Series: Things That Accompany Salvation
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Message 7: Sixteen Signs of a True Believer (Part III)
(2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Jn. 2:29; 3:1-9)
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
• “Examine” - peirazo = to test, to scrutinize.
• We are to examine our faith.
• But with what are we to test it?
• We are to examine ourselves by the revealed word of God.
• 28 times in 23 verses John tells us that we can “KNOW” that we are saved!
• We cannot afford to ignore what John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us!
• There is the danger that we may be “reprobates.”
“reprobate” - to be tested by God and rejected as unapproved, found to be worthless and cast away.
ILLUS: These are the gauges on the dash of your life!
NOTE: These tests are not for you to judge your fellow church member’s salvation. They are to be applied by each person to himself!
REVIEW
Thus far, we have considered:
1. The Companionship Test: Do I demonstrate that I love the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Saints?
2. The Comfort Test: Am I sensitive to sin?
3. The Cleansing Test: Have I experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God?
4. The Commandments Test: Am I keeping God’s commandments?
5. The Conformity Test: Does my life conform to the will of God?
I. The Conduct Test (1 Jn. 2:29)
Explain the Greek word here.
1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Am I doing righteousness? (2:29)
A. The Assumption that is Made
“If ye know that he is righteous”
The construction in the Greek is called a 3rd class condition.
B. The Actions that are Taken
See definition from On-line Bible.
• Lit., “Every one that is consistently doing righteousness, is practicing righteousness”
• Righteousness = what is just, what is right!
C. The Assurance that is Given
• When we see one that is consistently practicing righteousness, we may be assured that this person is born of God!
• Note that the focus is not upon knowing if YOU are saved.
• The focus is upon our observation of others!
• The righteousness is not buying cookies and holding the door for little ladies.
• It is doing “right” according to the standards of the Word of God.
• It is Bible reading, praying, tithing, church attendance, love for the brethren, etc.
• You say, Preacher, how can you say that? I’m not, the Word is!
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:10)
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (Matthew 7:16,17)
• This is the conduct test.
• Are you doing right?
II. The Coming Test (1 Jn. 3:1-3)
A. Our Privilege (1)
1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
• John tells us to look upon this, to fix your gaze, to wonder with amazement at this love of God.
• In 1905, Charles Gabriel published a song which expressed this sentiment:
I stand amazed in the presence, of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how he could save me, a sinner condemned unclean.
Oh how marvelous, Oh how wonderful, this my song shall ever be,
How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior’s love for me!
B. Our Position (2A)
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
• I was born to a lower working class family in the South.
• I come from a home where divorce broke up a family.
• I am a Baptist preacher, and an independent one at that.
• I have no prospects of becoming famous.
• Many of you join me in that background.
• But in this we can rejoice: We are sons of God!
• In 1877 Harriet E. Buell wrote:
I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.
I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.
C. Our Prospect (2B)
2B and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1. Our Current Limitation
“it doth not yet appear what we shall be:”
1 Corinthians 13:12A For now we see through a glass, darkly; ...
• I am not at all happy with what I am.
• Too often I fail the Lord.
• Too often I give Satan ammunition as my accuser in before God.
• Paul said, “What I hate, that I do.”
• This is what prompted Paul to say that, if left up to him, he would love to go on home to be with God!
• But that is only for the time being.
• One day soon, a change is coming!
2. Our Coming Likeness
“when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
• This is the 4th NT prophecy in 1 John.
a. What We Shall Become
• We shall be like Him!
1 Corinthians 13:12B ... but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
ILLUS: Oft, when we admire someone, we say, “I wish I could be like him or her.” Keith admires Glenn greatly. And I am glad, because Glenn is a good role model. But more than anything, I want Keith to be like Christ! And one day, he and I will be fully like Him!
b. Why We Shall Become
“we shall see him as he is”
• The word implies more than just the physical sight.
• It implies a deep perception of all that Jesus is.
• When we know Him better, we will hold Him dearer.
• We will sense his heart!
• And we will want to be like Him.
• And in our glorified body, it will be fully possible.
D. Our Purification (3)
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1. The Possession of Hope
“And every man that hath this hope in him”
• Paul said that ...
Colossians 1:27 ... Christ in you, the hope of glory:
• In 1882, Pricilla Owens penned the hymn that expresses this truth in its chorus:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul,
Steadfast and sure while the billows role,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love!
2. The Purification of Hope
“purifieth himself”
ILLUS: If I were to announce to you that I no longer believe that our Lord could return at any moment, there would be a conference after the service. Then why do we not live as if Christ could come at any moment?
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14)
3. The Pattern of Hope
“even as he is pure”
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)
• If you have not desire to be conformed to Christ, then you are not a Christian!
• I have preached to alcoholics at the rescue mission that had to listen to me to get a meal.
• There was no interest, and it was obvious.
• I don’t hold out much hope of salvation.
• However, I have seen that same look on the faces of students in Christian schools and members of Baptist churches.
So, am I looking forward to the Coming of Christ?
III. The Conquering Test (1 Jn. 3:4-9)
Am I no longer marked by habitual sin?
A. The Definition of Sin (4)
1 John 3:4-9 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
• sin = hamartia (offense)
• transgression = anomia (lawlessness)
• Sin is living your life in anarchy.
• Sin is acting as if there is no rule of law.
• Sin, according to John, is saying that no preacher, no Christian will tell me what to do!
B. The Deception About Sin (7)
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
• Preacher, If you don’t quit preaching so hard I’ll find me another church.
• I am fully aware that you are discussing a real possibility.
• You will not be the first to say it, you will not be the first to do it.
• But what you had better beware of is that you are being deceived!
• John states the facts.
• There is no writer of Scripture with more love than John, the beloved apostle.
• It is not a mark of love to hide the truth.
• One who tells the truth is not necessarily lacking in love!
2 John 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
C. The Distinction in Sin (6,8)
1. Some are Revealed to be Sinners (6B,8)
6B whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
• committeth sin = is doing sin, is practicing sin.
• Yeah, I’m a Christian, you say.
• But you sin by forsaking God’s house, living according to the dictates of your own heart.
• John says 3 things:
1) You haven’t seen God.
2) You don’t know God.
3) You are of your Father the devil!
2. Some are Revealed to be Saints (6,9)
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
• The true believer will be victorious over sin.
• God has planted a seed in his heart.
• He is born of God.
• That seed and the Holy Spirit will not allow a man to be at ease while sin is in his life.
Hebrews calls such “illegitimate sons.”
D. The Defeat of Sin (5,8B)
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
8B For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
• Christ came to take away our sins.
• To say that it is impossible to live for Christ is to say that Christ was unsuccessful.
• I know we have an enemy.
• But we also have a Helper.
HUMOR: Flip Wilson used to say the Devil made him do it. And he smiled while he said it. I have an idea that Flip made Flip do it, and Geraldine made Geraldine do it!
• Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil!
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. (1 John 5:4)
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Mt. 7:18)
CONCLUSION:
• Paul told to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
• Today, we have examined ourselves in three areas:
• The CONDUCT test: am I doing righteousness?
• The COMING test: am I anticipating the Lord’s coming and living accordingly?
• The CONQUERING test: am I winning the victory over habitual sin?
• In the prodigal son, the father was more glad for the son to come home than was the son!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
