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Key verse: John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
Biblical truth: Jesus starts this verse by emphasizing that it is truth. "Verily, verily or truly, truly, all that hear and obey the Word of God which calls all men to repent of their sin and believe on Jesus Christ has (present tense) everlasting life. Everlasting and eternal are words that signify that the life is permanent and does not end. Additionally, the believer no longer faces the threat or worry of condemnation. He is no longer dead in sins, but has passed from death to life. He/she is alive now and for evermore. (I John 5:12)
A person should examine himself to see if there are Biblical evidences of salvation. II Corinthians 13:5
Many people are deceived about salvation and believe that it is by:
a. Religion. (Matthew 7:21-23)
b. Good works or morality. (Isaiah 64:6, Philippians 3:9, Revelation 3:17)
c. By the way they feel in their own heart. (Jeremiah 17:9)
We can be absolutely certain that we have been saved and are going to heaven (I John 5:13) There is evidence of life for those that are born again. It is not a process but an instantaneous work of Christ in us. (Titus 3:5)
a. Evidences of Biblical salvation.
i. A desire to do God's will instead of your own. (Psalm 40:8)
ii. A change in lifestyle or attitude toward sin. (I John 3:9)
iii. A desire to life a pure and holy life. (I John 3:3)
iv. Becoming more and more like Him daily. (I John 3:2)
v. A love for the Word of God. (I John 2:3-6, Psalm 119:97, Joshua 1:7-8)
vi. A desire to fellowship with believers around the things of God. (I John 4:7, John 13:35)
vii. The chastening (discipline) of God when you sin. (Hebrews 12:6-8)
viii. The Spirit of God confirms salvation in your heart. Bearing witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16) and reproving us when we sin. (I John 3:19-21)
All things have become different and new. II Corinthians 5:17
a. Those that are in Christ have experienced many changes.
b. Many of these are subtle and have happened over time, while many were distinctly a part of the salvation experience.
How has your life changed since accepting Christ and what things are different?
Where do doubts come from?
Doubts are uncertainties about the truth. The truth does not change, only our confidence in the truth changes. Doubts about God and our salvation come when we do not fill our mind with truth so that lies are easily exposed as lies.
a. God knows that there are many false doctrines and lies that would compete for our trust so He gave us the Bible and its faith building power to help us understand and have confidence in the truth.
b. Faith relies totally on the Word of God as the standard and accepts it unconditionally, as such; we place the burden of truth on God where it belongs. (I Thessalonians 2:13, II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 11:3)
c. So then reading the Word of God is a faith and confidence building habit. (Romans 10:17, John 17:17)
What causes us to doubt our salvation? To some degree it's an indication that we are not filling our minds with truth or that we don't fully understand how Jesus saves us that think that somehow our own works or goodness are involved.
a. Because we sin after we get saved, a person may think they have messed up their salvation. (I John 1:9 and I John 2:1-2) explain that He has cleanses us from all our sin (past and future) and already knew we would sin after salvation. He saved us knowing all the sins we would ever commit. They are all paid for.
b. If after salvation, a person lives like they did before, the Holy Spirit could be making that person uncomfortable because sin does not fit well in our new life in Christ. While that can make a person feel "unsaved" it is really just the Holy Spirit at work in him making him uncomfortable with his sin.
c. A person should examine themselves to see if they are really saved. (II Corinthians 13:5)
Salvation is the work of Christ in us, not our own works, so we do not maintain good works in order to "stay" saved.
a. By grace we were saved. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
b. We are His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10) God does the saving.
c. Our salvation is totally by grace and not any of our works. (Romans 11:6, Titus 3:5)
d. Salvation is a gift that does not depend on our works or goodness to obtain or to keep it. (Romans 6:23)
e. Faith in Jesus is not a work because the Bible distinguishes it from a work. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
How does spending time in the Bible and with God affect my faith and or doubts I may have?
Eternal Security is a Biblical fact and Promise:
Eternal security (God's power to keep saved what He saves) is a biblical fact and promise. A person's confidence in that does not determine if it is truth or not, only to what extent the person will enjoy and appreciate the blessings of salvation. The Bible makes it plain that the believer is eternally saved and secure, based on the power of God.
God gives us eternal life and we will never perish. (John 10:28)
a. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise until the day that we are taken to heaven. (The day of redemption) (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30)
b. The believer is "kept" by the power of God. (I Peter 1:5)
c. He will never leave us (believers) or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
d. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:35-39)
e. He will not cast us out or reject us. (John 6:37)
f. It is impossible for God to lie and all that He said He will do He has all the power He needs to do it. (Hebrews 6:18-19, Numbers 23:19)
The key lesson verse makes it plain (John 5:24) that we already have everlasting life, we shall not face condemnation and we have passed from death unto life.
a. God gave us His Word so that we could know (not wonder or just hope) that we have eternal life. (I John 5:13)
b. Reading the Word of God daily will help us see His truths and promises daily and will keep us confident (persuaded) that He is able to keep that which He saved. (II Timothy 1:12)
It is not the strength of our faith which saves us or keeps us saved, but the strength of the object of our faith. Putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ means trusting God to save us and keep us. There is nothing more powerful. (Jeremiah 32:17)
Personal study time:
Reading: The book of I John is a great book to read and experience how God explains His love for His children. There are many great verses about our security in Him as believers and how He has cleansed us from all sin. Read all 5 chapters and write about the things you discover or questions you have.