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Lesson Two
Memory Verse: Matthew 4:4 Lesson Verse: 1 John 5:13
"These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name
of the Son of God" 1
John 5:13
I.
Introduction - "Now that I am saved, can I ever LOSE
my salvation?"
Once a person has settled the question of salvation as the Bible declares it - by grace through faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ - it is imperative that he understands the security of that new relationship with God.
II.
What Jesus Said About Your Salvation
A. In John 6:37, Jesus promises that "...him that cometh to me I will in no wise ___________________." To “cast out” would be to reject, or cast away a sinner who comes to Christ for salvation. Jesus promises never to do that!
B. John 10:27-29 makes it clear that no man can cause you to lose your salvation. It is God that saves, and He is greater than man. Notice that Jesus gives a person ___________ life, and that they shall _______ perish!
C. Your salvation is completely by God’s grace through your simple child-like faith, and not by works. It is a gift from God. No one can lose his salvation because no one can earn it! It is freely given on the merit of Christ's righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8,9), not on the basis of our own goodness (Isaiah 64:6). Either Christ paid for ALL your sins, or He didn’t (Hebrews 10:17), and if He did, then when you accepted His salvation, your eternity was settled forever (see again 1 John 5:11-13)!
III.
Is There Anything That Can Separate Us From God?
Romans 8:38,39 says that NONE of the following can separate us from God!
l Death - you can't lose it when you die
l Life - you can't lose it while alive
l Angels - they can't take it from you.
l Principalities - the government and rulers can't take it away from you.
l Powers - not any spiritual power including the devil can cause you to lose it
l Things present - nothing happening right now can take it away.
l Things to come - nothing in the future (including sins) can make you lose it.
l Height - nothing above you.
l Depth - nothing below you.
l Nor any other creature shall be able to ______________ us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore, NOTHING can separate a believer from the love of God once we become a Christian. Yet a Christian does still sin. So, what effect does it have?
A. My sins now can only separate us in fellowship - not in relationship! Just as you can never break the relationship between a child and his or her parents, the same is true when we become a child of God (John 1:12,13).
1. Your relationship with God is now a Father/son relationship by the new "birth" (John 3:3). Jesus teaches us to call God, “our _________” (Matthew 6:9) because, by your faith in Christ, that’s just what He is!
2. Your salvation is sealed for all eternity with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). To “seal” something is to “secure” it like you would a down-payment on a house, or like a package for shipping is “sealed.” The Holy Spirit is our seal showing that _______ owns us, and will not let anything “spoil” us (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)! Jesus will NEVER leave you, nor __________ you (Hebrews 13:5)!
3. Best of all, your name is written down in heaven (Luke 10:20; Rev 20:14,15) - your reservation for your trip has already been made!
B. A Christian can sin, and is ________ if he thinks he does not (1 John 1:8).
1. Sin, if not confessed to God as sin (not just a “mistake”), and if not repented of, will cause God to have to chastise you, and not answer your __________ (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 12:6-8; Psalm 66:18).
2. If your sinning goes on for very long, the Lord may just cause you to die early because you are not living for Him (1 Corinthians 11:30-32). God is responsible for His children, and will not let us get away with sin like we used to before we were adopted into His family!
IV.
What If You Don't Feel Saved?
A. Examine your heart to see if you trusted Jesus Christ to save you, or are still working your own way to heaven (2 Corinthians 13:5). More people only “hope” they are Christians because they have prayed a prayer, or go to a certain church, or whatever. A sinner simply repents and trusts Christ!
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B. Determine in you heart, once sure of salvation, that eternal life is NOT based upon feelings, but only on the factual truth of the word of God and your acceptance of it (1 John 3:19,20; Titus 1:2). At some point you are going to have to just believe what God said, and settle it! (1 John 2:25)
V.
Things That Give Us Assurance of Salvation
Things that will develop automatically in your life now that you know Christ!
r A love for the Bible - a love for the TRUTH (Psalm 1:1,2; 119:97)!
r A love for God like never before - A personal walk with Him develops! He is not a Genie, or a distant Creator, but Saviour and Friend (Matt 22:37)!
r A desire to do God's ________, instead of only your own (Psalm 40:8)!
r No more ________ - True confidence in Christ and in the truth (2 Tim 1:7)!
r The chastening hand of the Lord in your life when you sin (Hebrews 12:6)!
r A spiritual discernment - able to sense spiritual things going on, and focus on the eternal, instead of only on this life (Romans 8:15,16; 1 Cor 2:14-16)!
