OUTLINE FOR MESSAGES ON ASSURANCE

MESSAGE ONE—THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSURANCE

I  THE LEGITIMACY OF THE QUESTION

-Some never deal with the issue

-Some believe you can never have assurance, others that you should never doubt

1. Not all our profess faith in Christ will enter heaven—see Matt. 7:21ff
2. The Bible warns about the possibility of being spiritually deceived—see 1 Cor 6:9-11; Gal 6:7,8  James 1:22-26
3. The Bible demands self-examination 2 Cor 13:5;  2 Peter 1:10
4. The Bible speaks of the possibility and the blessedness of true assurance John 10;27-29, 2 Tim 1:12

II  THE FOURFOULD BASIS FOR BIBLICAL ASSURANCE

1. The Objective—have I embraced the Chris of the bible?
2. The Observable—am I bearing fruit?
3. The Inward—do I enjoy the inner witness of the Holy Spirit?
4. The Onward—am I persevering in the faith?

MESSAGE TWO—THESE THINGS I HAVE WRITTEN/EXPOSITION OF 1 JOHN 5:13

I  The Recipients of John’s Epistle

II  The Purpose of John’s Epistle

1. Its Statement
2. Its Gracious Character
   1. So true Christians can KNOW their eternal state
   2. So that hypocrites can be exposed before it is too late
3. Its Delineation

There are three primary tests which John offers—the moral test, the doctrinal test and the relational test

The Moral Test—True Christians Walk in the Light

1. Its basis—the character of God
2. Its outworking
3. Its relation to salvation
4. Its consistency with regular, ongoing confession of sin

MESSAGE THREE—AN OBEDIENT LIFE

I  THE TRUTH STATED—TRUE CHRISTIANS ARE MARKED BY UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE TO ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

-The statement opened and explained—the general character of a true believer is a pattern of submission to all the known will of God

II  Universal Obedience is Required for a True Assurance of Salvation

1 John 2:3, 4, 5

III  Questions For Self Examination

-Are you committed to following the Lord into any path He leads?

-Are you showing practical fruit that you obeying/putting into practice the word that you hear?

MESSAGE FOUR—REJECTING THE LOVE OF THE WORLD/EMBRACING THE WORLD TO COME

Axiom—In true conversion there is a growing weaning from the world and a growing attachment to the world to come

1 John 2:15-17

I  The Command Stated

-Stop loving the world and the things in the world

II  The Command Explained

A  What it does not mean—not the created order or the rich material gifts God has given

B  What it does mean—the world is a God rejecting system

• Focus on Sensual Appetites
• Focus on unbridled materialism
• Focus on human ability and sufficiency

III The Command Enforced

A  Love for the World is incompatible with loving God and being loved by God

B  The world is passing away and will come under judgment

IV  Our Need To Combat the Love of the World

-We need the ‘expulsive power of a new affection’, we need to seek and desire a ‘better city

MESSAGE FIVE—LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN

I  The Necessity of Love the assurance of salvation

1 John 3:10, 11; 14-19,  1 John 4;7,8, 11, 12, 17, 20, 21

II  The Vital Importance of this Test

A  The character of God

B  The command of Jesus

III  Its Practical Effect

A  It is affectionate and sincere

B  It is forgiving

C  it is kind and merciful

D  It is tested and lasting

E  It is self-denying

F  It is benevolent and practical