Lesson 2: Assurance Of Salvation

A. INTRODUCTION

1. B-Rations stand for basic rations or Bible rations.

2. The most basic fact of being a Christian: knowing you are saved.

3. Why do people doubt their salvation?

• Sin in their life.

• Ignorance.

• Disobedience to positive command.

• False teaching.

• Not saved.

4. If you are God’s child, you’d expect He’d tell you.

5. The Law of full reference. Every doctrine has a scriptural place where it is amplified. Assurance is found in I John 5.

B. YOU CAN KNOW YOU ARE SAVED WHEN:

1. You have invited Jesus Christ into your life. “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life” (I John 5:12).

• How do you know you came through the door? You are in.

• How do you know you are born? You are alive.

• You have a birthday.

• You were there when it happened.

• If you have doubts, you don’t have to know that exact date, but you know it happened.

2. You have a birth record (the Bible). “This is the record that God has given us His Son . . .” (I John 5:11).

• The Bible is our birth certificate.

• Have you met the objective criteria of scripture?

How to measure life in God’s children

• Do you eat Bible?

• Do you drink His presence?

• Do you breathe prayer?

• Do you talk witness?

3. You believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. “If you believe that Jesus is the Christ - that He is God’s Son and your Savior – then you are a child of God” (I John 5:1, LB).

• Believe means more than mental assent, it means know.

• Eternal security is the fact you have eternal life, and assurance is inner confidence.

4. You talk to God and get what you ask of Him.

• “We know that God heareth not sinners” (John 9:31).

• “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psa. 66:18).

• “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God . . . that He will not hear” (Isa. 59:2).

• Answers give us confidence. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (I John 5:14-15).

• Answers: Yes, no, wait, you’ve got to be kidding!

5. You don’t want to sin and displease the Father.

• “We know that whoever is born of God sins not continually” (I John 5:18, ELT).

• “The sin unto death” (I John 5:16) means premature death.

• Pray that you and others don’t fall into sin. “He will ask, and He (God) will give him (the sinner) life” (I John 5:16).

6. You have spiritual understanding. “We know too that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding to know the One who is true” (I John 5:20, Phillips).

• We are spiritually blinded without Christ. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not” (II Cor. 4:4).

• Jesus gives us spiritual understanding. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

7. You love other Christians. “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar . . . this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God, (must) love his brother also” (I John 4:20-21).

• Love is a test of being Christian. Do you pass the test?

What does love mean?

• Desire to be with them. (church attendance)

• Do for them. (share)

• Do with them. (service)

• Pray for them. (intercessor)

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Please contact me at eltowns@liberty.edu and tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.