Sixteen Signs Of A True Believer Part 9 Series

Series: Things That Accompany Salvation

Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Message 13: Sixteen Signs of a True Believer (Part IX)

(2 Cor. 5:14; 13:5; 1 Jn. 4:14-15; 5:1)

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

• “Examine” - peirazo = to test, to scrutinize.

• We are to examine our faith.

• But with what are we to test it?

• We are to examine ourselves by the revealed word of God.

• 28 times in 23 verses John tells us that we can “KNOW” that we are saved!

• We cannot afford to ignore what John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us!

• There is the danger that we may be “reprobates.”

“reprobate” - to be tested by God and rejected as unapproved, found to be worthless and cast away.

ILLUS: These are the gauges on the dash of your life!

NOTE: These tests are not for you to judge your fellow church member’s salvation. They are to be applied by each person to himself!

REVIEW: Thus far, we have considered:

1. The Companionship Test: Do I demonstrate that I love the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Saints?

2. The Comfort Test: Am I sensitive to sin?

3. The Cleansing Test: Have I experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God?

4. The Commandments Test: Am I keeping God’s commandments?

5. The Conformity Test: Does my life conform to the will of God?

6. The Conduct Test: Am I doing rightousness?

7. The Coming Test: Am I showing that I am looking forward to the coming of Christ by living in such a way that I would not be embarrassed by His coming? “He that hath this hope ... purifieth himself.”

8. The Conquering Test: Am I winning the battle over habitual sin?

9. The Charity Test: Am I demonstrating by my actions and attitude a genuine love for my brothers and sisters in Christ?

10. The Conscience Test: Am I free from the plague of moral guilt?

11. The Communication Test: Have I experienced true answers to prayer?

12. The Counselor Test: Do I show evidence that the Holy Spirit is present in my life?

13. The Compatibility Test: Have I heard the Word of God in the messages of men?

14. The Constraint Test: Do I love God?

• TODAY: Sign # 15: The Confession Test. Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 4:14-15; 5:1)

I. The Testimony of John (4:14)

1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.

A. The Certainty of the Testimony (14A)

1 John 4:14A And we have seen and do testify.

• Paul reminds us:

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

• In his gospel, John explains:

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

• So we CAN see God in Christ!

• And in his letter he reminds us in verse 12:

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

• And others can see God in us!

• John was certain of his facts.

• In John’s introduction to his letter he writes:

1 John 1:1-4 1 That which was from the beginning,

SO THE WORD IS REAL ETERNALLY

which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

SO THE WORD IS REAL HISTORICALLY

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

SO THE WORD IS REAL EXPERIENTIALLY

B. The Content of the Testimony (14B)

14B that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.

• John’s testimony is the same as in John 3:16!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.