Blessed Assurance - Evidence #3 Series

“Blessed Assurance” – Evidence #3

1 John 2:3-6

INTRODUCTION: We have been looking at the EVIDENCES that give us the ASSURANCE of our salvation.

These Biblical EVIDENCES will ASSURE us that EITHER: We are SAVED … or LOST.

If a person is a true, born-again believer in Christ, surely there will some EVIDENCE of it in their life.

The Bible, in I John, points out what these EVIDENCES are.

In our study so far, we have seen that:

o A Christian cannot be EFFECTIVE as a Christian if they don’t have the ASSURANCE of their salvation.

o One of the EVIDENCES of salvation is a love-relationship with Jesus (EVIDENCE #1).

o Another EVIDENCE has to do with how one deals with sin in their life (EVIDENCE #2).

NOW … let’s look at EVIDENCE #3 in our SERIES: OBEDIENCE to God’s Word.

For the Christian, OBEDIENCE is not an option … not an elective … not discretionary.

OBEDIENCE is fundamental to the Christian life … primary … a necessity … of utmost importance.

Your Christian life BEGAN with a step of OBEDIENCE … when you OBEYED the gospel call to trust Christ as your personal Savior.

OBEDIENCE doesn’t stop there … you don’t OBEY step 1, become a Christian … then ignore everything else God wants you to do.

That would be like passing your driver’s test, getting your license … then ignoring all the rules of the road … you’re headed for trouble … a wreck!

The heart of being a Christian is living in OBEDIENCE to God and His Word.

There WILL come times when you DISOBEY God … just like there are times when you DISOBEY the rules of the road (I’ve followed some of you on the highway!).

1 John 1:8

When you are saved, a new lifestyle comes with it … a lifestyle of OBEDIENCE.

The reason why so many DOUBT their salvation, and don’t have the ASSURANCE of their salvation … is because they aren’t living in OBEDIENCE to God’s Word … CONTINUALLY.

If a person CONTINUALLY drives like a maniac, one might doubt whether they have ever passed the driver’s test.

At least, their driving doesn’t give any evidence of it.

We often look at a PAST EVENT to determine if we are saved … our salvation experience.

That’s important … but we can be DECEIVED … and may have been given a COUNTERFEIT experience that makes us THINK we are saved … but really not (walking the isle, repeating a prayer, baptism, joining the church, etc.).

HOWEVER … by looking at our PRESENT OBEDIENCE to the Word of God … we can get a clearer indication of our salvation … and the ASSURANCE of our salvation as well.

1 John 2:3

Here is a verse that shows the EVIDENCE if you are truly saved or not … and can give you the ASSURANCE of your salvation.

There are 4 things this verse points out:

1.- Obedience Began At Salvation

When you were saved, you came to Christ as an act of OBEDIENCE.

Jesus said in Mark 1:15 - "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Salvation is obeying the commandment of Jesus to “repent and believe”.

In order to “repent”, you have to believe that you’re a sinner … and that your sins will condemn you to eternity in Hell.

You have to “believe” that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins … and then TRUST Him to take your punishment so you don’t have to.

Salvation is an act of OBEDIENCE … to DISOBEY means eternal punishment.

2.- Obedience Is Not Partial

NOTICE – “commandments” … PLURAL

We can’t be SELECTIVE in which commandments we want to obey … picking & choosing.

What kind of an employee would we be if we only did those things in our job that we LIKED to do?

OR … a SOLDIER who only obeyed SOME of his orders.

OR … a PERSON who only obeyed the laws they AGREED with.

OR … a CHILD who only obeyed their parents and did what they WANTED to do.

PARTIAL OBEDIENCE isn’t really OBEDIENCE at all! (like being a “little” pregnant!)

We can’t pick & choose which commandments in the Bible we want to obey.

Joshua 1:8 - "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to ALL that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

3.- Obedience Comes From Knowledge

“keep” – ‘to keep your eye on’

How can you keep God’s commandments, if you don’t KNOW what they are?

Have you ever gotten into trouble because you didn’t do something … when you don’t remember ever being told to do it?