Can I Be Sure of My Salvation

Well before I get into the message just a quick update. It's good to be back home. Kim and I and the kids were in California. They're still there for a little bit longer and Thank you for your prayers.

It was good to see grandma almost every day. It was good to go to a conference four weeks vacation and then one week for a Bible conference. It's not very often I get to sit where you get to sit have my Bible open sit next to my wife with a cup of coffee and and Learn about the Lord and his word.

So a good time of refreshment almost everyone I ran into said you're on vacation for five weeks. What kind of church or do you pastor and I said a very generous? Good church and and to have the leadership we have here.

I heard Steve and Dave and Pardeep. We're knocking it out of the ballpark preaching. And I want to say thank you to those men. It's a testimony to what God has done in our church, right that we can. I don't want this church to be built on me.

I want it to be built on Christ and his word and one day I'll quit or you'll fire me or I'll move or something or second coming and Let's not talk about that issue. Although I'd like it to happen. The church is built on his word and so people come and people go.

But it's the Word of God that stands firm and so Almost everyone that I talked to first thought I can't believe you're gone for that long. And then they thought I wish I could be gone that long and so thank you for your Love towards me and The Avendroth family.

Four Categories of People and the Need for Assurance

Every one of you fits into one of these four categories. Four categories that each of you would find yourself. Entering into one are already in one four kinds of people in the world and I ask you the question In which category do you find yourself.

Four categories from R .C. Sproul number one. Those who are not saved and no, they're not the first category people that say I know I'm not a Christian and In real life and from God's perspective, they're right.

They're not a Christian. They're not a Christian and they know they're not. Category number one. Category number two. People who are saved but they're not sure they are. From God's perspective, of course signed sealed and delivered based on the perfect work of Christ, but they don't have assurance.

To know that they are. First category I'm not a Christian and I know it. Second category is I am a Christian. But I don't know it or I don't feel it or I don't experience it. Third question third category.

Those who are saved and sure about it. I am a Christian and I know that I know that I know God has saved me and then you know the fourth category. Those who are not really saved but somehow think they are.

Those that aren't really Christians and from God's perspective. They're not but somehow they think they are. For categories, where do you find yourself in which category would you place yourself today?

I'd like to talk about the topic of assurance the assurance of salvation and if you had to go to one place in the Bible that would help you with assurance one book of the Bible you Would open up your Bibles to.

The book that's listed in your bulletin. First John sometimes I wish they wouldn't have put that in there so you'd have to think about it. Turn to the first letter of John. Earlier I read from the gospel of John.

This is different. This isn't the gospel of John. Same author. This is the epistle our letter of 1st. John snort near the back of your Bible. 1st John. 2nd John. 3rd John. Jude and Revelation. So go way to the back of your Bibles 1st. John to talk about this issue of assurance.

It's a very important topic for several reasons. The first reason is if you have false assurance of salvation. It's the worst mistake you could ever make true if you think you're going to heaven, but you're not.

That is a very problematic situation. Satan is a liar and a deceiver and certainly some people buy into the lies. Some people believe his deceptions. And the biggest lie in the universe is thinking you're going to heaven, but when you die you end up in hell.

That's a big deception. And sadly in the u .s. Churches there are all kinds of carnal people and they think they're going to heaven. They think they're just because they're a member or something. They're going.

George gallop said quote we find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not actively religious. The levels of lying Cheating and stealing are remarkably similar in both groups.

Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians yet gallop said only half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount and Fewer still could recall five of the ten commandments.

Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith. Assurance is an important topic because some are in that one category that says I think I'm a Christian, but I'm really not. They buy into Satan's lie.

The Puritan Thomas Brooks says Satan promises the best but pays with the worst. He promises honor and pays with disgrace. He promises pleasure and pays with pain. He promises profit and pays with loss.

He promises life and pays with death. Since we believe in Satan and how he blinds and how he veils and how he Disguises and how he lies and how he lures and how he masquerades. Then this is an important topic for those in the category of not saved, but think they are.

There's a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of Death. This topic is also important because if you're a Christian and know you are it's still good for you to examine yourself. Isn't it?

Isn't it good to say you know I I want to know if I'm a Christian. Am I really a Christian. Does my life match up to what a Christian's life matches up to it is good to examine yourself. 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 says to see if you're what in the faith.

This is also an important topic because too often people base their assurance on something that happened in the past. Instead of what their life is like right now. I'll get into this more later. Make no mistake if you're saved it was an event that happened in the past.

It happened in a moment regeneration happened in a second. But the response to that regeneration that happens in the past Sometimes confuses people that is to say if I ask you the question right now. How do you know you're a Christian?

Would you say because I remember 12 years ago when I accepted Jesus in my heart? I remembered 15 years ago when I walked the aisle. I remember 20 years ago when I said, I'm a sinner God. You're a Savior.

Please take me or would you say something like this? I know I'm a Christian. Because I am believing in Jesus right now. I Know I'm a Christian because right now I'm trusting in the resurrected Christ for my salvation.

See we when we talk about how do we know we're a Christian too often? We default to our response to God's salvation in the past when you'll see first John today. How do you know you're a Christian? The answer to that from the Apostle the beloved one whom Christ loved was what is your life like right now?

I am believing right now. It'll be a present tense. I'll never I'm getting ahead of myself, but That's all right. That's just what we do. I go to Germany in January and there's this man that I know named Christian not Christian and race in our missionary, but another man.

He's a young man 22 years old and There's another lady. Oh I can't remember her name call her Sally I guess. From my sabbatical I knew they kind of had liked each other and I heard through the internet that they were now courting with a view towards marriage and I said How's Sally doing?

How's your relationship with Sally now? He speaks German probably all kinds of other languages and just a little bit of English. How's it going with and he said I am liking Sally. It's not that I used to like her.

I started to like her but I am present tense right now. I am in the process of this very minute this very minute as you're talking about her. I am liking Sally. That's how first John is going to talk about salvation.

While salvation is a past done deal. Salvation happens in a split second if we could even use time. God makes you alive once in time when it comes to assurance. You'll see John talk more like I am believing I am confessing I am trusting right now.

Versus somehow going back to the past saying I remember that day. I was baptized and I'm in and I'm good. And you'll know why that happens because anybody can say I remember the day I was baptized and then live like hell somehow grasping assurance.

But it's much easier to say right now. I am liking Sally. Can't believe I forgot her name too often people hear the gospel and respond to it positively as an unbeliever. But then it doesn't catch. These beside the road are those who have heard.

The devil comes and takes away the word from their heart so that they may not believe and be saved. And those on the rocky soil are those who when they hear receive the word with joy. These have no firm root they believe for a while and in a time of temptation fall away.

This is an important topic because the Bible somehow has a way of making our thoughts line up with it. We live in a culture of I was saved because of in the past and the Bible's culture is I know I'm a Christian today.

Because that past has an effect on me today, and I am believing Jesus today. The last reason I think this is an important topic is because if you're saved and have surety of your salvation. It's a joy-filled life, isn't it?

To know that you're going to heaven. I Drive past the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and before they had nets underneath the workers would work and I have the note here 23 men fell to their deaths while they were initially constructing that bridge.

Then they put the nets underneath it. Ten more men fell and were saved from their death. But more importantly from a bottom-line perspective. They worked 25 Harder 25 more got accomplished when the nets were underneath there when you know you're going to heaven.

What's the worst thing that can happen? Well, I'm gonna go to heaven when I die and so I can work for the Lord knowing that I have assurance if you ever fly. I I Challenge you watch people who are hovering around the ticket booth.

Walking back and forth with their briefcase drinking their coffee every time there's some announcements perking their ears up. I guarantee you I know what those people are doing. Those people are flying.

What? Standby. They're flying standby and so too for Christians if you think you're not going to go to heaven. You're not quite sure you're live revolves around trying to find your assurance trying to grasp assurance.

Instead of doing the work of the ministry now, how do you get assurance before I get into the text? Well, there's two different kinds of assurance. The first assurance is what Jesus did Calvary it's an objective fact.

The second kind of assurance is the Spirit of God. Romans 8 testifies to my spirit especially in times of trial and trouble and persecution that I am a Christian and also subjectively there is Statements of what Christians do in the Bible then we find ourselves doing what these Things are and therefore we make the deduction if Christians do this I'm doing this.

Therefore I should have assurance. That's what we find in first John. I think our church needs this because before I left I was hammering away on What passage of the Bible? Matthew 7 13 and following you say you're a Christian prove it.

You could be deceived watch out for false teachers enter and so you get this refrain of are you really a Christian. Whack whack whack? I had people come to me and say I don't know if I'm a Christian after that sermon.

I Preach that same sermon in California and a lady came up to me last Sunday. And she said I've never questioned my salvation for 20 years, but now I'm wondering. You know I told her I said that's what the passage was supposed to do.

But the Bible teaches more, so why don't you go home tonight and read first John? After you've examined yourself after you've kind of looked through these issues and said could I be deceived could I have bought into a false teacher?

And all his lies you go home and read first John, and you'll say wow. In seed form in immature form I do what the Bible says Christians Do and if I do what the Bible says Christians do that's a good sign that I'm a Christian.

And your insurance will increase. Let me give you five tests that all Christians pass according to first John. Five tests that all Christians pass that should help you with your assurance or if you're not a Christian I hope it drives you to know assurance.

But I'm really after today you the congregation the saved ones because I want your assurance to be Bolstered after I tried to cream it a month ago simple tests five total. Now before we get into these tests turn with me if you would to first John chapter 5.

So you can see where I'm going in our postmodern age. Relative truth people can't know truth. I Would disagree you can know truth, and you can even know subjective truth that you're saved. Look at first John 5 13.

You can know with the boldness of Stephen as he faced death that you're a Christian that was his purpose. That's why he wrote he wrote with multiple purposes that we might have joy chapter 1 verse 4. But also look at what he says.

I love these easy purpose statements. No decoder ring necessary. First John 5 13. John. Why did you write? These things I have written. Chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5. I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God in order that you may.

What? Know that you have eternal life. Postmodernism you can't believe you can't know. They can't know that you know here even the subjective assurance. The feeling that I feel saved. The experience of knowledge that I know I'm saved can be known.

You ought to know it. You ought to know if you're saved or not by the way. It's only the grace of God that he would grant this assurance because he didn't have to do it. We could live our whole lives justified redeemed Reconciled to God and never know it and then you get to heaven you'd go wow I made it.

But God in his grace doesn't just give us forgiveness of sins. He says I want you to know you can know if you're my child or not. Good of God to do that. First John when you begin to read it. It's kind of tricky because I like the linear kind of proposition if then statements and John writes like someone who is more Hebraic and he doesn't write with a linear fashion.

He writes almost with a cyclical fashion circular. He'll come to a topic and then he'll go to another topic. But then they'll come back to that first topic kind of sounds like your senior pastor. Doesn't it?

I mean he just comes back and it's almost his way of teaching. Because if you don't get it the first time He'll come back and revisit the second time and so it has this flow where you try to outline it and you think I'm going To go crazy.

Outlining this because it almost can't be outlined. We call this a general epistle because if you look at chapter 1 at the beginning chapter 5 at the end. You won't see church locations given you won't see people named.

It's a general church. He probably wrote it at Ephesus probably had it read at Ephesus sent around instead of a specific place. I'm writing to you Thessalonica. I'm writing to you at Colossae. I'm writing to nobody in particular.

It's a general epistle. He talks about eternal life and how you can know that you have assurance of that eternal life. That you may know and I'll ask the question to start do you know that you're a Christian?

Do you know for sure when you die and that last that last dying breath comes out you think I'm gonna see Jesus face to face five Tests that every true Christian passes. I have one other thing to say before I get into that.

Turn with me to first John 5 18. This is something that's technical, but it's important different Bible translations translate things differently and I think the NAS does a horrible job here first John 5 18.

You need to understand how things are translated. You need to understand what a present tense verb is or you'll miss this book. Actually, if you don't understand it, you'll have zero assurance. NAS says in first John 5 18, we know that no one who is born of God sins.

What? Well, if I get assurance based on me not sinning guess what? I'm never gonna get assurance. If I'm not supposed to sin then that's Gonna be problematic. How many people here have the ESV? The ESV translates that same verse the one who does not keep on sinning.

I Am liking Sally. That's what that same thing is. The one who does not keep on sinning present tense is the one who knows they're born of God. NIV sometimes I criticize it here I'll commend it and IV is right when it says in first John 5 18.

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin. Here's what he's saying. The language of first John has present tense language and it's not. I've never sinned in my life. It's that I'm not in the pattern of habitual Continual sin as conduct as behavior as a walk of life you see someone and you go Oh, he sins once in a while, but his life is not Typified by the word sin so when you're reading this It's probably best to read the NAS with an ESV next to it or an IV because otherwise you're gonna say to yourself I'm undone because I don't get this present tense.

Does not keep on sinning. Last comment before I get into the five tests you are not saved by keeping these five tests you are saved by the work of Christ Jesus by the work of the Father by the work of the Spirit as You respond in faith.

Turning from your sin responding in faith to the work of God done in your on your behalf. You're saved by grace alone through faith alone by Christ's work alone, correct? You're not saved by doing these five, but if you are these if you are saved you will what?

You'll do these five very very important distinction. Question number one five tests in the form of questions. Do you regularly confess your sins? Do you? Regularly confess your sins. There's these five strands of thought that if you boil first John down.

This is kind of the essence at the bottom and the first one is do you regularly confess your sins. Turn with me to first? John 1 8 you're going to need to have your Bibles and we're gonna be jumping all around because like I said with this kind of Paragraph thinking that John does we've got to look all around because he reiterates lots of these Ideas, I did not say do you perfectly confess your sins?

But regularly did a part of your life. Is it present tense for you? First John 1 8. We say that we have no sin if we say that we are deceiving ourselves. And the truth is not in us if we confess our sins.

He's faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christians confess their sins. There's a man named Bob George and he says Christians are to never confess their sins because Jesus paid for them all at Calvary.

What's wrong with that statement? Never confess because they're already paid for. Well, they are paid for but we're still to confess how Judicially before God's Holy Law court paid it is finished. But in a family relationship, we still go to our father and say I've sinned.

If my children sin when my children sin third-class conditional, they will sin. I Don't say you've just sinned. I'm kicking you out of the family. You no longer have the right to bear the grand name album rule.

You can't do that. No, they are still in my family. But they know there's been a problem of communion. Fellowship has been broken. And so they say to me the parent daddy, please forgive me. Christians are forgiven before the court but in the family of God they need to ask for forgiveness.

The Greek word for forgive, excuse me to confess is Let me break it up into two words, and I think you'll get it homo lagas. Homo lagas, what's homo mean? Same what's lagas mean? Word, it's the same word.

God says it's sin and I with God use the same words. It's sin. I agree with God. I See sin from God's perspective you do that you say when I sin, I don't see it from the culture's perspective. I've got a syndrome.

I've got a disease. I've got some kind of issue. I Somehow it was my environment. Somehow it was the woman you gave me God. I mean you could say all kinds of things but you go I'm gonna say the same word that God does and that word is I've I've sinned.

That's what Christians do. They say I've sinned. I agree with God. I Accept that I'm gonna look at it from God's perspective. I'm gonna take his side. Everything in us wants to run and not profess our guilt.

By the way, just a little heads up. If you ever get pulled over by a police officer, the best thing you could ever do is to say the same word. You confess the same word homo lagas. You don't have to say the word homo lagas to him.

Because he wouldn't really take it the right way, I guess but if you put your hands on the ten and two position and you say officer. You're right. I was speeding. I'm guilty. I deserve a ticket nine times out of ten.

When you say I'm gonna look at it from the officer's perspective, by the way, he's not gonna give you a ticket even in, California. We were at the beach and you're supposed to be off the beach by ten.

I didn't see the sign and All of a sudden there's a policeman up there writing tickets and I ran up there and I said officer Have you already written the ticket for that white pilot up there? Yes. I said, oh, I said I should have read the sign.

Totally guilty, but man, what a bummer. How much is it? He said $23. I said, well, that's the price you pay for not paying attention. And he goes you from around here. I said Do you want me to be? I said well, my wife grew up here in Santa Cruz, but I live in Massachusetts.

Is that a rental car? I said no, it's grandma's and he walked over and he said now we can't give grandma a ticket now. Can we and he ripped the ticket up? Abby to the rescue one more time. Whoo, see the same thing.

Here's the officer. There's one in authority. I agree. I confess. It's the same thing with God Christians and I look in your eyes and your Christian people we confess our sins. It's almost like there's a pressure on us like the atmosphere that pushes and forces down on our lungs.

You're forced to breathe and Christians do the same thing with confession. Sometimes if you're having a bad day or you're moody or down and things aren't going right. You may want to stop yourself and say when's the last time I just agreed with God about my sin.

God cleanse me. God forgive me and God's faithful and just to forgive us isn't he? When we concede. When we admit. If I like that in a child, how much more is God pleased to say? Yes, my son has paid for it, please.

I never never forget one time. One of my kids did something wrong. I've told you the story. I'm sure many times they did something wrong and I said Talk to me. Why what how could you do that? What's going on in the in the kids said dad?

I? Wasn't thinking right good. Not good that you weren't thinking right, but good for thanks for being honest. You agree. Say well, you know, I don't really have that many sins to confess. I Just kind of wait to the end of the night and get it all over with now.

I pray the Lord my soul to thank you. I should I before I wait? I just say well Lord if I've sinned against you in any way thought word or deed haven't done something glorifying to you. Just please cleanse me.

Jesus name Amen a Puritan gave some questions to ask Christians to help them increase their confession life. Get them on tape or you can email me if you want. I'll just give you the questions quickly.

Have I been fervent in prayer? If not That would be a good thing to confess. Have I thought or spoken unkindly of anyone. Have I given thanks to God after every pleasant occurrence or time? Have I sought to center conversations on the other person's interest and needs and ultimately toward God or did I turn it into a?

Conversation about my own interests. Have I been careful to avoid proud thoughts or comparing myself to others? Have I been impure in my thoughts or glances? Have I been leading in my home or only react reacting to situations.

Have I over or under eaten over or under slept over or under worked? You ask yourself those questions and immediately you say to yourself I probably have more time to confess. I probably need more time to confess than I thought I did you say well.

If I think about sin, it's kind of just a downer. Good news is you never ought to think of sin without thinking about the Savior. That's exactly what John does. Look at chapter 2. Look at chapter 2. Right after he's talking about confession in chapter 1 verses 8 and 9.

We'll skip over 10 for a little bit. We go to chapter 2 my little children. Can't you just hear this Apostle? My little children I'm writing these things to you that you may not sin. If anyone sins we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous.

If You sin and you confess your sins you want to be thinking just like John does it immediately makes me think just not terminal thoughts. I'm a sinner. I'm wretched just like those people that read Romans 7.

Oh wretched man that I am. That's not where you should finish because there's another chapter in Romans many other chapters. But the next chapter is there is now therefore what? No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

Yes, if you talk about your sin, you realize that you're impoverished. But then you'll immediately think about the one who can forgive sins. Who has forgiven sins. Jesus Christ the righteous. And don't you love the way John talks about Jesus.

We have an advocate. We have someone who comes alongside same word of the whole used of the Holy Spirit comes alongside of. Now if you think of advocate you ought to be thinking courtroom and all of a sudden you need someone to represent you.

You need someone to plead for you to stand next to you and say This is my client. Now if you're a human advocate, here's what you would do. Judge and jury. This is why my clients not guilty. The cops did a bad job tainted some evidence.

Somebody's really out to get them. They planted the evidence. There's some technicality. I'm gonna try to get this person off because Paperwork wasn't signed, right? For whatever reason that advocate says this.

This person is not guilty as charged and if they are found guilty. Then that advocate would say this if they are found guilty, then at least don't give them the maximum sentence. Let him do some community work.

But Jesus the advocate is different than other advocates. Here's Jesus advocacy. Don't forget it your honor. My client is guilty to the core in Thought word deed omission commission that person did it with reckless abandonment.

That person sinned. They lived in sin. They loved the sin. They cherished that sin and they did that sin. Knowingly and When it comes to the way, I think about the judgment. Give them the book throw the book at them.

Make sure that no glory Is is robbed from the judicial justice system? Who wants an advocate like that? But that's Jesus the advocate. Oh I forgot. This advocate will also say the law must be kept my holy law must be kept and The punishment that this person who deserves punishment this punishment instead of giving it to them in this particular case I Have paid for.

Because I'm just not the advocate. I'm the lamb who's taken away their sins advocate. Isn't that interesting you don't have to go before God and say well, I'm gonna confess my sins to God and I sure hope he doesn't Throttle me for my confession.

I sure hope he doesn't somehow do something to kick me out of the family. Jesus the advocate is there and he has already paid for our sins. Oh, yes God the Father might Chasten us he might give us discipline, but the discipline will never say I'm yanking the title Christian away from you.

So John says when you sin, don't you dare forget that you have a perfect Advocate who has made a perfect atonement who has perfectly applied that atonement and who gives a perfect final Salvation when you sin and you confess your sin quick default to the atonement.

George Smeaton said the atonement is the central truth of Christianity and the great theme of Scripture. We don't have to be like people in Romans 1 who say, you know I'm gonna try to figure out how I can get off of this trial for sin.

The pagan in Roman 1 ignores God the moral person tries to be good. The religious people say they know God and does a Religious activity and we the Christian then can say we don't need any of that. We can just say I Agree with your word and I'm guilty.

But I have Jesus Christ who's paid for that sin and it had to be Jesus who else could pay. How many people know the hymn? There's a green hill far away. I didn't think so. I didn't either Cecil Francis Alexander there was no other good enough to pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in. So now we've turned to owning the sin confessing the sin to praising this great advocate that we have. That's how Christians act. We love the atonement when Bozo Heard from as Anselm about a thousand years ago about this atonement Bozo said nothing more reasonable delightful Desirable could the world hear?

Therefore I hence conceive so great confidence that I can hardly express the greatness of my heart's Exultant joy to know I have an advocate in heaven who's paid for my sins and who will stand there on my behalf.

Not guilty not guilty because I have paid he said I want to sing. I want to sing God's faithful and just the text says and so he's not going to say I'm going to punish Jesus. And I'm also going to punish you.

You bet your eternal life that if Jesus has paid for your sins You're not gonna have to pay for them in hell. Are you? No double Jeopardy top lady said in rock of ages payment cannot God twice demand first at my bleeding surety's hand and then again at mine.

Look back in verse 10, please of chapter 1. Christians confess their sin which leads them to talk about the Savior. But those who never confess listen to verse 10 of chapter 1. Maybe they don't confess because they think they don't sin if we say That we have not sinned.

We make him a liar and his word is not in us. Show me a person that says I'm sinless. I don't sin. I'll show you somebody that doesn't know the first thing about Christianity our forgiveness or an advocate.

They make God a what is there another verse in the Bible like this? That kind of talk makes God a what a liar. Because God says everybody's a sinner. Romans 1 sinner. Romans 2 sinner. Romans 3 sinner.

Maybe you want to ask yourself these questions to help you confess better or more regularly or both. Do you confess your sins because you've ultimately sinned against God or just because you're caught?

That is to say you may sin against your wife, but the ultimate sin is not against your wife. It's against God the Father. Remember Psalm 51. Did David sin against Uriah? Did David sin against Bathsheba.

Did David sin against his army. Did David sin against Israel? Yes, but in comparison to God and his glory and these people David said against thee and Thee only have I sinned and done evil in your sight.