Assurance of Our Salvation
Book of 1 John
Chapter 3 verses 11-24
How do we know we
have become a part of God's salvation plan? Because, the Holy Spirit
has come to live within us!
How do we know the
Holy Spirit lives in inside us? The proof is that we begin to love
and to show the love that our God has shown to us!
We ended last week’s
lesson with Chapter 3 and verse 10.
1Jn 3:10 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.
How are God's
children made known to the world?
We are to be the
ones who are doing things right while the world does things wrong!
We are to be the
ones who love all others like our Heavenly Father loves us, who are
so unworthy of His love!
This is the message
God has had since the first day of Creation!
What is love?
Love is a great
desire to promote peace and happiness and have true affections for
all others.
Love is refusing to
do anything that could prove injurious to others.
Love is doing things
to promote the welfare, and the comfort, and the interests of others
whether they appreciate it or not.
Love is personal and
will show the real worth of that person who is so loved.
Love is taking
action to show this love to all others.
This is the love God
has shown to those who live throughout His creation!
1Jn 4:8 He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved,
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Let this sink in for
a moment.
This is the message
of the Bible that we have learned from the beginning!
*****1Jn 3:11 For
this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should
love one another.
This is the very
first lesson we need to learn after receiving our Savior!
For those who do not
understand why God does what He does, then this is His reason!
We live in a world
where it seems that almost everyone is looking for love.
Those not looking
for love are looking to instill hatred, because they have never known
what love means.
One group looks for
love in the wrong places, and the other group denies that there can
be such love yet, God's only answer is that we must love one another.
When the Apostle
John became so weak, he could hardly preach, he had only one message
that he repeated over and over until his church got tired of hearing
about the love of God.
The church of today
has become tired of hearing John 3:16!
How did John
respond? John said it is the Lord's first command and that is a good
enough reason to keep preaching about the love of God.
After all, when we
obey the commandments of God, we show we love Him.
If we grow tired of
God's love, then how can see say He is our Father?
How could we ever
grow tired of the love of our Heavenly Father?
Love is God's
message and love is the message God gave to His Son!
What happens when
love ceases to exist?
*****1Jn 3:12 Not
as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And
wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his
brother's righteous.
The truth is, those
who live of hatred are of the wicked one! The wicked one is the
Devil, Satan, the Deceiver, the evil one, the Antichrist!
It was Cain who
committed the very first murder upon this earth!
It was Cain who
first spilled the blood of an innocent human being!
It was Cain who
first showed the results of hatred, to a world who had never seen
such a thing!
It was Cain who
showed the results of evil works from the mind of a human being!
Why was Abel chosen
by Cain to show this hatred? Because Abel had tried his best to be
obedient to God and Cain openly showed his parents that he was not
going to believe what God had to say!
You see Adam had
allowed sin into this world and Satan immediately found his first
follower!
Cain was the first
one to reject the truth of God!
Cain was the first
child of the devil!
Joh 8:43 Why do ye
not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of
your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh
of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And
because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Cain was the very
first one who decided to try to put an end to the good works of those
who love the Lord God Almighty!
As humans we cannot
give life so in reality, we have no right to take a life, but
according to the Word of God!
As humans we do have
the ability to reproduce and those who hate life so much, have
decided that they have the power to end these lives!
Reminds us of those
innocent babies who are murdered everyday who have done nothing to
harm anyone!
These things are the
results of Satan inspired hatred!
These things are the
results of a people who hate to see other people try to do good!
We should also see
that Cain started down a path that he could see no means of escape,
and we can be sure that Satan was feeding him these lies, and Cain
never asked God for forgiveness.
Cain began a life of
envy and we see these same things today in our societies, our
politics, our sports and in Hollywood.
Envy leads to
strife, and division and hatred and sometimes murder, as it did with
Cain.
Gal 5:21 Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they
that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and
lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
If we are filled
with God the Holy Spirit, it will show, and the world will hate us
also!
*****1Jn 3:13
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
We see all these
things today in our world and though we mostly mind our own business,
the world will treat us as the enemy and the truth is, if the world
is our enemy, then obviously we are enemies to the world even if we
go about our business not bothering anyone!
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any
man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him
glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17 For the
time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it
first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear?
Our world is not
interested in any form of salvation that does not come by powerful
men who live in this world!
Our world is not
interested in remedies that do not come from some man who are said to
have great scientific minds, or great in philosophy, though they are
only men.
Our world will not
be satisfied until we renounce God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and join
the world in unbelief.
But we have a Savior
who will not give up on the world and this is the message that we are
to give the world!
Jesus has explained
all these things to us, and the Apostle John is just reminding us
that this situation came about when love was rejected, and hatred
began!
These things can
bring a blessing from our Heavenly Father if we stick by the stuff of
Jesus Christ!
Luk 6:22 Blessed
are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you
from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as
evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye
in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in
heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
When we cling to the
love of God and show that love to others no matter what the world is
doing, then we can understand why the Scriptures gives us these
words!
*****1Jn 3:14 We
know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
First: The first
proof that we have passed from "physical death" to
"spiritual life" (Born Again) is because we love all the
brethren of the Church!
Adam represents all
those in the physical world and Jesus represents all those in the
spiritual world, of which every believer has become a part of!
We are no longer
bound by the law of death, but live by the law of life that is in
Christ Jesus!
We have left that
state of condemnation and live by in the state of justification!
If we cannot now
love all our brothers and sisters in Christ, then we have not made
this change and the Holy Spirit does not live in us!
It takes a
regeneration by the Holy Spirit to know the true love of God!
We cannot even
please God, until His Spirit of life lives within us!
Rom 8:8 So then
they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are
not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
And we must count it
a privilege to be a part of the family of God and have so many
brothers and sisters in Christ!
The early church
began with this understanding!
Act 4:32 And the
multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:
neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed
was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:33 And with
great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Though circumstance
were far different in the days of the early church, we must remember,
our God does not ever change!
All those who do
great religious works, but do the wrong works are still dead!
Rev 3:1 And unto
the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that
hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works,
that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to
die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
We may think God is
not paying attention to us, but we will be fooled when the Lord
returns!
If we retain any
hatred for our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter where they
are or what denomination they abide in, how can we say we belong to
the Lord ourselves?
*****1Jn 3:15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
The truth is "love
does not hate"!
This does not mean
we have to agree with everyone because we must stick to the truth of
God!
When we have all
sorts of negative feelings against others in the church, then we are
not expressing the love of God!
Some of these
negative feelings would be things like, dislike, anger, bitterness,
envy, jealousy, resentment, irritability.
When we hate, we are
in the same class of people as murderers!
We could say, well
John is going just a little too far, but what did Jesus say?
Mat 5:21 Ye have
heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say
unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall
say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23 Therefore
if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
We see Jesus went a
little further and said God the Father will not hear your prayers,
and the Lord our Advocate will not defend us, as long as we are
guilty of any sort of hatred!
Love is the only
security against hatred!
Pro 10:12 Hatred
stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
What is our greatest
example of the love of God?
*****1Jn 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for
us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Unless we forget, we
were all dirty rotten sinners when the Lord died for our sins.
We could say well,
we were not even born at that time of the Cross.
Then we would be
limiting the Omniscience of God, who knew us all before we were even
born!
I know that the Lord
Jesus Christ would have died just for me!
Think upon that for
a moment!
Jesus the Messiah
took all sin upon Himself and took it to Hell where it all belongs!
If we love God, then
we will follow His Son. We will love other people just as He did!
This does not mean
we will love their sinful ways. In fact we must place all our hatred
upon sin without placing hatred upon that person!
Even when a sinner
rejects the Lord Jesus Christ it does not change the love God has for
them!
God will just honor
the choices we make because He loves us!
This we must do
also!
We must plead and
beg and teach our children and grandchildren, and then honor their
choices, but we must never stop loving them!
We must still not be
a part of their sinful lifestyle!
If we cannot love
those that oppose us, then how can we say we have the love of Jesus
Christ?
Joh 10:17 Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again.
Joh 10:18 No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father.
Before we go home to
be with the Lord can we truly say, " Father, I will give you my
life for my children or for my grandchildren"!
Jesus has already
given us the power to lay our life down and the power to pick it back
up again.
Now this does not
mean anything about suicide or any such thing as that. It does mean
are we spiritually willing to go to the extreme to save our children
and our family!
Do we have that
sacrificial love for our family?
Are we willing to
pick our cross up daily and follow the Lord in all circumstances?
Are we truly in the
will of our heavenly Father?
Are we considerate
of the needs of others?
*****1Jn 3:17 But
whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love
of God in him?
1Jn 3:18 My little
children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and
in truth.
What is one of the
greatest traits of love? Compassion! (Pity)
What are "the
world's good"? Notice this does not say the world’s “goods”,
though it would include some of the world’s goods which make up the
necessities of life.
The "good"
things of the world are those things that comply with moral law.
The world, in its
own way can show compassion at many times such as in the devastation
of the recent hurricanes.
Today, it is not so
much in sharing the things you have, but for the most part, the
requests are for money to specific agencies who will keep more of
that money than they will use.
For us of the Church
it remains better to give to the Church and such Church agencies that
can be trusted.
There will always be
the poor amongst us, and these are those who are poor in worldly
good!
The world's "good"
could be said to be things that are useful, things that produce a
good effect, things that have a value to life and things that are
valuable to life.
These things could
be said to be the basic needs for life!
God says:
Isa 58:6 Is not
this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that
ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not
to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that
are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Is there a benefit
to doing these things?
Isa 58:11 And the
LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought,
and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
You see this is
another form of laying down your life for someone else!
So these may not be
spiritual things, but they may lead to us being able to share
spiritual things!
Or how can we look
upon the face of God, if we turn our faces away from those who have a
need that we are able to supply?
We know that John is
preaching to the Church and certainly those should come first, but
God's love extends to all those in His creation!
We wonder why God
does not answer our prayers sometimes, and John gives us another
reason and another lesson in, Are We Who We Say We Are?
1Ti 6:17 Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor
trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us
richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they
do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute,
willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up
in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
So the question
remains, Do We Really Love God, As He Loves Us?
Are we expected to
empty the Church coffers to help all those in our area? I believe the
monies we give are for the maintenance of the church, the salaries of
those who are needed, and for the church outreach. I believe we owe
it to the Lord to use every means possible to spread the Gospel and
make disciples. I also believe we need some monies in place for hard
times just as all good stewards.
I also believe it
would not hurt to have some monies and some people, set aside to help
those in need especially those of the church and according to the
Word of God those needs are the necessities of life and not cars and
not homes and not, other worldly things.
In other words
strictly monitored!
If we are to follow
all the Word of God, then certainly we must show the love that God
has shown to us, in giving us His Son the Giver of Life and Life
Eternal!
Are we following the
Gospel truth?
*****1Jn 3:19 And
hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts
before him.
This is something
that we need to settle in our hearts. We must know that we are of the
truth, and that truth is Jesus Christ!
You see God cannot
be fooled because He can see deep into our heart and He knows if we
are real or not!
We can be sure that
He that created all things, also knows all things!
God has a perfect
knowledge and we do not have a clue what perfect really means,
because we base perfection on the things of this world and there is
nothing perfect in this world beyond that Saint of God who has
departed this world to go home and the perfect Word of God!
But we need to
strive for perfection and the regular attendance to a Bible believing
Church is one way to do this!
Heb 10:22 Let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let
us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the
day approaching.
When our hearts are
pure and striving for perfection, God will always be there to walk
with us in the cool of the day, but also in the heat of the day!
*****1Jn 3:20 For
if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth
all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved,
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
If deep down in our
heart, we know what we do is wrong, then how can we expect God to
believe that we are right?
If our own
conscience condemns us, how can we expect God not to condemn the
things we do?
There is nothing
that we can hide from God! Absolutely nothing!
And for those who
are just playing Church, they need to wake up and get real with God
and our Savior!
All those who think
they can cling to their sin and get prayers answered, need to wake
up!
At the same time,
when we are deep into our own unworthiness and still possess the love
of God for all our brethren, then God will give us the confidence
that we are lacking because God can see into our heart knowing the
truth of our being!
We can also know
that we will have periods of doubts and fears, and God will never
condemn us even of these things!
You see God
certainly can see our sins, but God also knows our temptations, our
struggles, our sorrows and our love.
God knows what we go
through in our life and in our Christian life.
Heb_2:18 For in
that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour
them that are tempted.
God knows how to
deliver us from every obstacle we face in all our lifetime!
Joh 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.
It is when we do all
these things as best that we know how, that when we pray, we can
expect an answer to the prayer, if what we ask is within the will of
God for our lives.
There is nothing God
is not prepared to give His children, When We Please Him!
*****1Jn 3:22 And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his
commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
The way to obtain a
clean heart, is to walk in the commandments of God!
The way to get
prayers answered, is to do things that are pleasing to God!
Things that please
God must include our faith in the works of Jesus Christ!
Things that please
God, is faith that he is God and there is no other!
Heb 11:6 But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
To please God we
must join the Army of God!
2Ti_2:4 No man that
warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may
please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
To please God then
we must be more like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Joh_8:29 And he
that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do
always those things that please him.
These are all simple
things, but they all require that we give up our old life.
None of these things
are available to us until we have been "Born Again" into
new life!
None of these things
will work for us until we accept the Lord Jesus Christ!
*****1Jn 3:23 And
this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he
that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And
hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath
given us.
All those who say
they do not know what God expects from us, just need to read this
passage.
Every Church in
every denomination that would allow evil men to dictate lies, need to
read this passage to know the truth.
Every soul that has
doubts about their salvation, need to read this passage.
All those who want
to know the truth of the Holy Spirit, need to read this passage.
All those who trust
in the Lord can have assurance, if we read this passage!
All those who want a
clean heart, can only have one by and thru the Holy Spirit, which
comes only by Jesus Christ!
Are there other ways
to please God? No!
Amen
Let's Pray!