Assurance of salvation

Sunday 24 July 2011

A. The importance of assurance

Essential to growth in grace and knowledge of Christ.Not the same as eternal security - to be discussed next - and is a fact.Assurance is about what we believe at a given time regarding our salvation.It depends on:1. Understanding the completeness of the nature of our salvation2. Confirming testimony of Christian faith3. By faith accepting biblical promises of salvation

Sunday 24 July 2011

B. Understanding the nature of salvation

What was accomplished on the cross? A work of God for man - all of grace not of human merit.It is based on knowing Christ died for us and provided a complete salvation - all we have to do is believe. So we simply have to understand salvation - a gift not earned or deserved and available by faith to those who believe.So a simple question is asked, “Have you trusted Christ?”

Sunday 24 July 2011

Being given a new life is the supreme attestation to faith in the saving grace of Christ- 85 NT passages disclose this fact in some way.Gift of God to those who believe - Jn 10:28 - I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.From Christ - Jn 14:6Christ indwelling the believer in an inseparable manner giving eternal life - Col 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Being given a new life is the supreme attestation to faith in the saving grace of Christ- 85 NT passages disclose this fact in some way.Gift of God to those who believe - Jn 10:28 - I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.From Christ - Jn 14:6Christ indwelling the believer in an inseparable manner giving eternal life - Col 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 John 5:11-1211And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Sunday 24 July 2011

C. The confirming testimony of Christian experience

If we believe then we have to ask - 1 Cor 13:5 - Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!Whilst we would expect to know if Christ really is in us - we do have misguided feelings and thoughts at times.So we use the WOG as a standard to asses this - protecting from fleshly emotionalism and setting a right standard to judge by.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Unsaved people do not have a testimony of salvation.Carnal Christians likewise show no real fruit - 1Cor 3:1-4 1But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human?Note such people are still saved - they are simply not walking in the spirit

Sunday 24 July 2011

1. Knowing that God is our Father - Matt 11:27 - no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.Jn 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.1 Jn 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Sunday 24 July 2011

2. A new reality in prayer - in a spiritual Christian prayer will become an increasingly important experience and the most vital resource:We give thanks - Eph 5:18ffWe know pray according to the will of God - Rom 8:26-27, Jude 20Christ prayed much in his ministry - surely the spirit will lead us to follow such an example

Sunday 24 July 2011

3. A new ability to understand Scripture - Lk 24:32, 45 - Emmaus Road - 1 Jn 2:27 - for all Christians -But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.Jn 16:12-15

Sunday 24 July 2011

3. A new ability to understand Scripture - Lk 24:32, 45 - Emmaus Road - 1 Jn 2:27 - for all Christians -But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.Jn 16:12-15

Jn 16:12-15"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Sunday 24 July 2011

4. A new sense of sinfulness - Ps 119:11 - water washes things clean - so does the WOG - the WOG displaces all fleshly and corrupt ideas and ideals and replaces them with those which are of God.5. A new love for the unsaved - 2 Cor 5:14-15, 16, 19, Paul prayed for the lost - Rom 10:1Paul strove for the lost - Rom 15:9Paul was prepared to lose his place for them - Rom 9:1-3

Sunday 24 July 2011

6. A new sense of love for the saved - 1 Jn 3:14 - We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.We have been brought into a new relationship, a new family - with God as Father and other believers as brothers.Jn 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Sunday 24 July 2011

7. A new manifestation of the character of Christ - Gal 5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;against such things there is no law.Php 2:5-7, 1:21 - For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.All this comes by the Spirit of God as he indwells the believer.

Sunday 24 July 2011

8. Points 1-7 combined bring a consciousness of salvation by faith in Christ2 Tim 1:12 - But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.Rom 8:16 - The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,Jn 3:18 - Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.Rom 8:1 -There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Sunday 24 July 2011

D. Accepting the accuracy of the promises of the Bible

The Bible is essential in assuring us of salvation:1. Confidence that the Bible is true and its promises of salvation are sure - this is more important than emotionalism!1 Jn 5:13 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.Assurance should not rest of feelings but on the unchanging WOG.Ps 119:89, 160, Matt 5:18, 24:35

Sunday 24 July 2011

2. Doubting if you have committed yourself to Christ can be destructive to your spiritual life - Knowing the precise date and time is not essential - knowing that you are now trusting Christ is essential.If this has not been done it should be done immediately - based upon a choice of the will (and if necessary an understanding of the doctrine of salvation).Chafer suggests the prayer, “Lord if I have never put my trust in you before, I do it now.”

Sunday 24 July 2011

3. Doubting God’s faithfulness can be destructive to salvation - “did God really receive me and save me?”Chafer says the usual problem for this is a base of feelings and emotions - not faith.What did God say - will he, has he, done it? - assuming I have cast myself upon Christ.4. Assurance depends on understanding the nature of God’s complete salvation for those who trust in Christ - it depends on the promises of God - some life change should take place but assurance does not come from me and my life but from God and his promises.

Sunday 24 July 2011