How do you know if you are saved?

Posted on by kevinjandt

This is a meaningful question for professing believers to be able to answer for themselves.  Can we really know if we are saved?

I recently had a great conversation with a friend that claimed you can never know if you are the elect of God until you stand before God in judgment.  I disagree with him and did my best to present a biblical case for him to examine.

Since my salvation I’ve never doubted this and I wondered why he was struggling with this and I did not.  I spent time going through some scripture, that I believe, points to an obvious conclusion.

“You begin at the wrong end if you first dispute about your election. Prove your conversion, and then never doubt your election”.  Joseph Alleine

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

Paul certainly seems confident in his statement and I believe we can also be confident in our assurance.  I’ve come up with some items that I believe are crucial to understanding salvation and if we understand true salvation we can have full assurance of our election.

Testimony – do you have a testimony?  Can you articulate who you were before God saved you and who you are now?  Do you remember clearly when that happened and under what circumstances.  Is your life radically different and if it’s not why not? 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Scripture – Did God’s word have anything to do with your salvation story?  God’s word reveals our sin and the need for a savior.  It is the means by which most are saved.  Do you have a life verse that is meaningful in your testimony? Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Broken – Were you broken over your sin?  Not sorrowful over getting caught or upset over the consequences of your sin but on your face broken that your sin has offended the one true God; knowing that your sin had you headed to hell and eternal separation from God.  2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.  For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  For godly sorrow produces repentance, leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Hunger & Thirst – Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? (Matthew 5:6)  If God has redeemed your soul do you now seek after Him more than anything else? (Matthew 6:33)  Does He occupy much of your thought life? (Psalm 1:2) Do you desire to read His word and learn more about Him? Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Obedience – Does the sin you once enjoyed now repulse you?  Do you only desire to please God and do His will?  (Psalm 119:2) John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

Denial – Do you deny yourself? (Luke 9:23)  Do you deny yourself from the movies that cause you to think violently or lustfully?  Do you linger too long on a web image that scrolls across that news screen or the girl serving you coffee at Starbuck’s?  Do you continue in your same old patterns or do you actually hate your old life?  John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Fellowship – Do you love the fellowship of other believers; do you spend time with them and minister to them?  (Hebrews 6:10)  Are you committed to a local assembly and are you a member of that assembly?  Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Authority – Are you under church authority and the guidance of a pastor and elders?  Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who ruler over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.  Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Preach the word –Do you preach the word and share the gospel of salvation with other people; if not why not?  I would argue your either ignorant of God’s word, a self preservationist or not saved.  See my article called Ashamed of the Gospel from August 31.  It comes down to that ugly self denial again.  Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

I’ve only scratched the surface of scripture that I believe supports my statement and I’ve not included all I could say about a true believer.  We know the warnings in scripture are clear.  We know many think they are right with God and they are not.  The Lord himself teaches us this horrible truth in Matthew 7:21-23.

So how do you know for sure?  If you don’t know for sure I ask you today to examine yourself and see if you are in the faith?  Seek counsel from a faithful bible believing pastor or elder.  Don’t be put off by challenges to your faith but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Only then will you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)  I certainly hope my friend will stay in the struggle.

Lastly here are some verses that give assurance of salvation.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-16, 1 John 2:3, 1 John 4:13

I also strongly recommend “A Sure Guide to Heaven” by Joseph Alleine.  It’s a free download and worth your time.  http://www.redemptivehistory.org/sureguide.pdf

Kevin

Does God have a sense of humor?

Posted on by kevinjandt

“God sure does have a sense of humor!”

Have you ever said this?  I know I have and I’ve heard it a lot more than I’ve said it, so I wanted to see if it’s true or not.  I know what you are thinking; what an odd topic and who cares.  Please hang in there and let’s see if it matters.

I recently heard someone say this and it really had me thinking about whether God does have a sense of humor or not so I began a search to see what I could find.  I searched under the attributes of God from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.   I scoured the incommunicable and communicable attributes of God but couldn’t find anything resembling a sense of humor.

I decided to dig into the scriptures to see what God’s word has to say.  God talks a lot about laughter so this might be a good sign that God has a sense of humor.  So what does God find funny or what does He laugh about?

Psalm 59:8 But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.

Proverbs 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes…

This doesn’t sound like God is enjoying a good chuckle with the rest of the God Head, far from being comical God the Father seems to be pretty serious about this.  Maybe God the Son is a little more lighthearted.

John 11:33-35 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said “Where have you laid him?”  They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Jesus wept.

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him:  He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Nope, the Son seems pretty serious, how about Solomon he was very wise, certainly he enjoyed a good laugh now and then.

Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.

Ecclesiastes 2:2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

Ecclesiastes 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

Ecclesiastes 7:6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

This is just a small portion of what I found and I don’t find a strong biblical example of God having a sense of humor.  The best thought I had is since man is created in God’s image and we have a sense of humor God must also and what I think people are really trying to say is that God had a different plan for my life and they really find that funny when they realize those plans were different from their own.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

Proverbs 21:1 A king’s heart is like streams of water in the LORD’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. 

Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

In my flesh I really love the idea of a funny god, a god that I can hang with and laugh and joke and have a good time.  We are buddies, we are pals.  This god dismisses my sin and says “it’s okay Kev, you’ll do better next time” He’s like my grandpa, he loves me no matter how I behave because at the end of the day I always go home to my parents.  He doesn’t have the day to day responsibilities.

In stark contrast to this god is the God of the bible.  He’s serious about correcting the ones He loves (Proverbs 3:12), He cares about holiness (1 Peter 1:16), and He desires a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51) from those that claim they are His.  He hates sin so much that it pleased Him to crush His Son (Isaiah 53:10).  This God goes to extremes to rescue the lost (Philippians 2:7-8), he is not my buddy, and he is not my pal, He is my Lord and my God (John 20:28).

When I was saved I began a relationship with the God that showed me my sin.  He challenged me to understand that my sin and your sin put His Son on the cross.  Yes I must come to an understanding of that but I must also keep in mind that it was His plan, and the Son went willingly (John 10:18).  I cannot fully grasp the glory of a God that paid such a price and I’m a beneficiary of that grace, for His glory.  Not for my benefit although I benefit but so He can receive honor and praise by His people (Ephesians 2:10).

James 4:9-10 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

If you are a believer remember when you lamented and mourned over your sin.  Remember that God hates your sin so much He killed His Son to pay for it.  If you are a un-believer you are separated from God and the wrath He poured out on His Son will one day be poured out on you, so repent and turn from that sin and be saved (Acts 2:37-39, Acts 8:21-23).

Proverbs 9:6 Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.

It’s no laughing matter.

Kevin

My Purpose

Posted on by kevinjandt

What does it mean to live your life on purpose?  To have a purpose creates hope and desire.  Have you ever thought on a deeper level about your purpose?  You see lots of purpose that is misdirected; the desire to fit in, the desire for things of the world, everyone needs a purpose or they become hopeless.  True hope is built only on the foundation of Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Here is my purpose statement.

To love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind

Deuteronomy 6:5 / Matthew 22:37

To lead my wife and family and to be the man God wants me to be

Ephesians 5:25-28 / Titus 2:1 / Deuteronomy 6:6-9 / Ephesians 6:4

To be obedient to the word of God in my daily life

John 14:15 / 1 Corinthians 7:19

Love and serve the body of Christ

John 13:35 / Galatians 6:10

Be an ambassador for Christ, spreading the good news of salvation and calling the lost to repentance

2 Timothy 4:2 / Acts 9:20 / Acts 8:35 / Ephesians 6:20 / 2 Corinthians 5:20 / Acts 17:30

Grow in faith and knowledge of the Lord

Acts 17:2 / Matthew 4:4 / Matthew 5:6

I don’t fulfill this perfectly but it is my hope and my desire to live this out to the glory of God.  My purpose becomes His purpose.  I don’t know of any higher calling.  I hope you are encouraged today to go through this simple exercise to write out a statement for yourself.  I keep mine in my bible and refer to it often.

Kevin

What is the true gospel?

Posted on by kevinjandt

I’ve had the privilege to recently see a woman saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is a nice lady, a church going woman for many years.  Nobody would even begin to question her salvation.  She has a lot of knowledge about God, and she certainly talked about Him (I think she even has a bumper sticker) but she didn’t really know Him.

What caused her to be saved was the gospel.  It seems scandalous to me that for the first time she heard the gospel after 30 years of going to church.  So I wanted to explore what is really meant by the gospel.   Do all churches teach the gospel of the scriptures?    I know it saved me and I saw it save this woman but what is it?  What made the difference?

Ask your average church attendee to explain the gospel and you will be met with many responses.  Some will say the first four books of the New Testament, some will say it’s the good news, you might hear that you can have a personal relationship with Jesus; those answers are correct to some extent.

Take it a step further and ask them to define the gospel and explain it; you will get a different response.  Some might say, I’m not sure, or they might fumble for the right answer and some will say I guess I don’t know.

This is a big question to ask yourself; can you properly explain the gospel?  Can you do it in 1 minute or less if that is all the time you have?  Someone’s life might depend on it.  This is better than CPR.  The odds you will use CPR are pretty slim but the odds you’ll meet someone today that will die in their sins and trespasses is probably 100%.  I’m not against CPR but how about Godly Pulmonary Resuscitation.

I want to challenge us today to understand the basics of the gospel so when we spread the good news we are spreading the good seed.  Not a false gospel or an easy gospel, let’s offer them the God of the bible; the God that will rock the foundation of their world.

God is Holy – God is Holy or set apart from sin. (Joshua 24:19, 1 Samuel 2:2, Revelation 4:8)  God cannot tolerate sin (Psalm 4:5); therefore He cannot tolerate sinful man. (Genesis 6:5-7)

Man is sinful – Man is born in sin and without saving knowledge of his sin he cannot be saved.  (Psalm 58:3, Romans 3:10-18, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Ephesians 2:1-3)  This will separate him eternally from God.  (Matthew 25:41)

Man will be judged – Man will stand before God and give an account of his life.  (Romans 14:12, Hebrews 4:13, 1 Peter 4:5)

Man cannot please God – Without Christ’s righteousness placed upon us, the fancy term is imputed, we cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6, Isaiah 64:5-6)

Christ paid the price – Jesus Christ lived a perfect life to pay for the sin of those who would believe in Him and place their complete trust in Him.  (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Ephesians 2:4-9)

Repent and turn from your sin – The true gospel message always includes the call to repent.  (Matthew 3:8, Matthew 4:17, Acts 17:30)  Repentance is a complete turning away from the sin you once loved.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Hate your sin the way God hates your sin.  (Isaiah 53:5-12, Psalm 5:5-6).

God does the doing – God opens the eyes of sinful man to see his sin and changes his heart.  (Ezekiel 36:25-27, John 6:44)  It’s an act of divine grace.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Obedient life – Once sinful man now has a desire to please God.  (1 John 1:5-6, John 8:31-32)  A true believer will joyfully follow God’s commands in the bible.  (John 14:23)  They will submit to the biblical authority in their lives.  (Hebrews 13:17, Acts 20:28)

I would like for you to review Psalm 51 today and ask yourself if you have truly understood how your sin looks to God.  Does Psalm 51 still make you cry?  Did it ever make you cry?  When I saw God change a woman’s heart, I saw her understand her wretchedness.  She knew Christ bore the wrath reserved for her.   Did Christ do that for you?  We don’t really talk much about wretchedness anymore; it just doesn’t sell very well.

The gospel needs to be presented in its entirety; anything else discredits God.  Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Kevin

I am ashamed of the gospel

Posted on by kevinjandt

Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

I really love this verse but I wish it applied to me.

The gospel is good news so why would I be ashamed of the gospel?  After all it is the power of God to salvation.  What could be better news than being saved?  If I announced I had cured cancer or had ended world hunger I think people would be interested in hearing about it.  I’d be excited to tell the world.  I would share this with everyone I came in contact with because it would save lives.  It would indeed be exciting and dramatic news.

So why would I be ashamed of the gospel?

If I’m a follower of Jesus Christ and I believe God’s word is true; I should desire to share this good news with everyone I come in contact with and most especially the ones closest to me.  But I struggle in the area of the ones closest to me.  It’s difficult to start the conversation.  I’m afraid of what the reaction might be or I don’t want to invest the time it will take even though I know this contends with scripture.

Matthew 10:27-28 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  I am without excuse.  I know the commands and the words cut to my heart.

I know in these moments I am in sin.  James 4:17 Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.  I know this is “good”, it’s what I was created for, (Ephesians 2:10) so what holds me back?

The answer is self preservation.   I like myself more than I should and I want them to like me more than I should.  I don’t want to be thought of as “that guy” or “Here comes the preacher”…..  But again this denies Christ; it is shame in the gospel.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Well there it is; “the line in the sand.”  The one the Lord uses to define who the true followers will be.  It separates the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats; it’s the difference between the wide road and the narrow path because it’s just hard to do.  In these times the Holy One is asking me questions and the questions demand a response.

What are you going to do Kevin, you going to cross the line?  Who do you love, Me or you?  Are you willing to be hated for My names sake?  Did I suffer and die for you?  Did they beat Me, spit on Me and mock Me so you could serve Me?  Or do you want a “god” that makes your life better?

This battle continues to rage in my mind but daily by God’s grace I am learning to stand with Paul and boldly proclaim “I am NOT ashamed of the gospel” it “IS” the power of God to salvation, not to perfection but to the glory of the One that deserves my praise and obedience.

Consider your life today and ask yourself, if you are ashamed of the gospel?

Kevin