SERMON SERIES: “Blessed Assurance”
SERMON #2: “Birthmarks of a Believer (A)”
SERMON TEXT: I John 5:13
(Series inspired by “What every Christian Ought to Know” by Adrian Rogers and “Saved without a Doubt” by John Macarthur)
OPENING JOKE: “God-Zilla” On the way home from church, a pastor’s young boy asked his father, “How do you spell ‘God?’” The pastor was thrilled that his son was showing signs of spiritual interest. He spelled out G-O-D and anxiously waited for his son’s next theological question. The little boy then asked, “How do you spell ‘Zilla?’”
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to week #2 of our series on how to have assurance of salvation.
Last week we discussed the ‘Birthday of the Believer’ and how for anyone to be able to even see the kingdom of God, it is required that they be ‘born again’
We saw how this birth is not achieved by our works, but by faith in Christ who, by His blood, cleanses us from all sin
This week we are going to continue our 5 part lesson by looking at the ‘Birthmarks of a Believer’
o Remember, this course is designed from God’s Word to help us be assured of our salvation
o And taking a true heart evaluation from the test of Scripture can encourage us all to look within and ask, “Do I bear the believer’s birthmarks?”
I have already affirmed, and will always affirm that good works do not play a role in our salvation
o Like I said last week, we are going to Heaven by the steamship of God’s grace, not the rowboat of human accomplishment.
o But it would be ignorant of me to not also say that Scripture indicates a lifestyle that WILL accompany a believer…
o And if it does not, it indicates a spiritual problem in the life of that person which is most probably a lack of a truly heartfelt conversion
Listen to Jesus’ words on this subject from John 15:
John 15:1-6 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Jesus, as He often does, uses agriculture as His example for the true believer in this parable of a vine and branches.
He specifically identified Himself as the "true vine" and the Father as the “husbandman”, which means "vinedresser" or “caretaker of the vine”.
o The vine has two types of branches:
1) Branches that bear fruit (vv. 2, 8)
2) Branches that do not (vv. 2, 6).
o The branches that bear fruit are genuine believers, as Jesus declares that they “abide in Me” (v.4)
o The branches that do not bear fruit may profess to believe, but their lack of fruit indicates genuine salvation has never taken place and they have no life from the vine. Jesus declared they “abide not in Me” (v.6)
The point is this: The fruit shows the branch’s connection to the vine…
o The fruit doesn’t make the branch alive – the connection to the vine does that
o The fruit is simply the natural bi-product of a branch that is receiving the life sustaining nourishment of the vine
o If a branch is not bearing fruit, though it may have a superficial connection to the vine, the vine’s life sustaining nourishment is not flowing to the branch
o It appears to have a outward connection – but the lack of fruit shows that the inward connection is severed
And this is the same in the Christian life…
o Our works don’t save us, but they do show that we are receiving the life sustaining nourishment of the True Vine, who is Jesus Christ
o Good works are the natural bi-product of a life connected to Christ
o And a life that is not producing fruit may be because of a superficial connection to Jesus – One that boasts a decision of the mind, but not a change of heart
o Illustration: “Crusades often change minds, not hearts” We see this often at these big evangelistic crusades. I am a huge fan of Billy Graham, as well as others that preach God’s Word to thousands and then offer them a chance to come to Christ. [I have even imagined myself that God may one day call me to a ministry of evangelism… (Though unlikely because I love to teach)] But the problem we see in many surveys is that in a matter of weeks after the crusade is over, people that have claimed conversion go right back into the world and begin all over again to dismiss a relationship with Jesus.
o This is often because they have a change of mind, and not of heart
o Illustration “18 inch gap” An evangelist once said that there is an 18 inch gap that separates most people from Jesus. That’s the distance from the head to the heart.
o JOKE: “Really narrow minded” A preacher got caught having to eat dinner with some people who did not know his profession. As they talked, it became apparent the people he was with were not Christians. As the conversation inevitably got around to vocations, the minister told them all what he did. One of the men arrogantly said, “So your one of those narrow minded people who believes only those in your group are going to heaven, huh?” To which the modest preacher replied, “Sir, I am more narrow-minded than that. I’m not sure all of the group will make it!”
o A true believer (or fruit bearing branch) is one whose heart, along with his mind, has experienced renewal in Christ
***Today we are going to begin looking at some of the things John’s first epistle tells us will mark the life of the believer.
o NOTE: This is not an exegesis of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ from Galatians 5 and Ephesians 5
o This is a study of what John’s first epistle says will accompany the life of a believer
o There are 11 things that this “Book of Assurance” tells us will mark a person who has truly received the “New Birth” – Today we will begin by looking at three of them
I. Desire for fellowship with Christ and the Father
a. I John 1:2, 3 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
b. Fellowship with God is basic to salvation
i. Sometimes the ‘fact’ of eternal life is very cold in believers
1. NOTE: I always encourage people to not allow their ‘experience’ to dictate their theology
2. God’s will is not determined by our experiences
3. Nor is His character established through our experiences
ii. But sometimes people misunderstand when I say this and think I am totally against having an experience with God
iii. I believe experiencing fellowship with God is an essential part of our Christian life
iv. Illustration: “Experience the Heat” A little boy was told by his father to not touch a heater, because it was very hot. The boy, believing his father, agreed. But when the father went away, the boy immediately went over and touched the heater and was burned.
1. Before he only had an intellectual knowledge of the heat
2. Now, through his experience, he was certain of the fact
3. He moved out of the arena of ‘knowledge’ and into the arena of ‘faith’
c. That is what experiencing fellowship with God does for the believer
i. We move out of a cold and sterile relationship with God
ii. And we move into an alive, vibrant communion with Him
iii. We move out of the arena of ‘knowledge’ and into the arena of ‘trust’
d. And fellowship with Christ and the Father is something all Christians should enjoy
i. And I use the word ‘enjoy’ because it should be an enjoyable experience
1. Some people can’t stand to pray, or be in church, or read God’s Word
2. To them it is not enjoyable to fellowship with God; its a terrible burden!
ii. This is an indicator that something is very wrong in the spiritual life of that person
e. Quote: Fellowship with Christ and the Father should be a part of the life of a believer – it is one of the birthmarks of true faith
II. Sensitivity to sin
a. I John 1:5-10 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”
b. This verse says that God is light
i. Those who follow after Him must walk in the light
ii. And those who walk in darkness do not know the truth
c. So who are those who “walk in darkness”?
i. In looking at these verse, it seems to indicate that those ‘who claim to have no sin’ walk in darkness
ii. It says that, if we say we are innocent of sin, the truth is not in us – and worse yet we make God out to be a liar
d. Quote: Sensitivity to sin is, in essence, consciousness of sin
i. How can someone who says they have no sin ever repent of it?
ii. Some people make pretty amazing claims that hold no water in Scripture
iii. They say things like:
1. Once you are in Christ, you will not ever sin again
2. They have never, ever sinned to begin with
iv. NOTE: It is characteristic of unbelievers to have no acknowledgment of their own sinfulness
e. So what does it mean to “walk in the light”?
i. It means we are to walk a virtuous walk and confess our sins
ii. You see, true believers have a proper view of sin
iii. They know that if they are going to commune with God they have to be holy
1. And when sin is in their lives, they are sensitive to it, confess it and forsake it
2. Rather than try to justify it, gloss over it or explain it away
f. The person who is truly saved will be sensitive to sin in their own life
i. NOTE: The Apostle Paul lived with a heightened awareness of his own sin
ii. Romans 7:14-20 “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
iii. You see, in no way did he try to justify his sin – he named it for what it is and acknowledged its terrible affect in his life
g. When you fail, do you try to justify your actions… or do you go to Christ with a broken heart and confess your sin?
h. Quote: Recognition, confession and repentance of sin is another birthmark of a true believer
III. Obedience to God’s Word
a. I John 2:3-5 “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
b. The Greek word for “keep” is “Tereo”
i. It actually means to ‘attend to carefully’
ii. It speaks of a “watchful, careful and thoughtful” obedience
iii. QUOTE: Another rendering may be, “we know that we know Him, if we are careful to be obedient to Christ’s commandments”
1. It is more than just doing what Jesus says
2. It involves more than the ACT of obedience, but a SPIRIT of obedience
iv. And this, of course is not saying that we will never fail
1. The preceding verses we studied says that failure is possible
2. But that if we fail we are to confess and repent
3. And continue to desire to be obedient to His commandments
c. NOTE: The word ‘commandments’ is speaking literally of the precepts of Christ, rather than the law of Moses
i. The demands of the Mosaic law require “perfection” or “penalty”
ii. These verses are a call to willful obedience based on the penalty Christ has already paid
iii. Obedience because of love for your Savior
d. Quote: If you desire to be obedient to God’s Word out of gratitude for all Christ has done, and you see that desire producing an overall sense of obedience, you are displaying an important birthmark of a true believer
CONCLUSION: It is my goal throughout this study to continue to reaffirm that WORKS do not save us…ultimately Christ saves us when we receive Him as Lord and Savior
Nothing I have brought to your attention today will save you
o These things we have begun to study are simply indicators to help reaffirm your faith
o And possible flints to get the fire of the Spirit ignited in your life
o Remember John’s first epistle was written so that we might “know that we have eternal life”
So the question we can end today with is simple: “Do you know?”
o Do you know that you have eternal life?
o Do you have a connection with the “True Vine” that is producing the fruits we talked about today?
Only you and God know your heart… ask yourself:
Am I having fellowship with God?
Am I sensitive to sin in my life?
Am I being obedient to His Word?
If so, be confident in Christ… Be a “shouting Christian”, rather than a “doubting Christian”
