Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
November 10th 2013
1 John 1:4; 5:13
LET'S TAKE A TEST
Intro: The early church had been birthed in power
• Grew like wildfire/Lord truly blessed/fledgling church.
• However, it wasn't many days until heresy began to creep into the church.
• One of the earliest perversions/Christianity to make an appearance was known as Gnosticism.
There were many versions/Gnosticism
• Primary areas/agreement was
• Knowledge---not/cross was/means to salvation.
Gnostics believed only through initiation into "special" knowledge they alone possessed could anyone hope to be saved.
• Also believed all matter was evil.
• Meant Jesus Christ did not really have/flesh/blood body.
• If matter was evil then Christ could not have had a physical body.
• It only appeared that He had died!
• Some did believe that Jesus died
• But/spirit/Christ left Him before the cross.
This, of course, eliminated/cross/resurrection as/basis/salvation.
• Since they believed all matter to be evil
• They did not believe in living holy lives.
• They believed the body could be allowed to do as it pleased since body and spirit were separate one from the other.
As teachings began to filter their way into/church
• some found their faith undermined
• They began to doubt their relationship with the Lord.
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The Apostle John felt led offer assurance/his readers.
He wants them, and us, to know we can know/sure we are saved.
• Don’t have to live in doubt.
• Many do, does not have to be that way.
To aid us in knowing for sure/saved or not,
• John gives/simple test they can take’
• Test/determine where they stand/Lord.
• Like/achievement tests/school.
• Tests/broken down/sections/revealed where we stood in relation to our peer group.
John's test reveals where/person stands/regard/matter/salvation.
• John’s/simple test, broken down/five sections.
• Let’s take test together this morning.
• Not need # two pencil/All you will need/honest heart.
• Take/test/see where you stand
• If corrections need to be made, they will be allowed.
• Let's examine/sections/John's test/our own hearts
• Let's take a test!
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I. THE COMMANDMENT SECTION
A. 1 John 2:3-6
• Simply stated/person who/saved will have a desire to walk in obedience/revealed will/Lord.
• Same standard applied/Jesus Himself/John 14:15…
B. 1 John 4:6, We are from God, and whoever knows God….
C. 1 John 5:3
• Saved/experience a joy in their heart when they receive commandments/Lord.
• God's demands will not be "grievous" to them
• They will be a pleasure and a delight to the soul!
• Psa. 1:1-3
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D. Is there something within you/wants to do the will of God?
• You may not do it completely or perfectly
• there/pull within you/makes you want to do/God wants?
• That/not naturally within man
• Supernaturally placed within man when he is saved!
E. How did you do on this section? Grade your own papers please!
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II. THE COMPASSION SECTION
A. 1 John 2:9-11
• Genuine believer/always be marked by true love for his brothers/sisters/Christ.
• Person who displays no love for/redeemed/not/child/God!
B. 1 John 3:18-19
True Christian loves his brethren, as we have already said.
• This/love/seen and not just said!
• Love that transcends all hurts and personal attacks.
• Unexplainable love for people
• In spite/their attitudes/actions towards us
• Gives us assurance of our salvation.
Verses 20-21
• Our own heart will attempt to condemn us.
• That is, we may feel we are not saved.
• John wants us/know we/not/rely/what our heart says!
• We are/look/evidence and rest in the grace of God.
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C. 1 John 4:20-21 - True believers love/rest of God's family!
W/O supernatural love for the brethren a person is simply not saved, regardless of what they may say!
D. How are you doing? Again, please grade your own papers only!
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III. THE CHRISTLIKENESS SECTION
A. 1 John 3:6-10 No one who lives in Him…….
• These verses reveal/truth/genuine believers live a different life/the world
• They/changed by/power/God/are different, 2 Cor. 5:17!
• saved person will develop a new pattern of life
• Increasingly become more/more like Jesus Christ 1John2:6
• Saved not be able to live a life of habitual, unconfessed, unrepentant sin!
• They will sin, 1 John 1:8…
• There will be a pull in the heart to make it right with God and to separate from that sin!
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B. You are going to resemble your spiritual father whether it is God or the devil.
• You will manifest/characteristics/your spiritual father
• Did you come through this section alright?
• Please keep your eyes on your own test results.
• God called us to bear fruit, not inspect it!
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IV. THE COMPANION SECTION
A. 1 John 3:24
Not only/genuine believer have/external marks/salvation
• Such/desire to obey the Lord
• desire to do His will
• love/brethren/manifests itself/action rather than mere words
• Life /marked by a resemblance/Lord Jesus
• believer will also have/inner evidence/Spirit/God
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B. Instant of conversion/Spirit/God takes up residence within the spirit of the believer.
• This/Baptism of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:13
• God’s/Spirit within/hearts gives us assurance we are saved
C. His job in us is to seal us/Lead us, John 16:13
• give us assurance of our salvation
• Presence/Spirit/God/our lives/proof positive we belong/Lord!
• This is a mysterious thing
• It is absolutely essential/assurance of one's salvation.
When/Spirit/God/present in your life, He will speak to your heart.
• He will tell you things/guide you/warn you/lead you/feed you.
• He will comfort you/teach you the truth.
• He will rise up/your heart/confirm/reality/your adoption into the family of God.
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To put it simply, when you get saved, there is a spiritual instinct placed within you.
• You immediately begin/desire those things/pertain to God, His Word, His work and His worship.
• This will not be a passing thing
• Endure throughout life because/presence/Spirit/your heart.
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D. Do you have/inner voice/Holy Spirit within your heart?
His voice may be hard to hear at times because of all the noise from all the other things in our lives, it can be heard nonetheless!
• Is there a desire for the things of God?
Do you
• Desire His house?
• Long to be with His people.
• Find yourself needing a word from the Bible?
• Ever find yourself needing to seek the Lord in prayer?
• This is not naturally within man! T
• His is put there by the work of the Spirit of God!
E. Is He there?
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V. THE COMMITMENT SECTION
A. 1 John 5:1
The true believer/one who/trusting Jesus Christ and Him alone for their soul's salvation.
• They believe all/Bible
• They have embraced Jesus as their only hope by faith.
• That is the essence of salvation!
• It is more than just an intellectual assent to the facts
• It is a personal acceptance of those things for oneself as your only hope of Heaven, Acts 16:31!
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C. 1 John 5:13
John tells us this faith in Christ is the ground of our hope!
• What are you trusting to take you to Heaven?
Don't trust:
• a prayer you prayed.
• A warn sensation you felt.
• What someone told you.
You must trust Jesus and Him alone.
• Nothing else will ever suffice to save the soul!
• This is the clear message of 1 John 5:9-12!
• How does one trust Jesus? By faith!
You merely come/place where you understand nothing else will do the job but Jesus
• Simply lean on Him alone for salvation.
• It may happen in the context of prayer.
• It may happen in just/instant when trust/transferred/Jesus.
• Always happens when there/conscious decision to turn from a life of sin to faith in Christ/His finished work on the cross.
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• How did you do in this section of the test?
• What do you trust to save your soul?
Is your faith in Jesus..
• or the church? or your profession of faith
• or some prayer you prayed?
• or in the good things you think you have done?
Faith that does not rest in Jesus Christ is not saving faith at all!
How did you score in this area?
I think this is where most people miss/boat when it comes to salvation!
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Conc: When we took those achievement tests, the results would come back and everyone was reduced to a percentage.
• Some were in the 90 percentile range, other lower, some much lower.
• That was OK with that kind of test.
• This test requires 100% to pass, anything else fails!
• How did you do?
• Are you living with doubt and fear? You don't have to.
• Get it settled this morning.
• Are you absolutely sure you are saved?
• Then you ought/first on down here thanking Him for His love and grace in your life!
