Assurance of Salvation

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio.

And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. Can you be sure of where you stand with God? Can you be absolutely certain of your relationship with God?

Hi, Alex McFarland here and welcome to the program. On today's show, we're going to talk about the assurance of salvation. And if you've ever wondered, am I really saved? If I died, would I go to heaven? Maybe if you've ever worried and you've thought, you know, what if I die?

What if I leave this world and open my eyes in eternity and I'm in hell? I'm not with God. If you've worried about that, you need to listen to the show because we're going to talk about how to have assurance of your salvation. And do you know that you can overcome doubts about where you stand with God?

You can overcome those doubts. Many people now are very interested in what it means to be right with God. That music you heard at the beginning of the program, it's The End of the World. As we know it, there was a famous band years ago that had this song about the end of the world and I feel fine just glibly watching the world fall down and not really caring.

No, in another sense, let me say it this way, it may be the end of the world as we know it, but because of Jesus, we can feel fine and have comfort and assurance, even courage at this time. I want to tell you a story about many, many years ago. I was in a Christian bookstore and there was a person in the store going around trying to tell people about Jehovah's Witnesses, and in fact proselytizing for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in a Christian bookstore. And I was talking to this Jehovah's Witness and the person asked me, do you know that you'll go to heaven when you die? And I said, I do know that. And they said, nobody can know that.

I said, well, I know it. And the person looked at me as if I was being very presumptuous and I said, listen, believe me, I don't know that I'm going to heaven because of any worth or merit I've got in and of myself. And I'm not trying to be arrogant, but I believe God's promises and I believe what the Word of God says about salvation. Well, the Jehovah's Witness person said to me, nobody can know that they'll go to heaven or not. There are only going to be 144,000, they said, and that's one of their teachings. It's not true, and it's a complete misunderstanding of the 144,000 in the book of Revelation. But they said, nobody knows they're going to heaven or not until after they die. I said, yeah, but then it's kind of too late to do anything about it.

But friend, you can know. One of the verses that we share a lot is 1 John 5.7. Now remember, the Bible is a book shown to be inspired by compelling lines of evidence. We believe the Bible is the divine Word of God, and Jesus said that. Jesus, the only person who rose from the grave in multiple instances affirmed the authenticity of scripture. And in fact, Christ's resurrection from the dead is one of the most documentable facts of ancient history. So Christ rose from the dead. And remember, regardless of the critic or the skeptic, or even yourself on the days that you may have doubts, the only person ever to have risen physically from the grave, Jesus Christ, affirmed the authenticity of scripture. And in the scripture, we read over and over the verses that promise, if you've been born again, you will not see condemnation. The book of Romans talks about we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. One of the verses that we've shared before thousands and thousands of people is 1 John 5.13.

1 John, not the Gospel of John, but at the end of the New Testament, the small 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, I love those books, but 1 John 5.13 says of scripture and of your life in light of scripture, listen, these things were written to you who believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. K-N-O-W. No. Knowledge. Certainty.

Isn't that something? So these things were written to you who believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know you have eternal life. Now, friend, you can overcome doubts about where you stand with God based on what God's Word says, not on what you feel or what you assume. You can know that you have eternal life. In fact, it says, he who has the Son has life in 1 John 5.12. So 1 John 5.12 and 13 are a great starting point.

Do you have the Son? The S-O-N. Jesus. Was there a time when you said, Lord, I am sorry for my sins and I believe Jesus died for me? Yes, Jesus died for the whole wide world, but he died for me and he died for you. Well, 1 John 5.12, if you have the Son, you have life. Now, Jesus said, he who hears my word and believes on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life. Now remember, you are not saved by good works and you're not kept in a state of salvation through good works. Your merit before God is based on Jesus. His perfection, his holiness, his righteousness are credited to each person who believes in him by what? By faith. Jesus said in John 6.37, the one who comes to me I will not reject. Now, this coronavirus situation has got so many people around the world frightened, apprehensive, and rightly so, but we need to tell the world that, listen, where you stand with God is based on Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned. We're going to talk more about assurance of salvation when we come back. From I Am a Watchman Ministries, here's today's I Am a Watchman Minute. New guidelines have prompted many churches to cancel worship services in an attempt to stem the impact of the pandemic. I want to take this opportunity to remind believers that the church is not a building.

It's who we are. Followers of Christ are the church. When two or more gather in his name, Christ is there in the midst. Yes, corporate worship is important, but there is much that can be done when that's not possible. You can worship with your family.

You could write letters of encouragement to the hurting. You can call or FaceTime family members and friends and share your faith and the truth that the hour of the return of the Lord draws near. That this be a time to shine as a family of faith. That this be this generation's finest hour. Be bold, be faithful, be a watchman.

I am a watchman.com. You don't need to have a Bible degree from Liberty University to love, serve, pray, worship, or obey God, but it can make life more vibrant when you do. When you're ready for a religious studies degree, you'll find more than 60 ministry degree options from a bachelor's to a doctor of ministry. And you'll pay one low block rate for divinity courses at Liberty University, where we train champions for Christ. Go to liberty.edu backslash explore to learn more.

That's liberty.edu backslash explore to learn more. There's been some confusion between the title of Engage Magazine and the term engaged. Alyssa, did you marry me? Oh, Todd. See, now that's what I mean.

Engage Magazine is a ministry to millennials while getting engaged as Todd. Oh, Alyssa. Right.

The thing is, we want you to be engaged. Yes. Yes. A thousand times. Yes.

That's sweet. But Engage Magazine is about being engaged with your faith in the culture. Visit engagemagazine.net. Alex has written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics.

It's cleverly titled 10 Answers for Skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity and straightforward truth. And in the book, Alex McFarland identifies the 10 most common types of skepticism that plague doubters minds and offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheists.

Plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians can offer as a witness to our loving God. Check out 10 Answers for Skeptics when you visit alexmcfarland.com. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. We're talking about having assurance of your salvation. And, you know, let me just say that as the coronavirus situation continues, you know, March 2020 is going to go down in history as being something almost like World War II, rationing and stores asking people not to buy so much and hoard so much. And do you know what? It's bringing out the good in people too, though. And I want to say this very clearly, because more than ever, listen to this, folks.

We've been averaging 91 people a day, emailing us as high as 200 emails in a day, as low as maybe 75 in a day. People have been reaching out to us here at Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, Truth for a New Generation, and they've been saying, how do I know that I'm saved? Or I've been away from God. I need to come back to God.

Could God still love me? And I just want to say this. If this situation, the physical and medical implications of this, the financial implications, as tens of millions of people are not working right now, not getting hours in, there's quarantine, self-isolate and quarantine. We're trying to stop the spread of this virus. And I thank the Lord for our president. I hope you're praying for the president, his cabinet, and all of these people on both sides of the political aisles valiantly trying to get the situation arrested.

That's commendable. But do you know what? Let me just say it. If it takes this to bring us to our knees and to humble ourselves before God, if it takes this coronavirus to liberate us from pro sports and the busyness and all the things that have been a wedge between America and God, and if it brings us to our knees such that we humble ourselves, bow before God, repent of our sins, national and personal, and get a moral and spiritual revival, and finally we've stopped our lives long enough for the Holy Spirit of God to get our attention. If coronavirus has done all that, well then so be it.

So be it. And I just want to say, if you're one of the people and you're thinking about eternity and a number of the questions we've gotten in recent weeks, people say, Alex, do you think this is the end of the world? Doesn't the book of Revelation talk about plagues and sicknesses? And is Jesus coming back? Friend, Jesus is coming back soon.

He really is. Listen to this. About eight weeks ago somebody died that you may have heard of. Jack Van Impe. Jack Van Impe was a prophecy preacher. And for decades he preached about the return of Christ and there's going to be violence in the Middle East and then there's going to be a peace deal and there's going to be signs and rumors of wars and ultimately Christ is going to come back. Well, Jack Van Impe passed away about seven or eight weeks ago. And you know, I have to say, if only Jack Van Impe had lived a couple of months longer, he would be having a time right now in this coronavirus situation. Now the New York Times of all places ran a relatively complimentary obituary. And they basically said this, they said, well give him credit.

He was consistent on message. He preached Christ was going to return and the world was going to end one day and get right with God through Jesus. And a number of the obituaries around the world and on the web, like the New York Times piece, they said, you know, forty years ago people might have thought Jack Van Impe was just kind of an evangelical wingnut.

Twenty years ago maybe they thought that ten years ago. But right now with the rise of Islam, cryptocurrency, the wiring of the planet, talks about abolishing money, abolishing government, creating martial law for the whole wide world, let's unify under the UN, the rise of Islam, so many other things. Nowadays the way the world is escalating to where it is, worldwide pandemic viruses, disease, and we've not even gotten our mind around the coronavirus. Now they're talking about the Hanta virus coming out of China.

People said, well, you know, maybe Dr. Jack Van Impe wasn't far off the mark after all. Friend, if ever, if ever you've thought about getting your house in order and getting right before God, this is the time. And my point being, yes, Christ is going to return.

History is going somewhere. And that somewhere is not so much history going somewhere, but Christ coming back into this world, because He is. Now you can be sure of where you stand with God.

So whether by your own mortality or by Christ's return, you can be ready. Let's talk for a moment about rededication. Maybe you were a believer and you need to rededicate your life to Christ.

A news reporter once asked me what is meant by the term, quote, rededication. He had heard me use this term as I spoke and rededication is for a believer who desires that their walk with Christ be renewed and deepened. Now a Christian can wander from God into sin or simply lose their closeness to the Lord through the busyness of life. But a born again believer is forever God's child. And your salvation is a matter of birth.

Your daily Christian growth is a matter of fellowship. Now your spiritual birth into God's family is an event that occurs through repentance and faith. You admit your sin, you put your trust in Jesus, you turn to Christ and you are born again. That is John chapter 3. Not 1 John, but John 3. Read the story of Jesus in Nicodemus. And Jesus said that you must be born again.

And the word is anathan, born from above. Now just like a child is born into a human family, growing up as a child you may have disappointed your parents or disobeyed somehow. And something you did may have grieved your father, but you were still his child because you were born into that family. Now in the same way, a Christian's relationship to Jesus is still intact even if you commit a sin that may hinder your daily fellowship with God. Salvation is a one-time instantaneous event. But Christian growth is a lifelong adventure. Personal fellowship with God is a daily pursuit and it's a lifelong process. So consistent daily prayer, Bible study, obedience to the Holy Spirit, nurture in the local church fellowship and the church family are all keys to growth and Christian maturity. And let's continue talking about having assurance about your state before God. So Truth for a New Generation will be back after this.

Don't go away. You know, Alex has been writing for many years and one of his classic books is still great today as a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith.

This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt and onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are, one, inspiration of the Bible, two, the virgin birth, three, the deity of Christ, four, atonement, five, Christ's resurrection, and six, Christ's return. Alex mixes it up with humor and stories he gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages teens to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ.

Simple and straightforward, Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith. Available wherever Christian books are sold. If you're a Christian parent, you of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children. If you're a pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity. Why do bad things happen? I interviewed hundreds of children, ages 5 to 12, and we address actual questions from actual children, the spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids.

Did Jesus ever sin? The book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation. The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask, the book, study guide, and video series, you'll find it at AFASTORE.NET.

That's AFASTORE.NET. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth for a New Generation Radio.

Welcome back to the program. We're talking about assurance of your salvation, knowing where you stand with God. And you can know the Word of God promises, whoever has the Son has life and will not pass into condemnation. You know, I love John 6, verse 40, and I want to get there in just a moment, but right now I want to remind you of some things going on. The whole coronavirus situation has caused the whole wide world to have to change gears and churches aren't meeting, and so many of our events have been canceled for the next several months. In fact, as many of you know that listen to the broadcast, our ministry, we're a ministry of events, broadcasting and publishing. Well, the events that you can find on our website at alexmcfarland.com, so many of them for the next three months are not going to happen. In fact, Dr. James Dobson and I were to do a major event in Orlando, Florida in June of this year, not going to happen. Most of my events will pick up in late July, like the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center, July 27-31. I'll be there to teach the book of Daniel and Revelation if the Lord hasn't come back by then, and I'm not joking a bit.

Maybe we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord with the air before then, so we want you to be ready. But pray for us as our event schedule has radically changed, but the publishing goes on, and we're distributing books. In fact, we sent out hundreds of pieces of literature this week, and we have got so many requests at least a hundred people a day are reaching out to us, and we are sending out the little booklet, What Does God Say About My Relationship With Him?

How you can know that you're saved, how you can be born again, and in fact, maybe you want one of these books. We're sending out so many of these, and so we are publishing, and we are broadcasting, and we're in the process of creating so much new content for the web, and so we want you to stay tuned. And frankly I ask that you would pray for this ministry, because, Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries and Truth for a New Generation, potentially we're going to see a year that we win more people to Christ than any other year.

And it's just so ironic, only God could do this. Less traveling than ever, and yet greater evangelistic impact than ever. But I do want to say that on Tuesday night, March 31, Tuesday night, March 31, we are going to do our webcast of 10 Signs That We May Be Near the End of History, and you can go to my Facebook page, which is REV, R-E-V, REV Alex McFarland, on Facebook, and you can also watch this on Global TV, if you Google globaltv.us, 7pm Eastern Time, Tuesday night, March 31, 2020.

I'll be giving this content, very important content, as serious as I can be, 10 Signs That We May Be Near the End of History. Hence the call for you to be ready. And I do want to say to those that maybe you don't have a church home, Good Shepherd Church of Greensboro, NC, G-R-E-E-N-S-B-O-R-O, Good Shepherd Church of Greensboro, we're broadcasting on Facebook every Sunday morning at 10.15am, every Wednesday night at 6.45pm, and I'm speaking in all of those slots, and I would love for you to avail yourself to that and watch as well. But John 6.40, the Gospel of John, chapter 6, verse 40. Jesus said this, whoever sees the Son, S-O-N, to see the Son and believe in Him will have everlasting life.

Not maybe, but will. Jesus said, whoever sees the Son and believes in Him will have everlasting life, and I will raise you up at the last day. So I want to ask you, have you believed in Him?

Have you understood? Do you understand that Jesus is the Son of God? Not just a good man, but the God-man, God incarnate. That's why He was qualified to pay for our sins on the cross.

That's why He was able and He was willing. And when He went to the cross, when the wrath of God that the whole world deserved was put onto Jesus, He was doing that for you. Now we think about people in terms of how we perceive gradiations of goodness or morality, and we think, well, Billy Graham was a good person. Mother Teresa was a good person. God could love them. But let me tell you, in the eyes of God, we're all bad people. We're sinners.

We've known the right and we've done the wrong. Augustine said, even our best deeds are merely splendid sins. And so God loves sinners. God loved this sinner, Alex McFarland, and I was saved many years ago. God loves you right now.

And you need to know that and you need to believe that. And that's why we're talking about assurance that God, listen, please believe this. God lovingly receives all who turn to Him and all who return to Him. He'll cleanse us from our sins.

He'll restore our fellowship with Him. King David was called, quote, a man after God's own heart, but his sinful deeds required that he humbly recommit himself to the Lord. And in Psalm 51, David said, cast me not away from your presence and restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Psalm 51, 11 and 12. Now it doesn't say restore unto me my salvation, but the joy of my salvation.

And Christian publications often use 1 John 1.9 in terms of evangelism, but it was really written in terms of Christian fellowship. It says, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And really that's speaking to Christians, to confess your sin. And maybe you need to do that right now and turn back to Christ. Hebrews 12, 1 and 2 says that we are to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us or entangles us and turn to Jesus Christ for assurance of your salvation. Maybe you need to pray a prayer like this and say, Lord Jesus, I acknowledge my sin.

I'm sorry I've wandered from you. I confess my sin and I turn from it. I recommit myself to you as Lord.

Thank you for forgiving me. I trust you to give me the strength to live for you each day forward. Thank you for being my Savior and my Lord and my friend. Here at Truth For New Generation, Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, we care about your personal walk with Christ. And you can have that assurance, that confidence, that rock solid, unshakable confidence that you're ready to meet Jesus whenever that comes. Jesus said, the one who comes to me I will not reject. That's John 6, 37.

If you haven't come to Him, do that today. And if we can help you in your walk, your growth, your church, if we can help you to know, to accept, to grow, to defend the faith, reach out to us. Go to our website, AlexMcFarland.com, and may God bless you as you journey on with Jesus. Call us at 877-Yes-God-1.

That's 877-Yes-God and the number 1. Or give online at AlexMcFarland.com. While you're there, listen to program archives, read Alex's blog, invite Alex to speak at your event, or contact Alex with a question or comment. AlexMcFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG Radio.