Contents
The Assurance of Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Basic Discipleship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Church Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Assurance of Salvation
The greatest gift we could possibly possess is the gift of assurance that our salvation is secure. No treasure is greater than knowing we will be in heaven with the Lord some day. How then can we know this deep assurance?
The first thing we must understand is how a person becomes a Christian. The most important thing for us to understand is that salvation is a gift from God. Eph. 2:8-9 makes this clear: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” We cannot earn salvation by our own efforts. We can only receive it by faith. But the question remains, how can we know our faith is real?
Here is what is most important for us to understand: even though we are saved by faith, it is our works (deeds) that give us the evidence that our faith is real. James 2:14-17 says:
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds. Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Here, the apostle James is saying that faith without works is really not faith at all. In Acts 26:19, the apostle Paul says, “. . . I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Our deeds prove that our repentance is genuine. If our faith is real, then there will be some evidence of it in the way we live. What then should we look for as evidence that our faith is real?
There is actually an entire book of the Bible that was written so that we could know that our salvation is secure. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Notice that God wants you to know that you have eternal life. There are many people who think we simply can’t know, but this verse says that God wants us to know. How can we know?
First, we can know we are truly saved by our obedience. 1 John 2:3 says, “We know we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” If our faith is real, then our heart’s desire will be to obey him, and we will feel truly sorry when we don’t. This is what 1 John 3:6 means when it says, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues in sin has either seen him or knows him.” This does not mean we will never sin after we become a Christian, but we will not “continue in sin.” Our lives will no longer be characterized by sin. When we have truly received the love of God, our desire is to love God in return, and we do this by obeying God (1 John 5:3). This is the first thing you must look for as evidence that you belong to him. Do you have a heart to obey God? Is his love for you moving you to obey him out of your love for him?
Second, we can know by our love for other believers. 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 5:20-21 says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” Something happens when we recognize that God is our Father. We begin to see that all who belong to him are our brothers and sisters. If we do not have a special place in our hearts for his children here, it only reveals we do not have a special place in our hearts for our Father in heaven. When we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is another evidence that we truly belong to the Father.
A third way we can know is by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. I John 3:24 says, “. . . And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 4:13 says, “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
These are the three things we should look for as evidence that we truly belong to the Lord:
obedience,
love for other believers, and
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
As you see these things in your life, you can be sure that you belong to him. However, not only should we look for each of these things, we should also ask ourselves whether we are continuing to see them in our lives over time. This is another evidence that our faith is real. 1 John 2:28 says, “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him.”
Through the years, there has been much debate among Christians over the question of whether our salvation is secure. Some believe that once we are saved, we are always saved and can never lose our salvation. Others believe that we can lose our salvation if we fall away from God. Those who believe a person can never lose salvation generally ask, “How could I ever have any true security if I had to constantly live with the fear of losing it?” Those who believe a person can lose salvation often ask, “How can you say that a person who has fallen away from the Lord is truly saved?”
As we consider all of Scripture together, the best solution is to recognize that our salvation is secure when we place our trust in Christ. God is the one who saves us, and he is the one who keeps us (Matt. 28:20, John 10:28, Eph. 1:13-14). However, some have a false assurance of their salvation. They believe they are saved because they said a prayer years ago or because they were baptized. However, if they are not persevering in their faith, they should reevaluate. This is why so many verses speak of our need to continue in our faith (Col. 1:22-23, Heb. 3:6,14; 1 John 2:24). Again, this perseverance is not what saves us, but it does give evidence that our faith is real.
This does not mean a believer will never fall out of fellowship with God. King David in the Old Testament and the apostle Peter in the New Testament sinned against God in severe ways (2 Sam. 11:1-27; Matt. 26:69-74), but they were miserable until they returned to God (Ps. 32:1-5; Matt. 26:75). This is true of every true child of the Father (1 Jn. 3:6; 5:18). On the other hand, many who seem to have fallen away from the Lord never truly belonged to him in the first place (Matt. 7:23). 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”
Ultimately, we are not qualified to judge who actually belongs to God. Only God can do that (Matt. 13:24-30). But we can evaluate our own lives, and this is something that each of us must do. We must ask ourselves if we are living in a vital relationship with God characterized by obedience, love for one another, and the presence of God’s Spirit. Apart from these things, we have no genuine basis for assurance.
Jesus made it very clear that merely calling on the Lord without actually making him Lord is not enough. In Matt. 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” If we wish to have a true assurance of our salvation, the most important question we can ask is not, “Have I ever said, “Lord, Lord;” the most important question we can ask is, “Am I giving evidence that I belong to the Lord by doing his will today?”
It is not unusual for us to have doubts about our salvation. However, we must guard against depending too much on our feelings. Our feelings come and go. Some days we may feel close to God, and some days we may not. Our hearts may condemn us (1 John 3:18-20). Therefore, we need evidence that is more substantial than what our hearts may tell us. We must look for obedience, love, and the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives over time. As we see these things, then we can rest our hearts in knowing we belong to him (1 John 3:19).
If we are not completely sure that we have genuinely placed our trust in Christ, there is nothing to keep us from expressing our trust in him either for the first time or for reassurance. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and will dine with him, and he with Me (NAS, Rev. 3:20).” The following is a simple prayer you can pray to trust Christ as your Savior and Lord:
Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I confess that I have fallen short of your will in many ways. I ask you to forgive me. Please come into my life. Help me be the person you want me to be.
Once you have placed your trust in Christ, thank him for the incredible gift of salvation. Rest your heart in the assurance that his promises are true. Let your life be an expression of your love and gratitude to God. As you do, you will give evidence that your faith is real, and he will fill you with a deep assurance that you belong to him.
Assurance of Salvation
According to 1 John 5:13, we can that we
eternal life.
What is necessary for us to experience the assurance of salvation?
1. We must understand what is required for salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).
Salvation comes:
By (gift)
Through (trust)
2. We must understand what gives evidence that our faith is real.
a. : 1 John 2:3
b. Our for Other Believers: 1 John 3:14; 1 John 5:20-21
c. The : 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:13
d. : 1 John 2:28
Important Truths:
1. Our security is in Christ’s (Matt. 10:28; Phil. 1:6)
2. Our Works give our Faith is Real
(James 2:14-17; Acts 26:19)
3. Ultimately, only God is qualified to (Matt. 13:24-30)
What should I do if I have doubts?
1. Don’t depend on (1 John 3:18-20).
2. Focus on God’s command to
in the power of the .
3. Pray to trust Christ for if necessary.
Basic Discipleship
A disciple is a learner or a follower. If we are following Christ and learning more about him, then we are his disciples. There are three things that will greatly help us to grow as disciples of Christ: God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers.
God’s Word
2 Peter 2:2 says, “like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (NAS).” Just as we need food each day to grow physically, we need the Word of God to grow spiritually. In Matt. 4:4, Jesus said, “. . . Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Heb. 4:12 describes just how powerful the Word of God is:
The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Word of God is alive because it comes from the living God. And this is why it is able to give life to us. It is the seed that is able to produce new birth in us (1 Peter 1:23). It is the food that enables us to grow (1 Peter 2:2). When we receive the Word of God, we are receiving God himself (Rev. 3:20). And this is why our goal is never simply to know the Scriptures; our goal is to know the one who has given us the Scriptures. Ultimately, our growth comes from knowing him. In 2 Timothy 3:16, the apostle Paul says this:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is what is able to enable us to grow spiritually. Here are some of the things God’s Word is able to do for us. The Word of God:
Guides us Ps. 119:105
Gives us wisdom Ps. 119:97-100
Gives us joy Ps. 19:7-8
Keeps us from sin Ps. 119:9-11
Enables us to grow 1 Pet. 2:1-3; Matt. 4:4
Transforms our thoughts Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 10:5
Provides a weapon against Satan Eph. 6:17; Matt. 4:4,7,10
Equips us for ministry 2 Tim. 3:16-17
Provides a foundation for life Matt. 7:24-27
Gives us success Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:7-9
Because all of this is true, we must find a way to let God’s Word feed us on a consistent basis. We will not grow spiritually apart from the Word of God. Just as we become weak when we are not fed physically, we become weak spiritually when we are not fed spiritually. Psalm 1:1-4 says:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers.
This passage contains great promises. The one who meditates on the Word of God will prosper in whatever he does. This may not be the kind of prosperity the world thinks about, but it will be the true prosperity of the soul.
To meditate on something means to think about it over and over again.
We should make an appointment with God for every day--and then keep the appointment. If we are going to do this, we will have to be faithful even on the days you may not feel like it.