Basic Truths: Assurance of Salvation - Why People Have Doubts #2

- we're in a new series entitled "Basic Bible Truths"

- there are certain concepts from the Word of God that

believer needs to know and we want to spend the next series

of weeks thinking about those truths and how they should be

helping us to change and grow

- (encourage faithfulness - invite others - great time to

invite guests)

- last week we started talking about "Assurance of salvation"

- the Bible makes it clear that:

- God wants you to be saved

- God wants you to know for sure that you're saved

- we said that a person needs to have assurance of salvation

in three ways:

- historically (develop)

- theologically

- experientially

- today we're going to look at some theological problems that

result in a person doubting their salvation

I. Confusion Over The Doctrine of Eternal Security

A. The basic question

- Can a saved person ever be lost?

- Issue is not:

1) Are all who profess to be saved really saved?

- James 2:14-20

2) Do all who perform Christian service really

saved?

- Jesus - Luke 7:21-23

3) Do Christians ever backslide?

- though God's plan and desire for believers

is ongoing change and growth, there are

clearly examples in Scripture where His

children committed sin and did not lose

their salvation.

- cf. David, Peter

- point - its important that we understand the

question before we examine what the Bible says.

We're asking- Can a saved person have revolked in

him all the work of God in salvation?

- answer to that question is "Absolutely not!". What

I'd like us to see as we go through this study is

that the doctrine of Eternal Security is not a one

or two verse doctrine. There is a watershed of

biblical evidence to show that once a person is

saved, he can never be lost.

- I'd like us to think about this question by sampling the

passages that discuss all that God does in salvation and

then ask: "Does God renege on all the promises He's made

and work He's done?"

(teachers - this outline is based on theology notes from

Chuck Smith - a former professor at Grace Seminary)

B. What the Scripture says about eternal security

1. reasons especially related to our Heavenly Father

a. his purpose

Rom. 8:28-31 - "If God be for us, who can be

against us?

Eph. 1:11-12 - According to the purpose of

Him who works all things according to the

counsel of his own will that we should be

to the praise of His glory...

I Cor. 1:8-9 - Who shall also confirm you

unto the end, blameless unto the day of

our Lord Jesus Christ...

- point - The Scriptures speak clearly about

God's purpose in salvation. A person who

believes that Christians lose their

salvation would have to also conclude

that God does not do what He said He

would do in the lives of the individuals

in question.

b. His power

Jude 24 - Now unto Him who is able to keep

you from falling and to present you

faultless...

I Peter 1:3-5 - ...into an inheritance which

can never perish, spoil, or fade--kept in

heaven for you who through faith are being

shielded by God's power...

Phil. 1:6 - Being confident of this very

thing..

John 10:27-29 - ...no one is able to seize

them out of my Father's hand...

c. His love

Rom. 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the

love of God...

Eph. 1:4-5 - In love having predestined us...

d. His relationship to the Son

John 17:10-11 - "Holy Father, keep through

thine own name those whom thou hast given me...

2. Reasons especially related to Jesus Christ

a. His death

Rom. 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no

condemnation for those who are in Jesus

Christ

- cf. also verse 34

Heb. 10:14 - For by one offering He hath

perfected forever those who are sanctified

b. His resurrection

Rom. 4:24-25 - ...He who was delivered for our

sins and was raised for our justification

c. His life

(if His death was able to save you, how much

more is His life able to keep you)

Rom. 5:8-10 - ...by how much more, having been

reconciled, shall we be saved by His life?

I John 2:1 - If anyone sins, we have an

advocate with the Father

Heb. 7:25 - He is able to save to the

uttermost (forever) those who come to God

through Him, since He is always living to

intercede for them

d. His promises

John 5:24 - he who hears my word and believes

Him who sent me has eternal life and will

not come into judgement

3. Reasons especially related to the Holy Spirit

a. His sealing

Eph. 1:13, 4:30

b. His indwelling ministries

I Cor. 6:19-20

John 14:16 - ...that He may abide with you

forever

4. other reasons

a. the believers regeneration

II Cor. 5:17

I Peter 1:23

b. the believer's complete justification

Acts 13:38-39 - justified from all things

c. the believer's union with Christ

Eph. 2:6

Col. 3:3

Rom. 6:4-5

- because of our union with Christ, we could

only fall and lose our salvation if Christ

could lose His!

C. Supposed "problem" passages

- (teachers - emphasize principles of hermeneutics

here)

1. I John 3:9 vs. I John 1:9

2. Hebrews 6:6

-

3. Phil. 2:12 - cf. context

4. Rev. 21:8 - vs. context and Eph. 2:1-10

- overall point - some individuals doubt their salvation

because of a theological misunderstanding about eternal

security.

- INPUT - we've spent a lot of time developing this

particular doctrine. How should these ideas affect our

growth in Christ?

II. Confusion Over The Degree of Faith, Sincerity, Humility,

etc.

A. The problem

- some folks doubt their salvation with questions like:

- Was I really sincere, did I have enough faith, etc.

B. Principles

1. Jesus describes salvation as "childlike faith"

2. the other side - no all "professors" are genuinely

saved

- goes back to two points we made last week

1) Don't have a works orientation - (possible

to overemphasize the Did I do it right

question)

2) Determine what you're trusting in today

- diagnostic questions don't just apply to

something in the past - they can be used

diagnostically about what you're

trusting now.

- point - person struggling with these kinds of questions has

some theology to straighten up. "It's not the degree of

faith, but the object of faith that counts."

III. Wrong Ideas Of Forgiveness

A. I can confess all my sins and be saved

- no one can remember even a fraction of their sins

B. I must forgive God, self, feel forgiven