ASSURANCE
Security– Conviction that those who have genuinely trusted Christ are new creatures and will never lose what God has given to us by grace.
God will persevere. He holds us securely in His grasp and no one nor nothing can snatch us out of His hand.
John 10:27-29; Rom. 8:34-39; Jude 24; 2 Cor. 1:21-22
Assurance– Our personal experience derived from that security.
The conviction God gives ME that I am His child and I am secure.
Rom. 8:14-16
WHY WE SOMETIMES LACK ASSURANCE
1. We may lack assurance because we don’t have salvation!
If we’re still trusting our own efforts to get us into heaven, we can never have assurance.
We can never be sure we’ve done enough to earn salvation.
In fact, we can never DO enough to earn salvation.
Solution: stop trusting yourself, and trust Christ.
2. We may lack assurance because we can’t point to a specific time when we received Christ.
Some people don’t know when they made that decision.
Some teach that if you don’t know when, you can’t know whether you’re saved.
The Bible doesn’t say that those who know when have eternal life!
The Bible says that those who trust Him have eternal life John 5:24
Solution: Be sure you’re trusting JESUS now!
3. We may lack assurance because we’re not sure we did it the right way–we question procedure.
Did I “walk the aisle”?
Did I “pray the prayer”?
Did I pray the right prayer?
Did I confess with my mouth?
Did I say the right things? Does that count?
Did I get baptized the right way?
Did I accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, or just as Savior?
The Bible doesn’t say that those who go through the right procedure have eternal life!
It’s those who trust Him! John 3:16
Solution: Be sure you’re trusting Him now!
4. We may lack assurance because of sin in our life.
We may not see much evidence of new life.
We may have committed one of the “BIG sins” Christians aren’t supposed to commit.
The Bible doesn’t say that those who stop sinning have eternal life.
It says that if we say we have no sin, we’re deceiving ourselves 1 John 1:8
. . . if we confess our sin,
He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us 1 John 1:9
. . . He has provided a defense attorney to intercede on our behalf 1 John 2:2
Solution: Be sure you’re trusting Him now!
HOW DO WE OBTAIN ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION?
A major theme of 1 John.
Book deals with fellowship–includes numerous statements about how WE can be sure of our salvation = assurance:
5:13–We CAN KNOW that we have eternal life!
How? \/
If you’re trusting Him, you can KNOW!
Evidence that gives US assurance:
2:3 We know that we have known Him when we are keeping His commandments.
We never wonder about our salvation when we know we’re doing what pleases Him!
2:5-6 We know we’re abiding in Him, and enjoying fellowship with Him, when we’re living in accordance with His Word (5) and walking as He walked (6)
2:9-11 Love or hatred for our brothers and sisters in Christ is another indicator of whether we truly belong to Him.
2:29 People who are characterized by a lifestyle of doing what’s right know we’ve been born of Him.
3:10 Here’s how you can distinguish between God’s kids and the devil’s kids:
Everyone who is characterized by not doing righteousness is not of God.
The same is true of those who are characterized by not loving their brothers.
So give yourself an exam! Do you belong to Him? Or not?
3:14 We can know we’ve been transformed out of death and into life because of our love for our brethren.
If you don’t love God’s kids, you’re not going to be very sure of yourself!
Not talking about specific individual cases
–e.g. you don’t like this obnoxious brother!
Talking about our love for God’s kids in general 3:11-15
If your life is pleasing to God on the basis of practical holiness and love for God’s kids, you won’t struggle about assurance!
You CAN know!
You CAN feel like it!
Our salvation isn’t based on feelings!
Our security isn’t based on feelings!
But our assurance IS!!
People come to see me unsure about their salvation.
They don’t SEE much difference.
Especially true among people who come to Christ as children!
“I’m never going to be all I want to be!”
“Thank God I’m not like I used to be!”
The difference may come in small packages.
Our assurance will be based on the difference God is making in our lives!
Has God made a difference?
Ask Him to do more! –to make it obvious that He’s at work!
It’s not about ME transforming myself–it’s HIS work!
Phil 2:13