1 00:00:06,830 --> 00:00:13,066 Father, I pray that this evening 2 00:00:13,066 --> 00:00:16,265 as we open up the Word, 3 00:00:16,265 --> 00:00:20,207 look at the subject that we want to look at, 4 00:00:20,207 --> 00:00:22,491 that I'm hoping to take us into, 5 00:00:22,491 --> 00:00:25,587 I pray, Lord, I know this is a matter 6 00:00:25,587 --> 00:00:27,596 that You're concerned about. 7 00:00:27,596 --> 00:00:28,976 It's a matter of Scripture. 8 00:00:28,976 --> 00:00:37,588 It's a matter that we need clarity. 9 00:00:37,588 --> 00:00:42,449 And I pray that Your Spirit would lead us into truth. 10 00:00:42,449 --> 00:00:45,527 I pray that we might be led into deeper truth on this subject 11 00:00:45,527 --> 00:00:49,464 than perhaps we've ever been led. 12 00:00:49,464 --> 00:00:55,512 And I ask this in Christ's name, amen. 13 00:00:55,512 --> 00:01:02,797 Okay. 14 00:01:02,797 --> 00:01:08,683 Well, I said last week that when Craig 15 00:01:08,683 --> 00:01:15,708 had his Q&A session, Kenny Lee asked him 16 00:01:15,708 --> 00:01:19,125 two theological questions. 17 00:01:19,125 --> 00:01:22,391 But he also asked Craig about another topic. 18 00:01:22,391 --> 00:01:27,734 Anybody remember what that was? 19 00:01:27,734 --> 00:01:29,411 (from the room) Assurance? 20 00:01:29,411 --> 00:01:30,954 Tim: Assurance. 21 00:01:30,954 --> 00:01:33,921 I asked him about the head coverings. 22 00:01:33,921 --> 00:01:34,759 Yes? 23 00:01:34,759 --> 00:01:37,444 James: A sister whispered it over here. 24 00:01:37,444 --> 00:01:40,114 Tim: Oh okay, yes. Who whispered it? 25 00:01:40,114 --> 00:01:40,921 (unintelligible) 26 00:01:40,921 --> 00:01:42,727 Yeah, that's right. 27 00:01:42,727 --> 00:01:46,137 He raised a question about assurance. 28 00:01:46,137 --> 00:01:47,818 And if he was here I'd ask him 29 00:01:47,818 --> 00:01:49,511 exactly how he phrased it. 30 00:01:49,511 --> 00:01:51,969 James: Can you have full assurance? 31 00:01:51,969 --> 00:01:53,875 Something about that. 32 00:01:53,875 --> 00:01:56,499 Tim: Was that exactly what he said? 33 00:01:56,499 --> 00:01:57,600 Does anybody remember? 34 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,008 Anybody have more light than that 35 00:02:00,008 --> 00:02:03,245 on what he asked? 36 00:02:03,245 --> 00:02:05,076 Can a Christian have full assurance? 37 00:02:05,076 --> 00:02:08,416 Is that basically the gist of how he said it? 38 00:02:08,416 --> 00:02:10,444 (unintelligible) 39 00:02:10,444 --> 00:02:12,402 What is it, ladies? Don't be shy. 40 00:02:12,402 --> 00:02:13,152 (from the room) 41 00:02:13,152 --> 00:02:14,912 I think that's what it was. 42 00:02:14,912 --> 00:02:17,120 He said, "Can you have full assurance?" 43 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:18,027 Tim: Okay. 44 00:02:18,027 --> 00:02:26,032 So I want to talk about assurance. 45 00:02:26,032 --> 00:02:33,047 Assurance. 46 00:02:33,047 --> 00:02:40,270 Look, faith is one thing. 47 00:02:40,270 --> 00:02:46,588 Assurance is a different thing. 48 00:02:46,588 --> 00:02:51,083 When we think about faith, 49 00:02:51,083 --> 00:02:55,232 I'm talking about trust. 50 00:02:55,232 --> 00:02:57,164 When we talk about faith, 51 00:02:57,164 --> 00:02:58,722 we are talking about something 52 00:02:58,722 --> 00:03:03,467 that a person has conviction about 53 00:03:03,467 --> 00:03:05,470 that is true. 54 00:03:05,470 --> 00:03:06,887 So for instance, 55 00:03:06,887 --> 00:03:11,113 faith looks like this. 56 00:03:11,113 --> 00:03:15,790 We find objective facts, 57 00:03:15,790 --> 00:03:20,441 objective - you know what a proposition is. 58 00:03:20,441 --> 00:03:23,687 We find objective propositions, 59 00:03:23,687 --> 00:03:25,424 objective facts. 60 00:03:25,424 --> 00:03:29,689 For instance, one of the places 61 00:03:29,689 --> 00:03:32,090 in the Scripture that I think of 62 00:03:32,090 --> 00:03:35,824 when I think about just the facts of the Gospel, 63 00:03:35,824 --> 00:03:38,362 I think of 1 Corinthians 15. 64 00:03:38,362 --> 00:03:41,998 Anybody else think of that? The first few verses? 65 00:03:41,998 --> 00:03:44,373 Paul articulates for us 66 00:03:44,373 --> 00:03:49,138 some of the facts that make up our Gospel. 67 00:03:49,138 --> 00:03:53,581 Anybody know what it says there? 68 00:03:53,581 --> 00:03:54,930 (unintelligible) 69 00:03:54,930 --> 00:03:56,521 Exactly. 70 00:03:56,521 --> 00:03:59,544 Christ died for our sins 71 00:03:59,544 --> 00:04:02,527 according to the Scriptures, and what? 72 00:04:02,527 --> 00:04:05,488 Raised on the third day. 73 00:04:05,488 --> 00:04:07,217 He was buried. 74 00:04:07,217 --> 00:04:10,807 He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 75 00:04:10,807 --> 00:04:12,210 He was buried. 76 00:04:12,210 --> 00:04:15,166 He was raised on the third day. 77 00:04:15,166 --> 00:04:21,857 See, the objective facts of faith - 78 00:04:21,857 --> 00:04:24,016 doesn't Scripture say that we need to believe 79 00:04:24,016 --> 00:04:27,731 that God is and that He's a rewarder of them 80 00:04:27,731 --> 00:04:29,554 that seek Him diligently? 81 00:04:29,554 --> 00:04:36,937 Isn't that how Hebrews 11 kind of gives us 82 00:04:36,937 --> 00:04:43,478 some of the factual material behind faith? 83 00:04:43,478 --> 00:04:46,787 So we might say this, 84 00:04:46,787 --> 00:04:54,362 some of the propositions behind saving faith, 85 00:04:54,362 --> 00:04:58,454 you need to believe that God is. 86 00:04:58,454 --> 00:05:02,339 You need to believe that Christ is. 87 00:05:02,339 --> 00:05:04,431 You know what Jesus said? 88 00:05:04,431 --> 00:05:08,021 If you do not believe that I am, 89 00:05:08,021 --> 00:05:10,159 you will die in your sins. 90 00:05:10,159 --> 00:05:11,849 It's the same thing that He said 91 00:05:11,849 --> 00:05:24,969 when He said, "Before Abraham was, I am." 92 00:05:24,969 --> 00:05:28,000 But we have this. 93 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:33,644 Okay, God is. Christ is. 94 00:05:33,644 --> 00:05:37,294 Christ is God. 95 00:05:37,294 --> 00:05:40,089 Christ died for our sins. 96 00:05:40,089 --> 00:05:44,145 You might stick in there: Christ is man. 97 00:05:44,145 --> 00:05:45,748 I mean, that's one of the errors 98 00:05:45,748 --> 00:05:47,906 that the early church was dealing with. 99 00:05:47,906 --> 00:05:49,013 Christ is man. 100 00:05:49,013 --> 00:05:52,764 Christ as a man died for our sins 101 00:05:52,764 --> 00:05:54,714 according to the Scriptures. 102 00:05:54,714 --> 00:05:56,147 He was buried. 103 00:05:56,147 --> 00:05:58,485 He was actually dead. 104 00:05:58,485 --> 00:06:02,148 He was raised on the third day. 105 00:06:02,148 --> 00:06:05,495 These are some of the essential facts 106 00:06:05,495 --> 00:06:08,543 behind faith. 107 00:06:08,543 --> 00:06:10,896 See, what I'm doing is I'm wanting to compare 108 00:06:10,896 --> 00:06:16,463 faith over against assurance. 109 00:06:16,463 --> 00:06:22,305 Behind faith you have a conviction 110 00:06:22,305 --> 00:06:25,842 that these facts are true 111 00:06:25,842 --> 00:06:32,817 versus the conviction that I'm personally saved 112 00:06:32,817 --> 00:06:35,103 because of those facts. 113 00:06:35,103 --> 00:06:37,001 See the difference there? 114 00:06:37,001 --> 00:06:41,916 The idea behind assurance is not just 115 00:06:41,916 --> 00:06:46,298 that those things are true, 116 00:06:46,298 --> 00:06:48,801 but assurance has to do with the fact 117 00:06:48,801 --> 00:06:54,038 that I believe myself a partaker of those things. 118 00:06:54,038 --> 00:06:55,812 That's assurance. 119 00:06:55,812 --> 00:06:57,723 But now listen to me, 120 00:06:57,723 --> 00:07:03,489 you may be assured and be dead wrong. 121 00:07:03,489 --> 00:07:06,647 So we need to be clear. 122 00:07:06,647 --> 00:07:14,820 Faith - we need to be honest about faith for starters 123 00:07:14,820 --> 00:07:16,775 that not all faith is saving. 124 00:07:16,775 --> 00:07:18,505 Just because you believe some facts 125 00:07:18,505 --> 00:07:23,271 doesn't necessarily mean that you're genuinely converted. 126 00:07:23,271 --> 00:07:24,753 So there's a faith that saves 127 00:07:24,753 --> 00:07:27,476 and there's a faith that does not save. 128 00:07:27,476 --> 00:07:30,536 But then over on the side of assurance, 129 00:07:30,536 --> 00:07:32,454 assurance has to do with whether I have 130 00:07:32,454 --> 00:07:34,734 a conviction that I'm personally saved 131 00:07:34,734 --> 00:07:36,816 because of the truths of the Gospel, 132 00:07:36,816 --> 00:07:40,152 but the truth is 133 00:07:40,152 --> 00:07:41,908 I can be assured of that 134 00:07:41,908 --> 00:07:43,792 and be dead wrong. 135 00:07:43,792 --> 00:07:46,079 And I may lack some assurance 136 00:07:46,079 --> 00:07:47,879 and struggle with my assurance 137 00:07:47,879 --> 00:07:50,523 and be very much converted 138 00:07:50,523 --> 00:07:52,756 and genuinely saved 139 00:07:52,756 --> 00:07:53,940 and be a Christian 140 00:07:53,940 --> 00:07:55,564 and on my way to Heaven. 141 00:07:55,564 --> 00:07:57,441 So we need to look at these things. 142 00:07:57,441 --> 00:07:58,873 That question came up: 143 00:07:58,873 --> 00:08:01,688 Can a Christian have assurance? 144 00:08:01,688 --> 00:08:03,163 Well, we want to talk about 145 00:08:03,163 --> 00:08:05,679 what are we talking about. 146 00:08:05,679 --> 00:08:07,724 It's one thing to believe, 147 00:08:07,724 --> 00:08:11,082 it's another thing to believe that I believe. 148 00:08:11,082 --> 00:08:14,711 And that's what we're dealing with. 149 00:08:14,711 --> 00:08:18,156 Here's the Kenny Lee. 150 00:08:18,156 --> 00:08:20,661 So we're dealing with you're other question tonight. 151 00:08:20,661 --> 00:08:22,624 So we'll go back. 152 00:08:22,624 --> 00:08:25,828 The question you specifically asked Craig about assurance was 153 00:08:25,828 --> 00:08:27,658 to the best of your memory? 154 00:08:27,658 --> 00:08:29,792 Kenny: Can a Christian have full assurance? 155 00:08:29,792 --> 00:08:32,832 Tim: Okay, well, that's what we basically settled on. 156 00:08:32,832 --> 00:08:35,898 So that's where we're at. 157 00:08:35,898 --> 00:08:38,407 But it's one thing to be saved, 158 00:08:38,407 --> 00:08:41,509 it's another thing to believe that I'm saved. 159 00:08:41,509 --> 00:08:44,993 And obviously, believing is what saves. 160 00:08:44,993 --> 00:08:47,928 Having assurance doesn't save. 161 00:08:47,928 --> 00:08:49,842 You recognize that. 162 00:08:49,842 --> 00:08:55,971 By grace are you saved through faith. 163 00:08:55,971 --> 00:08:58,376 You're not saved by assurance. 164 00:08:58,376 --> 00:09:00,241 There are people who may be 165 00:09:00,241 --> 00:09:02,776 even on their death bed wrestling 166 00:09:02,776 --> 00:09:05,132 with whether they're truly converted or not 167 00:09:05,132 --> 00:09:07,412 and go straight into the arms of Christ 168 00:09:07,412 --> 00:09:09,552 because their only hope is in Christ. 169 00:09:09,552 --> 00:09:11,617 You see, that's what saves, 170 00:09:11,617 --> 00:09:14,248 when our conviction is that Christ saves 171 00:09:14,248 --> 00:09:16,785 and we cast ourselves on that. 172 00:09:16,785 --> 00:09:18,752 Now, we may have doubts about 173 00:09:18,752 --> 00:09:22,286 whether we've cast ourselves sufficiently on Him. 174 00:09:22,286 --> 00:09:24,714 The issue is this, 175 00:09:24,714 --> 00:09:28,585 I may be unmoved in my conviction 176 00:09:28,585 --> 00:09:31,553 of Christ's ability to save me, 177 00:09:31,553 --> 00:09:33,330 but I may be very much moved 178 00:09:33,330 --> 00:09:36,778 about whether I'm actually in that place of safety. 179 00:09:36,778 --> 00:09:41,479 But you see, the first is what saves, not the second. 180 00:09:41,479 --> 00:09:45,285 Believing is what saves. 181 00:09:45,285 --> 00:09:48,558 Believing that I believe is not what saves 182 00:09:48,558 --> 00:09:50,744 because that's not the faith that saves. 183 00:09:50,744 --> 00:09:54,504 The faith that saves is not 184 00:09:54,504 --> 00:09:56,060 whether you believe or not. 185 00:09:56,060 --> 00:09:57,372 It's not having that faith. 186 00:09:57,372 --> 00:09:58,903 It's not having that assurance 187 00:09:58,903 --> 00:10:00,490 that you actually are a believer. 188 00:10:00,490 --> 00:10:03,651 The faith that saves is having that conviction 189 00:10:03,651 --> 00:10:07,832 that Christ is altogether able to save you 190 00:10:07,832 --> 00:10:12,410 and you cast yourself on Him to save you. 191 00:10:12,410 --> 00:10:15,260 So, this is no small thing. 192 00:10:15,260 --> 00:10:17,051 This is no small thing. 193 00:10:17,051 --> 00:10:19,271 I suspect that if James were to basically 194 00:10:19,271 --> 00:10:22,523 be able to count percentage-wise 195 00:10:22,523 --> 00:10:25,381 how many people out of all the emails 196 00:10:25,381 --> 00:10:26,991 that I'll Be Honest gets, 197 00:10:26,991 --> 00:10:28,803 how many have to do with people 198 00:10:28,803 --> 00:10:30,770 who have assurance issues, 199 00:10:30,770 --> 00:10:31,805 what would you say? 200 00:10:31,805 --> 00:10:33,293 Just off the top of your head 201 00:10:33,293 --> 00:10:34,751 take a wild guess. 202 00:10:34,751 --> 00:10:36,713 James: Yeah, maybe 60%. 203 00:10:36,713 --> 00:10:38,489 Tim: Yeah, six out of ten. 204 00:10:38,489 --> 00:10:41,624 And these guys are getting no small amount of emails. 205 00:10:41,624 --> 00:10:44,315 They're getting a huge amount of emails. 206 00:10:44,315 --> 00:10:48,221 60% - they've got questions about assurance. 207 00:10:48,221 --> 00:10:50,367 And I'll tell you, 208 00:10:50,367 --> 00:10:53,259 that as much as anything is reason 209 00:10:53,259 --> 00:10:54,690 to deal with it tonight. 210 00:10:54,690 --> 00:10:57,353 That and another truth 211 00:10:57,353 --> 00:11:00,511 that I'm going to get to in just a second. 212 00:11:00,511 --> 00:11:03,889 But vast numbers of emails 213 00:11:03,889 --> 00:11:05,929 and they're desperate. 214 00:11:05,929 --> 00:11:07,374 They're agonizing. 215 00:11:07,374 --> 00:11:10,083 And before I turned the phone 216 00:11:10,083 --> 00:11:12,057 over to James, 217 00:11:12,057 --> 00:11:15,693 I would get the people calling. 218 00:11:15,693 --> 00:11:16,863 Do you get this? 219 00:11:16,863 --> 00:11:18,570 Sometimes people sobbing, 220 00:11:18,570 --> 00:11:20,412 sometimes people crying, 221 00:11:20,412 --> 00:11:24,517 sometimes people - 222 00:11:24,517 --> 00:11:27,792 they're agonizing over this. 223 00:11:27,792 --> 00:11:29,901 Deep concerns of the soul. 224 00:11:29,901 --> 00:11:32,010 Am I saved? 225 00:11:32,010 --> 00:11:33,234 Do I have saving faith? 226 00:11:33,234 --> 00:11:34,496 Well, I think I believed. 227 00:11:34,496 --> 00:11:36,978 I think I did this, but it's like, I don't feel saved, 228 00:11:36,978 --> 00:11:38,686 and it doesn't feel like God is hearing me, 229 00:11:38,686 --> 00:11:40,629 or it doesn't feel like God is talking to me. 230 00:11:40,629 --> 00:11:42,213 Am I going to go to heaven when I die? 231 00:11:42,213 --> 00:11:43,974 Is my faith real? 232 00:11:43,974 --> 00:11:45,081 I think it's real. 233 00:11:45,081 --> 00:11:46,445 Sometimes I think it's real. 234 00:11:46,445 --> 00:11:47,981 Sometimes I seem to live right. 235 00:11:47,981 --> 00:11:49,753 Sometimes I don't seem to live right. 236 00:11:49,753 --> 00:11:51,883 I mean, I had this experience in the past, 237 00:11:51,883 --> 00:11:53,164 but now I don't know. 238 00:11:53,164 --> 00:11:55,434 And I keep going back to sin. 239 00:11:55,434 --> 00:12:00,738 I think I've committed the unpardonable sin. 240 00:12:00,738 --> 00:12:02,802 Boy, you get lots of things 241 00:12:02,802 --> 00:12:06,240 and if there's anything that perhaps 242 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,851 compounds the agony, 243 00:12:09,851 --> 00:12:13,399 it's Scripture itself. 244 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:15,677 You say, what do you mean? 245 00:12:15,677 --> 00:12:19,030 Well, I mean this. 246 00:12:19,030 --> 00:12:21,097 Most of you are familiar with these verses, 247 00:12:21,097 --> 00:12:23,798 but let's just refresh our memories. 248 00:12:23,798 --> 00:12:29,465 Do you remember - classic - John 2? 249 00:12:29,465 --> 00:12:35,818 Turn in your Bibles there. 250 00:12:35,818 --> 00:12:41,542 John 2. 251 00:12:41,542 --> 00:12:46,895 Right at the end of the chapter. 252 00:12:46,895 --> 00:12:51,797 V. 23 "Now when Christ was in Jerusalem 253 00:12:51,797 --> 00:12:54,102 at the Passover feast, 254 00:12:54,102 --> 00:12:56,155 many believed in His name." 255 00:12:56,155 --> 00:12:59,101 You might say that settles it. 256 00:12:59,101 --> 00:13:01,393 They believed. 257 00:13:01,393 --> 00:13:04,805 Well, that doesn't settle it. 258 00:13:04,805 --> 00:13:07,283 "They believed in His name when they saw 259 00:13:07,283 --> 00:13:09,263 the signs that He was doing." 260 00:13:09,263 --> 00:13:14,812 But notice, Jesus doesn't accept them. 261 00:13:14,812 --> 00:13:19,796 "Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them." 262 00:13:19,796 --> 00:13:22,238 And you know what's interesting in the original? 263 00:13:22,238 --> 00:13:26,327 The word "entrust" is the same word 264 00:13:26,327 --> 00:13:31,423 that is used for them believing. 265 00:13:31,423 --> 00:13:33,953 Literally, this says, 266 00:13:33,953 --> 00:13:36,543 they trusted Him - He didn't trust them. 267 00:13:36,543 --> 00:13:38,235 Or, they believed in Him. 268 00:13:38,235 --> 00:13:40,844 He didn't believe in them. 269 00:13:40,844 --> 00:13:43,399 Now it gets translated a little bit differently, 270 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:45,157 and you can see why it would 271 00:13:45,157 --> 00:13:48,285 because they're on two opposite ends of this, 272 00:13:48,285 --> 00:13:49,903 but recognize in the original, 273 00:13:49,903 --> 00:13:51,885 it's the same word. 274 00:13:51,885 --> 00:13:53,506 They believed in Him. 275 00:13:53,506 --> 00:13:57,692 He didn't believe in them. 276 00:13:57,692 --> 00:13:59,719 I mean, that should rock us. 277 00:13:59,719 --> 00:14:04,136 Like, wow. 278 00:14:04,136 --> 00:14:05,579 People believed, 279 00:14:05,579 --> 00:14:11,056 and Jesus didn't commit Himself to them. 280 00:14:11,056 --> 00:14:16,273 That is a scary category. 281 00:14:16,273 --> 00:14:18,210 It was real even in His day. 282 00:14:18,210 --> 00:14:20,144 Why? Because He knew all people. 283 00:14:20,144 --> 00:14:21,136 What does that mean? 284 00:14:21,136 --> 00:14:22,847 Well, He knew there was something 285 00:14:22,847 --> 00:14:24,224 defective about their faith. 286 00:14:24,224 --> 00:14:25,675 Really? Somebody can believe 287 00:14:25,675 --> 00:14:27,509 and there's something defective about their faith 288 00:14:27,509 --> 00:14:28,756 so even though they believe, 289 00:14:28,756 --> 00:14:31,272 Jesus Himself doesn't entrust Himself to them? 290 00:14:31,272 --> 00:14:34,567 Jesus Himself knows that there's something in there 291 00:14:34,567 --> 00:14:36,341 that's defective? Yep. 292 00:14:36,341 --> 00:14:38,138 That's exactly what's happening. 293 00:14:38,138 --> 00:14:41,215 "He needed no one to bear witness about man 294 00:14:41,215 --> 00:14:45,662 for He Himself knew what was in man." 295 00:14:45,662 --> 00:14:49,138 He knew there was something wrong. 296 00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:51,462 You say, what? 297 00:14:51,462 --> 00:14:54,403 Well, you know, it doesn't tell us there, 298 00:14:54,403 --> 00:14:56,435 but there are other places in Scripture 299 00:14:56,435 --> 00:14:59,397 where we do get greater insights, 300 00:14:59,397 --> 00:15:02,112 like James 2. 301 00:15:02,112 --> 00:15:03,884 Let's go there. 302 00:15:03,884 --> 00:15:08,063 James 2 - again, the classic portion of Scripture 303 00:15:08,063 --> 00:15:14,815 that faith without works is dead. 304 00:15:14,815 --> 00:15:27,345 James 2. 305 00:15:27,345 --> 00:15:33,251 James 2:17. 306 00:15:33,251 --> 00:15:42,142 Hello, ladies. 307 00:15:42,142 --> 00:15:55,553 So James 2:17. 308 00:15:55,553 --> 00:15:58,971 "So also faith by itself 309 00:15:58,971 --> 00:16:04,203 if it does not have works is dead." 310 00:16:04,203 --> 00:16:08,950 Now, I'll just tell you right off, 311 00:16:08,950 --> 00:16:13,062 there are some really bad teachers 312 00:16:13,062 --> 00:16:19,711 who say dead faith can save. 313 00:16:19,711 --> 00:16:25,505 If you are here and you want to believe that 314 00:16:25,505 --> 00:16:28,460 because you have a faith that's dead 315 00:16:28,460 --> 00:16:31,743 and you would like to justify where you're at, 316 00:16:31,743 --> 00:16:34,240 or you would like to justify somebody else 317 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:35,836 where they're at, 318 00:16:35,836 --> 00:16:37,933 if you have any inclination in you at all 319 00:16:37,933 --> 00:16:40,206 to believe that dead faith can save, 320 00:16:40,206 --> 00:16:43,622 like lots of teachers today 321 00:16:43,622 --> 00:16:47,142 tend to go in that direction, 322 00:16:47,142 --> 00:16:49,608 they teach it even if they don't directly 323 00:16:49,608 --> 00:16:52,627 try to redefine these texts - 324 00:16:52,627 --> 00:16:56,233 pay close attention to what we read here 325 00:16:56,233 --> 00:16:59,718 because James himself will show you 326 00:16:59,718 --> 00:17:01,868 dead faith can't save. 327 00:17:01,868 --> 00:17:04,388 You just have to listen to James. 328 00:17:04,388 --> 00:17:05,972 You don't have to listen to me. 329 00:17:05,972 --> 00:17:07,541 Just listen to James. 330 00:17:07,541 --> 00:17:09,785 Pay careful attention to what he says. 331 00:17:09,785 --> 00:17:16,934 "Faith by itself if it does not have works is dead." 332 00:17:16,934 --> 00:17:22,355 I would hope that sounds bad to everybody. 333 00:17:22,355 --> 00:17:24,242 Dead faith. 334 00:17:24,242 --> 00:17:26,960 Well, that doesn't sound good. 335 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,973 Something that's dead is not good. 336 00:17:30,973 --> 00:17:34,502 "But someone will say you have faith 337 00:17:34,502 --> 00:17:36,966 and I have works. 338 00:17:36,966 --> 00:17:41,451 Show me your faith apart from your works 339 00:17:41,451 --> 00:17:51,053 and I will show you my faith by my works." 340 00:17:51,053 --> 00:17:55,807 V. 19, "You believe that God is one. 341 00:17:55,807 --> 00:17:58,256 You do well." 342 00:17:58,256 --> 00:18:02,203 Because that's what people with faith 343 00:18:02,203 --> 00:18:04,808 are going to say who have no works. 344 00:18:04,808 --> 00:18:08,168 "Oh, but I believe! I believe in God! 345 00:18:08,168 --> 00:18:09,782 I believe there's one God. 346 00:18:09,782 --> 00:18:12,235 I believe in the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. 347 00:18:12,235 --> 00:18:13,622 I believe in Jesus Christ. 348 00:18:13,622 --> 00:18:16,193 I believe Jesus is God." 349 00:18:16,193 --> 00:18:18,211 But you see what he's going to say here? 350 00:18:18,211 --> 00:18:20,273 Somebody that wants to argue that way - 351 00:18:20,273 --> 00:18:22,439 you know where he's going to take them? 352 00:18:22,439 --> 00:18:25,647 He takes them to the demons 353 00:18:25,647 --> 00:18:29,011 and he's going to say 354 00:18:29,011 --> 00:18:32,232 even the demons believe. 355 00:18:32,232 --> 00:18:36,101 But anybody want to make a case for demons being saved? 356 00:18:36,101 --> 00:18:37,392 You see where he's going? 357 00:18:37,392 --> 00:18:39,241 He's going to people who obviously - 358 00:18:39,241 --> 00:18:40,522 he's going to persons, 359 00:18:40,522 --> 00:18:43,316 he's going to creatures who obviously 360 00:18:43,316 --> 00:18:45,966 nobody is going to argue is saved. 361 00:18:45,966 --> 00:18:48,601 And he's going to say if you say 362 00:18:48,601 --> 00:18:51,157 that I believe in God, 363 00:18:51,157 --> 00:18:54,297 he's going to say, that's great, 364 00:18:54,297 --> 00:18:56,341 because the demons believe that too. 365 00:18:56,341 --> 00:18:59,517 You are on no better footing if you don't have works 366 00:18:59,517 --> 00:19:01,834 than the demons who have no works. 367 00:19:01,834 --> 00:19:04,571 Well, their works are wicked. 368 00:19:04,571 --> 00:19:06,595 "Even the demons believe..." 369 00:19:06,595 --> 00:19:10,396 and as John MacArthur has said about this text, 370 00:19:10,396 --> 00:19:12,575 they shudder. 371 00:19:12,575 --> 00:19:15,247 MacArthur points out that most 372 00:19:15,247 --> 00:19:18,241 of these shallow individuals that hold 373 00:19:18,241 --> 00:19:20,154 that dead faith can save, 374 00:19:20,154 --> 00:19:21,608 they don't even shudder. 375 00:19:21,608 --> 00:19:23,454 At least the demons know enough 376 00:19:23,454 --> 00:19:26,380 and believe enough to shake 377 00:19:26,380 --> 00:19:27,659 at the thought of God 378 00:19:27,659 --> 00:19:29,746 because they know they have to stand before Him. 379 00:19:29,746 --> 00:19:32,781 The typical guy out here in the world 380 00:19:32,781 --> 00:19:34,650 or the girl out here in the world that says, 381 00:19:34,650 --> 00:19:35,721 "well, I believe," 382 00:19:35,721 --> 00:19:38,705 but then their life is full of all manner of wickedness - 383 00:19:38,705 --> 00:19:40,422 but they say, "But I'm a believer. 384 00:19:40,422 --> 00:19:41,834 I'm a true Christian." 385 00:19:41,834 --> 00:19:43,307 Even though there's no fruit - 386 00:19:43,307 --> 00:19:45,157 the fruit is bad in their life. 387 00:19:45,157 --> 00:19:47,768 He's saying the demons, 388 00:19:47,768 --> 00:19:51,381 at least they shudder. 389 00:19:51,381 --> 00:19:53,834 "Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, 390 00:19:53,834 --> 00:19:56,800 that faith apart from works is useless?" 391 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,868 Now before, he said it was dead. 392 00:19:58,868 --> 00:20:00,393 Now he says it's useless. 393 00:20:00,393 --> 00:20:03,632 If anybody is going to say that useless faith can save, 394 00:20:03,632 --> 00:20:06,774 you're walking where I don't want to go. 395 00:20:06,774 --> 00:20:10,516 I would not risk my soul on that. 396 00:20:10,516 --> 00:20:13,246 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works 397 00:20:13,246 --> 00:20:16,600 when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 398 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,182 You see that faith was active along with his works, 399 00:20:21,182 --> 00:20:23,834 and faith was completed by his works. 400 00:20:23,834 --> 00:20:25,982 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 401 00:20:25,982 --> 00:20:27,570 'Abraham believed God 402 00:20:27,570 --> 00:20:30,281 and it was counted to him as righteousness,' 403 00:20:30,281 --> 00:20:32,259 and he was called a friend of God. 404 00:20:32,259 --> 00:20:34,571 You see that a person is justified by works 405 00:20:34,571 --> 00:20:36,730 and not by faith alone. 406 00:20:36,730 --> 00:20:38,304 And in the same way, was not also 407 00:20:38,304 --> 00:20:41,166 Rahab the prostitute justified by works 408 00:20:41,166 --> 00:20:42,805 when she received the messengers 409 00:20:42,805 --> 00:20:44,926 and sent them out by another way? 410 00:20:44,926 --> 00:20:48,570 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, 411 00:20:48,570 --> 00:20:51,545 so also faith apart from works is dead." 412 00:20:51,545 --> 00:20:55,163 So, if you want to say that dead faith can save, 413 00:20:55,163 --> 00:20:59,182 what are you saying? 414 00:20:59,182 --> 00:21:00,866 Are you saying demons can be saved? 415 00:21:00,866 --> 00:21:02,570 You've got two camps here. 416 00:21:02,570 --> 00:21:04,812 You've got demons. 417 00:21:04,812 --> 00:21:06,539 Over on the other side, 418 00:21:06,539 --> 00:21:09,850 you've got Abraham and Rahab. 419 00:21:09,850 --> 00:21:12,970 Which camp is obviously living faith? 420 00:21:12,970 --> 00:21:14,175 Which one is dead? 421 00:21:14,175 --> 00:21:16,490 Which one is useless over against 422 00:21:16,490 --> 00:21:18,046 which one saves? 423 00:21:18,046 --> 00:21:20,110 I hope it's pretty obvious to you. 424 00:21:20,110 --> 00:21:24,201 So, okay, we're talking about assurance. 425 00:21:24,201 --> 00:21:26,316 Why am I talking so much about faith? 426 00:21:26,316 --> 00:21:30,882 I'm talking about it because 427 00:21:30,882 --> 00:21:34,022 my point was Scripture itself 428 00:21:34,022 --> 00:21:37,070 can sometimes compound the agony 429 00:21:37,070 --> 00:21:40,221 behind why people struggle with assurance 430 00:21:40,221 --> 00:21:44,268 because they're being told from Scripture 431 00:21:44,268 --> 00:21:45,951 that just because you believe, 432 00:21:45,951 --> 00:21:49,222 it's not necessarily saving faith. 433 00:21:49,222 --> 00:21:55,368 Now, I want to go probably the most explicit verses 434 00:21:55,368 --> 00:21:57,041 and the ones that Paul Washer 435 00:21:57,041 --> 00:22:02,585 has made so famous through his sermon - 436 00:22:02,585 --> 00:22:16,454 namely, Matthew 7. 437 00:22:16,454 --> 00:22:29,374 Matthew 7:21. 438 00:22:29,374 --> 00:22:32,372 Now, we know these verses, 439 00:22:32,372 --> 00:22:35,123 but let's hear them. 440 00:22:35,123 --> 00:22:37,169 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' 441 00:22:37,169 --> 00:22:38,887 will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 442 00:22:38,887 --> 00:22:40,887 Let's put that in different terms. 443 00:22:40,887 --> 00:22:44,962 Let's put it in the terms that we're talking about. 444 00:22:44,962 --> 00:22:48,816 Not everyone who calls themselves a believer 445 00:22:48,816 --> 00:22:53,228 and believes that Jesus is Lord 446 00:22:53,228 --> 00:22:55,131 is saved. 447 00:22:55,131 --> 00:22:58,541 That's basically what's being said here. 448 00:22:58,541 --> 00:23:00,620 You may believe He's Lord. 449 00:23:00,620 --> 00:23:03,261 You may call Him, "Lord, Lord," 450 00:23:03,261 --> 00:23:06,880 and you're not going to enter the Kingdom. 451 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:08,511 Who enters the Kingdom? 452 00:23:08,511 --> 00:23:10,278 Well, let's look at their works. 453 00:23:10,278 --> 00:23:12,287 "The one who does the will of My Father 454 00:23:12,287 --> 00:23:13,991 who is in Heaven." 455 00:23:13,991 --> 00:23:16,112 On that day - what day? 456 00:23:16,112 --> 00:23:17,519 Judgment Day. 457 00:23:17,519 --> 00:23:22,421 On Judgment Day - catch this word: 458 00:23:22,421 --> 00:23:27,033 "Many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not 459 00:23:27,033 --> 00:23:29,639 prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, 460 00:23:29,639 --> 00:23:31,321 do many mighty works in Your name?' 461 00:23:31,321 --> 00:23:34,699 And then I will declare to them, 462 00:23:34,699 --> 00:23:38,423 'I never knew you. 463 00:23:38,423 --> 00:23:40,845 Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'" 464 00:23:40,845 --> 00:23:44,276 Or, "you workers of iniquity." 465 00:23:44,276 --> 00:23:49,711 Now look, if there's anything 466 00:23:49,711 --> 00:23:54,762 in this world that sinners 467 00:23:54,762 --> 00:24:00,537 ought to be worried and concerned about - 468 00:24:00,537 --> 00:24:04,082 look, if there were some people in this room that had no sin, 469 00:24:04,082 --> 00:24:06,454 you might not have to be worried about this, 470 00:24:06,454 --> 00:24:09,501 but there's nobody in the room that fits that description. 471 00:24:09,501 --> 00:24:13,584 And if there's anything above everything 472 00:24:13,584 --> 00:24:16,789 that we ought to be concerned about 473 00:24:16,789 --> 00:24:20,126 and worried about if we're sinners, 474 00:24:20,126 --> 00:24:22,089 it is certainly this. 475 00:24:22,089 --> 00:24:28,670 Am I really a Christian? 476 00:24:28,670 --> 00:24:33,538 Am I a Christian by biblical definition? 477 00:24:33,538 --> 00:24:35,693 By biblical terms? 478 00:24:35,693 --> 00:24:37,292 Because you know what? 479 00:24:37,292 --> 00:24:39,720 You can get all uptight, 480 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,548 all bent out of shape; 481 00:24:42,548 --> 00:24:44,852 you can get disgusted at anybody 482 00:24:44,852 --> 00:24:47,033 who might think you're not 483 00:24:47,033 --> 00:24:48,558 or call into question 484 00:24:48,558 --> 00:24:50,128 or bring up verses like this, 485 00:24:50,128 --> 00:24:52,151 but I'll tell you this, if you're wrong, 486 00:24:52,151 --> 00:24:53,785 you're the one going to hell. 487 00:24:53,785 --> 00:24:57,646 If you're wrong, you perish. 488 00:24:57,646 --> 00:24:59,912 Here's the thing, 489 00:24:59,912 --> 00:25:05,405 Jesus said "many." 490 00:25:05,405 --> 00:25:08,031 Many. 491 00:25:08,031 --> 00:25:11,818 Many... 492 00:25:11,818 --> 00:25:15,778 are thinking they're okay, 493 00:25:15,778 --> 00:25:18,670 and they're wrong. 494 00:25:18,670 --> 00:25:20,033 Many. 495 00:25:20,033 --> 00:25:22,850 It would be one thing if He said, 496 00:25:22,850 --> 00:25:27,609 oh, occasionally, there's one here and there, 497 00:25:27,609 --> 00:25:29,089 far and wide, 498 00:25:29,089 --> 00:25:31,324 one over there and one over there. 499 00:25:31,324 --> 00:25:33,336 That's not what He says. 500 00:25:33,336 --> 00:25:34,759 He says do you do know 501 00:25:34,759 --> 00:25:36,691 what's going to be commonplace 502 00:25:36,691 --> 00:25:39,218 on Judgment Day? 503 00:25:39,218 --> 00:25:46,245 Literally, they are going to line up by the masses, 504 00:25:46,245 --> 00:25:49,160 and say, 505 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:50,811 "I was a Christian." 506 00:25:50,811 --> 00:25:54,304 And He's going to say, "No, you were not." 507 00:25:54,304 --> 00:25:55,551 Not ever. 508 00:25:55,551 --> 00:25:58,208 Not then. Not now. 509 00:25:58,208 --> 00:26:00,415 "But... but..." 510 00:26:00,415 --> 00:26:01,927 What are you going to say? 511 00:26:01,927 --> 00:26:03,301 Are you going to say what these people said? 512 00:26:03,301 --> 00:26:04,586 It didn't help them. 513 00:26:04,586 --> 00:26:05,858 Because it's too late. 514 00:26:05,858 --> 00:26:06,988 You were wrong. 515 00:26:06,988 --> 00:26:10,170 And rather than even entertaining the idea 516 00:26:10,170 --> 00:26:11,468 that you were wrong, 517 00:26:11,468 --> 00:26:17,450 you just sailed on out into eternity. 518 00:26:17,450 --> 00:26:20,017 What question is more important? 519 00:26:20,017 --> 00:26:22,612 Do I possess saving faith? 520 00:26:22,612 --> 00:26:26,561 Is the faith that I have, is it the real deal? Or not? 521 00:26:26,561 --> 00:26:28,003 Or am I only deceiving myself 522 00:26:28,003 --> 00:26:31,858 because the reality is 523 00:26:31,858 --> 00:26:36,736 it's a scary reality. 524 00:26:36,736 --> 00:26:38,106 Many. 525 00:26:38,106 --> 00:26:40,304 And see here's the thing. 526 00:26:40,304 --> 00:26:42,911 If we actually said, 527 00:26:42,911 --> 00:26:47,653 well, you know what? 528 00:26:47,653 --> 00:26:50,481 Many, many, many people 529 00:26:50,481 --> 00:26:52,823 are going to be saved. 530 00:26:52,823 --> 00:26:55,568 So, even though it says 531 00:26:55,568 --> 00:26:58,908 many are deceived, 532 00:26:58,908 --> 00:27:02,828 it's just a small fraction 533 00:27:02,828 --> 00:27:04,982 of people who profess to be Christians. 534 00:27:04,982 --> 00:27:08,347 Oh yes, in the end it will turn out to be many - no. 535 00:27:08,347 --> 00:27:10,813 Don't think that way. 536 00:27:10,813 --> 00:27:14,742 Do you know that the same "many" 537 00:27:14,742 --> 00:27:22,321 who show up in Matthew 7:22, 538 00:27:22,321 --> 00:27:26,027 they show up before this? 539 00:27:26,027 --> 00:27:33,008 Notice Matthew 7:13. 540 00:27:33,008 --> 00:27:35,848 "Enter by the narrow gate, 541 00:27:35,848 --> 00:27:37,653 for the gate is wide 542 00:27:37,653 --> 00:27:42,253 and the way is easy..." 543 00:27:42,253 --> 00:27:44,118 Or as the King James says, 544 00:27:44,118 --> 00:27:46,580 "broad is the way." 545 00:27:46,580 --> 00:27:48,721 Do you know every city you go into 546 00:27:48,721 --> 00:27:53,781 including our own that has a street called "Broadway," - 547 00:27:53,781 --> 00:27:55,519 do you know where that comes from? 548 00:27:55,519 --> 00:27:58,661 Right here. 549 00:27:58,661 --> 00:28:04,874 Now, this broad way is the way of religion. 550 00:28:04,874 --> 00:28:06,652 It's the same people that you get 551 00:28:06,652 --> 00:28:13,279 down here in v. 22. 552 00:28:13,279 --> 00:28:16,369 When it talks about there being 553 00:28:16,369 --> 00:28:20,175 a wide gate, a broad way 554 00:28:20,175 --> 00:28:23,327 that leads to destruction, 555 00:28:23,327 --> 00:28:25,441 He's not just talking about people 556 00:28:25,441 --> 00:28:30,560 who are out there living wild in sin. 557 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,003 He's talking about people 558 00:28:33,003 --> 00:28:36,435 who try to go to Heaven - 559 00:28:36,435 --> 00:28:38,433 it's a broad way, 560 00:28:38,433 --> 00:28:44,252 because you can get on that way - 561 00:28:44,252 --> 00:28:46,441 it promises Heaven in the end. 562 00:28:46,441 --> 00:28:50,067 You can take all your sin. 563 00:28:50,067 --> 00:28:52,201 The problem is it doesn't go to Heaven. 564 00:28:52,201 --> 00:28:57,583 And you see, when you get down to v. 23, 565 00:28:57,583 --> 00:28:59,825 He calls the people what they are. 566 00:28:59,825 --> 00:29:01,542 He says, "Depart from Me, 567 00:29:01,542 --> 00:29:06,122 you workers of lawlessness." 568 00:29:06,122 --> 00:29:10,666 You see why the way is so broad? 569 00:29:10,666 --> 00:29:12,651 Because people are convinced - 570 00:29:12,651 --> 00:29:17,396 and you've got lots of preachers who will tell you - 571 00:29:17,396 --> 00:29:22,164 you've got lots of preachers preaching the broad way. 572 00:29:22,164 --> 00:29:23,535 You can have your sin. 573 00:29:23,535 --> 00:29:26,169 You can have your lawlessness. 574 00:29:26,169 --> 00:29:28,433 And you'll go to Heaven in the end. 575 00:29:28,433 --> 00:29:30,455 And Jesus says, "Depart from Me, 576 00:29:30,455 --> 00:29:31,786 you workers of lawlessness." 577 00:29:31,786 --> 00:29:33,499 He says it's those that do the will 578 00:29:33,499 --> 00:29:35,554 of My Father in Heaven. 579 00:29:35,554 --> 00:29:40,725 And the reason I took you back up there 580 00:29:40,725 --> 00:29:46,096 to v. 13 and 14 is for this reason: 581 00:29:46,096 --> 00:29:52,501 The "many" are over against the few 582 00:29:52,501 --> 00:29:59,107 who are on the narrow and hard way 583 00:29:59,107 --> 00:30:00,640 that leads to life. 584 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,338 Those who find that are few. 585 00:30:04,338 --> 00:30:06,367 Picture this. 586 00:30:06,367 --> 00:30:09,078 This is another reason to deal with assurance. 587 00:30:09,078 --> 00:30:11,211 Why? 588 00:30:11,211 --> 00:30:16,108 Listen, when He says, "in that day..." 589 00:30:16,108 --> 00:30:19,598 these many are going to come to the surface, 590 00:30:19,598 --> 00:30:23,327 and He's going to tell them to depart. 591 00:30:23,327 --> 00:30:25,753 You know what it means? 592 00:30:25,753 --> 00:30:29,606 On our subject matter of assurance? 593 00:30:29,606 --> 00:30:33,168 Do you know what it means? 594 00:30:33,168 --> 00:30:35,664 These people were assured. 595 00:30:35,664 --> 00:30:38,167 These people were certain. 596 00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:40,623 Now look, on the one hand, 597 00:30:40,623 --> 00:30:44,808 we get people like James is dealing with, 598 00:30:44,808 --> 00:30:47,384 60% of the I'll Be Honest emails 599 00:30:47,384 --> 00:30:51,159 where people are uncertain 600 00:30:51,159 --> 00:30:53,986 about whether they're saved or not. 601 00:30:53,986 --> 00:30:55,948 But on the flip side, 602 00:30:55,948 --> 00:30:59,187 there's another reason to be really concerned 603 00:30:59,187 --> 00:31:01,045 about assurance. 604 00:31:01,045 --> 00:31:05,437 Because, what would you say 605 00:31:05,437 --> 00:31:09,182 percentage-wise if you hear this: 606 00:31:09,182 --> 00:31:13,384 Many are on this broad way. 607 00:31:13,384 --> 00:31:17,326 Many in that day are going to say, "Lord, Lord." 608 00:31:17,326 --> 00:31:19,370 And He's going to say, "I didn't know you." 609 00:31:19,370 --> 00:31:22,103 Over against "few there be that find it." 610 00:31:22,103 --> 00:31:25,757 What kind of percentage do you think that is? 611 00:31:25,757 --> 00:31:29,999 That sounds to me like more than 60%. 612 00:31:29,999 --> 00:31:38,014 Like I would say 90%/10%. 613 00:31:38,014 --> 00:31:39,998 That's many and few. 614 00:31:39,998 --> 00:31:42,184 95 and 5? 615 00:31:42,184 --> 00:31:45,771 99 and 1? 616 00:31:45,771 --> 00:31:47,756 You see what I'm getting at? 617 00:31:47,756 --> 00:31:50,043 The vast majority of people 618 00:31:50,043 --> 00:31:51,901 who call themselves Christians 619 00:31:51,901 --> 00:31:53,988 right now in this world, 620 00:31:53,988 --> 00:31:55,876 who are alive today - 621 00:31:55,876 --> 00:31:58,420 the vast majority have an assurance 622 00:31:58,420 --> 00:32:05,849 that is taking them straight to hell. 623 00:32:05,849 --> 00:32:08,793 James: Here's an example from an email this week. 624 00:32:08,793 --> 00:32:12,080 Someone said, "I changed my gender..." 625 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,885 and they were removing body parts, 626 00:32:14,885 --> 00:32:17,299 and they said this: 627 00:32:17,299 --> 00:32:23,127 "During this time, I never lost my faith." 628 00:32:23,127 --> 00:32:25,590 My question was: What is your faith in? 629 00:32:25,590 --> 00:32:27,646 If you never lost it, it's clearly not 630 00:32:27,646 --> 00:32:29,450 in the biblical Jesus Christ 631 00:32:29,450 --> 00:32:31,209 based on how you're living. 632 00:32:31,209 --> 00:32:35,004 Tim: No, because they're lawless. 633 00:32:35,004 --> 00:32:37,260 They're doing what they want to do. 634 00:32:37,260 --> 00:32:39,165 They're doing what they want to do, 635 00:32:39,165 --> 00:32:40,756 living the way they want to live. 636 00:32:40,756 --> 00:32:44,479 Not regarding the laws that God gave, 637 00:32:44,479 --> 00:32:47,456 but saying because I believe 638 00:32:47,456 --> 00:32:50,515 that there's a god who smiles on me all the time 639 00:32:50,515 --> 00:32:53,030 and will continue to smile no matter what I do... 640 00:32:53,030 --> 00:32:54,560 That is the great lie. 641 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,029 It's a lie I believed when I was lost. 642 00:32:57,029 --> 00:33:00,195 That it's going to turn out okay 643 00:33:00,195 --> 00:33:05,080 because after all, 644 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:06,476 I believe there's God. 645 00:33:06,476 --> 00:33:08,452 I believed in Jesus Christ 646 00:33:08,452 --> 00:33:10,960 at least as a historical figure. 647 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,823 It was quite distorted. 648 00:33:13,823 --> 00:33:16,391 And I figured it would turn out okay in the end. 649 00:33:16,391 --> 00:33:22,283 And that's the vast majority of people in this world. 650 00:33:22,283 --> 00:33:29,845 The thing is, it isn't evident 651 00:33:29,845 --> 00:33:32,710 that these people were even concerned 652 00:33:32,710 --> 00:33:34,656 in their life. 653 00:33:34,656 --> 00:33:36,039 And you know what? 654 00:33:36,039 --> 00:33:39,351 I wasn't concerned until God opened my eyes. 655 00:33:39,351 --> 00:33:40,986 My wife wasn't concerned. 656 00:33:40,986 --> 00:33:44,549 She was madly and gladly on her way to hell too. 657 00:33:44,549 --> 00:33:47,636 The thing about these people in Matthew 7 658 00:33:47,636 --> 00:33:49,991 is that it isn't even evident that these people 659 00:33:49,991 --> 00:33:51,914 were concerned while they were carelessly living 660 00:33:51,914 --> 00:33:54,863 their lives of lawlessness. 661 00:33:54,863 --> 00:33:57,825 They became concerned when it was too late. 662 00:33:57,825 --> 00:34:01,428 What? 663 00:34:01,428 --> 00:34:04,337 How could this be? 664 00:34:04,337 --> 00:34:06,763 I mean, there must be some fault with You 665 00:34:06,763 --> 00:34:08,649 because we were there. 666 00:34:08,649 --> 00:34:10,416 We were in church each week. 667 00:34:10,416 --> 00:34:12,376 What are You talking about? 668 00:34:12,376 --> 00:34:13,886 We cast out the demons 669 00:34:13,886 --> 00:34:15,215 and we were prophesying! 670 00:34:15,215 --> 00:34:19,536 We got up and we sang in Your name. 671 00:34:19,536 --> 00:34:21,227 We sang songs with Your name in it. 672 00:34:21,227 --> 00:34:24,846 How could this be? 673 00:34:24,846 --> 00:34:36,235 "Depart from Me. I never knew you." 674 00:34:36,235 --> 00:34:38,029 I guess one of the questions 675 00:34:38,029 --> 00:34:40,036 that I was asking myself 676 00:34:40,036 --> 00:34:41,875 as I was thinking about presenting 677 00:34:41,875 --> 00:34:43,676 this material to you 678 00:34:43,676 --> 00:34:47,249 is these 60% of people 679 00:34:47,249 --> 00:34:49,878 that write to I'll Be Honest 680 00:34:49,878 --> 00:34:53,314 who don't know, aren't certain, 681 00:34:53,314 --> 00:34:56,099 are really desperate and agonizing 682 00:34:56,099 --> 00:34:57,486 and concerned - 683 00:34:57,486 --> 00:34:59,728 I asked myself this, 684 00:34:59,728 --> 00:35:05,804 does the fact that they are concerned 685 00:35:05,804 --> 00:35:07,931 give us any reason to think good or ill 686 00:35:07,931 --> 00:35:10,180 of their situation? 687 00:35:10,180 --> 00:35:12,090 I mean, on the one hand, you have 688 00:35:12,090 --> 00:35:15,179 all these people who are very confident 689 00:35:15,179 --> 00:35:22,719 and in the end are going to miss heaven. 690 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:26,013 What about the people that are really struggling with assurance? 691 00:35:26,013 --> 00:35:27,452 Is that a good sign? 692 00:35:27,452 --> 00:35:29,928 I mean, there are some circles - 693 00:35:29,928 --> 00:35:32,728 John Sytsma can tell you about circles he came from 694 00:35:32,728 --> 00:35:38,631 where doubting was actually seen as desirable. 695 00:35:38,631 --> 00:35:42,623 It was seen as a good quality. 696 00:35:42,623 --> 00:35:45,996 And if you didn't doubt, you were presumptuous. 697 00:35:45,996 --> 00:35:47,598 But what about these people? 698 00:35:47,598 --> 00:35:49,713 Does the fact that they wrestle 699 00:35:49,713 --> 00:35:51,819 and they squirm and they weep 700 00:35:51,819 --> 00:35:54,233 and they cry out 701 00:35:54,233 --> 00:35:55,940 and sometimes they sob 702 00:35:55,940 --> 00:35:58,469 and they're losing sleep 703 00:35:58,469 --> 00:36:00,082 and they're not at rest 704 00:36:00,082 --> 00:36:02,603 and they're agonizing and desperate 705 00:36:02,603 --> 00:36:04,606 and concerned - 706 00:36:04,606 --> 00:36:06,392 does that give us any reason 707 00:36:06,392 --> 00:36:08,619 to think well of their situation? 708 00:36:08,619 --> 00:36:11,860 Or does it only make us think bad of it? 709 00:36:11,860 --> 00:36:15,676 There they are agonizing over the question: 710 00:36:15,676 --> 00:36:17,479 Do I really have saving faith? 711 00:36:17,479 --> 00:36:21,144 Is my faith real? Am I self-deceived? 712 00:36:21,144 --> 00:36:23,939 Or asking the question: how do I get assurance? 713 00:36:23,939 --> 00:36:25,269 I mean, sometimes it's like 714 00:36:25,269 --> 00:36:27,838 you get the feeling that they really do think 715 00:36:27,838 --> 00:36:29,527 that they're saved; 716 00:36:29,527 --> 00:36:31,998 they're just wanting you to give them the solution 717 00:36:31,998 --> 00:36:33,778 to find where assurance is. 718 00:36:33,778 --> 00:36:37,541 It's like this thing that's just always outside their grasp. 719 00:36:37,541 --> 00:36:39,649 It's so elusive and evasive 720 00:36:39,649 --> 00:36:41,598 and just show me how to get it. 721 00:36:41,598 --> 00:36:42,995 Show me how to get assurance. 722 00:36:42,995 --> 00:36:44,622 They want to be at peace 723 00:36:44,622 --> 00:36:45,967 and they're not at peace. 724 00:36:45,967 --> 00:36:48,588 You know, there are a lot of people in the world 725 00:36:48,588 --> 00:36:50,385 not at peace. 726 00:36:50,385 --> 00:36:52,753 And sometimes it's because they've 727 00:36:52,753 --> 00:36:54,792 been exposed to so much truth 728 00:36:54,792 --> 00:36:57,107 that it's hard for them to be at peace 729 00:36:57,107 --> 00:37:00,302 because they continue to live on in their sin. 730 00:37:00,302 --> 00:37:02,101 What they really want to be assured 731 00:37:02,101 --> 00:37:04,003 is that they're not going to go to hell, 732 00:37:04,003 --> 00:37:07,707 but they're not getting that assurance. 733 00:37:07,707 --> 00:37:09,841 I know some people feel like assurance 734 00:37:09,841 --> 00:37:16,668 is like it's the most elusive thing in the world. 735 00:37:16,668 --> 00:37:19,692 And for some people it probably is. 736 00:37:19,692 --> 00:37:24,105 Is that good? Is that bad? 737 00:37:24,105 --> 00:37:27,131 And I guess one of the things that we have to think about 738 00:37:27,131 --> 00:37:28,405 is we don't want to do 739 00:37:28,405 --> 00:37:31,097 what a lot of these preachers are doing. 740 00:37:31,097 --> 00:37:32,476 Look, there are preachers 741 00:37:32,476 --> 00:37:36,226 who simply ignore Scripture. 742 00:37:36,226 --> 00:37:38,726 But when you get face-to-face 743 00:37:38,726 --> 00:37:42,866 with somebody that's desperate - 744 00:37:42,866 --> 00:37:46,108 look, I've dealt with people. 745 00:37:46,108 --> 00:37:48,089 You get somebody who's weeping, 746 00:37:48,089 --> 00:37:49,546 somebody who's desperate, 747 00:37:49,546 --> 00:37:51,924 somebody who's in torment - 748 00:37:51,924 --> 00:37:55,342 you want to help them. 749 00:37:55,342 --> 00:37:57,305 But you know what you never want to do? 750 00:37:57,305 --> 00:37:59,126 You never want to distort the message 751 00:37:59,126 --> 00:38:01,050 to try to help them. 752 00:38:01,050 --> 00:38:03,568 You don't want to present them with falsehoods 753 00:38:03,568 --> 00:38:04,620 to try to help them, 754 00:38:04,620 --> 00:38:08,931 because that never will help anybody. 755 00:38:08,931 --> 00:38:11,764 We don't want to try to lessen the problem 756 00:38:11,764 --> 00:38:15,146 by making faith - like this - 757 00:38:15,146 --> 00:38:17,300 like what is so often, 758 00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:22,219 you know, just a simple decision. 759 00:38:22,219 --> 00:38:25,008 We hear about decisional regeneration. 760 00:38:25,008 --> 00:38:27,015 Just make the decision. 761 00:38:27,015 --> 00:38:29,888 You know, the quick kind of shallow 762 00:38:29,888 --> 00:38:36,019 easy believism that's so prevalent in our day. 763 00:38:36,019 --> 00:38:39,169 Just say this prayer. Just say the sinner's prayer. 764 00:38:39,169 --> 00:38:40,439 Just believe these facts. 765 00:38:40,439 --> 00:38:41,518 Well, do you believe? 766 00:38:41,518 --> 00:38:46,905 Can you articulate the basic facts of the Gospel? 767 00:38:46,905 --> 00:38:49,296 Can you ask God to save you from your sins? 768 00:38:49,296 --> 00:38:52,701 Well, if you ask God to save you from your sins... 769 00:38:52,701 --> 00:38:54,743 I'll never forget years ago 770 00:38:54,743 --> 00:38:57,255 when we were doing a church plant 771 00:38:57,255 --> 00:38:58,482 down south of here, 772 00:38:58,482 --> 00:39:01,850 I asked a young man about his salvation 773 00:39:01,850 --> 00:39:04,934 and he kind of looks past me at his mom. 774 00:39:04,934 --> 00:39:09,090 He said, "Didn't I write it in the front of the Bible?" 775 00:39:09,090 --> 00:39:11,613 (incomplete thought) 776 00:39:11,613 --> 00:39:14,087 But that's the kind of things that people are told. 777 00:39:14,087 --> 00:39:16,301 Well, you said the prayer... 778 00:39:16,301 --> 00:39:17,726 I remember MacArthur one time 779 00:39:17,726 --> 00:39:20,023 when he was speaking on this subject, 780 00:39:20,023 --> 00:39:22,396 he said something about preachers 781 00:39:22,396 --> 00:39:25,034 that would tell you to drive a stick in the ground, 782 00:39:25,034 --> 00:39:26,816 and then every time you doubted, 783 00:39:26,816 --> 00:39:31,399 go back and look at the stick - 784 00:39:31,399 --> 00:39:36,295 but basically decisionism 785 00:39:36,295 --> 00:39:38,775 that takes place today. 786 00:39:38,775 --> 00:39:40,785 We don't want to basically 787 00:39:40,785 --> 00:39:44,298 making saving faith just down into 788 00:39:44,298 --> 00:39:47,067 being able to give assent to a few truths. 789 00:39:47,067 --> 00:39:49,725 Just because at the heart of the Gospel 790 00:39:49,725 --> 00:39:55,244 is the reality that Christ died for our sins 791 00:39:55,244 --> 00:39:56,716 according to the Scriptures, 792 00:39:56,716 --> 00:39:59,933 and He was buried and He was raised in three days - 793 00:39:59,933 --> 00:40:01,907 just because you believe that happened 794 00:40:01,907 --> 00:40:03,674 does not mean that you're saved. 795 00:40:03,674 --> 00:40:05,591 You had people that saw Jesus Christ 796 00:40:05,591 --> 00:40:07,795 eyeball to eyeball 797 00:40:07,795 --> 00:40:09,492 and they actually believed in Him 798 00:40:09,492 --> 00:40:14,516 and Jesus did not commit Himself to them. 799 00:40:14,516 --> 00:40:19,575 So, we don't want to just cheapen this thing. 800 00:40:19,575 --> 00:40:23,096 We don't want to try to assist people's assurance 801 00:40:23,096 --> 00:40:28,362 by toning down what saving faith looks like. 802 00:40:28,362 --> 00:40:30,118 Saving faith has works. 803 00:40:30,118 --> 00:40:32,342 If somebody's faith looks more like demons 804 00:40:32,342 --> 00:40:34,351 we don't want to try to make their faith 805 00:40:34,351 --> 00:40:36,075 into something that's saving 806 00:40:36,075 --> 00:40:38,092 when it doesn't look a whole lot like Rahab 807 00:40:38,092 --> 00:40:39,733 and it doesn't look a whole lot like Abraham, 808 00:40:39,733 --> 00:40:42,749 but it looks a whole lot more like demon faith 809 00:40:42,749 --> 00:40:44,718 because there's no good works. 810 00:40:44,718 --> 00:40:45,782 Look, Jesus said it. 811 00:40:45,782 --> 00:40:48,425 If you're not doing the will of the Father in Heaven, 812 00:40:48,425 --> 00:40:51,358 then He's going to tell you, "Depart from Me." 813 00:40:51,358 --> 00:40:52,330 That's the reality. 814 00:40:52,330 --> 00:40:54,549 We don't want to tone it down from that. 815 00:40:54,549 --> 00:40:57,545 And there are people who scream bloody murder: 816 00:40:57,545 --> 00:41:01,235 "that is adding works to the Gospel!" 817 00:41:01,235 --> 00:41:02,500 Well, you know what? 818 00:41:02,500 --> 00:41:06,228 Yes! It's adding works to the Gospel. 819 00:41:06,228 --> 00:41:11,335 It's not adding works to how you merit salvation, 820 00:41:11,335 --> 00:41:14,493 but works is an essential part of the Gospel. 821 00:41:14,493 --> 00:41:16,748 It's an essential part of the good news 822 00:41:16,748 --> 00:41:19,219 that Christ actually saves people 823 00:41:19,219 --> 00:41:21,063 to make them zealous of good works. 824 00:41:21,063 --> 00:41:22,730 And if that's not there, 825 00:41:22,730 --> 00:41:24,301 we don't want to tone that down. 826 00:41:24,301 --> 00:41:25,613 What does Scripture say? 827 00:41:25,613 --> 00:41:26,515 It's radical. 828 00:41:26,515 --> 00:41:28,127 You're a new creation in Christ. 829 00:41:28,127 --> 00:41:30,017 The old things pass away; all things become new. 830 00:41:30,017 --> 00:41:32,407 What are you going to tell people? It's not that? 831 00:41:32,407 --> 00:41:34,213 Are you going to make it less radical 832 00:41:34,213 --> 00:41:36,546 than being altogether a new creation? 833 00:41:36,546 --> 00:41:39,036 If you do that, what do you think? 834 00:41:39,036 --> 00:41:41,048 You think that's the kind of assurance 835 00:41:41,048 --> 00:41:45,285 that is going to profit people? 836 00:41:45,285 --> 00:41:48,405 Look, if you tell people a message 837 00:41:48,405 --> 00:41:50,327 that gets them to believe that everything 838 00:41:50,327 --> 00:41:52,244 is okay with their soul now, but in the end, 839 00:41:52,244 --> 00:41:55,526 they face God and they get cast away, 840 00:41:55,526 --> 00:41:57,489 you're a soul murderer. 841 00:41:57,489 --> 00:41:59,355 And you didn't do them any good. 842 00:41:59,355 --> 00:42:01,109 You didn't show them any love. 843 00:42:01,109 --> 00:42:04,257 You did not really have a concern for them. 844 00:42:04,257 --> 00:42:06,358 To twist the message, tone down the message, 845 00:42:06,358 --> 00:42:08,378 water down the message is not 846 00:42:08,378 --> 00:42:11,285 the way that we want to produce assurance 847 00:42:11,285 --> 00:42:12,325 in people. 848 00:42:12,325 --> 00:42:14,825 The last thing we want to do is give people assurance 849 00:42:14,825 --> 00:42:17,076 who shouldn't have it. 850 00:42:17,076 --> 00:42:18,350 So, you know what? 851 00:42:18,350 --> 00:42:20,917 We can get people writing in to I'll Be Honest 852 00:42:20,917 --> 00:42:23,198 and you know what? It can stir your pity. 853 00:42:23,198 --> 00:42:24,775 If you're handling their emails 854 00:42:24,775 --> 00:42:27,797 or handling phone calls, 855 00:42:27,797 --> 00:42:30,878 you can want to weep with them. 856 00:42:30,878 --> 00:42:32,590 But the last thing you want to do 857 00:42:32,590 --> 00:42:33,977 is tone the message down 858 00:42:33,977 --> 00:42:35,923 to try to bring assurance to them. 859 00:42:35,923 --> 00:42:40,469 You know, there are some very well meaning Christians, 860 00:42:40,469 --> 00:42:42,258 even in our own church 861 00:42:42,258 --> 00:42:45,788 that if they're confronted by a person - 862 00:42:45,788 --> 00:42:48,447 look, I saw this. 863 00:42:48,447 --> 00:42:54,521 I saw a situation where a woman - 864 00:42:54,521 --> 00:42:56,506 it came out. 865 00:42:56,506 --> 00:42:58,707 There was all manner of fornication 866 00:42:58,707 --> 00:43:00,560 and adultery in her life, 867 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:02,579 and she didn't have assurance. 868 00:43:02,579 --> 00:43:05,485 And I was watching Christians 869 00:43:05,485 --> 00:43:07,923 even from our church 870 00:43:07,923 --> 00:43:11,726 and from sister churches deal with her 871 00:43:11,726 --> 00:43:15,478 and seek to give her assurance, 872 00:43:15,478 --> 00:43:19,939 when the truth is that many of the grounds 873 00:43:19,939 --> 00:43:23,091 for assurance were lacking and they were missing. 874 00:43:23,091 --> 00:43:25,229 I know they were well meaning. 875 00:43:25,229 --> 00:43:32,807 She was in a desperate situation. 876 00:43:32,807 --> 00:43:39,980 But look, the last thing we want to do 877 00:43:39,980 --> 00:43:42,443 is give people assurance 878 00:43:42,443 --> 00:43:45,251 who shouldn't have it. 879 00:43:45,251 --> 00:43:47,218 And I'll tell you one thing too, 880 00:43:47,218 --> 00:43:48,497 we don't want to assume 881 00:43:48,497 --> 00:43:51,263 that because a person is struggling with assurance 882 00:43:51,263 --> 00:43:54,007 that that must mean that anything certain 883 00:43:54,007 --> 00:43:57,357 one way or another about whether they're a Christian, 884 00:43:57,357 --> 00:43:59,359 because you can have people that struggle with assurance 885 00:43:59,359 --> 00:44:00,461 and they may be saved; 886 00:44:00,461 --> 00:44:02,316 and you may have other people that struggle with assurance 887 00:44:02,316 --> 00:44:04,199 and they may not be saved. 888 00:44:04,199 --> 00:44:06,728 And listen, as I was thinking through this 889 00:44:06,728 --> 00:44:11,441 one of the things that hit me is this: 890 00:44:11,441 --> 00:44:18,487 We have two very powerful witnesses. 891 00:44:18,487 --> 00:44:20,444 You say, what are you talking about? 892 00:44:20,444 --> 00:44:22,881 I'm talking about this. 893 00:44:22,881 --> 00:44:27,610 The Holy Spirit is real. 894 00:44:27,610 --> 00:44:30,830 The devil is real. 895 00:44:30,830 --> 00:44:36,929 And they both can speak to mankind 896 00:44:36,929 --> 00:44:40,325 through not these ears, 897 00:44:40,325 --> 00:44:44,104 but we have ears that hear. 898 00:44:44,104 --> 00:44:46,605 Just think with me. 899 00:44:46,605 --> 00:44:48,687 The Spirit. 900 00:44:48,687 --> 00:44:51,147 Romans 8:16 says this, 901 00:44:51,147 --> 00:44:58,642 "The Spirit Himself bears witness 902 00:44:58,642 --> 00:45:03,200 with our spirit that we're children of God." 903 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,518 The Holy Spirit comes to true Christians 904 00:45:06,518 --> 00:45:14,259 and speaks: "you are a child of God." 905 00:45:14,259 --> 00:45:16,915 But guess what else? 906 00:45:16,915 --> 00:45:21,863 Scripture says not to grieve 907 00:45:21,863 --> 00:45:25,424 the Holy Spirit of God 908 00:45:25,424 --> 00:45:31,075 by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 909 00:45:31,075 --> 00:45:34,237 This first witness that I'm talking about - 910 00:45:34,237 --> 00:45:38,484 listen - listen to what's being said. 911 00:45:38,484 --> 00:45:41,143 He can be grieved. 912 00:45:41,143 --> 00:45:46,057 What happens when that happens? 913 00:45:46,057 --> 00:45:48,722 If you're a child of God 914 00:45:48,722 --> 00:45:53,090 and you grieve the Spirit of God, 915 00:45:53,090 --> 00:45:55,588 the Spirit of God - in another place 916 00:45:55,588 --> 00:45:59,365 it says "quench." 917 00:45:59,365 --> 00:46:07,436 His energy, His witness bearing - 918 00:46:07,436 --> 00:46:09,197 you'll throw a cup of water on it. 919 00:46:09,197 --> 00:46:12,457 You quench it. 920 00:46:12,457 --> 00:46:16,610 So one witness - the Spirit - 921 00:46:16,610 --> 00:46:19,915 can be grieved into silence. 922 00:46:19,915 --> 00:46:22,569 No longer asserting that reality, 923 00:46:22,569 --> 00:46:24,200 asserting that truth. 924 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:28,104 Thus, obviously, creating distress 925 00:46:28,104 --> 00:46:29,567 in true believers. 926 00:46:29,567 --> 00:46:32,523 I've seen this repeatedly. 927 00:46:32,523 --> 00:46:35,199 Very often when true Christians 928 00:46:35,199 --> 00:46:38,114 are most struggling - not always, 929 00:46:38,114 --> 00:46:40,615 but oftentimes, they're struggling with assurance 930 00:46:40,615 --> 00:46:42,579 when they've allowed sin into their life 931 00:46:42,579 --> 00:46:44,492 and they've grieved the Spirit. 932 00:46:44,492 --> 00:46:47,054 But see, that's one reality. 933 00:46:47,054 --> 00:46:49,709 There's this witness. 934 00:46:49,709 --> 00:46:52,306 You may have somebody struggling 935 00:46:52,306 --> 00:46:53,356 with assurance, 936 00:46:53,356 --> 00:46:54,781 and that's the reason why. 937 00:46:54,781 --> 00:46:56,463 They've grieved the Spirit of God, 938 00:46:56,463 --> 00:46:57,928 grieved Him into silence. 939 00:46:57,928 --> 00:46:59,846 But look, the same witness 940 00:46:59,846 --> 00:47:02,621 can on the other hand speak 941 00:47:02,621 --> 00:47:07,319 to the deceived believer. 942 00:47:07,319 --> 00:47:09,720 You say, what do you mean? 943 00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:14,461 I mean the person who thinks they're saved and they're not. 944 00:47:14,461 --> 00:47:19,432 What does the Spirit do to lost people? 945 00:47:19,432 --> 00:47:22,040 Well, we have that in John 16, 946 00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:26,466 that "when He comes, He will convict the world 947 00:47:26,466 --> 00:47:31,006 concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." 948 00:47:31,006 --> 00:47:33,895 So someone who's not saved, 949 00:47:33,895 --> 00:47:37,900 but wants desperately to think that they're saved, 950 00:47:37,900 --> 00:47:39,741 they may be experiencing 951 00:47:39,741 --> 00:47:42,038 the convicting power of the Spirit of God. 952 00:47:42,038 --> 00:47:43,725 You may have somebody 953 00:47:43,725 --> 00:47:46,124 who as much as they're writing to I'll Be Honest 954 00:47:46,124 --> 00:47:48,845 looking for somebody to try to convince them they're saved, 955 00:47:48,845 --> 00:47:51,610 the reason that they can never come to assurance 956 00:47:51,610 --> 00:47:53,636 is because the Spirit is speaking to them 957 00:47:53,636 --> 00:47:56,782 saying "you're not one of the children of God." 958 00:47:56,782 --> 00:47:58,876 "You're not one of the children of God." 959 00:47:58,876 --> 00:48:01,082 And He is speaking to them, 960 00:48:01,082 --> 00:48:02,868 convicting them of sin, 961 00:48:02,868 --> 00:48:05,521 and convicting them in their conscience 962 00:48:05,521 --> 00:48:08,193 that things are not well. 963 00:48:08,193 --> 00:48:11,866 And they're kicking against that. 964 00:48:11,866 --> 00:48:13,443 They don't want to believe it. 965 00:48:13,443 --> 00:48:14,868 (incomplete thought) 966 00:48:14,868 --> 00:48:16,322 They don't want to believe it. 967 00:48:16,322 --> 00:48:17,719 They don't want to hear that, 968 00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:19,785 but that's the reason they're not at rest. 969 00:48:19,785 --> 00:48:20,925 So my point is this, 970 00:48:20,925 --> 00:48:24,371 the Spirit can go quiet with a Christian and cause distress, 971 00:48:24,371 --> 00:48:26,700 and the Spirit can very much do 972 00:48:26,700 --> 00:48:29,921 what the Spirit does in the life of a false believer 973 00:48:29,921 --> 00:48:33,431 and create unrest. 974 00:48:33,431 --> 00:48:36,671 But, then there's a second witness. 975 00:48:36,671 --> 00:48:40,235 And this one is a liar. 976 00:48:40,235 --> 00:48:43,978 And so he is very much in the business 977 00:48:43,978 --> 00:48:48,769 of telling the true Christian he's not saved 978 00:48:48,769 --> 00:48:52,572 and telling the deceived person 979 00:48:52,572 --> 00:48:55,451 that everything is okay. 980 00:48:55,451 --> 00:49:02,213 He's right there to tell all these many people. 981 00:49:02,213 --> 00:49:07,460 And you say, well, you know, which one's more powerful? 982 00:49:07,460 --> 00:49:09,271 Obviously, the Spirit's more powerful. 983 00:49:09,271 --> 00:49:11,667 But I'll tell you this, if you grieve Him, 984 00:49:11,667 --> 00:49:12,861 you quench Him, 985 00:49:12,861 --> 00:49:14,644 you're going to give place to the devil to come in 986 00:49:14,644 --> 00:49:16,390 and he's going to come in with his lies 987 00:49:16,390 --> 00:49:22,192 and now you're a sitting duck. 988 00:49:22,192 --> 00:49:24,293 And then, you know what, you have people 989 00:49:24,293 --> 00:49:28,821 who they're not under conviction. 990 00:49:28,821 --> 00:49:30,941 They're like these many people, 991 00:49:30,941 --> 00:49:32,758 they're just certain. 992 00:49:32,758 --> 00:49:34,614 And what happened? 993 00:49:34,614 --> 00:49:37,146 Well, whatever Spirit probings 994 00:49:37,146 --> 00:49:39,162 and proddings and convictions that ever came, 995 00:49:39,162 --> 00:49:40,762 they just harden themselves against it 996 00:49:40,762 --> 00:49:42,999 and they went out until finally the Spirit was quiet. 997 00:49:42,999 --> 00:49:44,286 And when the Spirit's quiet, 998 00:49:44,286 --> 00:49:45,961 it's just free reign for the devil. 999 00:49:45,961 --> 00:49:47,496 He'll be right there: "Everything's okay. 1000 00:49:47,496 --> 00:49:49,857 Everything's okay. Everything's okay." 1001 00:49:49,857 --> 00:49:52,578 He'll just put you to sleep. 1002 00:49:52,578 --> 00:49:55,735 "You're fine. You're fine. 1003 00:49:55,735 --> 00:49:59,892 Just believe you're a Christian. Believe it." 1004 00:49:59,892 --> 00:50:08,381 And many wake up only when it's too late. 1005 00:50:08,381 --> 00:50:13,833 So, the Spirit - 1006 00:50:13,833 --> 00:50:20,395 silent in the life of a lost sinner. 1007 00:50:20,395 --> 00:50:23,465 The devil's going to come in 1008 00:50:23,465 --> 00:50:25,349 and he's a liar. 1009 00:50:25,349 --> 00:50:28,560 He's a liar, and you know what Jesus said about him? 1010 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:31,520 Jesus specifically said - 1011 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:33,028 He called him - 1012 00:50:33,028 --> 00:50:35,628 he was a murderer from the beginning. 1013 00:50:35,628 --> 00:50:39,016 Do you know the kind of lies the devil tells you? 1014 00:50:39,016 --> 00:50:42,862 Do you know why so many are deceived? 1015 00:50:42,862 --> 00:50:48,824 Look, his murder weapons are lies. 1016 00:50:48,824 --> 00:50:50,950 However he communicates to us, 1017 00:50:50,950 --> 00:50:53,558 however he whispers into our ears 1018 00:50:53,558 --> 00:50:58,464 and it goes down into our sense of well-being, 1019 00:50:58,464 --> 00:51:00,977 our sense of security. 1020 00:51:00,977 --> 00:51:05,026 Believe this, he means to kill you. 1021 00:51:05,026 --> 00:51:09,040 And many who are in the churches 1022 00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:14,170 are going to be murdered by his lies. 1023 00:51:14,170 --> 00:51:15,491 That's the reality. 1024 00:51:15,491 --> 00:51:18,061 He's a murderer from the beginning. 1025 00:51:18,061 --> 00:51:20,841 He's the father of lies. 1026 00:51:20,841 --> 00:51:25,773 If there's anything he wants lost people to believe, 1027 00:51:25,773 --> 00:51:28,342 it's that they're okay. 1028 00:51:28,342 --> 00:51:32,273 If there's any place - 1029 00:51:32,273 --> 00:51:34,867 the best place, 1030 00:51:34,867 --> 00:51:37,743 the safest place for the devil 1031 00:51:37,743 --> 00:51:41,085 to get anybody 1032 00:51:41,085 --> 00:51:43,005 as believing they're saved when they're not - 1033 00:51:43,005 --> 00:51:44,938 because if you believe you're saved when you're not, 1034 00:51:44,938 --> 00:51:48,390 you don't go looking to be saved. 1035 00:51:48,390 --> 00:51:53,157 He's got you in the most secure holding tank 1036 00:51:53,157 --> 00:51:55,222 he can have you in. 1037 00:51:55,222 --> 00:51:56,860 There's only one hope. 1038 00:51:56,860 --> 00:51:58,133 There's only one hope. 1039 00:51:58,133 --> 00:52:00,144 And that's that God would speak, 1040 00:52:00,144 --> 00:52:02,139 that you would be exposed to Scripture, 1041 00:52:02,139 --> 00:52:03,666 that you would wake up. 1042 00:52:03,666 --> 00:52:05,899 That you would be exposed to such preaching 1043 00:52:05,899 --> 00:52:07,725 that you would wake up. 1044 00:52:07,725 --> 00:52:10,348 But if you don't wake up, 1045 00:52:10,348 --> 00:52:12,302 you'll wake up on that day. 1046 00:52:12,302 --> 00:52:15,185 And that day, "many will say to Me, 1047 00:52:15,185 --> 00:52:18,190 'Lord, Lord...'" 1048 00:52:18,190 --> 00:52:23,610 They were assured. 1049 00:52:23,610 --> 00:52:26,277 But they were assured of something that wasn't true. 1050 00:52:26,277 --> 00:52:28,206 Just because somebody's assured of something 1051 00:52:28,206 --> 00:52:30,084 doesn't make it true. 1052 00:52:30,084 --> 00:52:32,479 You can be absolutely convinced 1053 00:52:32,479 --> 00:52:34,423 it's not going to rain tomorrow, 1054 00:52:34,423 --> 00:52:36,489 or absolutely convinced 1055 00:52:36,489 --> 00:52:38,968 that you have tomorrow to live; 1056 00:52:38,968 --> 00:52:41,375 absolutely convinced that when you die 1057 00:52:41,375 --> 00:52:43,844 you're going straight to Heaven. 1058 00:52:43,844 --> 00:52:45,528 But I'll tell you what, if you're wrong, 1059 00:52:45,528 --> 00:52:48,702 it doesn't matter how convinced you are. 1060 00:52:48,702 --> 00:52:49,834 You're wrong. 1061 00:52:49,834 --> 00:52:52,550 And if you're wrong about this, 1062 00:52:52,550 --> 00:52:54,615 you're wrong. 1063 00:52:54,615 --> 00:52:58,906 It doesn't get worse than that. 1064 00:52:58,906 --> 00:53:01,818 So, I just want us to think for a second 1065 00:53:01,818 --> 00:53:05,654 about legitimate assurance. 1066 00:53:05,654 --> 00:53:08,771 Legitimate assurance 1067 00:53:08,771 --> 00:53:12,728 from Scripture. 1068 00:53:12,728 --> 00:53:19,440 I've got three sections here of these. 1069 00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:23,278 It's about 9:00. 1070 00:53:23,278 --> 00:53:29,085 The first is objective promises. 1071 00:53:29,085 --> 00:53:33,878 By objective promises, I mean this, 1072 00:53:33,878 --> 00:53:46,276 if God tells me something - 1073 00:53:46,276 --> 00:53:50,622 if God tells me something 1074 00:53:50,622 --> 00:53:54,150 and I believe that, 1075 00:53:54,150 --> 00:53:59,230 that is faith. 1076 00:53:59,230 --> 00:54:02,444 But we need to be aware of this, 1077 00:54:02,444 --> 00:54:08,218 that when I really believe something, 1078 00:54:08,218 --> 00:54:11,048 it's going to be backed by a conviction 1079 00:54:11,048 --> 00:54:13,781 that's going to be demonstrable in my life. 1080 00:54:13,781 --> 00:54:16,481 If somebody says they believe something, 1081 00:54:16,481 --> 00:54:18,648 it will affect what they do, the decisions they make, 1082 00:54:18,648 --> 00:54:19,742 how they live their life. 1083 00:54:19,742 --> 00:54:21,809 There's no getting around that. 1084 00:54:21,809 --> 00:54:24,478 If you're not willing to throw yourself 1085 00:54:24,478 --> 00:54:26,444 on top of these promises 1086 00:54:26,444 --> 00:54:29,561 to where they're either going to hold you up 1087 00:54:29,561 --> 00:54:31,980 or you're going to crash and burn, 1088 00:54:31,980 --> 00:54:33,203 you'll go to hell. 1089 00:54:33,203 --> 00:54:34,645 I mean, that's where my hope is. 1090 00:54:34,645 --> 00:54:37,428 My hope is entirely in Jesus Christ. 1091 00:54:37,428 --> 00:54:40,961 If He doesn't save me, I'm going to hell. 1092 00:54:40,961 --> 00:54:43,884 All my eggs are in one basket here, folks. 1093 00:54:43,884 --> 00:54:46,427 Because I am convinced He's the only way. 1094 00:54:46,427 --> 00:54:50,125 But you see, if you've got a backup plan, 1095 00:54:50,125 --> 00:54:51,259 no good. 1096 00:54:51,259 --> 00:54:53,722 Or, if your plan in the beginning is: 1097 00:54:53,722 --> 00:54:57,518 well, I think I've been a pretty good person, 1098 00:54:57,518 --> 00:54:58,599 or anything like that. 1099 00:54:58,599 --> 00:55:00,436 But we've got these objective promises. 1100 00:55:00,436 --> 00:55:01,541 I want you to hear them. 1101 00:55:01,541 --> 00:55:08,229 Let's turn to Hebrews. 1102 00:55:08,229 --> 00:55:20,782 Chapter 3. 1103 00:55:20,782 --> 00:55:25,863 So Hebrews 3:6 I think is a very applicable verse 1104 00:55:25,863 --> 00:55:28,107 because just read it with me. 1105 00:55:28,107 --> 00:55:30,124 I think you'll see that it is. 1106 00:55:30,124 --> 00:55:33,988 "Christ is faithful over God's house as a Son." 1107 00:55:33,988 --> 00:55:36,211 Now notice this. This is what's key. 1108 00:55:36,211 --> 00:55:41,515 "We are His house." 1109 00:55:41,515 --> 00:55:42,988 What does that mean? 1110 00:55:42,988 --> 00:55:46,498 We are Christ's dwelling place. 1111 00:55:46,498 --> 00:55:49,362 We're a true Christian. 1112 00:55:49,362 --> 00:55:52,783 "If..." - that's essential. 1113 00:55:52,783 --> 00:55:58,647 Your assurance can ride on "if's" like this. 1114 00:55:58,647 --> 00:56:01,370 It's an objective promise. 1115 00:56:01,370 --> 00:56:02,821 What I mean by objective 1116 00:56:02,821 --> 00:56:05,055 is you can stand back 1117 00:56:05,055 --> 00:56:08,654 and look at this promise outside of yourself. 1118 00:56:08,654 --> 00:56:10,889 Here's this promise: 1119 00:56:10,889 --> 00:56:15,229 "We are God's house if indeed we..." 1120 00:56:15,229 --> 00:56:17,311 now that becomes subjective at that point. 1121 00:56:17,311 --> 00:56:19,526 It's got to do with us holding fast, 1122 00:56:19,526 --> 00:56:20,419 but notice this. 1123 00:56:20,419 --> 00:56:23,513 "If indeed we hold fast our confidence 1124 00:56:23,513 --> 00:56:26,038 and our boasting in our hope." 1125 00:56:26,038 --> 00:56:27,121 What's that? 1126 00:56:27,121 --> 00:56:29,780 Confidence, boasting, hope. 1127 00:56:29,780 --> 00:56:31,228 I'll tell you what it means. 1128 00:56:31,228 --> 00:56:32,134 It means this: 1129 00:56:32,134 --> 00:56:34,869 My hope in the future of Heaven 1130 00:56:34,869 --> 00:56:38,268 is based on my confidence in Jesus Christ 1131 00:56:38,268 --> 00:56:39,494 and Him alone - 1132 00:56:39,494 --> 00:56:40,805 that's where my boasting is. 1133 00:56:40,805 --> 00:56:42,402 It's not in anything of the flesh. 1134 00:56:42,402 --> 00:56:46,939 My boasting is in the fact that He has saved me. 1135 00:56:46,939 --> 00:56:49,956 He keeps me. His blood was shed. 1136 00:56:49,956 --> 00:56:52,689 His merit. His righteous life. 1137 00:56:52,689 --> 00:56:55,243 My hope is there. 1138 00:56:55,243 --> 00:56:59,707 If our boasting, our hope, stays there, 1139 00:56:59,707 --> 00:57:02,880 it stays glued in Jesus Christ... 1140 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:06,778 And look, I can say this, 1141 00:57:06,778 --> 00:57:09,060 I know that the wicked, 1142 00:57:09,060 --> 00:57:11,815 one of the things that's true about them 1143 00:57:11,815 --> 00:57:14,310 is they don't acknowledge the Lord 1144 00:57:14,310 --> 00:57:17,646 and they don't call on the Lord. 1145 00:57:17,646 --> 00:57:21,453 I know, I have a sense in my own soul 1146 00:57:21,453 --> 00:57:25,606 of just a longing, a need for Him. 1147 00:57:25,606 --> 00:57:27,518 My hope is there. 1148 00:57:27,518 --> 00:57:30,580 My boasting is there. 1149 00:57:30,580 --> 00:57:36,709 If you were to ask what my hope is of Heaven, 1150 00:57:36,709 --> 00:57:40,349 it's what He has done. 1151 00:57:40,349 --> 00:57:42,661 It's His death. 1152 00:57:42,661 --> 00:57:45,363 I don't have any hope in my own righteousness. 1153 00:57:45,363 --> 00:57:47,361 Not any of it. 1154 00:57:47,361 --> 00:57:48,633 And it rests there. 1155 00:57:48,633 --> 00:57:52,351 Or you go to Hebrews 3:14. 1156 00:57:52,351 --> 00:57:55,684 Again, we have one of these "if" statements. 1157 00:57:55,684 --> 00:57:59,927 "We have come to share in Christ if..." 1158 00:57:59,927 --> 00:58:03,379 Again, this is a text that you can hang your assurance on. 1159 00:58:03,379 --> 00:58:05,759 "...we hold fast our original confidence 1160 00:58:05,759 --> 00:58:07,322 firm to the end." 1161 00:58:07,322 --> 00:58:09,831 Again, it's the same kind of words. 1162 00:58:09,831 --> 00:58:11,518 Confidence. 1163 00:58:11,518 --> 00:58:13,676 Firm to the end. 1164 00:58:13,676 --> 00:58:16,779 What is our confidence? 1165 00:58:16,779 --> 00:58:26,025 I mean, James and I, we've interviewed - 1166 00:58:26,025 --> 00:58:28,561 different of us, we've interviewed people 1167 00:58:28,561 --> 00:58:31,363 at different times and it's amazing. 1168 00:58:31,363 --> 00:58:33,362 You talk to people. 1169 00:58:33,362 --> 00:58:42,357 "Well, you know, I was baptized." 1170 00:58:42,357 --> 00:58:47,576 Or they have a sense, they go to church. 1171 00:58:47,576 --> 00:58:50,482 Or they have a sense that they haven't been that bad. 1172 00:58:50,482 --> 00:58:54,090 Oh, they're sinners, but they're not that bad. 1173 00:58:54,090 --> 00:58:57,055 You talk to people and you get an idea 1174 00:58:57,055 --> 00:59:02,047 that there's something that they've done, 1175 00:59:02,047 --> 00:59:05,660 something they've been healed some way, 1176 00:59:05,660 --> 00:59:09,288 they feel like they had a supernatural experience with God, 1177 00:59:09,288 --> 00:59:14,702 He spoke to them, they heard Him audibly. 1178 00:59:14,702 --> 00:59:17,298 It's amazing how many people 1179 00:59:17,298 --> 00:59:19,588 have something to say 1180 00:59:19,588 --> 00:59:23,291 other than the fact that aside from Christ, 1181 00:59:23,291 --> 00:59:29,769 I don't have any hope. 1182 00:59:29,769 --> 00:59:33,182 Hebrews 2:1. 1183 00:59:33,182 --> 00:59:39,270 If you go there, Hebrews 2:1 1184 00:59:39,270 --> 00:59:41,769 is such an amazing verse. 1185 00:59:41,769 --> 00:59:46,338 "Therefore, we must pay much closer attention 1186 00:59:46,338 --> 00:59:48,338 to what we have heard 1187 00:59:48,338 --> 00:59:51,632 lest we drift away from it." 1188 00:59:51,632 --> 00:59:54,451 You see, this is the thing that he's been talking about: 1189 00:59:54,451 --> 00:59:57,119 holding our original confidence. 1190 00:59:57,119 --> 00:59:58,959 Hold fast our confidence 1191 00:59:58,959 --> 01:00:01,237 and our boasting and our hope. 1192 01:00:01,237 --> 01:00:02,243 What is this? 1193 01:00:02,243 --> 01:00:05,085 Well, Hebrews 2:1, the "therefore" 1194 01:00:05,085 --> 01:00:07,967 is coming right after all of Hebrews 1. 1195 01:00:07,967 --> 01:00:11,304 What was said in Hebrews 1? 1196 01:00:11,304 --> 01:00:13,511 Look at Hebrews 1. 1197 01:00:13,511 --> 01:00:16,136 Where is the boast? Where is the hope? 1198 01:00:16,136 --> 01:00:20,085 Where is the confidence? 1199 01:00:20,085 --> 01:00:22,471 Where is it? 1200 01:00:22,471 --> 01:00:24,428 Look at chapter 1. 1201 01:00:24,428 --> 01:00:25,728 Here's Christ. 1202 01:00:25,728 --> 01:00:28,781 In former days, the prophets spoke to us, 1203 01:00:28,781 --> 01:00:30,193 but now God is speaking to us 1204 01:00:30,193 --> 01:00:31,435 by way of His Son, 1205 01:00:31,435 --> 01:00:32,993 and he tells us it was through the Son 1206 01:00:32,993 --> 01:00:34,505 that He's created everything, 1207 01:00:34,505 --> 01:00:36,878 and it's by the Son that everything is held together. 1208 01:00:36,878 --> 01:00:40,246 And he's talking about how He is the radiance 1209 01:00:40,246 --> 01:00:41,626 of the glory of God, 1210 01:00:41,626 --> 01:00:43,466 the exact imprint of His nature. 1211 01:00:43,466 --> 01:00:45,137 He talks about the reality 1212 01:00:45,137 --> 01:00:47,003 that He made purification for sins 1213 01:00:47,003 --> 01:00:48,869 and He sat down. 1214 01:00:48,869 --> 01:00:51,513 He's got glory way beyond any of the angels. 1215 01:00:51,513 --> 01:00:53,470 This is where all of our hope is. 1216 01:00:53,470 --> 01:00:56,204 God the Father has said things to Christ 1217 01:00:56,204 --> 01:00:58,087 that He never said to the angels. 1218 01:00:58,087 --> 01:00:59,605 They're ministering spirits. 1219 01:00:59,605 --> 01:01:02,044 Christ - He is the Son. 1220 01:01:02,044 --> 01:01:03,214 He calls Him "God." 1221 01:01:03,214 --> 01:01:06,556 He calls Him "Lord." 1222 01:01:06,556 --> 01:01:10,086 The realities in all of this - now, listen. 1223 01:01:10,086 --> 01:01:16,506 I'm talking about objective realities here 1224 01:01:16,506 --> 01:01:21,599 because listen - listen very carefully. 1225 01:01:21,599 --> 01:01:26,862 2 Corinthians 4:4. 1226 01:01:26,862 --> 01:01:30,642 Unbelievers. 1227 01:01:30,642 --> 01:01:32,562 "In their case, the god of this world 1228 01:01:32,562 --> 01:01:35,874 has blinded the minds of unbelievers." 1229 01:01:35,874 --> 01:01:38,046 Remember the liar we were talking about? 1230 01:01:38,046 --> 01:01:40,936 The father of lies who murders souls? 1231 01:01:40,936 --> 01:01:44,868 How does he do it? 1232 01:01:44,868 --> 01:01:46,412 2 Corinthians 4:4. 1233 01:01:46,412 --> 01:01:48,651 "The god of this world..." that's the devil. 1234 01:01:48,651 --> 01:01:52,050 He blinds the minds of unbelievers. 1235 01:01:52,050 --> 01:01:53,667 What does that mean to blind the mind? 1236 01:01:53,667 --> 01:01:56,679 It means that they can't see the truth. 1237 01:01:56,679 --> 01:01:59,119 They believe a lie. 1238 01:01:59,119 --> 01:02:00,797 "...To keep them from seeing," - 1239 01:02:00,797 --> 01:02:02,940 notice what he keeps them from seeing. 1240 01:02:02,940 --> 01:02:08,535 "...The light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ 1241 01:02:08,535 --> 01:02:11,988 who is the image of God." 1242 01:02:11,988 --> 01:02:15,101 If you go to verse 6, 1243 01:02:15,101 --> 01:02:19,089 "For God who said 'let light shine out of darkness,' 1244 01:02:19,089 --> 01:02:20,997 has shown in our hearts to give the light 1245 01:02:20,997 --> 01:02:23,828 of the knowledge of the glory of God 1246 01:02:23,828 --> 01:02:28,637 in the face of Jesus Christ." 1247 01:02:28,637 --> 01:02:32,861 We're talking on the first heading here 1248 01:02:32,861 --> 01:02:35,059 of assurance. 1249 01:02:35,059 --> 01:02:39,956 Listen, what am I getting at? 1250 01:02:39,956 --> 01:02:44,019 Your faith doesn't drift. 1251 01:02:44,019 --> 01:02:46,912 You stay confident, 1252 01:02:46,912 --> 01:02:49,997 boasting in the original hope. 1253 01:02:49,997 --> 01:02:52,312 What am I talking about? 1254 01:02:52,312 --> 01:02:57,666 It's this "seeing the light of the Gospel 1255 01:02:57,666 --> 01:03:04,268 of the glory of Christ who is the image of God." 1256 01:03:04,268 --> 01:03:07,508 Or, it's "having shown in our hearts 1257 01:03:07,508 --> 01:03:09,272 to get the light of the knowledge 1258 01:03:09,272 --> 01:03:12,102 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 1259 01:03:12,102 --> 01:03:16,792 Do you realize what faith is? 1260 01:03:16,792 --> 01:03:20,715 Faith is being grabbed 1261 01:03:20,715 --> 01:03:24,075 by an image of Christ, 1262 01:03:24,075 --> 01:03:26,772 by a beholding of Christ, 1263 01:03:26,772 --> 01:03:30,088 where you see Him altogether glorious 1264 01:03:30,088 --> 01:03:33,722 and beautiful and necessary 1265 01:03:33,722 --> 01:03:35,505 and precious 1266 01:03:35,505 --> 01:03:38,432 and that if you don't have Him you die. 1267 01:03:38,432 --> 01:03:40,274 What Scripture talks about is the person 1268 01:03:40,274 --> 01:03:41,591 who finds this treasure 1269 01:03:41,591 --> 01:03:45,672 and they go and sell everything that they might have this treasure. 1270 01:03:45,672 --> 01:03:46,762 People who are cheap, 1271 01:03:46,762 --> 01:03:48,078 people who talk Christ 1272 01:03:48,078 --> 01:03:49,128 and then they'll go out 1273 01:03:49,128 --> 01:03:50,565 and run off back to the world, 1274 01:03:50,565 --> 01:03:52,317 and they'll talk this way 1275 01:03:52,317 --> 01:03:53,947 out of this side of their mouth, 1276 01:03:53,947 --> 01:03:57,184 but as soon as the Christians aren't looking anymore, 1277 01:03:57,184 --> 01:03:58,915 they're over here gossiping; 1278 01:03:58,915 --> 01:04:00,458 they're over here telling lies; 1279 01:04:00,458 --> 01:04:02,685 they're over here looking at the smut. 1280 01:04:02,685 --> 01:04:06,545 Look, what that says 1281 01:04:06,545 --> 01:04:08,396 is they haven't really been exposed 1282 01:04:08,396 --> 01:04:11,280 to the beauty and to the glory. 1283 01:04:11,280 --> 01:04:13,955 When you hear, when you read 1284 01:04:13,955 --> 01:04:16,133 what God has done for sinners 1285 01:04:16,133 --> 01:04:18,500 in the cross, in Christ, 1286 01:04:18,500 --> 01:04:21,026 in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1287 01:04:21,026 --> 01:04:25,893 what happens is this appears so necessary 1288 01:04:25,893 --> 01:04:28,986 and so precious. 1289 01:04:28,986 --> 01:04:31,111 What He did on that cross 1290 01:04:31,111 --> 01:04:33,977 becomes so glorious. 1291 01:04:33,977 --> 01:04:35,946 When I was lost, 1292 01:04:35,946 --> 01:04:37,718 there were a thousand things 1293 01:04:37,718 --> 01:04:39,394 that were more glorious than that. 1294 01:04:39,394 --> 01:04:41,772 But when you have true faith, 1295 01:04:41,772 --> 01:04:43,772 there is nothing more glorious than that. 1296 01:04:43,772 --> 01:04:45,587 And if you're just listening to this right now 1297 01:04:45,587 --> 01:04:46,836 and you cannot relate to that, 1298 01:04:46,836 --> 01:04:49,225 you're not saved. 1299 01:04:49,225 --> 01:04:50,821 Plain and simple. 1300 01:04:50,821 --> 01:04:54,279 Why? Because, what it tells me 1301 01:04:54,279 --> 01:04:58,093 is the god of this world 1302 01:04:58,093 --> 01:05:03,339 still has your mind blinded. 1303 01:05:03,339 --> 01:05:06,094 Because when the blinders come off, 1304 01:05:06,094 --> 01:05:09,094 you behold the glory in Jesus Christ, 1305 01:05:09,094 --> 01:05:12,020 that's insurmountable. 1306 01:05:12,020 --> 01:05:14,333 That's just a reality. 1307 01:05:14,333 --> 01:05:16,293 I mean look for faith to be real. 1308 01:05:16,293 --> 01:05:19,716 You read it right here in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. 1309 01:05:19,716 --> 01:05:21,634 For your faith to be real, 1310 01:05:21,634 --> 01:05:25,120 there has got to be a supernatural 1311 01:05:25,120 --> 01:05:28,112 coming of God into your life 1312 01:05:28,112 --> 01:05:30,302 in such a manner that He shines 1313 01:05:30,302 --> 01:05:33,378 into your spiritual eyeballs 1314 01:05:33,378 --> 01:05:35,581 this glory of Christ. 1315 01:05:35,581 --> 01:05:38,261 That's what it says. 1316 01:05:38,261 --> 01:05:39,962 That's exactly what it says. 1317 01:05:39,962 --> 01:05:41,994 The devil keeps people from seeing 1318 01:05:41,994 --> 01:05:44,407 the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ 1319 01:05:44,407 --> 01:05:45,695 who is the image of God. 1320 01:05:45,695 --> 01:05:49,732 How? He blinds the minds of unbelievers. 1321 01:05:49,732 --> 01:05:53,229 You have to hear what he's saying. 1322 01:05:53,229 --> 01:05:55,702 The same God who in the beginning said, 1323 01:05:55,702 --> 01:05:59,253 "Let there be light" - was that miraculous? 1324 01:05:59,253 --> 01:06:01,073 Was that fantastic? 1325 01:06:01,073 --> 01:06:02,432 Was that creational? 1326 01:06:02,432 --> 01:06:05,711 He said, "Let there be light," when there was no light, 1327 01:06:05,711 --> 01:06:07,032 and there was light. 1328 01:06:07,032 --> 01:06:08,495 And the same God that said that 1329 01:06:08,495 --> 01:06:10,259 and brought light into this universe 1330 01:06:10,259 --> 01:06:12,947 is the same God that looks at a dead sinner 1331 01:06:12,947 --> 01:06:16,157 and cuts through all the deceptions of the devil 1332 01:06:16,157 --> 01:06:18,486 and the god of this world blinding their eyes. 1333 01:06:18,486 --> 01:06:21,062 He cuts right through it and He says, 1334 01:06:21,062 --> 01:06:22,183 "Let their be light," 1335 01:06:22,183 --> 01:06:23,865 and that light shines right through 1336 01:06:23,865 --> 01:06:25,555 all those deceptions of the devil. 1337 01:06:25,555 --> 01:06:28,964 And the lights go on and suddenly, bang! 1338 01:06:28,964 --> 01:06:30,615 The mind of the unbeliever 1339 01:06:30,615 --> 01:06:33,204 is no longer kept in that darkness. 1340 01:06:33,204 --> 01:06:35,152 Suddenly, the light shines in. 1341 01:06:35,152 --> 01:06:39,438 You see, Jesus Christ is altogether glorious. 1342 01:06:39,438 --> 01:06:42,598 The reason that the lost in this world don't know that 1343 01:06:42,598 --> 01:06:44,437 is not because He's not, 1344 01:06:44,437 --> 01:06:46,466 and all of a sudden He becomes glorious 1345 01:06:46,466 --> 01:06:49,438 and then they say, oh, He just became glorious. 1346 01:06:49,438 --> 01:06:50,612 No, that's not true. 1347 01:06:50,612 --> 01:06:52,392 He was glorious the whole time. 1348 01:06:52,392 --> 01:06:54,119 The problem was they were blind 1349 01:06:54,119 --> 01:06:55,912 and they were dead. 1350 01:06:55,912 --> 01:07:03,535 That's the issue. 1351 01:07:03,535 --> 01:07:05,523 Look, the thing is 1352 01:07:05,523 --> 01:07:09,234 there are many people who think that they're saved 1353 01:07:09,234 --> 01:07:12,586 and they are not because they've never come to see 1354 01:07:12,586 --> 01:07:15,358 the glory and the power 1355 01:07:15,358 --> 01:07:20,036 and the beauty and the preciousness of Christ. 1356 01:07:20,036 --> 01:07:22,703 These people just believe 1357 01:07:22,703 --> 01:07:25,155 on typically one basis. 1358 01:07:25,155 --> 01:07:28,694 You come across this all the time. 1359 01:07:28,694 --> 01:07:32,941 They're scared to death of hell. 1360 01:07:32,941 --> 01:07:34,827 They don't see any beauty in Christ, 1361 01:07:34,827 --> 01:07:37,543 but they will fight to keep up 1362 01:07:37,543 --> 01:07:41,722 their sense of assurance. 1363 01:07:41,722 --> 01:07:47,726 They will fight, because if they lay it down, 1364 01:07:47,726 --> 01:07:49,699 then they know they're going to hell. 1365 01:07:49,699 --> 01:07:52,726 It's the craziest thing. 1366 01:07:52,726 --> 01:07:54,199 Their fight for assurance - 1367 01:07:54,199 --> 01:07:57,065 it's like they feel protected for now, 1368 01:07:57,065 --> 01:08:00,240 but it's not a safe place to hide. 1369 01:08:00,240 --> 01:08:04,038 Look, one of the things Christ saves us from - 1370 01:08:04,038 --> 01:08:07,391 remember, catch this - 1371 01:08:07,391 --> 01:08:10,908 one of the things that Christ saves us from 1372 01:08:10,908 --> 01:08:18,015 is low views of Himself. 1373 01:08:18,015 --> 01:08:20,194 That is something to be saved from, 1374 01:08:20,194 --> 01:08:24,841 not just from hell. 1375 01:08:24,841 --> 01:08:28,379 I'll just be quite frank with you. 1376 01:08:28,379 --> 01:08:30,475 When I listen to somebody's testimony 1377 01:08:30,475 --> 01:08:40,085 and they don't mention Christ in it, 1378 01:08:40,085 --> 01:08:45,933 not so good. 1379 01:08:45,933 --> 01:08:53,594 Anyway, this would be just the objective promises. 1380 01:08:53,594 --> 01:08:56,229 This is what God does. 1381 01:08:56,229 --> 01:08:59,790 And if I can look and say, look, this is what God says He's going to do, 1382 01:08:59,790 --> 01:09:01,702 and I look at my life and I see 1383 01:09:01,702 --> 01:09:03,716 my trust is there, my hope is there, 1384 01:09:03,716 --> 01:09:06,163 Christ has become altogether glorious like this, 1385 01:09:06,163 --> 01:09:08,623 but let me take you to another thing. 1386 01:09:08,623 --> 01:09:11,769 There is the subjective witness. 1387 01:09:11,769 --> 01:09:14,005 I talked to you before about there being two witnesses. 1388 01:09:14,005 --> 01:09:16,115 Well, let's think about the first one. 1389 01:09:16,115 --> 01:09:18,306 We looked at the text. 1390 01:09:18,306 --> 01:09:22,552 Romans 8:15 -17. 1391 01:09:22,552 --> 01:09:26,267 I want to give you a little bit more context. 1392 01:09:26,267 --> 01:09:28,367 "For you did not receive..." 1393 01:09:28,367 --> 01:09:30,290 This is Romans 8:15. 1394 01:09:30,290 --> 01:09:34,294 "...You did not receive the spirit of slavery." 1395 01:09:34,294 --> 01:09:36,495 If a person is a true Christian, 1396 01:09:36,495 --> 01:09:39,046 they've received the Spirit, 1397 01:09:39,046 --> 01:09:41,671 but it's not the spirit of slavery. 1398 01:09:41,671 --> 01:09:45,810 It's the Spirit of adoption. 1399 01:09:45,810 --> 01:09:48,243 And what happens? 1400 01:09:48,243 --> 01:09:50,744 There's a cry that comes out of the children of God, 1401 01:09:50,744 --> 01:09:53,335 "Abba, Father." 1402 01:09:53,335 --> 01:09:56,216 "The Spirit Himself bears witness 1403 01:09:56,216 --> 01:09:58,445 with our spirit that we're children of God." 1404 01:09:58,445 --> 01:09:59,635 Now catch that. 1405 01:09:59,635 --> 01:10:05,061 "The Spirit Himself bears witness 1406 01:10:05,061 --> 01:10:07,648 with our spirit that we're children of God, 1407 01:10:07,648 --> 01:10:08,940 and if children, then heirs - 1408 01:10:08,940 --> 01:10:10,507 heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, 1409 01:10:10,507 --> 01:10:12,267 provided we suffer with Him in order that 1410 01:10:12,267 --> 01:10:14,902 we may also be glorified with Him." 1411 01:10:14,902 --> 01:10:18,097 Or if you turn back a couple of chapters 1412 01:10:18,097 --> 01:10:24,364 to Romans 5:5. 1413 01:10:24,364 --> 01:10:26,406 Go partway through that verse. 1414 01:10:26,406 --> 01:10:28,091 "God's love has been poured 1415 01:10:28,091 --> 01:10:30,846 into our hearts through the Holy Spirit 1416 01:10:30,846 --> 01:10:33,109 who has been given to us." 1417 01:10:33,109 --> 01:10:35,958 Kind of the same truth. 1418 01:10:35,958 --> 01:10:38,475 I call that the subjective witness. 1419 01:10:38,475 --> 01:10:41,250 What that is is the Spirit of God 1420 01:10:41,250 --> 01:10:44,665 is actively communicating with us 1421 01:10:44,665 --> 01:10:46,427 that we're children of God. 1422 01:10:46,427 --> 01:10:50,371 And I think one thing to really understand 1423 01:10:50,371 --> 01:10:52,281 is that Jesus Christ said 1424 01:10:52,281 --> 01:10:53,702 that when the Spirit comes, 1425 01:10:53,702 --> 01:10:58,161 "He will glorify Me." 1426 01:10:58,161 --> 01:11:02,923 The Spirit bears witness with our spirit 1427 01:11:02,923 --> 01:11:06,042 when our eyes are on Christ. 1428 01:11:06,042 --> 01:11:08,258 When you're looking at the cross, 1429 01:11:08,258 --> 01:11:12,948 when you're looking at the sacrifice for sinners, 1430 01:11:12,948 --> 01:11:18,549 it is typically in singing about Christ, 1431 01:11:18,549 --> 01:11:24,895 it is typically in thinking about His atoning sacrifice, 1432 01:11:24,895 --> 01:11:28,688 substitutionary work, 1433 01:11:28,688 --> 01:11:32,053 meditating, singing, contemplating, 1434 01:11:32,053 --> 01:11:35,410 reading... so often, that is the environment 1435 01:11:35,410 --> 01:11:37,631 where the Spirit of God comes in 1436 01:11:37,631 --> 01:11:39,592 and just speaks in words 1437 01:11:39,592 --> 01:11:43,721 that only God's children know. 1438 01:11:43,721 --> 01:11:45,542 Those that aren't truly God's children, 1439 01:11:45,542 --> 01:11:47,130 oh yeah, the devil's right there all the time 1440 01:11:47,130 --> 01:11:51,598 saying, "yeah, it's good; it's good; it's good." 1441 01:11:51,598 --> 01:11:57,888 The Spirit and the devil have different voices. 1442 01:11:57,888 --> 01:12:01,359 But know this, 1443 01:12:01,359 --> 01:12:03,498 that you don't want to separate this reality - 1444 01:12:03,498 --> 01:12:06,229 because Scripture says test the spirits - 1445 01:12:06,229 --> 01:12:09,545 because the devil comes trying to speak 1446 01:12:09,545 --> 01:12:12,820 as much like the Holy Spirit as he possibly can. 1447 01:12:12,820 --> 01:12:15,081 So much so that sometimes even God's children 1448 01:12:15,081 --> 01:12:18,559 can be confused by the voices. 1449 01:12:18,559 --> 01:12:20,239 See, you want to test spirits, 1450 01:12:20,239 --> 01:12:21,941 and the way to test those spirits 1451 01:12:21,941 --> 01:12:23,575 is make sure that the other things 1452 01:12:23,575 --> 01:12:26,383 are genuine as well. 1453 01:12:26,383 --> 01:12:31,639 Have you had to you a sense of your faith 1454 01:12:31,639 --> 01:12:33,453 locked into the promises - 1455 01:12:33,453 --> 01:12:34,776 the objective promises? 1456 01:12:34,776 --> 01:12:37,414 Do you see this glory in Jesus Christ? 1457 01:12:37,414 --> 01:12:38,997 Then I want to go to the third 1458 01:12:38,997 --> 01:12:41,612 and that's a subjective transformation. 1459 01:12:41,612 --> 01:12:43,763 You say, what do you mean there? 1460 01:12:43,763 --> 01:12:47,066 Well, if you're in Romans 5:5, go back a little bit. 1461 01:12:47,066 --> 01:12:52,355 Romans 5:3. 1462 01:12:52,355 --> 01:12:54,751 "Not only that..." 1463 01:12:54,751 --> 01:12:56,488 what he was talking about before. 1464 01:12:56,488 --> 01:12:59,933 "...But we rejoice in our sufferings 1465 01:12:59,933 --> 01:13:02,503 knowing that suffering produces endurance, 1466 01:13:02,503 --> 01:13:03,957 endurance produces character, 1467 01:13:03,957 --> 01:13:05,357 character produces hope, 1468 01:13:05,357 --> 01:13:07,313 hope does not put us to shame 1469 01:13:07,313 --> 01:13:09,220 because God's love has been poured 1470 01:13:09,220 --> 01:13:11,119 into our hearts through the Holy Spirit 1471 01:13:11,119 --> 01:13:12,421 who has been given to us." 1472 01:13:12,421 --> 01:13:16,558 What's all that mean? It means this: 1473 01:13:16,558 --> 01:13:18,389 When you go through tribulation: 1474 01:13:18,389 --> 01:13:19,905 "We rejoice in our sufferings..." 1475 01:13:19,905 --> 01:13:21,915 Why would we rejoice in our sufferings? 1476 01:13:21,915 --> 01:13:26,257 Because our sufferings ultimately bring us assurance. 1477 01:13:26,257 --> 01:13:29,480 You say really? How? 1478 01:13:29,480 --> 01:13:31,997 When you go through tribulation, 1479 01:13:31,997 --> 01:13:33,587 what happens? 1480 01:13:33,587 --> 01:13:35,436 Anytime you go through tribulation, 1481 01:13:35,436 --> 01:13:37,693 your faith gets tested. 1482 01:13:37,693 --> 01:13:39,631 Because what are you tested to do? 1483 01:13:39,631 --> 01:13:41,057 Are you going to trust the Lord 1484 01:13:41,057 --> 01:13:42,500 or not trust the Lord? 1485 01:13:42,500 --> 01:13:43,783 Are you going to trust the Lord 1486 01:13:43,783 --> 01:13:47,629 or are you going to murmur, complain? 1487 01:13:47,629 --> 01:13:49,642 That's where we're tested. 1488 01:13:49,642 --> 01:13:51,230 Are you going to trust the Lord? 1489 01:13:51,230 --> 01:13:57,212 Or are you going to devise your own way out? 1490 01:13:57,212 --> 01:13:58,868 Your faith gets tested. 1491 01:13:58,868 --> 01:14:00,352 But here's the thing, 1492 01:14:00,352 --> 01:14:01,740 when your faith gets tested 1493 01:14:01,740 --> 01:14:03,245 and you persevere - 1494 01:14:03,245 --> 01:14:05,181 you see that there? 1495 01:14:05,181 --> 01:14:08,612 "Suffering produces endurance." 1496 01:14:08,612 --> 01:14:10,654 When you endure, 1497 01:14:10,654 --> 01:14:15,053 when you persevere, 1498 01:14:15,053 --> 01:14:16,245 what happens then? 1499 01:14:16,245 --> 01:14:17,654 I'll tell you what happens. 1500 01:14:17,654 --> 01:14:20,952 You personally get a sense 1501 01:14:20,952 --> 01:14:25,627 of hey, I'm real. 1502 01:14:25,627 --> 01:14:27,868 You get a sense of authenticity, don't you? 1503 01:14:27,868 --> 01:14:32,229 Because what happens is you recognize 1504 01:14:32,229 --> 01:14:34,300 there's a promise in Scripture 1505 01:14:34,300 --> 01:14:35,828 that says that we're kept 1506 01:14:35,828 --> 01:14:38,635 by the power of God through faith. 1507 01:14:38,635 --> 01:14:41,006 And when I see that my faith can be put 1508 01:14:41,006 --> 01:14:44,643 in the fires, and I endure it 1509 01:14:44,643 --> 01:14:46,318 and I come out the other side 1510 01:14:46,318 --> 01:14:49,485 still with my whole confidence in the Lord. 1511 01:14:49,485 --> 01:14:53,283 Our faith gets tried like that. 1512 01:14:53,283 --> 01:14:56,143 And it comes through unscathed? 1513 01:14:56,143 --> 01:15:00,420 It proves that we're genuine. 1514 01:15:00,420 --> 01:15:04,172 It proves that you're real and not a fake. 1515 01:15:04,172 --> 01:15:05,873 Not a hypocrite. 1516 01:15:05,873 --> 01:15:08,216 It proves that you're not like the people 1517 01:15:08,216 --> 01:15:09,713 that when the sun came out 1518 01:15:09,713 --> 01:15:13,153 and they suffered persecution and they fell away, 1519 01:15:13,153 --> 01:15:15,369 it's like, hey, the persecution came 1520 01:15:15,369 --> 01:15:17,812 or the trial and tribulation came 1521 01:15:17,812 --> 01:15:20,253 and God brought me through it. 1522 01:15:20,253 --> 01:15:21,927 I didn't fall away. 1523 01:15:21,927 --> 01:15:23,974 I didn't give up. 1524 01:15:23,974 --> 01:15:26,189 I mean, that gives you - 1525 01:15:26,189 --> 01:15:27,767 you see what it says there. 1526 01:15:27,767 --> 01:15:31,165 It says it produces character. 1527 01:15:31,165 --> 01:15:38,445 (incomplete thought) 1528 01:15:38,445 --> 01:15:40,261 You know you look, and it's like, 1529 01:15:40,261 --> 01:15:42,676 hey, I endured this 1530 01:15:42,676 --> 01:15:45,216 and my faith kept trusting Christ. 1531 01:15:45,216 --> 01:15:47,433 I didn't complain. 1532 01:15:47,433 --> 01:15:49,070 It's producing maturity. 1533 01:15:49,070 --> 01:15:55,700 It's producing the ability to withstand these things. 1534 01:15:55,700 --> 01:15:58,791 It's maturing me. 1535 01:15:58,791 --> 01:16:01,384 And it says that produces hope. 1536 01:16:01,384 --> 01:16:03,375 Well, how does that produce hope? 1537 01:16:03,375 --> 01:16:05,897 Well, it produces hope because I look at the whole thing 1538 01:16:05,897 --> 01:16:13,799 and I feel like I'm making it through. 1539 01:16:13,799 --> 01:16:15,744 And God's keeping me. 1540 01:16:15,744 --> 01:16:18,866 God's holding me up. 1541 01:16:18,866 --> 01:16:21,467 And then he takes us even further 1542 01:16:21,467 --> 01:16:27,835 and he says, "Hope does not put us to shame." 1543 01:16:27,835 --> 01:16:30,920 He says we go through and we endure this 1544 01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:32,742 and now we have this hope 1545 01:16:32,742 --> 01:16:34,714 because we've withstood this 1546 01:16:34,714 --> 01:16:38,012 and he says that doesn't put us to shame 1547 01:16:38,012 --> 01:16:39,640 because then what happens is 1548 01:16:39,640 --> 01:16:44,865 God comes along and He sheds abroad, 1549 01:16:44,865 --> 01:16:49,319 He pours into our hearts God's love 1550 01:16:49,319 --> 01:16:55,920 through the Holy Spirit. 1551 01:16:55,920 --> 01:16:57,559 You go through these things 1552 01:16:57,559 --> 01:16:59,867 and you have this hope. 1553 01:16:59,867 --> 01:17:01,400 I'm not a hypocrite. 1554 01:17:01,400 --> 01:17:03,305 I'm not perfect and I have failures, 1555 01:17:03,305 --> 01:17:06,297 but God comes along and He not only 1556 01:17:06,297 --> 01:17:08,078 gives us all the hope that comes with 1557 01:17:08,078 --> 01:17:10,070 our enduring through these things 1558 01:17:10,070 --> 01:17:11,762 and the character that's built 1559 01:17:11,762 --> 01:17:14,131 and the hope that we get 1560 01:17:14,131 --> 01:17:15,627 from remaining steadfast, 1561 01:17:15,627 --> 01:17:16,959 but then on top of all that, 1562 01:17:16,959 --> 01:17:19,309 the Spirit comes in and we kind of circle back 1563 01:17:19,309 --> 01:17:22,268 to the subjective witness 1564 01:17:22,268 --> 01:17:26,826 and there's subjective witness on top of all this. 1565 01:17:26,826 --> 01:17:28,800 There's this confidence. 1566 01:17:28,800 --> 01:17:31,289 But again, coming back to this 1567 01:17:31,289 --> 01:17:33,024 subjective transformation, 1568 01:17:33,024 --> 01:17:35,378 you have verses in Scripture. 1569 01:17:35,378 --> 01:17:38,998 Look, "We know that we've passed 1570 01:17:38,998 --> 01:17:41,948 out of death into life." 1571 01:17:41,948 --> 01:17:43,686 this is 1 John 3:14. 1572 01:17:43,686 --> 01:17:46,332 "We know that we have... 1573 01:17:46,332 --> 01:17:48,772 because we love the brothers." 1574 01:17:48,772 --> 01:17:50,991 "Whoever does not love abides in death." 1575 01:17:50,991 --> 01:17:53,211 You show me people that claim to be a Christian 1576 01:17:53,211 --> 01:17:54,466 and all they do is take - 1577 01:17:54,466 --> 01:17:56,596 they don't serve others in the church, 1578 01:17:56,596 --> 01:17:58,314 they don't care about others in the church, 1579 01:17:58,314 --> 01:17:59,679 all they care about is themselves 1580 01:17:59,679 --> 01:18:01,986 and getting their own way - 1581 01:18:01,986 --> 01:18:05,041 what does it say? 1582 01:18:05,041 --> 01:18:07,142 "Whoever does not love abides in death." 1583 01:18:07,142 --> 01:18:10,009 You can talk the best talk. 1584 01:18:10,009 --> 01:18:12,435 You can claim up and down, 1585 01:18:12,435 --> 01:18:14,097 you can hold your breath 1586 01:18:14,097 --> 01:18:15,305 until you're blue in the face 1587 01:18:15,305 --> 01:18:17,238 trying to convince everybody around you 1588 01:18:17,238 --> 01:18:18,429 that you're a Christian 1589 01:18:18,429 --> 01:18:20,871 and that you've got genuine assurance 1590 01:18:20,871 --> 01:18:22,924 and it's good and you're good 1591 01:18:22,924 --> 01:18:24,996 and you believe and you're a true believer. 1592 01:18:24,996 --> 01:18:26,445 But I can tell you this, 1593 01:18:26,445 --> 01:18:29,199 if you don't care about other people, 1594 01:18:29,199 --> 01:18:34,894 you're not willing to make any sacrifices for other people, 1595 01:18:34,894 --> 01:18:38,202 you're going to get cast away. 1596 01:18:38,202 --> 01:18:39,735 Lawlessness. 1597 01:18:39,735 --> 01:18:42,951 You know what the fulfilling of the law is? 1598 01:18:42,951 --> 01:18:44,944 Love. 1599 01:18:44,944 --> 01:18:46,891 That doesn't mean everybody's spongy, 1600 01:18:46,891 --> 01:18:49,877 mushy, sentimental. 1601 01:18:49,877 --> 01:18:53,416 Sometimes love is having to say the hardest things 1602 01:18:53,416 --> 01:18:56,391 to the most difficult people 1603 01:18:56,391 --> 01:18:57,984 because it's true 1604 01:18:57,984 --> 01:19:01,224 and it's the safest thing you can do for them. 1605 01:19:01,224 --> 01:19:03,395 Or 1 John 2:3. 1606 01:19:03,395 --> 01:19:08,824 "By this we know that we have come to know Him..." 1607 01:19:08,824 --> 01:19:11,669 See, these are verses of assurance 1608 01:19:11,669 --> 01:19:16,976 based on our subjective transformation. 1609 01:19:16,976 --> 01:19:20,109 "...If we keep His commandments." 1610 01:19:20,109 --> 01:19:21,692 You've got people running around 1611 01:19:21,692 --> 01:19:22,938 claiming to be Christians. 1612 01:19:22,938 --> 01:19:25,222 They don't know what His commandments are, 1613 01:19:25,222 --> 01:19:26,972 let alone are they keeping them. 1614 01:19:26,972 --> 01:19:28,434 Jesus said that. 1615 01:19:28,434 --> 01:19:31,724 The wise man - he hears and does. 1616 01:19:31,724 --> 01:19:39,292 The foolish man hears and does not do. 1617 01:19:39,292 --> 01:19:41,159 You know, again, I'll bring this up. 1618 01:19:41,159 --> 01:19:45,482 Craig was preaching two weeks ago or something 1619 01:19:45,482 --> 01:19:48,038 and he said that while he was preaching 1620 01:19:48,038 --> 01:19:49,072 from Colossians 3, 1621 01:19:49,072 --> 01:19:51,115 somebody was sitting out in the audience 1622 01:19:51,115 --> 01:19:53,302 shaking their head. 1623 01:19:53,302 --> 01:19:56,677 He's preaching God's Word. They're out there shaking their head. 1624 01:19:56,677 --> 01:19:57,894 What's that? 1625 01:19:57,894 --> 01:20:00,417 I mean, that's a person who doesn't keep His commandments 1626 01:20:00,417 --> 01:20:02,264 and really has no regard for His commandments; 1627 01:20:02,264 --> 01:20:06,991 in fact, is openly antagonistic to His commandments. 1628 01:20:06,991 --> 01:20:10,725 People like that should have no hope whatsoever 1629 01:20:10,725 --> 01:20:14,424 that their present circumstance is safe. 1630 01:20:14,424 --> 01:20:17,539 It's not safe. 1631 01:20:17,539 --> 01:20:21,433 1 John 5:13 - very well known. 1632 01:20:21,433 --> 01:20:24,970 "I write these things to you who believe 1633 01:20:24,970 --> 01:20:28,732 in the name of the Son of God 1634 01:20:28,732 --> 01:20:31,555 that you may know that you have eternal life." 1635 01:20:31,555 --> 01:20:33,152 And I think what he's saying 1636 01:20:33,152 --> 01:20:38,088 is not just you may know because you believe. 1637 01:20:38,088 --> 01:20:39,842 I think what he's saying is this: 1638 01:20:39,842 --> 01:20:42,081 I have just gotten done writing 1639 01:20:42,081 --> 01:20:45,763 the entire letter of 1 John 1640 01:20:45,763 --> 01:20:47,451 to you who believe, 1641 01:20:47,451 --> 01:20:49,358 and I'm giving you this letter 1642 01:20:49,358 --> 01:20:53,754 so that you might know you're genuine. 1643 01:20:53,754 --> 01:20:55,477 I'll guarantee you this. 1644 01:20:55,477 --> 01:20:57,859 To every person in this room, 1645 01:20:57,859 --> 01:21:02,408 if you honestly will examine your life 1646 01:21:02,408 --> 01:21:04,805 by 1 John, 1647 01:21:04,805 --> 01:21:07,729 you will know if you're saved or not. 1648 01:21:07,729 --> 01:21:10,628 But only if you're honest. 1649 01:21:10,628 --> 01:21:16,920 The problem is that if you are an unbeliever 1650 01:21:16,920 --> 01:21:22,173 and the god of this world has blinded your eyes, 1651 01:21:22,173 --> 01:21:23,671 he'll lie to you. 1652 01:21:23,671 --> 01:21:25,780 "Oh yeah, you've done that." 1653 01:21:25,780 --> 01:21:28,328 "You've done that." 1654 01:21:28,328 --> 01:21:30,972 I remember when I was lost and I asked my mom: 1655 01:21:30,972 --> 01:21:34,657 "Mom, how do I get to heaven?" 1656 01:21:34,657 --> 01:21:38,099 You know the good Catholic answer: "Keep the commandments." 1657 01:21:38,099 --> 01:21:41,209 So I thought, oh, I don't even know what the commandments are. 1658 01:21:41,209 --> 01:21:42,793 Let me go to the family Bible 1659 01:21:42,793 --> 01:21:44,414 and look up the 10 Commandments. 1660 01:21:44,414 --> 01:21:48,827 So I went to Exodus. I found it. 1661 01:21:48,827 --> 01:21:51,115 I went down through them. 1662 01:21:51,115 --> 01:21:53,860 I probably convinced myself that I kept 1663 01:21:53,860 --> 01:21:57,024 seven of the 10. 1664 01:21:57,024 --> 01:22:02,208 Why? Because I was deceived. 1665 01:22:02,208 --> 01:22:04,715 But you know this, 1666 01:22:04,715 --> 01:22:06,550 I have found that people 1667 01:22:06,550 --> 01:22:08,557 who seek for the truth, 1668 01:22:08,557 --> 01:22:10,945 they find it. 1669 01:22:10,945 --> 01:22:14,677 If people really want to know the truth 1670 01:22:14,677 --> 01:22:17,076 and they'll seek the Lord - 1671 01:22:17,076 --> 01:22:20,174 because Scripture says ask and you will receive. 1672 01:22:20,174 --> 01:22:22,883 And I have found that people that deal honestly with God 1673 01:22:22,883 --> 01:22:25,252 and they really want to know, 1674 01:22:25,252 --> 01:22:27,877 God will show them. 1675 01:22:27,877 --> 01:22:30,588 God loves to conceal a matter, 1676 01:22:30,588 --> 01:22:34,996 Scripture says, but you know 1677 01:22:34,996 --> 01:22:37,879 that as much as He loves to conceal a matter, 1678 01:22:37,879 --> 01:22:42,657 it's not so that it may never be found out. 1679 01:22:42,657 --> 01:22:44,571 But He does desire that people put forth 1680 01:22:44,571 --> 01:22:47,343 some measure of true interest 1681 01:22:47,343 --> 01:22:50,845 to actually find the truth. 1682 01:22:50,845 --> 01:22:52,871 If you put forth effort to find it, 1683 01:22:52,871 --> 01:22:56,764 you will find it. 1684 01:22:56,764 --> 01:22:59,639 If you appraoch 1 John, just know this, 1685 01:22:59,639 --> 01:23:03,444 it was written primarily for the sake 1686 01:23:03,444 --> 01:23:08,119 of giving believers assurance. 1687 01:23:08,119 --> 01:23:13,793 But at the same time, it can reveal unbelievers. 1688 01:23:13,793 --> 01:23:17,691 The primary reason is to take Christians 1689 01:23:17,691 --> 01:23:21,555 who may actually struggle with assurance, 1690 01:23:21,555 --> 01:23:24,966 and it's meant to give them assurance. 1691 01:23:24,966 --> 01:23:26,991 That's one of the classic places to take 1692 01:23:26,991 --> 01:23:30,756 60% of the people - 1 John. 1693 01:23:30,756 --> 01:23:32,846 It's meant to give assurance. 1694 01:23:32,846 --> 01:23:39,085 And you see, that is God-given. 1695 01:23:39,085 --> 01:23:42,505 Send them to the Word prayerfully. 1696 01:23:42,505 --> 01:23:44,802 But I can tell you, a lot of the people struggling, 1697 01:23:44,802 --> 01:23:46,345 they don't want to do that. 1698 01:23:46,345 --> 01:23:47,601 They don't want that. 1699 01:23:47,601 --> 01:23:49,578 (incomplete thought) 1700 01:23:49,578 --> 01:23:54,495 It's almost like they put very little stock oftentimes 1701 01:23:54,495 --> 01:23:56,649 in anything in God's Word. 1702 01:23:56,649 --> 01:24:00,168 It's like they want to go from one person 1703 01:24:00,168 --> 01:24:02,215 to the next person to the next person. 1704 01:24:02,215 --> 01:24:04,730 It's almost like they're looking for an answer 1705 01:24:04,730 --> 01:24:07,114 that they have never yet heard 1706 01:24:07,114 --> 01:24:12,121 that they think is going to be like the magic formula. 1707 01:24:12,121 --> 01:24:15,627 But, assurance, 1708 01:24:15,627 --> 01:24:17,965 being certain we're saved, 1709 01:24:17,965 --> 01:24:20,109 well you can know this: 1710 01:24:20,109 --> 01:24:24,933 True salvation looks a lot different 1711 01:24:24,933 --> 01:24:27,833 from false salvation. 1712 01:24:27,833 --> 01:24:31,302 And God is the one that knows what they look like 1713 01:24:31,302 --> 01:24:32,460 more than anyone else, 1714 01:24:32,460 --> 01:24:34,514 and He describes these things for us. 1715 01:24:34,514 --> 01:24:36,705 And if one book in the New Testament 1716 01:24:36,705 --> 01:24:38,002 has actually been written 1717 01:24:38,002 --> 01:24:42,429 so that believers might know that they're saved, 1718 01:24:42,429 --> 01:24:45,284 you have to know that it also 1719 01:24:45,284 --> 01:24:47,421 is going to do the opposite. 1720 01:24:47,421 --> 01:24:50,712 It's going to reveal those who aren't. 1721 01:24:50,712 --> 01:24:52,545 That's the place to go. 1722 01:24:52,545 --> 01:24:54,880 If you have any concerns about your soul, 1723 01:24:54,880 --> 01:24:57,958 go to that book as if your soul depends on it 1724 01:24:57,958 --> 01:24:59,827 because it does. 1725 01:24:59,827 --> 01:25:02,123 Because if you're wrong, you're wrong for you. 1726 01:25:02,123 --> 01:25:03,372 You're not wrong for me. 1727 01:25:03,372 --> 01:25:04,645 You're not wrong for James. 1728 01:25:04,645 --> 01:25:06,565 You're not wrong for the person sitting beside you. 1729 01:25:06,565 --> 01:25:07,828 You're wrong for you. 1730 01:25:07,828 --> 01:25:11,425 And if you lose your soul, it's gone. 1731 01:25:11,425 --> 01:25:14,097 If you wake up on that morning, 1732 01:25:14,097 --> 01:25:16,218 and you hear those words, 1733 01:25:16,218 --> 01:25:18,461 no amount of tears, no amount of sighs, 1734 01:25:18,461 --> 01:25:20,833 crying, weeping, wailing 1735 01:25:20,833 --> 01:25:24,778 is going to evoke the slightest mercy 1736 01:25:24,778 --> 01:25:27,058 from Christ in that day. 1737 01:25:27,058 --> 01:25:31,262 He stands as the slain Lamb of God now 1738 01:25:31,262 --> 01:25:35,784 offering Himself to all who will come 1739 01:25:35,784 --> 01:25:38,681 and take Him as their only hope, 1740 01:25:38,681 --> 01:25:40,569 their only boast, 1741 01:25:40,569 --> 01:25:42,845 the only way of salvation. 1742 01:25:42,845 --> 01:25:46,461 He offers Himself freely 1743 01:25:46,461 --> 01:25:49,508 to those who will come to Him and drink. 1744 01:25:49,508 --> 01:25:54,795 In that day, there's no mercy. 1745 01:25:54,795 --> 01:25:57,226 No mercy 1746 01:25:57,226 --> 01:26:02,817 for those who had false assurance, 1747 01:26:02,817 --> 01:26:05,442 because your assurance will not save you. 1748 01:26:05,442 --> 01:26:07,054 If you get to that day, 1749 01:26:07,054 --> 01:26:11,526 and you built your life on a false assurance, 1750 01:26:11,526 --> 01:26:13,822 and Christ says, "Depart," 1751 01:26:13,822 --> 01:26:15,428 you're undone. 1752 01:26:15,428 --> 01:26:17,876 There's nobody going to save you then. 1753 01:26:17,876 --> 01:26:20,080 Because the only one who ever could save you 1754 01:26:20,080 --> 01:26:21,484 is now your Judge 1755 01:26:21,484 --> 01:26:25,854 and you're being told from His very lips 1756 01:26:25,854 --> 01:26:28,324 the whole thing was a sham. 1757 01:26:28,324 --> 01:26:31,319 And you were a worker of lawlessness. 1758 01:26:31,319 --> 01:26:34,092 And if you really would have examined your life, 1759 01:26:34,092 --> 01:26:36,003 you would have known it. 1760 01:26:36,003 --> 01:26:37,602 You tried to convince yourself 1761 01:26:37,602 --> 01:26:38,748 you could get to Heaven 1762 01:26:38,748 --> 01:26:43,152 even though you drank of your sin freely. 1763 01:26:43,152 --> 01:26:45,405 You chose your sin over Christ. 1764 01:26:45,405 --> 01:26:47,503 Now Judgment Day has come 1765 01:26:47,503 --> 01:26:56,069 and you're undone. 1766 01:26:56,069 --> 01:26:59,475 Father, I pray, 1767 01:26:59,475 --> 01:27:06,853 I pray, Lord... 1768 01:27:06,853 --> 01:27:08,549 Lord, just these realities. 1769 01:27:08,549 --> 01:27:15,870 The reality that when the sinner is saved, 1770 01:27:15,870 --> 01:27:20,075 the glory of Christ in the Gospel, 1771 01:27:20,075 --> 01:27:23,686 the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ - 1772 01:27:23,686 --> 01:27:26,246 there's a beauty, there's a preciousness, 1773 01:27:26,246 --> 01:27:29,999 there's a glory that is unleashed 1774 01:27:29,999 --> 01:27:35,781 upon the saved sinner. 1775 01:27:35,781 --> 01:27:38,023 Lord, I know, 1776 01:27:38,023 --> 01:27:40,105 that's something that those of us in this room, 1777 01:27:40,105 --> 01:27:42,631 we have an idea whether anything like that 1778 01:27:42,631 --> 01:27:44,234 has happened or not. 1779 01:27:44,234 --> 01:27:46,046 When we went from seeing Christ 1780 01:27:46,046 --> 01:27:50,818 as little, as nothing, or worse than nothing - 1781 01:27:50,818 --> 01:27:55,159 a curse word - 1782 01:27:55,159 --> 01:27:57,001 seeing Him small; 1783 01:27:57,001 --> 01:27:59,424 to having Him burst in upon our minds 1784 01:27:59,424 --> 01:28:03,915 and our hearts with such magnificence. 1785 01:28:03,915 --> 01:28:06,473 Certainly, everyone in this room knows 1786 01:28:06,473 --> 01:28:08,349 if that's happened or not. 1787 01:28:08,349 --> 01:28:10,560 They know if Christ went from being 1788 01:28:10,560 --> 01:28:14,139 an unprecious thing, an unnecessary thing 1789 01:28:14,139 --> 01:28:17,006 to all of a sudden becoming altogether desirable, 1790 01:28:17,006 --> 01:28:18,411 altogether necessary, 1791 01:28:18,411 --> 01:28:24,547 altogether the only hope of the sinner. 1792 01:28:24,547 --> 01:28:27,407 The transformed life, new creations. 1793 01:28:27,407 --> 01:28:30,514 Undoubtedly, that's true. 1794 01:28:30,514 --> 01:28:34,201 Latching on to the confidence that's in Christ. 1795 01:28:34,201 --> 01:28:35,762 Latching on to the confidence 1796 01:28:35,762 --> 01:28:39,749 of what He's accomplished on the cross. 1797 01:28:39,749 --> 01:28:42,536 Certainly, we know if that's our only hope, 1798 01:28:42,536 --> 01:28:44,051 if we can't be moved from it 1799 01:28:44,051 --> 01:28:46,007 no matter what trials should come; 1800 01:28:46,007 --> 01:28:54,491 no matter if our very lives were threatened. 1801 01:28:54,491 --> 01:28:56,057 Lord, I pray that there would be 1802 01:28:56,057 --> 01:28:58,709 such a great revival as to blow away 1803 01:28:58,709 --> 01:29:05,037 so much of the false assurance 1804 01:29:05,037 --> 01:29:06,586 and to bring salvation to many 1805 01:29:06,586 --> 01:29:07,936 that struggle with assurance, 1806 01:29:07,936 --> 01:29:09,474 and they struggle with it because they 1807 01:29:09,474 --> 01:29:13,148 don't have salvation. 1808 01:29:13,148 --> 01:29:15,076 Lord, I pray that we might be shown 1809 01:29:15,076 --> 01:29:19,337 a measure of mercy so that the many 1810 01:29:19,337 --> 01:29:21,758 relative to the few 1811 01:29:21,758 --> 01:29:23,514 might be greatly reduced, 1812 01:29:23,514 --> 01:29:27,087 that we might see a much increased percentage of people 1813 01:29:27,087 --> 01:29:29,946 in our day, in our generation, in our city 1814 01:29:29,946 --> 01:29:37,255 who would not fall into that miserable group of people - 1815 01:29:37,255 --> 01:29:41,050 the many who will be told to depart. 1816 01:29:41,050 --> 01:29:43,551 Bring revival, Lord. 1817 01:29:43,551 --> 01:29:46,636 Sweep many into the Kingdom 1818 01:29:46,636 --> 01:29:48,444 that in our generation, 1819 01:29:48,444 --> 01:29:51,879 there might not be so many. 1820 01:29:51,879 --> 01:29:54,788 Please Lord, we pray this in Christ's name, Amen.