Sermon Tone Analysis

How do you know if you are saved?

This is certainly a question that each and every one of us must wrestle with.

And this is a question that we much each be able to answer.

How do you know if you are saved?

Well to answer this question, let’s ask a similar question.

How does Paul know that the Colossians are saved?

You see, despite having never met the Colossian saints, Paul confidently calls the Colossians Christians.

How can Paul call them saints when he has never met them?

We see signs of Paul’s confidence in their faith yet again when he prays for them.

Colossians 1:3–5 (ESV)

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

How can Paul know that their faith is a genuine saving faith?

How can Paul know that their love is a Christian love?

How can Paul know that their hope is rightly fixed upon heaven?

How can Paul confidently call the Colossians Christians?

This morning’s text answers this question.

And this text will also help us answer our own question as well.

That question being; how can we know if we are saved?

Hear what Paul says,

Colossians 1:5–7 (ESV)

5b Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7a just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

In this sentence, Paul lays out the three necessities of saving faith.

And for the sake of this sermon, we will pick up on Paul’s imagery and call these three objects the following;

The seed of faith

The soil of faith

And the fruit of faith

1.

The seed of faith - Hearing the Word of Truth

Apart from the Word of God, no one can be saved.

For apart from the Word, no once can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

The Word of Christ is the necessity of faith, and faith in Jesus Christ is the ground of our salvation.

And Paul knows that the Colossians have heard the Word.

Colossians 1:5–7 (ESV)

5b Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7a just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

Of this you have heard… of their faith, love and hope, from the previous sentence, of your this you have heard…

Saving faith in God doesn’t spring from our imagination

The source of faith isn’t found in a vision or revelation from God

The source of hope isn’t found through optimism

The Colossians had faith love and hope, because they heard a message

But the seed of faith isn’t just hearing… it is hearing the Word of Christ.

Colossians 1:5–7 (ESV)

5b Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7a just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

Paul has three different names for the Word of God in this sentence.But we shouldn’t take these different names to be three different objects.

My wife calls me her husband, my kids call me their dad, and my parents call me their son.

While I go by three different names, I’m far from being three different persons.

So it is, Paul calls the Word of God by three different names, so that we would know three different aspects about this seed of faith.

Let’s consider them one at a time.

The word of truth

It’s important that this distinction is made, because among the Colossians, and even among us, there are all kinds of words being spoken.

There were false teachers in and among the Colossian church, and there are false doctrines among us as well.

Listen to the news, or spend time on the internet, or even take to the streets, and you will hear all kinds of messages being declared.But just because a word is spoken, and just because a person calls it the gospel, does not mean that word is in fact true.

We need more than a word of encouragement if we wish to have saving faith

One might flatter you all by saying you all look lovely this morning.

Or some may tell you at least you are better most of the world that is going on from bad to worse.

But a word of encouragement will produce saving faith.

We don’t need a word of advice to be saved

One can give you tips for financial success.

Or another might give you a list of ways to live your best life now.

But a word of advice will not produce saving faith.

We don’t need a word of caution to be saved

You can be told buckle your seatbelt when you drive.

And you can be told that you should lock your doors at night.

But a word of caution will not produce saving faith.

What we need, is not a word of encouragement, a word of advice, or a word of caution.

What we need is the word of truth.

The word of truth isn’t a word from the the world.

Everyone seems to “speak their truth”.

But unless one hears the word of truth, no person have saving faith.

The Colossians had heard the word of truth.

The grace of God in truth

The Word, truth is used again to describe the Word of God.

And while the entirety of God’s word is true, it is possible to hear only a part of the truth, and miss the that which leads us to salvation.

We can be given the law, wich is good and true… and we can be told that those who disobey God’s law will surly die.

And that is also true.

But we know that through the law comes only a knowledge of sin.

And the law is unable to save anyone.

While the law is true, we need more than the law in order to be saved.

We must hear the word of the grace of God in truth.

And so it is, we have this word in Jesus Christ.

The gospel

It’s the word of grace and truth that makes this message good news.

The gospel is the message of God’s grace and truth.

The gospel is the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

The gospel is the message of Jesus’ death in our place.

The message of the gospel is the word of his resurrection in the past that foreshadows what our resurrection will be like in the future.

The world needs the Word of God… The Word is the seed of faith.

This is the work of missionaries… The work of missions isn’t to feed the poor, or to give them homes (although Christians ought to be about doing acts of mercy for those who are in need).

But the work of missions is the work of proclaiming the gospel!

For apart from the Word of grace and truth, none can be saved.

The world needs this seed.

We need this seed.

For salvation does not come apart from the Word of God.

This is why our mission statement says this - What we are after is forming passionate followers of Jesus.

And the way this is is accomplished when we proclaim the gospel of the glory of God.

Let’s consider what the second necessity of saving faith.

Colossians 1:5–7 (ESV)

5b Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7a just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

2. The soil of faith - understanding the Word

Jesus’ parable of the sower makes this abundantly clear.

It’s not just the seed that is scattered that produces saving faith.

What I mean is this.