Can I Know I’m Saved?

Introduction:

Jesus wants everyone to be saved.

(II Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but
is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance.” NKJV
He made it possible so that everyone could be saved.
(John 4:42) “Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said,
for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of
the world.’ ” NKJV
But we also know that we do sin.
(I John 1:8) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
NKJV
So can I know with assurance that I am saved? If so, how?

Body:

I. Is Assurance Possible?
 The apostle Paul possessed confidence.
(II Timothy 1:12) “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am
not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” NKJV
Paul was not perfect. He admitted that he sinned.
 The inspired writer John used the word “know” over twenty times in
I John. See I John 5:13. “These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that
you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” NKJV
To know is to be confident of something as a fact. So if the faithful
Christian were to die unexpectedly, he can know [have assurance]
that he would be saved.
 For the unfaithful Christian, there is no hope at all.
(Hebrews 10:26-27) “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge
of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries.” NKJV
A Christian can fall from grace and forfeit salvation.
(Galatians 5:4) “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” NKJV
 (II Peter 1:10) “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and
election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble,” NKJV
II. What about Sins of Ignorance or Weakness?
 Faithful Christians have no fear of being lost.
(John 10:27-29) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish neither shall anyone
snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater
than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” NKJV
The word “snatch” denotes the use of force. As long as we are with
Christ, no one can rob us of our salvation. Can we choose to walk
away from our relationship with Jesus? Absolutely!
 The faithful Christian should find comfort in knowing he does not
have to be sinlessly perfect to go to heaven. You just have to keep
“walking in the light.”
(I John 1:6-7) “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.” NKJV
This text reveals a precious promise: “. . . if we are Christians, if our heart is
right, and if our walk and lifestyle is in harmony with the will of God, He does not
wait until we have confessed and prayed to forgive.” Cecil May Jr.
The child of God still sins – still misses the mark – still transgresses.
But he doesn’t go from “saved” to “lost”, back to “saved,” back to “lost”
several times a day.
 While God certainly doesn’t approve of our sins of weakness and
ignorance, Christ’s blood continues to cleanse us of those sins.
I John 1:7-8 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
NKJV
Guy N. Woods wrote concerning this text. “I John 1:7-8 teaches us that sins
involving frailties, weaknesses, unintentional lapses are continually cleansed as
we ‘walk in the light of God’s truth.’ He further adds: “This is a state of grace –
not of human perfection – and we should be ever more thankful that in spite of
our imperfections, we may through grace enjoy His approval.”
 God does not ask us to do the impossible.
(Ecclesiastes 7:20) “For there is not a just man on earth who does good And
does not sin.” NKJV
The Bible instructs us to make every effort.
 (II Peter 3:14) “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to
be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” NKJV
So we have seen that for the faithful Christian, the Lord does not
count our sins against us.
(Romans 4:6-8) “just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to
whom God imputes righteousness apart from works; ‘Blessed are those whose
lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’ ” NKJV
So what does it mean to be a faithful Christian?
III. What Does It Mean to Be A Faithful Christian?
 We must have a forgiving spirit toward others.
(Matthew 6:14-15) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses.” NKJV
God will not forgive us of our unintentional sins if we are not willing
to forgive others of theirs.
 Our forgiveness is based upon our willingness to confess our wrongs.
(Psalm 19:12-13) “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret
faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have
dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great
transgression.” NKJV
We must confess the sins we are aware of and be aware that there are
many we are not aware of. We should pray to God that He will help
us do better, and those sins are forgiven. We need never worry that
God will hold them against us.
 We must pursue faithfulness.
(Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be
tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will
give you the crown of life.” NKJV
This means not being content with ignorance, but pursuing holiness.
(I Peter 1:14-16) “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former
lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in
all you conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ ” NKJV

Conclusion:

Thankfully our salvation is based upon Christ’s meritorious work, not our
meritorious work. So don’t ever ask if you are good enough to go to heaven.
You aren’t! But you can still go there.
As we have seen today, God does not automatically forgive everyone. But as
Brother V. P. Black commented: “The man of whom God will not mark up his
mistakes , his blunders, his shortcomings, is this faithful, dedicated child of God who is
walking in the light, giving his best to the master, doing his very best to serve God.”

A thanks goes to Brother Ben Giselbach for his insights.

Bobby Stafford
July 28, 2019