Sermon Central
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Blessed Assurance
Contributed by Brian Menear on Nov 12, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: How do you know that you know? This will help you answer that question.
Blessed Assurance
Intro
RO 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.RO 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Today we are going to talk about a question that every believer has asked themselves. Whether they have been a Christian for 5 minutes or 50 years sooner or later they ask themselves “How do I know I am saved”. Or “Do I have Assurance in what I believe?”
Theologically, assurance is the state of being confident in a condition or outcome. Usually it is applied to one’s assurance of salvation. The knowledge that we will go to Heaven when we die because of our faith in, and acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice to forgive us of our sins and make us right with God.
Perhaps you have already trusted Jesus as your Savior, yet you are still not sure if what you believe is actually true.
To understand and be assured lets start from the beginning and look at steps we have taken.
Being at peace with God is not something we can just suddenly one day “feel we accomplished”. Human beings by nature are separated from God. All humans have sinned.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Because of our sin God cannot allow us into Heaven when we die.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is a gap between humanity and God. Man has tried to bridge this gap by
doing good works(not for God but self since they don’t truly belong/honor him)
attending church(keeping up appearances)
Reading the Bible(not gaining anything without guidance of the Spirit)
Being a “good person”(none of us are truly good anyway)
Gods love is the only way to bridge the gap between God and Man.
What does the Bible say about Gods love?
JN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus is the only way to bridge the gap between God and Man. There is no other alternative.
JN 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(ILLUS-The judge and the fine paid anonymously)
Your debt of sin has been paid in full by Jesus.
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
If we have surrendered our lives to Christ and accepted his death on the cross as payment for our sins, we now belong to him.
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
Romans 8:15,16
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
If we still commit a sin after Salvation that doesn’t mean we lose our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. If it did, every little slip-up would put us in jeopardy, and Christ’s death would be useless and in vain. Nor does waking up one day and suddenly feeling “not saved”. We cant base what is real and true just on our feelings. Since we have seen that we may feel we are right with God by our actions and works when truly we are not.
(ILLUS-Feelings in marriage)
Doubts are just the enemy’s tactic of trying to snatch you back from Gods hand.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
(ILLUS-Kung Fu movies)
If we simply ask, God will provide safety for us.
During the first part of the construction of Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco USA there were no safety devices used. Twenty-five men working fell and died. In the last part of the construction, they put out a large net worth $100,000 so workers could be safe. Still many workers fell but landed in the net. They also noticed that 25% more work had been done because of the assurance of safety
