The Assurance Of Salvation Series

Survivor Series

#1 – THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Today, we begin a brand-new series of messages, entitled – SURVIVOR

This is taking a spinoff of the famous TV series where a bunch of people get thrown on some deserted island and have the learn how to survive in the wild with the extreme elements and bare essentials, as well as have to learn to get along with each other

And the last one on the island gets the prize

It’s a very, very popular show, and it spawned all of the reality TV series since then

And as we think about…

--the times in which we live

--the economic problems we are seeing

--the bankruptcies

--bank failures

When we think about how that the Bible says that things will continue to get worse and worse, even so much so that the hearts of men would fail for fear for looking after the things coming

When we think about the fact that the book of Revelation tells us that the devil is come down, knwoing that his time is short

When we think about all these things we’re facing in this critical hour, then without question, WE NEED SOME SURVIVAL SKILLS

We’ll, I want you to know something – God has given us everything, absolutly everything we need to survive

And I tell you something else, God doesn’t just want us to SURVIVE, but to THRIVE

But, before we THRIVE we have to SURVIVE

And over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about what does it take to be a SURVIVOR!

We’re going to be talking about…

--salvation, sanctification, and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

--surviving as a mother (Mother’s Day)

--surviving as a father (Father’s Day)

--surviving in the end times

--surviving with the Word of God

--surviving through prayer

It’s going to be a great series and we will end with a sermon entitled I SURVIVED!!!

And I want some of you with some great testimonies to tell me and we will use that in our final message

So, let’s get ready to embark upon a new and exciting journey as we learn what it takes to be A SURVIOR – and I believe we’re going to SURVIVE!!

Now, the very first thing we’re going to talk about is, if you want to SURVIVE, then you need something very important – THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION!

With that in mind, let’s read…

•1 John 3:1-3 ( KJV ) 1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

•1 John 5:13 ( KJV ) 13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

INTRODUCTION

In our text, this morning, the Apostle John writes – beloved NOW are we the sons of God

In others words, he’s saying that IF YOU’VE BEEN SAVED, you are NOW a Son of God, not…

--next week

--sometime ahead

--in heaven then

But on earth, NOW, right now, if you are saved, you are NOW A SON/DAUGHTER OF GOD

In other words, what he is saying is that you can KNOW that your’e saved

In fact, if you take time to read the entire little book of 1 John, that seems to be his theme, because he uses the word KNOW over 30 times in this little book

It’s like he wants you to know, over and over and over again, that you can KNOW, NOW, that you are saved!

In other words, he wants you to have THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

And one of the great things about our Christian life, is that we can KNOW that we’re saved

Someone said that the first greatest thing in all the world is to be saved

And the second greatest thing in all the world is to KNOW that you’re saved

And one of the great tragedies is for someone who has…

--given their life to the Lord

--been born again

--made a public confession of their faith

To walk around…

--defeated

--deflated

--dejected

Because they DO NOT really have an ASSURANCE of their salvation

Sometimes they think, I’M SAVED

Sometimes they think, WELL, I’M NOT SURE

But the truth of the matter is that…

--we ought to know