If you'll start with me in Mark
chapter 14, I want to read a couple of verses there. And I want to,
I want to bring a lesson this morning. I'm asking this question. How may I know that I'm saved? I hope this is as much a blessing
to you as it was to me as I studied through it. Mark chapter 14,
let's look at verses 18 and 19. This is the Lord eating with
the disciples. And he says, as they sat and
did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, one of you who eats
with me shall betray me. I'm sure that was a shocking
statement. Look at verse 19. And they began to be sorrowful
and to say to him, one by one, is it I? And actually, when I
look that up, it carries, it's the negative of the question.
It's not me, is it? That sounds like something I'd
say. It's not me, is it? Obviously, they had a fairly
healthy view of themselves. Couldn't be me, is it? Yes, it
could be me. Yes, it could be you. The same
sinners that we were born being, we still are. Saved sinners are
still sinners. Saved by grace. Saved by grace. Now, in the case of a false religionist,
This would be an illegitimate question. How may I know that
I'm saved? For them, it would be very egotistical,
be an attempt to persuade themselves by something that they've done.
And there is no assurance. There is no assurance in looking
to anything that we are or think we are or what we've done. There's
no assurance there. And so for a false religionist
to ask this question and conclude that maybe by having gone down
to the front at some altar call or having done some work teaching
Sunday school or being on the deacon board or playing some
role in your local church that that would somehow give you assurance,
you'll find no assurance there. Find no assurance there. I regret
I labored for long years Long years in religion, and I can
honestly tell you this morning, I found no assurance whatsoever. I clearly remember that. You
know, I would feel good for a while. Someone said you brought a good
message. Someone said you're doing a good work. Oh, you went
all the way over to Africa to preach the gospel. You surely
got to be saved. And I found no assurance in that. There was
nothing that made me feel the least bit good about it. Always
wondering, am I saved? Am I not saved? How can a person
like me be saved? And then somebody else would
come along and say, well, surely you're saved. Look at all the
stuff you're doing. It's an illegitimate question. How may I know that
I'm saved if you're approaching it from a false religionist perspective? If you can find, if you can find
a thread, a thread of assurance in anything you do, I pray this
morning that the Lord might be pleased to do that work for you
that alone gives assurance. And that's union with Christ.
Only assurance comes from Him. But when a saint of God does
ask this question, how may I know that I'm saved? He doesn't begin
by looking within. Rather, he begins by looking
without. He looks to another. He looks
to the Lord Jesus Christ according to the gospel for an answer to
this question. The true believer's conscience doesn't search for
satisfaction in what he's done for Christ. We find our satisfaction
in what Christ has done for us. He finds no assurance in measuring
his love for God. How much do I love God? But he
finds his rest only in knowing that God loves me. For no reason
I find in myself. He seeks not to master the graces
of the Spirit, but he seeks to be mastered by the Spirit of
grace. Oh, Lord, have your way with me. If I'm speaking to some today
who, like me, ask this question from time to time, I pray that
the Lord might give you grace this morning to look to Christ
and find assurance and to know what you're saying. I want to
go through very briefly. I've had five simple things that
came to me that I believe might help us in this question. How
may I know that I'm saved? First of all, if in the matter
of eternal salvation, God is everything and I am nothing,
by this I may have assurance that I'm saved. If I'm nothing
in the beginning of my salvation, let's turn to a few passages.
Look with me in John chapter 6. John chapter 6 and verse 63. John 6 beginning with verse 63. It is the spirit that quickens,
the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were who believed not and who should betray. And he
said, therefore, I said unto you that no man can come unto
me. And look at this, except it were
given unto him of my father. If I'm nothing in the beginning
of my salvation and I have some hope of finding assurance in
him, if I'm nothing in the continuation of my salvation, look over in
John chapter 15. Look at verse 1 and following
with me. If I have absolutely nothing
to do with me in terms of following in the continuation with Christ,
verse 1, I'm the true vine, the Lord says, and my father is the
husbandman. Every branch in me that bears
not fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit
he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide
in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except
it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in the
vine. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in
him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me you can
do nothing." Here in verse 6, here's our assurance. If a man
abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered,
and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned." I'm sorry, I got the wrong verse on that. Previous verse.
If we abide in Him. You know, religion taught me
that if I would just get more knowledge, a little more active,
do a few more things, that I could find assurance in that. But I
find my assurance only in one thing. I want to be found. I don't know how to describe
that. I want to be found in union with Christ. I want to know that
when God the Father looks at me, he sees Christ. I sure don't want him to see
me, do you? I don't want him to know anything about me. I
want him to be so, I want to be so one with the Savior that
God can't see anybody else, just one with Christ. Thirdly, if
I'm nothing, not only am I, if I'm nothing in the beginning
of my salvation, nothing in the continuation of my salvation.
And if I'm nothing in the ultimate fulfillment of God's work of
salvation in me, look at second Timothy chapter one. Second Timothy chapter one, verse
11. wherein, too, Paul writes, I
am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of
the Gentiles, for which cause I also suffered these things.
Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed."
That word, believed, could be just as well translated, trusted.
I know whom I have trusted, and I am persuaded That He is able
to keep that which I have committed unto Him. What have I committed
unto Him? Everything. All my soul's salvation. All
my life here on this earth. All my life hereafter. I'm trusting
Him. I'm leaning on Him. Against that
day. Until that day. If in the matter
then of eternal salvation God is everything, and I'm nothing,
then I may know By this I may know that I am saved. Secondly,
if my salvation is entirely a matter of God's choice and not mine,
by this also may I know that I am saved. While you're there
in 2 Timothy, let's read the first nine verses. Actually, beginning with verse
nine, I'm sorry, chapter one, verse nine. Make sure I've got my place. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm there. Okay. Sorry about that. God who
has saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given to us, and listen to this, in, that is, in union with
Christ Jesus before the world began. If my salvation, if I
know my salvation is entirely a matter of God's choice of me,
I have nothing to worry about. What God chooses, what God determines,
what God decides, He has decided since forever and it's good for
forever future, whether that makes sense to say it that way
or not. Whatever it was in the past and whatever will be, it
is exactly as He chose. If He made the choice for me,
when He saved me, look with me there in 2 Timothy chapter 2, It's a faithful saying, for if
we died with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also
deny us. If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithful. He cannot deny himself. Once
the Lord Jesus, and I don't understand this, I don't understand the
grace behind it, I don't understand how it works, but I know this,
once the Lord Jesus lays hold on a sinner, and so envelops
him and enwraps him or her, and so joins himself to that sinner,
that sinner's no longer just a regular person. That sinner's
joined to heaven itself. That sinner's joined to the very
God of gods. That sinner is someone who's
in Christ. in Christ. If He made the choice
of me, when He saved me, before the foundation of the world,
and if He chooses me, oh my, even when I fail to choose Him.
Look there again, Matthew chapter 26. Matthew 26, let's begin with
verse 31. Then said Jesus unto them, All
of you shall be offended because of me this night. For it is written,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before
you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto
him, Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet
will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto you, that this night, before the cock crows, thou shalt
deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I
should die with you, yet will I not deny you. Likewise also
said all the disciples. Now look down at verse 69. Now
Peter sat without in the palace. This is after he had denied the
Lord Jesus. And a damsel came unto him, saying,
You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all,
saying, I know not what you say. And when he was gone out into
the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto him that were there
this fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. He was a disciple. And again he denied with an oath. He cussed and swore. I don't
know this man. And after a while came unto him
they that stood by and said to Peter, Surely you are one of
them. For your speech betrays you.
You talk just like him. You use his phrases. You speak
his word. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I don't
know the man. And immediately the cock crowed.
And Peter remembered the word of the Lord Jesus, which said
unto him, Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me three times.
And he went out. and wet bitterly. We are all
deniers of the Lord Jesus, if it saves our own hide, if it
saves our own reputation, if it spares us some embarrassment,
if it spares us some discomfort. Oh, how many times throughout
the day. Oh, we may not cuss and swear. No, no, no, I'm not
a Christian. No. Oh, but how many times? Here's my worst sin, might be
yours. My worst sin is keeping my mouth shut. One ought to speak. Is that not a denial of the Lord
Jesus? Someone who needs to hear the word and I say, well, if
I do that, I'm going to mess something else up and I'll just
say nothing. It's a denial of the Lord Jesus. But oh, I'm not
counting on my salvation being based on Mark Daniel's ability
to overcome his own impediments. Mark Daniel's a sinner, a helpless
sinner just like every other sinner. I'm counting on the Lord
Jesus. who loves me in spite of my denials
and in spite of my failures. If then, if my salvation is entirely
God's choice, at whatever point therein I can rest and I can
find relief. Thirdly then, if by his death
Christ rendered it, and I love this thought, if by his death
the Lord Jesus rendered it, impossible for me to be lost. By this too,
I may know what I'm saying. Look at Isaiah 53, a couple of
verses with me. Isaiah 53, let's begin with verse
10. If God's satisfaction with his
death sealed my pardon, I can have assurance. Look at verse
10. Yet it pleased the Lord, it satisfied God Almighty, to
bruise him. For he hath put him to grief,
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, shall be
satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the
strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and
he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors." If God's satisfaction
with his death sealed my part, by this I may know. I'll be found
in him, that I may have assurance. Secondly, if the blood of Christ
alone is all that guarantees my salvation, by this I may know
that I am saved. Look at Romans chapter 5. Romans 5, let's look at the beginning
of verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, inability, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commends his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Look at this response. Much more
than. Much more than. All it was was
the simple recitation of those words. Christ died for us and
here's the result. Much more than. Being now justified. By His blood we shall be saved
from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God while we hated God, Reconciled to God
by the death of his son. You know, I don't know how that
works. I remember, I remember preaching a false gospel for
a long, long time. And according to what this says
right here, God was reconciled with me a long time before I
was reconciled to him. He was reconciled to me and me
blaspheming the gospel, me blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ. And he,
and he loved me. And he loved me for the sake
of another, loved me for Christ's sake. Oh my. If the blood of
Christ alone guarantees my salvation, and if everyone, here's another
way, if everyone for whom Christ died must be saved by this, may
I know that I am saved. Look in John chapter 10. John chapter 10 verse 14. I am the good shepherd, Lord
Jesus says, and know my sheep, and I am known of mine, and the
Father knows me. As the Father knows me, even
so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Then came the Jews, round about
him, and said unto him, How long do you make us to doubt? If you
be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because
you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep,
my sheep hear my voice, and I know them. I'm one with them, I'm
intimately associated with them, and they follow me. And I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. If everyone for whom Christ
died must be saved, thereby I may know that I have eternal life.
Now let me see if I can finish up quickly here. I'm going to
give you two more things by which we may be assured of our salvation. If I am unable to prevent the
Spirit's quickening grace by this as well, may I know that
I am saved. If I do not have the power within
me to deny the Lord's will to save this sinner, I have some
assurance in that. I find some assurance there.
Look quickly with me to Galatians chapter 3. Galatians 3, let's look at verse
21. Is the law then against the promises
of God? God forbid. For if there had
been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. It would have been. But the scripture
hath concluded all under sin. that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ, let me explain that. I've heard a lot of people
lately say that that's the faith of Jesus Christ, that it's Christ's
believing for me. There may be some truth in that,
but it's looking the other way. It's the faith of which Jesus
Christ alone is the object. That's the only faith we know.
Whatever the gift is that causes a cold, hard-hearted, dead sinner
to believe, that's certainly Christ's part. He's got to give
me that. But we all have, by God's grace,
we have that experience. I have a heart that says, I believe. I trust Him. I'm relying on Him. And there it says that when he
talks about the faith of Christ, it's the faith of which Christ
alone is the object. That promise of Him being the
object of my faith might be given to them who believe. That is
our gift. Now, let me go very quickly.
We'll finish up. Finally, if I am so kept by the
grace of God that I am unable to forfeit any of these great
blessings that we've discussed this morning, by this also I
may have assurance that God has blessed me to know His Son. If
God's grace is merely a potentiality, as most preachers are preaching
this morning, a possibility dependent on my efforts, that is, if God's
saving grace can be overturned, I can't know if I'm saved or
not. There's no way to know. If God's electing grace, if those
he chose can fall short, then I can't be confident of salvation
at all. You can tell me that I am elect. What good is it going
to do me if one of God's elects can possibly end up being lost?
If the blood of Christ can be unsuccessful, if He could shed
His precious blood in atonement, full payment to God Almighty
for a sinner's sins, and that sinner died lost, there's no
way you can know whether you're saved or not. If the Spirit's
quickening grace can be undone, He can make you alive and then
you'll die again? Oh my, if that's true, then I
can't ever be assured of eternal life. No, the opposite is exactly
just as much true. If God's saving grace cannot
be changed, some sinner upon whom he fastened his eyes and
set his love and sent his son to pay the price and sent his
spirit to find you no matter where you were, If God's saving
grace cannot be overturned by this, I may know that I'm saved.
If God's electing grace cannot fall short, cannot fail of its
target, then I have total confidence that I may be saved. If the blood
of Christ cannot be unsuccessful, it can't fail to atone for those
for whom it was shed, then I have absolutely assurance, full assurance
of being found in Him. And if the Spirit's quickening
grace gets to our will, as that one man said, with our full consent,
if the Spirit's quickening grace cannot be undone, cannot be overpowered. And there's never been a sinner
put upon the face of this earth that has the power to deny the
Holy Spirit. He's God. He'll do what he wants
to. He'll save if he wants to. Worthless sinners that we are.
If the Spirit's quickening grace cannot be undone, And I am convinced
of eternal life. I'm going to finish with Romans
chapter 8. A few verses there and we'll stop. Romans chapter
8, verse 31. Romans 8, 31. What shall we say then to these
things if God before us Who can be against us? He who spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, that is, all
of his people. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things, all the things that Christ purchased?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God
who justifies. Who's he who condemns? It's Christ
that died. Rather, who's risen again. Whatever he did, it worked. who
is even at the right hand of God, still sustaining us there,
who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it's written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things We are
more than accomplished through him who loved us. For I am persuaded,
and I hope you are as well, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor power, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let's pray. Oh, Father, how gracious you
are that sinners like us meet here in this room this morning
and we can actually call you our Father. Not only that, Lord,
it's not just that we hope that we might do something today that
would cause you to love us or that we can hope that maybe you
will pardon us, Lord, in the hour of our failures. Lord, that
we have assurance. that you have placed upon your
son every sin we've ever sinned, and every sin we've yet to sin,
and that, Lord, you've already put them away. And I pray you
give your people assurance this day and cause us to rejoice for
Christ's sake. Amen.