Assurance: False And Genuine

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We'll be discussing the issue of assurance. I know pastor Mike covered it in the evenings when he was covering common questions
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But for those of you who weren't here in the evenings, and this is such a important issue I wanted us to look at it again
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Why is assurance so important assurance of our salvation? Why is it so important?
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Let me just quote you something from R .C. Sproul That will kind of wet our appetites and get us going on this on the issue of assurance why it's important In his book grace unknown
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Sproul writes quote one thing however is certain There is clearly a link between our assurance in our sanctification
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Catch that there is clearly a link between our assurance in our
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Sanctification he continues the person who lacks assurance of salvation is vulnerable to myriad of threats to his personal growth
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The confident Christian certain of his salvation is free from the paralyzing fear that can inhibit personal growth
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Without assurance we are sealed by doubt and uncertainty with respect to God's Promises which serve as an anchor for our souls and any further continues in this paragraph talking about new
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Believers, and he says it is of utmost importance that new Christians become certain of their personal salvation
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Such assurance is a mighty boon to the growth of faith to maturity
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So he's in essence saying is this is an essential issue everyone who needed a sheet got one, okay? Because there is a direct link between our assurance and our sanctification our progress in our spiritual growth and Becoming more
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Christlike there is a direct link So this is very very important turn with me and you to the the book of Matthew the gospel of Matthew chapter 7
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I have the references as you'll see in your notes, but we're not going to be looking at him all just Share some of them, but some of them we will look at together and we'll start with Matthew chapter 7 first We're going to look at false assurance, and then we'll get into genuine assurance
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Matthew chapter 7 classic passage part of the Sermon on the Mount verses 21 to 23
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The greatest sermon ever preached by the prince of preachers Christ himself Matthew 7 verse 21
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Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven
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But the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven on that day many will say to me
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Lord Lord Did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name?
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And then will I declare to them. I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness
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Four points on this I want to highlight on the issue of false assurance Notice in this text number one and you're outlining your notes under false assurance.
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These are people who are assured Yet not saved they were assured
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But yet they weren't saved. That's the first point so a person can be assured have assurance
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They're sure that they're going to heaven and they're in a right standing before God But not say because obviously they were sure because they at the end on that day verse 22 they come to the
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Lord and say did we not do all these things in your name and It turns out by the Lord's response
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We see that they weren't saved in the end. So these are people who are assured But yet not saved number two
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Second point I want to highlight from this text It's not the words of man
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But the will of God Not the words of man But the will of God Not the words of men.
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It says in verse 22 on that day many will say to me
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Lord Lord many will say to me notice also in verses 24 to 27 it talks about The two builders one built on sand and one built on the rock
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We're singing recently a song with the children They I don't know where they learned it, but they were saying about on this song that the rock was
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Jesus Christ Well, really the rock is not Jesus Christ in this context The rock is obedience in Luke's account of the two builders on the house and on the sand
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He says in Luke's account Luke 6 46. Why do you call me Lord Lord and do not do?
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What I say what is the difference between the man who built on the rock and the man who built on the sand? They both were bombarded by the same storm
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Circumstances they both heard but only one did obeyed and that's why even earlier in our text
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It says not everyone verse 21 who says to me Lord Lord will unto the kingdom of heaven But only the one who does the will of my father obedience, so it's not just the words of man
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But it's doing the will of God Spurgeon put it this way as only Spurgeon puts it if the profess speaking of assurance
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This is interesting if the profess convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the
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Lord's will But does not mean to attend to it You are not to pamper his presumptions, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved
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Spurgeon had a ministry of telling people assurance of not salvation not assurance of salvation
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So it's not what men say, but it's the will of God and that's not how we are saved
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But that's the proof and evidence of our salvation number three notice in our text
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It's not few but many It's not few but many
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Verse 22 on that day few will say to me No, many will say to me look at the previous context verse 13
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Same sermon chapters 5 through 7 one message Verse 13 Jesus said of chapter 7 enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction
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And those who enter by it are few know those who enter by it are many
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So it's not the few but it's the many that Jesus is highlighting here and last but not least
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Number four under false assurance from this text Matthew 7 the ground of their assurance What was the ground of their assurance it was works done notice in the name of the
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Lord in the name of the Lord they Mentioned that three times do we not verse 22 prophesy in your name?
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Did we not cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? It's not in the name of somebody else.
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It's a name of the Lord They did all these things in the name of Jesus Christ the
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Lord and yet that Lord who they were saying They did it in his name said depart from me That was the grounds of their assurance
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But yet they were assured as I highlighted number one and yet not saved question
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Number four the ground of their assurance Was that their works were done in the name of the
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Lord the ground of their assurance? It was a false assurance as we saw was that their works were done in the name of the
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Lord So number one they were assured yet not saved Number two to them it was the words of man, but Christ says no it's doing the will of God That's the contrast number three
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Christ did not talk about a few not few But many that's the third point and number four the ground of their assurance those who had this false assurance was they did things in the name of the
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Lord Not in the name of some other false. God some good and say it's from pastor
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MacArthur's book hard to believe and I'll mention them to you here He gives three reasons people are self -deceived and they'll just listen for you, and then just quote some stuff
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He said the first one number one in your notes is false assurance false assurance And under that he says somebody has told them that as long as they ask
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Jesus into their hearts or pray this prayer Perform this little ceremony. They're safely in the kingdom
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I was tempted to do that with my daughter recently boy somebody told me the other day boy your children make good Illustrations for your messages
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I said so I said to my I told my daughter that I I had mentioned her name
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But I said I have never made the commitment that pastor Mike made so I don't owe you a dollar I said She was distraught over the fact that she was sinning that particular night
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She was being disobedient to her mom and myself to her parents And she was not behaving well towards her sister, and she didn't know what to do with this inner struggle
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I want to get rid of this sin, and she says how did you do it? How'd you stop with your bra?
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I said I don't have any siblings. I didn't have that issue So which is true
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I mean I sinned in other ways, but and so she turned to her mother and said well How about you mom you have a my aunt?
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How did you do it and my wife said well wasn't you know we've fought also like you and your sister
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But then God saved me, and she says well. I want to be saved too I Said you know the only reason you want to be saved is because God has put that desire in your heart.
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I said so Pray this prayer after me repeat now I said what does the Bible say Romans 10 9 and 10 right we've gone over that with her before if you confess with your mouth
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Jesus is who Lord Kyrgios not just Savior and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead
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You will be saved for everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved.
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I believe Dad I believe good sweetie keep on trusting keep on believing in Jesus Christ So it's not just walking through some
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Religious ceremony I call it jumping through the religious hoops. That's false assurance number two MacArthur mentions
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He calls it fixation. That's the second key word in your outline from MacArthur's hard -to -believe Fixation this is what he means by this
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Another thing that causes people to be under the delusion. They're saved when they're not is fixation on religious activity
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They go to church hear sermons sing songs read the Bible go to a Bible study Take a class and because they're all wrapped up in religious activity the illusion becomes convincing that they are believers fixation on religious activity and the third thing he highlights for those who are deceived self -deluded is he calls it fair exchange just to Keep the alliteration going these are right from his book fair exchange.
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What does he mean by this? Quote whenever this deceived person sees something wrong in his life
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Instead of dealing directly with it and examining whether he is a true Christian He finds something right with his life and makes a fair exchange
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It is like swapping around Weight Watchers points. Oh I can't be that bad.
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I mean look what I did over here And he's always trading off the negatives and the positives
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So instead of evaluating his life, honestly with integrity and saying if I'm a believer, should I be doing this?
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He says well, I know I do that but look what else I do He makes a fair exchange and whitewashes the deal
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So a sense of delusion sense of assurance like the people in Matthew 7 had they were assured in the end
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It was a shocker. I mean, it's one thing I have friends who say, you know, they want to live it up They want a party eat drink and be merry right?
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They could care less about their soul It's even worse for people who think that they're saved and have that false assurance
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In the end, they'll have this shock over their lifetime false assurance Okay, let's turn over in your notes if you have them there.
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Let's look at genuine assurance Genuine assurance, but before we look at the scripture just a little historical background
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Now you understand in the history of the church some godly men differed on this issue and part of it was because of what they were facing at Their day and age in terms of what heresies they were facing
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So John Calvin, for example, he fought against the This monstrosity called the
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Roman Catholic Church Who talked about justification not by faith, but by works by the ritualistic sacraments
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So he came against that to oppose that and thus we have justification by faith
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So to John Calvin assure of faith brought with it as part of assurance of salvation
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It was part of the essence of faith to him later reformers because they dealt with Antinomianism just you know,
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I'm saved by grace So then I just live my life the way I want to they emphasize the importance of practical
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Evidence in a person's life in a believer's life the Puritans most of them primarily except for John Owen their congregations had a lot of lack of assurance many times because they felt that they needed to show extended life of faithfulness in the believer in a
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Reach almost an attainable sense of holiness in this life Westminster confession for example,
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I mean I could go through all the creedal confessions But I'll just highlight this one says this quote this infallible assurance
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Doth not so belong to the essence of faith, which I mentioned That's what Calvin said but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be a partaker of it and Therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure
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But again, let me remind you from the intro This is important because your assurance is directly linked that Sproul said to your sanctification your progress in Becoming more like Christ in your growth in maturity
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So let me give you six biblical grounds for assurance and you know, it's there under genuine assurance
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What are the biblical grounds for assurance number one? I'll mention it in a couple different ways
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Number one is they call it the promises of God or the Word of God the promises of God are found in the
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Word of God The essentially it's what does God say about the matter?
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That's all that really matters. It's not my opinion It's not your opinion it what does God have to say about the issue?
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That's what really matters What does God have to say about our security now?
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Let me just differentiate a little bit assurance has to do with our assurance whether I am assured of my own salvation
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Security is not have to do with us That's on God's part So the issue
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I'm looking at in this first point our first grounds of assurance the promises of God what does God said in his word about how secure we are in our salvation and God is the one who provides the security that can lead us to have that assurance
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Don't turn here and we'll turn to one of the passages the passages We're going to be turning to I have boldened in your outline, but John 10 the words of Christ is a familiar words
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This is a chapter of the great the Good Shepherd and the sheep Christ says in John 10 28 to 29.
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I give them eternal life and they will never perish, right? No one will snatch them out of my hand
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My father who has given them to me. That's a consistent theme in the book of John That God the
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Father gives them to Christ my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is
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Able to snatch him out of my father's hand And of course the next verse I and the father are one when he claimed deity and they wanted to stone him
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But he says that in the context of here where he says no one can snatch him out of my hand and no one can
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Snatch him out of the father's hands. By the way, I and the father are one father is greater than all no one
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When you look at the Greek when you look at the original context of your thorough intent, you know what no one means
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No one Okay, it means no one Turn with me to Romans 8 if you will
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Romans 8 beginning in verse 31 another one of what does God say in his word and his promises about our security?
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Romans chapter 8 God remember
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Romans. We did a nice jet tour of Romans, right? Romans chapter 8 verse 31
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Paul typical in Romans just ask questions after questions after questions
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Like a biblical lawyer and he begins in verse 31 what then shall we say to these things what things well, of course
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The full context of what he's been saying up until then but more immediate context Verse 28 these things we know that for those who love
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God all things were together for good for those who are what? Called verse 29 for those whom he foreknew for knowledge of God He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers
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Verse 30 those whom he predestined he also called those whom he called He also justified and those whom he justified.
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He also glorified. Oh, did what was Paul doing? He skipped sanctification in there thought it was justification
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Sanctification and glorification. Well, it's point is it's from beginning justification to end to glory
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What are we going to say to these things and his response is this verse 31 if God is against us if?
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God is for us who Can be against us
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Sounds like John 10 echoes of the words of Christ. No one he continues in verse 32 He did he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all
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How will he not also with him graciously give us all things by the way in that verse 31?
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He's not questioning if God is for as well if he's for us I'm not sure if he is but literally he's saying since God is for us
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Not if he is well, maybe he is maybe he isn't know since he's for us who can be against us Then he asked three questions all in the form of who?
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Sounds again like the echoes of Christ words. No one notice the three questions the who questions
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Verse 33 who shall bring any charge against God's elect the verse 34 who is to condemn verse 35?
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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Three questions beginning with a who and they they are answered
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Clearly verse 33 who shall bring any charge against whom?
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How does he classify Christians there again God's elect? Gentle reminder that we were chosen after all he spent first three chapters of the book talking about how depraved we are
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Who shall bring any charge against God's elect it is God who justifies in The Greek this is it does the kind of justice say also the key on meaning
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God the one justifying The emphasis is who's doing the justification?
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God God in his eternal Court of Heaven as the judge as the king
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He has made a verdict and because God is the one who is justifying There can be no charge laid against us and who brings that charge typically revelation 12 who is the accuser of the brethren?
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Who's the accuser of the brethren Satan? But God in his eternal courtroom
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God is the one who's justifying it is God who justifies Verse 34 second question who is to condemn?
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He began the chapter with there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus his answer to this question is
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Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us
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The intercessory work of Christ continuing our assurance and then who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or Nakedness or danger or sword and of course he finishes don't have the time to go through all of it
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I am sure that neither death nor life and all the rest in that list can separate us from the love of God in his
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References in there nor anything else in all creation Human or of Those in the domain of darkness and the devil himself nothing can separate us from the glove of God Paul had that assurance
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He was sure as he finishes that great song of security in Romans 8
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So the biblical grounds of our assurance, what does the Bible say? What does God himself say about how secure we are?
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I mean we can go to a myriad of other passages and want to highlight those two and that's where grounds begin of assurance number two under genuine assurance looking to Christ looking to Christ John 6 chapter verse 40
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The bread of life discourse John chapter 6 for this is the will of my father What's the will of the
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Father Lord? He clarifies it very clearly that everyone who looks on the
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Son and believes in him should have eternal life Spurgeon again remember therefore it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee it is
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Christ It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee it is Christ It is not even faith in Christ though that be the instrument it is
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Christ blood and merits Therefore look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping
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Christ as to Christ Look not only to thy hope but to Jesus the source of thy hope look not to thy faith
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But to Jesus the author and finisher of thy faith We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers our doings or our feelings it is what
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Jesus is not what we are that gives rest to the soul if We would at once overcome
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Satan and have peace with God. It must be by looking on to Jesus Keep thine eyes simply on him.
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Let his death his sufferings his merits his glory his intercession Be fresh upon thy mind when thou wakest in the morning look to him when thou lies down at night look to him
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Oh, let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus follow hard after him and he will never
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Fail thee end of quote. I love those thousands of these and I'm not a
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King James only person but Look to Christ He's the only
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Savior That's the grounds of our assurance my looking to Christ number three
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This one I struggle with early on in my Christian life Regeneration precedes faith
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Regeneration precedes faith and this really goes back to having the Basic understanding of the initial doctrine of total depravity that it's not partial depart to property, but it's total
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We're not depraved in part, but we're depraved totally Regeneration precedes faith 1st
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John chapter 5 verse 1 says everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ Okay, there's faith everyone who believes in the object that Jesus is the
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Christ Has been tense of the verb born of God already Cause and effect we've been born of God the effect we able to believe in Jesus Christ We don't have the time to look at the
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John 3. That's what Christ's message in John 3 was to Nicodemus Born again is to be born of the
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Spirit not of the will of man Right now are the will of the flesh but born of God The instrument is faith, but faith comes because there has been a regenerating work by the
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Spirit of God Number four Because if the other by the way, if the other way is true that because of my faith
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I'm the cause my faith is a cause for the Holy Spirit to do a regenerating work in my life Then there wouldn't be much assurance, but knowing that the work of the
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Spirit regenerating us Regeneration precedes faith number four. This is a strong one
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You're familiar with this text, but it's good to remind ourselves of it number four I say this the work of each member of the
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Trinity in salvation the work of each member of the
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Trinity in Salvation we believe in the triune God and every member of the Trinity has a work in our salvation
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Ephesians 1 you can turn there Ephesians chapter 1 you're familiar with this text the work of each member of the
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Trinity number 4 I Will I'll give you the fill -ins for now at least in your outline there if you want
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God the Father elects God the Son redeems and God the
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Holy Spirit seals God the Father elects God the Son redeems and God the
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Holy Spirit seals Of course he begins his great song of praise in verse 3
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One full sentence through verse 14 and he begins with a general way blessed to be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us
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We bless him we say a blue. Yeah eulogies whether we get the the English word eulogy
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We say something good about the character of God because he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ And then he outlines those blessings with the work of each member of the
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Trinity beginning with God the Father Even as he God the
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Father chose us in him before the foundation of the world we were chosen before the foundation of the world as Spurgeon said he chose me before the foundation of the world because he would never tell within me after Before I was born never after I was born
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That we should be what holy and blameless verse 4 before him in love Election is a loving thing on God the
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Father Because knowing that I would never in and of myself choose God that he would dare to choose me
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It's not because of anything in me, but because of his love. I mean, that's what we won't turn to Deuteronomy 7
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He did to Israel. It's not you We were he said Deuteronomy 7 because you were the greatest nation you were the fewest in number actually
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But why did I chose you then there was nothing intrinsically in you for me to choose you But because of me God said because I love you same thing here in love.
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He did what verse 5 He predestined us for what for adoption as sons God the
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Father elects that brings assurance knowing this truth God the Son redeems
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Verse 7 in him we have redemption through what his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace as the hymn writer said
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Christ is our Redeemer God the Son redeems and finally God the
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Holy Spirit seals. I want to camp on this a little bit I did a class on pneumatology and IBS and I think he is a neglected member of the
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Trinity And of course, we've done that a lot of times because we're people of the pendulum because of the charismatic movement we say, okay
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But what does the scripture teach about his role in salvation besides that he regenerates here Paul says what in verse 13 in him you also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation
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Believed in him were sealed with a promised Holy Spirit who is the what? What is the seal of the
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Spirit do it gives us the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it
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He's a guarantee of our inheritance because he sealed us with the Holy Spirit that term seal has three significant things
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Which I have in your notes if you want to mark there to understand what the sealing of the Holy Spirit is Well, you might be familiar with the sealing you might not be it was hot wax
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That was done with a signet ring and was embossed on a letter to close it Okay, and it meant three things it was kind of elevated back in the day
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First of all number one the sealing of the Holy Spirit or a seal in general Which is applying to the Holy Spirit here that terminology that Paul is using number one.
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It authenticates the genuineness of our faith Authenticates the genuineness of our faith.
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We don't we won't turn there but there's a story of Jezebel and King Ahab in the first Kings 21 and She wanted to get
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Naboth killed because he wanted to give his vineyard over to King Ahab So it says in verse 8 of first Kings 21
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She wrote letters in Ahab's name and did what and sealed them with his seal That was the authentication that it was coming from the king.
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So when the leaders got the letter Oh, it's coming from King Ahab. They killed Naboth, but he never wrote that letter
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He never sealed that she was manipulative and used to seal the seal to the leaders was an
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Authentication that it was coming from the king and when God the Spirit seals us that authenticates
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His work number two the seal marks us as God's possession it marks us as God's position a great illustration is from the
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Prophet Jeremiah Chapter 32. I bought the field and Anna Anna thought from the hammam
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Hamamel my cousin and weighed out the money to him 17 shekels of silver I signed the deed and sealed it got witnesses and weighed the money on scales
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Then I took the seal deed of purchase containing the terms and conditions and the open copy
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It marked it as his position He signed the deed seal that got witnesses and we are marked because of the
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Holy Spirit his sealing work in salvation We are marked as God's own Possession and finally, what does the seal do in our salvation number three it renders our salvation secure?
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renders our salvation secured two illustrations one from the Old Testament Daniel chapter 6 verse 17 a
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Stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den right and the king did what he? Sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his
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Lords that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel It made the den secure
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Matthew 27 they did it of Jesus's tomb Pilate said to them you have a guard of soldiers go make it as secure as you can
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So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard remember They were complaining all the disciples are gonna come at night and say that you know
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He was gonna rise from there. They're gonna take the body. No make it secure What the sealing of the
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Spirit does it renders our salvation secure the work of the Holy Spirit Number five this leads us neck into the next one pretty naturally monergism salvation is a monergistic work versus synergism monergism very simply mono from the
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Greek meaning only Edible meaning the work salvation is solely the work of God In my younger days as a
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Christian. I used to say I used to Synergistically say to people in my evangelism say look God has done everything for you now.
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It's up to you Well boy if it was up to them forget it nobody would come to Christ Now the balls in your court, right?
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Well, it has to be monergism because after all total depravity John 1 13 and we highlighted that earlier
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Born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God I love the passage in Luke 18 and the other synoptics highlighted the rich young ruler right who comes running to Jesus What must
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I do to have eternal life? the prime candidate for evangelism he can't lose this fish and after Jesus went through the whole scenario and Addressed his
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God of riches and the guy said well in the law. I've obeyed the law since I was a kid and he left
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Saddened the disciples were there and the text says in Luke 18 those who heard it said then who can be saved
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Who can be saved the came in came running to? The one who is eternal life as 1st
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John 5 says at the end of his book And he went away without eternal life Then who can be saved?
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Here's a clincher Christ said to them. What is impossible with man and it is It's possible with God It's impossible with man
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We don't cooperate with God God does the work only monergism and that's why even
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Peter said at the opening of his letter first Peter 1 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy.
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He has caused us to be born again. He is the cause It's done monergistically
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And we didn't go into it in Ephesians 1 because of the work of the member of each of the triune
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God Father Son and Holy Spirit three times Paul mentions in that Ephesians 1 opening to the praise of whose glory
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His glory The praise of his glory to the praise of his glorious grace. He gets the glory because of that and last but not least
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We can turn to 1st John the last one I have I call it the fruit or evidence or change in a person's life
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The fruit or change or evidence in a person's life 1st John 5 13
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You can turn there John writes his authorial intent and he says this
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I write these things to you Who is he writing to who believe in the name of the Son of God? That purpose clause that you may hope that you may think know that you may know that you have eternal life
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Well throughout his epistle, what does John point us to? To an experience in the past that happened
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Let's see what he points us to What are the fruit or evidences
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John highlights let me mention them for you number one in your notes under six The fruit of a changed life the evidence for it.
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Number one under that is obedience 1st John chapter 2 1st John chapter 2 verses 4 and 5 whoever says
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I know him, but does not keep his commandments as a liar and the truth is not in him, but Whoever keeps his word in him.
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Truly. The love of God is perfected go back actually to even verse 3 and by this
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We know assurance that we have come to know him knowing him as eternal life, right?
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Jesus said in John 17 3 and this is eternal life that they may know thee So John says and by this we know assurance that we have come to know him eternal life if we what keep his commandments
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Perfectly, of course not but obedience is a fruit number two love for the brethren love for the brethren
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I saw that when you guys were fellowshipping Nobody wanted to quit that right love for the brethren 1st
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John 2 9 through 11 continues in chapter 2 Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in the darkness
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Whoever loves his brother abides in the light and in him there is no cause for stumbling But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he's going because the darkness has blinded his eyes
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Jump to chapter 3 verse 10 love for the brethren still By this it is evident manifest find it all clear in the
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Greek. Who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil? Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor is the one who does not love his brother verse 14 of the same chapter 3
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We know that we have passed out of death into life John here the Apostle is using the same terminology that Christ used in John chapter 5
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We know that we have passed out of death into life how because we love the brothers Whoever does not love abides in death
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Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him by this
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We know love that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need it closes his heart against him
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How does God's love abide in him little children? Let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth by this we shall know
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Assurance that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him
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By the love for the brethren. Do I love my my family my physical family?
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I do and some of my extended family, but I have more commonality with my Christian brothers and sisters and with my unsaved family
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JC Ryle a man who was born again also has a special love He's talking about the love for the brethren has a special love for all true disciples of Christ like his father in heaven
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He loves all men with a great general love But he has a special love for those who share his faith in Christ like his
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Lord and Savior He loves the worst of sinners and could weep over them. But he has a peculiar love for those who are believers
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He understands him. They understand him They may be different in many ways in rank in station and in wealth
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But that does not matter. They're his father's sons and daughters and he cannot help
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Loving them and quote even if they're allowed
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Number three Righteous living under the fruit of the evidence of a
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Christian's life righteous living chapter 2 verse 29 Of course, we know the chapter is not inspired when you study this section of Scripture It really begins in chapter 2 verse 29 goes to chapter 3 verse 10
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Let me give you the bookends to 29 and now little children abide in him So that when he appears we may have confidence verse 28 and not shrink from him and shame at his coming
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Verse 29 of chapter 2 if you know that he Christ is righteous you may be sure
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Assurance that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him in verse 10 Which we read earlier of chapter 3 by this it is evident clear
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We who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil? Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God Of course, this is not the perfection of our lives
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We know ever as we increase in sanctification that that won't happen till glory, right? It's the direction of our lives
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MacArthur and his gospel according to the Apostles put it Well, the Apostle I quote is clearly not making sinless perfection a test of salvation
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Nor is he making an issue about the frequency duration or magnitude of one sins as we noted in chapter 8 all
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Christian sin and true believers are capable even of prolonged and heinous sin the issue John is raising here has to do with our attitude towards sin and righteousness our harsh response when we do sin in the overall
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Direction of our walk the test is this what is the object? of your affections
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Sin or righteousness if your chief love is sin Then you are of the devil if you love righteousness and practice righteous you are born of God.
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What is the direction of? your affections So these are some of the biblical grounds
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For our assurance The promises of God our security that he outlines in Scripture That we are looking to Christ that regeneration precedes face the work of each of the member of the
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Trinity Monogysm salvation being a completely a work of God. We don't cooperate and the fruit of a
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Saved life. I want to highlight also here as you'll see in your notes. This is very important I'm not gonna have the time whoo to go into all the details and I know
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Elder Brown mentioned during the Q &A who he would like to talk to Jonathan Edwards, right? Didn't you say that if I recall so he has a thing
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Jonathan Edwards did when his here in Northampton There was revival going on in his church 1743 He put together this thing called the distinguishing marks of a work of the
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Spirit of God And the reason he did that and it's taken out of first John. I have the references there We're not going to read him for the sake of time, but you can look him up first John chapter 4 verse 1
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He did it because he was concerned that a lot of revival stuff that was going on was not genuine
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But there was a lot of false conversion in in the beginning of this He talks about those things which
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Marked what is not of the Spirit of God? I'm not going to go into those but let me give you the five that he highlights Mark the work of the
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Spirit of God and I'll try to give it to you I mean he has it written out and stuff But I'll give it to you with Key words that I've come up with just to help you remember the first one has to do with the
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Savior number one is a Savior under the distinguishing marks of the work of the Spirit of God and Edward says this is a person if it's a work of the
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Spirit of God the person has a high esteem of Jesus Christ What's their view of the
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Savior high esteem of Jesus Christ they exalt Christ number two Satan is a key word to help us remember and a work of the
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Spirit of God operates against the interest of Satan's kingdom Which are encouraging sin establishing sin and cherishing worldly lusts
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Edwards are saying that those things don't characterize Those who've been marked by the work of the Spirit of God number three scripture scripture
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Number four sound doctrine because of sound doctrine a person is able to discern error and number five can't keep the alliteration
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But he said that if it's a work of the Spirit of God a genuine thing not a false thing There would be a love for God and a love for man and that's first John 4 verses 7 through 21 the rest of chapter 4
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He says that if it's a work of the Spirit of God He took it right from 1st John chapter 4 so a high esteem of the
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Savior of Jesus Christ Operating against Satan and sin and the worldly lusts a high regard for scripture sound doctrine and discernment of error and the love for God and for man
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Let me close with this last one Why do some people lack assurance now in the beginning?
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We started people who have assurance right they were sure but yet not saved Matthew 7
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But there are those John wrote it in his first epistle, right? He's writing to believers that write these things to you who believe so that you may know that you have assurance
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Why do some genuine believers lack assurance? Let me give you some Reasons why they do number one they think based on number six of our genuine assurance
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They think there should be more evidence in their life There's not enough fruit in my life,
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I don't see enough of the change so I'm lacking assurance For that I go to Richard Phillips book chosen in Christ we have in our
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In our bookstore a great book on Ephesians chapter 1 He says this what if there's only imperfect evidence of these things we exalt
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Christ But not nearly so much as we should we hate sin, but we still sin We love the Bible, but we often neglect it our sound doctrine bears too little influence in our lives
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We love others But still there is the old familial love of self Does that mean we may not really have the spirit that we may not be saved if you understand the
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Bible's view of humankind? Spiritual deadness to sin then you realize that if we truly have any of these things
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Incompletely, but genuinely it can only be because of the spirits work No Christian will be perfect in this life, but non -christians will not bear these true marks of the
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Holy Spirit Especially when they are tested under trials Gonna run through these quickly.
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We're almost out of time number two. Why do some people lack assurance who are generally saved legalism? Maybe some people grew in a legalistic background where legalism the way
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I put it you lack assurance because you can never do it enough You can never do it well enough.
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You can never do it long enough Just give me some religious hoops, and if you tell me
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I'll run through those I'm good to go Legalism is a killer to assurance Because legalism said and as I phrase it you can't do enough
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You can never do it well enough, and you can't never do it long enough So you're always going to be doubting number three
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People lack assurance or generally say because they forget also that spiritual growth and maturity is a process
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Growth and maturity is a process and Finally they cannot pinpoint a specific date
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When were you saved? I don't know Give me date in time J.
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Grayson Machen has great answer for this in his book Christianity and liberalism quote at the beginning of every
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Christian life There stands not a process, but a definitive act of God. That's important at the beginning of every
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Christian life There stands not a process. It's not an osmosis thing, but a definite act of God That does not mean that every
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Christian can tell exactly at what moment he was justified and born again Some Christians indeed are really able to give day and hour of their conversion
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It is a grievous sin to ridicule the experience of such men such experience is a very holy thing
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But on the other hand it is a mistake to demand that it should be universal There are Christians who can give day and hour of their conversion
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But the great majority do not know exactly what moment they were saved the effects of the act are plain
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But the act itself was done in the quietness of God such very often is the experience of children brought up by Christian parents
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It is not necessary that all should pass through agonies of soul before being saved There are those to whom faith comes peacefully and easily through the nurture of Christian homes
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So sometimes that's what cast doubt on people's assurance and let me just close as our time has run out with two encouraging quotes
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I believe from Augustine this was a prayer of his Quote, I commend not the works of my hands for I fear that when thou examines of them thou will find more faults and merits
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This only I say this I ask this I desire despise not the works of thy hands See in me thy work not mine
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If thou see is mine thou condemn this if thou see is thine own thou crown is whatever good works.
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I have are of thee and Finally from JC Rao. This is very encouraging quote
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Referring to a genuine Christian. He knows he is not perfect. He is painfully aware of his indwelling corruption
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He finds an evil principle within himself that is constantly warring against grace and trying to draw him away from God But he does not consent to it though He cannot prevent its presence though He may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether he's a
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Christian at all He will say with John Newton listen to this. I'm not what I ought to be
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I'm not what I want to be. I'm not what I hope to be in another world, but still
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I Am NOT what I once used to be and by the grace of God I am
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What I am Thank you father for the time briefly this morning that we can look into your word
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And look at the security we have of our salvation We think of those in our family who aren't saved and those who might have a false assurance that they think they're saved
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They're assured but they had not saved and thank you for the work that you've done each member of the
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Trinity that you chose us before the foundation of the world for Christ redeeming us and The spirit of the Living God sealing us until the day of redemption.