CAN I KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT I AM SAVED?
1 John 5:13
Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ
February 17, 2019
You may listen to an MP3 recording of this message by going to the following Link: http://chirb.it/z48hL4
INTRODUCTION:
1) Is it possible to know that we are saved?
A.) To put it another way, if we were to die today, would we have not only the hope and confidence of eternal life, but an affirmation from the Word of God to prove it?
B.) This is a question that many Christians have considerable difficulty to answer.
ba.) Many Christians are not sure of their present salvation.
bb.) I have heard Christians say I think I am saved, or I hope I am saved, or I try my best, or only God really knows that, or some other similar statement.
bc.) I have heard other believers tell me with confidence that they are saved, yet merely base that presumption on their feelings, and emotions, but not with a confirmation of that belief from the Word of God.
2.) As we look to 1 John 5:13, the Apostle John gives us confidence from the inspired Word of God that we can know that we are saved.
A.) Hear the Word of the Lord: “”I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
B.) John’s words affirmed as a “Thus saith the Lord that we can know of our salvation.
ba.) In this epistle, John gives us three more this “Thus saith the Lord statements that testify to both our salvation and eternal life.
bb.) So let us examine these three statements by which we can know with the certainty of the Word of God of our salvation.
II) THE FIRST “THUS SAITH THE LORD STATEMENT OF JOHN BY WHICH WE CAN KNOW WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS BY THE WITNESS OF OUR OBEDIENCE.
• 1 John 2:3
1) Certainly, there are many commandments given to us in the Word of God, and in the New Testament Scriptures.
A.) I think we would all have to agree that if God gives us a commandment it is something to be taken seriously.
B.) We would also agree there are many commandments in the word of God, including in the New Testament Scriptures.
C.) When the inspired Word of God addresses us in an area of our lives we need to see it as the inspired Word of God for us to live by.
ca.) When an Apostle of Jesus Christ gives us instruction it is inspired by God, and therefore has the authority of being a “Thus saith the Lord declaration.”
D.) While there are many commandments for us to follow in Scripture John is specifically addressing the matter of salvation, and has stated that obedience to the commandments of God is a matter that will serve to give us the knowledge of our salvation.
2) In order to know we have been saved, the first commandments by which we can know that we are saved are those commandments which bring us to and keep us in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
A) Have we come to the place of believing, or perhaps more correctly putting our faith in Jesus Christ?
aa.) Scripture makes it very clear that for us to know we are saved we must come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
ab.) Acts 16:31
aba.) The context of these words was just after Paul and Silas had been released from a Philippian prison as Paul was addressing the Jailer regarding his salvation.
abb.) Paul preached to him that he had to come to put his faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sins.
.01) This was a man who had not known of Jesus, and so at this stage of his walk the first and only thing he needed at that moment was faith.
.001) Sadly today, there are many who will refer to this verse of Scripture alone without looking at the rest of this passage, and use it as an entire plan of salvation by itself.
.002) Certainly that is a spiritual tragedy whenever that occurs.
.003) In fact this very passage when you look at the entirety of it makes it very clear that this was only the first step in this man coming to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
.004) Acts 16 proceeds to tell us that after this Paul taught him about Jesus Christ.
.005) During this time the man realized his need of baptism for his salvation; There in the middle of the night Paul went down and immersed this man.
.006) It was only then that Scripture records this man as rejoicing at his new relationship in Christ.
B) So that we can know by our obedience that we are saved, a second command of scripture is that we must repent of our sins.
ba.) Scripture commands it, and so certainly this would be one of the things John would be referring to in obeying the commandments of God to know that we are saved.
baa.) Acts 3:19
bab.) It is a relatively easy thing to know if we have we repented of our sins or if we are still living in and cherishing sin within our lives.
.01) If you are not sure of this the Bible itself gives numerous lists of sin and sinful behaviour.
bac.) Certainly repentance is not a onetime thing.
.01) Even as Christians there will be times that we will again need to repent of sin, and turn back to God.
.02) A third commandment for salvation is confession of Christ.
C) Have we come to the place of confessing faith in Jesus Christ?
ca.) Romans 10:9
cb.) Again, as in the matter of repentance this is not a onetime thing, but a pattern of our lives.
cba.) Jesus made it clear that He will acknowledge or deny us, just as we do with him.
cbb.) Matthew 10:32-33
D) Have we been immersed for the forgiveness of our sins?
da.) Galatians 3:27
db.) There are many people today who will follow the other commandments of God for salvation, but reject the need for immersion.
dba.) I have seen many who will not only reject this as part of the plan of salvation, but will become very angry when shown the Word of God and the commands of Scripture on it.
dbb.) If we have obeyed the Gospel in the waters of baptism the next question and commandment is:
F.) Are we faithful to Christ?
fa.) This is not a difficult question.
fb.) Revelation 2:10
fc.) Scripture requires faithfulness to Christ for salvation and eternal life.
fca.) Just the same, there are many within Christianity who do not believe this.
fcb.) I have been to more than one funeral where I will hear of someone coming to Christ thirty years ago, and that the person is a child of God and with him in glory.
.01) There have been times I have heard this, and yet of what I know of that person he or she may have lived for either Satan or himself for the past twenty-five years.
.001) But just the same at the funeral he will be called a Christian and redeemed.
.02) In order to know that we are saved the Bible tells us that we must be faithful to Him until death.
II. THE SECOND “THUS SAITH THE LORD STATEMENT JOHN GIVES BY WHICH WE CAN KNOW WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS THROUGH THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
• 1 John 4:13
1.) The Presence of the Holy Spirit of God within us is an indication of our salvation and of eternal life.
A.) We spoke a few moments ago about our obedience to God as an indication of our salvation.
B.) Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit ass an indicator of salvation and of eternal life, but it also states that the Holy Spirit is only given to those who have been obedient.
ba.) Acts 5:32
baa.) It is given to us at the time we obey the gospel in the waters of baptism.
bb.) Acts 2:38
bba.) Again the Holy Spirit is only given to those who have been obedient to Christ and to the Gospel.
bbb.) Scripture goes even further and states that if we do not have the Holy Spirit within us that we do not belong to Jesus Christ.
.01) Romans 8:9
.001) In other words, anyone who has the indwelling Spirit of God has Jesus Christ, eternal life, and the forgiveness of sins; anyone who does not have the Spirit of God is not part a child of God, and therefore is not part of the redeemed.
C.) Scripture gives us kind of a spiritual inventory to let us know if we have the Spirit of God, or if we do not have the Spirit of God.
ca.) No, this list is not the presence or absence of spiritual gifts.
caa.) In fact the list is much simpler and more practical to our daily spiritual life.
cb.) Galatians 5:16-25
cba.) From this passage of Scripture we see that those who are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit live lives characterized by: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
.01) Paul further warns us that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
cbb.) Paul also shows us the life of a person who has the Holy Spirit of God working in his life.
.01) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
D.) You see the Bible makes a great distinction between those who have the Spirit of God, and those who are not being led by the Spirit of God.
da.) When John said: “This is how we know that we live in Him and he in us; He has given us of His Spirit he was in fact giving us a Thus saith the Lord statement by which we can know if we have salvation and eternal life, or if we are outside of Christ, and therefore of the damned.
db.) We have looked at two of the three “Thus saith the Lord statements in 1 John by which we can have the assurance of salvation, and of eternal life.
III.JOHN’S THIRD “THUS SAITH THE LORD CHALLENGE TO KNOW IF WEARE SAVED AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS OUR LOVE FOR THE BRETHERN.
• 1 John 3:14
1.) Last week, speaking on Valentine’s Day I looked at love as a central quality of the nature of God.
A.) This being the case, it seems only natural that any child of God would also be a person who has within himself God’s nature of love.
B.) Love is so much the nature and person of God, that John tells us that as His children we have to be people of love.
ba.) But the other side of that is that John also goes on to tell us that if we claim to be a Christian but do not have love that we are not children of God, forgiven by God, or with the hope of eternal life.
baa.) 1 John 4:8
bab.) This is something that may surprise people who claim Jesus Christ.
.01) I have seen, as have you many who claim to be Christians, and yet have the most bitter, sour, unloving, and vengeful hearts you could ever imagine.
.02) God’s word is very clear that love is a sign of the presence of God, and likewise the lack of love is a sign that we do not know God.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Again, as we leave here can we know that we are saved, and have eternal life?
A.) The Apostle John answered yes we can; He wrote that we might know that we have eternal life.
B.) What is it that he has written that gives us this assurance?
ba.) We can know if we Keep the commandments
baa.) Certainly this includes the commandments for salvation:
.01) Faith
.02) Repentance.
.03) Confession of Christ
.04) Baptism
.05) Faithful until death.
bb.) We have confidence of our salvation because of the Spirit of God in our lives,
bc.) We have the assurance of our salvation by having within us the love of God for others.
2.) The inspired apostle has given us these things that we might know that we are saved.
A.) The question we must ask is where do we find ourselves when evaluated by John’s inspired criteria?
aa.) Do they allow us to leave here today with a confidence from the Word of God that we are saved?
ab.) Or has the Word of God convicted us that we are not redeemed nor do we have eternal life.
aba.) Each one of us has to answer that question for ourselves with an honest assessment of our hearts.
ac.) If the words from the Apostle John do not give you confidence of salvation and eternal life today, I challenge you that you would take whatever steps you are lacking in order to have that Bible based assurance of your salvation.
