A Warning About False Assurance

Several years ago, I read a story in a Christian magazine

about a man whose wife had been killed in an accident.

They'd only been married a year and a half,

but that really wouldn't matter, would it?

Something like that, such a tragic death.

It would just be devastating.

Well, as he went through the grieving process,

he said it just kept going through my mind.

Where is she now?

Where is she going to spend eternity?

And it really bothered me.

Well, the man said in the article about two weeks later,

he found in a nightstand drawer a card

that she had filled out at a Billy Graham crusade

shortly after they were married.

It was a decision card.

And on the card, she had stated

that she had professed faith in Jesus.

And in this article, he said,

when he found that card,

it gave him a sense of assurance about her.

But I want you to think with me.

This man lived with his wife

for more than a year

after they had attended that Billy Graham crusade.

But he had no assurance that she was in heaven.

He was really worried

until he found the card.

Evidently, this man,

as he lived with his wife,

had not seen anything about her

that made him think

she was a Christian.

And because he saw that evidence in her life,

he had assurance she was in heaven.

So I want you to think,

how could something like a decision card,

just a signed card,

but no evidence in the woman's life,

how could that have brought comfort

to that grieving husband?

Well, I can guess why.

Some of you can too.

Like many people,

he had an erroneous understanding

of what salvation involves.

He evidently had the thought,

making a profession of faith

is all that matters.

Making, quote,

a decision for Christ

is what determines our salvation.

Well, as a pastor for 35 years now,

one of the most common ways

I hear people talk about

their being a Christian is,

well, I made a profession of faith.

I made a decision to trust Christ.

I have even known people,

and maybe some of you have over the years.

I've had people come up to me

and talk to me

and say that they lacked assurance

because they could not pinpoint

the exact day

when they trusted Christ

as their Lord and Savior.

I've even heard people talk about someone

after they died,

and everyone knew

they lived anything but a Christian life.

I've had people to make a statement

knowing they didn't live the Christian life.

But say something like,

but he or she made a decision

to accept Christ

a long time ago.

As we continue our series

on assurance of salvation,

I want to issue this morning

a warning

about false assurance.

I want us to look at several passages

in the New Testament

that show us

that assurance of salvation

cannot be based upon

a one-time

past decision

to trust Christ,

but

the life was never changed.

I want you to turn with me,

if you would,

first to 1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

I want to look at

a verse that we began looking at last week.

It really states

one of the themes

of the letter of 1 John.

Not the only

theme of the book,

but one of the major ones,

and that is

John wrote the letter

to give Christians

assurance of their salvation.

But I want us to read

verses 11 and 12

along with 13

right now.

It says,

and this is the testimony

that God gave us

eternal life

and this life

is in His Son.

Whoever has the Son

has life.

Whoever does not have

the Son of God

does not have life.

I write these things to you

who believe

in the name

of the Son of God

that you may know

that you have

eternal life.

Let's pray together.

Dear God,

help us all right now

to have a

clear

understanding

before this day

is over,

before this service

is over

of the true nature

of our relationship

to you.

Help us to see

ourselves as

as you see us,

as we really are.

Speak

through your word

and through your spirit

and make that

clear to us.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

First thing I want us

to think about this morning

is that assurance

of salvation

is available

for all

who have faith

in Jesus Christ.

Every Christian

should have

assurance

of their salvation.

It's something

that God

desires for us.

It is not

being presumptuous.

Some people might

think it is.

It is not,

according to Scripture,

being presumptuous

for us to think,

I can know

for sure

that if I died,

I'd go to heaven.

I can know

for sure

that I have

a right relationship

with God

right now.

Let's look first.

True faith

is present tense

faith.

As we think about

how to have

real assurance,

understand,

true faith

is present tense

faith.

Look at verse 13 again.

Look how it's worded.

He is writing

to you

who believe

in the name

of the Son of God

that you may know

that you have

eternal life.

John is addressing

people

who would be,

most of them

would be hearing

the letter read to them.

They wouldn't be

reading it themselves.

But John is

writing a letter

that he knew

would be read

by people

or heard

by people

who were

at that moment

in time

trusting in Jesus

as their Savior

and Lord.

He's writing

to you,

you who right

now

believe

in the name

of the Son of God.

Verses 11 and 12

tell us

that eternal life

is more than

just a life

that never ends.

I want you

to look at that.

Look at it

one more time.

God gave us

eternal life

and this life

is in His Son.

Whoever has

the Son

has life.

Whoever does not

have the Son of God

does not have life.

A lot of times

people think

if you have

eternal life

it means you're

going to live forever.

They think in terms

of a quantity

of life.

Well certainly

eternal life

is a quantity.

Certainly it is

we'll live forever.

But eternal life

is more than that.

Eternal life

as these verses

point out

it's a quality

of life.

Look what he says

specifically.

God gave us

eternal life

and this life

is in

His Son.

It's all

wrapped up in

our relationship

with His Son

Jesus Christ.

Whoever has

the Son

whoever has

a relationship

with Him

whoever is

bound to Him

by faith

whoever knows

Him and

lives in

fellowship with Him

we can say all

these kind of things

whoever has

the Son

has life.

Whoever does

not have the Son

whoever does not

believe

whoever does not

really have a

relationship with Him

does not

have

life.

true

saving faith

I want you to

understand

it's a living

faith

it is a present

faith

that unites

us with Jesus

Christ

in a real

relationship.

Look at one

other thing

true faith

is continuing

faith.

The Apostle Paul

stressed

that salvation

should never

be thought of

as a

transaction

salvation

like a

business deal

you make a

you have an

agreement

you sign

that you

will do

this

but you

won't do

that.

Salvation

is not like a

transaction

it's not like a

business deal

that you make

a commitment

you sign the

card

it's a done

deal

then you just

walk away

and forget

about it

everything's

taken care

of.

That is not

how we should

think in terms

of our

relationship

with the

Lord.

Paul

deliberately

stressed

that a

person

begin

that

once a

person

begins

to trust

in Jesus

that person

will continue

to trust

in Jesus.

In other

words

saving faith

is continuing

faith.

I want you

to look at

two or three

examples.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:1–6

15 verses

1 through

6 or 7

that is

the clearest

most basic

explanation

of the

gospel

you'll find

in the

New Testament.

Note how

Paul begins

here.

Verses 1

and 2.

Now I

would remind

you brothers

of the

gospel I

preached to

you which

you received

in which

you stand

and by

which you

are being

saved if

you hold

fast to

the word

I preached

to you

unless you

believed in

vain.

it's

possible

to have

a

false

faith.

I mean

he says it

real clear.

It's

possible

that a

person can

believe in

vain.

What kind

of faith

is that?

That is a

faith that

you just

intellectually

believe Jesus

is the

Son of God

you died on

the cross

to pay the

penalty for

my sins

and I

just believe

that.

Factual

information

for example.

But saving

faith is that

we believe

Jesus died on

the cross

for me.

Because he

gave his

life for me

I want to

give my

life to

him.

I trust

that he's

paid the

penalty for

my sins.

I am

now his.

Because of

what he's

done for

me I

love him.

I want to

follow him.

I want to

live my

life to

please him.

it is an

ongoing

faith and

trust that

involves love

and fellowship

and a desire

to even

obey.

Paul makes

it clear

saving faith

is something

that we

continue to

believe.

Look at

another example

Colossians

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

Paul is

making it

clear here

that on

judgment day

only people

who have

continued to

trust in

Jesus will

be saved.

Look at

it.

And you

who once

were alienated

and hostile

in mind

doing evil

deeds

he has

now reconciled

in his body

of flesh

by his

death

in order to

present you

holy and

blameless and

above reproach

before him.

Let's just

pause right

here.

Jesus died

to save us

as a part of

saving us

to change

us

to make us

holy and

blameless

as time

goes on.

Jesus did

this in order

to present you

holy and

blameless and

above reproach

before him.

Look at it

now.

If indeed

you continue

in the faith

stable

and steadfast

not shifting

from the hope

of the gospel

that you

heard

which has

been

proclaimed

in all

creation

under heaven

and of

which I

Paul

became a

minister.

Paul's

telling us

in both

Corinthians

and here

there's only

one gospel.

It's that

salvation is

by the grace

of God

through faith

in Jesus

and faith

in Jesus

is something

that begins

at a moment

in time

but it

continues

if it's

real.

And it

makes a

difference

in our

lives

this

relationship

with him

if it's

real.

True

faith

unites us

in a

relationship

with Jesus

Christ

that

literally

changes

who we

are,

how we

think,

how we

look at

life,

how we

live life.

Look at

how Paul

describes it

in 2 Corinthians

5.

He says

therefore if

anyone is

in Christ

he's a

new creation.

The old

was passed

away,

behold the

new has

come.

He doesn't

say that

you're a

perfect

creation.

He does

say but

a person

is in

Christ,

he is

new.

There's

been a

change

that has

taken

place.

Now,

let's just

pause here

and clarify

something.

Many

people

can,

and I'm

going to

thank many

people in

this room,

you can

point to

a time

when you

made a

public

profession

of faith,

when you

made a

commitment

to trust

Christ,

and a

real life

changing

event took

place.

I mean,

some of

you may

can

remember,

when you

were 10

years old

in your

home in

a certain

room,

one of

your parents

shared the

gospel with

you,

you put

your trust

in Jesus

right then,

you called

upon him

to save

you,

he did.

There's

been a

change,

not perfect,

but a

gradual over

time,

there's been a

change in

your life

from that

time.

some of

you may

remember as

an adult,

a specific

time that

God worked

in your

life,

it may

have been

in a

church

service,

it may

have been

out somewhere,

you were

just out

by yourself,

but you

understood the

gospel,

and you

truly turned

from your

sins,

you put

your trust

in Jesus.

God

saved you,

he changed

you,

he's been

working in

you ever

since then,

you know

it,

and people

who know

you can

see the

difference

that the

Lord has

and is

making in

you.

What we

need to

understand is

that no

matter how

meaningful

that

experience

was when

we first

trusted the

Lord,

if it was

genuine,

it was only

the beginning

of our

current

relationship

with Jesus.

You know,

Jesus described

salvation in

terms of being

a new birth

in John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

I mean,

Jesus was

talking to a

religious leader,

a man named

Nicodemus,

and told him

unless he was

born again,

he would not

see the

kingdom of

God.

He was

talking about

a new

birth,

a work of

God,

a work of

what theologians

call regeneration,

when God

works to

just change

us within

and give us

the desire

to turn

from our

sin and

trust Jesus

and commit

our lives

to him.

But let's

just think of

that phrase,

a new

birth.

Most of

you in

here,

you were

there when

your children

were born.

Some of you

right there,

front row seat.

You were

there when

your grandchildren

were born,

some of you.

That new

physical birth

experience,

you've never

gotten over.

It was just

wonderful,

great.

It changed

your life to

see that

birth,

to see that

little one

that you

love right

now,

come into

your world.

As important

as that

new physical

birth experience

was,

it was just

the beginning.

That little

one that got

you excited

didn't stay

little.

He or she

grew and

matured,

because that's

what a

normal,

healthy,

new baby

will do.

It was the

same thing

in the

Christian

experience of

a spiritual

new birth.

Every person

who is born

again by the

Spirit of

God will

grow,

will mature,

will develop

over time,

and if they

don't,

no new

birth,

no new

life has

ever been

experienced.

Now,

the truth

is,

as people

grow,

just look

around in

this room.

not a

single,

there's no

two of

us who

have grown

spiritually

exactly the

same way.

You know,

among all

of us in

this room,

some people,

over the

time you've

been a

Christian,

some people

have made

tremendous

growth in

developing more

Christ-like

character.

A more

radical change

has taken

place in

some people

in this

room than

others.

But everything

the New

Testament teaches,

if there is

spiritual life,

there will be

evidence of

it.

There will

be spiritual

fruit,

which is

basically

character

qualities.

And that

will be

visible in

the life

of everyone

who has

truly been

born again.

Now,

the reason

why we

can be

confident

that this

is true,

that all

Christians

will grow

and mature

to some

degree,

is because

what we're

talking about

is a work

of God.

What we're

talking about

this morning

and talking

about the

new birth,

talking about

salvation,

this is not

something that

we do

ourselves.

You don't

just decide,

I'm going

to become

a Christian

and I'm

going to

do my

best and

I'm going

to believe

and I'm

going to

obey.

No,

you do

not.

God

works in

a person's

life to

make them

aware of

their need

for Him,

to be right

with Him.

You see,

we don't

seek God

on our

own.

Read Romans

Romans 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

beginning about

verse 10.

We seek

God because

He first

sought us.

And when

God starts

doing a

work in

us,

opening our

eyes to

see our

need for a

Savior and

that Jesus

is that

Savior,

when God

starts working

in us to

call us to

want to turn

from our

sin and

trust in

Jesus and

surrender our

lives to

Him,

we can be

sure that

just as He

begins the

work, He

will continue

that work.

As Paul

says in

Philippians 1,

6, look at

it.

He says,

and I am

sure of

this, that

He who

began a

good work

in you,

He's talking

to that

whole church,

all those

people,

will bring

it to

completion at

the day of

Jesus Christ.

He's telling

us that

whatever God

starts, God

finishes.

The Bible

provides no

assurance of

salvation to

people who

make merely a

profession of

faith, but

never continue

to follow

Christ.

If there's no

signs in a

person's life

they have a

real relationship

with Jesus,

there's no

reason for a

person to

think that

they have a

relationship with

Jesus.

Now, I want

to look at

one thing that

prevents some

Christians from

having assurance.

This is going

to be for some

of you right

here, right

now.

Assurance is

not dependent

upon your

ability to

recall the

day and

time you

were saved.

You don't

have to be

able to look

back and

say, that's

the day I

was saved in

order for you

to be assured

of your

salvation.

Everyone does

not have a

dramatic,

life-changing

experience of

salvation.

Don't

misunderstand.

Every person

who is a

Christian, every

person who

has been

saved, every

person who

has been

born again,

God worked

in that

person at a

moment in

time, brought

about a new

birth.

There was a

time when the

person passed

from death to

life.

But everybody

is not

conscious of

when that

exactly happens.

Think about it

this way.

Two people

from Pickens

are going to

travel to

Raleigh, North

Carolina today.

One's going to

drive, one's

going to fly.

The person who

gets in their

car out here and

drives up

Interstate 85,

if they can make

it up Interstate

85, there's not a

massive stoppage.

As soon as they

pass out of

South Carolina,

they're going to

see a welcome to

North Carolina sign.

They're going to

see a North

Carolina state

line sign.

And so when we

drive up 85,

we're going to

know when we

pass from South

Carolina to North

Carolina because

it's clearly

marked.

If a person

goes out to

Pickens County

Airport and gets

in an airplane,

and they take

off up the

road, they're

flying just

above 85.

They're not

going to see

that state

line sign.

They're not

going to look

down and see a

line drawn between

South Carolina and

North Carolina.

But as they

fly up the

road, up the

way here, and

they look down

and they see the

city of Charlotte,

they're going to

know I'm already

in North Carolina.

They see the

sign that they're

in North Carolina

because they see

Charlotte.

Now think about

it.

Both individuals,

one in the car,

one in the plane,

they both leave

here, they both

arrive at their

destination, Raleigh,

safe and sound.

One of them knows

the exact moment

they pass from

South Carolina to

North Carolina.

The other one

doesn't know the

exact time they

pass from South

Carolina to North

Carolina, but they

know when they got

in North Carolina

because they saw

signs of being

there.

Everyone does not

know the day and

time when they

actually were born

again, passed from

death to life.

But everyone who's

a Christian should be

able to look at

signs in their life

that clearly reveal

they have passed

from death to life.

They are in Christ.

because they see the

signs that he is

changing them.

The Apostle Paul is

an example of

someone, he had a

dramatic conversion

experience.

He went from being

the enemy of the

church, the

persecutor of the

church.

When God saved him,

he changed immediately.

God changed him from

the inside out

immediately.

He became the

great apostle,

leader, protector of

the church.

But everyone can't

look back and

pinpoint such a

dramatic conversion

experience.

This may be your

experience if you

became a Christian

as a young child.

Think with me.

A lot of children

grow up in a

Christian home and

all they can ever

remember is being

taught about Jesus,

who he is, what he's

done for them.

They go to a

church, that's all

they ever know, who

Jesus is, what he's

done.

And at some point in

their life, they just

sort of come to

realize, I trust in

Jesus.

I believe what I've

been taught.

I don't want to sin.

I'm sorry for my

sins.

I truly believe that

Jesus, when he died

on the cross, he took

my punishment.

He paid the penalty

for my sins.

I am trusting him.

But they cannot tell

you when they

actually started

believing that, and

that's okay.

That's okay.

Be thankful that you

didn't live such a

terrible life that

there was a big

difference between

the time you were

not a Christian and

became a Christian.

Be thankful you

don't have an

Apostle Paul, Damascus

Road kind of

experience, if you

don't.

Be thankful that God

blessed you with a

Christian home and a

Christian church.

Being in that

Christian home, being

in that Christian

church is not what

saved you.

God worked through

the gospel as you

were taught by your

parents, taught by

your church, as you

saw in your parents

and other people at

church.

And God worked in

you at some point

to actually do, bring

about that new birth.

church.

But it was such a, not

that big a change from

the way you were

living before you

truly trusted Jesus to

when you did trust

Him.

And you just can't

pinpoint exactly when

that took place.

Don't worry about it.

If that happened to

you as an adult, you

just can't pinpoint.

The most important

thing is you are

trusting the Lord Jesus

Christ now.

Understand, the most

important question

concerning salvation is

not when did you come

to Christ, but do you

trust Him now?

I want to ask you, have

you turned away from

your sin?

Have you repented?

Are you sorry over your

sin, the fact that

you've offended, wronged,

disobeyed God?

Have you put your trust

in Jesus that when He

died on the cross, He

actually took your

place, paid the penalty

for your sins?

Are you trusting Him

now?

Do you love Him?

Do you desire to obey

Him?

If you truly have been

saved, there will be

such signs that indicate

you belong to Christ.

He's in your life.

He's making a difference.

But if you can't see

those signs, you should

not have salvation.

You should not have

assurance.

So I want to ask you

as we wind this up.

Can you see such signs

in your life?

If you died today, and

your family members and

friends who grieve because

you're no longer with

them, will they have

comfort in knowing you

are with the Lord?

Because we saw

evidence, because they

saw evidence in your

life that you trust

Christ, that you love

Him, that you're seeking

to follow Him today, that

He's making a difference

in your life.

If you can't see any real

signs of a present

relationship with Jesus,

I want you to ask

yourself, why is that?

It has to be either that

you do not know Christ,

or it could be that

you're in a state of

rebellion right now.

that you've just sort of

drifted away, or just

turned around and walked

away because of some

sin, some issue that you

are involved in now.

If you know you don't know

Christ, but you want to,

you want to be right with

God, you want to become a

Christian, you want to be

saved.

Admit your need right now.

Change your mind about the

way you've been living,

living your way instead of

God's way.

Put your trust in Jesus

and call upon Him to save

you now.

If you know that you are a

Christian because you have

seen signs, you know the

Lord lives within you.

You see evidence that He

lives within you, but right

now you're not living like

that, and you know it.

And there's just a lot of

guilt you're carrying around

because the Lord, if you're

really His child, He's not

going to let you get away

with living in rebellion.

He's not going to let you

stay indifferent long.

And if that's the case, you

can't fight God and win.

Give it up.

Confess your sin.

Admit what needs to change.

Ask God to help you to turn

from it, to let it go.

Come back to Him in a renewed

trust and love and commitment

now.

Now, if you do have assurance

of your salvation, thank the

Lord for the way He has and

continues to work in your life.

And be confident that He will

never stop working.

No matter how long you live, He'll

continue to work.

Because, as Paul tells us, look at

it one more time.

I am sure of this.

We can be sure of this.

That He who began a good work in

you will bring it to completion

at the day of Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together.

Dear God,

make it clear to every one of us

where we stand in relationship

to you right now.

Father, show us

if we claim to be Christians

if what we call saving faith

is present tense faith.

Help us to see, dear God,

is what I call trust in Jesus

ongoing

to this very moment

trust in Jesus.

Help us to see, dear God,

if we are yours,

evidence

of a relationship with you,

of a relationship with Jesus.

But Father,

for people in this room who do not

have a relationship with you,

maybe they came in here thinking

they did.

Maybe they had false assurance.

Make it clear to them

where they stand

and how they need to respond now

and help them to do

exactly what you're calling them

to do now.

Let's just all be in an attitude

of prayer and listen to the Lord

and respond to Him.

If I could help you,

I'll be here in front.

I'd be happy to pray with you.

You listen to the Lord

and you do what He tells you to do

right now.

and I'll be here in front of you.

I'll be here in front of you.

I'll be here in front of you.