Title: Is Your Salvation the Real Thing?
Text: 1 John 5:1–5
Introduction
J. D. Greear is a Southern Baptist pastor of one the largest churches in North Carolina. Every Sunday more than eight thousand people gather at the multi-site church called The Summit Church. The average age of the church’s attendees is twenty-nine.
Everything did not come easy to J. D.—including his assurance of his salvation. In a book entitled Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How To Know For Sure You Are Saved, he said the following:
If there were a Guinness Book of World Records record for “amount of times having asked Jesus into your heart,” I’m pretty sure I would hold it.
By the time I reached the age of 18 I had probably “asked Jesus into my heart” 5,000 times. I started somewhere around age 4 when I approached my parents one Saturday morning asking how someone could know that they were going to heaven. They carefully led me down the “Romans Road to Salvation,” and I gave Jesus His first invitation into my heart.
Both my parents and my pastor felt confident of my sincerity and my grasp on the details, and so I was baptized. We wrote the date in my Bible and I lived in peace about the matter for nearly a decade.
One Friday night during my 9th grade year, however, my Sunday school teacher told us that according to Matthew 7:21-23, many people who think they know Jesus will awaken on that final day to the reality that He never really knew them. Though they had prayed a prayer to receive Jesus, they had never really been born again and never taken the lordship of Jesus seriously. They would, my teacher explained, be turned away from heaven into everlasting punishment with the terrifying words, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.”
I’ll never forget the impact those words had on me.
Would I be one of those ones turned away?
Had I really been sorry for my sins?
And could I really have known what I was doing at age 4?
So I asked Jesus to come into my heart again, this time with a resolve to be much more intentional about my faith. I requested re-baptism, and gave a very moving testimony in front of our congregation about getting serious with God.
Not long after that, however, I found myself asking again: Had I really been sorry enough for my sin this time around? I’d see some people weep rivers of tears when they got saved, but I hadn’t done that. Did that mean I was not really sorry? And there were a few sins I seemed to fall back into over and over again, no matter how many resolutions I made to do better. Was I really sorry for those sins? Was that prayer a moment of total surrender? Would I have died for Jesus at that moment if He’d asked?
So I prayed the sinner’s prayer again. And again. And again. Each time trying to get it right, each time really trying to mean it. I would have a moment when I felt like I got it right and experienced a temporary euphoria. But it would fade quickly and I’d question it all again. And so I’d pray again.
I walked a lot of aisles during those days. I think I’ve been saved at least once in every denomination.
Because I understood baptism to be a post-salvation confession of faith, each time I gained a little assurance, I felt like I should get re-baptized. Four times, total.
Honestly, it got pretty embarrassing. I became a staple at our church’s baptism services. I got my own locker in the baptismal changing area.
It was a wretched experience. My spiritual life was characterized by cycles of doubt, aisle-walking, and submersion in water. I could not find the assurance of salvation no matter how often, or how sincerely, I asked Jesus into my heart.
I used to think I was alone in this struggle, but as I’ve shared my story over the years so many have come forward to tell me that my experience was theirs (usually minus the baptisms and the OCD tendencies) that I’ve concluded this problem is epidemic in the church.[1]
As a pastor, one of the most difficult things I face is to know that many of you battle these doubts. With every ounce of my being, I want to give you the assurance of salvation that you are so desperately seeking. Frankly, it is impossible for me to give you assurance. That is why I refuse to ever tell anyone that they are saved. Do you know why? Because I would rather someone hear from God. God and God alone is the only one who can grant this peace of mind with your salvation that you so desperately seek.
If you are unfamiliar with church culture and “insider language,” when I use the words salvation or saved I am speaking about peace with God. Peace where you know that you will spend forever with Him. It means that you will not face judgment from God in the future because Jesus faced it for you in the past.
A man in the first century named John wrote passionately about assurance of salvation. In fact, numerous places in his writings he basically says, “I am writing this so you can have absolute, total, comprehensive, full, never-going-to-doubt-again assurance of salvation. It was a main theme throughout all of his writings. It is actually the reason why he wrote the book that we are studying this morning: 1 John. The purpose statement of his entire letter is found in 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you . . . that you may know that you have eternal life.”[2]
I want to bring you this question today: “Is My Salvation the Real Thing?” The Holy Spirit, who is very real and very present this morning, will bear witness with your spirit to answer this question. When God grants assurance, He always uses His Word to do so.
Transition: Let’s get into the text. Is my salvation the real thing?
1. It’s real if you pass the tests.
The book of John is full of tests that God gives us. You may be thinking, “I hate tests; I always have.” Friend, God did not give us these tests because He hates us. He gave us these tests because He loves us. All throughout this book, there are three different tests that are given to help us know if our salvation is real. Some people take these tests and they gain assurance of their salvation. Others take these tests and come to the realization that their salvation is counterfeit.
· Some of the tests are doctrinal.
· Some of the tests are moral.
· Some of the tests are ethical.
You can take a spiritual inventory today and know if you are saved. 2 Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to examine ourselves to see if our salvation is real. We are obligated to find our assurance from Scripture.
Let’s look at the three tests. John has given all three of these tests before, but now he is circling back around to them because, evidently, there are still people asking Jesus into their heart for a second, or third, or fourth, or five thousandth time.
Let’s look at the doctrinal test first. It is two-fold, and it found in verse 1 and in verse 5:
· “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God . . .” (verse 1)
· “Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (verse 5)
Do you have the right belief about Jesus? That is the doctrinal test. Do you believe Jesus is the Christ? By answering in the affirmative, you are saying that Jesus is the one person God promised since the beginning of creation to take away the sins of the world. Before Jesus came, they referred to this person as the Messiah. They did not know His name would be Jesus, but they knew that God would sent a perfect one, a redeemer, a rescuer, a perfect sacrifice to take away sins like all other sacrifices could not do. You see, the Old Testament sacrifices never took away sin. They only pointed to the Messiah, the future sacrifice, that would take away all the sin. By affirming that Jesus is the Christ you are affirming that you desperately need a Christ. You need a Christ because you are filthy sick with sin. You need an appeasement for the wrath of God.
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? This question speaks to the deity of Christ. Do you believe that He is the Son of God—meaning that He is God. You see, a Mormon or Jehovah Witness would affirm that Jesus is a son of God, but they would fail this test. The emphasis in this passage is that Jesus is the Son of God—the one and only. In the original language, there is a definite article here: the word the. That’s important; that is vital.
Notice the all-inclusive word in verse one: “everyone.” Everyone must embrace this truth—no exceptions. You cannot be wrong about Jesus and right about salvation.
Do you believe Jesus is the Christ, and do you believe He is God? Such a confession is a birthmark that you are a believer.[3] The word believe is in the present tense. In other words, are you still believing this truth? It could be phrased like this to help us understand the original: “Everyone who is still believing that Jesus is the Christ . . . that Jesus is the Son of God.” Unfortunately, people waiver and weaken on who Jesus is.
Liberal theologian and “progressive” Christian Marcus Borg fails this test when he said, “Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world.”[4]
Tim Challies, a pastor in Toronto, said that Marcus Borg denies so much of the core beliefs of the Christian faith that it becomes nearly absurd to consider him a Christian at all.[5] This would not have been the case for early on in Marcus’s life. He would have passed this test early on, but failed it later. You see this is not a one-day belief, but an everyday belief.
Marcus Borg fails the doctrinal test, and it has devastating consequences. No one realizes this anymore than Marcus Borg: he died January 21 of this year.
How are you answering this Christological question? Do you pass the doctrinal test?
Now let’s look at the moral test. It is found in verses 1–2: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God . . .”
Are you a loving person? That is the moral test.
· “Well, I grew up rough.”
· “Well, you do not know what it is like to be around these people all the time.”
· “I have a situation that is unlike any other situation.” Oh! So you get a pass? You can fail this test and still be a Christian? Wrong.
You cannot fail this test and have the God of love abiding in you. You cannot be consistently hateful and vindictive and be a Christian. Christianity is not a name you wear like a coat over a dirty body. No, Jesus changes you to become a loving person.
Notice the all-inclusive word that we run into again in verse 1: “Everyone who loves the father loves whoever has been born of him.” You must love God and His children—all of them—even that one that makes it difficult to love them! Gandhi met a few people in his life who said they were Christians, but failed this test. I’m sure he did because he said, “I like your Christ, but not your Christians.”
We have seen the doctrinal test and the moral test. Now let’s look at the ethical test. It is found in verses 2–3: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”[6]
Do you obey God’s commands? Is it a burden to do the right thing, or is it the desire of your heart to do the right thing? That is the ethical test.
John is blowing the minds of his readers here; he is speaking of a freeing and invigorating obedience to God. It is not a burden; it is a joy. It is not something I have to do. It is something I want to do.
Have you ever had anyone look at you and say, “Why would you want to live the ‘Christian’ life? You are missing out on so much fun.” How do you answer that question? There is only one explanation. God has given you a heart that does not view His commands as a burden. To the non-believer they look cumbersome, but to you they look appealing.
Transition: Is your salvation the real thing? It is if you pass the tests and . . .
2. It’s real if you overcome the world.
Notice verses 4–5: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
This word overcomer occurs twenty-eight times in the New Testament. Twenty-five of those times it came out of the mouth of John. It could be translated “winner,” or “conqueror,” or “victor.” That means, if you are a believer, you conquer the world.
This test may seem impossible or impractical or even unattainable—maybe all three. It is not! We must define the word world. John is reaching back to 1 John 2:16 where he speaks about the invisible spiritual world characterized by the trio of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. God expects that we overcome that world—that we conquer the lusts of the flesh and eyes and the pride of life. You can divide the three categories into two. I do not have it and I want it (lust), or I already have it and I’m proud of it (pride).[7]
Many people look like they are overcomers (Christians), but they do not consistently overcome these desires over a long period of time. Greear states,
In [Jesus’] parable about the different types of soil, [He] spoke of a group who heard His word and made an initial, encouraging response of belief, only to fade away over time. These are those, Jesus explained, who hear the gospel and respond positively to it—i.e., pray the prayer, walk the aisle, get baptized, or do whatever new converts in your church do. They remain in the church for a period of time. But they do not endure when the sun of persecution [and time] comes out and will not in the end be saved (Luke 8:13).[8]
How is it possible to overcome the world? Because you have been born of God. John speaks of the new birth three times in these verses.
· “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God . . .” (verse 1)
· “. . . and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” (verse 1)
· “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.” (verse 4)
What does it mean to be born again? Some of you have never heard that phrase before and it is unusual to you. John is no doubt reaching back to John 3 (in another book he wrote) to a conversation where Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again. It is a biblical birthmark of becoming a Christian. It is spoken of as being born from above in John 3:3 and as regeneration in Titus 3:5. It is not optional. It is essential.[9]
You have been born of God. That means you have a divine nature within you that enables you to overcome the pride and lusts of this world. That does not mean you will never sin again, but it does mean you do not have to sin again. You may lose some skirmishes, but the victory is yours. You have been forever delivered from the power of this world.
The word overcome is in the present tense, meaning you not only have the victory in the future, but you have it right now. You are not celebrating prematurely. No, you have already won the victory. You’re not jumping up and down with time still left on the clock. No! The clock has expired and you have conquered. Actually, you are more than conquerors. You are not squeaking by in extra periods; you will never lose this game. It is over!
What does it mean to conquer the world? Daniel Akin says it well: “The world is no longer my passion; God is! Sinful desires and attractions are no longer beautiful; Jesus is.”[10]
Your faith conquers. It overcomes. John Piper says faith sees Jesus better than it sees the world:
That is why faith conquers the world. The world held us in bondage by the power of its desires. But now our eyes have been opened by the new birth to see the superior desirability of Jesus. Jesus is better than the desires of the flesh, and better than the desires of the eyes, and better than the riches that strangle us with greed and pride (Mark 4:19).[11]
We have new affections, new passions, and new treasures. The only thing we are wanting more of—is Jesus.
Is your salvation the real thing? It’s real if you pass the tests. It’s real if you overcome the world.
Conclusion
Remember the pastor I told you about named J. D.? He fell prey to believing that a magic prayer would save him. He thought if he prayed the right words or felt the right amount of guilt or the right amount of sincerity he would be saved.
None of the spiritual salvation tests we took ask the question, “Did you pray the sinner’s prayer?” Where is that prayer in the Bible? Where did Paul pray that prayer—or John, or Peter, or anyone?
You see, the danger with the “sinner’s prayer” is that it could unfortunately withhold assurance from people that should have it; on the other side of the coin, it could give assurance to those who should not have it. Sometimes it is an unhelpful gospel cliché.
It could withhold assurance because people wonder if they prayed the right words or if they were sorry enough or if they were old enough.
It could give assurance to someone who has experienced absolutely no life change but who believes he is saved because he repeated a prayer.
Half of the adults in America have prayed a prayer:
A 2011 Barna study shows that nearly half of all adults in America have prayed such a prayer, and subsequently believe they are going to heaven, though many of them rarely, if ever, attend a church, read the Bible personally, or have lifestyles that differ in any significant way from those outside the church. If the groups described in Matthew 7 and Luke 8 are not referring to them, I don’t know who they could be referring to.[12]
Two thirds of those who have prayed a prayer do not go to church.
That is why I am not asking you today if you have ever prayed a prayer or if you are a Baptist or a good person. I am here to ask if you if you have passed the tests. Salvation, biblically, looks like this: “Have you turned from your sin and asked Jesus to take over in every aspect of your life?
Let’s close today with how J. D. found assurance of his salvation:
A friend directed me to Martin Luther, whom he said had gone through his own bitter struggle with assurance. I went to the library and checked out Luther’s commentary on the book of Romans. I’ll never forget that night reading his words on Romans 10:9:
Paul says, “If thou . . . shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” That is true, for, as we read in 4:25, “Christ was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.” Whoever believes these two facts will be saved . . . . We obtain the true righteousness of God by believing sincerely the promises of God, as we read in 4:3, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
In that moment, at last, it all made sense. Salvation was obtained by simply resting on the two “facts” God had promised about Jesus: He was crucified as the payment for our sins; He was resurrected as proof that God accepted the payment. Just as Abraham was saved by believing God would keep His word, I was saved by believing He had.[13]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Akin, Daniel. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1, 2, & 3 John. Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2014.
Borg, Marcus. The God We Never Knew. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.
Challies, Tim. “The False Teachers: Marcus Borg.” Challies.com. Last modified April 9, 2014. Accessed May 31, 2016. http://www.challies.com/articles/the-false-teachers-marcus-borg.
Greear, J. D. Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved. Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2013.
Piper, John. “Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order.” Desiring God. Accessed May 31, 2016. http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/regeneration-faith-love-in-that-order.
[1] J. D. Greear, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2013), 1–3.
[2] See these verses to prove the point: 1 John 2:3, 5; 3:2, 14, 19, 24; 4:13; 5:13, 15, and 19.
[3] Daniel Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1, 2, & 3 John (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2014), 120.
[4] Marcus Borg, The God We Never Knew (New York: HarperCollins, 1998), 25.
[5] Tim Challies, “The False Teachers: Marcus Borg,” Challies.com, last modified April 9, 2014, accessed May 31, 2016, http://www.challies.com/articles/the-false-teachers-marcus-borg.
[6] Likely pointing back to the commandment to love. “Love not the world: is an echo from a previous chapter.
[7] John Piper, “Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order,” Desiring God, accessed May 31, 2016, http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/regeneration-faith-love-in-that-order.
[8] Greear, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart, 5–6. See also Matthew 5:13 and John 15:6.
[9] Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, 122.
[10] Ibid., 126.
[11] Piper, “Regeneration, Faith, Love: In That Order.”
[12] Greear, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart, 6.
[13] Greear page 46