Are you truly saved?

Test of True Faith

1 John 5:13 NKJV

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

was written to know that you have eternal life! We will study this today and test our faith!

Prayer

Salvation and the Gospel are the most important things in our life!

All of our days are fleeting and we all will stand before God and be judged

Some will hear Well done

and some that have continually rejected Grace all of their lives will hear depart from me I never knew you!

Scripture makes it clear who true believers are but in the USA with all of the religious heresy and watered down Gospel and scripture it is often difficult for many to discern.

Many think they are saved because they prayed a prayer and "Locked in" their salvation

Others are truly saved but are so legalistic that they spend their lives doubting their salvation

Only the scriptures can give us clear guidance and confirmation of our Salvation

How do you now you are saved?.......... Because it's so easy to be deceived. On 1 side being non-challant/apathetic and on the other reeking with self righteousness and both are lost. How do we know that were are in the Middle on that STRAIGHT AND NARROW path?

How can we truly Know? Thats the purpose of 1 John....ref 1 John 5:13 written to true believers and gives a Biblical assurance of Salvation.

BUT IT also provides a series of tests to examine our lives and to see if we are truly in the Faith. To see if we are truly saved!

True believers will rejoice at what is made known in this text but Unbelievers will either

a: hear the Word, judge themselves and have a peace because of their hardened hearts or

b: hear the word, judge themselves and their hearts will break because they see they DO NOT KNOW HIM!

So how do we know we are truly saved?

1) Logic/Reason- we can know we are saved based on rational logical thought, such as the Bible promises of John 3:16... we believe in Christ

Do I believe? Do I believe in Jesus alone or in Jesus plus something?

The true believer is a broken person that mourns over sin and only has hope and peace because of Christ and Christ alone!

True believers do not look at themselves or boast in their own righteousness because they know our most righteousness deeds are filthy rags to God!

The true believer says I have nothing but Christ and Christ alone!

Genuine believers can and will doubt their Salvation but will never doubt one truth- Jesus Christ is their only Hope!

2) Another way besides reason is the Witness of the Holy Spirit in our Heart

The primary witness of the Spirit is the great transformation that it is working throughout our life! If God started a work in us and the Spirit is within us....if we are

truly saved then God will complete that work!

There also is a subjective witness of the Spirit----- the supernatural powerful miracle that happened at the time of Salvation....the filling of the Holy Spirit, an assurance a peace, ITS REAL, something happened to me that was more than just emotion. Every true believer will have this testimony.... some may have a more dramatic testimony but all will be supernatural!

The heart and wicked and deceitful and emotions and thoughts can deceive us but we cannot eliminate that supernatural transformation that happens once we are filled with the Spirit of God! The true believer can say with confidence that I was changed that day!

So we see we can Know we are saved by reason/logic and by the witness of the spirit, but there is a 3rd and very important way and that what we will focus on today!

3) THE TEST OF THE SCRIPTURES

First we must understand a central doctrine of our faith the doctrine of REGENERATION, it says salvation is more than just a human decision. When someone is truly saved God changes their nature He changes their heart. God will teach us Himself and write His laws upon our hearts. WE will be his people and He will be our God.

2 Corinthians 5 Paul says if any man be in christ he is a new creation! This is the doctrine of regeneration....

our nature is changed and thus our will is changed. We are born with a fallen sinful nature and our thoughts and actions are fallen and sinful.. The direction of our will is toward evil!

To be saved a man must be regenerated, must be born again into a new creation! Our nature is made new, we are a new creature so our will turns toward God, and our hearts, actions, desires, and thoughts follow! Our hearts are transformed by God! This is beyond just a Human decision this is a supernatural powerful act of God!

John knows this and writes that those that ruly know Christ will live a certain way!

Matthew chapter 7 says we will be known by our fruits!

It doesn't matter how much Scripture you know... People take Matthew chapter 4 and misintrepret it..... where Jesus was tempted by Satin for 40 days how did he defeat the devil? By quoting scripture????? Most church folks would answer this way but NO!!!!! this isn't some magic recite a verse witchcraft! Jesus defeated satin by Obeying the Scriptures He quoted and having Faith in the Father to fulfill the scripture!!!

Its what you do! Its how you live, What is your secret life like?

Now lets look at these tests of from the scriptures:

i) Do you have fellowship with God? 1John 1: 5-6

1 John 1:5–6 NKJV

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

God is light- main idea here is for John to fight gnosticism

gnosticism- teaching that God is not light but is dark in that He is hidden and the common man cannot really know him... only the super spiritual can.

In not knowing him we cant really understand him, we its okay to say I believe in Him but don't' have to follow His ways!!!

John's purpose here is to refute this, he says NO GOD IS LIGHT, GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO ALL MEN AND MADE HIMSELF KNOWN

SO WE CAN AND MUST OBEY HIM!

vs 6: Do we have fellowship with God? If we walk in darkness we are liars and have deceived ourselves!

Walking in darkness is a style of life, our walk in every area of our life, in and out of Church, If our style of life is honest and true and we truly fellowship with God if we truly are saved we will practice our religion every place that we walk!

If not we are liars and walking in darkness! So what is darkness? atheism? witchcraft? demonic? satanism? NO ITS THE OPPOSITE OF LIGHT

LIGHT IS we know God, who He is and what He has commanded!

DARKNESS contradicts this, it contradicts who God is and contradicts what we know about Him and what he has commanded

To walk in darkness is to live a lifestyle that Contradicts the Will of God..... It goes with the flow of the World and the flesh!

Walk is a verb that is in the present tense and is continuous in action!!! Look at it ..... it's not just a moment in time, true believers will sin but will not continuously live a sinful lifestyle!

So do you walk in darkness?

You can still be very moral and do good things but does your lifestyle contradict God's will? Or is it in accordance to God's will?

Test 1 is are you waling according to God's will? Are you in fellowship with God? Does your actions and lifestyle show it?

BASED UPON THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD ARE YOU ASSURED OF YOUR FAITH? DID YOU PASS THIS SCRIPTURAL TEST?

IF WE SAY WE ARE CHRISTIAN YET WALK IN DARKNESS WE ARE LIARS!

Now you may say....... You don't know my heart...... i know that i know that i am saved? I DON'T NEED TO KNOW YOUR HEART, THE HEART IS WICKED AND DECEITFUL AND THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO MAN BUT IT LEADS TO DEATH! If your style of life contradicts God and His will you are a liar and are self deceived. WE SEE HERE A TRUTH IN SCRIPTURE AND IT IS THE SAME FOR ALL PEOPLE!

Listen, we have based our salvation off of a magic prayer, ITS SILLY! Hod do you walk? Do you truly believe? your style of life will reflect it !

II) Are you sensitive to Sin? 1 John 8-10

1 John 1:8–10 NKJV

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

First John is not teaching sinless perfection! Even the most mature and Godly person is still susceptible to sin. What this is teaching is that one of the greatest evidences that a person has truly been saved is that they are sensitive to sin in their lives!

It breaks them ad leads them to repentance and confession!

The true believer will be broken and weep over sins, during alter calls they will be the once coming forward and falling on their faces in repentance before their Holy and righteous God!

But the calloused self righteous carnal wicked church members will be the ones staying still and not moving to repentance. What this shows is the difference between the saved and the lost!

A sensitivity to sin!

When is the last time you were broken and wept over your sins?

Do you even know what I am talking about?

Are you sensitive to sin? If not scripture says you are self deceived...a liar!

What are we watching on TV? What words are we saying? What thoughts are going through our minds? What filth are well consuming? Are we sensitive to these sins? Do we even realize that they are sins?

Gatlinburg pastor- lot of visitors after worship asked all visitors to leave because he had to repent and confess! He was addicted to opioid pills! How did he fall into sin someone asked? he didn't fall into sin He slid into it? Gradually...... slowly! But was he saved???? Based on scripture Yes! Why? He was sensitive to sin and repented!

Are you sliding into sin, gradually more and more... If you keep on going it will show you that you are lost, but if you are sensitive to sin God will guard you and pull you back eventually!!

The word of God is the same for all People LISTEN!!! Test your faith! Are you sensitive to sin?

Isaiah 66:2 NKJV

2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Do you tremble a His word? or do you look for loopholes around it? do you excuse your sin? Do you avoid God's word because it exposes your sins?

TO TRULY BE SAVED AND TO HAVE A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WE MUST ALSO HAVE A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH SIN!

III) Do you keep His Commands? 1 John 2: 3-5

1 John 2:3–5 NKJV

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

Our Gospel here in the USA is weak due to lack of persecution and so many false teachings.. So many believe that are saved because of some prayer they prayed one time as a kid....NO!!!!

WHAT DOES THE WORD OF GOD SAY?

keep his commandments.......walk like the walked!!

We must keep (present tense continual action verb) and keep on keeping on in keeping his commandments!

Those that are opposite and do not do this are liars and are self deceived! This again is not talking about sinless perfection but about our overall lifestyle..... and a lifestyle that only Honors God 1 days a week (Sunday) is not a Godly lifestyle!!!!

If we took your entire life and played it on tv what would be see? A style of life that desires to obey and know God's commandments?

Would we see a life that is broken when we don't obey them?

Or will we see a life that just keeps on keeping on going with the flow of the World around them and yielding to the flesh?

Is your lifestyle marked by an interest in obeying God's will?

Are you in His WORD to learn his commands and His Will?

if not you are a liar and self deceived!

IV) Do you walk as Christ Walked? 1 John 2:6

1 John 2:6 NKJV

6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Walk like Christ walked..... Do you desire to be different and walk like Christ or do you desire to walk like everyone else?

Can your friends and co workers and family members look at your lifestyle and see Christ? Or do you look no different from the world around you?

Im not asking about you needing to rededicate your life I'm talking about repenting and dealing with sin.....Im talking about being saved!!!

V) Do you love other Christians? 1 John 2: 9-11

1 John 2:9–11 NKJV

9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

What is a brother- we should love all people....yes but here John is talking about other believers.... brothers and sisters in Christ

If you do not love other believers in a real and practical way you are lost!

Do you love your brothers and sisters enough to risk your life for them? In this time when a Christian was thrown into prison (for his or her faith) they were not fed .... friends had to bring them food.....if you took a christian food guess what the authorities would know you were a Christian also and you could end up in jail! Do you love your brothers and sisters enough to risk this?

Think of the underground churches in areas today where Christianity is illegal, are you willing to risk you life to share the Gospel and to love and minister and serve other brothers and sisters in Christ? Our Christianity here in the USA is weak because we don't really have to live it out....we can go sit in our comfy churches but now worry about having to risk anything.

Do you love to be with people that love to talk about, worship, and serve God?

Or had you rather be with people that have nothing to do with God ? This will demonstrate what you are!!! Lost or saved!!!

Farm boy story- sheep and pigs, sheep stay in the pasture with other sheep, pigs stay in the mud and muck with other pigs... Believers will stay with other believers and the lost will stay with other lost...... because they are the same, that have similar natures!!! It's who they are!

Now I am not saying that saved folks don't need to associate with the lost and get to know them but when we do our purpose should be evangelism!!

Im saying look at your lifelong lifestyle choices in the company you keep? What does it say about you?

Do you love other Christians? you may say well I go to Church

WELL SO DOES THE DEVIL AND HE RUNS A LOT OF THE CHURCHES IN OUR NATION WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE AT THE CHURCH?

Home may christians are you praying for, are you serving and are you loving?

CONCLUSION: 1 John 2: 15-17

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Death is a reality, life is a vapor....its fleeting. Death is coming soon to us all and then Judgement.. Life is short but eternity is forever. The only that that remains are the Glories of Christ!1

Either we live today like the world and spend eternity in hell or we live for God today and spend eternity with Him!

LISTEN AND QUIT PLAYING AROUND!!! If you want to live like the work and live in the flesh and act like a devil then go out and do that but don't come in here pretending all is alright!! Be honest with your self..

ADULTS BE AN EXAMPLE TO THESE YOUTH AND CHILDREN. I tell them not to compare themselves to other church folks that say they are christian but to compare themselves to God's word and Jesus! But nonetheless church this future generation will compare themselves to you! So stop playing around with this get real and live real and be the example for them!

verse 16! If we are living like the world the love of the father is not in us!

I will leave you will a terrifying verse Matthew 7: 21-23 that sums up todays message!

Matthew 7:21–23 NKJV

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Survey Results!

The Test of True Faith

Intro: How do you know you are truly saved? 1 John 5:13

1) Logic/Reason

2) Holy Spirit's Witness to us

3) The Test of The Scriptures

I) Do you have fellowship with God?

1 John 1:5-6

II) Are you sensitive to sin?

1 John 1: 8-10

III) Do you keep His Commands?

1 John 2:3-5

IV) Do you walk as Christ walked?

1 John 2:6

V) Do you love other Christians?

1 John 2: 9-11

Conclusion

1 John 2:15-17