ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

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1 john 2 3-6

• ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

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(No Transcript)
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FREDINAND WALDO DEMARAFRED THE GREAT IMPOSTER

• MASQUERADED AS MANY PEOPLE FROM
• MONK
• SURGEON
• PRISON WARDEN
• UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
• LAWYER
• TEACHER
• ETC. ETC.
• MADE A FULL LENGTH MOVIE OF HIS LIFE FROM 1961
  BIOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CRICHTON

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SO EASY TO DEFRAUD

• IF FRED DID IT . THEN
• THINK ABOUT THE EARLY CHURCH.
• WHO DID NOT HAVE THE PRINTING PRESS
• SO MOST PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF SCRIPTURE
• MOST SCRIPTURES THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN
• ONLY COPIES AVAILABLE WERE HAND WRITTEN COPIES..
• ORAL REPLICATION WAS PRIMARY MEANS
• SET-UP FOR SATAN TO DECEIVE

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MOTIVE

• THIS ELDER STATESMAN, THE BELOVED JOHN, WHO MOST
  EVERYONE KNEW HAD BEEN WITH JESUS CHRIST FROM
  THE BEGINNING OF MINISTRY AND WAS KNOWN AS
  BISHOP OF ALL ASIA MINOR (TURKEY) WRITES A
  LETTER TO ENCOURAGE TRUE BELIEVERS.
• MOST 1ST CENTURY WRITERS REVERE AND HIGHLY
  RESPECT THIS ONLY LIVING APOSTLE WHO WAS FORMERLY
  KNOW AS SON OF THUNDER

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FALSE TEACHERS

• HAD THE THEORY THAT SINCE GOD WAS ABSOLUTELY
  HOLY. NO WAY GOD COULD BECOME MAN IN THE FLESH
  WITH IT SINFUL WAYS (lust of the eyes, lust of
  the flesh, and pride of life).
• SOUNDED REASONABLE to MANY
• DREW AWAY MANY FROM ASSEMBLING WITH THE CHURCH
  TO THEIR OWN ASSEMBLIES.

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GENERALIZED DOCTRINEtaught by false teachers

• PLATO /culture of day (WELL KNOWN)
• MATERIAL SINFUL
• SOUL PURE
• SO APPLIED TO CHRISTIANITY.
• GOD IS HOLY (PURE/RIGHTEOUS/NO EVIL)
• THEREFORE CHRIST HAD TO BE A SPIRIT
• (DID NOT HAVE A REAL BODY), ONLY APPEARED TO
  HAVE A BODY
• Thus, He did not leave footprints.
• ALLOWED FALSE TEACHERS TO LIVE DEBOTCHED LIVES
  (WHICH THEY DID). AS THEY SAW IMMORALITY AS
  MATERIAL
• PREVALENT FOR FIRST 250 TO 300 YEARS A.D.

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So JOHN WRITES TO HIS DEAR FLOCKS AN
ENCOURAGING LETTER

• I JOHN
• ON KNOWING WHAT IS TRUE SALVATION
• TRUE RELATIONSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP

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John as pastor of the Asia minor (Turkey)
churches writes this letter to encourage true
believers

• 1 John

• Judges

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PRE-REQUISTE

• MUST HAVE PROPER VIEW OF CHRIST
• HOWARD BUCK AND SAM CALOROSO
• BEST OF CHRISTMAS
• MUST HAVE PROPER VIEW OF SIN
• DR. SAM K. AND PETE MAHONEY
• CLEANED BY BAPTISM?? --- LUTHERN FRIEND
• PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATION, INTELLECTUAL
  ARGUMENTS, SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION
• (ENCOURAGING TRUE BELIEVERS BY REFUTING THE FALSE
  TEACHING GNOSTICS)
• REMEMBER THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PRINTING PRESS

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OT/NT

• GOD NEVER CHANGES
• LEV. 1711 The life of the flesh is in the
  blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar
  to make atonement for your souls for it is the
  blood that makes atonement for the soul.
• Romans 324-26 Being justified freely by HIS
  grace through the redemption that is in Christ
  Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by
  HIS blood, through faith, to demonstrate HIS
  righteousness, .

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NOW JOHN WANTS TRUE BELIEVERSTO KNOW THEY
POSSESS SALVATION

• GOD KNOWS. BUT DO YOU?
• MOST CHRISTIANS DONT HAVE A CLUE
• MANY DENOMINATIONS TEACH THAT ONE CAN LOSE
  SALVATION. (ITS REALLY NOT ETERNAL LIFE)
• LAST RITES
• SINNING JUST AS ONE DIES
• WEARING LIPSTICK
• DRIVE A BUGGIE WITH CHROME
• GET REMOVED FROM ASSEMBLY

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JOHN SPEAKS FOR APOSTLES

• HE IS SAYING THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT CHRIST SAID
  AND PETER, AND JAMES, AND PAUL, ET AL
• (SO WE BETTER LISTEN UP)
• THERE ARE SUBJECTIVE TESTS AND OBJECTIVE TESTS

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FIRST, READ 1 JOHN 2 3 - 6

AND BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE COME TO KNOW
HIM, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. WHOSOEVER
SAYS I KNOW HIM BUT DOES NOT KEEP HIS
COMMANDMENTS IS A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN
HIM, BUT WHOSOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD, IN HIM TRULY
THE LOVE OF GOD IS PERFECTED. BY THIS WE MAY
KNOW THAT WE ARE IN HIM WHOSOEVER SAYS HE ABIDES
IN HIM, OUGHT TO WALK IN THE SAME WAY IN WHICH HE
WALKED. ESV
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NOW, DONT GO TO SLEEPI KNOW THIS HAS PROBABLY
BEEN AN EXHAUSTING WEEK

• I WILL TRY TO PUT THE COOKIES ON THE BOTTOM
  SHELF..
• Dr. J. Vernon McGee

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LET ME BEGIN BY A THOUGHT FROM DR. JOHN MITCHELL

• TRUE HAPPY HOUR
• GOD (PROBABLY THE WORD) MEETING DAILY FOR A
  WALK WITH ADAM AND EVE..
• REMEMBER ADAM AND EVE WERE BRILLANT
• A FEW GENERATIONS LATER, THEY WERE INVENTING
  MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (Gen 421) and ITEMS OF
  BRONZE AND IRON I.E. THEY DEVELOPED SMELTERS,
  ETC.
• SO THEIR CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD WERE AWESOME .
  UNTIL THEY DISOBEYED GODS COMMANDS

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BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HAPPY HOUR AFTER THEY SINNED?

• ANYONE KNOW?
• THIS IS VERY VERY INSIGHTFUL
• Have you ever observed that when we pray. GOD IS
  ALWAYS THERE (WAITING FOR OUR FELLOWSHIP)

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Scripture Based

• 2 Peter 110 Be diligent to make sure about
  Gods calling and choosing you
• (You have to apply a certain diligence to the
  pursuit of that certainty a privilege that we
  should enjoy you ought to know that you are
  saved)
• Assurance is the best of blessings.. Peace, joy,
  taste of heaven on earth
• Fanny Crosby wrote hymn about this wonderful
  scriptural truth..Blessed Assurance
• (in contrast, some live in perpetual state of
  fear)

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2 Cor. 13 5

• Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in
  the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not
  realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ
  is in you?
• Satan will try to discourage you
• Roman Catholicism, Wesleyanism (Methodism),
  Arminianism (many types of Pentacostalism) .. No
  assurance
• Reformation attempted to restore

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Reformers Taught

• If I believe what the Bible says about my
  conditions not as a righteous person, but as a
  sinner, the wickedness of my heart, the
  condemnation that awaits me, alienation from
  Godet al then I see myself as wretched,
  miserable, naked, blind, cut off from God,
  separated, doomed, damned to hell. Then
• When THAT SAME scripture also says BUT AS MANY
  AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BE
  CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD
• IF I BELIEVE THAT AND RECEIVE HIM. THERE IS
  COGNATIVE ASSURANCE.

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Our Minds are Weak

• SO GOD HAS GIVEN US SUBJECTIVE ASSURANCE
• THE INTERNAL WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US
• ROMANS 8 14-16 For all who are lead by the
  Spirit of God, these are the sons of God
• Have you experienced in your life the direction
  and leading of the Spirit of God, verse 14 says
  YOU ARE GODS SON.

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VERSE 15

• YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, AS SONS
  BY WHICH WE CRY OUT ABBA FATHER
• HAVE YOU APPROACHED GOD WITHOUT FEAR?
• HAVE YOU APPROACHED GOD WITH AN EXTREME NEED?
• YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO GO AND CRY OUT

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VERSE 16

• THE SPIRIT HIMSELF BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT
  THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.
• ONE OF THE WAYS THE SPIRIT LEADS US IS WITH
  CONVICTION WHEN WE SIN YOU FEEL HORRIBLE OVER
  YOUR FAILURE AND WEAKNESS AND DISHONORING OF THE
  LORD
• (THATS A MINISTRY TO HIS CHILDREN OF THE HOLY
  SPIRIT) THATS ANOTHER WAY THE SPIRIT LEADS US.
• THATS AFFIRMATION THAT YOURE A CHILD OF GOD
  WE COULD GO ON ABOUT CHASTENING

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OK, WHERE ARE WE?

• THERE IS THE COGNITIVE WITNESS..
• SCRIPTURE
• THERE IS THE WITNESS INTERNALLY OF THE HOLY
  SPIRIT
• NOW THE THIRD ELEMENT OF ASSURANCE
• OUR TEXT OBEDIENCE (1 JOHN 2 3-6)
• P.S. TWO MORE TESTS OF ASSURANCE NEXT SESSION
  (BY NONE OTHER THAN the Rev. HOWARD BUCK

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Third Test of AssuranceOBEDIENCE

• AND BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE COME TO KNOW
  HIM, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. WHOSOEVER
  SAYS I KNOW HIM BUT DOES NOT KEEP HIS
  COMMANDMENTS IS A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN
  HIM, BUT WHOSOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD, IN HIM TRULY
  THE LOVE OF GOD IS PERFECTED. BY THIS WE MAY
  KNOW THAT WE ARE IN HIM WHOSOEVER SAYS HE ABIDES
  IN HIM, OUGHT TO WALK IN THE SAME WAY IN WHICH HE
  WALKED. ESV

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REASON FOR THE LETTEROF 1 JOHN

• WE HAVE COME TO THE HEART OF THE BOOK. AS
  CHAPTER 5 13 SAYS
• THESE THINGS HAVE I WRITTEN TO YOU WHO BELIEVE
  IN THE NAME (ALL THAT HE IS) OF THE SON OF GOD IN
  ORDER THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL
  LIFE

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GOD WANTS YOU AND ME TO HAVE ASSURANCE OF OUR
SALVATION

• AND BY THIS A NEW SUBJECT IN THE TEXT.
• JOHN IS DONE WITH DISCUSSING THE PRE-REQUISITES
  RIGHT VIEW OF CHRIST AND SIN
• HE IS NOW GOING TO DISCUSS THE TESTS FOR US TO
  KNOW THAT WE ARE A CHILD OF GOD.
• TEST 1 IF WE OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS
• AND BY THIS WE HOPE --NO, NO
• 40 Xs IN THIS BOOK, JOHN USES WORD KNOW

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ASSURANCE

• SOME OF OUR EMOTIONS WILL COME FROM READING AND
  BELIEVING SCRIPTURE
• SOME WILL COME FROM THE INNER WITNESS OF THE HOLY
  SPIRIT
• SOME WILL COME FROM OUR EXPERIENCE
• DO WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS (SANTIFICATION)
• DO WE .(OH TWO TESTS FOR US TO OBSERVE IN OUR
  LIFE. IS NEXT SESSION)

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ONE OF PAULS STATEMENTS

• Titus 116
• Such people claim to know God, BUT BY THEIR
  WORKS (I.E. THEIR LIVES) THEY DENY HIM
• YOU DONT KNOW GOD UNTIL IT SHOWS UP IN HOW
  YOU LIVE --- JOHN MacARTHUR
• JEREAMIAH (PROMISE OF NEW COVENANT) GOD SAYS HE
  WILL WRITE IN ON OUR HEARTS. DESIRE (DRIVEN
  FROM THE INSIDE) TO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS

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QUOTE FROM DAVID GUZIK

• WHEN A PERSON BECOMES A CHRISTIAN, THERE IS A
  CHANGE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH SIN. SIN IS
  NOT ELIMINATED IN THE BELIVER UNTIL HE COMES TO
  GLORY, BUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SIN IS CHANGED.
• A Christian no longer loves sin as he once did.
• A Christian no longer brags about their sin as he
  once did.
• A Christian no longer plans to sin as he once
  did.
• A Christian no longer fondly remembers his sin as
  he once did.
• A Christian never fully enjoys his sin as he once
  did.
• A Christian no longer is comfortable in habitual
  sin as he once was.

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ANOTHER OF PAULS STATEMENTS

• QUOTING DAVID ..
• ROMANS 7 EVEN THOUGH I DONT DO WHAT I OUGHT TO
  DO, AND OFTEN DO WHAT I OUGHT NOT TO DO, O HOW I
  LOVE YOUR LAW (I.E. SCRIPTURE).
• GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE HIS CHILD
• (BY OBSERVING YOUR OWN LIFE)
• PETER .

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LETS PRAY

• OUR RESPONSE.
• THANK HIM FOR PROVIDING THESE ASSURANCES OF
  SALVATION