Webinar--ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

 GOD’S LOVE: (Who He is)

·       WE NEED THIS ASSURANCE: Ephesians 3:19 …know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

·       John 12:23–25 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it…

·       Romans 5:8–10 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

·       John 3:14–16 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

·       John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

o   IT’S A GIFT: Ephesians 2:8–9  by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

HE RECEIVES ALL WHO COME TO HIM

·       Romans 10:12-13  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21) 

·       Jeremiah 3:12–13 “Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice,’ declares the LORD”.

·       Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

·       John 7:37–38 “Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

·       Matthew 11:28–30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

·       Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

·       Ps 34:18–19 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

THE NATURAL MAN DOES NOT COME:

·       Romans 3:10-16 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." 13"Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; 14"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways;

·       1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

·       John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 

·       Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

·       SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS: BE ALERT! Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.

o   Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

THE ROLE OF OBEDIENCE:

·           1 John 2:4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

·           John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

·       Matthew 7:15–16 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

·       1 John 1:8–9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

DOUBTS: (Stop looking at yourself for reassurance!)

• DO I HAVE ENOUGH FAITH: Hebrews 11:29  By faith the people [of Israel] crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

o   SARAH: Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

• AM I OBEDIENT ENOUGH? 1 Timothy 1:15-16 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

·       AM I RIGHTEOUS ENOUGH? 2 Peter 2:7–8  …if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

·       AM I WORTHY ENOUGH? 2 Chronicles 33:12–13 And when [Manasseh] was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.

WE MUST REASSURE OURSELVES: 

• : 1 John 3:19-23 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

o   1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

o   1 John 5:1-2 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

• A CHANGED LIFE IS THE FRUIT OF THE GIFT OF FAITH: 1 John 2:3-6 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

• ASSURANCE GIVES US CONFIDENCE: 1 John 4:16-18…God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

·       John 10:27–29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

I’M NOT GOING TO FALL AWAY. I WON’T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN: (ES)

·       1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

·       INSTEAD: 1 Peter 1:4–5 …an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

·       WE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SALVATION BY GOD’S GRACE: Philippians 2:12–13…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.