The Eternal Life & The Assurance of Believers

Okay, so last week we looked at the subjects of the total depravity of man and Salvation the doctrine of salvation and I had said that people must first understand the bad news, right?

You remember this people must first understand the bad news before they can understand and fully appreciate

The good news. So the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ makes no sense

Unless there's something to be saved from So Jesus did not come into the world to save people from Poverty Jesus did not come into the world to save people from a mediocre life

Jesus did not come into the world to Save us from a lack of purpose.

Although following Christ does give us purpose. Why did Jesus come into the world?

First Timothy 115 Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners and because we are forgiven

Then we have eternal life and that's what we're going to talk about this morning This is from article 3 section

G of the Morse corner Church statement of faith the eternal life and assurance of believers

So, let's read these the first ones up on the board the second one or the screen the second one we'll put up a little later on Section 1 or part 1 says we believe that all the redeemed

Once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ Forever and then it gives a list of verses

John 6 37 through 40 10 27 and we'll cover all of these verses so you don't have to write them down all at once So let's look up the first passage in the

Gospel of John turn to John chapter 6 As you're turning there, let me read part 2

It says we believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word Which however clearly forbids the use of Christian Liberty as an occasion to the flesh

So the first thing I want to point out is that these these are two different things All right having eternal life and having the assurance of eternal life

The two go hand in hand. They should go hand in hand, but they're not necessarily The same thing does anyone want to tell me why?

Having eternal life and having the assurance of eternal life It's not necessarily the same why?

Anyone want to take a guess? Okay There are people who are saved they are truly saved but for whatever reason

They don't walk in the full assurance of their salvation There are also people who would tell you that they are sure that they're going to heaven

But they're Deceived or through false doctrine. They are deceived.

So there's people that are saved and know it There are people that are saved and they're not really sure that they're saved

So having eternal life and being certain of it The two should go hand in hand, but they don't necessarily go hand in hand

Any questions about that? Don't be afraid to ask ask questions All right, that's certainly just that our statement of faith

Refutes the loss of salvation, right? And that's what the first half is going to be about that.

We are secure in Christ a person cannot lose their salvation That's what we believe we believe that because we believe the

Bible teaches that the majority of professing Christians on earth However do believe you can lose your salvation

So again, these are two different points and if you don't understand that or if you don't quite see that yet Hopefully you will at the end having eternal life and having the full assurance of eternal life.

This kind of raises some questions That's why we need to go step by step through all of this So again, let me just read this one more time.

We believe that all the redeemed Once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ Forever look at John 6 verses 37 through 40

Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me

I will by no means Cast out for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me

This is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me.

I should lose Nothing but should raise it up at the last day And this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the

Son and believes in him may have Everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day

So Jesus is giving these words of certainty the one who believes I will

Raise them up at the last day He's not saying well if you believe and do this and live up to this standard if you do this and Something out then maybe it's a certain it's a done deal

It's certain if you believe you will be raised up at the last day Larry define

Belief what does it mean that you say when you believe? Right, yeah, we're not we're not talking about well,

I believe Jesus existed or Well, I even I believe that he died on the cross and rose from the dead

That's part of it. I'll be that's that's the simple gospel message But when we say we believe it's a full trust in Christ and in Christ alone

The Judaizers and the false teachers we've talked about this going through Galatians they believed

Jesus died and rose again But they thought that you were saved by keeping the law of Moses Satan and the demons know that Jesus died for sin and rose again

So believing facts in your head is not what we mean by belief. It's a full trust in the true

Christ and the true gospel So it should be a life change

It should be a life long commitment and Over your life you grow and are conformed to the image of Christ because believers in Romans 8 29 and 30 it says believers are

Predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. It's predestined. It's a certainty

So if you truly believe you will grow and be conformed to the image of Christ Which is that?

Life change if there's never any change at all You're not being conformed.

Well, that probably means you never really really believed that answer Okay. Yeah, you know and we want to be thorough and Hopefully we will as we go along.

So this passage John chapter 6 Jesus says that a people have been given to him by God the

Father those who come to faith Jesus says they will by no means or I will by no means cast them out

So basically whoever will may come Whoever comes to Christ Jesus says

I'm not going to cast them out So the Bible says in 1st

Timothy 2 4 if you're taking notes You can write this down 1st Timothy 2 4 says that God desires

All men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth The Lord wants people to be saved he wants people to believe and When a person believes

Jesus, we never have to worry about the Lord saying. Sorry You're too poor or You're the wrong skin color or you know, you did this terrible thing in the past I reject you that that will never happen all who come to Christ Jesus will by no means ever

Cast them out. So yeah, this is what we're talking about the security that believers have in Christ So salvation from God's perspective

Really is a finished work But what about the believer?

Okay, so we understand Jesus is not going to cast us out But what about the believer?

Can we? Can we fall away? Jim Sure go back to the second

Timothy, I mean first Timothy chapter 2 It says who will have all men to be saved

But I think that he also knows that all men will not be seen

Right, because not all except Yeah, the

Lord knows that He's not willing That any should perish you hear these verses quoted

God takes no delight in the death of the way He wants people to believe and to put it in human terms.

That's his Desire it is his desire. Yes Right. Okay.

So Jesus is not going to cast anyone out. So from God's perspective. We've got that down He's not gonna cast anyone out.

What about us? What about the believer? Can we do something to affect or lose our salvation?

Can we walk away or? Forfeit eternal life. Let's turn to John chapter 10 now.

That's the next Verse here on the screen. We read John 6 37 through 40.

Now, we're gonna read John 10 27 Through 30. This is where it gets a little more complicated

Because let's face it. We have all known people who have fallen away

From the faith and the word for this is if you remember last Sunday's sermon

What's the word when people fall away from the faith begins with an a? Right Apostasy so a person who falls away is an apostate.

So apostasy is the verb Apostate is the noun So because there are people who have made a profession of faith, but somewhere along the line they turn their back on the truth

The way it looks I mean this is the way it looks to some people that they lost their salvation

That's what many people believe and all grant that. Yeah that from a human perspective.

That's how it may appear But what does Jesus say in John 10 27 through 30?

He says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them

Eternal life, how long does eternal life last? Forever so it can't come to an end

Otherwise, you never actually had eternal life it comes if it comes to an end. You never you never had it

And they shall never perish neither. Shall anyone 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 my father's hand

I and my father are one So what if somebody stops?

Listening to Christ, what if somebody stops following Christ? Based on this it's very simple

They're not one of his sheep if they don't listen to the voice of the Shepherd if they're not following Christ They're not one of his sheep.

That's what Jesus said my sheep hear my voice And I know them and they follow me

So if you're not hearing his voice if you're not following the Shepherd You're not one of his sheep or a person is not one of his sheep

This makes sense Okay, so when we preach the gospel and talk about giving your life to Christ How many times have you heard that expression in preaching and presenting the gospel give your life to Christ?

I like that better than make a decision for Christ because we can make decisions and then change

We can make a decision and then make another decision tomorrow to go back on the decision from yesterday but giving your life to Christ is clear your life starting now and going on for for eternity

Really? So that's what we're talking about Full assurance or excuse me full belief in Christ 100 % faith alone

Giving your life to him being in union With God through Christ from that point forward so eternal life is in Christ eternal means

Eternal it never ends Are there people though who walk away?

Okay So we're gonna get into that a little more later on But yeah

We we all know that there are people who walk away and we kind of have to make Sense of that and maybe we all have our opinions.

Oh, I think I know what happened there But we have to rely on what the Word of God says so yes there are people who walk away is

I think a lot of a lot of folks when they Come to Christ or make a decision what they're doing is they're giving

Jesus a try Right. We all try things out. Well, let's see how this works

If people think well if I my aunt told me if I come to church and give my faith

I'm not my aunt didn't tell me this but but but if I come to church and give my

Heart to Christ then my luck is gonna turn around. My life is gonna start getting better Well, if you truly trust in Christ your life will get better in many ways

But it might get more complicated in a lot of other ways So, I think a lot of people come to that decision with false ideas of their whatever their expectations are

I heard one famous American megachurch pastor He went on TV and he he encouraged people to give

Jesus a 60 -day trial He said and if you're not fully satisfied Get your money back

Now he was trying to be funny But that's the way the world and that's the way a lot of people approach things

But that's not how the Holy Spirit operates God plays for keeps

Amen, God God plays for keeps So following Christ is a commitment. It is a lifelong walk a lifelong journey an eternal life lasts for eternity

I did a sermon several years ago on 1st Corinthians 15 the beginning of the chapter verses 1 and 2

Titled perseverance of the Saints. I still believe to this day. That's one of the most important sermons that I that I ever preached

I think it's one of the most important topics for Christians to to Know and understand and the biblical teaching is that true believers?

Keep the faith Okay true believers Keep the faith a true believer will persevere.

What does it mean to persevere? Yeah, keep going. Even when things get tough you persevere you you keep going

I Can't remember the whole thing but Man walking down the road and he falls down But he picks himself up turns around and keeps on walking.

Yeah Sure, and sometimes God's gonna pick us up and because the only reason we persevere is because we're preserved

It's not because of us and our strength and our power and our intelligence We persevere because we are preserved by Christ.

Okay now turn to Romans chapter 8 Romans 8 and again from the

Moore's Corner Church doctrinal statement on eternal life and assurance Says part one.

We believe that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God's power and Are thus secure in Christ forever.

That's a comforting thought Isn't it? And we don't just say that because it feels good or it sounds good

We believe this is what the scripture teaches and I think We're demonstrating that All right

So when talking about this subject of security Romans chapter 8 is one of if not the key

Passage on the subject look at Romans 8 verse 1 who would like to read that Romans 8 1

Now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to this flesh

But according to this spirit. All right no condemnation in Christ It doesn't say there is no condemnation

Well, that is until you sin again, and then the condemnation comes back Well, that wouldn't be that wouldn't be the same would it?

No is no conduct condemnation The forgiveness of Christ, it's a full pardon

Jesus offers full Forgiveness and we're going to talk about this a little more in a few minutes, but notice that Christ But being in Christ is described as walking according to the

Spirit So we reject What is called license or cheap grace easy believism?

Thankfully the the church doctrinal statement speaks against that so Christians walk according to the

Spirit What does that mean? What does it mean to walk according to the Spirit? What does it mean to walk according to the flesh?

We know what that means, right? What does it look like if you're walking according to the flesh? Sure Right You're just following along you're doing what everyone else is doing your gear conformed to the world

So if the world says it's okay to the shack up with your girlfriend your boyfriend

That's what you do as everyone else is doing it. Why not? If the if the world says it's it's okay to to lie and steal to get ahead

That's what you got to do. That's what you got to do walking according to the flesh is

Take the Ten Commandments you're just living a lifestyle where you break the commandments and and disregard the

Word of Jesus and Does what difference does it make walking in the Spirit is the opposite, right?

You're living not a perfect life because nobody can do that, but you're living a faithful life

There's clear evidence that you're you're seeking to follow Christ in your life. Yes, Jim Romans 8

I Hope I'm not jumping. No. No, it says who shall separate us from the love of Christ self -tribulation or distress?

persecution of famine and nakedness and peril Sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all day long

We are counted as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things We are more than conquerors through him that loved us

Amen Persuading right now you are stepping on Up until that point you're good.

That's the next verse. We're gonna read. Thank you, though Lenny Yeah, you brought that up before David Jeremiah right bases his view of a proof text for the pre -trib rapture

David Jeremiah uses Romans 8 1 that's what yes, that's what you're saying.

Yeah, I've heard him do that before and I and I do want to say you know about saying the sinner's prayer and Believers do backslide right believers do do

Live for a time and that's when God will discipline his children So, you know, we're not saying that somebody has to be doing

XY and Z So I just want to be careful About that because ultimately we don't really know.

I never know the salvation of somebody else. I know what they say. I Know what they do.

You can evaluate me based on what I say and and based on what I do But here here's my point the two ought to line up what you believe should line up with what you do right

Romans 8 38 and 39 is Jim with this you're absolutely right.

This is one of those key Verses that talk about the security of the believer Paul writes for I am persuaded

That neither death nor life nor angels or principalities nor powers nor things present

Nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other created things shall be able to separate us from the love of God Which is in Christ Jesus our

Lord. Amen. This is one of those great passages on the subject All right. Now, let's go to the next

Passage 1st Corinthians 1 All right, any questions or comments as you're turning there?

mark That would be a logical implication of that sure sure

Yeah, I mean there's some people that have not been taught or instructed Based on a person's situation.

They might only have a little bit of knowledge They believe I don't know exactly what you're you're asking but you might believe but not have

The more knowledge you have the more responsible you are and there's people that only have a little bit

But they need to be faithful with the little that they have Larry Bible also says that God chastens those he loves and He may allow us to go through trials and tribulations

They still loves us. Sure Sure, if a true believer backslid or kind of walked away from Christ for a time

I would expect their life to start going into a downward spiral and then and Hopefully they would come back if somebody

Professes Christ and then walks away and they live the next 30 years and everything's great. I Would be inclined to think that okay, probably never we're safe because God does discipline his children.

But again, we we don't always know We only see what's on the surface and the information that we have so we never really know about someone else

We can know about ourselves. So assurance of salvation refers to us Our assurance not be me being assured of somebody else

I told you to turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 1. Let's read that. I Thank my

God always concerning you for the grace of God Which was given to you by Christ Jesus that you were enriched in everything by him and all utterance and knowledge

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you so that you come short in no gift

Eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ Who will also here's that that thing to pay attention to who will also confirm you?

How long? To the end that you may be blameless in the day of our

Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son

Jesus Christ our Lord So it says he will confirm you speaking to believers the

Church of Corinth he will confirm you To the end that you may be blameless why?

Because God is faithful. Ultimately. We are kept secure in Christ Because of his faithfulness.

I mean we are to remain faithful, but we remain faithful because God is faithful All right, one more verse 1st

Peter chapter 1 God's Promise Has to do with spiritual matters

God doesn't promise that we're gonna live to the ripe old age of 95 or be healthy our whole life

And you know, we can do certain things I suppose to affect all those matters, but There's no promise that we're gonna be

Wealthy there's no promise of any of those things The Lord promises to give us what we need he gives us shelter and food and he tells us to be content

So the promises are are mainly spiritual that's what we're looking at 1st Peter 1 5 who wants to look at or read that 1st

Peter 1 5 Who are protected by the power of God Okay Okay, so we are kept because of our

Good works were kept because of our power Now we're kept by his power through Faith and before moving on to the next point about assurance

I'll end this section by saying this if a person stops Expressing faith in Christ if they do fall away

It may appear to some that they have lost their salvation We would understand that that they were never truly redeemed to begin with Why do

I say that? Well, we Well, actually, I don't think I did quote this the the most important verse on assurance is 1st

John 5 13 what does that say? These things

I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God That you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the

Son of God There's another verse though in 1st John. It's chapter 2 verse 19 this

Answers the question. What about the person who walks away? John writes they went out from us, but they were not of us if they had been of us

They would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us

So the fact that a person departs From the faith it demonstrates that they were never really one of us to begin with now if they're really a true

Christian One of the evidence is that they're going to remain with us You know and that doesn't mean they're going to remain a member of one particular local church, but they're going to remain a member

And be part of as long as they're capable of it They're going to remain part of the Church of Christ that preaches the true gospel

If you walk away that just proves you never really understood. It's about a lifelong commitment to begin with Jim so Being that the case someone walks away

Then some time later might be a short time or it might be a number of years later

They have come to the point in their life where they say, you know, I was all wrong.

I Shouldn't have done it. I should so To you would be the process that that person would have to follow to be

A common amongst the believers Well, this plays out with church discipline this plays out practically with church discipline if somebody just leaves and takes off and they don't return phone calls and you can't do anything if they just won't have any contact and they're not attending a

Bible believing church and their life goes back to the world and the way they were You know that eventually their name gets dropped from the membership list and you well by their own

Life in their own actions and words. They're they're testifying that they are an unbeliever

If somebody is still within a church Jesus lays this out in Matthew 18

Somebody is you know openly doing something that's that's clearly wrong. You go to the person talk to them

Hey take a hike well, then you bring two or three try to Restore them and fix them as well.

We're not listening to you either you bring it before the church and If they will not listen to the church say

I'm gonna do what I want. I don't care what the Bible says then They are to be removed from the fellowship.

Usually they walk away by them But That's how it plays out

But again, you you never really know what's in their heart Peter denied Jesus three times if you were standing there watching him

He's well, he doesn't believe he says he doesn't believe well, but then he repented of that Right, and he repented of that.

So what is that? individual That decides I have been wrong.

I shouldn't have walked away What do I do now? Now I know what you said about what happened with the church

But that individual Realizes that That they need to get right with God They need to confess their sin to God first and foremost if they've wronged somebody else

They need to make that right with someone else and then start living faithfully from that point forward.

There's no, you know, there's nothing Yeah, sure Yeah, and if there's somebody watching later on online

Confess your sin to God if you can make something right with someone else do that Start better today going forward

God G. Remember Jesus said I Will by no means cast them out

All right moving on Part two of section G of the

Morse corner Church Statement of Faith reads We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word Which however clearly forbids the use of Christian Liberty as an occasion to the flesh.

Let's turn to Romans 13 So now we're talking about the second subject of assurance

We discussed eternal life and security in Christ Now it's knowing that and again, it's not

Necessarily the same thing. There are some people who are saved, but they don't have full Assurance for a variety of different reasons.

What does assurance mean? It's defined this way a positive declaration intended to give confidence a synonym for assurance is

Certainty I Think if you were to ask if you were to ask a fellow church member

If you were to ask them are Do you know that you're going to heaven

When you die, do you know that you're going to heaven? They might respond a few different ways.

You said I know I know I'm saved I know I'm going to heaven that person has assurance.

They could also respond this way. They could say I think so Are you going to heaven?

Well, I hope so It sounds like they're a little less Certain or somebody might might say, you know,

I I'm not sure I don't know Or maybe I'm kind of concerned about that.

Actually that sounds like they have doubts So these are the different responses that you will get from maybe not from believers here

But if you ask believers, you'll get these Different answers. Oh, I know I'm saying

I know I'm going to heaven Well, I hope I am No, I'm not sure

That reflects something that's that's going on There are churches that teach people that they can never know that they're saved

But again first John 5 13 as we talked about in the last section first John 5 13

John says I write these things that you may know so you can know that you are saved

This is a good verse to memorize these things I've written to you Who believe in the name of the

Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to? believe in the name of the

Son of God first John 5 13 So that's the key verse on the subject

But here's what the other side will say Those who deny the security of the believer those who say that you can't know here's here's what

I've heard And I totally understand why people think this they say you well you can't teach people

Eternal security you can't teach people the assurance of salvation if you teach them that then they'll go out and live however they want

It's been my experience people kind of do what they want anyways, but But what you do teach?

Does matter okay, so I get that side of things and we should be careful how we present it

So well if you say that they'll go and live however they want my response would be well How does a person and dwelt by the

Holy Spirit want to live that's that's the question? I'll tell you something when

I was unsaved I didn't want to go to church When I was unsaved

I was not interested in the Bible when I was unsaved

I could sin and Not really feel bad about it, but when

I came to a saving knowledge of Christ. It's not that I became Perfect far from it, but those things change.

I repented I thought differently about all of it That doesn't mean we when a person truly comes to Christ they stop sinning well.

I haven't sinned in 15 years Somebody who tells you that they're sinning right there.

They're lying to you But I grant that there are people who make a profession of faith they get their fire insurance

So to speak now they think they have a license to sin Because after all once saved always saved so now

I can do what I want I submit a true believer will not think that way They may sin they may get into very serious sin they're gonna be miserable doing it

Yeah, all right look at Romans 13 verses 13 and 14 So what does the

Bible say? Paul writes let us walk what? Properly as In the day not in revelry and drunkenness not in lewdness and lust not in strife and envy

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision

For the flesh to fulfill its lust so will Christian sin yes And when we do we get convicted we confess it before God if we sin against another person again

We try to make that thing right Also churches as we alluded to need to practice

Discipline I was thinking about this even secular organizations have standards and Guidelines how much more the

Church of Jesus Christ? So the scripture says we should walk properly

Paul writes put on this is an interesting phrase put on the

Lord Jesus Christ What does that bring to mind? What do you put on? Okay Yeah, I think of that you put on every day you make an effort to put on Your your clothing right so we need to be intentional

Every day about putting on the Lord Jesus Christ put Jesus on I would say put them on like a jacket

But then you take the jacket off don't take off Christ But you put on your intentional about it put on the

Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh this refers to a

Planning ahead like people plan and make provision to sin later on There are some sins we commit unintentionally right if you're walking through the house

And it's dark and you stub your toe on the side of the bed and the edge of my bed

It's a metal frame. I'll tell you what it hurts you stub your toe in the middle of the night some words might come out of your mouth that it's sinful

But you didn't you didn't set out to do it, and you feel bad about it after That's that's one thing, but then there are those sins that are just not convenient

You have to go out of your way to commit them. It takes a little work Adultery doesn't just happen

Drunkenness whoops I got drunk now you had you had to work for it There are things you have to put yourself in a position

Where you know something could you put yourself in those positions you're making provision

For the flesh Paul says don't do that Scriptures teaching don't even put yourself in those situations all right now turn to Galatians chapter 5

We're almost done. You might have to go a couple minutes over Galatians 5, but how do we avoid those situations?

How do we avoid sin and temptation? I think accountability is a big thing

You know having someone that you can be open and honest with and share and kind of keep

Sounds bad to keep tabs on each other, but you know that's helpful I mean some people really really need that and we should be accountable to one another

I mean if somebody posts something Just completely outrageous on Facebook.

I know it's not the popular thing to do, but to lovingly maybe go to that person say hey

What do you what's going on you know so how are you doing? What's this about I?

Mean you're doing them a favor. They might not look at it that way, but you really are I Think of when we were children

You know there were those people that were a bad influence on us right or maybe you were the bad influence

But there are kids on their own. They're fine. They don't get into trouble, but when they get with this other person

Things things go bad same with adults You know there's a certain crowd.

You know if you if you're with this person you start acting like them Avoid those situations

So be aware of it Galatians 5 13 For you brethren have been called to Liberty Only do not use

Liberty as an opportunity for the flesh But through love serve one another so our doctrinal statement says that we should not use

Christian Liberty as an occasion to the flesh Here's an example.

I've heard this off and on throughout the years someone might be like well The Ten Commandments say thou shalt not do this

But we're not under law. We're under grace so that it's okay. That is not what that verse means, okay?

That is that is a totally wrong understanding of what? Not under law under grace means

What is Christian Liberty who wants to give a definition of Christian Liberty Okay freedom to serve

Christ and in freedom in Christ That's what Liberty means freedom right a couple things.

I would say first Christians are free We're not under law. We're free from the penalty of The law because we've all broken the commandments of God so we are free we have

Liberty We're free from its penalty in Galatians Which we reference Paul is rebuking the

Judaizers who taught that salvation came through keeping The Mosaic law that's not true so freedom if you want freedom

Trust in Christ if you believe in a works -based salvation with the law you're putting yourself back under bondage

There's no freedom there. It only condemns Christ gives us Liberty usually in the

Bible when it's discussing and we're almost done just a couple more minutes Usually in the Bible when it's talking about these issues of Liberty and conscience

Usually it's referring to food and drink You may be free to do something the question is is it wise

To do that Also, we don't want to cause our brother to stumble

Just an obvious example, let's say there's a man he's an Orthodox Jew and he converts to faith in Christ and Then you know a couple weeks later you have him over to your house for dinner.

You don't serve ham Obviously Now maybe he understands that that he's not under those dietary

Is there anything wrong with serving ham or bacon or pork chops is that a sin to say no?

I mean you're free to do that. Well, you shouldn't do it. It would be unwise to do it.

So the Christian Liberty These are areas where Christ has left us free, but we need to do the wise thing just one quick comment about the

When the pandemic started and in 2020, this was my approach Hey, you're free to do what you feel is best for you.

A lot of churches closed. We stayed open You're free to come and worship the Lord But if you feel that it's it's not best for you, at least initially, right?

Then people were free to to stay home. Now. Is it a sin to forsake the assembly?

Yes, but we would cancel church if it was a blizzard I mean we wanted to give grace on the matter, but ultimately

I wanted to leave leave it to people We're free. We believe in freedom

So make the decision that's that's best for you, okay one last verse and then we'll close turn to Titus chapter 2

We've been looking at the subject of eternal life and the assurance of believers if you have eternal life

You should have the assurance of eternal. You should know that you know

But it is possible to have eternal life and to not walk in that full assurance Usually it's because of bad doctrine or a person living in sin if you continually live in sin

It's natural to have doubts because you see the inconsistency But confess it be honest with God about it deal with it

God Hey hasn't God given us victory over sins. We had these things we struggled with before now

We don't but now there's things we still struggle with and we're seeking Victory over those look at Titus 2 verses 11 through 15

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

We should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present age

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works every believer should be zealous for good works and he closes this section speak these things exhort and Rebuke with all authority that no one despise you.

Let's close in prayer Heavenly Father we thank you for this time together. We thank you not only for our

Eternal life, which is in Christ. We thank you that we can walk with full assurance knowing that when we die

We will go to heaven Lord we can have that confidence not because of us because if we focus on ourselves and our

Failures that will lead to doubt help us to focus on Christ and what he did knowing that he is powerful to save To the uttermost those who come to him by faith and we pray it all in Jesus name