you stand
and by
which you
are being
saved if
you hold
fast to
the word
I preached
to you
unless you
believed in
vain.
it's
possible
to have
a
false
faith.
I mean
he says it
real clear.
It's
possible
that a
person can
believe in
vain.
What kind
of faith
is that?
That is a
faith that
you just
intellectually
believe Jesus
is the
Son of God
you died on
the cross
to pay the
penalty for
my sins
and I
just believe
that.
Factual
information
for example.
But saving
faith is that
we believe
Jesus died on
the cross
for me.
Because he
gave his
life for me
I want to
give my
life to
him.
I trust
that he's
paid the
penalty for
my sins.
I am
now his.
Because of
what he's
done for
me I
love him.
I want to
follow him.
I want to
live my
life to
please him.
it is an
ongoing
faith and
trust that
involves love
and fellowship
and a desire
to even
obey.
Paul makes
it clear
saving faith
is something
that we
continue to
believe.
Look at
another example
Colossians
chapter 1.
Paul is
making it
clear here
that on
judgment day
only people
who have
continued to
trust in
Jesus will
be saved.
Look at
it.
And you
who once
were alienated
and hostile
in mind
doing evil
deeds
he has
now reconciled
in his body
of flesh
by his
death
in order to
present you
holy and
blameless and
above reproach
before him.
Let's just
pause right
here.
Jesus died
to save us
as a part of
saving us
to change
us
to make us
holy and
blameless
as time
goes on.
Jesus did
this in order
to present you
holy and
blameless and
above reproach
before him.
Look at it
now.
If indeed
you continue
in the faith
stable
and steadfast
not shifting
from the hope
of the gospel
that you
heard
which has
been
proclaimed
in all
creation
under heaven
and of
which I
Paul
became a
minister.
Paul's
telling us
in both
Corinthians
and here
there's only
one gospel.
It's that
salvation is
by the grace
of God
through faith
in Jesus
and faith
in Jesus
is something
that begins
at a moment
in time
but it
continues
if it's
real.
And it
makes a
difference
in our
lives
this
relationship
with him
if it's
real.
True
faith
unites us
in a
relationship
with Jesus
Christ
that
literally
changes
who we
are,
how we
think,
how we
look at
life,
how we
live life.
Look at
how Paul
describes it
in 2 Corinthians
5.
He says
therefore if
anyone is
in Christ
he's a
new creation.
The old
was passed
away,
behold the
new has
come.
He doesn't
say that
you're a
perfect
creation.
He does
say but
a person
is in
Christ,
he is
new.
There's
been a
change
that has
taken
place.
Now,
let's just
pause here
and clarify
something.
Many
people
can,
and I'm
going to
thank many
people in
this room,
you can
point to
a time
when you
made a
public
profession
of faith,
when you
made a
commitment
to trust
Christ,
and a
real life
changing
event took
place.
I mean,
some of
you may
can
remember,
when you
were 10
years old
in your
home in
a certain
room,
one of
your parents
shared the
gospel with
you,
you put
your trust
in Jesus
right then,
you called
upon him
to save
you,
he did.
There's
been a
change,
not perfect,
but a
gradual over
time,
there's been a
change in
your life
from that
time.
some of
you may
remember as
an adult,
a specific
time that
God worked
in your
life,
it may
have been
in a
church
service,
it may
have been
out somewhere,
you were
just out
by yourself,
but you
understood the
gospel,
and you
truly turned
from your
sins,
you put
your trust
in Jesus.
God
saved you,
he changed
you,
he's been
working in
you ever
since then,
you know
it,
and people
who know
you can
see the
difference
that the
Lord has
and is
making in
you.
What we
need to
understand is
that no
matter how
meaningful
that
experience
was when
we first
trusted the
Lord,
if it was
genuine,
it was only
the beginning
of our
current
relationship
with Jesus.
You know,
Jesus described
salvation in
terms of being
a new birth
in John
chapter 3.
I mean,
Jesus was
talking to a
religious leader,
a man named
Nicodemus,
and told him
unless he was
born again,
he would not
see the
kingdom of
God.
He was
talking about
a new
birth,
a work of
God,
a work of
what theologians
call regeneration,
when God
works to
just change
us within
and give us
the desire
to turn
from our
sin and
trust Jesus
and commit
our lives
to him.
But let's
just think of
that phrase,
a new
birth.
Most of
you in
here,
you were
there when
your children
were born.
Some of you
right there,
front row seat.
You were
there when
your grandchildren
were born,
some of you.
That new
physical birth
experience,
you've never
gotten over.
It was just
wonderful,
great.
It changed
your life to
see that
birth,
to see that
little one
that you
love right
now,
come into
your world.
As important
as that
new physical
birth experience
was,
it was just
the beginning.
That little
one that got
you excited
didn't stay
little.
He or she
grew and
matured,
because that's
what a
normal,
healthy,
new baby
will do.
It was the
same thing
in the
Christian
experience of
a spiritual
new birth.
Every person
who is born
again by the
Spirit of
God will
grow,
will mature,
will develop
over time,
and if they
don't,
no new
birth,
no new
life has
ever been
experienced.
Now,
the truth
is,
as people
grow,
just look
around in
this room.
not a
single,
there's no
two of
us who
have grown
spiritually
exactly the
same way.
You know,
among all
of us in
this room,
some people,
over the
time you've
been a
Christian,
some people
have made
tremendous
growth in
developing more
Christ-like
character.
A more
radical change
has taken
place in
some people
in this
room than
others.
But everything
the New
Testament teaches,
if there is
spiritual life,
there will be
evidence of
it.
There will
be spiritual
fruit,
which is
basically
character
qualities.
And that
will be
visible in
the life
of everyone
who has
truly been
born again.
Now,
the reason
why we
can be
confident
that this
is true,
that all
Christians
will grow
and mature
to some
degree,
is because
what we're
talking about
is a work
of God.
What we're
talking about
this morning
and talking
about the
new birth,
talking about
salvation,
this is not
something that
we do
ourselves.
You don't
just decide,
I'm going
to become
a Christian
and I'm
going to
do my
best and
I'm going
to believe
and I'm
going to
obey.
No,
you do
not.
God
works in
a person's
life to
make them
aware of
their need
for Him,
to be right
with Him.
You see,
we don't
seek God
on our
own.
Read Romans
chapter 3,
beginning about
verse 10.
We seek
God because
He first
sought us.
And when
God starts
doing a
work in
us,
opening our
eyes to
see our
need for a
Savior and
that Jesus
is that
Savior,
when God
starts working
in us to
call us to
want to turn
from our
sin and
trust in
Jesus and
surrender our
lives to
Him,
we can be
sure that
just as He
begins the
work, He
will continue
that work.
As Paul
says in
Philippians 1,
6, look at
it.
He says,
and I am
sure of
this, that
He who
began a
good work
in you,
He's talking
to that
whole church,
all those
people,
will bring
it to
completion at
the day of
Jesus Christ.
He's telling
us that
whatever God
starts, God
finishes.
The Bible
provides no
assurance of
salvation to
people who
make merely a
profession of
faith, but
never continue
to follow
Christ.
If there's no
signs in a
person's life
they have a
real relationship
with Jesus,
there's no
reason for a
person to
think that
they have a
relationship with
Jesus.
Now, I want
to look at
one thing that
prevents some
Christians from
having assurance.
This is going
to be for some
of you right
here, right
now.
Assurance is
not dependent
upon your
ability to
recall the
day and
time you
were saved.
You don't
have to be
able to look
back and
say, that's
the day I
was saved in
order for you
to be assured
of your
salvation.
Everyone does
not have a
dramatic,
life-changing
experience of
salvation.
Don't
misunderstand.
Every person
who is a
Christian, every
person who
has been
saved, every
person who
has been
born again,
God worked
in that
person at a
moment in
time, brought
about a new
birth.
There was a
time when the
person passed
from death to
life.
But everybody
is not
conscious of
when that
exactly happens.
Think about it
this way.
Two people
from Pickens
are going to
travel to
Raleigh, North
Carolina today.
One's going to
drive, one's
going to fly.
The person who
gets in their
car out here and
drives up
Interstate 85,
if they can make
it up Interstate
85, there's not a
massive stoppage.
As soon as they
pass out of
South Carolina,
they're going to
see a welcome to
North Carolina sign.
They're going to
see a North
Carolina state
line sign.
And so when we
drive up 85,
we're going to
know when we
pass from South
Carolina to North
Carolina because
it's clearly
marked.
If a person
goes out to
Pickens County
Airport and gets
in an airplane,
and they take
off up the
road, they're
flying just
above 85.
They're not
going to see
that state
line sign.
They're not
going to look
down and see a
line drawn between
South Carolina and
North Carolina.
But as they
fly up the
road, up the
way here, and
they look down
and they see the
city of Charlotte,
they're going to
know I'm already
in North Carolina.
They see the
sign that they're
in North Carolina
because they see
Charlotte.
Now think about
it.
Both individuals,
one in the car,
one in the plane,
they both leave
here, they both
arrive at their
destination, Raleigh,
safe and sound.
One of them knows
the exact moment
they pass from
South Carolina to
North Carolina.
The other one
doesn't know the
exact time they
pass from South
Carolina to North
Carolina, but they
know when they got
in North Carolina
because they saw
signs of being
there.
Everyone does not
know the day and
time when they
actually were born
again, passed from
death to life.
But everyone who's
a Christian should be
able to look at
signs in their life
that clearly reveal
they have passed
from death to life.
They are in Christ.
because they see the
signs that he is
changing them.
The Apostle Paul is
an example of
someone, he had a
dramatic conversion
experience.
He went from being
the enemy of the
church, the
persecutor of the
church.
When God saved him,
he changed immediately.
God changed him from
the inside out
immediately.
He became the
great apostle,
leader, protector of
the church.
But everyone can't
look back and
pinpoint such a
dramatic conversion
experience.
This may be your
experience if you
became a Christian
as a young child.
Think with me.
A lot of children
grow up in a
Christian home and
all they can ever
remember is being
taught about Jesus,
who he is, what he's
done for them.
They go to a
church, that's all
they ever know, who
Jesus is, what he's
done.
And at some point in
their life, they just
sort of come to
realize, I trust in
Jesus.
I believe what I've
been taught.
I don't want to sin.
I'm sorry for my
sins.
I truly believe that
Jesus, when he died
on the cross, he took
my punishment.
He paid the penalty
for my sins.
I am trusting him.
But they cannot tell
you when they
actually started
believing that, and
that's okay.
That's okay.
Be thankful that you
didn't live such a
terrible life that
there was a big
difference between
the time you were
not a Christian and
became a Christian.
Be thankful you
don't have an
Apostle Paul, Damascus
Road kind of
experience, if you
don't.
Be thankful that God
blessed you with a
Christian home and a
Christian church.
Being in that
Christian home, being
in that Christian
church is not what
saved you.
God worked through
the gospel as you
were taught by your
parents, taught by
your church, as you
saw in your parents
and other people at
church.
And God worked in
you at some point
to actually do, bring
about that new birth.
church.
But it was such a, not
that big a change from
the way you were
living before you
truly trusted Jesus to
when you did trust
Him.
And you just can't
pinpoint exactly when
that took place.
Don't worry about it.
If that happened to
you as an adult, you
just can't pinpoint.
The most important
thing is you are
trusting the Lord Jesus
Christ now.
Understand, the most
important question
concerning salvation is
not when did you come
to Christ, but do you
trust Him now?
I want to ask you, have
you turned away from
your sin?
Have you repented?
Are you sorry over your
sin, the fact that
you've offended, wronged,
disobeyed God?
Have you put your trust
in Jesus that when He
died on the cross, He
actually took your
place, paid the penalty
for your sins?
Are you trusting Him
now?
Do you love Him?
Do you desire to obey
Him?
If you truly have been
saved, there will be
such signs that indicate
you belong to Christ.
He's in your life.
He's making a difference.
But if you can't see
those signs, you should
not have salvation.
You should not have
assurance.
So I want to ask you
as we wind this up.
Can you see such signs
in your life?
If you died today, and
your family members and
friends who grieve because
you're no longer with
them, will they have
comfort in knowing you
are with the Lord?
Because we saw
evidence, because they
saw evidence in your
life that you trust
Christ, that you love
Him, that you're seeking
to follow Him today, that
He's making a difference
in your life.
If you can't see any real
signs of a present
relationship with Jesus,
I want you to ask
yourself, why is that?
It has to be either that
you do not know Christ,
or it could be that
you're in a state of
rebellion right now.
that you've just sort of
drifted away, or just
turned around and walked
away because of some
sin, some issue that you
are involved in now.
If you know you don't know
Christ, but you want to,
you want to be right with
God, you want to become a
Christian, you want to be
saved.
Admit your need right now.
Change your mind about the
way you've been living,
living your way instead of
God's way.
Put your trust in Jesus
and call upon Him to save
you now.
If you know that you are a
Christian because you have
seen signs, you know the
Lord lives within you.
You see evidence that He
lives within you, but right
now you're not living like
that, and you know it.
And there's just a lot of
guilt you're carrying around
because the Lord, if you're
really His child, He's not
going to let you get away
with living in rebellion.
He's not going to let you
stay indifferent long.
And if that's the case, you
can't fight God and win.
Give it up.
Confess your sin.
Admit what needs to change.
Ask God to help you to turn
from it, to let it go.
Come back to Him in a renewed
trust and love and commitment
now.
Now, if you do have assurance
of your salvation, thank the
Lord for the way He has and
continues to work in your life.
And be confident that He will
never stop working.
No matter how long you live, He'll
continue to work.
Because, as Paul tells us, look at
it one more time.
I am sure of this.
We can be sure of this.
That He who began a good work in
you will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ.
Let's pray together.
Dear God,
make it clear to every one of us
where we stand in relationship
to you right now.
Father, show us
if we claim to be Christians
if what we call saving faith
is present tense faith.
Help us to see, dear God,
is what I call trust in Jesus
ongoing
to this very moment
trust in Jesus.
Help us to see, dear God,
if we are yours,
evidence
of a relationship with you,
of a relationship with Jesus.
But Father,
for people in this room who do not
have a relationship with you,
maybe they came in here thinking
they did.
Maybe they had false assurance.
Make it clear to them
where they stand
and how they need to respond now
and help them to do
exactly what you're calling them
to do now.
Let's just all be in an attitude
of prayer and listen to the Lord
and respond to Him.
If I could help you,
I'll be here in front.
I'd be happy to pray with you.
You listen to the Lord
and you do what He tells you to do
right now.
and I'll be here in front of you.
I'll be here in front of you.