Welcome to the InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley for Tuesday, July 8th. Once you trust Christ as Savior, your life is forever transformed. Let's listen closely to discover solid reasons to rejoice that you will never again be what you were. Many people who sit in church pews or who watch television or listen to radio and hear the gospel week after week after week. Believe what they hear.
Apply some of those things to their heart. But if you should ask them, Are you certain? Are you sure? Are you confident? that if you were to die right now, you would go to heaven.
Many of them would say, well, I think so. I hope so. I'm not sure. I used to feel I would. Oh yes, I'm certain that I would go to heaven.
If you should ask them on what basis do you place your certainty?
Some of them would give you all kinds of different answers.
So I'd like to encourage you to get out a pen and a piece of paper. And I want to give you three statements. And I want to make it as simple and as plain and as clear as possible. And I want to give you this in a form that you can take it. And share it with someone else to help release them from the bondage and the fear.
and the entanglements and the shackles of Fear. unbelief, doubt, uncertainty about their relationship to Almighty God.
So the first thing I want you to write down is this. It is the will of God. for everyone to be saved. If you'll turn to 2 Peter chapter 3, one of those familiar verses that most of us know. Beginning in verse 9, he says, The Lord is not slow about his promise.
As some men count slowness, but is patient. Toward you, not wishing for you to perish, but for all to come to repentance. That is, if it is not the will of the Father, it is not His desire for men to be lost, then it must be His desire for them to be saved. He said, Listen to this. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Jesus said, And I, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. He says, It's not that my will that any man should perish, but all should come to the saving knowledge of Christ. The second thing I want you to jot down is this. It is not only the will of the Father. That we be saved.
It is the will of the Father that we be saved by grace through faith.
Now, in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8 and 9, you know that passage, he says, For by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. That is, not by performance, not on behavior. For by grace he is saved through faith.
Grace is God's unmerited love. His undeserved love. He says, It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. It isn't something we do. It is not performance.
It isn't how good I am. How good I'm going to be, how well I perform. It is not my behavior. He says it is the grace of God. If it is grace, it cannot be purchased.
If it is grace, it isn't the result of performance. It is the result of the unconditional love of God. Salvation is the result of believing someone, not doing something. Believing someone is to receive that person. It is receiving someone, not doing something.
Here is where most people Lose Their assurance. Many people are never sure of their salvation. If you aren't sure, you'll be a poor servant of God. If you aren't sure, you'll live in bondage all of your life. If you aren't sure, you're going to have to carry with you the excess baggage of doubt.
A little bit of fear, a little bit of anxiety, and just enough frustration to cheat you out of the overflow of God's joy for your life.
Now If salvation is faith plus my performance, When you were saved, how many of you knew how you were going to perform? Not a one of you. When you were saved, you didn't know what kind of a Christian life you were going to live.
So, if salvation is based on faith plus how you're going to perform, not knowing how you're going to perform, you can't be sure the day you're saved.
Now, what did you do to get saved? You expressed faith in Jesus Christ, and that's all you did. How do you stay saved? What do you do to stay saved? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. You say, but suppose I stop believing. I'm going to show you in a minute you can't do it. I'm going to show you you can't stop believing. If you've been saved by the grace of God, you cannot stop believing.
It is amazing to me that people that sit in church week after work and listen to sermon after sermon after Sunday and they don't think through this.
Now, what were you saved by? Performance? If you were saved by performance, who's the judge of your performance?
Well, if somebody else is the judge, by some you're saved, and by some you're not saved.
Somebody says that's cheap grace. Cheap grace. Let me ask you this. How cheap is a free gift? Cheap to the one receiving it, expensive to the one who's giving it.
Grace wasn't cheap to God. It isn't cheap to me, it's better than that. It's free. Highlight that. It isn't cheap, it's free.
That's better than cheap. Right. That's better than cheap. It's free. Free grace of a loving God who loves you unconditionally because of who He is, not because of what you've done or what you're going to do.
Now how long are you going to stay saved? As long as you perform well. I want to go back to ask you, who's the judge on how well you perform?
Now, let me show you why, once you're saved, you can't be lost. I mean, the moment back there that you placed your trust in Jesus Christ, my friend, from that moment on, that's it. Save and secured. and certain forever. And all the proofs in the Word.
I remember the first thing we said that it's the will of God for you to be saved? Secondly, it's the will of God for you to be saved by grace through faith, period. And the third thing is the will of God for you to be saved by grace through faith. and sure of your salvation.
Now I want to show you how God has worked.
so that you won't doubt it. Let's look to see how he pictured it for just a moment. How could God have chosen are more dramatic unchanging picture to prove that your eternal is secure. He said to Nicodemus, Except a man be born, Again. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
When a child is born, he's born.
Well Are sick? But he's still born. Nicodemus, not understanding that, asked the question: how can a man be born the second time? Can he enter in his mother's womb the second time and be born? He didn't understand what Jesus was saying.
Once a child is born, that child is born. may die the next second or live to be a hundred, but born he is.
Now, I want you to turn to a passage that's very important. Two passages. The first one is in 2 Peter. Look in 2 Peter chapter 1 for a moment. He says in verse 3 of 2 Peter chapter 1, Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.
through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Now watch this next verse. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises. In order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature.
Now. When you were born again, You were born the scripture says from above you were born of God You are a new creature in Christ Jesus, and you have a divine nature. You may not act divine. Your performance and behavior may be unacceptable to everybody around you and disgraceful to God, but you are still a possessor of divine nature. Ephesians chapter 1, 13.
He says, not only so, but you have been sealed. With the Holy Spirit of promise. Watch this. Born Spiritually again. A possessor of a divine nature.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. John 15. First aid verses. Indwellt by The Lord Jesus Christ. He is living within you through the Holy Spirit.
And the Bible says that you are in him. And not only that, look if you will in Ephesians chapter 2 and also in Colossians, and I want us to note both of these passages: Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 6. He says here, for example, in verse 4, but God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you've been saved and Raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Spiritually, where are we? Seated at the right hand of God in Christ Jesus, Colossians chapter 3.
How does he start this passage? He says that we are to keep on seeking those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Verse 3: For you have died. And your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Let me ask you a question.
Now listen. You cannot go by emotions. Go by the truth. It is the truth that sets you free. The truth is you have been born again.
The truth is you are a new creation. The truth is you have a divine nature. The truth is you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. The truth is you are seated with Christ in the heavenlies at the right hand of God. The truth is, your life is hidden away in the life of the Son of God who's seated at the Father's right hand.
Who Can make you unborn, no one. Who can take away your divine nature? No one. Who can snatch you from heaven? No one Who can take the seal of the Holy Spirit off of you?
No one. Who can grab Jesus and take Him out of you? No one. Who can take you out of Christ? No one.
Well, I want to ask you a question: How in the world are you going to hell with all that going on? There's no way. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. It is not my will that any man should perish.
And if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now, I'm saying when you take the atoning death of Jesus Christ and the truth of God's word, I challenge any man to prove to me by the very nature of the atonement, the nature of the whole concept of salvation, show me how in the world can anybody ever be saved and lost. You can't. You've got to take God Almighty to hell with you when you die if you can be saved and be lost, because you have a divine nature, that's His nature. You're indwelled by Jesus Christ, that's God's Son. You're sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, you've got to take Jesus to hell if you're going to hell.
Go back to Ephesians chapter 2:10. Let's look at that verse when he talks about us being his workmanship. Notice what he says in this passage. He says, we've been saved by grace through faith, but not of ourselves, the gift of God, not of works or performance, lest any man should boast.
Now look in verse 10. We are His workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Now, My good works is the result Of the fact that I am his workmanship. I am not his workmanship because of my good works. He created us in Christ Jesus unto good works. That is, that's one of God's ultimate motivations for us. It's to glorify him through our life.
That has nothing to do with my being saved. That's God's purpose.
So workmanship. Is the result of grace? Workmanship is the motivation. Listen, that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, saved by the grace of God. That's the motivation to serve God.
If I am motivated by fear and judgment, I will only serve him when I'm afraid. A fear of love God's judgment. But if I love him And I'm motivated by love. I'm going to serve him faithfully whether I feel like it or not, no matter what's happening, because my motivation, listen. It isn't even the nature of God to motivate us out of judgment and fear.
It's the attributes of loving kindness and goodness and mercy. God. chose to motivate us out of love. He didn't say to those disciples, Follow me. or I will wipe you out.
He doesn't say that. He doesn't say get saved or else. But if you're not saved, it'll be else. You see, his motivation's love. And my friend, for you to doubt your salvation once You have placed your trust in Jesus Christ to doubt your salvation.
Here's what you have to do. You've got to doubt this book. You see, the problem is, if you don't understand the atoning death of Jesus Christ, what you do is you put people on a performance basis for their security.
Now, I want to tell you, there is not one word in this book to prove that. But probably a majority of people who sit in the pews week after week in churches, they're not sure. Because they are performance-oriented. Oh, suppose this, suppose that, suppose that. Here's the supposing.
Listen, the only performance that needs to be carried out was carried out 2,000 years ago. God performed by giving His Son. Jesus performed by giving His life. That takes care of performance. Saved And absolutely sure.
And that's why John could write, and this is the same John who wrote the gospel. Go back to that passage in the fifth chapter and now listen in the light of all that, what he said. He says, These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that. You may know You have Eternal life. John says it another way, repeating what Jesus said here in John chapter 10.
Look at that for a moment. Beginning in verse 27, He says, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. And no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My father Who has given them to me is greater than all.
He's omnipotent. and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand, and I and the Father are one. If you're saved, You are forever saved. If you're not saved, My friend, you need to place your trust in Jesus Christ right now. and settle once and for all your eternal destiny.
Now let me show you one thing. If you don't place your trust in the atoning death of Jesus Christ for the salvation of your life and forgiveness of your sin, you don't have but one other choice. They're not three, they're just two. It's either him Or yourself. How good are you going to be?
How much are you going to perform? You Kate, you won't. It doesn't work. You only have two choices. It's the atoning death of Jesus Christ, the grace of God by faith.
Or you've got to put your faith and your trust that somehow you have managed To violate the principle of God, and when you stand before God, you only have, when He says, Why should I let you in? There are only two choices. The blood of Jesus Christ. Who has atoned for my sin? Oh Lord, now look.
I wasn't too bad. Salvation has nothing to do with performance or behavior. That's the way I respond. when I'm motivated by love. I won't respond right always.
No way. That's why God loves us. Unconditionally. He knew. that you and I would net listen.
Remember this one. Even when He saved us. He knew. that you and I couldn't live it. That's why He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us.
And that's why God knowing is good as you and I would like to be. We're not going to be good all the time.
Sometimes we're going to sin against Him, and you know what? He loves you just the way you are, sinning all. He hates the sin, but loves you. You know why God hates the sin? He loves you so much he hates anything that destroys anything good in you.
You see, when you look at God, all you can find is love. And let me ask you one question. How? Can you turn down? How can you resist?
How can you shine? How can you reject? the unconditional love of God. For your only substitute for that. is your own personal rebellion.
for which you will be judged. Thank you for listening to part two of Saved and Sure. For more inspirational messages like this one, visit our online 24-7 station. And if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
