Sermon Preached at Grace Community Church (EPC)
Sun City Grand, Surprise, AZ
Sunday, June 7, 2015
by the Reverend Cooper McWhirter
The Doctrine of Assurance: “Deceptive Currents” [Part Two]
1 John 5:7-13
In the “Our Daily Bread” devotional for this month there’s an article entitled, “Deceptive Currents”. It uses an illustration from a book written by a science writer where he describes a time when he took a leisurely swim in otherwise calm waters. Impressed by both the distance he covered, and his relative ease in doing so, he decided to swim out further from the bay into open water. But when he tried to return to shore, he couldn’t make any progress. In his own words he had been deceived by the undercurrent. The author concluded by saying, “The ease of swimming had not been due to his strength, but rather to the movement of the unseen currents.”
And the same holds true in our relationship with God. In this instance “going with the flow” can lead us to believe that we’re stronger than we really are. When life is easy, our minds can play tricks on us. We become proud and self-confident. But when difficulties arise, we suddenly realize just what little strength we have; and how utterly helpless we have become.” The writer of the article ends by saying, “When life is going well we need to be aware of self-deception. Pride can take us where we do not want to go. Only humility will keep us where we ought to be – grateful to God and mindful that we are solely dependent on His strength.”
In his book, The Doctrine of Assurance, A. W. Tozer writes: “Many are deceived into believing that mere acceptance of Jesus Christ is enough to insure one’s salvation. But the Scriptures remind us repeatedly that we should make certain of God’s effectual calling.”
We must never assume, presume, or take for granted God’s redeeming grace! Instead, we must make certain that our salvation is sure. In order to know with certainty that we are saved, God has extended to us the means by which we have this verification. And by that I mean the indwelling of the Holy Spirit assures us of our “seal of approval”! The nineteenth century Reformed Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote: “The Holy Spirit is the
means of making our future heritage sure even now… for by Him we are ‘sealed’. ”
But this certainty of salvation requires something from us as well. The late Brennan Manning, a former Franciscan priest, explained it this way: “We must knife through our pretense, cowardice, and evasions, to see the truth about ourselves…Put simply, sin must be acknowledged and confessed before there can be forgiveness and real transformation.”
In this passage, the apostle John says there are ‘three witnesses’ which serve as a “surety of our sonship”. But why the need for three witnesses? In Old Testament times the law required “the testimony of two or three witnesses in order to substantiate a claim, or to arrive at the truth in resolving a dispute.
So, to affirm that we are indeed a child of God, John explains there are three witnesses that confirms this certainty. And the first witness involves: THE TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT (repeat).
John is not speaking about our spirit, as if we could testify on our own behalf! Instead, he directs our attention to the Holy Spirit who testifies and verifies that we are truly “heirs of hope”. The Holy Spirit is the One who bestows salvation. He is the One who dispenses spiritual gifts. And He is the One who takes up residence within us. The Holy Spirit invokes and provokes us to repent of our sins; both known and unknown. He brings to mind “unresolved matters” through means of the “ministry of reconciliation”. And the apostle Paul assures us of this where he writes: “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, by giving us the ‘ministry of reconciliation’” [2 Corinthians 5:18].
Just as importantly, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Herein, Paul tells us [that]: “…in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Paul goes on to say, “and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” [Romans 8:26, 27].
In this modern age of Internet technology, there are numerous “search engines” to help us find information. In similar fashion, the Holy Spirit serves as the believer’s “search engine” insofar as He searches our heart and mind and directs us towards a better understanding of who God is. And, in due
course, we discover more about ourselves!
Gordon Donald Fee, is an ordained minister who serves as Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. In 1996, Dr. Fee wrote an article entitled, “Rediscovering the Holy Spirit,” which appeared in Christianity Today. At one point he remarked: “However much we may wish it, divine perfection does not set in at conversion. But divine infection does.”
In other words, in our spiritual walk we often find ourselves taking one step forward and two steps back! We must constantly remind ourselves that this is an imperfect world and we live among imperfect people. In essence, we are sojourners in a foreign land; yearning for our ‘true’ home. Thus, we’re caught between two worlds. Or, as someone once said, we find ourselves living between…“the already and the not yet.” But, by God’s grace, we are being sanctified, though not completely so; for at best we are a “work in process”!
The second witness who speaks on our behalf involves: THE TESTIMONY OF WATER (repeat).
One commentator referred to both the water and blood as external, objective witnesses as to who Christ is, and what He accomplished on the cross at Calvary.
Water is not only a witness that bears testimony of who Christ is, but purification by water has also come to symbolize what happens to the believer. We are cleansed. We are immersed. Thus, it symbolizes our being baptized into saving faith. Before we are immersed, we are deemed to be unclean, but once we arise from the water, we are cleansed not only outwardly but, more importantly, inwardly!
The older I get the more convinced I am that paedobaptism (taken from the Greek word “pais” meaning child) is more symbolic than that of a believer’s baptism. After all, a small child, especially an infant, is not capable of understanding, or appreciating the significance of this sacrament. Whereas an adult believer does, or should, understand and appreciate what this sacrament represents.
This sacrament, like that of the “Lord’s Supper” was instituted by Christ by both His command and example. However, it might interest you to know
that water baptism was not introduced by John the Baptist. This rite was also
observed in Old Testament times, but in a less, dramatic fashion.
However, baptism by water, regardless of the mode, does not, and cannot, insure one’s salvation (example of Simon the sorcerer – Acts 8). At best, it is seen as an “outward expression of an inward condition.” One of my former pastor’s use to say, “Religion never saved anyone. For if this were true, the Pharisees in Jesus’ day would be first in line at heaven’s portals!”
Spurgeon once said: “It would be very difficult to say how far a man may go in religion, and yet die in his trespasses; how much he may look like an heir of heaven, and yet be a child of wrath.”
The third witness is closely aligned with the work of redemption, which involves: THE TESTIMONY OF BLOOD (repeat).
It is important for the believer to understand that at the time of Jesus’ baptism, both the Father and the Spirit testified on the Son’s behalf [cf. Matthew 3:16, 17]. Then, too, when Jesus was crucified the other two Persons of the Godhead gave witness as to His life and work here on earth [Matthew 27:54; Hebrews 9:14]. In fact, the Holy Spirit testified throughout Jesus’ life by revealing His true identity so that people of every age would come to know Him and to believe in Him [Mark 1:12; Luke 1:35; Acts 10:38].
The testimony of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice by way of His shed blood is of paramount importance in the life of the believer. In the book of Leviticus it says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement” [Leviticus 17:11]. Then, too, in the book of Hebrews we read: “And according to the law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood; for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” [Hebrews 9:22].
Today, there are those who reject the notion that the shedding of blood is necessary for the remission of sin. To ones such as these, such a concept is repugnant! But to those who find this idea offensive, Tozer offers this disclaimer: “When Christ died on the cross our hopes began, when He arose from the dead they were confirmed, when He went up on high they began to be fulfilled, and when He comes again they will be realized.”
All three witnesses: the Holy Spirit, the water and the blood are all in agreement as to who Christ Jesus was, is, and shall always be! This passage goes on to say, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” There is no way to misconstrue what John is telling us! Why even a child can understand the implications! Therefore, we are without excuse!
Addressing his concerns for the unregenerate, Tozer writes: “We are without life, without light, without hope, and without peace, if we are without God. If God does not give to us according to the riches of His grace, we are then worse than naked, and poor, and miserable; we are utterly and altogether... undone.”
Now I started out with an illustration about “deceptive currents”. How deceptive it is for us to believe that we can somehow earn, or work our way into heaven. For when all I said and done, try as we might, we cannot make it on our own!
I’ll use the analogy of the annual “salmon run” where various species of salmon swim upstream to their spawning sites to lay their eggs where they, too, were given life. During this arduous journey they have much to overcome. Many of their species do not make it. Dangers lurk from bears and other predatory animals. Many more succumb to disease, stress, and sheer exhaustion.
But for those who believe in Christ, it need not be this way. Indeed, it must not be this way! Spurgeon once remarked: “The salvation of God is for those who do not deserve it, and have no preparation for it.”
Let us pray…
