Can We Actually Be Sure of Eternal Life? — Peter Brandon

I want to give you one little verse. It's been a great blessing to me and it answers the question that has been put to me. Can we actually be sure of eternal life? And I'm just going to give you one verse.

The Assurance of Eternal Life in John 5:24

It's John 5 verse 24. The Lord is the speaker. Now, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believes on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

Now I'm sure the Lord will bless that one scripture to us tonight. We don't use the word verily, verily today. If you went into a shop and said to the man, verily, verily, he would think that you came from another world.

So what does the word mean? It comes from a Latin word, veritas, and it has three meanings. First of all, it can be translated, amen, amen. Now when we say a prayer, we finish it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

What does that mean? It means you wish the Lord to answer that prayer. Now when the Lord was going to make a great promise, instead of putting at the end of the promise his amen, he always puts it at the beginning.

In other words, he says, here's the promise, and here's the guarantee, amen, amen. So that's good. Then the word verily translated in a language that we can understand means truly, truly. Quite frankly, it is almost impossible for us to speak the absolute truth.

For instance, if I told you a story, and you related that story to another person, you could not actually communicate those facts verbatim because of the lack of memory. Therefore, it's almost impossible for human beings to speak the absolute truth.

But Jesus Christ, who was the epitome of truth, could actually say this, of a truth, of a truth. And that truth was absolute. And then lastly, it can mean listen, listen. When we were young, there were eight in our family, five boys, three girls.

All squashed in a little London hat. And my dear mother, she had rheumatism in that finger. And when we were going fishing, she would call us boys, and she would put that rheumatically finger right under our noses, and she would say, listen.

And one eyebrow would go up, and the other eyebrow would go down. And when mum said listen, we had to listen. When Jesus was speaking, sometimes he would stop and he would say, listen, listen, don't miss this.

So can you see now the brilliance of those words? Verily, verily. I say, great men have spoken. When we were children, we had to learn some of the words of Plato, the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle.

Some of the words of the great Cicero. Some of the words of Julius Caesar, or the Caesar. We had to learn words from Alexander the Great. And I suppose some of us can still remember some of the stirring words Churchill gave to us in the war.

But most of the words of these great men have been lost. But here's something with a difference. The words of Jesus are more powerful today than when he first spoke them. There are more people listening to Jesus Christ in the 20th century than at any other time in history.

Why? He said, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall abide forever. And when we read those words in the Bible, we must stop and listen. Verily, verily, I say. I like the word you. Sometimes it can refer to a crowd like 5 ,000.

Sometimes it can refer to group society like a family or like the Twelve Apostles. Other times it can refer to an individual. And I would like to think that the Lord has a word for you as an individual.

And can I put it to you like this? Listen, listen. I say to you. To you. To you. To you. To you. A personal word for you. Then he goes on. He that heareth my word. Now the words of Jesus are divided into two.

There are the light words and there are the love words. Or to put it in another way, there are the words of absolute truth. There are the words of intrinsic love. Now it's the truth that worries us. No one actually loves the perfect truth.

Especially when it's subjective. Can I give you a case in point? I once had my photograph taken by a theologian who said he had a brilliant camera. And when I got those pictures back, they were the absolute truth.

No doubt about that. But it brought out these bushy eyebrows. The wrinkles under my eyes. It brought out these two pimples. One you can see, one you can hardly see. And would you believe it, I've got a small pimple on the end of my nose.

And it even brought that out. You see, it was an exact picture of my physiogamy, but I didn't like the truth. We were having tea with another lady and we were talking about this theologian because he suddenly knew the Bible.

And she said, we used to be great friends. And then I wondered what was coming. Until he took my photograph. And she went to the drawer and I could see she was grossly irritated. And she took out the pictures and she threw them on the table and she said, do you think that looks like me?

Well it was a beauty. It was just like her. But she didn't like the truth. Now can I put this to you. Do you think the almighty God could use flattery? Could he deceive us? Could the one who is the very embodiment of all truth tell a lie?

Impossible. Therefore when God takes an x-ray of us, it is absolutely spot on and perfect. And he always takes a moral x-ray of us. And he looks at our hearts. That's the seed plot of our thoughts. And he says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Who would like their thought lies exposed? None of us. Then God as it were straps a tape recorder to our throats. And then he plays back every bad word we have said in the last ten years. And then he says the throat is like an open sepulcher.

Then God looks at our morals through the lens of the ten commandments. And as it were he ticks off every commandment that we have broken. And many of us have smashed the ten commandments over and over again.

And he says there is no difference. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now I want to ask a question. Do you think that God could have people in his presence in a place called heaven like that forever?

Could he? Would you like to be in a place called heaven and see someone losing his or her temper? Could you ever imagine in heaven an act of lust? Could you imagine two people in heaven gossiping? Wouldn't be heaven would it?

Sin, Human Depravity, and the Need for Forgiveness

Now the problem. God has made us in his image and in his likeness. And that means the soul our personality is eternal. And that can't die. The body dies not the soul. Now ladies and gentlemen let me say this to you in love.

If you die like that without those sins forgiven. You are lost eternally. Now when you hear that you can't clap your hands and say that's lovely. But before you can become a Christian you must face up to those facts.

Then he comes in with his love words. And here is one scripture I want to leave with you which I think is full of beauty. That God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Isn't that lovely? That means God knows us through and through and he knows all about our sins. He knows all about our weaknesses. He knows our destiny but he still loves us. But now we hear a lot of people talking about love.

We hear a lot of people singing about love. And let's face it so much of that is pure emotion. There is no reality in it. I was only reading the other day of a couple well known in the history of our world.

And they were joined together in marriage. And the beautiful things they said to one another. It only lasted nine months. See the epoch. But when God says that he loves us he means it and he had demonstrated.

Christ’s Substitutionary Death and God’s Love

Now how do we really know that God loves us? God loved us so much. And his love was so realistic. That Jesus Christ went to a cross and put himself on it. And on that cross he took the responsibility of our sins.

And the scripture says this. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And that is why he cried with a loud voice so that everyone could hear when he was on the cross. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me?

Would you allow me now to point again. Do you know why he was forsaken? For your sins. For your sins. For your sins and my sins. And when we understand that we see the absolute reality of God's love. When he said it is finished it simply meant.

He bore our sins. He endured the judgment for our sins before God. So that now God could righteously forgive us. And remain just when he actually did the forgiving. And then God has raised him from the dead.

And there is a living saviour. And that saviour wants to come to each one of us. And give us the forgiveness of sins. That we might have peace. And then come right into our lives. In the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us.

So can you see now. Hearing the word means. I hear the truth that God says about me and accept it. I hear of the love of God and believe it. And then he makes this and believes on him that sent me. Now I have been looking at you.

And I think this calculation is correct. I am sure that 98 of the people in this room believe in God. Am I right? 98 of the people in this room believe in Jesus Christ. So if I had a little chat with you.

And I said something like this. Do you believe Jesus was a perfect man? I think you would say yes. Do you believe that he was the son of God? Well I can't fully understand it. But I believe it. Good. Do you believe that he died on the cross for the sins of the world.

And died for your sins? Well yes. Do you believe that God raised him from the dead? And he is alive? He is there? Yes I think I do believe that. But that is believing with the head. You know James said a very naughty thing when I first read it.

I was really upset with him. He said do you believe in God? You do well. Now here it comes. The devils believe and tremble. Do you know what that means? If we could see a demon sitting on that chair. And I said to that demon do you believe in God?

He would say yes. Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God? Yes we all believe that. Do you believe that he died on the cross for the sins of the world? Yes. And do you believe God has raised him from the dead?

We all believe that and tremble. But they just believe it intellectually. It is not this heart belief. Now let me give you the scripture and let me explain. The word of God says if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.

And here it comes. And believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. Now what is the difference between believing with the head and believing with the heart? We had two boys.

Intellectual Belief Versus Heart Trust

And when they were young we took them to the sea. And it was called Frinton. Frinton on sea. Nothing like your beautiful beaches. And certainly much colder. But before they went to the sea they used to put their tummies on a chair.

With a light belt all round them. And they would show their mother all the strokes they were going to do in the sea. The breast stroke, the crawl and the back stroke. And they were marvellous swimmers on the chair.

Well the Monday morning came and I took the two boys. And they had the light belt all round them. It was a very hot day. There weren't many people in the water. So we went to the sea. But immediately the sea touched their feet.

Now they had the knowledge in their head. They had the light belts all around them. And then when we eventually got them waist deep I said, Right boys, take your feet off the bottom. All I heard was a nervous no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

And you know we tried to barter with them. We offered them money to take their feet off the bottom. They wouldn't do it. Believed all about it. Had the light belt all around them. But they wouldn't give themselves to it.

Well it was a disappointing holiday. Because our two boys sat on the circumference of the sea. And they couldn't enjoy it. The next year, would you believe it, we had the same treatment. We took them out until they were thigh deep.

And then we said, come on, take your feet off the bottom. Would they do it? The next year I didn't bother with them. And I was sitting in one of those good old fashioned deck chairs. You don't see them here, but you see them there in England.

And I was reading a book, VHM on Genesis, and I was really enjoying it. When all of a sudden one of my boys came bounding up the beach. And you know when a child is excited, every part of his body speaks.

His hair, his eyes, his ears, his lips. And he said, Dad, I've done it. I said, what have you done? He says, I've taken my feet off the bottom and it works. The last holiday we had was at Largs in Scotland.

One was 19 and the other was 70. And if it was cold in Frinton, it was freezing at Largs in Scotland. My wife and I, we went out a quarter of a mile. That was our lot. And our two boys nearly swam to Millport, three and a half miles.

And it all started when one took his feet off the bottom. Dear friends, there comes a time when you say something like this. I know I'm a sinner. I know I can't go to heaven like this. I believe that Christ died for me.

I believe that God has raised him from the dead. And he is the Saviour. And you do something that's wonderful. Instead of nodding at Jesus, with your heart you trust him to save you. And that could happen right now.

You could switch off from me now. And in the quietness of your heart, you could say, Lord, I'm going to trust you to forgive me and save me and come into my life. And at that moment, you could pass from death unto life.

That's belief. It's not just knowing in the head. It's that living faith in the heart. Then he says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, has everlasting life.

Everlasting Life as the Life of Christ

Now what's everlasting life? Now you will agree with me, if it said life, that would be wonderful. But this is everlasting life. Now what is everlasting life? It's the life of the Lord Jesus. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

He said, I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So full life is seen in the Lord Jesus. Now comes the problem. How can the Lord Jesus Christ as a person come and live in my life?

But that's what it will mean. You see, we can actually put blood, blood of another person in your body. They can actually put another kidney in your body. They can sometimes put another liver in your body.

And sometimes they can put another heart in your body. But one thing they can't do, and put another kind of life in your body. But God can. When Jesus Christ went back to heaven, and this was very wonderful.

He went back to heaven to send another divine person, the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit came in tremendous power. To do what? He is the indwelling person of the Trinity. And he can actually come right into the life of a person.

And transform that person's life. Now can I describe it with my glasses? Imagine that to be your body. My spectacle case. Inside our body, our sinning behavior causes uncleanness before God. Not before men, before God.

And therefore before the Holy Spirit can come into our lives. We must be cleansed from sin to the satisfaction of God. Now please note this. That is why Jesus Christ died on the cross. He died on the cross so that God could righteously forgive sin.

Now why can he righteously forgive sin? Because Jesus bore it's punishment. And through his precious blood all our sins can be forgiven. And then the great miracle takes place. When you have been cleansed from sin.

The Holy Spirit as symbolized by my spectacle. Actually comes into your life. And in your body as it were invading your soul. Is the Holy Spirit. And that's a Christian. A Christian is someone that's not trying to follow Jesus.

But a Christian is someone who possesses his nature in the power of the Spirit. And that's the greatest experience in life. The Holy Spirit coming in to give you eternal life. Now when that happens there is a paradox.

Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and the Believer’s Future Body

Note this. The body, the physical part of you will grow old. But not the spiritual part, your personality. Your personality will never grow old once you have become a Christian. And if you have to do your dying what God does is simply this.

He takes away the soul and the spirit. And it goes to be with the Lord Jesus which is far better. Already you have been enjoying him. But now you are going to enjoy him much more. And then one day when he comes again.

He will give you a new kind of body called the body of glory. So that he can stand the glory of heaven. And that is why it is such a wonderful thing to be a Christian. Because you receive a cleansing.

You receive the power of the Holy Spirit. So that you are born anew and you have eternal life now. And then when you have to do your dying. Or should the Lord comes. You go immediately to be with Christ.

Or should the Lord comes. You get a completely new body. The body of glory. And it is as simple as this. A fish has a body for the water. A bird has the body for the air. Human beings have a body for the earth.

We haven't yet got a body for heaven. If you took that body and plunged it in heaven. It would disintegrate. Just like putting a man on the moon. Therefore one day he is going to give us a body of glory.

And that body will last forever. And do you know what will happen? When there is the new heaven and the new earth. There will be no thing like transportation. We shall move in the power of levitation.

Sometimes we shall be seen. Sometimes we shall not be seen. We shall have a body of glory. That is why it is so wonderful to have eternal life. We were having some meetings. And I was clothed with this.

A Practical Call to Trust Christ

In Glasgow. And most of the people that were coming. Were from the Church of Scotland. They were actually held in a house. And one day I spoke. Straight from the shoulder on the subject of sin. We must not hide these subjects.

We have got to be faithful when we preach the word of God. Another afternoon when they were there. I spoke about the reason why Christ died. And I just took up the scripture. Christ died for our sins according to the scripture.

And then I took up another scripture. How to be right with God. And I took up that lovely verse. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And although these people were very religious.

And we might say that they were quite middle class people. I must say this they were very nice people indeed. And then I said well next week. I just want those who would like to really be factual. And practical and trust the Lord Jesus.

And four people turned up. One had to leave. One was a church elder. The other was his wife. And another lady by the name of Mrs. Brown. Who was a very very wealthy woman. She sat on the other side of the room.

And I shall never forget it. She had a genuine mink coat and hat. She wouldn't be able to wear it in Scotland. Because she would be pestered by all kinds of people. Anyhow she took her coat off. And there we were just ordinary people.

Now I said to them. I am not going to speak. But I want you really to ask me some questions about what I have said. So the elder spoke first. And he said quite frankly Mr. Brandon. When you spoke about sin.

I wasn't annoyed. But I was shaken. I said but why? Well he said I never thought of myself as a sinner. I knew I wasn't perfect. But never thought of myself as a sinner. But I did my homework. What did you do?

Well he said I looked at the ten commandments. And I picked off those commandments I thought I had kept. And those I thought I had broken. And I realized that the Bible is right. We have all sinned. Good I said.

And inside me I was saying praise the Lord. Because you can't become a Christian until you know that fact. Then he said the night you spoke on the cross. Or the afternoon you spoke on the cross. Was a little disturbing.

I said but why? Were you disturbed? Well he said as you know as an elder. I help the minister with the communion four times a year. Yes. And I taught people Christ died for our sins. Yes. And then he found it hard to speak.

And I saw him look away. And his eyes get a bit misty. And he said this quietly. I never knew that when Jesus Christ died on the cross. He died for my sins. I said do you know that now? He said I do. My sins put him there.

And he loved me. That's a divine revelation. And if I said praise the Lord. I nearly said it out loud. You can't become a Christian until that happens. Then he turned to me. He said this is the problem.

He said that verse you gave us. Romans 10 verse 13. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Yes. He said I've been asking the Lord three days to save me. But it doesn't work. And his wife was so shocked.

I can see her now. She turned and she said. Why didn't you tell me you were going through this process? I've been going through it too. And I've been asking the Lord to save me. But I never get through.

And this lady Mrs. Brown. She said I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. I've had the same experience. Asking, asking. But I'm not sure if I'm saved. So I said to them. Would one of you please. Read one scripture.

So Mrs. Brown volunteered. And she put on her reading specs. And she read this verse. And I'm going to read it as she read it. Not with the Scottish accent. But with the deliberation. And this is what she said.

And this is how she read it. Verily, verily I say unto you. Could that refer to me? Yes. He that heareth my word. We've heard that haven't we? Yes. And believeth on him that sent me. I see it now. My faith isn't strong enough.

No. I said it's not a great faith in a little saviour. It's a little faith in a great saviour. Oh. Hath everlasting life. I said say that again my dear. Hath everlasting life. So I said. When you hear.

When you take your feet off the bottom and trust. He says hath everlasting life. And do you know what she said? Well I sincerely hope I've got it. I said you haven't got it my dear. He doesn't say sincerely hope you have eternal life.

He says hath. Can I read it again? I said if you like. And she nearly stared through the pages. And she read it like this. Verily verily I say unto you God that. He that heareth my word got that. And believeth on him that sent me.

I see that. Hath everlasting life. Oh dear she says I sincerely hope I've got it. I said no my dear. You are saying sincerely hope in an agony. Jesus says hath. And he doesn't tell lies. I got excited.

She said would you let me read it again. I said alright my dear. And this is how she read it. Softly this time. Verily verily I say unto you. He that heareth my word. And believeth on him that sent me.

Then there was a silence. Hath everlasting life. And with a long face she said. To the elder. According to Jesus I've got it. I said say that again. According to Jesus I've got it. I said say that again.

According to Jesus I've got it. Oh she says I've got it. Already she had eternal life. When she first prayed. But now the word had given her assurance. And she passed. Into eternal life. And now that dear soul.

Is with the Lord Jesus. In heaven. Oh dear friend. I just long and long and yearn and yearn. That everyone in Australia would have that blessing. But more than that. I long for each one of you. To come into eternal life.

And then you'll know the power of God. In your own life. Let's pray. Lord we've had a. Lovely time just. Talking about this great verse. That the Lord Jesus gave us. We bless thee. We praise thee. We worship thee.

For everyone. That has received in this room. God's gift of eternal life. And we can see the evidences of that. In the faces of the people. But some of our dear friends here. Tonight. Have not yet come into that heart faith.

We pray even tonight. That some may take that step of faith. And trust Jesus to save them and cleanse them. And to give them the gift of eternal life. So that they might know the indwelling presence. Of the Holy Spirit.

Grant this we pray. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Now. Thank you for that good attention. It's lovely to chat like this. You know sometimes I prefer just talking like this. Than up in the pulpit.

We are so close. So near. But dear friends. If there's anyone here. And you feel that God has spoken to you. And you've not yet come into this heart faith. And you feel you'd like to do what that dear soul Mrs. Brown did.

And that church elder. And by the way he's still an elder. But God has wonderfully used him. And his dear wife. We're not asking people to change their religion or anything like this. We want people right with God.

And then once you're right with God. You want to be right with the kind of church that you're in. But that's what we're after. People right with God.