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 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.

Eternal Life and the Difference Between Assurance and Security

So let's look up the first passage in the gospel of John turned 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.

Refuse the loss of salvation.

Right, and 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 lifelong.

Commitment and.

Over your life you grow and are conformed to the image of Christ because believers in Romans 8 29 and 30 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 first Timothy 2 4 if you're taking notes You can write this down first 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 saved.

Right.

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. My aunt didn't tell me this 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 and 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.

Yeah, I can't remember the whole thing but a man walking down the road and he falls down. When 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.

The Security of the Believer in Christ

Okay now turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans 8 and again from the Morse corner Church doctrinal statement on eternal life and assurance. He 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.

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, it's no Condemnation the 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, yeah, 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.

No, no. So tribulation or distress Persecution or famine and nakedness in peril sword as it is written by 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. I am persuaded 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.

There.

No condemnation, 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 where. Yes, that's what you're saying.

Yeah, I've heard him do that before 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 X Y 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 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. All 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 has not 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 first 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 where we're looking at first Peter 1 5 who wants to look at or read that first Peter 1 5.

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 sometime later might be a short time or it might be a number of years later. They have some Point in their life and they say, you know, I was all wrong. I Shouldn't have done I should.

So what to you would be the process that that person would have to follow to be Accounted 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. 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 there.

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 Responsibilities, 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 Moores 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 say 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 Oh, 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 sitting 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 lusts. 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. You're 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. No 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?