How can I know that I am redeemed?" Now, there are many people who
believe that a person really can't know whether he's saved
or whether he's lost until he gets to the judgment and stands
before God and hears the verdict read. Well, now, that's false. There's not a word of truth in
that, and I'm going to show you that in this message. And then
there's another error. The pendulum swings the other
way, and this frightens me just as much as that. I'm frightened
when I hear people talk about, well, a person can't know whether
they're saved, they can't be sure that they're one of the
redeemed. That frightens me. And then the
other position, I believe, is even worse. And that's the position
of presumption. I've joined the church and I've
been baptized and I'm saved and I'm ready for heaven. That presumption
which says I had an experience back when I was a child or back
when I was thirty or forty or even six months ago or a year
ago, I had an experience and I believe that Christ died on
the cross, was buried and rose again and I made a public profession
and I made a decision for Christ and I'm saved. That frightens me. I believe
that salvation is a pursuit of God. I believe that salvation
is a seeking the Lord, not only an isolated experience, not only
a repenting, a believing, a confession. I believe that we have been saved,
we are being saved, and our salvation is nearer than when we believe.
And any time a man quits the race, he never was in the race. So we're going to look at this
subject. How can I know that I'm redeemed without being presumptuous? How can I know that I'm one of
God's children without a false assurance? I don't want a false
assurance. I don't want to be like these
of whom I read in Matthew 7, who said, Why, Lord, we just
knew we were saved. we prophesied in your name, and
cast out devils in your name, and did many wonderful works
in your name. And then to hear him say, I never
knew you, I can't think of anything more terrifying, I can't think
of anything more horrible. And to hear Christ say, I never
knew you, and to hear it when it's too late to do anything
about it. I don't want to be in that group. I don't want to
find comfort and confidence in the fact that I'm religious,
or that I'm a minister, or that I'm a member of a church, or
that I've made a religious profession. I want to find that confidence
and comfort in a sure foundation, don't you? And while I'm preaching
this morning, I don't want anyone here, including myself, to assume
that you're a child of God. Well, will you listen with an
open heart? I tried to study it that way,
and I'm going to try to preach it that way. I'm not preaching
to you, I'm preaching God's message, I think, for us. Now, I'm going
to make five statements in introducing the subject. I want you to listen
to them, five statements in introducing the subject. How can I know that
I am redeemed? Now, the first statement is this.
The Lord commands us to know our state, to determine our condition. The Lord commands us to determine
our interest in Christ. This is something that he commands
us to do, and I'll give you three scriptures. First of all, in
2 Peter 1, verse 10. If you want to, you can turn
there with me. In 2 Peter 1, verse 10, the scripture
says this, 2 Peter 1.10, wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence, give diligence, make this a serious
matter, for it is that, to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you
shall never fail. Give diligence to make sure the
fact that you have been called by God, called by the Spirit,
called by the gospel, called by the grace of God, and that
you are one of God's elect. You have to give diligence to
make that certain, and make that sure. It can be sure, it can
be certain. Now then, in 2 Corinthians 13,
what I'm saying is this. God has commanded us to make
certain our interest in Christ, and to know it, to have assurance. 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5. Now listen to this. This is a
command. Examine yourselves. Examine yourselves. Now we must not get off here
and start, I don't know that anybody's thought this here,
but I hope you haven't. Well, I've had my doubts about
so-and-so, And I sure hope he or she's listening to this message.
You can't examine someone else. And believe me, I'm not preaching
this just to you. I'm not thinking, well, somebody
here, a certain person is lost and doesn't know the Lord, so
I'm going to preach to that person. That would be wrong. I've got
to examine myself, and you've got to examine yourself. That
doesn't matter whether you're the pastor or an elder or a deacon
or what you are. You examine yourself. Now listen,
whether you be in the faith, This is the question, not how
good am I, or whether I'm perfect or not. Am I in the faith? That's
what I want to know. Examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith. Prove your own self. Now, the
only way we can prove ourselves is by the Word of God. Don't
you know yourself? Know you're not your own self?
How did Jesus Christ begin you? Now, we're not examining our
experience. You might have had a real winding
of an experience, but that's not what we're trying to determine,
whether or not you had an experience. It's whether Christ is in you.
That's what we're trying to determine. How that Jesus Christ is in you,
not do you feel saved Not have you had an experience, are you
as good as somebody else? We're not examining your moral
life right now, whether you're good as the fellow next to you.
What I'm trying to determine is, does Christ live in me? That's
the question there. Know you not your own self, how
that Christ is in you? That is, except you be reprobate. Now, in 1 Corinthians 11, as
the early church came to the Lord's table, As they approached
the table of the Lord where the broken bread and the wine was
prepared, Paul tells them in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 28, he
tells them to examine themselves. Let a man examine himself. And
so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Determine
whether or not you have a relationship with Christ. It's not right for
you to take that bread if you do not discern his broken body. It's not right for you to take
that wine if you do not discern his shed blood. He that eateth
and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself,
not discerning or understanding the Lord's body." So that's clear.
Point number one, the Lord commands us to determine our interest
in Christ. Now, the second statement. The
Old Testament believers and the New Testament believers spoke
with confidence of their interest in Christ. David said, The Lord
is my shepherd. He is my shepherd, I shall not
walk. And then his dying words were
these. Now these be the dying words,
or the last words of David, Although my house be not so with God,
yet the Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, And this is all my salvation and my desire, although
he make it not to grow." Now, that's confidence. Everything
about me, David said, is crumbling. But I have a relationship with
God in an eternal covenant of mercy that's sure, and that's
my salvation. Listen to Job. Job said, I know
that my Redeemer liveth. I know it. He's my Redeemer. I am redeemed. I know that my
Redeemer liveth. And he says, though I'm going
to die and my body's going to be buried and worms are going
to destroy this body, yet in my flesh I'm going to see the
Lord. And not another I'm going to
see. Listen to Paul. I know whom I have believed.
I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed
to him against that day. I have a desire to depart and
be with Christ, which is far better. Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, a confidence." Listen to John. We know that we've passed from
death unto life. Listen to Peter. We know we're
redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without spot
or blemish. Now, if you'll note one thing
about these testimonies, every one of these men, when they spoke
with certainty and assurance, their testimony was Christ. Not their experience, not their
feeling, nor their work, nor their affiliation with a certain
group or nation or religion. Every one of them, listen to
them, the Lord is my shepherd. I know my Redeemer living. I
know whom I have believed. We know that we're redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ. Every one of these men spoke
of a relationship with a person. This is what frightens me. You
ask a person in this generation, are you a Christian? Yes, I'm
a member of the Thirteenth Street Baptist Church. Yes, someone
else, are you a Christian? Yes, I made a profession when
I was 12 years old. Are you a Christian? Yes, I joined
the church and was baptized. These men, or someone else, are
you a Christian? Yes, we were having a revival
in the old country church and the preacher preached and the
choir sang and I just felt something come over me and I went forward
and I just had a wonderful experience at the altar. You don't hear
these men of God in the Scripture base their confidence or assurance
on anything like that. They talk about a person. They
talk about a relationship with Christ. They talk about a vital
union with the Son of God. Well, I think I'm saved. I go
to church every Sunday. I just suppose I'm saved. I'm
doing the best I can. I believe I'm a Christian. I
believe the Bible. I know my Redeemer lives." That's
different language, isn't it? I know whom I have trusted and
believed. That's a different language.
All right, the third thing. Now, turn to Matthew 13. Now,
the Lord Jesus Christ illustrates this confidence, this knowledge,
Matthew 13, he says that this confidence, how can I know I'm
redeemed? Now, the Lord commands that we
have that assurance, and the Old Testament saints had that
assurance, the New Testament believers, and Christ illustrates
this and tells us this is the confidence that makes a man sell
everything he has. even sacrificing home, family,
and life for the possession of this person. Look at Matthew
13, Matthew 13.44, and Christ is speaking here.
Our Lord says in Matthew 13.44, again, "...the kingdom of heaven
is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which, when a man
hath found it, he hideth it." And he preserves it, he puts
it aside, and for joy thereof he goeth and sells all that he
hath, and buys that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had
found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had,
and bought it." What Christ is saying here is this, a man goes
through life, and he's concerned with family. relationships, and
he's concerned with social relationships, and he's concerned with business
relationships, and he's concerned with all of these little cares
and vanities of life. He's concerned with making a
place for himself, and leaving monuments to himself, and making
a name for himself, and he's concerned with all of these other
things. And then suddenly, through the preaching of the gospel,
through the work of the Holy Spirit, he comes to see He comes
to understand the mystery of godliness, a living, saving union
with Christ. He comes to discover the way
into the kingdom of God, into the family of God, into the glory
of God. And he sees that this relationship
with Christ and his influence into that kingdom makes all these
other things fade into nothingness. And he's willing to give up all
of it, he's willing to sacrifice all of it, he's willing to sell
all of it that he might possess that one living vital union that's
worth everything put together. And that's how important it is,
this confidence, this knowledge. He says almost the same thing
in Matthew 10. Look at Matthew 10. And then
this person, as Barney used to say, puts all his eggs in one
basket, burns all his bridges behind. He's still concerned
about his family. He's still concerned about seeing
that they get the right food and clothing and shelter. He's
concerned about his fellow man. He's concerned about his reputation.
But these things all take second place. He's more concerned about
his relationship with the Lord. That is his life. In Matthew 10, verse 36, A man's foes shall be they of
his own household. He that loveth father, mother
more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his
cross and follows after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth
his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake
shall find it." Now the fourth statement. Having a saving interest in Christ
is the most important thing to me personally, and I hope it
is to you. Having a saving interest in Christ. Now please, not just having religion,
not just having an acceptable reputation and relationship with
other people, having a saving interest in Christ, that's what
I'm talking about. Knowing Him, having a vital union
with Him, my sins under the blood, my heart freed from guilt, my
transgressions atoned for, to walk with God, what shall it
profit a man if he gained this whole world and lose his soul? That's how important it is. What
shall it profit a man? Christ said, if you die in your
sins, you cannot come where I am. William Carey was a great missionary. William Carey had a son whose
name was Felix. Felix followed in his father's
footsteps. God called him into the ministry. Felix became a missionary. Not well known, serving with
his father in the jungles. But Felix somehow obtained quite
a reputation of communication with the natives, with the people
of the place where he was a missionary. And the Queen of England made
him an ambassador, called him back to the court of England,
conferred a title on him, and send him back to one of the colonies,
one of the British colonies, no longer a missionary, but now
a respected, renowned ambassador of the Queen's Court. And they
came and told the old man about that, William Carey. They said,
Mr. Carey, your son has been honored
to be appointed an ambassador by the Queen of England. And
the old man wept, and these were his words. My son Felix has shrunk
from a missionary to an ambassador. To me, my friends, and I believe
it's what the old man's saying, to walk with a king is more important
than to walk with all the kings of this earth. To live in the
will of Christ To be one of his own means more than owning this
whole world and everything it has to offer. That's how important
it is. And when they shall say unto
you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, Unto wizards
that peep and mutter. In other words, go to some wise
counselor and let him determine your state. or go to some fortune
teller or some person that delves into the mysterious spiritual
world, should not a people seek unto their God for the living
to the dead, to the law and to the testimony? In other words,
go to the Word of God. If they speak not according to
this Word, it's because they have no light in them. Here's
the way to determine your interest in Christ. The Word of God. 1 John 5, 13. This is important here. Listen
to this. 1 John 5, 13. These things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know you have eternal life. The way to determine my interest
in Christ is not to look back to an experience. It's not even
to look in here and see how I feel. It's not to sit down and try
to add up the number of times that God has answered my prayer.
The way to determine whether or not I have a saving interest
in Christ, go to this book right here. Go to this book right here. To the law and to the testimony.
These things have I written unto you, that ye may know ye have
life." All right, I'm going to give you, and this may amaze,
this may surprise you. It may surprise you, but that
I thought this thing through carefully. I spent some time
a few days ago looking into this right here, and I'm going to
give you three scriptural words which can determine your and
my relationship with Christ Jesus. three scriptural words, faith,
hope, and love. That's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians
13, he said, and now about it, faith, hope, and love. He talked
about speaking with tongues and talked about giving your body
to be burned, he talked about all these religious miracles
that can move mountains and all these things. He comes down to
it and says, now about it, three things, faith, hope, and love. And my relationship with Christ
Jesus and my interest in the Lord can be determined by those
three words. Now take the first one, faith.
The scripture says, how many times does our Lord say this?
I'm just going to quote a few verses. First of all, how many
times did he say to someone, thy faith hath made thee whole? How many times did Christ say,
thy faith hath made thee whole? And did he not say this? According
to thy faith, be it unto thee according to your faith. Did
he not say this to the centurion? All things are possible to him
that believeth. Dost thou believe? Did he not
say, He that believeth on the sun hath light? He that believeth
not the sun shall not see light. Did he not say, He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall
be damned? Did not Paul write these words
in Hebrews 11, 6, without faith? It is impossible to please God. For by grace are you saved through
faith. Now then, preacher, I got faith. What kind of faith are you talking
about? This faith that saves, this faith that saves is a specific
faith in reference to Jesus Christ. It's not just a, keep the faith,
baby. It's a specific faith. It's not
just a faith, have faith. Have faith. No, it's not just,
it's not just Just that type of faith. It is faith in reference
to a person. And let me hasten to say this
faith that saves is not just faith in reference to his finished
work. How many times I've heard Baptists
especially, and we're awfully bad about this, especially presumptuous
Baptists. How often I've heard people say,
well, I'm just resting in the finished work of Christ. You
might be lost, too. Because that finished work, apart
from that person, has no power. It's not just a work that occurred
on Golgotha's hill that's saved, it's a work that was performed
by a person. And who did it is more important
than what was done. You say, what do you mean by
that? Blood was shed on that cross,
but the important thing is, whose blood was shed on that cross?
You see what I'm saying? So this faith that saves is a
specific faith in reference to a person. Faith in Christ, not
just, I believe in God, I have faith in God. Well, the heathen
has faith in his God, too. But now I want you to go to the
Word of God and let's see what this faith is that saves. Thy
faith has saved thee. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, according to thy faith be it unto thee." But this faith
is a specific faith in reference to a specific person, Jesus Christ. And I'll show you that. Turn
to 1 John, and I'll stay in the whole thing that I'm saying here.
Right now on this point, I'll stay in 1 John right now. So
turn over there to 1 John, chapter 4. I'll give you time to find
it while I'm saying this. The Lord turned to the disciples,
and he said, Whom do men say that I am? And they told him,
John the Baptist, Elias, some great person. Whom do you say
that I am? And Peter said, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God, the Christ. You are the
Christ. And our Lord said, Peter, on
this rock I'll build my church. Not on you, Peter. The church
is not built on the Apostle Peter. It's built on that particular
testimony, that particular faith, that particular belief that says
that he is the Christ. He is the Son of God. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that Christ Jesus, the Lord of glory, the one by whom the worlds
were fashioned and made, in whom all things live and move and
have their being, and by whom all things consist. Do you believe
that He in the fullness of time came down here and was made in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and as a man walked this earth
and obeyed the law and went to the cross and died under the
wrath of the Father, for our sin was bared and rose again,
and ascended back to the right hand of the Father, where He
is our Mediator." Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus
of Nazareth is the Christ? Look at I John 5, verse 1. Listen
to this. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. You have to put it clearly. that Jesus Christ is the Christ,
the Messiah, the Redeemer. That's what I believe. I believe
that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. And he's born of God. Look at 1 John 5, 5. This is
repeated over and over again. Who is he that overcometh the
world? Who is weaned from the world? Who gets the victory over
the world? He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5, 20. And we know that
the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding. He's
greater than Moses. Moses is just a servant in the
house. He's the Son. He's greater than
the priest of the Old Testament. He's greater than David. David
said to my Lord, God said to my Lord, sit down on my right
hand. David wrote of the Lord Jesus
Christ, greater than David. We believe that He is the Christ. In Romans 5 verse 6, let's go
to one other scripture in this thing of faith. Romans 5 verse
6. We believe that He is the Christ. We believe that He's
the Son of God. We believe that, secondly, that
He died for our sins. and by his death we are reconciled. Now I can't do this for you,
only God's Spirit can do it. I can't empty you of your own
righteousness and your own spiritual ego and your own self-trust. Only God can do that and bring
you to see that your acceptance with the Father is in Christ
Your reconciliation to the Father is in Christ. Everything in reference to God
that you have is in Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.
And that through his blood and through his death. In Romans
5 verse 6, now here's what Paul says, when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Verse 8,
God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Verse 10, for if when we were
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.
You believe that? Much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life. Now look at this next verse,
and not only so, but we also joy in God, we rejoice in God. through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement." Now, that's faith. That's the first thing. Thy faith
has saved you. And it's a specific faith in
a specific person. We believe that he is the Creator,
he is the Christ. He is the Sovereign, He is the
Savior. He is the Substitute, He is the
Sacrifice. And all that I am and have and
know and ever shall be is because He loved me and gave Himself
for me. Secondly, we're saved by hope. Turn to Romans 8.24. I'll try
to move rapidly, but I don't want to lose your attention.
Please stay with me, this is important. We're saved by hope. It says in Romans 8.24, for we
are saved by hope. Now then, this hope is more than
just a mental awareness of the truth. A dear lady I was having supper
with on Thursday night shocked me when she told this story. She said, uh, a few days before
my daddy died, she said, I said to him, Daddy, if there's really
life after death, and I hope there is, would you come back
somehow and show me? Now this is a church member. This is a profession. If there's
life after death, I hope there is. I hope there is. Now God's word says there is,
but that's not enough. He hopes there is. You say, well,
I hope there is too. And I hope there is too, but
my hope and her hope is totally different. She hopes there is. My hope is an expectation based
on his word. Now, hope is more than just being
aware of truth. Hope is more than just belief
in power and miracles. Hope is more than just desire. We're not just saved by desire.
We're not saved by mental awareness. We're not saved by consciousness
of power and miracles. We're saved by a hope that is
based, an expectation that's based on His Word. Now here are
four things about it. Number one, this hope that's
saved is trust in a person. Trust. David said in Psalm 71,
Thou art my hope, O Lord. He is my hope. Thou art my trust. My hope and my trust is the same
thing. Thou art my hope, Thou art my
trust. Paul said, I am persuaded, I
am persuaded. Paul had a blessed hope, but
that hope was based on a persuasion that Christ would keep, that
which he committed to Christ. You see what I'm saying? This
hope by which we're saved is not just a desire for better
things. It's not a wish for better things. It's an expectation of better
things based on the performance of a person and the word of a
person. Now, I'm not omnipotent by any
means or sovereign. But I say to you, tonight I'm
going to preach on the subject, how does the law bring men to
Christ? And somebody goes home and says,
I hope Brother Mahan preaches on that subject. Well, I told
you I would. I told you I would. So your hope can be a trust. It can be an expectation. I hope
to be saved, but that hope is a trust and an expectation based
on the performance of a person and the word of that person.
Hope that saves rests on his word. Let me show you an illustration
of that. Listen to this. Abraham in Romans 4, God told
him he'd have a son, and it says, Abraham who against hope believed
in hope. Abraham was old, and Sabaoth
was old, past the age of bearing children. But Abraham's hope
was based not on natural man's hope, it was based on the Word
of God. God said it, I can believe it,
I can trust it. Hope that saves is a living relationship
with him. Peter says, we are begotten again
unto a living hope, a living trust. Paul said in Colossians
1, Christ in you. That's the hope of glory. Christ
in you. And hope that saves is an expected
hope. When he shall appear, we shall
be like him, and he that hath this hope in him purifies himself. Looking for that blessed hope,
the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So my friends,
we're saved by faith. We're saved by hope, and that
hope is a confidence, that hope is a trust, that hope is an expectation
based on the sure word of him who cannot lie, and upon the
sure performance of him who cannot fail. And it's not a hope, a
hope, a hope, a hope, a hope. It is a hope. You see the difference? It is a boldness to have confidence
in. Him who cannot lie. And then
the third thing, quickly. Turn to 1 John 4. How can I know
I'm redeemed? I believe that Christ is the
Son of God. I believe Jesus is the Christ. I have in my heart
a sure, firm hope based on His performance and based on His
person and based on His word that cannot fail. And then love,
1 John 4. Now I want to read some Scripture. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let
us love one another, for love is of God. And every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. And he that loveth not knoweth
not God, for God is love. Look at verse 20 of 1 John 4.
If a man say I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. He
that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love
God whom he hath not seen? This is his commandment which
we have from him. He who loveth God loveth his
brother also. Now while faith in Christ is
important, Paul says I can have that And if I have not love,
I'm nothing. And hope and trust are necessary
evidences that a man is born again. But this third evidence,
this third evidence, is so undeniable that the Apostle Paul said, I
may speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not
love, I'm a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal, I may have faith
so that I can remove mountains, I may give my body to be burned
if I have not love, I'm nothing. And now abideth faith, hope,
and love, but the greatest of these is love. Now you know why
that's the greatest evidence? Because it cannot be counterfeited. you can counterfeit faith. These religious characteristics
can all be counterfeited. You can counterfeit faith and
your heart is so deceitful it can counterfeit hope. I've seen
people whom I really had no confidence at all that they knew the Lord.
I've seen them die with all kind of victorious I'm saved, I'm
going to heaven. You can counterfeit that. You
can't love if you don't love. Ain't no way. You see what I'm
saying? Ain't no way. There's no way. Love is a work
of grace. Love is a gift of God. Love is
an attitude of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to counterfeit
it. Impossible. Look at 1 John 3. Let me show
you this. Look at it. 1 John 3. And John writing here emphatically
and decisively declares, We know that we have passed from death
to life because we love the brethren. That's something you can't counterfeit.
He that loveth not his brother abides in death, and whosoever
hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know no murderer hath
eternal life in him. Hereby perceive we the love of
God, he laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. Verse 18, My little children,
let's not love in word, neither in tongue, anybody can do that,
but deed and truth. That's something you can't counterfeit?
Ain't no way. If it's not present, he's not
present. If it's not present, the Holy
Spirit's not present. If it's not present, life is
not present. That's the reason it is saving
evidence. And it's something that cannot
be It cannot be counterfeited. It cannot be shamed. It cannot
be pretended. I can walk down an aisle, shake
a preacher's hand, say, I believe this, I believe that, I believe
the other. I can stand up and preach. I can do all with a voice
of angels and tongues of angels. I can give my offerings. I can
give my body to be burned. I can give these things to feed
the poor. I can be a martyr. I can be a
hard-nosed religious theologian. But only the Holy Ghost can make
me a new creature in Christ and give me the fruit of the Spirit,
which is love and joy and peace and longsuffering and meekness,
humility and these things. And that's an evidence of whether
or not I'm redeemed. None of us love like we ought
to, but if the life is there, love is there. The seed has been
planted and it groweth daily. It is a growth in grace and faith
and love and all these things. Our Father in heaven, we thank
thee for thy presence. We thank thee for thy word. We
thank thee for speaking to us by thy Spirit. our hearts with
a knowledge of Christ, a living relationship with him, a vital
union, hope, confidence in him. But our Father grants that there
may not be an absence of that glorious evidence of life, In his name we pray, amen. Brother Don, you come and lead
us in our closing hymn. Let's turn to number 272. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but only lean on Jesus' name. On Christ's calling, rock
I stand, the ground is sinking.