R310 How Can I Know That I Am Saved, Pt.1

Welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based reading of Dr. Don Wilton well-known evangelist.

Also, seminary professor and pastor see you later today we'll talk about Dr. Wilton as author with his brand-new book call Saturdays with Billy details online right now@tewonline.orgewonline.org would love to connect with what a wonderful blessing. It is a joy to be here today and I want you to get ready with your Bibles. I'm not going to tell you just way to turn just at this moment I want you to take a copy of God's word and hold it in your hands because we are going to be looking at one of the most exciting subjects that I believe that any person can study outside of the personal salvation. Experiencing God by knowing that you know that you know that you know that you say how can I know that many people on Skype? How can I really know that I'm so I wonder if there is anyone you know.

You don't need to raise your hands or anything of that nature, but I wonder if it is anyone here this morning who has ever found yourself at different periods of time when when you really wonder whether or not you truly say you know those questions that we don't like the office gossip if I was to die.

This often wondered if I would suddenly discover that while I thought I was saved. I'm not actually so that I'm going to a classless eternity. It's very hard for. But you know, my beloved friends. There are many many different reasons why you and I have difficulty sometimes knowing that we know that we say I'm going to make a confirmation to you this morning. I don't always feel so I wonder if you always feel say if I was to come up to you to any point in time and save you. Do you feel save you always feel sorry unfortunately in today's world and with the power of television.

There are many people who today preach what I believe to be a non-biblical gospel. If there is such a thing, a contradiction in terms, there are people who would have us to believe that all you do is you trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Most of these people actually would also eliminate repentance as a necessary prerequisite for salvation.

See, the Bible says you cannot be saved unless you have first been willing to repent of your sin because your sin separates you from God and some people today would say well all you need to do is give your heart to Jesus Christ and then from that moment on, you going to feel saved all the time. It's a kind of an up-and-down thing. Your salvation is tied into your emotions over many years I preached in different churches around the United States and every once in a while I would have a music minister get up inside. I want everybody to stand up and smile this morning. Well that's very nice, but you know I'm going to suggest to you congregation that that I will guarantee you that there are probably a number of people you even today who even though they all say there is no doubt about it. It's very difficult for you to stand up and smile. You see circumstances, take the smile about places, but circumstances never alter the fact of our salvation. Let's think about some of the circumstances. Can you go can you imagine going up to someone who is just lost a loved one in dance consigned to that person.

Excuse me but do you feel save drive no say when you lose a loved one, a son or daughter, brother, sister, wife, husband, grandparents, and they die you know you don't feel saved. I can guarantee as ministers of the gospel. We, together with doctors and those who work in these areas have many opportunities where God gives us the privilege of going to people in breaking sometimes very very sad news. Can you imagine yet we cannot going up to a family and saying to them I want you to know that your son just died. And by the way, do you feel save as I tell you this, you see folks, it's if we think about circumstances can never dictate the fact of what we know to be true from God's word. I don't always feel say there are financial crises in life, God talk to someone who just lost a job, we got that all over the place.

People lose their jobs come to work. One minute and the next minute they don't have a job, go to that person inside you feel sorry Blackner on house payments to Mike family to support my favorite one of courses. Can you imagine when my wife gave birth to one about three children. I know because I was there. All three of them. I've never suffered so much in all my life. It was unbelievable, and add to it.

My wife was one of the most inconsiderate mothers because she got me up at the crack of dawn, having all three time and the every window for Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. Can you imagine right there at that moment of birth, I mean just, I mean it's just you just I and and you know and you and you just cannot walk up to her and I say to her excuse me, honey but do you feel save right now. 19 say come here boy, you think she's sweet. My wife try that on or off@I wonder what there is in your life that has disrupted how you feel about your salvation. It would be a it would be a remarkable thing if I was able to say yeah this morning I we going to have an invitation right now on if you don't feel saved, you need to come and get say if if not 80% of us didn't walk down the solid sometime this year. Then I'm going to say to you that we are not a very truthful people. Children hurt us parents suffered tremendous grief there dying sickness.

Imagine going up to someone is just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and saying to them I heard the news about you and I know that it's not looking good but do you feel save right now. So the question becomes this, my beloved friends today if our circumstances cannot dictate our salvation. And if we are not saved because of our feelings by virtue of what am I able to stand firmly upon what, in terms of who I am in Christ Jesus.

How can I know that I know that I know that I'm saying the Bible says that today you and I can know that with say, not based upon our inner feelings not paid based upon what we do because the Bible says we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, once having been saved works become the evidence of our salvation, but our works are never tied into feelings about whether or not with say I can still work for the Lord Jesus Christ and be very very distressed at the same time. How can I know that I know that I'm saying well I want you to turn with your Bibles this morning to one John you know they're all for John's in the New Testament is a big John and three little drones we going to be looking at the first of the little John's in the latter part of the New Testament and I'm asking that every person yeah this morning at least be looking at a copy of God's word.

Now, folks, this is very important because I want to say to you today that by God's grace. This is not something that the's Baptist Church Spartanburg is decided this is not an edict of the pope or the parish priest. This is not something that brother Dr. Billy Graham decided to share with the world. This is the word of God and if we are ever going to understand our foundation in Christ Jesus. We got to come to grips with the fact that God has given us his word and we need to take God's word and hide God's word in our hearts we going to be looking at five acid tests about salvation this morning going to give you a .3 going to look at five different ways in which the Bible says that we can know that with say now before we read the first one I want to say this to you. I want to give to you a biblical guarantee not Don Wilton guaranty got a minister guarantee not a church tradition guaranteed not a Baptist guarantee, not a Billy Graham guaranteed not to any guaranty, the word of God guarantee Jesus Christ God our heavenly father guarantees this I'm going to guarantee you because of him that if you are able to say yes to all five of these acid tests of your salvation this morning. I will guarantee you, according to word God's word that if you're honest before God and only God knows that you can pull the wool over my eyes you wife your mother your father but you cannot deceive God because he looks upon the heart doesn't. If you can say yes to these five points. I'm going to guarantee you on God's word that you say, but on the other side of it. I'm going to say to you my friend today that if you cannot say yes to one order. All of these things that it doesn't matter how long you been a member of First Baptist Church you not say it doesn't matter where you were born you not slay. It doesn't matter how many times you were baptized by immersion. You're not say it doesn't matter how many times you served as deacon you not say it doesn't matter how many times you come to church you not say it doesn't matter how much money you've given to God's work you not say it doesn't matter how many sermons you've preached as a pasta you not say it doesn't matter how many instruments you play you not say it doesn't matter how often you sing in the choir you not say it doesn't matter how many times you sing at Christmas on Main Street you not say it doesn't matter what you've done when you've done it. How many times you've done it, according to the word of God. My friend there is only one means by which you and I can know that we know that we know that we know that we know that with say and that is according to what God's word teaches, how can I know that I'm saved number one if I am sensitive to sin. I'm going to look at one John chapter 1 and verse eight I can know that I'm say number one if I am sensitive to sin.

One John chapter 1 verse eight. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us that appear in English teaching again and noticed something there that that is a conditional close and it is a condition that is direct. In the direct action of the subject under discussion.

Now the people who are under discussion in one John are Christian people just like you and me. They all men and women and boys and those who belong to the church who are practicing church people who live faithfully in church who claim to know the Lord Jesus Christ and what the apostle was doing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God was that he was laying down the foundation of the of their salvation even through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and so we have a condition. He says if we those of us who claim they even use the word claim in the NIV if we claim to be without sin, two things happen. Number one, we deceive ourselves, and number two the truth is not in us. Now friends who is the truth.

Jesus Christ is the truth that Jesus put it like this in John 14 and verse six. He said it of himself. He said I am the way, I am the truth and I am the life. No man can come under the father but by me yet is what the apostle John tells us the apostle John tells us that if we claim that we are without sin. First of all, we are deceiving our soon we living in a fool's paradise to be please but number two. If we claim that we are without sin. The truth is not in us. And if the truth is not in us.

It means that Jesus Christ is not in us and in Jesus Christ is not in us. It means that we are not so because it is absolutely pretty impossible to be say without the Lord Jesus Christ, and without him dwelling in us say to me this morning pasta.

What is it mean to be sensitive to sin. You see to be sensitive to certain my friends means that because the spirit of God has come into your life at the instantaneous moment of your salvation you as a born again believer have become sensitized to the presence and the practice of sin in your life. It means quite literally that you have come to recognize as a born-again believer that because you are saved you are not immune from sin, you are not exempt from sin Bible says we are sinners by nature and we are sinners by choice, but the word of God says that even though we continue to sin. The difference with a believer is that I believe is sensitized to sin. In other words, the mere appearance and the threat of sin in the life of a believer is enough to make him or her feel very very very uncomfortable so we can summarize it in this way, how can I know that I'm sorry if I'm sensitive to sin has what it means.

It means does sin bother you. You want to find out today if you genuinely saved a lot the Bible doesn't say do you no longer sin. The Bible says does sin bother you when sin begins to rear his ugly head in your life, and he begins to approach you and he begins to suggestion and he begins to nudge against you.

And he begins to try and infiltrate you, doesn't bother the daylights out of. When you do something wrong and when you begin to live according to a contradiction of God's holy laws does sin bother you. You say to me today pasta what you mean by that it means exactly that, my friend. If we claim that we have no sin, we not only deceive ourselves, but the truth is not in us. Some people have said to me pasta cannot tell where the Monsanto, my daughter is a Christian cannot tell whether my husband or my wife is a Christian friend is a point beyond which none of us can go because of the sovereign work of God. Salvation begins and ends in God but the Bible says that by you will know a person and one of the foods my friends that you will begin to understand is that a born-again holy spirit filled Christian man, a woman is going to be troubled by sin it is going to keep their heart out. I had a man not too long ago who came and saw me and he said to me, pasta. I have been unfaithful and I have done things which are not pleasing in God's side and he sat in my office and he wept like a baby anywhere pocket baby and he was a broken man because he had entered into sin. And even though I began to counsel with him and love him.

One of the many things that I said to him, I said to my brother I want you to know that I cannot condone you soon. I want you to know that you are going to have to place the consequences of your action but I want you to know that your action today has demonstrated to me that you all day leave. Please forgive the option will be back with the rest of today's message Dr. Don Wilton just a moment, but as I mentioned earlier in the broadcast were so excited about the brand-new book from Dr. Wilson call Saturdays with Billy. You can take a peek right now on our website at tewonline.org Margie or call your copy at 866899 word that's 866-899-WORD 9673 here's Dr. Don Husserl about this book.

What an incredible privilege to be framed and foster Billy Graham for so many that I have just written Saturdays with this is not a biography.

It is my experience this most precious man has changed my life and the lives of thousands of around you want to get a copy right now. Saturdays. Again, if you'd like to get your copy the phone number to call is 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 or me this online as well. ITW online.org that's tewonline.org now back today's teaching Dr. Don Wilton. What hope was very loose and sick will outside of the fact that we can know that we know that we know Paul put it like this though encase we think we can ever take advantage of the grace of God. Paul said in his letter to Rome. What shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God today you say will then that gives me a license to sin as long as it troubles me. I'm okay.

I want you to know that is not what God's word is teaching shall be continuing sin, that grace may abound, God forbid, that is not what the word of God teaches my friends. Maybe you're seated here this morning, you'd say to me pasta my son made a decision for Christ when he was eight or nine or 1006. Even today, as a grown man. He doesn't come to church and he shows no interest in spiritual things. How do I know these are Christian will not cost the question is he sensitive to sin does sin bother him. I can look at all these young people whom I love so much and I can say to young people today teenagers when you're out there on Saturday night when nobody else sees you and your parents are not around and nobody to check on you and your out there with your friends and your in places that nobody knows about that the acid test of your salvation does sin bother you if you just join in with the group and float down the stream with all the other dead fish and entering the sin and it makes no difference. It doesn't matter how many times you sitting church on a Sunday morning, you are not sensitive to sin and according to God's word. You all know say I went to a man many years ago in Pensacola, Florida that walked out on his family. I want you to know I will never forget that because my initial experience with this man. He almost kicked me out of these are, so I was in Pensacola, Brownsville, Tennessee.

This man looked at me and he said to me, preacher. I want you to know you see that little Baptist Church. I was baptized down the my father was a deacon there.

I went to Sunday school day. I go to church whenever I feel like it, but preacher you got Dana coming to my house and tell me how to live and what to do and what I can do with my life whatever I wanted is my business. I want you to know.

Framed that man according to God's word is not saved.

No matter what anybody has to say about my sensitive to sin. Look at that verse again. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Number two I can know that I know that I'm saved if I'm submissive to God's commandments, I can experience God by knowing that I know that I know that I'm saved if I'm submissive to God's commandments look at one John chapter 2 in verse three, four and five. We know that we have come to know him say I didn't make this up. I wish I had. I would've put a patent on that can imagine my time to the church. We know that this is God's word. You see, this is God's patent. I like that. Actually, God's patent. We know that we know that we know that we know that we have come to know him. How do we know that there is if we obey his cabals. The man who says I know him and read that again in case you missed the man, a woman who says what. But of course I know him I'm okay but does not do what he commands is what a mom mom sweet mother used to get so upset with the three boys when we would call each other lives. You know, it's just not a savory word for this writer and the word of God to strong word. Listen to the man who says I know him, but does not do what he combines is a liar and the truth is not in him. There it is again.

But if anyone obeys his word. God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know that we are in him.

How do I know that I know that I know that I'm saved number one if I'm sensitive to sin number two if I am submissive to God's commands. Now what does that mean it is what it means. Do I genuinely want to do what God wants me to do. Do you want to do what God wants you to weave just on experiencing God knowing and doing the will of God. That's what it's all about.

Do you as an individual person. Do you genuinely and sincerely before God want to do what God wants you to do. Can we step out and surrender our own for what is God's perfect will for a life that is best for us. I pray that before we leave for Dr. Wilson preaching now as he comes in the studio would you open your heart to what he wants to share. Are you ready to give your thought life to the Lord Jesus Christ's. I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, on the lovely very very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came out on the cross so that I might be forgiven person today. I repainted my sin. I can face my sin to you, and I invite you to come into my heart into my life by faith in Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that prayer that may be the first one welcome to the family of this is one I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important since for me. Call us so that we can talk to Nick to life ice you can begin this wonderful June teachers gave his life to Jesus praying along with Dr. Milton may be rededicated to life to Christ need to know that we have resources, want to put in your hands absolutely free from Dr. Don Wilton. He has specific things for you if you given your life to Christ or rededicate your life. You just need to ask for them as you call 866899.

That's 866-899-9673. You can also connect with us on our website@tewonline.org that's TE W online.org is wrap up today's Wednesday edition of The Encouraging Word. We look ahead to some exciting times of continuing loan in this teaching from Dr. Wilson but seeing how God is ready to allow us to be magnifying day-to-day life not signed up for the day The Encouraging Word email, I suggest you do that on our website@tewonline.org you can do that today online@tewonline.org