Good Day, Moreleta Connect.
Last week we had the first session on this team of sureness of salvation.
Recap of Part 1
We said, that though we are saved through faith by grace, we need to ensure that we understand what faith is. The Bible speaks of a kind of faith that doesn’t work. Like that which demons have. They have strong beliefs and knowledge of who Jesus is, but it doesn’t change them and therefore, they are not saved.
James 2:20-24: 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
… 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
There is another kind of faith that works. Faith that works through love. Love is the fruit of the Spirit, working through a reborn spirit and a changed new heart:
Galatians 5:6: 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision [outward religious rituals / ceremonic laws] avails anything, but faith working through love.
We also said last time that when Jesus was asked if there were many that were saved, He said that His followers must strive to enter through the narrow gate (Luke 13:23-27) as many who would like to enter, will not be able to.
Let me also remind you of the outline of what we last discussed:
- Don’t take your salvation for granted!
- Can you fall from grace?
Is once saved always saved valid? - What is salvation? – What is it to know God?
- How may I know that I am saved?
Four tests: By this, we know that we know God!
We concluded with the apostle Paul’s quest to the Corinthian Christians:
2 Corinthians 13:5: 5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
4. How may I know that I am saved?
Four tests: By this, we know that we know God!
So, today we are doing these 4 tests to see whether we are in the right faith to save us from a life that doesn’t bring glory to God!
1] The first test
is what we believe about Jesus Christ and ourselves. That is what our convictions are. This is the doctrinal test.
About ourselves: We are sinful and we need to confess our sins (also Rom 3:23):
1 John 1:9: 9 If we confess [keep on confessing] our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We need to acknowledge that we have sin in our members:
1 John 1:8: 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Besides that we have a sinful nature, we have actually done acts of sin against God and we need to confess that, and have the desire that we stop sinning.
1 John 1:10: 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
About Jesus:
1) That He is the Son of God (Jesus is Divine, He is a person in the Godhead)
1 John 4:15: 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
⬆ Against the Gnostic heresy [All flesh is bad – All spirit us evil] – 1 – Cerinthiasm – He was not divine (not the Son of God), not the Christ, but a mere man – the Christ essence came upon Him – baptism to crucifixion.
2) That He is the Christ, the promised Messiah, the anointed One.
1 John 2:22-23: 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 5:1: 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
3) That Jesus Christ came in the flesh, in other words, that He came to dwell in a human body.
1 John 4:2-3: 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
⬆ Against the Gnostic heresy [All flesh is bad – All spirit us evil] – 2 – Docetism – He was divine, but didn’t come as a human being – He was like a ghost – This is what the false antichrist spirit says – Today it’s the New Age movement.
So, part of what we need to believe is that we are sinners and that Jesus is divine and came in a human body to die for us physically as the perfect sacrifice. He was the promised Messiah, God’s Anointed One who is predicted in the Old Testament and came to fulfil all these prophecies. This is the correct doctrine and theology of our salvation. This we learn by accepting God’s revelation of Himself, not only mentally but through saving faith.
2] The second test
The Obedience to Christ test – Walking in Righteousness
Faith in Action – Doing works of Faith.
Last week we showed that faith has works or actions, which are part of faith. We cannot say that we have faith in God, but remain unchanged. Works of faith prove our salvation, it doesn’t earn it.
1 John 2:3-5: 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
1 John 2:29: 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 John 3:6-10: 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins [living sinfully] has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin [doesn’t live sinfully], for His seed (Christ) remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God …
Last week, in Part 1, we spoke a lot about faith and works, and you may look at that video on YouTube if you missed the sermon. Remember we also quoted James 2, which says 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? … 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
This test clearly shows that we must have the right kind of faith that leads to actions or fruit of righteousness.
1 John 5:3-4: 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.
While legal commands are burdensome, being changed through faith in Jesus as Lord (owner) lets us operate in love, and therefore it is joyful. But the will to live righteously, the will to be obedient shows that we have the right kind of faith that saves us from unrighteousness and sin.
1 John 5:18: 18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin [is not living sinfully]; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
We may sometimes stumble, but we want to live righteously and this is typically how our changed life now looks.
3] The third test
Love – The love of the brethren test.
Faith in Action – Love as Fruit of the Spirit.
Like works of righteousness, love is the result of our changed life. We have God’s character. He is love and He produces love as fruit in us.
John 3:34-35: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Godly love is not feelings but actions. It is the fruit that God’s Spirit produces in us. If we love God, we love His children.
1 John 2:10-11: 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 3:10: 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another …
1 John 3:14-16: 14 (By this) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love [God is Love] , because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren [i.e. love the brethren].
Even if we don’t like a brother, because he may have other preferences, or do things that might irritate us – this is not talking about liking – this is talking about agape love – I treat him with care and respect as Christ loves us.
1 John 3:18-19: 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
1 John 4:7-8: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:12: 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected [completed] in us.
1 John 4:16: 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:20-21: 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1 John 5:1-2: 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
I may always ask myself: “Do I sincerely operate selflessly and in love? Is it love that compels me?
4] The fourth test
The being born again – receiving the Spirit test – The Spirit
Faith in Action – Being Born from God.
1 John 3:24: 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
1 John 4:13: 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
John 3:3-5: 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again [from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 5 … unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
How do I test whether I have the Spirit? Not by gifts, they sometimes can be counterfeit. It is not that easy, but we know that the Spirit produces His fruit in us:
Galatians 5:22-23: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Romans 8:11: 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:1,14: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
1 John 2:20: 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One …
1 John 2:27: 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you … you will abide in Him.
1 John 5:4: 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.
If we operate in religiosity or legalism, even if we say that we have faith, which may be all the right confessions, we need to be born from God, to overcome the world, to live by the whole fruit of the Spirit.
1 John 5:6: 6 This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
1 John 5:10: 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
Remember that each one of us needs to comply with all 4 tests at the same time. It is a composite test. It is written so that we may see if we comply collectively with all 4. Even if I have 3 out of 4, I still fail the test.
1) Do you believe in the right doctrine about yourself and Jesus?
2) Do you live righteously to do the things that Jesus asks?
3) Do you love God’s children in a Godly way?
4) Are you born spiritually and led by God’s Spirit?
The church in Asia Minor, that John is writing to in 1 John, (it might be Ephesus) was troubled by false gnostic teachers, whom he called antichrists. People were leaving the church, because of the false doctrine. There was confusion in the church. To those who remained, he writes to encourage them to remain in their faith and to know they have the right faith versus the false teachings of the antichrist gnostic teachers.
Let’s read what John writes to these Christians, whether they are still new in the faith or for longer periods: If we have applied these tests in our walk with God, and we have passed all of them, let us also be encouraged by this writing. Remember if we are not sure, please seek help, you are welcome to make an appointment with me or someone, who may assist you.
1 John 2:12-14: 12 I write to you … because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I write to you … because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you … because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you … because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you … because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you … because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
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