If you will, turn to 1 John chapter 5 again, hold your hands there, and turn with me to John chapter 20. I want to read two texts of scripture. John chapter 20 and verse 30. The apostle John is concluding his gospel narrative, his history of our Lord's life and work and ministry upon this earth. And he says in verse 30, John chapter 20 in verse 30, many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. And that believing you might have a life through his name. John said, this is the reason now I've written what I have so that you might believe and believe it that you might have life. The same John writes in first John chapter five and verse 13. concerning his epistle, that which he has written by divine inspiration, giving instruction, further detailed instruction, explaining our Lord's life and ministry upon this earth in his words. He says in verse 13, these things have I written unto you, to you who do believe, to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. And my object this morning is that you may believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and believe it that you may live forever before God Almighty.

Smart people, I don't mean academics and intellectuals, I just mean smart folks. Smart people ask smart questions. I run across a lot of smart alecks who ask smart aleck questions, vain, confusing, meaningless questions, questions that amount to nothing. But smart people ask smart questions And I must confess that I rejoice in the privilege of giving answer to carefully thought out questions. for men and women who are concerned for the glory of God, the truth of God, and for their own souls. I frequently receive telephone calls from people who are concerned about those things and they ask questions, some questions that are of real significance and of real importance and questions that are practical, everyday questions concerning their souls.

Now, this morning, I want to answer some questions I hope you're asking. And that's my subject, some questions I hope you're asking. Now, in raising and answering these questions, I'm going to make some broad assumptions. Some assumptions that I recognize may possibly not affect some of you, but assumptions that I think by and large can safely be made with this congregation. The first assumption is this, I assume that you're here. to a greater or lesser degree because you have some concern with regard to your immortal soul. I presume you're here because you recognize one of these days before long you're gonna meet God in judgment and you're gonna spend eternity somewhere. Now I hope that's so. I hope you at least have some concern for your soul.

What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? There is nothing, nothing, nothing important by comparison. Did you hear that? There is nothing important by comparison. What will it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul? If you don't have Christ, no matter what else you have, you've got nothing. You've got nothing.

And if you have Christ, no matter what else you don't have, you've got everything needful, for you've got him who is the one thing needful. So I hope that you're here concerned about your immortal soul. One of these days, one of these days before long, you're going to be put in a place of everlasting blessedness, in the presence of God Almighty, in everlasting life and glory, or you're going to be put into a place and state of everlasting torment, of endless death. misery, destruction, and cursedness, where there is no light but only darkness, no righteousness but only evil, where man in his heart is given vent to all iniquity and corruption, and yet has no satisfaction, just nothing but torment and sin and darkness, because that's what sin deserves. And God will take all his enemies, and put them in hell where they can do no harm.

Now that's fact, that's just fact. Secondly, I assume that you believe this book right here to be the word of God. Do you? Right here. Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and recorded these words for us. All scripture given by inspiration of God, that is those men who were used of God to pin the words of scripture that we hold in our hands, wrote that which is indeed God's very word so that this book is the only book which speaks authoritatively from heaven itself. This book is the only book in all the world that can give us clear, authoritative, divine instruction with regard to things concerning God and our souls.

Now I presume you believe that. I'm not going to make any effort to prove that to you. I'm talking to folks, I presume, who believe the Bible's the word of God. If you don't, I'm sorry I've got nothing for you. This book is God's word and my only appeal is to this book. We will make no appeal in trying to answer these questions to man's reason. We'll make no appeal to man's ideas. We'll make no appeal to creeds and confessions of faith. We'll make no appeal to theology textbooks, good as they may be in themselves, but this is our authority. What does God say?

That's the only thing that's of concern to us. And thirdly, I presume I presume that you're here because you are convinced to a greater or lesser degree that I'm speaking to you as God's messenger. Now I ask you who are God's children, pray for his messenger. The Apostle Paul cried, who's sufficient for these things? Here I am, a man whose responsibility it is to speak to eternity bound sinners whose immortal souls may very well be affected forever by what I say. Now then, Paul said, we are ambassadors for God.

As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. Now if these things are so, if you're concerned about your soul, if you believe this book to be the word of God, if you believe that I'm standing here talking to you not as a man who is a religious professional who's just concerned about what he can get from you and what he can do with you, but a man who speaks to you as God's messenger, give me your attention. Give me your attention for just a little while. take just a little time away from all the things that attract your attention in this world and pay attention for a little while, I've got something to tell you from God himself. I want to answer some questions. I hope they're questions that concern you. Here's the first one.

How can a sinner, how can a sinner be saved? A sinner. Oh, I hope God's taught you enough to know that you're a sinner. A sinner. This is a question that any thoughtful person ought to ask at some time or another in his life. Everyone talks about salvation, but the very idea of salvation presents a problem. It presents a huge problem to anybody who thinks about it.

If God Almighty is perfectly holy, and he is, If God Almighty is perfectly righteous, if he cannot look upon iniquity, if he cannot tolerate evil, and I am a sinner incapable of doing anything but evil, incapable of doing anything good, a sinner lost and dead and trespasses and sins, how on this earth is it possible for a sinner to be saved by a holy God? How can God in his holiness take me, a sinner, into union with himself in everlasting life? Now that ought to concern you, for that's the very issue about which the gospel centers. That's the very, that's the very crux of the matter of the gospel of God's free grace. This is a question that has concerned me and over the ages.

Turn back to the book of Job. The book of Job, in all probability, was the first book the very first of books with regard to the things of God. Job lived apparently prior to the days of Abraham. Job was a man who was learned of God in many, many ways. He was taught of God experimentally.

But Job and his friends had some questions. They had some questions that had to be dealt with, questions that from the beginning of time plagued their hearts, questions that from the beginning of time they said must be answered. Look in the book of Job chapter 25. You remember Job's three friends came to him And they began to argue with him about his attitude and so forth. But they asked some questions as well, some questions of importance.

In Job 25 in verse 4, Bildad says, how then can a man be justified with God? How can a man, a sinner, be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that's born of a woman? Same thing. How can a man born to pray, born guilty, born corrupt, born a sinner, be made clean before God Almighty? How can that happen? Turn back to chapter 15. Eliphaz asked the very same question. Job chapter 15 and verse 14.

He says, what is man, that he should be clean? And he which is born of woman, that he should be righteous? Behold he, that is God, putteth no trust in his saints. Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water. And Job himself, that's the same thing. Turn back to Job chapter 9. Or chapter 14, rather. And verse 4. Who can bring a clean thing? out of an unclean, not one. Now how can a man be saved? How can a man be saved?

Job answers plainly with regard to himself in the ninth chapter. He says in verse 20, if I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I'm perfect, my own mouth will prove me perverse. So Job says, I can't justify myself. I can't declare myself to be just. I cannot, by some work that I do or by some statement that I make or some decision that I make, make myself clean before God. This is something that a man cannot do for himself.

If indeed I am made clean, I must be made clean by something that God does for me, because I am a sinner dead in trespasses and sins by nature. So I cannot, by some decision or by some will or by some work of mine, make myself clean before God. If I am made clean, God's got to do it. And I'm telling you, if you're made clean, God's got to do it. Will you hear me?

If you're ever saved, you must be saved by something God does, not by something you do. Salvation is of the Lord. Now, there are certain things that are clearly manifest in the scriptures. Salvation is by grace, by free and sovereign grace. Salvation is not by an offer of grace, but by an operation of grace.

And there's all the difference in the world. Most people have the idea that somehow God offers you grace and says, now won't you please take it? And by this grace that God offers you with something you do with it, to it, or for it, you can save yourself. But that's not the case at all.

God's grace is his operation in you. God's grace is what he does in you and for you by his own power and by his own work. So salvation, when the scripture says salvation is by grace, or by grace are you saved through faith, he's declaring that this grace and this faith and this salvation is God's operation. Salvation is by divine choice.

It must be. I know that we're living in a day and age when everybody thinks, everybody presumes that salvation is by a man's choice, a man's decision, a man's free will. After all, God wouldn't violate your will. After all, God loves you too much to make you a robot and all the nonsense that folks say.

But I'm telling you, this business of salvation has got to be by somebody's choice. Somebody has got to decide who's saved. Somebody's got to decide who will be made an heir of everlasting life. Somebody's got to decide who will enter into everlasting glory. And that somebody is not you.

It's God Almighty. Salvation is by God's election, by God's choice, by God's decision, not by yours. This choice of salvation is God's eternal election. The scriptures are abundantly clear. The scriptures tells us that God from the beginning has chosen you to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, that is through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. God from the beginning ordained you who believe unto everlasting glory.

God from the beginning has chosen you. Our Lord said to his disciples, you didn't choose me. You've not chosen me, but I've chosen you. And he says that to you and me. If you're a disciple of Christ, if you're a believer, it's not because of a decision you made, but because of a decision God made in eternity. Now don't argue with that. Don't get upset with that. I'm just telling you the truth.

Salvation is by God's election, not by your decision. And God's purpose of grace is predestination. God's plan of salvation is not four spiritual laws God wants you to know. God's plan of salvation is not step 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 down the Romans road. God's plan of salvation is divine predestination. God from eternity chose to save a people and from eternity he planned how he would do it and by sovereign predestination he declared this must come to pass and so he ordained all things necessary to bring his elect to faith in Christ and to glory at last.

Salvation is not only by divine choice and divine grace, but salvation is and must be by blood atonement. Now this is the issue. Without the shedding of blood is no remission. Do you hear the scriptures? How can a man be justified with God? Blood's got to come in. Blood's got to come in.

You can't be justified until justice is satisfied. You cannot be cleared of debt until your debt has been paid. You cannot stand before God Almighty without a guilty record until your guilty record has been expunged from the book of God. How can a man be just with God? Only by blood atonement.

That's why Christ died. The Lord Jesus Christ did not die to convince you that God is love. That's not it. Now, I recognize the love of God is the moving cause of redemption and grace. I recognize that the love of God is certainly manifest in redemption and grace. But Christ did not die to convince you that God loves you. That wasn't it. Wasn't it at all. My wife's convinced I love her. I've never died for her yet. I believe I would, but haven't yet.

So death is not necessary to convince you of love. Christ did not die so that men could be convinced that God is merciful and gracious, kind and good. All those things men could be convinced of without Him dying. Why did He die? Because sin must be punished. Justice must be satisfied. God's law must be honored before God can take any sinner into union with Himself. And this is what Christ did. The Son of God, by his blood, has satisfied divine justice. He has put away the sins of his people. He has redeemed us. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. The Lord Jesus, by his blood, has accomplished for us the atonement. Will you receive it? Will you receive it? You say, pastor, what do you mean? Receive the atonement. The atonement is not made by you believing, but the atonement is received by you believing. Will you receive what Christ has done? Turn to Romans chapter five, I'll show you. Romans the fifth chapter. Verse 10.

For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. long before I ever was reconciled in my heart to God. I was reconciled in God's purpose and grace to God because Christ died for me. And so far as law and justice is concerned, God reconciled me to himself when Jesus Christ put away my sins. Now read on. Much more, being reconciled. Now, now that we are reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, that is by Christ living again in heaven on our behalf as our representative.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement. You see that? Received it. How? Just like this. Oh, I needed that. I needed that. I need somebody to satisfy the justice of God for me. Jesus Christ has satisfied divine justice for all who trust him. I trust him. Will you? That's what it is to receive the atonement. Salvation is not only by redemption and grace and choice, but salvation is by sovereign regeneration. It is by Holy Spirit regeneration. It is by the new birth.

Turn over to John chapter 3 and read that very familiar passage of scripture in which our Lord gives instruction to Nicodemus, a religious man who didn't know God. A very religious man who knew the Bible, but he didn't know God. He knew the law, but he didn't know God. He was moral, but he didn't know God. And our Lord said to Nicodemus in verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again.

Now that word again, may be translated again, that is another time, a second time, or it may be translated from above. Both are accurate. Except a man be born a second time from heaven, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus, like most smart alecks who get pinned up, ask a smart aleck question. He saith unto him, how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?

I had no question, Nick, there wasn't a sincere word in that sentence. That Nicodemus wasn't in the least being sincere, he was attempting to ridicule the doctrine of the new birth. But our Lord Jesus answered him according to his ridicule. He says in verse five, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, that is, be born through his mother's womb, and of the Spirit. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Can't be done. For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again. Must be. Must be. Why? Well, I'll tell you why.

Dear Christy Hart sitting back there, that sweet girl, you can't be accepted of God like you came into this world. Can't be. You can't be accepted of God in your corrupt nature. You cannot be accepted of God in your depraved heart. You cannot be accepted of God in your depravity, corruption, and death, in your sin. It can't be.

Well, what on earth does it take for a man or woman to be accepted with God? Not only must your record be expunged from guilt and sin in heaven and a righteous record be given you, but you've got to be made righteous. And only God can do that. You got to be given a righteous nature, a holy nature. Christ has got to be planted in you. You must be born again. Otherwise, you can't enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Now, you may wonder why we don't play on people's emotions and why we don't have altar calls and try to get folks to make decisions when they're kids and all the nonsense that goes on in religion. I'll tell you why. Because getting you to come down the front here and say, I believe in Jesus, getting you to kneel down at some imaginary altar and weep and cry and pray and say the sinner's prayer, getting you to join the church, and getting you to even live right, as far as men are concerned, can't give you a new nature. Can't be done.

How on earth, preacher, can I get a new nature? The wind bloweth with us. Thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of God. This is how you get that new nature. God the Holy Spirit must come to you and give you life. And I'm telling you, just as frankly and plainly as I can possibly tell you, if he does, you'll live.

If he doesn't, you'll never have life. You'll never have life. Salvation's in God's hands, not in yours. Salvation by God's operation, not by yours. Salvation is God's gift to you, not your gift to God. Salvation comes to men and women by the imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now listen carefully to me. If you go into glory, if you go into glory, you've got to have your sins pardoned. You've got to have a new nature. And you got to have perfect righteousness. You got to have it. You got to have it. You got to be perfect before God. Holy in God's sight. Well, how on earth can a sinner be made holy? How can a sinner be made holy?

Only by imputation. No other way. The Lord Jesus Christ was made to be sin for us when he suffered and died as our substitute. Now Jesus Christ did not do anything evil. He did not commit any transgression. He did not in any way do any evil thing or think any evil thing, but he was made to be sin by divine imputation.

That is our guilty record. Our transgressions were placed on his account insofar as God's judgment and justice is concerned. And Jesus Christ had his name placed at the top of our ledger and he became responsible for our sins imputed to him so that God Almighty treated him as a sinner because he was made to be sin and he killed him. And he said that's enough. In exactly the same way, we who believe are made the righteousness of God in him. The son of God has expunged our guilt and God has placed on our ledger his spotless righteousness.

Do you understand that? That's what justification is. And the only way you can get it is by God giving it to you through the merits of his dear son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way a sinner can be saved then is for God to save him. Well, does that mean that we sit around and fold our arms and wait for lightning to strike from heaven and say, well, if I'm predestinated to be saved, I'll be saved. If I'm not, I won't. Only if you're a fool. Only if you're a fool. Only if you're a foolish, determined rebel before God.

But if you're concerned about your soul, you'll do like that Philippian jailer. Turn to Acts chapter 16. Let me show you. The Philippian jailer, concerned for his soul, asked the apostle Paul this question. And this is my second point. Oh, how I would love to hear somebody ask this question today. It's been a long time since I heard anybody ask it. This Philippian jailer came in chapter 16 of Acts and verse 31. He brought out Paul and Silas and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved?

What must I do to be saved? Now I realize that almost everybody, when they're first concerned about their souls, being legalist all of us are by nature, we want to do something. You remember the rich young ruler came to the Savior and he said, good master, what good things shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? He thought that he could by his doing get to glory. But I do want you to understand that when the Apostle Paul heard this Philippian jailer ask, what must I do to be saved? He told him what to do.

Read the next verse, verse 31. And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. That is, you believe on the Lord Jesus, you'll be saved. And if your house believes on him, they'll be saved too. And they did. And his whole house was baptized that night and worshiped the Lord God.

I know that faith is a gift of God. No one can and no one will believe on the Lord Jesus until God gives him faith. Are you listening to me? You want and you can't believe unless God gives you faith. Faith is God's gift. But the Word of God never suggests that the Holy Spirit is going to believe for you. The Word of God never suggests that somehow you're to just be indifferent and passive about this thing with regard to your soul. Not at all. You have a responsibility and your soul is hanging in the balance of your response to God's word and God's declaration. The Lord God says, I've called and you've refused. I stretched out my hands and you didn't regard it. And therefore I'm going to deal with you in wrath because you wouldn't hear me. You wouldn't hear me.

Yes, it is your responsibility to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must believe and you must believe for yourself. Salvation is by faith and faith is not by proxy. Faith is not even by proxy. If you back up a little bit to verse six, the apostle says, The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? That is to bring Christ down from above. Or who shall descend into the deep? That is to bring up Christ again from the dead. Faith doesn't say, what shall we do? Faith declares it's already been done. What saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which we preach. It's right in your mouth, right in your heart.

I listen to folks talk and I hear them take God's name in vain. And sometimes I get angry and sometimes I'm very pitiful. I feel sorry for them and look upon them with great pity. A man smashes his finger with a hammer and he says, God or Jesus or geez. And I think to myself, Oh would to God you knew it. That's the word of faith That's it. That's it.

You may not you may not bow to him in this world But I'm telling you the word is in your heart and in your mouth. You can't get rid of it. You can't get rid of it Infidels and atheists as soon as they experience some traumatic thing cry Oh God The word is in your heart and in your mouth. You can't get rid of it.

Listen what it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, for with the heart men believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Faith is the free, personal, voluntary commitment of myself to Jesus Christ. I'm calling on you right now. I'm calling on you to commit yourself to the Son of God. That's what faith is. It's not saying I believe in Jesus, everybody does. It's believing. Believing. I read a long time ago, I forgot where I read it. This is supposed to have been a true incident that happened during the Chicago fire in the previous century. There's a huge fire in Chicago, just leveled the city.

There's a young boy in one of those tall buildings, and the firemen couldn't get up to him, but they took one of those big nets, and they called for that boy to jump. Now, the boy standing in the building consumed in flames and smoke, and there's no way to escape, no way to get out. He's convinced that the fire and death is certain.

And there are the firemen there with that net. And he may or may not be convinced that they can catch him and everything will be well. It's a long drop. It's a long drop. But finally, he's convinced he has no choice. His only hope is to venture his entire life in the hands of those firemen and that net. And he just falls.

That's a pretty good picture of faith. That's a pretty good picture of faith. What is it to believe on Christ? Convinced I have no hope but Him. On Him I fall for my all in all. That's it. That's what it is to believe. It's to commit yourself to the merit and the power and the grace and the glory of the Son of God. That's what it is to believe.

The scriptures universally declare that salvation is by faith, and the scriptures tell us why. In Romans 4, 16, we're told that it is in faith that it might be by grace. That is, we simply receive salvation by faith, we don't perform it. We're told that it is by faith that there should be no boasting, no boasting on our part, for even the faith by which we receive God's grace is the gift of God's grace. We're told the salvation is by faith because Christ did the work. He by himself purged our sins. He by himself put away sins. He by his blood obtained eternal redemption for us.

Again, I repeat, faith accomplishes nothing. Please understand that. Faith doesn't put away sin. Faith doesn't cause God to smile on us. Faith doesn't somehow change God's justice. Faith doesn't somehow change God's mind, not at all. Faith simply receives what Jesus Christ has accomplished. We look to him who is our justification, our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption, trusting him. We receive all that he is and all that he's done. Thirdly, I'm sometimes asked, can a person be saved and not know it? Now, perhaps a better way to put the question would be this. Can a person be saved and not have the assurance that he's saved? Let me say this first.

I know full well there are a lot of people, a lot of people, who have a no-soul salvation who are as lost as hell itself. A lot of people, I have no question about that. The word of God makes that abundantly clear. Preachers everywhere are telling lost people that they're saved because they're scared to death for somebody to question whether or not they're saved. After all, after all, I'll give you a classic example. I'll give you two of them.

I had a telephone call several years ago from a lady that was real concerned, a relative of hers. This fellow was shacking up with some woman, living with her, and they weren't married. He got messed up with drugs and alcohol and all this stuff. She called me up and she said, you know, he's even beginning to doubt his salvation. I said, don't you reckon it's time? Don't you reckon it's time? Huh? But he believed. But he made a decision. But he joined the church. But he said the sinner's prayer. And to admit that he's lost is to admit that I'm lost if that's my salvation too. That's the reason preachers chase folks down trying their best to convince them they're going to heaven when they're on the road to hell.

Shelby and I were in a hospital visiting my mother. We have cats out of the bag. Maybe we'll say on Thursday Visiting my mother and her blooming preacher Little old mealy-mouthed wimp of a thing came in. He's talking to my sister. I overheard conversation They talked so spiritual, you know Well, you know she had begun to doubt her salvation, but I was able to assure her I Would tell you something I'm gonna tell him first time I get a chance I The only person who will give assurance to a lost person is another lost person.

That's the only one. That's the only one. I'm not here to assure anybody their salvation. That's God's business. That's God's doings. I can't do it. I can't do it. But I'll tell you what the book says. Many live in assurance and die in assurance who have no salvation. Read Matthew chapter 7. Just go home and read it. Verses 22 and 23.

There are many who will stand before God himself in the last day and say, Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in thy name? Have we not cast out devils in thy name? Have we not performed miracles in thy name? Have we not preached and prophesied in thy name? And he'll say to them, depart from me, you cursed. I never knew you.

So assurance isn't necessarily salvation, not at all. But at the same time, there are some genuine people, genuine believers, people who are genuinely born of God, who like the blessedness of genuine assurance. When the congregation stands to sing, blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. They may say the words, but in their hearts, they're crying, Oh, I would to God.

I knew what that's all about. So how do you know that? Because this other text that we read here in first John 5, 13, John said, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. In other words, John's saying, now I know some of you there, you're struggling over this thing. Some of you I know are up and down, in and out, and Satan assaults your heart and soul, I know that. And I've written this so that you who believe may know that you have eternal life.

William Cowper, As our Scottish brother would correct me, William Cooper, that's proper pronunciation of his name, but we spell it like cow, so we pronounce it like cow. William Cowper spent his whole life, even after God saved him, tossed up and down, wondering whether or not he was elect to reprobate and his soul was crushed. just crushed. Over in old England, there was a path between he and John Newton's houses because Cowper kept Newton busy, just trying to find some peace in his heart and soul. They were dear friends, but Cowper simply lived and died without the blessed peace of assurance.

I read just a few weeks ago of a man who on his deathbed had been such a strong believer strong, faithful soldier in the army of God. And his children, none of them were believers. And he knew he was dying, so he called his family together. He said he wanted to visit with them before he died. And his sons and daughters came in and stood by his bed.

And when they were all gathered there, suddenly the man was simply overwhelmed with unbelief for the first time since God saved him. Just overwhelmed with unbelief. It turned to God's glory and their good. After he died, the older boy got the family together and he said, if it was so hard for our father to die, what do you think it's going to be like for us? He feared God, we don't. And they were converted as a result even of that.

But what I'm saying is this, many of God's saints have difficulty with assurance. I have a very dear friend who is living as a result of a stroke and severe difficulties. He's had several strokes and he can't hardly walk and his mind doesn't function like it used to. All his life, so confident. So what an example of faith. But now his mind doesn't function like it used to.

And every time I talked to him, he said, Don, you wouldn't believe, I have no assurance. I have no assurance. I don't know what's happened to me. And I keep reminding him, God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you, not when you see it. When I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Well, how can I know that I'm saved, that I'm born of God?

Many of God's saints like assurance because they look in the wrong place to get it. Through bad teaching and bad preaching, and I mean bad teaching and bad preaching, they've been taught to look in themselves for assurance. If you look in yourself for assurance, you can't find it there because it ain't there. There's nothing in you to give you any assurance. Nothing in your heart to give you any assurance. Nothing in your experience to give you any assurance. Nothing in your feelings to give you any assurance. Nothing in your works to give you any assurance. Because your heart, your feelings, your emotions, your works, your experiences, all of those things are deceiving.

Well, Doc, where on earth does assurance come from? These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. Know it. How come? Because God said it right there. God said it right there.

But I feel so sinful. My God, I don't just feel sinful, I am. But I feel so cold and dead and lifeless. I don't just feel it, I am. But there's so much in me contrary to faith and righteousness and commitment. I know that. but my feelings and my experiences and my sins do not alter God's word. And this is what God says, whosoever believing that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. That's it. That's it.

I hear preachers say any man who has known sin in his life ought to question whether or not he's a true believer. I say any man who thinks he doesn't have known sin in his life is not a true believer. God's people know they've got sin in their lives. Sin in your heart. You can't do anything without sin. You can't escape from sin. It's not something out yonder that you can just say I'm not going to go over there anymore. I'm not going to visit that place anymore. Sin's what you carry around in you.

That's what we are. Well, where's assurance? Sitting on the throne of God is our substitute, the Son of God. That's it. That's it. Martin Luther made this statement in a hymn. There are several statements here. Let me read it to you. It's just outstanding.

He said, feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. My want is the word of God, naught else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token, I know one greater than my heart whose word cannot be broken. I'll trust in God's unchanging word till soul and body sever. The words of man will pass away. God's word abides forever. John said, if our heart condemn us, and it often does, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.

The Lord Jesus came to Peter after he cussed and said, I don't know the man and denied him and had forsaken him and gone back to fishing. He came to Peter on the shore one morning and he said, Simon, do you love me? Simon said, yes, Lord. And the Lord asked him again. He said, yes, Lord. And the Lord asked him a third time. And Peter was grieved because he kept asking. And he said, Lord, you know all things. You know all things.

You know what I've done. And you know what I've said. And you know where I've been. And in spite of all that, you know that I love you. How do you know? that you're born of God. God says in his word, he that believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And I do believe it. Do you? I do believe it.

C.D. Cole said it's the blood of Christ that secures our salvation and the word gives assurance. The blood secures and the word Yes, faith is evidenced in a man's life in many ways. Faith worketh by love. Faith bears the fruit of the Spirit because the Spirit of God working in us produces fruit in us according to the character of our God. Faith makes a believer a new creature in Christ so that all things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Faith makes a believer poor in spirit. Faith makes a believer meek. Faith makes a believer to be righteous. All of those things. But I'm telling you, the assurance of faith is Christ himself. That's all. That's all.

Fourthly, I can't spend much time here, but this is an important question. Is it possible for a saved person to ever be lost? This is a question that Satan used to try to keep me from Christ. So I want to address it to you. Maybe some of you had the same question. Even before God saved me, I had observed a good many people who had professed faith in Christ and run well for a season, but then forsook it. I remember one night sitting in services, not long before God saved me, oh, probably a year or so, I'd gone to church for some reason. And I knew this old boy who was several years older than me. He was probably 20, 21 years old at the time. And he had been around there. I mean, he had been around there. Been in reform school, in and out of it, ever since he was a teenager.

And one night in services, He's sitting on the back, and I'm not lying to you. He jumped up out of the pew and walked across the back of two or three men down the aisle just squalling and sobbing and crying, and boy, things were changed. Boy, things were changed. He made a big splash, and everybody made a big commotion. In six months, he's back just like he was before.

Another fellow in our neighborhood serving time in penitentiary now, probably spend the rest of his life there. He was in the same church. You may remember the riots they had with a white supremacist in Greensboro, North Carolina. Folks got killed. He was the man who pulled the trigger. I knew a lot of folks like that, still do.

And the devil used them and certain scriptures to torment me. After all, the scripture talks about those who once tasted and then fell away. Scripture talks about folks who had fallen from grace. Scripture talks about folks like a dog returning to his mother in the south or walking in the mire, better they'd never known the way of life. They hadn't known it before. Scripture talks about folks who must endure to the end, and they shall be saved.

And Satan raised all of those issues with me and said, you can't go back. You ain't gonna make it. You can't do this. You'll just be an embarrassment Now I'm back to this. But then, somebody, somewhere, gave direction to 1 John 2, verse 19, where John says, they went out from us, but they were not of us. And if they had been of us, then we would no doubt have succeeded them. If they went out, it might be made manifest that they were not of us.

At a level, you sort of ask just this. Mount Parker has now been walking in this way for 27 years. And preaching this gospel for 25 years. I was 27 when I passed away for nearly 25, 24 years. And we were saints of the faith. And you were saints of the faith. They were not promised because they were not all. If they had been us, they'd soon be writing books. But they went out and let them be manifest. They were not all of us.

And God promises every sinner who trusts in his Son, he's not a liar, and he comes to you with a promise. I know that what's written in God's book, it should be written I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me.

I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me.

I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one brain, and they shall not depart from me. I will give them one heart and one and they shall have the victory. But what if you give all the gifts you want to, every gift that comes out of hell, you won't do it? But he said they shall have the victory. They shall have the victory.

The apostle Paul looked at the Corinthians, and he said, I want to assure you of this now. Now listen to me, I'm writing it. I'm writing it by divine inspiration. This is God's word to you. He will take you further from where you are. The apostle writes plainly and declares to us that God's grace, gifts, and visions, and the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. The Lord God says, I am. I take them on.

Therefore, you sons and daughters, you who believe have been sealed with God the Holy Spirit, One more question, and I'll wrap this up. If God is saving you, what's the matter with you? When the Lord God has given you faith in Christ, and you now trust the Son of God, the first thing you can do is confess Him, and when you confess Him, you can believe Him back. I wasn't preaching to the unit. The unit said, here's water. I said, I'll be right back. Philip said, do you believe in the Lord God? He said, I believe in the Lord God.

Identify yourself with Christ and his people in the waters of baptism and unite with his people and his cause, his kingdom, and addict yourself to the ministry of the Lord. Addict yourself. Let nothing interfere with the worship of God and serve Christ right where you are, right where you are. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 7 in verse 20, 1 Corinthians, and he said, let every man abide in the same color wherewith he is called.

That is, if God called you being a carpenter, you serve him as a carpenter. If God called you being a teacher, you serve him as a teacher. If God called you as a housewife, you serve him as a housewife. If God called you as a ditch digger, you serve him as a ditch digger. Serve him with everything you are, with everything you have, in all your ways. Serve him. Serve him. Now, has God given you faith? has God given you faith? O Spirit of God, come now and do for lost sinners what none can do for themselves. Grant life and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.