The Assurance of Salvation, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jamie Greer want to fosters a relationship with Jesus, believing that it really is God resting about salvation standing absolute 100% assurance can be yours right this moment. I believe the testimony God gave life after religion Jamie Greer.

As always, I'm your host Molly, but a batch you history filled with stories of believers who courageously face death peacefully because they were confident in what awaited them beyond the grave. How did they have so much confidence today. Pastor Jenny answers that question describing how we can know whether or not we are saved with absolute certainty. If the final message in our essential teaching series called gospel if you've missed any of the previous messages you can hear them all online JV career.com Pastor Jenny titled this message the assurance of salvation series that John the apostle takes the themes that are introduced in John 15 first jot series is how wonderfully these this book 1st jot correlates John 15 first John chapter 5 verse 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may word know that you have eternal life. But now that you may hope not, that you may be reasonably sure of or even beyond reasonable doubt. I write these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life. These things that he is referring to the percent yield 20%. Whoever believes in the son of God has the testimony of himself does not believe God is made of a liar because he's not believe in the testimony of God is born concerning the son, and this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life in this life is in his son Jesus, who has the son has life. Whoever does not have the son of God does not have life.

There are two components that he gives you forces that he wants you to use to give you the assurance of eternal life. One there is a testimony to be believed in the number two there is a manifestation of that testimony in your life will talk about number one there is a testimony to be believed.

What is the testimony to be believed, but you know him there. Verse 11. This is the testimony that God did to us eternal life in this life is in his son but eternal life is a gift that God gave us and that it was not something that we had in ourselves. You've got your Bible open foot back for chapters. The first John want where he basically build the case for this watch this first John one. If we say we have no sin, then we deceive ourselves and the truth of the testimony is words are interchangeable, but truth is not in us.

If we say we have not sent we make him a liar and his word or testimony is not the first part of the testimony is that we are sinful and utterly empty of eternal life rightfully goes on because if you knowledge that the first part of the testimony, and if you confess your sin acknowledges that these faithful and just to forgive us our sense and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

You acknowledge that you're utterly unworthy before God. You will be accepted if you maintain that your work before God. You will be rejected and that is the gospel Jesus in my place. Jesus taking and absorbing the penalty for what I had earned so that I could receive the blessing that he had earned my place and when you believe that on believable testimony about what God has given you doctors you eternal life, and it is really hard to believe that it is humbling.

It's hard to admit that you can actually be that wicked and God could be that gracious signal grows, it will try to tweak it to say, well, Jesus died for us what you know I mean come on, you got accept Jesus as your Savior and live a good life. You add to what he did get to have it the possible selective rooms for five to the one who does not work, but instead believes in him the one who does not work means you realize there's nothing you can do to make yourself worthy to God.

There's no good work that you know what you can up your claim is nothing totally helpless, but instead you believe on him who justifies the ungodly, you believe that he did it all. Not basing your word is been entirely out of his grace to him. His faith is counted as righteousness. Your faith that God did what God said God would do is counted as righteousness, and you believe that you just rested it and it becomes yours eternal life is yours simply by believing the testimony that God has given about his son just acknowledging that God told the truth is not a ceremony that you go through even a prayer that your prayer is not being baptizes what we turned it into the ritual you go through that you pray this prayer to get baptized but the boys always understand me, but not one time in Scripture you ever find instruction to pray that Jesus come in your heart never. It's okay if you express your faith. That way, what you believe in God told the truth about what he did with Jesus because we turned into the ceremony. Here's what happens, people start to base their assurance on how well they did a ceremony. That's what I did look back and think that I repent that I was sorry not that I ever shed a tear. How to drill or vinegar � sedative that I missed in the Trinity because I believe your Christ that I understand most of what was going on the cross what the actual minimum knowledge.

You know, before actually get Jerry to go through this was sorry not that I believe strong enough to listen as if repentance and faith for the sake repentance and faith another Savior.

Jesus is what I think about how I know that I belong to God and not listen. I'm not basing my assurance on something that happened to me 10 years ago. I base my assurance about have me 2000 years ago. I may have started resting and trusting in it 10 years ago 21 years ago, but I am still in a posture of what I began 21 years ago when I trust and what he did back then asked me when I was saved when and where were you saved it on for little sarcastic. I say this was the one where was a safe. I was saved in this little hill about 20 minutes walk from downtown Jerusalem 2000 years ago when I was saved I began posture, believing that when I was 16 that Jesus did what Jesus said he would do use illustrations almost little childish. There's another chair. Most of you made a decision to sit in that chair all sitting there. He made a decision. How do you know that you made the decision to sit in the chair is because you remember making the decision you walk in and remember I looked at that chair and I thought manager will hold me up and looks like a good chair about Peter so tired I can't wait to remember that all process anybody but you wanted to review but most of you to set down. How do you know you made the decision to sit in the chair. It's not because you remember the decisions that are seated there right now.

How do you know that you put trust in Christ is because you remember what happened in the classroom and you were eight years old know it's because right now you're trusting in Jesus, but testimony that was given about him that God spoken his word. That's all that it is. It's not a prayer that you pray it's not a transaction is not a ritual it's just believing what God says to St. God.

You told the truth and I started to believe that.

Well, 16, 21 years later I'm still believing it because because that's the pasta right now. You don't want to postures with Jesus. Either you are submitted to him as Lord you're sitting in his Lordship you are believing that he is completely paid all for your standing in your own self-will and stating your own righteousness you want to postures with Jesus. The question is which is why people like I can't remember when I was saved. I don't care you want something in your Bible your grandma Billy Graham cited that I should know no more than you to remember when you sat down the proof that you sent out of the fact that you're sitting there now. I base my assurance is not what happened on what happened when I was 16 I base what happened 2000 years ago and I believe assurance is the present possession of those who are currently trusting the testimony that God gave about his son to see that there's a testimony to be believed, the one who believes the one who just acknowledge the God's truth has that because your faith is counted as righteousness which posture arguments were Jesus right now.

I can remember when this finally dawned on me. This is a totally nerd thing to do is this is a copy of Martin Luther's commentary on Romans.

Somebody gave me this is 18 years old and I still got all the notes in it from where I was on Friday night as I went through this and it finally dawned on me that Jesus had done it all and I just had to believe. I stood up from the desk. I was studying it and it felt like my soul was free because I realized it was time and I just believe the testimony that God gave about his son, believing something sets bundling some of you the ball that it's presumptuous to know that your side, I would submit to you that it's more presumptuous to doubt God's word that it is to believe that God did what God said, presumption. I think when you start saying God I really don't think of the testimony you gave about your son was true. Assurance is testimony to be believed. Did God tell the truth and if so are you just sitting in that belief right now is a testimony to be believed.

Here's number two. There's a manifestation of that testimony in our lives is a manifestation of the testimony our lives like a percentage of the five whoever believes in the son of God is the testimony in himself and himself River has the son has life where it is not of the son of God does not have life right so this is what happens is you start to have this life in yourself. You start the manifest signs of life.

What are the signs of life.

With these five things would be going over for the last several weeks when the gospel is at work inside of you. You develop this passion to read the Bible you develop godly character you start to grow in your love for the church to tell other people about Jesus and generosity. Jesus is inside of you that Jesus will return to teaching in just a moment and I wanted to take a moment about our featured resource to help you take this gospel study further. We've been learning over the past few weeks that the gospel is the supreme power of God and not just once but only every single day it's more than a prayer that power and the pathway to take the time to personalize he's teaching your hearing on the program within eight video-based Bible study featuring further gospel teaching from Pastor Jamie. It comes with your generous gift to the ministry right now so give us a call at 866-335-5220 or checking out JD Greer.com.

Now let's return for the conclusion of our teaching theories done by this we know that we have come to know him. If we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in, but whoever keeps his word and him truly the love of God is perfected or completed or manifested by this we may know that we are in him.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked when Jesus is inside of you.

He begins to live through you in a way that your life begins resemble his cheesy illustration, but at a friend whose six-year-old girl prayed to receive Jesus. My friend told me that about a week after this, she comes to her daddy with a perplexed look on her face of consternation and said that I got to question. She said that am so confused that help policies. That's a lot of numbing. Jesus was a grown man in a Jewish live on the short about 58 that help: are you like six or 42442 that he wait a minute, Jesus is 58942. You told me last week that he came to live inside my heart. Should he become a sticking out everywhere heard as well they should be because when Jesus has come inside. Your life begins to resemble his life and one of the ways that you know that he is inside of you is you begin to develop the same passions that he has because that is the fruit that is you walking as he walked because the life is inside of you. He has this testimony in himself. You begin to develop the same passions that Jesus has working on the inside so here is the million-dollar question. What do you do when you notice that those signs really strong in you.

What you do when you look at you like like oh desire for the word I don't rebut it in the morning just excited about what God can say to me that day. You and I struggle to pray generosity.

I like my money I like to keep it. I just I don't manifested side you ever go through this looking your life and how could actually be saved still have all these attitudes and have anybody do this. Are you tracking with us. Yes you do. I know that you do. I do like how could I still struggle with the same areas of pride seriously this when I was 18 years old two years of the war were Jesus, I still consume all the little jealousies. How could I be saved have Jesus jealousy Mark and I still have this problem with my temper. This is like elementary stuff. I should've gotten rid of right you have this T-shirt to have these questions like is he really a work you ever do this. So the question is what do you do when the signs are not merely as strong in you.

What you do. Rest in Christ.

That's what you there is only one treatment for the disease of said only one believe the testimony abide in God's love abide in the testimony that your acceptance is not based on how well you do these things is based on what he is done, you know the difference between diagnosis of a disease and prescription for the disease nonmedical difference right diagnosis tells you what's wrong prescription tells you how to fix it. God's prescription is always faith in the gospel, God's prescription is always faith in the gospel.

You see a lot of fruit in your life right that's that's a God, but then put faith in the gospel. Rest in the fact that God's acceptance of you is not based on how much fruit you produce is based on what Christ has done.

We get a lot of people in this room that are trying to find assurance in their fruitfulness. You're trying to look at yourself to prove that you really know Jesus. God never told you to abide in your fruitfulness. You will always lead you to despair. What he told you was to abide in Christ means whatever your situation right now. No matter how discouraged you are, the prescription is always the same.

Always the same.

God's prescription is always rest in the finished work of Christ, your eyes should always be on him. Here's the secret. When you are resting in the work of Christ. You start see these fruits begin to grow in your life. That's no point of the series. Spiritual fruit is not developed in your life by focusing on the development of those fruits spiritual fruit comes by focusing on what Christ has done for you.

It is not a list of things that you need to do better for God that bring spiritual fruit. It is welling in the news of what he has done. There's a little gospel secret. Those people who get better in Christ are those people who realize that God's acceptance of them is not based at all on their getting better.

That's the gospel secret.

Those people who get better. Those people who grow spiritually or only those who realize that God's acceptance of them is not based on the road spiritual are getting better. It's based on what God has done on their behalf in Christ, and they believe the test you know I just don't see you'll save some tells us you so far from God. I just don't see you'll Jesus and so my feelings are not the final arbiter on reality say who cares watchman Lee who was a Chinese theologian underground church in China. Brilliant set on like this is imagine you got three guys walking on the top of the little Mary will narrow wall Wednesday. In fact, the second one is a faith, but there was a feeling like a walk around the city will is a fact of a computer walk along this wall is is as long as faith keeps his eyes on fact and feeling keep his eyes on faith.

Everybody's got to be five but the moment that Faith turns around and starts to check out feeling moody and feeling full.

All the point is this feelings come when you have faith in the facts that God has given in the testimony about his son feeling is a fruit of assurance feeling is not the basis of assurance which is why we tell you not to feel your way into your beliefs but instead believe your way into your feelings, your faith is on the facts and the feelings are what follows you will feel safe. I don't care. You should acknowledge the testimony that God has saved you in Christ and by believing that see eternal life becomes yours in that feeling will come.

What I'm trying to explain you right now is this lesson absolute 100% assurance can be yours right this moment that how I believe the testimony God gave about a son. You don't want to postures a relationship with Jesus like that chair you were either believing that it really is finished, but you really were beyond hope God did it all and you are resting and that is your only hope of salvation. You were standing in your own righteousness to everyone.

I prayed the prayer cares are you seated there right now he that believes has to sign.

He does not believe is not right now. Assurance is a present possession for those you trust in Christ will make a quick a lot of people who treat salvation like this.

They was look at it like Jesus, like over here and you come up Jesus in you know you want to receive him as your Savior.

Give your certificate of salvation. Jesus you please come in my heart. Give me a sense of salvation in Jesus pocketing right you little certificate of salvation signs it stands in his name was Billy Graham think about putting in your Bible site. Okay. And you're like, awesome. What happens is like three or four years later. All that we saved is a rough week people. I have the certificate, then by this point started to wear a little bit like all know it's baby I don't know is really Jesus was in a dream. Maybe this is like a forgery or fake I better go get another one back to Jesus and thought another certificate. This was my entire life for eight years with the ages of 13 and 20 okay. Always one back to the new certificate is unique and after many right that is the predominant idea people have about salvation that is totally wrong. That's not how salvation works much better picture of the one that God gives the Old Testament when you would bring a lamb for sacrifice lately lamb on the altar and right before the slit its throat to symbolize the atonement for sandpaper sin.

Whoever was offered a sacrifice would lay out his hand and grabbed the head of the slam showing that the penalty for his sin was be transferred onto the slam to put faith in Jesus means you recognize that he is the Lamb of God given once for all for your sin. He is the propitiation he was the one who died in your place and you reach out to him the faith and you put it on his head, and you leave it there.

How do I know that Jesus is my Savior. You can't see it as a semi-sober right now.

My hand is on the head of that lamb tomorrow when I wake up still be on their and the day after that when I wake up whenever you have questions.

I'm not going back to a prayer.

I pray when I was 16 I will lay my hand on what he did 2000 years ago. Salvation is a posture faith is a posture that you begin that you maintain for the rest of your life.

So my question is this right now. Are you trusting in what Christ has done is your salvation. Forget the prayer forget the baptism right now seated in the promise when he's in is not the number before you say right now or have a pressure bring your dancing good news is you is not a prayer really is a posture right now. Are you seated submission to the Lordship of Christ.

Are you seated in believe that he did what he said he did and that is in the conclusion of Mark series called gospel pastor Jeannie Greer. If you missed any part in this series, you can listen again online Jeannie Greer.com now pastor Jeannie today talked about how we can't earn God's favor by saying a certain prayer and baptized or even by doing good deeds. There's nothing we can do to become more accepted in God's sight that is there actually a right way to work for God. Yeah, we gotta be sure. First off it. God doesn't need us but but even though he doesn't need us as recipients of his grace. He uses us and as an act of worship. The Bible says we want to offer our lives in response to him proclaim his worthiness and that also is an act of love to others seeking to love them, the way that he has loved us. I continually go back to first John 419 we love we love because he first loved us the love of God for us that creates love for others in us, so you can find that as a Christian.

Your greatest joy comes when you are living like Christ. Now when you are emulating and running that race of endless acquisition of stuff when you're pouring your life out for others what you created to do. It's it's what it's what be like Christ is and what Christ is, as were Joy is one of things or make available this month is something that I produced a few years ago called gospel Bible study kid. I'm so excited Molly. We are bringing this back out.

We would love to provide this for our partners. You can just reach out to us.

Reserve your your copy of this this Bible study kid discredit JD Greer.com gospel Bible study today, your gift to the ministry right now helps us print rain this everything again all across the country and around the world and the Lord every day partners reach. As always, you can Jeannie Greer.com right now. 335-2633 five Molly Witt event encouraging you to join us tomorrow. John listen Wednesday night