How to Know You’re Saved

SCRPTURE READING: Isaiah 6:1-8

Well good morning. It’s great to be here with you today. If you have a bible open go ahead and turn to Romans chapter 8. That’s where we’re gonna be this morning. While you’re turning there, can we give a shout out to any of our first time guests this morning? We’re glad you’re here – welcome to The Corners Chapel.

My name is Chase, I serve as the lead pastor here and I’m so excited to dive into the Word with you today.

Before we do, just a couple things I want to let you know. First...and this is huge – especially if you weren’t in here during announcements...we are so blessed to be able to meet here at the Nordonia High School on most Sundays...but next Sunday is one of the Sundays where we can’t be here due to the Spring musical. So first of all, shout out to the Bollings and the Rails who are in that musical...we’re wishing you guys the best...but for everybody else....it’s home group Sunday.

- Explain & Mention Pastor Beneditio

Okay, so let’s do a little call and response...turn to your neighbor and say “Neighbor...next week is Home Goup Sunday...so don’t show up for church at the Nordonia High School.”

Now turn to your other neighbor and say, “Other neighbor, next week is Home Group Sunday, and if you don’t have a Home Group, go to the outlet after service and find the Fuhrys. And they’ll get you plugged in.”

One more thing...even if you aren’t able to worship with a Home Group, I want to encourage you to watch the full service, and to check out the Discussion Questions online that will be in the description of the video on youtube and it’ll be on our sermon page. Okay....so if you have any questions ar all, please come ot the outlet – our email us at [e-mail].

Sound good? Okay, well as we prepare to dive into the Word, let’s turn to the author...

PRAY

Well, let me start with a...poll of sorts...who here...raise your hand, even though I can’t really see you all that well with the lights...but raise your hand if you would consider yourself to be afraid of heights. – Will, how many?

Okay....so a decent parentage...I wouldn’t say that I’m terrified of heights....but I’m liking them less and less. (pause) A couple weeks ago, my family traveled down to Nashville, TN for spring break and we were all in a hotel, and we were on the top floor of the hotel and the elevator was one of the glass ones...and I don’t know I didn’t love looking out of it while we were going up...and I didn’t really want my kids close to the banister looking down into the lobby.

Plus I made the mistake of telling our three year old son not to throw our room key over the edge and so he kept acting like he was gonna do it. He didn’t, but he wanted us to think he would. (pause) Who gives the room key to a three year old? This guy.

Anyway, why am I talking about hieghts...well, this week, in our study through Romans – we are reaching the height of the book of Romans. The glorious summit of the book of If you will, and so...this is an exciting Sunday especially if you’ve been with us since the start of this series because in many ways this week begins the climactic high point of this series.

If you’re a guest with us, then I want you to know that our church has dedicated all of 2025 minus the summer months to journeying through the book of Romans....and we’ve said every week, that the book of Romans is the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian belief in the whole bible. And let me just say...for those of you who are members or regular attenders...i don’t say this every week because I think you can’t remember.

But because it’s my hope that we always remember. Does that make sense? It’s my hope..That after an entire year of our life hearing this same sentence week after week...when we encounter moments in our faith when we start to doubt...because we will...or if we are around new Christians who want to know the basics of Christianity....we can remind ourselves and we can tell others...this is by no means an easy book...but if you want to know the basics of the Christian faith... the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans is systematically laying out the basics...like he’s arguing for a case.

Right, I mentioned at the very start of this series that the book of Romans...a loooong time ago was actually used in law schools. Not because the law schools necessarily believed the contents of the book, but because Paul is strategically and systematically building his case to the new Christians in Rome.

They didn’t have an established church, and he’s writing...next slide....to primarily show them two elements of the faith. (pause) Number one....what is is that Christians believe. What is basic Christian doctrine...and number two how should Christians live.

And – again – all the way back in the introductory message to this series at the start of this year...you might remember....maybe not, but that’s okay, but I said that we could kind of think of the book or Romans like climbing a mountain.

Now, I know we used similar imagery a few weeks ago for talking about our services. Right, we said that we like to think of our services like climbing a mountain – from the Call to Worship at the start of service to the Benediction at the end. So, I don’t want to confuse you by using the same image...and actually side note....shout out to you guys...ever since I mentioned that in the service about the importance of being in here in the Worship Center for our Call to Worship, I’ve noticed a differences, so thank you....and shout out to you all...I want you to know that that’s been noticed by me and our leadership team that there’s more people in here at the start of our service....

But anyway, to risk mixing metaphors...not only are our services similar to climbing a mountain, but the book of Romans has been compared to a mountain ascent as well – wtih the great Romans 8 being the high point or the summit of the mountain.

Now...what’s interesting...if you’ve ever climbed a mountain, you probably know...most people unless it’s a race or something...you don’t just go up to the top – touch the top and go back down right. You usually stay at least for a few moments at the top. You take a selfie...eat a snack maybe...drink some water than you begin the decent.

Okay, stick with me...Romans 8 is the Summit of the mountain – but then Paul doesn’t immediately begin his decent...he stays for a while at the top in this section– chapters 9 through 11...and it’s in this section that he talks about God’s sovereignty AND this is where the Apostle Paul really unpacks God’s plans for the Nation of Israel.

Okay, so I share this now...only so you know where we’re heading, and that’s why this is in a different color – we’re gonna do a little mini-series after Easter called The Land where we’re gonna dive into those waters..so I’m teasing that out now, just so you know we’re not just gonna finish Romans 8 and then immidiatly begin the decent...no we’re gonna stay at the top for a while, and then do the back half of the book in the fall...okay so that’s where we’re heading....but for now....we’re reached the Summit in Romans 8...and let me just quickly remind us of the context that immediately surrounds us and then we’ll dive in to this amazing chapter.

Again, Paul started back in Chapter 1 by talking about the righteous wrath of God. (pause) He brought all of humanity into the courtroom of God, and found that whether people were ungodly and new it, whether they thought they were morally good people, whether they thought they were religious...whatever it is...Romans 3:23 – all have sinned....and fallen short of God’s standard of perfection....right, we’ve all fallen short of his glory because even a little sin creates an infinite chasm between us and a Holy God. (pause) That’s the bad news.

The Good news? God sent his son Jesus to pay the penalty for sin as a propitiation....remember that’s a nig long hard word that means a sacrifice to appease God....he sacrificed his son...so that if we believe in him we don’t get the punishment we deserve – may we never get tired of hearing that. And so we spent a few weeks unpacking justification and what that means and then we came to Romans 6 and 7.

And over the course of these two chapters – for the last three Sundays, we’ve seen that Paul is addressing two common, yet dangerous responses to the good news of Salvation, They are: Lawlessness...and Legalism.

Right, the first erroneous response to the news of Slavation, is to think...okay we’re saved by Jesus...it doesn’t matter how we live. We can do whatever we want and just...it’s covered by the blood right? That’s one error...and the other is to think that as a response fo the news of our salvation – we can somehow achieve perfection on this side of heaven,,,and...we boil the Christian life down to list a does and don’ts, and Paul, the great Apostle ends Romans 7 with this cry that the law – that legalism still won’t do anything for us...and with great awareness, and lament of his imperfection before God he cries out “O wretched man that I am, who will save me from this body of Death!!” And he ends chapter 7 by saying, I know Jesus saved me...but I’m still living in the tension of this already-not-yet world where I’m saved....but I’m still struggling with the reality of sin, while I await the promises of heaven where sin will be no more! (pause) Isn’t that all of our story if we’re in Christ? (pause) So what do we do? We’re left with a cliffhanger of sorts as we close Romans 7.

But then we come to Romans 8. The Summit of Mt Romans.

And let me just give you a few quotes on what people have said about Romans chapter 8. Just to highlight it’s significance.

One commentary I use said this is the introductory pages of Romans 8– quote –“We have arrived at the chapter of Scripture many call the greatest, which is part o the book that many call the greatest, an which contains the verse many call the greatest. The book of is of course, Romans. The Chapter 8. And the verse is 28.

Okay, so that should wet our appetite right away, right? We’re in many peoples favorite book, and this is their favorite chapter...and many they’re favorite verse is verse 28 which is the mazing reminder that all things work together for the God of those who love God, amen.

Next...the 17th century Lutheran pastor, Phillip Spener, put it this way in a very poetic sense. He said - If the Bible was a ring and the book of Romans its precious stone, chapter 8 would be the sparkling point of the jewel. That sentence is so much happier than he looks.

A few more here... the late great theologian J.I. Packer, author of Knowing God, said “Romans 8 is the Everest of the New Testament and a high peak of all biblical writing.”

John piper – who we’ve quoted countless times in this series...a man who in many ways built his whole ministry around the book of Romans said this about Romans 8. There is no chapter that more explicitly and repeatedly juxtaposes the necessary horrors of our suffering with the utterly assured grandeur of our glory.

And if you’re not convinced....by all those esteemed men throughout the history of the church...our very own Pastor Valmir...when we met this week he said, Romans 8 is amazing.

So, if the others didn’t convince you...Pastor Valmir can testify to this.... But catch this...and I know you might be thinking....okay if it’s so great, lets finally look at it....and we’re just about to....but The reason I’m dwelling on this...and the reason chapter 8 is so loved by many throughout the history of the church...is because it gives us both assurances for as well as reasoning for how we can know we’re Christians.

Today’s message is called How to Know You’re Saved.

And what I want to do for the rest of our time together this morning, using just the first 17 verses of this chapter, I want to give you “Two life Altering Truths” for the Believer. And with each of these truths, I want to give you the claim, the reason it’s true, and the evidence that shows us it’s true. And then I want to show why this matters for every single one of us in this room today as we’ll get into some practical application.

Alright, so that’s where we’re heading so let’s finally turn to what many call the Greatest Chapter in the Bible. And we’re gonna start in verse 1.

TRUTH #1

Romans 8..verse 1. Okay here we go...this is one of those verses that carries with it the weight of eternity... Nathan kicked us off by reading from Isaiah 6, and Isaiah’s declaration that he stands unclean in the presence of God’s holiness...that’s how I feel as we come to this verse.

So let’s read this outload together: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Again.)...Let’s read it one more time.

I say this is a lot....but if you write in your bible...this is a verse you should have underlines...circled...starred...something. (pause) In Fact, this is a verse we should all have memorized.

Because...what this is saying...is that if...you...are in...Christ...there is NO...everybody say No...If you are you in Christ..there is..NO...chance of being condemned!

Brothers and sisters, does this statement...this truth claim that the Apostle Paul is making, does it not bring peace to your soul?!

Let’s break this down. He says there is therefore....okay whenever we come to the word therefore in scripture...we know he’s referring back to something...right? We have to ask what’s the therefore, there for...so the question is what is he referring back to?

And, let me just say, commentators are split on this. Some think he’s referring back to just the immediate verses at the end of chapter 7...others think he’s going all the way back to chapter 1...like in light of everything I’ve said about sin about justification through faith...here’s what you need to know...and that could be the case.

I think it makes the most sense in light of the structure of this book, that as he’s in this section on sanctification, he’s referring back to what he’s said in chapters 6 and 7.

Okay, this is not just my view, this is the view held by John Piper as well as the 20th century Scottish Theologian John Muarry who wrote a lot on this...and a lot of ink has been spilled on this debate...I don’t find it necessarily that interesting...but I did come across one commentator in this whole debate that I think is a little bit helpful.

He said, “It seems Murray is correct – that Paul is tying the therefore to chapters 6 and 7. Why do you think this Mr. Commentator...well he says it’s because – quote – and don’t miss this...He says . “The power of sin believers are delivered from is its condemning power. Not the power of sin to manifest or tempt or gain a temporary appeal through the flesh. Does that make sense? Paul has just said we’re still gonna struggle...we’re still gonna fall short...we’re still gonna do things that completely go against our new nature as slaves to Christ...BUT...despite that truth...we will not face condemnation when we stand before God!

Does that mean sin doesn’t matter! No! Does it mean we don’t have to live every second wondering if the sin we committed today is the big one that will kick us out of the family of God. Yes! We don’t have to live like that?

Because there’s....NO! Condemnation!

Can I be real with you all. You know why I’m so passionate about eternal security...and the truth that we can’t lost our salvation? (pause) Like other than because that’s what spelled out In this verse? Because I used to really struggle with it. Because like I said last week, the more you grow in Christ the more bothered you are by your own sin.

And I used to really question – like how am I still l struggling in this area in light of being a Christian. And how do I know I won’t get to heaven and hear God just go, dude I gave you 7,451 chances in this area and you kept messing up. Not to mention the other 6,973 problem areas in your life. And I would pray...over and over again...God I know I already asked you into my heart...and prayed for salvation....but in case that last one didn’t cover it...let me ask oen more time.

And it wasn’t until much later in my walk that I realized I was praying prayers pleading over and over again for salvation – to avoid condemnation – when really what I was experiencing as a believer was the prodding of the Spirit within leading to pray prayers of repentance.

Does that make sense? Romans 8....there is therefore – even though the struggle is real – there is NO Condemnation....what’s the second part of the verse...FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS!

What does that mean? Well, I said last week, to be a Christian means to be – in Christ. That you are covered by the sacrifice that he made. (pause) That when God looks at you he doesn’t see your imperfection he sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus! (pause) And for that to happen...you lean wholly...remember we said all the way back in Romans 3 and 4 that’s what faith is...is you lean on...you trust wholly in not what you’ve done...not your work...not your obedience to the law...not your church attendance record...but you trust wholly in the finished work of Jesus! (pause) That you believe that he died the death that you should have died because of your sin...and as a result you get the rewards HE earned.

That’s what it means to be in Christ! (pause) And so....what this verse is saying is that if you’re in Christ...there is no condemnation for you!

Now, what this verse is also implicitly saying is that if you’re not in Christ, there is condemnation for you. (pause) But if you are...then you don’t have to live every day wondering if hell awaits you on the other side of the grave!

And so...brothers and sisters...if you are a Christian...if you are in Christ...have you put your name in this verse? Like...is this theoretical and theological? Or is this personal.

Let’s read this out loud all together now...putting our name in the blank here... There is therefore now no condemnation for _______ because I am in Christ Jesus. One more time...even if your watching or listening online...lets say this out loud.... There is therefore now no condemnation for _________ because I am in Christ Jesus.

But again, this is only true if you’re in Christ Jesus. (pause) So if you don’t know what that means...before you leave here today, go to our prayer table in the back, our come to the outlet in the lobby..or come join me in Corners 101 later...there’s nothing I or any of our other leaders would love more than to talk to you about what it means to be in Christ, and for you to leave with that assurance.

Okay...now, don’t worry, I said we’d spend the most of our time in the first claim so we’ll move much quicker through the next verses, but here’s our first claim: IF WE ARE IN CHRIST, WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE.

Does that give a silence to sin? No...Romans 6. Does that mean we have to be perfect this side of heaven? No, Romans 7. But what about the people who claim to be Christians and then live just like the world? Or those who used to profess faith and walked away?

Well, I said I had two claims this morning, and with each one there’s a reason for it and evidence. (pause) because Paul, in his writing, he makes these claims, but then he also gives reasoning and evidences to back it up. And so the reason he gives as he’s building his case that there is no condemnation for the believer...and that we can rest in our eternal security...is because the Spirit is in us if we’re in Christ! The Spirit is in those who are in Christ!!

Just listen to these verses. Romans 8 verse 2

2 For...or that could because...he’s giving reasoning to his claim in verse 1...the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Okay, that’s a little bit confusing wording...I think the NLT helps when it says “And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” So he’s saying...you’re not condemned because of the Spirit that’s in you....verse 3

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Okay, again, I know the wording can sound complicated...but essentially this is the Gospel in two verses isn’t it? We can’t keep the law because of the stain of sin that’s on all of us...so what dd God do? He sent Jesus...he came down as a human and defeated sin and death withi his perfection – and so now...this is remarkable...don’t miss this...he actually says now the requirement of the law is fulfilled in us when we walk in the Spirit!

Do you get that? We’re talking about things we won’t fully be able to grasp on this side of heaven, but all this talk in the past seven chapters have been about sin...and how even though we’re in Christ we’ll still struggle in this life...and then what’s he say here...he says that we can actually meet the requirement of the law – what’s the requirement of the law? Perfection. And Paul says we can meet that...when we walk in the spirit!

Paul are you contradicting everything you just said?!! No. Brothers and sisters let me put it plainly...if you are in Christ....you have the spirit living in you. And conversely, the you only have the Spirit living in you if you are in Christ. (pause) And if you are in Christ...God sees you the same way he sees his son Jesus...perfect...spotless..and righteous....and because of that when you stand before him...you will not be condemned. But the only way this is true...is if you have the Spirit living in you...and the only way you have the spirit living in you is if you’re in Christ.

So how do you know, if you have The Holy Spirit living in you? Well next he gives the evidences...look at verse 5.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Okay, again, that’s a lot...but here’s what I want you to know...the evidence of knowing that the Spirit is in you is that your desires change. (repeat)

Again, don’t hear me saying what I’m not saying. I’m not saying we won’t continue to struggle with temptation And I’m not saying that every sin struggle we face we’ll no longer face those struggles or anything like that...Do you remember the story of Daniel...we always think of his victory in the Lions Den, like he was a teenager or maybe in his 20s. No, when we walked through Daniel as a church all those years ago...most of you weren’t here yet, so I don’t expect you to remember....but we made a big deal about the fact he was probably in his 80s.

He faces the biggest temptation to undo all that he had done at the end of his life. And yes, that’s Old Testament...The Spirit didn’t dweal in all believers the same way he does now in the age of the church, but I think it’s a good reminder, that temptation – while God might and does gives us victory over certain sin struggles – you don’t age out of temptation.

But look at verse 5 again.... those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Again, I think the NLT helps out here, it says: And listen closely to what it’s saying.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

So what this is showing us is that the evidence of being in Christ...os the desire to please him! That’s the difference between being outside of Christ and being in Christ...right, in verse 8 when it says those in the flesh can’t please God, it’s not saying they can’t do anything good. Again, things that are seen as good – unbelievers can do those right?

You don’t have to be a Christian to give to the needy...to feed the hungry...to stand up for justice...to go to church...or any of that. But what’s the heart behind it? Is it done out of a response to the saving power of Jesus...and saying my life’s been changed....I want to live for him!! I desire Him...not just what he can give me but Him!!! That’s not the mark of the unbeliever! Only those filled with the Spirit desire to please God not because of what we can get but because of who he Is! And what we know he’s done for us, namely bringing us into his family.

Which leads to truth claim number 2.

Actually...before I share truth claim number 2...quick story...do you guys know the brothers Charles and John Wesley? Not like do you know them personaly, they’ve been dead for 250 years...but they were brothers...both were ministers, and John Wesley is often credited with being the founder of the Methodist denomination...but here’s what not a lot of people know...they were actually not Christians when they became ministers. Like they knew things theolgocially...they taught people...but their heart hadn’t been pierced by the Gospel. It was just a job.

Well, Charles Wesley wrote a lot of hymns in his life. Like over 6000...some we still sing like Hark the Harled Angels Sing...and one we’re about to sing in a bit...that’s called How Can It Be. And there’s a line in that hymn that’s on the screen where Wesley describes his conversion, and I think it’s powerful...and also I want to explain it because we’re gonna sing it in a bit, and I want us to know what we’re actually singing. He says:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature's night;

What’s that mean...it means because of sin...like just because our nature, we were in darkness, and we were imprisoned by sin...and there’s nothing we could do on or own to get out of that...it was like we were in a dungeon. But what happened?

Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray – we don’t use that language...but what he’s saying is that God, as only he could do....he illuminated the heart of Wesley in the dungeon...like the image it’s poetic, but you can almost think of a beam of light straight from God’s eyes to Wesleys dark heart...and what happened?

I woke, the dungeon was now flamed with light! And he goes on to say My chains fell off and my heart was free!! We are way to quiet right now if that’s our testimony! Is this anyone else’s story? That we were in the dungeon of sin and death...maybe it was addiction...maybe it was anxiety...maybe it was anger...maybe it was the pursuit of wordly status or financial gain....and that was driving you...and maybe the temptations have not been completely removed...and the remnants of the flesh show their ugly head from time to time, but you are no longer enslaved...you are no longer in the chains of the dungeon because your chains have falled off and your heart is free...and so what does Wesley say...he says so I rose and went forth and followed Thee!!

Do you see it? The following is not what led to his conversion it was the evidence of it! When the Spirit illuminated his heart...he couldn’t help but to follow him! (pause) Because of what he did for us...and now...truth number three because he brings us into his family!!

And so, claim number two is this: If you are in Christ, you’re not only saved, you get to share in Christ’s inheritance!

Because, if we were saved from wrath and condemnation...thats amazing news...that’s life altering jaw dropping news, right? But that’s not the end of the story! We’re not just saved by Jesus, but we get to be part of his family!

Let me just read the last five verses of this section, and we’ll see the other two subpoints.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Again, he’s not talking about losing your salvation here...he’s saying...another way of saying what he’s again saying when you put it all together that those in Christ will walk in the Spirit, and those who walk in the flesh are not in Christ. So it’s not like Christian you can start walking in the flesh...you can’t. You can stumble...but you can’t be controlled by the flesh...or you his words you can’t live your whole life according to the flesh...because the spirit’s in ou...and again, the evidence of that is...verse 14 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

So here’s our reason for claim number two...we get Christ’s rewards, why...because we’re adopted into his family!

Is adoption not just an incredible picture of the Gospel? Being brought into the family. Once apart and unknown...now – known, loved and cherished! To know we don’t just get to be slaves of Christ...we are...and we talked about how that’s a badge of honor because he’s a good and perfect King, but we get to call him Abba Father!!! This is a personal term...it’s more than just father...it’s like a Child calling their Father “Dad.” Because of what we’ve done?! No. Again, adoption is such an incredible image of the Gospel because the child being adopted is not the initiator of the relationship, right? No. It originates from outside the child’s control as a loving parent or parents bring them into the family!

Brothers and sisters hear me...if you are in Christ you have been spared from the penalty of sin...Romans 8:1 and you have been adopted into the family of God! O for Romans 8:1 and Romans 8:15 to be pillars on which we stand!

And what’s the evidence of this claim well here it is: The Spirit is continually transforming your life.

Look at the last two verses.

16 The Spirit himself – I love this personal wording here...the Spirit’s not just like a force like Star Wars or something. He’s not an It. He’s the third person of the Trinity! And Paul says He bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,

So again... having the Spirit in us...that’s the testament of genuine faith.

And I think we’d love it if the verse ended right there wouldn’t we. But it doesn’t. Verse 17...we’re his children...fellow heirs with Christ...

provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

And this leads into the next section of this wonderful chapter...Verses 18-30, which Pastor Benedito will unpack for us next week...but here’s our application.

This is why this matters for us today – FOLLOWERS OF JESUS SHOW EVIDENCE OF FAITH IN JESUS.

Again, the evidence is not the cause of it...it’s not what makes us followers...but if we are...then we’ll show evidence of it. I heard this put in just an amazing way a couple weeks ago...anybody know Josh Keyes. He’s on the guitar for us...awesome guy.

Well, his Dad is a Pastor..down in Cincinatti...Amanda and I went to visit their church and they’re also going through Romans! And he said something amazing...yet haunting. And I wanted to share it this morning.

But I didn’t have a picture of him....so I figured I’d just add a few years to Josh and call him Father Josh. But here’s what he said. He said, “To profess our faith, does not mean we possess our faith.”

That’s powerful isn’t it? But it’s haunting. Or it should be. The profession that I am in Christ is not what makes me in Christ...there has to be evidence. Again, not to cause saving faith...and I know their might be questions – what about death bed conversions...what about...you know we can spend all the time talking about the extremes and there’s a place for that...but what I’m talking about is for the believer who’s in Christ – over time...there should be evidence of their faith! I can’t rememeber if I’ve shared this or not, but it was my mom I got this from – she told me that even the theif on the cross...showed evidence of his faith. Because first he was making of Jesus with the other guy...but then he changed...something changed him internally and there was external evidence.

And so....as we close...let me just life five of these evidences. Again, this is not meant to be exhaustive...and this is not a list og things we should strive for in order to be saved....but if we’r in Christ, we should possess these five. And I’m just gonna read them and not spend a lot of time on each one.

One, we need to Take sin seriously. The Puritani John Owen said it best...Be Killing Sin or Sin will be killing you. If you don’t take sin seriously...that could be an evidence that you posess faith, but don’t possess it.

Two, Rest in the finished work of Jesus. This has to follow the first one! Because it’s easy to have the Romans 7 mentality of Paul where we hate our sin...but end up being so preoccupied with it that we forget Jesus died for that sin we hate!

Number three – love the local church. The church is called the bride of Christ, right? And there’s a lot of mess in the church at large and in every local church – ours is no exception. But Jesus loves the church...and so should we! This is why we should seek to connect outside of just Sundays... And so again, let me just say this is why I want to encourage you to not just sleep in and watch Home Group Sunday online next week on your own, but go to a group...or invite people over to your house. The church is more than just Sunday...and one of the evidences of the Spirit working in your life is a growing love for the Bride of Christ.

Four, Embrace a faith-fueled expectation of trials This could be a whole sermon...and it will be next week....but this doesn’t mean seek out trials. This doesn’t mean we’re pesemists...it means we know what the Bible says, and we have confidence that despire our trials and hardships there is a day coming when God will make all things new, which leads to number 5

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We should Long for heaven and the glory of God.

Which brings us back to where we started at the very beginning, with Isaiah’s vision into heaven. The more we grow in Christ – I mentioned last week we should have a growing hatred of the sin within, but we should also have an increased longing for heaven and to see God receive the glory he deserves! To praise him!

To say, yeah I’m a man or a woman of unclean lips and I’m in the midst of a people of unclean lips...but the God I serve loved me so much, he sent His son to die...and because I have faith in him I don’t have to fear being condemned! I don’t have to fear the day of judgement because I know I am in Him!

And our prolonged focus on God’s glory and an eternity spent with him and a heart to worship him forever... should increase our assurance that we are His.

CONCLUSION

Well, as our music team comes back up to lead us in a couple more songs, let me end with this.

- Romans 8 is. A great comfort to the belivever, but should be a warning passage to those who are not.