ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

I           INTRODUCTION

Many people today who claim to be Christians suffer from a lack of assurance of their salvation.  Their minds are filled with doubts and fears concerning this issue, and as a result their ability to grow and to be used by God is greatly hindered.  God wants us to know that we have eternal life (I John 5:13).  The best way to gain that assurance of salvation is to evaluate our experience in light of God’s Word, and then check for evidences of a changed life.

II.         THE PROCESS OF SALVATION

1.         Read each of the following verses.  Beside each verse, write down the points involved in salvation.

a.         Romans 10:14, 15  

            What does “hear” mean in this verse?

            What is the “gospel”? 

b.         Romans 10:17

            What is “faith”? 

c.         Isaiah 6:5; Luke 18:13 

            What is “sin”? 

d.         Acts 17:2, 3 

e.         Luke 13:3, 5; 24:47 

            What does it mean to “repent”?

f.          Acts 16:30, 31; 17:4; Romans 10:9, 10, 13 

            What does it mean to “trust” for “believe”? 

2.         Evaluate your experience.  How does it compare with the above points?

III.       Some Evidences That Salvation Has Taken Place

1.         Listed below are some things that should characterize the life of a Christian.  Match them with the correct verses provided.

a.         Peace with God rather than a sense of                         Hebrews 12:5-11

                        guilt and condemnation.

b.         Growing desire to know God and His Word                John 13:13-17

c.         Genuine desire to keep the commandments                  Acts 4:18-20;

                        and have a changed life.                                                Romans 1:16

d.         Desire to serve Christ as Lord – the One                      I Peter 2:2

                        to control your life.

e.         Growing love for other Christians and                            I John 2:9-11; 3:14;

                        desire for their fellowship.                                             John 13:34,35

f.          Desire to tell others about Christ                                     Romans 5:1; 8:1

g.         Inward sense that you are a child of God                       I John 2:3-6

h.         Chastening of the Lord.                                                 Romans 8:16;

                                                                                                             I John 4:13

2.         Evaluate your life.  Do any of these characterize your life?  Is so, which ones?

            Which ones do not?

 

IV.       Reasons for Lack of Assurance

1.         Not truly saved.  Many who lack assurance of salvation have actually never been born again.

a.         Some have made professions as a result of human-persuasion rather than Holy Spirit conviction.  There may have been an emotional experience or a desire to escape unhappy life circumstances, but such professions generally leave out the issue of resolving sin.

b.         Some have been convicted by the Holy Spirit but never made a profession.  These persons may have been told to sign a card or may have not understood what to do with instructions such as “receive Jesus, “ “accept Jesus,” “let Jesus come into your heart,” or “just give Jesus your life.”

c.         Some may be putting trust in baptism or their own goodness to help save.

2.         Unconfessed Sin. Sin breaks fellowship with God and this, in time, results in a loss of assurance.

a.         What does I John 2:3 teach you about this? 

            I John 2:15, 16?

b.         Read I Corinthians 9:26, 27 and I Timothy 4:7, 8.  What failures can cause you to lose your sense of assurance?

c.         (Romans 13:14) You can also lose your assurance when you make

                                                             for the                                                  to fulfill the                                           .

3.         Ignorance of God’s Promise, Power, and Willingness to Save

a.         Read the following verses:  John 3:15, 16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; I John 5:13.  Has God promised everlasting life to those who trust in Him?                      

b.         Define “everlasting life”.                                                                                   

c.         What promises do you find in these verses?

            John 10:27-30

                                    Hebrews 7:24-25 

             

            Romans 8:35-39

d.         Can God be depended on to keep His promises? (Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19; I Kings 8:56; Isaiah 40:8)                                How do you know?

                                                                                                                                   

e.         Is God really able to give everlasting life to those who trust Him?  (Matthew 28:18; I Timothy 6:15, 16)                                             How do you know?

f.          Is God really willing to give everlasting life? (Romans 5:8; 8:32; John 3:16)                                   How do you know? 

g.         Evaluate your attitude toward God’s promise, power, and willingness to give everlasting life.  Have you trusted Him to keep His promise?              

V.        Summary

            If your salvation experience corresponds to what God has said in His word concerning salvation, and if there are some outward evidences of salvation in your life, you should be able to rest assured that you have eternal life.  If not, you can call upon the Lord right now and ask Him to forgive your sins and be your Saviour, trusting that He will because He promised He would, He’s able and willing to, and He can be depended on to keep His Word.

Adult SS Lesson  January 29, 2012