Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved? pt. 2

Last time we looked at one question to help you examine yourself to see if you should have assurance of salvation. Let's look at question number two now.


 2. Do I see evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in my heart?
Your heart is the real you.  It is the seat of your thinking and affections.  Apart from Christ, a person's heart is evil, seeking to live for self, and has no true love for Jesus or holiness.  However, at salvation, the Spirit of God gives us new life- he regenerates us and gives us a new heart (Titus 2:5).  How can you know if this has happened?

The Holy Spirit provides subjective witness in our hearts that we belong to God (Rom. 8:15-16).  This subjective, inward testimony is then seen in our outward life as the Holy Spirit makes us more holy.  The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) begins to be develop and blossom in your life.  A non-believer can't produce these things at the truest level.  He can staple fake fruit on the tree of his life, but he can't produce the reality of this fruit apart from the working of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 7:16-20).  


Other outward evidence of the Holy Spirit's regenerating work is obedience to God's commands.  Jesus says that if you love him you will keep his commandments (John 14:21).  John says,

Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:4-6).

James 2:17-18 says that our saving faith (which alone saves us) is not alone.  It produces good works.  Living, saving faith works.

One more piece of evidence that the Holy Spirit has indeed given you new life is that you love God and do not love the world.  1 John 2:15-17 says,

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

If you have this new life in you, your affections are new.  You are not drawn to the world's pleasures and empty promises that are in opposition to God.  Instead, you love God and seek to do his will in this world.  You forsake the fleeting pleasures of sin for the everlasting pleasures of knowing God.  It's not that you avoid happiness or joy.  It is, instead, that you find true joy and happiness which is only found in knowing and obeying God.

This is what a regenerate heart looks like, and a regenerated heart is one that is sealed by God's Spirit.  Next time we'll look at question 3.

Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved?

As I draw to a close, perhaps all this has got you wondering, "How can I know I am saved?".  That is a good question.  Let's finish our study on the doctrine of perseverance by looking at four questions that will help.


1. Are you trusting in Jesus for salvation right now?
Scripture continually affirms the present, ongoing trust true believers exhibit in Christ (John 3:16, Col. 1:3, Heb. 3:14).  This doesn't mean you always trust Christ perfectly or that you never have doubt.  It does mean that you are presently trusting him for your salvation.  If you are trusting Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins and hope of eternal life right now, this is good evidence you belong to him.

Next time well look at the next question.

Pursuing Marriage: How do the biblical principles get lived out?

Below is the outline we covered at our last Bible study.  We were attempting to give a vision for how the 9 principles of a godly dating relationship we looked at in the previous weeks might get fleshed out.

I.                   Before you are ready to date. 

a.       Evaluate yourself spiritually

b.      Develop godly character and search scripture to know what type of guy/gal you are to look for.  

c.       Resolve not to date unbeliever/conversion suspect guy/gal. 

d.      Resolve to ask “how holy can I be” and not “how close to sexual sin can I get.”

e.       Ask yourself, “When will I be ready to get married?”

II.                Meeting a potential mate: “Hello there…”

a.       You goal at this point is developing godly friendships with other people in general.

b.      Where should you look to develop these friendships? Seek to meet people in natural settings (church, school, work) and in groups.

c.       Don’t single out a guy/gal and think you can be “just friends” or have a close one on one friendship.

d.      Be content in this stage, don’t just fall for anyone.

e.       Be serving God and working/studying faithfully (i.e. tend to your responsibilities).

III.             Infatuation: “I like you…”

a.       This is the butterflies in the stomach, infatuation stage.

                                                              i.      Be careful not to be feeling/emotion driven here. 

                                                            ii.      Butterflies are good, but not necessarily a sign from God.

b.      Use your mind, not just emotions, to evaluate your attraction to this person. 

                                                              i.      What qualities attract you to them?

                                                            ii.      Is it what the Bible says should attract you? 

c.       What should I do if I like this person?

                                                              i.      Guys take initiative and risk rejection. This fits the role distinctions in Eph. 5:21-ff. 

                                                            ii.      Women, don’t be afraid to ask him to clarify if he is sending mixed messages, but don’t use this to disguise you taking initiative or trying to force him to make a move (i.e. manipulating).

d.      When are you ready to go to next step (dating)? 

                                                              i.      When will you be in position to get married?  This will determine how fast you should move in the relationship (do not awaken love too early, Song of Songs 2:7).  Are you in a place to get married sooner rather than later?

                                                            ii.      It is not wise to date for an extended time because as you grow closer and deeper in affection, the physical desires become stronger (this is God’s good design for marriage, but outside of marriage it can be very dangerous).

IV.             Dating: “I’d like to get to know you better.”

a.       This is where you have asked her out, she said, “Yes.”  The goal at this stage is to begin getting to know each other better to see if this is the person for you to marry.

b.      So how much time and what kind of time should couples spend together?

                                                              i.      Continue spending the majority of your time in groups and don’t try to get to know every intimate detail of this person’s life really quickly.  You are just beginning to get to know each other.

                                                            ii.      Spending too much one-on-one time promotes a high level of intimacy (a level higher than the current level of commitment in the relationship).

c.       Don’t be cut off from accountability and other friendships.

d.      Asses if the relationship is spurring you on to godliness or feeding selfishness.

e.       Purity issues: It is God’s will that you avoid all sexual immorality (not just sex).

                                                              i.      1 Tim. 5:1-2 treat him or her as your bro/sis in Christ first, with ABSOLUTE purity.

                                                            ii.      1 Thess 4:3-8 (See v. 6, don’t wrong or defraud, exploit, cheat each other).

                                                          iii.      Intimacy should not proceed commitment (as it often does in modern dating).

                                                          iv.      Rom 13:13-14- make no provision for flesh.  Plan for purity.

V.                Engagement: “I want to marry you.”

a.       Here we are going from dating to “I want to marry you.”

b.      Should I pop the question?  If so, when should I pop the question?  Ask yourself:

                                                              i.      Do we have/can we have functional independence (how close to being able to marry are you?)

                                                            ii.      Are we mature enough (ready for the responsibilities of marriage, not just the privileges)?

                                                          iii.      Read through the article: “Should we Get Married?: Five ‘Pre-engagement’ Questions to Ask Yourselves” by John Yenchko and David Powlison.

c.       I think I want to marry him/her, but I don’t want to settle (i.e. there may be a better person)

                                                              i.      This notion of “settling” is misguided for at least 3 reasons

1.      The notion of “settling” is one of selfishness.  Instead of loving and serving another person it is about my dreams, my desires, my list of what I want.

2.      Everybody settles (all there are out there are sinners).

3.      Nobody settles (you aren’t perfect).

                                                            ii.      God calls you to be responsible, seek to apply biblical wisdom, and then make a move.  You don’t need a sign from heaven.

d.      Should I ask her parents?  Do my parents have to say it’s ‘ok’?  Honor vs. Obey (Eph 5:1-2).

e.       Once you are engaged, spend more time preparing for marriage (i.e. premarital training, growth in godliness, reading, prayer) than planning the ceremony and honeymoon.  Talk to your pastor about getting pre-marital training.

f.       Remember- you are still NOT MARRIED.  Purity is still God’s will for you (just as it is in marriage).  I would recommend a shorter engagement (about 6 months).

Reflection on the Sermon: 4/17/11

Rod was in Romans 9:1-5 this past Sunday (really it was more of an overview of Romans 9-11).  Romans 9-11 begins to deal with some questions that might arise as you finish chapter 8.  If we are secure because God promised to save us, what about Israel?  Is God unfaithful to his promises to them?  Rod showed us, via an overview of chapters 9-11, that God is faithful to Israel and therefore faithful to us. 

One good point was when he was talking about God's election of us and how a proper understanding of this doctrine (God's sovereignty in salvation) will lead you to ask the question that Paul anticipates, "Is God unjust?" (9:14).  The answer is "no."  However, the point is that this doctrine, when rightly understood, will bring people to wrestle with the justice of God (which means an understanding of God's election which tries to say he is not sovereign in salvation are not inline with Paul's doctrine of election because they don't cause anyone to say, "is God unjust?").  Praise God for his unsearchable wisdom which is far above ours.

The Persecuted Church: China

Here is an article by Dr. Al Mohler about some recent persecution of the church in China.  Let us remember the admonition of Hebrews to "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body (13:3).

Q&A About Godly Dating Relationships

Remember, this Friday I will try to answer questions that may have come to your mind as we have been going through our series on godly dating relationships.  Which means I need to know what your questions are.  Click here to submit your questions.  I'll do my best to answer them at Bible study or post answers in the coming weeks on the blog.

Biblical Principles for a Godly Dating Relationship

.Here are the nine principles of a godly dating relationship we looked at over the past two weeks. This Friday, at Bible study, we will talk about how we put this into practice in the process of finding a spouse. 

1.                  Love God- God must be the center of your life and every relationship you have with other people (Matt. 22:36-38, 6:31-33).

2.                  Love others- Christian love must characterize every relationship you have, especially with other believers (Matt. 22:39-40, 7:12; 1 Cor. 13).

3.                  Find your contentment in the Lord (Phil 4:10-13).

4.                  Be equally yoked- Christians are only to date and marry other Christians (2 Cor. 6:14, 1 Cor. 7:39).

5.                  Develop godly character- Be the man/woman God calls you to be before and while looking for the man or woman God has for you. (Titus 2:1-8).

6.                  Know the purpose of dating- Your dating relationship should be a testing ground and preparation for marriage to see if it encourages you to grow and serve the Lord (Gal. 5:13-16, Heb 10-:24-25, Eph. 5:22-33).

7.                  Handle relational conflict in godly ways (Eph. 4:29-32). 

8.                  Be very careful with  emotional and physical intimacy in dating (1 Tim 5:1-2, 1 Thess 4:3-8, Eph 5:3, Rom 12:9-10, 13:12-13, 1 Cor. 13:5).

9.                  Seek godly counsel, accountability, and discipleship- The importance of godly counsel and Christian community (Prov. 12:15, 19:20, Heb 3:12-13, Titus 2:1-8).

Reflecting on the Sermon: 4/10/11

Rod finished up his series on church leadership by talking about deacons from 1 Timothy 3.  While some individuals are called to fill the role of deacon, and to be examples of service to the congregation, we are all called to be servants (which is what the word deacon means).  This is a good reminder for us all to be serving one another within the church.  It is also good for us to pray for God to raise up some to fulfill the role of deacon in our church as we make the transition to a distinct group of elders and deacons.

Reflecting on the Sermon: 4/3/11

Continuing the topic of church leadership, Rod spoke from 1 Timothy 3.  He laid out the qualifications for elder/pastor/overseer.  This matters for everyone in our church, because we are all called to follow the example our leaders are setting (all Christians are called to godly character, leaders are required to be an example in it if they are to remain elders). 

My application from this sermon is to take these qualifications and the Fruit of the Spirit (something I was reading about in RC Sproul's book The Holiness of God) and put them on a sheet.  Each day I will review one and seek to actively "put on" the godly characteristics and "put off" the wrong ones.  By God's grace I hope to intentionally grow in godliness. 

If you are interested in reflecting more on the elder qualifications see this post (Elder Qualifications and Your Life) from last year where I outline the character qualities found in the Titus (parallel) passage.

Biblical Principles of Singleness

At our last Bible study, I began a short series on  Biblical relationships.  We started by looking at singleness and what the Bible teaches us about it.  Below are the Biblical principles we discussed.  If you missed it and want the audio, just email me (ben@gcot.org).

1. God has supplied you with an identity that transcends singleness and enables you to benefit richly from it (Gal. 3:27-29).
2. The sovereign hand of God has placed you in your present status (1 Cor 7:17).
3. God’s providential positioning is a gift which He enables us to joyfully receive and use (1 Cor 7:7).
4. Our view of our present situation should be shaped by an eternal perspective (1 Cor 7:27-31).
5. Singleness gives extraordinary opportunity for single-minded investment in ministry for Christ (1 Cor 7:7, 32-35).
6. If you are single and desire marriage, coping and fantasy are not Biblically appropriate- contentment in the Lord is (Phil. 4:10-13). 
7. “Married” is not the final destiny of any Christian, and, in another way, “married” is the final destiny of every Christian.  Therefore, singleness is not a disadvantage in light of eternity (Matt 22:30, Eph. 5:31-32, Rev. 19:6-8).

Reflecting on the Sermon: 3/27/11

Rod continued his series on church leadership in Acts 20:28-ff.  He pointed out how the elders are called to pay attention to their own soul and the flock (church).  The order is key.  Any person in spiritual leadership must pay careful attention to his own spiritual life.  This is true for all of us.  All Christians should minister on behalf of God, therefore we all must take care to be growing in the Lord.  We must first teach and apply the message to ourselves and then reach out to others.  If we aren't right with God this will greatly hinder our ministry.  This is a good reminder to spend time cultivating my own walk with God before thinking of how to minister to others.  Otherwise I have nothing to offer anyone else.