CONCLUSION—PART 1

THE ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION

Read: 1 John 5:9-15

This passage helps us to know for sure we are saved.

• • In verse 10, John speaks of the witness of God Himself which lives within the heart of the believer.
    • When a person believes on the Son of God, God implants His witness within that believer’s heart. That witness is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, giving the believer the assurance of salvation.
    • See John 1:12, John 1:16-18, Romans 8:16-17, Ephesians 4:30, 1 John 3:24
  • In verses 11-12, John said God has given us eternal life, and this life is in God’s Son (meaning Jesus Christ)
    • He that has received Jesus Christ has life
    • He that has not received Jesus Christ has not life.
  • In verse 13, John speaks of the witness of the Son of God which produce eternal security in those who believe in them.
    • They will know that they have eternal life.
    • They will believe on the name of the Son of God.
  • In verse 14-15, John said the confirmation of our salvation is that God will hear our petitions and answer them, according to His perfect will.

Many people who have taken these very steps continue to have doubts about their salvation and don’t have that blessed assurance that should follow their confession of faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Some discover their “childhood” decision was more about joining the church and being baptized than it was receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and then surrendering  unto Him as their Lord and Master.

These doubts need to be settled, once and for all and forever, not only for the benefit of the believer, but so his witness will not be hindered.  These doubts MUST be removed before the believer will ever enjoy the blessings Jesus died to give  them, including the full understanding of God’s Word, answers to the prayers, and power in their witnessing.  Plus, if we have doubts about God’s power to deliver us from our sins, it may cause us to doubt His whole plan and purpose for our lives.

Over the years, I have discovered several other reasons why a person may not have the assurance of salvation.

• • For some, it is that sin that so easily besets them (Hebrews 12:1)—some sin or habit of the flesh they are unwilling to lay upon the altar of God. A true confession includes dying to self and a full surrender unto the Lordship of Christ.
  • For others, it is an unforgiving spirit against someone who offended them in some way. Unless that bitterness and resentment is confessed and cleansed, it will always be a part of their heart, and God will not share His throne with anyone or anything. The person who is holding on to such a grudge will never know the full forgiveness of God.  Jesus said, “ but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will you Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15)  It can’t be any clearer than that!
  • Likewise, doubts may be cause by our unwillingness to seek forgiveness from those we have offended. This may take some time, but if we are serious in our time of prayer, God will bring certain people to our mind—some to whom we need to express our thanks for their witness and encouragement, and others from whom we need to seek their forgiveness for some failure in our witness to them.

The story goes that a man, after hearing the gospel, accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, followed Him in believer’s baptism and became a part of a Bible believing church.  However, as time went on he began to doubt whether of not he was saved.  One day, after reading Romans 10:9-10, he decided to settle his doubts once and for all and forever.  He walked outside behind the barn, knelt down and prayed this prayer:

“Thank you, God for loving me and sending your Son, the Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord. I do receive Him and
ask you to cleanse me from all sin by His blood, and o whatever you must do to make me your child.  Thank you for proving your power to give me eternal life by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.  Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.”

As he finished his prayer, he took a wooden stake, wrote the date on it, and drove it in the ground in a place where it would not be covered up.  A few weeks later, those same old doubts began to bother him again, as Satan began to tempt him with all kids of reasons as to why he was not saved.  But the man said to Satan, “Come with me!” And he walked out behind the barn, pointed to the wooden stake in the ground and said,

   “Satan, God promised if I called upon the name of the Lord I would be saved.  Well, here’s the place and there is the date
where I received Jesus Christ as my Savior and surrendered unto Him as my Lord, and according to God’s Word, I’m saved!”

Have you driven such a “stake” down in your life?  I urge you to do something to settle the issue—once and for all and forever!

I invite you back tomorrow for PART 2 of  the CONCLUSION of “REDISCOVERING YOUR FIRST LOVE!”