Blessed Assurance

BLESSED ASSURANCE

I JOHN 3:19

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

We live in a world of uncertainty; this has and always will be. However, there is blessed assurance in Jesus Christ for every faithful believer. The dedicated Christian has knowledge to sustain him in time of trials and battles. He knows who he is, he knows where he stands, and he knows where he is going.

I.                  KNOWLEDGE OF A PERSON; II TIMOTHY 1:12 “FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED…”

A.   NOT JUST CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, WATER BAPTISM, TITHES, ETC.

B.   NOT JUST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHRIST

C.   “I KNOW WHIM I HAVE BELIEVED”

D.   DIVINE REVELATION AS PETER HAD

E.    KNOWING HIM AS THE DOOR OF SAFETY

F.    KNOWING HIM AS THE LIGHT IN A DARKENED WORLD

G.   KNOWING HIM AS BREAD TO YOUR HUNGRY SOUL

H.   KNOWING HIM BRINGS UNSPEAKABLE JOY

II.                KNOWLEDGE OF A SPIRITUAL; EXPERIENCE; I JOHN 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.”

A.   CHANGE – TRANSITION – “PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE

B.   FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM

C.   FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

D.   FROM GLOOM TO GLADDNESS

E.    FROM THE DEATH HOUSE TO THE MANSION OF LIFE

F.    WE KNOW IT “BECAUSE WE LOVE THE BRETHREN”

III.             KNOWLEDGE OF RIGHT DOCTRINE; JOHN 7:17 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”

A.   JESUS WARNS US AGAINST DECEPTION

B.   THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS TO BE RIGHT

C.   PAUL WARNS US ABOUT FOLLOWING ANOTHER GOSPEL

D.   WE CAN KNOW THE RIGHT DOCTRINE “IF WE DO HIS WILL”

E.    THE RIGHT DOCTRINE INCLUDES: NEW BIRTH, BELIEVING THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS DIVINELY GIVEN AND INFALLIBLE, BELIEVING IN THE TRIUNE GOD, THE VIRGIN BIRTH, THE DEATH RESURRECTION, COMING AGAIN, SANCTIFICATION, BAPTISM IN WATER, BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST, HEALING, DELIVERANCE

IV.            KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRITS INDWELLING; I JOHN 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

A.   CHRIST PROMISED BELIEVERS THE SPIRIT

B.   THIS IS AN OVERFLOWING AND KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPERIENCE

C.   IT IS A SCRIPTURAL INJUNCTION; EPHESIANS 5:18 “BE YE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT”

D.   MEN MAY DESTROY CHURCHES, BURN ALL BIBLES, BUT THEY CANNOT REACH THE SPIRIT THAT DWELLS WITHIN US

V.               KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE EXISTENCE; II CORINTHIANS 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

A.   WE HAVE ANOTHER BUILDING, NOT MADE WITH HANDS

B.   ETERNAL – IN THE HEAVENS

C.   JOB HAD THIS ASSURANCE

D.   ABRAHAM HAD FAITH IN IT

E.    JESUS PROMISED A FUTURE HOME

F.    JOHN SAW OUR FUTURE HOME

THIS KNOWLEDGE GIVES US PEACE IN THE TIME OF STORM, JOY IN THE TIME OF SORROW, FAITH IN A WORLD OF  DOUBT, AND THE STEADFASTNESS TO FIGHT THE ENEMY, AND WORK FOR CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH UNTIL HE RETURNS.