Sometime ago I brought a message
from this same text in the book of 2nd Corinthians. Well, I'm
going to do it again today and Entitle this message testing
our profession or testing our faith in 2nd Corinthians 13 verse
5 Paul writes these words examine yourself examine yourself Whether
you be in the faith Know ye not your own selves, how that Christ
dwelleth in you, except ye be reprobate, examine yourselves. Now, sometimes, sometimes religious
people are a bit harsh with one another and a bit cruel. Many
religious people are quite sure that they are saved and they're
quite sure that you're not saved. They are saved. and quite sure
of it. But when they examine you, they
can find no evidence of salvation, and they're quick to judge another
man's relationship with God, and usually very slow to examine
their own hearts. But I have this to say to you,
and I want you to listen to me carefully. The very first point
I would make in this message is this. Salvation is a personal
relationship with God. Salvation and communion with
God is a very personal matter It now listen, it's so personal
in fact That it's quite impossible for you to know another man's
heart impossible you cannot I don't care who you are or Who the individual
is now? I know the Apostle Paul was saved
because God said he was He said, he's a chosen vessel unto me.
I know that Jeremiah was saved because God said before he formed
him in his mother's womb, before he came out of the belly, he
said, I knew him and sanctified him. Now, I know there's some
fellows in the scripture say, but it's impossible, impossible
for you to know another person's heart. You just cannot tell.
It's impossible for you to be sure that another person's either
saved or lost. That's a personal matter. Very,
very private and personal. But now, it is not only possible
for us to know our own state before God, but we're commanded
to know it. That's right. 2 Peter 1.10 says,
Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling
and election sure. You don't know about the other
fellow. But God exhorts you to make your calling and election
sure. When you come to the Lord's table, when the bread and the
wine is set forth, representing the broken body and shed blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul delivered these
words to us. He said, what I received of the
Lord, I deliver it unto you. Now he said, let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat. You can't examine anyone else,
but you can examine yourself. You can try your own heart. You
can try your own soul. You can try your own relationship
with God. You can see if you have any understanding
of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to
this scripture in 2 Corinthians 13, 5, my text I read a moment
ago. Examine yourselves whether you
be in the faith. So what I'm saying is this, that
salvation and communion with God is such a very personal,
private matter that it's possible for you to know beyond a shadow
of a doubt whether or not another person knows God or is saved. You can't look on the outward
countenance and tell. God looks on the heart. But you
can determine your own relationship with God. We're commanded to. We're commanded to examine ourselves.
We're commanded to give diligence to make our calling and election
sure. We're commanded to examine ourselves when we come to the
Lord's table. And then there were believers in the Old Testament
and New Testament who were quite certain of their salvation. Job
said, I know that my Redeemer lives. And though I die and worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh I'll see the Lord. David
knew. He said, the Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not walk. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever." Paul, the apostle, knew his relationship
with God. He said, I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. John, the beloved John, knew. He said, we know that we've passed
from death unto life. Well, preacher, how would you
go about examining yourself? How would you go about, how would
a man go about testing his faith? How would a man go about determining
if he really knows the Lord or if he has a false hypocritical
profession or just a church member? On what ground, on what ground
can we determine our relationship with the living God? Well, I'm
going to make six statements and I want you to listen very
carefully to these six statements. I'm taking them straight from
the scriptures. I've written some Bible-class commentaries.
They've been printed in English, and they're translating them
now into French and Portuguese, but they sent them to France
to be observed by some preachers over there, and one of the preachers
said, well, said, he only says what the Bible says. That's all
he says in his commentaries, what the Bible says. Well, that's
what we ought to say. Paul told Timothy, preach the
Word. And that's what I'm trying to do, preach the Word. And when
I tell you to examine yourself and determine your relationship
with God, I'm telling you to do it on the basis of the Scriptures.
What God says in His Word. Not feeling. You can't say, well,
I'm saved because I feel saved. I'm saved because I was there
when it happened. I'm saved because I've turned over a new leaf or
reformed my life. Listen to what the Word says.
Now, I know this. It's very important. Listen to it. A man is not saved. A man is not a Christian who
has not been born again. Now that's what the Word of God
said. I don't care if it's me or your pastor or your priest
or the pope or the president or the best man on earth or the
worst man. The most religious person, elder,
deacon, Sunday school teacher, a person is not a Christian.
He is not saved. if he's not been born again.
Now that's what the Bible says. Our Lord said to Nicodemus, listen
to it, are we going to go by the scriptures? If we don't go
by the scriptures, then we're left to just believe anything.
Anything we come up with, anything that anybody comes up with, we're
forced to believe it unless we turn to the word of God. And
Isaiah said to the scriptures, if they speak not according to
the word of God, it's because they don't have any light in
them. And our Lord said, Nicodemus, except a man is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. Again, he said, except a man
is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. So I'll answer
that question as plainly and forcefully and simply as I can
from the scriptures. I don't care who the person is
or what they claim or what kind of life they live. If a person
has not been born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, cannot
enter. Now it's important to note, now listen to me, it's
important to note to whom our Lord is speaking when he said
that. He's not speaking to a publican
or harlot or drunk, he's speaking to a religious man. He's speaking
to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, a teacher of the scriptures,
a moral Pharisee, with all the outward form and ceremony and
legalism and separation of religion. And he's saying to him that salvation
is a heart work. Salvation is not outward form
and ceremony. Salvation is not the claims of
our lips. It's the condition of our heart.
Salvation is a new life. It's a new life created by the
Spirit of God within the center. That's what our Lord is saying.
And he's saying it to one of the most prominent, moral, religious
men of his day. He's saying, you've got to be
born again. The first time you were born
of the flesh, and that which is born of the flesh is flesh.
You were born of your human parents and you became a human being
with a fleshly nature. Now you've got to be born from
above. You've got to have a new heart
and a new nature and a new life. born of God, born of the Spirit
of God, born through the Word of God. That's what the Scripture
says, born of God, born of the Spirit of God, born of the Word
of God, a new person, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Now, salvation
is not reformation, it's regeneration. Salvation is not education, it's
revelation. Salvation is not form without,
it's life within. Salvation is not lip worship,
it's heart worship. Salvation is not performing religious
duties. Salvation is real, sincere, spiritual
devotion. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, the life of Christ, then he's none of His. So I know
this is true when we're examining ourselves. If a man has not been
born again, he is not saved. He is not a believer. He's not
a Christian. And that new birth is a work of God. It's the gift
of God. It's the very life of God. It's
a new nature. And it's supernaturally given
to us by the power of God. All right, secondly, well, stay
with me. And that's what the Word of God says. Except a man
be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Secondly,
a man is not saved. He's not a Christian doesn't
matter who he is what he claims. He may be the highest religious
officer in your denomination But a man is not saved who has
not heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ and believed it
in his heart and he hasn't heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ
and Believed it in his heart. He is not saved. He's not a Christian. He's not a child of God now Can
you make good on that preacher? All right, listen to me Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how
shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how
shall they believe in him of whom they've not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher? And how should they preach except
they be sent? Romans 10, 13 through 15 and
verse 17 says, Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word
of God. No doubt, no question about it.
Christ is the gospel. The gospel is Christ and Paul
said in Romans 1 16 he this gospel of Christ is the power of God
unto salvation Every man who is saved has heard the gospel
now listen to me, and he hadn't just heard it with these ears
He's heard it in that new heart that new life given him in regeneration
by the Spirit of God Our Lord said to the disciples blessed
are your eyes they see And your ears, they hear. And your hearts,
they understand. He said, I speak to the multitude
in stories and parables because they've got eyes, but they can't
see. And they've got ears, but they can't hear. Well, who ever
heard of a man having ears, but he couldn't hear? He can hear
with a natural ear, but he doesn't hear with the heart. And they
have hearts, but they do not understand. Their hearts are
in darkness. Now listen, 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, Paul writing to the church
at Thessalonica, and he said this, Brethren beloved your election
of God Because our gospel came not unto you in word only It
did come in word, but not word only but it came to you in power
in power Power you don't power is electrical power the power
of dynamite the power of a jet engine This gospel came to you
in power in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, and you became
followers of us and the Lord. Something took place, something
dynamic, something unusual, something supernatural. The Word came,
but it came not in word only. That's how most people have heard
the Gospel, just words, words, words. That's the reason they
argue and debate and quarrel and ask questions and bicker.
And all these things is because it's just doctrine, it's just
tradition, it's just ritualism, it's just words. But to the true
believer, the Word of God is life. Life. Life. And then in 1 Corinthians
15, Paul said this, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you
the gospel which I preached unto you wherein you stand, by which
you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached to you.
That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures that
he was bared and rose again according to the scriptures My friends
a man is not saved He may have religion. He may be a preacher.
He may be a teacher. He may be a moral man He may
be example in his community, but are you listen to me? according
to this book He that heareth my word and believeth on him
that sent me hath everlasting life And shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Our gospel came
not to you in word only. It came in power. Life-giving,
life-transforming power. God made it effectual to bring
life to the soul and sight to the eyes and hearing to the ear
and light to the heart. That's right. Then thirdly, a
man is not saved who does not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
You say, you mean to tell me that I've got to believe on Jesus
Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, that Jesus is the Christ in order
to be saved? That's what God says in the Word.
That's what God says in the Word. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Listen to 1 John 5, 10. He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself, and he
that believeth not God hath made God a liar. Because he hath not
believed the record that God gave of his Son. And this is
the record that God hath given unto us eternal life. And this
life's in his Son. He that hath the Son of God hath
life. What kind of life? Eternal life.
Salvation. And he that hath not Jesus Christ
the Son of God hath not life. These things are written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may
know you have eternal life. And we know that the Son of God
has come and given us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true. This is the true God and this is eternal life. I didn't make that up. I'm reading
you that from the Scriptures. As many as received Jesus Christ,
to them gave He the power to become the sons of God. A man
is not saved who does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know
they had a television program recently and several preachers
sitting around and one of the fellows that was the master of
ceremonies or the toastmaster or whatever it is, he addressed
these two prominent religious figures and he asked them, does
a man have to believe on Jesus Christ in order to be saved?
And they hemmed and hawed around. I'll answer that question, yes.
That's what Scripture says. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath life. He that believeth not the Son
of God shall not see life. The wrath of God abideth on him.
That's what the Scripture says. And if you argue, don't argue
with me, argue with the Word of God. I've been commissioned,
anointed, called, and sent to preach the Word of God. Not to
preach what the Baptists believe, but what God says. And we're
going to give an account of what the Scripture says. What do you
believe about Jesus Christ preacher? I believe number one that he's
God in human in in human flesh. He's God In fact, he said every
spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is of God and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is Antichrist He's not of God. It's Antichrist
That's what the scripture says Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come, he has come into this world in the
flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is antichrist. I
believe that Jesus Christ is that prophet of whom Moses wrote.
He said that God will raise up from among the brethren a prophet
like unto myself and him you shall hear. And then the voice
from heaven said of Jesus Christ, this is my son, hear him. He's
that prophet. And then he's that priest to
offer a spiritual, to offer a perfect sin offering and sacrifice. Jesus
Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is
the one mediator between God and men. Jesus Christ is Lord. My friends, a man's not saved. Now listen to me. And when you
argue, argue with the scriptures, a man is not saved who does not
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe Him to be who He is.
Believe in what He did and understand to some degree, understand to
some degree why He did it that God may be just and justify sinners
like you and me. And believe where He is now.
He's the one mediator. He's at the right hand of the
majesty on high. Now, will you listen just a moment?
Are you familiar with the Scriptures? Or do you just read little bits
and pieces here and there? Do you just memorize John 3,
16 and Psalm 23? Or do you search the Scriptures
to see if these things be so? Do you read the Word of God?
Do you pray over it, meditate upon it, and diligently study
the Word of God? You can't just pick it up and
let it flop open somewhere and put your pencil down and say,
I'll read that and do whatever that says. Search the Scriptures. The Bereans did. They searched
the scriptures to see if these things be so. And I'm telling
you what it said. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath life. Now listen to me, fourthly. Listen. A man is not saved. He's not
a Christian. Who does not love the Lord Jesus
Christ? Who does not love the Lord Jesus
Christ? As he's revealed in the Word
of God. 1 Corinthians 16.22. Listen. This is what the Word
says. If any man Love not our Lord Jesus Christ. Let him be
anathema, maranatha. What's that saying? Let him be
accursed. The Lord's coming. That's what
the scripture says. Salvation, my friend, is not
just to accept Jesus. Salvation is not just to believe
that such a person lived and died and rose again. But salvation
is to love him and to worship him. Be obsessed with him and
devoted to him over there in Philippians chapter 3 Paul says
something that's very interesting He tells them to beware of false
preachers the the circumcisers of the flesh and the merchandisers
of soul then he says there We are the true circumcision who
worship God in the spirit who rejoice in Jesus Christ who rejoice
in in Jesus Christ, and who have no confidence in the flesh. My Jesus, I love Thee. I know Thou art mine. For Thee
all the follies of sin I resign. I love Thee in life. I love Thee
in death. I love Thee as long as Thou lendest
me breath. So a man is saved only when he
comes by the grace of God. to love, to love the Lord Jesus
Christ. We see Him at the right hand
of God, we're glad He's there. We see Him bearing our sins on
the cross and we rejoice in His shed blood. We see Him there
ruling and reigning over His kingdom and we rejoice that God
has exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name.
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue
should confess in heaven, earth, and under the earth that he is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. Listen to me. Number
five. A man is not saved who is ignorant of the righteousness
of God in Christ. The righteousness of God. Now,
my friend, you say, I don't quite understand what you're talking
about. Well, now you listen to me. We've got to have a righteousness. God's holy. And in order to appear
in his presence, in order to commune with God, in order to
be accepted of him, we've got to have a holiness, a righteousness.
Without holiness, no man will see the Lord. Now, if you don't
know anything about his righteousness, his provided righteousness in
Christ, then you've got to go about to establish your own righteousness. And that's what Paul said about
these people in Romans 10. He said, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. I bear them record, they have a zeal for God, but not
according to knowledge. They're ignorant. They're ignorant. I want them saved. And they're
not saved because they're ignorant of God's righteousness. And they're
going about to establish their own righteousness, and have not
submitted to the righteousness of God, for Christ is the righteousness
of God. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believes it. And let's see
if I can make that plain. Listen to me carefully. Number
one, we have no righteousness. There's none righteous, no, not
one. Number two, we have to have one, a perfect righteousness.
He said, except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of God. Number three,
we can't produce one, not by works of righteousness which
we've done. Number four, God has provided a righteousness.
By one man's disobedience, we were made sinners. By another
man's obedience, we were made righteous. 2 Corinthians 5.21
says this, He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. So God has provided
a righteousness. Where is it? In Christ, in his
life and death. How does it become mine? By faith. By faith. By faith in Christ. I have a perfect holiness. By
faith in Christ, I have perfect justification before the law.
By faith in Christ, that's where it is. I'll write the sixth thing.
A person is not saved who does not continue in the faith. Continue
in the faith. Colossians 121 says, you have
to reconcile in the body of his flesh to present you holy, unreprovable
in his sight, if you continue. in the faith, and be not removed
away from the hope of the gospel." So you see, this thing of salvation
is we have been saved, we're being saved, and by the grace
of God, we shall be saved. And repentance and faith are
not isolated acts. They're a state of being. They
continue. Have been, are being, and shall
be. And Christ is the Son over His
house, whose house we are. if we hold fast our confidence
firm unto the end.