Blessed Assurance - Part 1 - Assurance of What We Are

Temple Baptist Church - 6-21-2023

John 10:22-30

 

Introduction:

 

A.  For the next four or five weeks, I want to look, from the context, at the blessed assurance of salvation.  Dr. Harold Sightler once said that the book that he wrote on assurance of salvation was the most sold and read of all his books.

 

B.  Why?  Because of:

 

1.  The Importance of knowing for sure that you are saved.  Until you learn to trust the Lord with His promise of salvation to all who come to Him in repentance and faith, you will never have the peace of God that passeth all understanding.

 

2.  Because of the constant spiritual attacks from Satan and this present evil world in which we live.  Satan attacks the assurance of the believer more than anything else.  He cannot attack the believer’s salvation because that is a work of God, therefore he attacks the assurance of salvation which will render the believer almost useless in the work.

 

C.  There are many preachers that will tell you if you doubt your salvation, you probably need to be saved but this is not scriptural.  The Book of 1 John was written to “my little children”.  Saved people, not lost people.  The Key verse, in this pastor’s opinion, is chapter 5:13:

 

1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  (Why was 1 John written?  To stabilize the believer by instilling within them confidence in God.)

 

1 John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  (15)  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

D.  Three things about God’s children:

 

1.  Verse 14.  They know Him!

 

2.  Verse 27.  They hear Him!

 

3.  Verse 27.  They follow Him.

 

E.  Now, if you do not have these 3 attributes of sheep, you may need to check up.  These are three things that we become as a new creature in Christ Jesus.

 

F.  What we are in Christ Jesus that gives us biblical assurance.  I emphasize “biblical assurance” because it is through faith in what the Bible says that will ultimately give the believer an unshakeable faith.

 

1.  We ARE saved.  Corinthians 1:17-18  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  (18)  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved (to deliver and protect) it is the power of God.  (Our salvation comes from hearing the finished work of the gospel and accepting this work of God with a repentant heart.  Hebrews 6:1 speaks of the ”foundation of salvation” as repentance and faith.)

 

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

 

2.  We ARE forgiven.  1 John 2:12  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

 

Colossians 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

 

3.  We ARE washed.  1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 

4.  We ARE sanctified.  1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

 

5.  We ARE justified.  1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Romans 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

6.  We ARE sons.  1 John 3:1-2  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  (2)  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

7.  We ARE complete.  Colossians 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

 

1 Corinthians 1:30-31  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:  (31)  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.