How to Be Absolutely Sure | Part 1

From the Loewer Finding studios in Memphis, Tennessee, I'm Byron Tyler here with the CEO of Loewer Finding, Kerry Vaughn. Kerry, today Adrian Rogers shares one of God's promises, and it's an important one. It's the assurance of our salvation. Hey, we all want to be sure, right? I mean, we want to trust but verify. We want to nail it down, confirm it, affirm it, whatever it takes, right? We want to be sure. Well, Adrian Rogers says we need, as Christians, to have nailed down without a doubt. As a matter of fact, he had this to say about it. And if you have it, thank God you cannot lose it.

Well, that's a great word. You know, you cannot lose it. I mean, Jesus says no one can snatch them out of my hands. We can't lose our salvation if we're genuinely saved.

That's true. But sometimes, as Christians, we do have doubts, and we don't know what to do with those doubts. Again, Adrian Rogers helps us to put it into perspective how to handle those doubts. It's possible to be saved and have doubts. It's possible to have doubts. Then why did John write and say, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know? Because there were some, evidently, who were having some question marks about their salvation. And so, doubt doesn't mean that you haven't been saved.

As a matter of fact, we only doubt that which we tend to believe. Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body. Pain doesn't mean that you're dead. Really, pain means that you're alive. But pain means something is wrong.

Something is not working right. And so, we ought not to have doubt. I've never known of a Christian who was really any good in his or her service to the Lord, I mean truly effective, who did not, first of all, have the assurance of his or her salvation. I remember the Word, the Word of the Father. I love it. Adrian Rogers says that God's Word was not written to tell you how the heavens go. It was written to tell you how to go to heaven. Oh, that's beautiful.

I really love that. And it is the atoning work of Christ. We must remember, Jesus took our sin to the cross with his blood. He paid our sin penalty.

Absolutely. And also, we know that the witness of the Spirit lives and dwells in us. And that's another affirmation that we need. That we're saved. Well, Kerry, we always love hearing from our Love We're Finding listeners.

And I believe you have somebody who recently wrote in. God, we found you, who guided us to find our dear Savior, Jesus Christ. Reminds me of that scripture in Acts in the early church when one in their whole household came to Christ. Well, friend, you might have a question about your salvation and would like to know more about this subject of having the certainty of your salvation. You can go to lwf.org.

That's right, a great website. Click on the Bible Learning tab and then click on the link in Peru's What Every Christian Ought to Know. We trust and obey. We do not live by explanations. We live by promises. Amen? And one of the great promises, however, is that we can know that we know that we know that we're saved, heaven-born, and heaven-bound. And if you are not saved, you need to be saved so you can know it. And if you are saved, you ought to know it. Somebody said if you could be saved and not know it, you could lose it and not miss it.

The truth of the matter is that you can know beyond the shadow of any doubt that you are saved. There are only two classes in the world. Now, we divide people by upper class, middle class, lower class, but God doesn't do that. There are only two classes, the saved and the lost, the saints and the aunts. And you are in one category or you are in another. Well, you say, well, I'm not entirely saved, Pastor Rogers.

No, no. Nobody is half-saved. To be half-saved is to be altogether entirely lost. Either you are saved or you are lost. Well, you say, only God can say who's saved.

Well, you're right about that. And that's what we're going to talk about today. And we're going to find out what God says. And then when we find out what God says, then you can say what God says and you can be sure.

Now, let's see what God says. 1 John 5, verse 5. Who is he that overcometh the world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Now, here's the climactic verse, verse 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know, K-N-O-W, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Now, are Christians fools?

Are we mere sentimentalists? Or do we have a basis for our belief? Now, the gospel of John was written to tell us how to be saved. And this first John was written, the epistle of John, to tell us how to know that we're saved. If you take your gospel of John when you get home sometime and read it, circle the word, no, K-N-O-W. Just circle it. Maybe take a red pen and just circle it. By the way, don't mind writing in your Bible.

When you wear it out, get a new one. Amen? Just write, circle it. If you have a Bible falling apart, you have a life that's not falling apart. Just circle it.

Every time you find the word K-N-O-W, just circle it. And you will find that over 40 times in these five chapters, he uses the word no. It is the gospel of certainty.

It is not a hope so, maybe so. It is a know so salvation. And he says, these things, verse 13, have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Now, wouldn't it be wonderful for you to say, praise God, I know that I know that I know that no matter what happens, I am heaven-born and I am heaven-bound. Now, there's another key word and it is used some 10 times in these verses that I've just read to you. It's John 5, verses 5 through 13. And that key word is the same word that is translated different ways. It is translated witness, record, testimony, and testify.

It's the same word that is just translated different ways. So, God is giving us a witness so we can know. He is giving us a testimony so that we can know. And that's what we're going to be talking about today, the source of our certainty, the basis of our belief.

And remember we told you that a threefold cord is not easily broken. We told you three ways that you could test false spirits. Now, we're going to tell you today three ways that you can know, you can know, K-N-O-W, that you are saved and that you're on the way to heaven and that you can be absolutely sure. Now, the first way, there is the certainty that comes from the atoning work of Christ. Write down the atoning work of Christ, the atoning work of Christ.

Now, how does that certainty come? Well, look if you will in verse six. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. Now, what does that mean? Well, it speaks of what Jesus Christ did to redeem us. And it said that he came by water and blood.

Now, what is the meaning of that? What is the meaning of water and blood? Put in your margin, John, that is this time the Gospel of John, John chapter 19, verses 33 and 34. The setting for this verse is that Jesus Christ is on the cross. He is dying in agony and blood upon that cross and the Roman soldiers, in order to make certain that those who had been crucified were dead, the Jews, one of them dead before the Sabbath, they were coming along to break the legs of those who had been crucified to hasten death.

But when they came to Jesus, he was already dead. Look at the scripture, John 19, verses 33 and 34, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came out blood and water. Out of the wounded side of the Lord Jesus, they're poured out blood and water. And now the apostle John tells us over here in the epistle that we're reading, in 1 John chapter 5 and verse 6, this is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ.

The pericardial pleural fluid that encases the heart is a watery substance. And, of course, it's the heart that pumps the blood, but sometimes in great duress, medical people tell us that plasma, it separates and that fluid is there around the heart, that pleural fluid that shows something of the agony that Jesus had. You see, why did Jesus die first and the thieves not die, the other two? They broke their legs. They didn't need to break Jesus' legs.

Why? Because Jesus died of a broken heart. Jesus literally died of a broken heart. There was no agony like the agony of Jesus. You cannot understand the pressure that was upon the Lord Jesus. Jesus died in agony. The eternities were compressed upon the Lord Jesus. The sins of the world were distilled upon the Lord Jesus.

He died of a broken heart. And when that soldier took that spear and rammed it into the side of the Lord Jesus, they poured out water and blood. That's the meaning of John speaking of water and blood.

But what is the message of it? Well, you see, it is the blood that cleanses from sin. It is the blood that removes the penalty of sin. The wages of sin is death, and without shedding of blood there's no remission. And Jesus took my sin and your sin to that cross, and with his blood he paid sin's penalty.

But there's also the water. The water speaks of that which continues to cleanse. It speaks not only of salvation but sanctification. Remember in the Gospel of John chapter 1 the Bible says, And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. The word is Jesus, the Logos, was made flesh and dwelt among us. The word dwelt is the word tabernacled. Jesus tabernacled among us. Did you know that in the Old Testament God had a tabernacle? And that tabernacle in the Old Testament was a prophecy of Jesus. And had you gone into that tabernacle to worship, first of all there would have been a brazen altar, and that's where the blood would have been shed. That spoke of the blood of Jesus. And then right past that altar you would come to a great basin called a laver. The blood is here at the altar, but at the laver is water. And so they would come first of all through the blood to the water. The blood deals with the penalty of sin. The water deals with the pollution of sin. Jesus tabernacled among us. Jesus came by blood and water.

And it's significant that when they put that spear in his side out came blood and water. Now what does that have to do with the assurance of my salvation? Friend, my hope is built on nothing less than the blood and the water.

And you know we sing that song, Rock of Ages. Have you ever thought about that phrase that you've sung so many times? Let the water and the blood from my wounded side, which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure. That's the water and the blood. He saves from wrath. He makes us pure. I wouldn't give half a hallelujah of your hope of heaven apart from the water and the blood. Apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon that cross. That's the solid rock on which we stand.

That's the first cord in our three-fold cord that gives us assurance. There is certainty from the atoning work of Christ. All right, now write this down. There is certainty from the abiding witness of the Spirit. The atoning work of the Son, the abiding witness of the Spirit.

Now continue to read the last part of verse six. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father and the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit and the water and the blood. Now you see where the Spirit takes the water and the blood, the Holy Spirit to bear witness.

And these three agree in one. Now notice John's argument here, if, and that word if can be translated since. Since we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

Now, that is the abiding witness. You see, you have the atoning work, but the Holy Spirit takes the atoning work and he testifies of it. He gives witness to you on the inside. Now, let me tell you how the Holy Spirit of God witnesses. This is the way that you can know that you have this blessed assurance. First of all, the Holy Spirit witnesses to us. That is before we're even saved. The Holy Spirit is telling us about Jesus. Notice again, if you will, verse 6. And this is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. You say, well, Adrian, how do I know that's true?

Just because you say it? No, listen. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness. Do you think that I'm up here trying to persuade you of something?

Oh, no, no. You see, it is the Holy Spirit of God that will tell you whether this is true or whether it's not. It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth.

What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? Jesus said, He will take the things of mine and He will show them to you. And notice what He says there in verse 9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. You believe men?

You receive the witness of men all the time. You go out to a restaurant. You trust people to eat. It takes more faith every day. You're sitting in this building. You've trusted the engineers that figured this roof that will not fall in.

I've often thought about it. You get on an airplane to fly overseas. You sit down. You've never seen that pilot. You've never met him.

You've never examined that airplane. And he cracks that throttle open and is going to fly you all the way across that puddle. That's faith. You go to the doctor. He writes a prescription. Neither he nor the pharmacist can read.

And that man goes back there and takes all that stuff from the shelf and mixes something up and you take it. Listen, we receive the witness of men every day, don't we? Surely we do. You say, well, it's difficult to live by faith. You live by faith every day of your life. And you put your faith in two-legged men whose breath is in their nostrils. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.

Men can lie. The Holy Spirit is truth. And so first of all, the Holy Spirit witnesses to us. That's the reason why I'm never moved when a man says, well, I can't believe.

He's a liar. If you want to believe, the Holy Spirit will enable you to believe. Jesus did not say you cannot come unto me.

Jesus said you will not come unto me. You see, it is because the Holy Spirit of God, when the Word of God is preached, the Holy Spirit of God witnesses with the Word. First of all, he witnesses to you. And then not only does he witness to you, then he witnesses in you. Look in the last part of verse 10, if you will, or the first part. The Holy Spirit believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. Now, when he witnesses to you and you receive Christ, then he comes into you.

And you have the witness in you. Now, suppose Brother Bob and Brother Jim are arguing with me about apple pie. And I have an apple pie over here, and I've just eaten a big slice of it. And Jim says, I don't believe there is any apple pie. It doesn't even exist. And Bob says, well, I believe it exists, but it's no good. And Adrian is over here having wrapped himself around a piece of apple pie.

Now, you think those two guys are going to disturb me? See, I have the witness in myself. I have the witness in myself, and that is the reason that a Christian with an experience is never at the mercy of an infidel with an argument. You see, he witnesses to you, and then he witnesses in you. That's the reason the Bible says, taste and see that the Lord is good.

One way to find out whether apple pie is good or not is to taste and see. Now, you say, well, that brings up a real question, Adrian. What is the witness of the Holy Spirit?

Now, I want you to be very careful here. The witness of the Holy Spirit is not an emotional feeling. Now, if you don't get this, you're going to miss the whole thing. Most people think that the witness of the Holy Spirit is some emotional feeling. Goosebumps, liver shivers. Oh, you say, I know I'm saved because I feel it.

Oh, boy. Then your assurance of your salvation is going to go up and down with the condition of your liver. If you live by emotions, you're going to be on a roller coaster.

No, no, no, no. The witness of the Spirit is far deeper than emotions. How does God know anything? Does He know something because somebody tells Him? Does He know something because He has learned it? Does He know something because He feels it?

No, spiritual knowledge goes beyond those things. Now, very frankly, I'm not really an emotional person except when I preach. I get emotional when I preach, but I'm more emotional when I preach than in other times. Sometimes Joyce will say to me, hey, why don't you get excited like you do when you preach? I don't get all that high. I don't get all that low.

I can't take credit for that one way or the other. It's just the way I'm wired. That is my psychology. I'd be that way if I were not saved. That's my emotional band. I don't get all that high. I don't get all that low.

I'm more in a narrow band. Now, the assurance of your salvation can show up in your emotions. You know, when it dawns on you that you know that you're saved, you may get very excited about it. Nothing wrong with that.

The emotions are fine. That is not the witness of the Spirit. Your emotions may play on the witness of the Spirit. You say, pastor, then what is the witness of the Spirit? Explain it.

You don't explain it. You receive it. You don't explain the witness of the Spirit.

You receive it. We'll hear the second part of this message coming up tomorrow. I hope you can join us then, but maybe today you have questions about the Holy Spirit, about who Jesus is, or how to begin a relationship with God through the forgiveness that Jesus is offering you right now. If so, go to our Discover Jesus page at lwf.org slash radio. You'll find free resources and materials there that will answer questions you may have about your faith. Again, lwf.org slash radio and click Discover Jesus at the top of the page. Well, be sure to sign up for our daily heartbeat emails. You'll get daily devotions and message links sent straight to your inbox.

You can do that at lwf.org slash radio. Thank you so much for studying in God's Word with us today, and don't miss part two of How to Be Absolutely Sure Tomorrow, right here on Love Worth Finding.