You Can Be Sure | Part 2

Listen closely as Adrian Rogers explains God's Word of God and where you will, let him take of the water of life freely.

Welcome to Love Worth Finding. Featuring timeless truth and the messages of Pastor, Teacher and Author, Adrian Rogers. Salvation, from start to finish is of the Lord. It is only by the grace of God that we can be sure of our Salvation.

There are 5 foundational facts on which our faith rests. In Part 1 of today's message we learned that God knew we were going to be saved before we did. And as we just heard, God wants everyone to come to salvation.

But in order for love to be love, it cannot be forced. So God gave us a choice. We can reject his offer or receive salvation. If you have your Bible, turn now to Romans chapter 8 as Adrian Rogers delivers part 2 of You Can Be Sure.

Now look in verse 28 and notice how verse 28 begins. And that's the theme of what we're talking about here. And we know. And we know. Now here's some things that Paul is not making a surmising about. This is not conjecture. This is not theory. Paul says, I want to tell you what we know.

I want to tell you how we can be absolutely sure. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God who are the called according to his purpose for, and this verse just builds on verse 28, for whom he did for know, that is whom God did for know. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he, that is God's son, might be the firstborn among many brethren.

That is, he might be the older brother to a great big family. And moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called. And whom he called, then he also justified. And whom he justified, then he also glorified. What shall we say then to these things?

If God be for us, who can be against us? Do you think that what has been settled in heaven can be annulled in time or on earth or by humans or by hell? Some people get the idea, well, you know, you got saved by your free will, you could get lost by your free will.

No. Man, I could have my leg amputated by my free will, but I couldn't have it put back on by my free will. Well, you say, but the devil could take you out of God's hands. Oh, he could?

You think that? And you're still in God's hands? Why hadn't he taken you out? If he could. Don't you know if he could, he would?

And if he hasn't, hasn't he been nice to you? And now you're going to heaven by the goodness of the devil. Isn't that a strange doctrine? I mean, you think about it. No, he can't do it. That's why he hadn't done it.

He can't do it. No, God says when you receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior and Lord, you are predestined to be like Jesus. That's wonderful news. Now, you can be sure of God's foreknowledge of your salvation. You can be sure of your predestination to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'll tell you what else you can be sure of. You can be sure that God has called you to salvation. You know, some people get the idea that God calls some and God doesn't call other people.

No, I want to tell you, look in this passage of scripture. The Bible says, for whom he did foreknow, them he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he, God's son, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, verse 30, moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified. Now what is the calling? How does God call you to be saved? Well, God calls you to be saved through the gospel. It's the preaching of the gospel that is God's call.

Let me give you a scripture to put it down, 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. You say, I thought I chose him. No, you only chose him because he chose you. God hath chosen you to salvation.

How did he do it? Watch it. He drew sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. The Holy Spirit brought you under conviction and you believe the truth. Those who are the chosen are those who believe the truth.

Now listen to it. How did you get to hear the truth? Whereunto he called you by our gospel. Paul said the way you were called is when I preached the gospel. Now, I'm preaching the gospel today, and God is calling you to salvation. And it's such a wonderful calling. Because you see, it's not just a preacher preaching.

It's the sanctification of the Spirit. I can't open blind eyes. A man needs more than light to see. He needs sight. I can preach the light, but God has to give the sight. He needs more than words to be saved.

He needs hearing. And God can make the blind to see and the deaf to hear. And salvation is a miracle that God works when the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached. Then that is God calling people. Now, some people have a doctrine that they call irresistible grace. That is, God only chooses some to be saved, and then when God calls an individual, they can't help but come.

Oh yes, they can help but come. Stephen said, when he preached that message to those just before they stoned him, he said, you stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart. You do always resist the Holy Ghost, as did your fathers. See the Holy Spirit can be resisted. That's the reason the Bible says today if you'll hear his voice. Don't harden your heart.

God will be calling you today in this message. But you can say no to him, or you can say yes to him, and God is not going to override your will. You have the dubious privilege of saying no to him. Now he doesn't want you to say no.

He wants you to say yes. But if you don't want him, he's not going to force himself upon you. Listen to me, forced love is a contradiction in terms. If you don't choose to love God, it's not love at all. God will woo you. God will incline your heart. God will open your understanding.

But God wants you to love him, and God will not force you to love him, and there are not enough angels in heaven or out of heaven to drag you forward and cause you to confess your faith in Jesus Christ today if you stubbornly say no. C.S. Lewis was a brilliant man. C.S. Lewis said all of life is made of two categories of persons.

C.S. Lewis says that there are those who follow Satan. They're like Satan. You remember over there in Isaiah Chapter 14 where Satan is rebelling against God? Satan, who was a glorious angel, Lucifer, the son of the morning, became Satan, the father of the night, because he rebelled against God, and five times Lucifer says, I will, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the sides of the north. I will be like the most high. I will, I will, I will, I will, I will, his own will, against Almighty God's will. What Lucifer was saying to God the father was, not your will. Mine be done.

Now, there are a lot of people like that here today. They won't give their hearts to Jesus. They'll hear the gospel, but they'll say, no, it's my life.

I'm going to live it. I'm not going to yield to his lordship. I'm not going to submit myself to him. Not your will. Mine be done. Now, you may not articulate it that way.

You may be more subconscious, but that's what's happening. Now, Lewis said, there's another category of persons. These are they who say, as Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, not my will, but thine be done. Satan, not thy will. Mine be done. Jesus, not my will.

Thine be done. Now, I submit to you, you are in one of those two categories, right? You're in one of those two categories. You're either saying yes to self and no to God or no to self and yes to God, right? Okay, everybody's in one of those two categories. Either you're a follower of Satan or you're a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then Lewis said this penetratingly to the former group. Those who say with Satan to Almighty God, not thy will, but mine be done. When that man finally drops into hell, a broken hearted God will say to him, not my will, but thine be done.

Did you catch that? The Lord is not willing that he goes to hell. The Bible says the Lord is not willing that any should perish. But that all should come repentance. But just because God is not willing that any should perish, does that mean that none will perish?

No, of course they will perish if they say no to him. But you can be sure that God is calling you. I want to give you a great verse. And I love this verse. It's found in Revelation. I want you to listen to it here. Talking about God's call to salvation.

Listen to it. Revelation 22 verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say come. Who is the Spirit? That's the Holy Spirit.

Who is the bride? That's the church. The Holy Spirit and the church is saying to you today, come on to Jesus and let him that heareth say come. Friend, when you hear the gospel, then you need to share it, amen? Let him that heareth say come.

When you hear it, then you need to tell others. And let him that is athirst come. If you're thirsty, just come on. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. Now friend, that's what motivates the great evangelists and people who see churches grow. The whosoever will. Don't take the whosoever will out of the Bible. And don't just give kind of a false whosoever will, say, well, whosoever will may come. Oh, I know they really can't, but let's just tell them they can.

No, no, no, no. Whosoever will, let him freely come. God wants everybody saved. The Lord is not willing that any should perish. And if you drop into hell, God will say, not my will, but yours is being done.

All right, so you can be sure. Listen, you can be sure of God's foreknowledge of your salvation. God sought for it to ever happen. You can be sure, my dear friend, of God's decision, God's predestination to make you like Jesus. You can be sure of God's calling to everybody. God wants everybody saved, and God says whosoever will may come, and God is saying to you today that you can come.

And then you can be sure that when you do come, you can be sure of your settled justification. Look if you will here in verse 30, more over whom he did predestinate, then he also called and whom he called, then he also justified. Now what does it mean to be justified?

It means to be declared righteous. Now what is this justification? Well go back to Romans chapter 4 and verse 5 and look at it again.

Look at it. Romans 4 verse 5, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. That's justification. It's not being a good boy, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. When you put your faith where God puts your sins, God writes in his book, there is a righteous man, there is a righteous girl, not because of what we have done, but because of justification. You see, listen, it is not just simply pardon for your sin. Most of us want to get our sins forgiven pardon, but pardon doesn't justify you.

Pardon is a part of it, but it doesn't justify you. It's not acquittal. If God acquitted, God would just say, well, you're not guilty.

You are guilty. You see, no court on earth can justify anybody. No court, because if they pardon him, he's still guilty, he's just not serving the punishment.

If he's acquitted, he never was guilty. So there's no court on earth that can justify a person. What justification is, is God taking a guilty person, not only giving that guilty person a pardon, but making that guilty person as if he had never sinned, making him positively totally righteous. That's justification. Now what is the basis of this justification? Don't miss this. Look if you will in Romans chapter 5 and verse 9.

What is the basis? Look, much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath. There's only one thing that will justify. Why does God count you righteous because of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? He died in your place.

He was your substitute. He took your sin that you might take his righteousness and by his precious shed blood. You have justification. There's no justification apart from the shed blood of the Lord Jesus.

Do you agree with that? Being justified by his blood. When God allowed his darling son to die in agony and blood upon that cross, that's the basis of your justification.

I want to tell you folks, when you try to justify yourself by your good works, you fling an insult into the face of Almighty God who hung his son upon that cross to justify you because there's only one thing that could pay your sin debt. It's not your good works. It's not your emotion. It's not your intention. It is not your good looks.

It's not your wonderful manners. It is the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me holy again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And I tell you, if man could be justified by his good works, Calvary was the blunder of the ages. And the Bible says, Paul, in the book of Galatians, if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. The basis of that justification is the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now how does it become effective to you? Well, look if you will in Romans 5, verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. You put your faith where God put your sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and there you will be justified. You will be made like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now what are the results of this justification? Look in Romans 4 again. This is the good part. Watch it. Beginning in verse 5, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

That's just another way of saying you can't get there by running up the down escalator. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Now watch the blessedness of this. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works. God just says on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross, I impute righteousness. I put righteousness on your account. Now that'd be good, but notice it gets better, saying blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven. When you get justified, when you get saved, every blot, every blur, every blemish, every stain that ever came across your soul is forgiven, forgiven, forgiven.

That's a blessing. Now watch it. Not only does he forgive it, but he doesn't leave it posted as forgiven sin.

Watch it. And whose sins are covered. He not only forgives it, but he covers it. It's gone. He removes not only the penalty, but the stain. But now watch it.

It gets better yet. Verse 8, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. That means that God will never mark sin up against your name. Just as God imputed righteousness to you, God will never, no never, no never impute sin to you. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. It doesn't say blessed is the man who never sins again, because none of us would be blessed. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Are you listening to me? Friends, when you get saved, you get justified, and God will never mark one half of one sin against your name. He will not impute sin to you. Or you say, then I'll get saved and sin all I want to. Well, friend, I sin all I want to. I sin a whole lot more than I want to. I don't want to.

And I'll tell you something else. If I fall into sin, God knows how to deal with me. He doesn't put sin against my name. He just carries me to the woodshed and beats the daylights out of me.

He'll do the same thing to you. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and he scourges every son whom he receives. But God is not dealing with us now as sinners. God is dealing with us as sons. And God is not dealing with us judicially, but paternally. God is dealing with us as a Father. But the sin, the sin is never marked against our name.

How could it be? Because we're predestined to be like Jesus. Folks, now listen to me. If this ever gets between your ears and down here into your heart, you're going to understand what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now watch it. Something else you can be sure of. You can be sure of your eternal glorification. Go back to verse 30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified. When he justified, you would expect it to say, those he will glorify. Doesn't say that. It says he already glorified. I mean, it's a done deal. He also glorified.

Why is that? How can you be sure of your eternal glorification? Well, because God sees it as already done. Now you see, God saw you overhear from eternity. God saw you when you were lost. God saw you hearing the Gospel. God saw you getting saved.

God saw you growing in Christ, and God saw you already in heaven. See, God sees it all. I mean, it's a done deal with God. I mean, God is in eternity, and God sees you already there, seated at the blessed feet of Jesus, praising him and giving him glory as the choir sang, all hail the matchless name of Jesus, when we crown him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That's already done.

It's finished. God sees you there. And you say, Pastor, I don't understand all that. No. Vance Avenue said, I don't understand electricity, but I'm not going to sit in the dark until I do.

No, you don't have to understand it. It's the grace of God. Have faith in God. He cannot fail. Have faith in God.

He must prevail. Have faith in God. Have faith in God.

And I'm telling you, the Bible says it clearly and plainly, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean you're going to be perfect, sprout wings and get a halo, but you'll be on your way. My friend, you listen to me, you can be sure because of what God will do for you. If you already have that assurance of your salvation, if you already know that you know, then pray for those who don't. When I'm saying you can be sure, I'm not talking to lost people.

You have no right to be sure. I hope you're not sure if you're lost. The only thing you need to be sure of is your need of Jesus. And I can tell you that I'm sure that you're lost if you've never made Him Lord, trusted Him by faith as your personal Lord and Savior. I'm not talking about being a church member, being baptized. I'm talking about knowing Jesus.

You need to know Him. And I invite you to pray like this, dear God, I am a sinner. My sin deserves judgment, but I need mercy and I want mercy.

I need grace. And now, Lord Jesus, because you died for me and rose again, I just now receive you. In this message, you've been calling me and I want to say not my will but thine be done, Lord.

I want to say no to myself and yes to you. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. I yield my life over to you. I take you by faith as my Lord and Savior. I will live for you, Lord Jesus, not in order to be saved but because you've saved me. By your grace and for your glory, I'll follow you wherever you lead me.

I'll not be ashamed of you. Amen. And if you prayed to receive Jesus Christ just now, let us celebrate with you. Go to our Discover Jesus page on the website. You'll find answers there you may need about your newfound faith. We have a response section where you can share your testimony or how this message has made a difference in your life.

So just go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab that says Discover Jesus. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now if you'd like a copy of today's message, you can call us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD to order You Can Be Sure.

You'll receive the entire lesson. This message is also part of the insightful series Foundations for Our Faith Volume Two. For the complete collection, all 27 powerful messages, call that number 1-877-LOVE-GOD or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio.

Or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Are you sure of your salvation? Adrian Rogers said, if you'll put your faith where God has put your sins on the Lord Jesus Christ, you can be absolutely sure. We're so glad you joined us today and we hope you'll tune in next time for more timeless truth right here on Love Worth Finding.

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