Assurances of Salvation - Part One

Assurances of Salvation in 1 John

In today's blog, and over the next few days, we aim to explore specific statements from the New Testament book of 1 John that will answer this one question: "How can I know, that I know, that I'm still a Christian?"  Doubt is a form of unbelief about what God has done for us in the past.  Many Christians walk around with troubling doubts about their salvation.  Thankfully, scripture gives us clear guidance on this matter. 

The book of 1 John has 105 verses with over 70 statements about assurance of salvation.  In fact 1 John 5:13 is the ket verses describing the purpose of the book: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." This little word "know" refers to certainty gained by observation and experience, and is found some 25 times in John's short book.  Thus assurance of salvation can be defined as: "I know, that I know I'm a Christian."  Understand dear reader, Christianity is not a " hope-so salvation" or "maybe salvation", rather the Bible's testimony for the true Christian is that they can have a "know-so salvation".

Assurance is demonstrated by what a Christian loves and hates

1 John aims to help you know, have confidence, have certainty about your relationship with Jesus Christ.  How does John reinforce that?  By setting forth specific instances of things the true child of God loves, and those things that a true child of God hates.  Below we will begin exploring these assurances of salvation by noting first what a true believer will hate.  Look for these attitudes, expressions in your own life, and by faith and God's word test to see if you know, that you know that you're a Christian.

1. A True Christian Hates Sin  1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15-17 states: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 

What in the world is "the world"?

The world in this verse is not in reference to the planet earth, rather it is describe the system of unbelief that non-Christians operate by.  When a person is worldy, it simply describes the common held convictions they share with the unbelieving world in rebellion against God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Its one thing to be tempted and even at times go through seasons where we want to slip back to the former way of life before salvation.  But the "love of the world" described here is a continual, on-going perisistence in a system of unbelief hostile to Christ. 

Three components of "the world"

Note the three components of the world: lust of the flesh, the eyes and pride of life.  If I persistently love what is seen above Christ whom I can't see, then I need to re-evaluate my profession of salvation.  In terms of the flesh, the flesh is a particular attitude that strives to embrace the world.  Am I continually embracing that which is outside the known will of God?  If so, I need to check whether or not I received Christ by faith in the first place.  What about the boastful pride of life?  Am I more concerned with possessions than possessing Christ?  Questions such as these help us test where we are at in our walk.  Either I have come to possess Christ by faith, and thus will exhibit fruit that matches with what I profess; or I am only professing Christ with my lips, and need to possess Him by faith. 

Ultimately the true Christian cannot persist in worldliness

That is the whole point of the passage: persisting, on-going, non-regret over choosing the things of the world over Christ.  If I find myself caught up in the world, does that mean that I am not Christian?  It all depends where I run to after I discover worldliness.  If I keep running into the arms of the world, with no regrets, then I need to evaluate whether I'm merely a "professor" rather than a "possessor" of Christ.  However, If come running to Christ, asking for forgiveness, acknowledging that I not merely did a bad thing, but offended God's very character in me, then I have just demonstrated evidence of true salvation. 

Is there hope for Christians who dabble in worldliness?

1 John 1:9 states: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice the promise: forgiveness and cleansing.  Let me state this a plainly as possible: A true Christian cannot lose there salvation nor will a true Christian ultimately ever want to lose salvation.  There will be those seasons in a Christian's life when they might very well fall for the enticements of this world.  Ask the great apostle Peter, who doubt Christ three times.  He clearly was worldly.  But what does the scripture tell us in John 21?  When Jesus came to Him, He in repentance told Jesus "yes Lord, you know that I love you" three times.  Jesus restored Him, cleansed him from the affects of his denials, and that man became the premier leader in the early church. 

These ways of evaluating our heart are crucial to our Christian growth.  Thankfully the scriptures, not our feelings, are the chief way we know whether or not we are Christians. Right after the passages describing the world, John states in 1 John 2:21 "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth."  As we draw assurance from the scriptures, our emotions and our thoughts will line up behind the scriptures, like little children behind a parent.  For it is in the scriptures I meet and commune with the very Jesus I not only profess to know, but know that I know that I know. 

Reasons why I run to Christ and the Bible

I want the reader to consider the similarities that exist between the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ.  These similarities are what drive me to run to the scriptures and to know and meet the living Christ.  I pray that you too will be stimulated to seek the Living Word of the Written word.

The Bible is the Living Will of God

Christ is the Living God bidding me to do His will

The Bible never fails in its message

Christ never fails in His Ministry

The Bible is the lamp searching my heart

Christ is the light shining into my heart through the Bible

The Bible is preparing me for Heaven

Christ is preparing Heaven for me

The Bible never changes and abides

Christ never changes and abides

Satan can't defeat the Bible

Christ defeated Satan

The Bible secures my faith today

Christ has already secured my hope for tomorrow

Who You Are, and Whose You Are

Today's blog continues from yesterday's focus upon how Jesus Christ is ministering in the life of Christians today.  We saw how His role as Prophet and Priest enables us to grow in the Christian life.  Today we continue by noting His Kingship, and how this office sheds even greater life on who the Christian really is in Christ.  If you would like to pick up the context of this blog, I would encourage the reader to read the blogs from the previous two days.

3. Christ as King reigns over believers and is worthy of worship, since He is both God and man

Hebrews 1:4 has already been considered in this blog, since in his humanity Jesus Christ demonstrated He was qualified to obtain the inheritance of His Father's Kingdom.  However we must also remember that as God, Christ is by right the True King.  Hebrews 1:5 notes - "For by which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?  And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son"?

The remarkable thing about this text is that on the one hand, when looking at Jesus as man, he obtained the right to inherit all things by living, dying and resurrecting from the dead in history. However as Christ the Divine Second Person of the Trinity, there has never been a time where He was never the True King.  

To be in Christ is to become in experience who I already am in position

Why did Jesus Christ have to obtain in his humanity the right that by virtue of His Deity He already possessed?  Quite simply because all of those who would unite to Him by faith are called to walk out their faith as heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:6-9).  Believers are given the incredible destiny as someday ruling and reigning with Christ. Furthermore, the Christian is already positionally ruling and reigning with Christ in the heavenlies.  In the realm of everyday experience the believer has to battle the world, the flesh and the devil.  By doing this the Christian progressively becomes in experience who they already are in position. 

Even though Christ has already accomplished the fact of the believer's kingly destiny, it is the believer's responsibility to obtain by growing experience the realization of who they are in Christ.  Daily exposure to God's word and prayer, and weekly times of being with God's people are the chief ways of remembering who I am and whose I am - Christ's treasured possession. (please compare Psalm 119:9-11, Hebrews 4:16 & Hebrews 10:24-25)

As those who are called to be co-kings with Christ and who are guided by Him in the prophetic scriptures, believers are also to live forth His presence as priests.  As 1 Peter 2:9 notes - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."  Dear Christian, as you go forth, don't forget who you are (a co-heir with the Prophet, Priest, King Jesus Christ) and whose you are (Christ's treasured possession).   

Jesus Christ's Ministry to Christians - P1

So far in the last couple of blogs we have looked at Jesus Christ as being One Person who expresses Himself in two Natures - Divine and Human.  Today we are desiring to understand the full-orbed ministry and work of Jesus Christ to His saints in this present age.  When a court of law is in session, reference of course is being made to the Judge who is presiding over the courtroom.  Theologians use this term "session" to summarize Christ's three-fold ministry of Prophet, Priest and King.  

Hebrews 1:1-12 gives us the clearest demonstration of all three of Christ's current functions anywhere in scripture.  Today we will explore the first two offices of Christ: His role as Prophet and Priest. 

1. Christ As Prophet reveals God, since He Himself is God.
Hebrews 1:3a states - "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.... when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High."  The phrase in this text "express image" is a translation of the Greek word "character".  A character was literally an imprint or mark left by a royal signature ring pressed into the paper.  The mark would be equated with the King Himself whenever it was dispersed as a royal decree among the subjects of the kingdom.

Deuteronomy 18:18 is a direct prophecy about the prophetic function of Jesus Christ - "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him." Christ is indeed the Prophet whose very Deity was "pressed" into his humanity.  Just as a prophet would reveal God to the people through pen and ink and words, Christ revealed God as God Himself by taking upon himself flesh and blood and life.

2. Christ as Priest represents true believers to God, since he himself is man
  Hebrews 1:3b tells us - "...when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High."  This second part of Hebrews 1:3 shows the Priestly function of Jesus Christ.  In scripture whenever we see someone "sitting down" on a throne, like a king, they are establishing their authority.  It will be immediately noted that all three of the offices do overlap one another.  Christ is the Prophetic Priestly King, He is the Kingly Priest-like Prophet and clearly in this text He is the Kingly prophetic priest.  

Hebrews 4:14 notes - "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."  As one goes down through Hebrews 1:4, the overwhelming emphasis is that Christ, in his humanity, has obtained an inheritance much greater than the angels.  1 Timothy 2:5 reminds us that there is "one mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus."  

Without Christ taking upon Himself human flesh, there is no way we could ever have a one-on-one relationship with the God of Revelation.  In tomorrow's blog we will explore Jesus Christ as our King, and see how His roles as prophet, priest and King provides the foundation for the Christian's identity. 

Getting to Know Jesus Christ - His Natures

Proverbs 22:18 states - Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
This principle is mentioned at least five times in the scriptures, warning us not to ignore the timeless and well established truths of scripture and the message of God's word preached throughout the history of God's people.  The early Christians in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 were told to hold fast to the traditions handed down to them by the apostles.  This idea of traditions speaks of the truth of God's word in the written word of God which is handed from one generation to the next through its preaching and teaching.  Knowing what has been taught about Jesus Christ over the centuries, and comparing that to what is seen in the Bible, can aid greatly in our getting to know the person and work of Jesus Christ. It can helps us avoid any newly invented ideas made up by men who do not use the scriptures as their foundation.

HOW CHURCH HISTORY APPROACHED JESUS CHRIST 
The biblical record makes it clear that by starting either with Christ's full humanity or full deity, will lead us to the right understanding of Jesus Christ.  The early church saw this too.  They came to describe Jesus Christ's human and Divine natures as being without mixture, confusion, division or blending.  Those four terms were used to guard the church against all forms of heresies that tried to either elevate or deny one of Christ's natures at the expense of the other. 

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERM "NATURE"?When we say "nature", we are referring to the way in which a living being expresses their own life or existence.  You and I have a human nature.  We express our existence as beings who are created, have flesh and blood, limited knowledge, strength and intellegence.  We have a birth and will have a death.  And if you are a Christian, you will go onto be with the Lord in Heaven.  If you die without Christ as your Savior, Lord and Treasure, you will spend eternity in Hell.  (Please compare Psalm 90, Luke 16, 2 Corinthians 5)

God of course has a Divine nature.  That means He expresses His existence as unlimited in strength, wisdom, presence and knowledge.  His identity is three - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Each Person of the Trinity shares in this nature.  Since the nature is infinite, each person of the Trinity can be said to be eternal, since any way you slice an infinite object will still yield an infinite object. (please compare Isaiah 40, Psalm 139, Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13)

Now when we come to Jesus Christ, we discover He expresses Himself in two ways or by "two natures".  He has always been God, sharing in the unified Divine nature with the Father and Holy Spirit.  However when he entered into time, he began to expresses himself a second way - through a human nature.  He got tired, sweated and experienced pain.  Christ is the only being in the Bible who has a dual nature.  Therefore whenever we talk about Jesus, we need to specify whether we are talking about Jesus the man or Christ the eternal God.  (Please compare Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 1:16-17)

As man here on earth, Jesus Christ never ceased being God.  As God in Heaven, Jesus Christ came down to earth, crawled into the womb of a virgin Jewish girl, Mary, and had his human nature miraculous conceived in that womb by the Holy Spirit. Right now in Heaven He is both God and man, and forever will be.  Scripture reveals that it was God's objective from before creation to express Himself as the very creatures whom He deemed to be the crown of His creation - human beings. 

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR BEGINNING YOUR OWN STUDY OF CHRISTOLOGYAs we have been saying throughout this blog series, the goal is to achieve equal balance in the theological, supernatural and practical sides of the Christian walk.  My suggestion would be to begin with the introductions to the first three gospels, and note the characteristics spoken of concerning Christ's humanity.  I would then consider what John says in His introduction (John 1:1-18) about Christ's Deity.  Thirdly, I would then go through the remaining passages mentioned above, toggling between the humanity of Jesus and the Divinity of Christ.  As you come to understand His human and Divine natures, you will arrive at knowing the Person of Jesus Christ.  Come sit at His feet, and then bow your knee to His unending Divine glory.  This is the goal of any study of Christology, and more importantly, the Christian faith.

Getting to know Jesus Christ - An Overview

Hebrews 12:2-3 states - " ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  ³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

As we look at the above passage, we are struck by the fact that the only way to anchor one's Christian walk is to intentionally focus upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. In this next series of blogs, my aim is to do that very thing - getting to know Jesus Christ.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS MEANT BY THE STUDY OF CHRISTAnytime we aim to know the Person and Work of Jesus Christ we refer to the term "Christology".  Christology is simply the study of Jesus Christ.  Throughout Church history two approaches have been done when beginning to think on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The approaches stem from the two central truths of the Study of Christ - that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. 

TWO SUGGESTIONS OF WHERE TO BEGIN - CHRIST'S HUMANITY OR DEITYThe approaches go something like this: We must begin with Jesus the man and work our way through his virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death on the cross, burial, resurrection and ascension to final consideration of His full Deity.  The second approach is to begin with His exalted Deity as One with the Father, Creator, Redeemer and then end with consideration of His humanity.  The first approach is called "Christology from below", since it begins with Christ's humanity and ends with His Deity.  The second approach is called "Christology from above" due to the fact it begins with Christ's Deity and ends with His humanity.

THE BIBLE FOCUSES ON BOTH HIS DEITY AND HUMANITYWhen we look at the New Testament records, we frankly find support for either approach.  Matthew, Mark and Luke begin with Christ's humanity and gradually bring into view His undiminished Deity.  John's Gospel begins with Christ's Deity, as the Word who was with God in Eternity, and gradually brings into view his full humanity.  The Bible does not present Jesus Christ as half man, half God - rather He is presented as 100% man and 100% God. 
Passages such as Philippians 2:5-11 and 1 Timothy 3:15-16 both begin with Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, who came into this world and became man.  The wonderful book of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:1-7 and 10:4-5 also takes the same approach.  However in Hebrews 2 we see the focus shift to considering Jesus the man sharing in humanity and living a sinless life. 
Revelation advocates both approaches.  In Revelation 1 we see a magnificent "Christology from above", with reference to  40 Divine names for the Savior.  However when we come to Revelation 5 we clearly see Jesus Christ's full humanity as the "Lamb who was slain".  Tomorrow we will continue exploring further the magnificent person and work of Jesus Christ.  May God richly bless you dear reader as you fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ. 

Knowing God's Will for Your Life - P3

How You Can Know God's Will for Your Life

 

Two helpful concepts: Logos and RhemaWe now come to the point where we ask about God's will for your life?  How does one know it?  Proverbs 22:17-18 states: "¹⁷Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. ¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips."  In these two verses we see two aspects of God's voice speaking to us from the scriptures: God's word in general, or logos (written word applicable to all people, at all places at all times) and God's specific word, or rhema (a specific insight from scripture that is applicable to a specific person, at a particular place at a particular time). 

 

Even when God gives you an insight (a rhema) throughout the day, that undoubtedly came as a result of your prior meditation and reading of the scripture (that is, the logos).  Remember, a true rhema never conflicts nor replaces the objective logos of the scriptures.  When Jesus was speaking for to the disciples in Luke 24, He was giving them the Logos or general word of the law and prophets of things concerning Himself.  By God's grace their eyes were opened, they heard what Jesus was saying and they were given a specific word (a rhema) that the one speaking to them was Christ.  They saw that those words had immediate application to them. 

 

With these thoughts in mind, I want to lay out principles that I have found helpful in discerning God's will for my own life.  The first principle acts as the reference point for the other three.  My prayer is that you will find these principles to be helpful as well.

 

1. God's Will is Discovered from the scriptures. 

-Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

-2 Timothy 3:16-17 "¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

 

2. God's Will is Clarified through Godly Counsel

-Proverbs 15:22 ^"Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established."

-Proverbs 24:6 "⁶For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety."

 

3. God's Will is confirmed with peace by the Holy Spirit

-The Holy Spirit may say "no" as in Acts 16:6

-The Holy Spirit may say "yes" and give you confident assurance about a particular direction as in Acts 16:10

 

4. God's Will uses circumstances to steer in a certain direction

-Acts 17:16 ¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

 

May God bless you dear reader, as you aim to not only know, but do His will.