[01:00:05;05 - 01:00:07;40] Take your Bible and turn to Romans chapter eight. [01:00:10;44 - 01:00:12;46] I wanna begin by asking you a question. [01:00:15;08 - 01:00:17;36] Have you come to the place in your life [01:00:19;02 - 01:00:23;40] where you know with absolute certainty that you will go to heaven when you die? [01:00:26;38 - 01:00:30;51] Maybe you're thinking, "Pastor, how can I know for sure?" [01:00:32;14 - 01:00:33;51] Well, the New Testament scriptures [01:00:35;14 - 01:01:34;07] give many objective truths that just explain to us that we can know for sure whether we're going to heaven or not. In John chapter 10, verses 27 to 30, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice "and I know them and they follow me "and I give eternal life to them "and they will never perish "and no one will snatch them out of my hand. "The Father who has given them to me is greater than all "and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. "I and the Father are one." And then in first John 5.13, the Bible says, "These things I've written to you who believe "in the name of the Son of God," listen, "so that you may know that you have eternal life." I tell you on the authority of God's word, you can know for sure whether you have eternal life or not. [01:01:35;40 - 01:01:42;41] God does not want you as a believer to live with that nagging doubt concerning whether you're truly saved or not. [01:01:43;49 - 01:01:50;18] That's why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul when he wrote this letter to the Roman Christians [01:01:51;18 - 01:02:14;16] to clearly spell out the way of salvation. In Romans chapter 5, verse 8, Paul wrote, "But God demonstrates his own love toward us "and that while we were yet sinners," listen, "for most important words, Christ died for us." He died on the cross for your sins so that you could be forgiven. [01:02:15;28 - 01:02:35;37] And then in Romans chapter 10, verses 9 and 10, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord "and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, "you will be saved. "For with the heart a person believes "resulting in righteousness "and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation." [01:02:36;56 - 01:02:42;28] The Bible is very clear about how to be saved. Let me ask you today, [01:02:43;28 - 01:02:50;42] do you have assurance that you are saved? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross [01:02:51;49 - 01:03:12;17] to pay the penalty for your sins? Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead three days later? Do you believe that Jesus has the power to forgive your sins and give you the gift of eternal and abundant life? Do you believe that? Have you trusted Jesus as your savior and your Lord? [01:03:13;17 - 01:03:15;34] If your answer to this question is yes, [01:03:16;42 - 01:03:20;34] then based upon the word of God, you are saved. You're saved. [01:03:21;52 - 01:03:26;27] Now today I wanna share truth with you that will absolutely set you free. [01:03:27;34 - 01:04:19;51] Because I believe there are many believers that come to church Sunday after Sunday and they battle with this nagging doubt, am I really saved or not? Here's something I want you to remember. It's the takeaway truth for today. The Holy Spirit confirms your salvation. I've had many people come to me and wanna talk to me about this lack of assurance concerning their salvation. I sit down with them, I share the gospel with them, I ask them have you repented your sin and placed your faith in Jesus as your savior and your Lord? And I get some kind of answer, but here's what they really want. They want me to confirm whether they're saved or not. I don't have that authority. I cannot do that. I can share the gospel. [01:04:21;13 - 01:04:23;47] I can share it as plainly as I know how. [01:04:24;48 - 01:04:42;50] But I tell you, it's up to the Holy Spirit of God to confirm in your heart whether you're saved or lost. Now in our text today, Romans chapter eight, verses 12 through 17, [01:04:43;58 - 01:04:58;07] the Bible says there are four ways the Holy Spirit gives assurance of our salvation. Number one, number one, here's the first one. He changes your conduct. [01:04:59;15 - 01:05:04;04] He changes your conduct. Look at Romans chapter eight, verses 12 to 14. [01:05:05;50 - 01:05:08;47] "So then brethren, we are under obligation [01:05:09;47 - 01:05:17;02] not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die. [01:05:18;08 - 01:05:30;29] But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." [01:05:31;43 - 01:05:32;51] Now in this section, [01:05:33;51 - 01:05:59;00] Paul reminds the believers of their magnificent privileges through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Last week we made the point that every born again believer has been gifted the Holy Spirit. The moment you repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus, you received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells you, has made your body his temple [01:06:00;07 - 01:06:17;31] and the Holy Spirit is there to help you be the believer that is called you be. If you're here today and you're not a Christian, the Holy Spirit is here to convict you of sin, righteousness and judgment and to draw you to the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can be saved. [01:06:18;52 - 01:06:23;30] So in the previous 11 verses of chapter eight, [01:06:24;39 - 01:06:56;44] this that every born again believer is forgiven of their sins. They are set free from the law of sin and death. They are not dominated by sin any longer. They walk by the Spirit. They have minds that are set on the Spirit. They have life and peace through the Spirit of God. Now the flesh that Paul mentions here includes all the ungodly motives, all the ungodly thoughts, principles, purposes, words and actions that sin generates through our bodies. [01:06:58;31 - 01:07:06;30] See, I want you to understand that the enemy would like nothing better than to drag us back into the pit of depravity. [01:07:07;40 - 01:07:19;52] A person whose life is characterized by the things of the flesh is not a Christian. Let me say that again. A person whose life is characterized [01:07:21;32 - 01:07:33;24] by the things of the flesh is not a true Christian and is spiritually dead. Remember, we've said this numerous times as we've gone through chapter eight. [01:07:34;34 - 01:07:54;09] You're either belong to Christ or you don't belong to Christ. You're either sheep or a goat. You're either wheat or a tare. You're either saved or you're lost. There's no middle ground. MacArthur stated the pattern of a true believer's life on the other hand will show that he not only professes Christ [01:07:55;16 - 01:08:03;52] but that he lives his life by Christ's spirit and is habitually putting to death the sinful and ungodly deeds of the body. [01:08:04;59 - 01:08:19;13] Consequently, he will live that is possessed and persevere to the fullness of eternal life given him in Christ. Now I want you to notice the Bible says, we are not obligated to the flesh. [01:08:20;50 - 01:08:41;10] We're not obligated to do the things that our natural bodies want us to do. We're not obligated to say things that we would normally say. We are obligated to the spirit of the living God to honor the Lord Jesus Christ by what we say, by what we do and by what we think. [01:08:42;42 - 01:08:44;01] Listen, I wanna remind you, [01:08:45;02 - 01:08:48;30] the Holy Spirit confirms your salvation. [01:08:49;44 - 01:08:52;46] And this is the first marker of a true believer. [01:08:54;13 - 01:08:57;59] The Holy Spirit changes your conduct. Has your conduct been changed? [01:08:59;09 - 01:09:48;39] The Bible says therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away behold new things have come. Have you experienced change? You say, well, pastor, I'm a believer but I haven't seen change in my life. There's not been a change of conduct. Then my friend lists me very carefully. I'm not judging you. I'm telling you on the authority of the word of God that if it's true that you proclaim to be a Christian but you've never been changed, you're not saved. You are not saved. You say, pastor, that's mighty bold and arrogant of you. No, it's not. It's exactly what the Bible teaches. So the first marker that the Holy Spirit lays down in our life to help us see whether we're truly born again or not is has he changed your conduct? [01:09:50;08 - 01:09:55;54] Now, number two, number two, he frames your freedom. [01:09:57;00 - 01:10:06;13] He frames your freedom. Look at verse 15, the first part of verse 15. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [01:10:07;14 - 01:10:09;09] leading to fear again. [01:10:10;20 - 01:10:28;43] Spiritual bondage is a horrible, horrible thing. Jesus said in the gospel of John that if we sin, we become a slave of sin. We're in bondage to sin. We're trapped under the power of sin, deception and demonic influence. [01:10:30;07 - 01:10:47;45] It is a slavery of the heart and mind that prevents a person from living in the truth and freedom that God intends for us to live. Now this bondage may be expressed in multiple ways. It may be expressed in addictions. [01:10:49;06 - 01:10:52;32] It may be expressed in destructive behaviors. [01:10:53;46 - 01:10:56;04] It may be expressed in fear of failure. [01:10:57;10 - 01:11:07;11] It may be expressed in false beliefs or idolatry or fear of death. Have you ever been around somebody that has a mortal fear of dying? [01:11:09;00 - 01:11:11;41] I tell you, that's not of the spirit of God. [01:11:12;48 - 01:11:25;16] The Bible solution to this kind of fear and bondage is not self effort, it's not religion, it's not moral reform, but the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. [01:11:26;51 - 01:11:49;13] Spiritual freedom comes when a person repents of their sin, places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. And he sets and pray, Jesus said this, "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free." That's one thing the Holy Spirit does in our lives, the lives of every believer. [01:11:50;16 - 01:12:02;04] He frames our freedom. Every born again believer should not live in spiritual bondage. Every born again believer should live in the freedom of the spirit of God. [01:12:03;30 - 01:12:12;07] Now, it's true that unhealthy and unwarranted fear can creep into a true believer's life. [01:12:13;27 - 01:12:19;54] Listen to what MacArthur said. He said, "The Christian who neglects study of scripture, [01:12:21;39 - 01:12:23;12] who neglects God in prayer, [01:12:24;29 - 01:12:33;10] who neglects fellowship with God's people, and who is careless about his obedience to God, will invariably have doubts about his salvation, [01:12:34;15 - 01:12:37;14] because he is indifferent to God and the things of God. [01:12:38;32 - 01:12:49;28] Even for the obedient child of God, doubts about his relationship to God can easily slip into the mind during times of pain, sorrow, failure, or disappointment. [01:12:50;46 - 01:13:05;24] Satan, the great accuser of God's people, is always ready to take advantage of such circumstances to plant seeds of uncertainty in a, listen, a true believer's life. [01:13:06;38 - 01:13:10;39] I wanna remind you of our key truth today. [01:13:11;52 - 01:13:16;14] The Holy Spirit confirms your salvation. [01:13:17;53 - 01:13:24;30] I've often told parents when they're talking with their children about salvation in the gospel, [01:13:25;56 - 01:14:24;58] don't you try to convince your child you're saved, they're saved, that's not your job. I know you're a parent and I know you love your child. And I know you want your child to be saved and to go to heaven one day, but I tell you, it's not your job to confirm their salvation, that's a Holy Spirit's job. Now you can share the gospel, you can model the gospel before them. You can make sure you do everything you can to make sure they understand what it means to be truly saved, but you cannot convince your child that they're saved. If you do, you may be putting them in danger. So I wanna encourage you. Remember, the Holy Spirit confirms your salvation. We've already looked at two markers that he's laid down here that every true believer has in his or her life. First, the Holy Spirit changes your conduct. [01:14:25;58 - 01:14:33;14] Have you experienced that change in your life? Secondly, the Holy Spirit frames your freedom. [01:14:34;26 - 01:14:41;33] Or you're not living in spiritual bondage, are you? Because the Holy Spirit frames you're free in Christ. [01:14:42;42 - 01:14:50;44] And then thirdly, he interprets your identity. He interprets your identity. Look at verses 15 and 16. [01:14:52;23 - 01:15:11;57] "For you have not received a spirit of slavery, "leading to fear again, "but you've received a spirit of adoption as sons, "by which we crowd Abba, father." That word Abba is an Aramaic word. It literally means daddy, daddy, papa. [01:15:12;57 - 01:15:25;27] That's what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Remember, that's the very word he used. He called God the father, Abba. Verse 16, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit [01:15:26;27 - 01:15:27;47] "that we are children of God." [01:15:29;09 - 01:15:29;50] You notice that? [01:15:31;54 - 01:15:37;24] The Spirit of God himself testified with our spirit [01:15:38;37 - 01:15:40;26] that we are children of God. [01:15:41;45 - 01:15:45;52] J.I. Packer in his book, "Knowing God" indicated this. [01:15:47;11 - 01:15:59;03] I quote, "Adoption is the highest privilege "that the gospel offers, higher even than justification." [01:16:00;23 - 01:16:04;32] It is one thing for God the father to forgive our sins, [01:16:05;36 - 01:16:19;09] but it is an entirely different thing at a whole new realm for him to adopt us into his forever family. Let me give you an illustration. Let's say that somebody does you wrong. [01:16:20;37 - 01:16:33;05] And the Bible says that you have to forgive them. You've got to, you don't have a choice. If you're gonna walk with God, if you're gonna obey him, you have to forgive a person who has hurt you, even if they don't ask for forgiveness. [01:16:34;17 - 01:16:38;48] I know that's a hard pill to swallow, but that's exactly what the Bible teaches. [01:16:39;59 - 01:16:44;22] Because if you don't forgive them, it's gonna hurt you more than it hurts them, trust me. [01:16:45;32 - 01:16:55;08] So let's say that you forgive them. You genuinely forgive them, but you don't have to invite them over to your house for hamburgers. You see what I'm saying? [01:16:56;08 - 01:17:03;46] You can forgive them without inviting them to your house for hamburgers, all right? [01:17:04;55 - 01:17:06;53] But now look what God the father does. [01:17:08;10 - 01:17:11;16] God the father not only forgives our sins, [01:17:12;37 - 01:17:34;55] but he invites us to be a part of his forever family. It just does not get any better than that. Now in the Roman world of the first century, an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adopted father to perpetuate his name and to inherit his estate. [01:17:35;59 - 01:17:54;57] As a believer, if you're a born again believer in this room, if you have truly repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus as your savior and your Lord, I want you to know, you are not merely forgiven. You are graciously brought into the family of God. [01:17:56;28 - 01:18:06;07] In Disney's animated movie "Toy Story," Woody, a toy cowboy confronts Buzz Lightyear, [01:18:07;10 - 01:18:13;45] a toy astronaut with the fact that he's only an action figure and not really a space hero. [01:18:15;05 - 01:18:23;24] Early in the movie, Woody shouts, "You're not a space ranger, you're an action figure, "a child's plaything." [01:18:24;58 - 01:18:26;43] Only after failing to fly, [01:18:28;41 - 01:18:31;11] Buzz realizes the truth of Woody's statement [01:18:32;31 - 01:18:41;54] and he is grief stricken and disillusioned and he hangs his head in resignation, declaring, "I'm just a stupid little insignificant toy." [01:18:43;34 - 01:18:49;42] Woody later confronts his friend by underscoring the love of the boy who owns them both. [01:18:50;59 - 01:18:56;02] He'd say, here's what Woody said to Buzz. He'd say, "You must not be thinking clearly. [01:18:57;19 - 01:19:11;53] "Look, look over in that house. "There's a kid who thinks you're the greatest. "It's not because you're a space ranger, "it's because you are his, you are his." [01:19:12;56 - 01:19:26;27] As Buzz lifts his little foot, he sees a label affixed to the bottom of his shoe. And there in black permanent ink is the name of the little boy to whom he belongs. [01:19:28;09 - 01:19:45;00] Seeing the image and knowing that this little boy loves him and has put his name permanently on the bottom of his shoe, it rejuvenates Buzz and he receives fresh determination and confidence. I want you to know something. [01:19:46;06 - 01:19:47;18] If you're a born again believer, [01:19:48;30 - 01:19:50;04] I want you to know that God's name [01:19:51;13 - 01:20:03;11] is written on the palms of your hand. I want you to know that you belong to him and he loves you and he's proud of you and he wants the very best for you. [01:20:04;22 - 01:20:08;56] The Holy Spirit is the one who interprets our identity. [01:20:10;08 - 01:20:21;59] In John 1, verse 12, the Bible says, "But as many as received him, "to them he gave the right to become children of God, "even to those who believe in his name." [01:20:23;06 - 01:20:37;11] In 1 John 3, verses 1 and 2, the Bible says, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us "that we would be called children of God." Think about it, you're called a child of God. [01:20:38;30 - 01:20:40;13] Jesus died for your sins. [01:20:41;41 - 01:20:44;41] He made you a part of the family of God. [01:20:46;29 - 01:20:58;10] Verse two, "Beloved, now we are children of God, "has not yet appeared what we will be. "We know that when he appears, we will be like him "because we will see him just as he is." [01:21:00;30 - 01:21:11;23] You see, the Holy Spirit, in times of our struggle, in times of our doubt, speaks into our heart [01:21:12;35 - 01:21:17;19] and says to us, "You are a child of God. [01:21:18;43 - 01:21:20;01] "You're a child of God." [01:21:21;33 - 01:21:25;33] So it's the Holy Spirit who confirms our salvation. [01:21:26;59 - 01:21:38;50] He changes our conduct. Has your conduct changed? He frames your freedom. Are you walking in that freedom, the freedom of the Holy Spirit as opposed to the bondage of the flesh? [01:21:39;50 - 01:21:53;03] He interprets your identity. He reminds you that you're a child of God. Are those three markers present in your life? If you are, it's a sure sign that you're a believer [01:21:54;12 - 01:21:58;46] and the Holy Spirit wants you to have victory over doubting your salvation. [01:22:00;05 - 01:22:01;41] Now here's the fourth marker [01:22:02;55 - 01:22:13;55] that is laid out here in Romans chapter eight. He defines your destiny. He defines your destiny. Look at Romans chapter eight, verses 16 and 17. [01:22:14;56 - 01:22:19;35] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit [01:22:20;53 - 01:22:23;02] that we are children of God. [01:22:24;07 - 01:22:39;47] It's the Spirit capital S, Holy Spirit, testifying to our spirit, the little S, that we are children of God. Verse 17, "And if children, heirs also, [01:22:41;09 - 01:22:43;39] "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, [01:22:44;40 - 01:22:50;09] "if indeed we suffer with him "so that we may also be glorified with him." [01:22:51;34 - 01:23:02;26] The same indwelling Spirit who assures us that we are God's children also assures us that we are his heirs. [01:23:04;02 - 01:23:05;50] Galatians chapter four, verse seven. [01:23:06;59 - 01:23:11;03] Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son. [01:23:12;03 - 01:23:16;36] And if a son, then an heir through God. [01:23:17;48 - 01:23:19;54] Now in the arithmetic of earth, [01:23:21;41 - 01:23:24;54] let's use Heather and Zach as an example. [01:23:26;02 - 01:23:31;51] One day, Darlene and I will bite the dust, okay? We'll bite the dust. [01:23:33;05 - 01:23:37;50] And then when we bite the dust, then everything that we own, [01:23:38;57 - 01:23:52;19] they will receive an inheritance, okay? Zach will get 50%, excuse me. Zach will get 45%, Heather will get 45% and the church gets 10% because that's the way we got in the will. [01:23:53;49 - 01:24:02;00] And so I want you to know it's 10% to the church, 45% to Zach, 45% to Heather. That's the arithmetic of earth. [01:24:03;05 - 01:24:13;29] But I want you to know, heaven, the kingdom of God, is not limited by the arithmetic of earth. Because let's say that there are a thousand people in this room who are believers. [01:24:14;39 - 01:24:28;40] I want you to know, dear friend, that you're gonna receive a full, and all 1000 of us are gonna receive a full inheritance from God. Everything is not divided a thousand different ways. [01:24:29;56 - 01:24:40;29] That's amazing. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter one, verse three, that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. [01:24:41;48 - 01:24:42;40] That's amazing. [01:24:43;45 - 01:24:58;33] God doesn't divvy them up. He gives us all the blessings in Christ Jesus. Oh, what an inheritance we have in Christ. Everything that Christ receives by divine right, [01:24:59;42 - 01:25:02;15] we will receive by divine grace. [01:25:03;27 - 01:25:10;20] We don't deserve it. Are you kidding me? We don't deserve it. We don't deserve to be saved in the first place. [01:25:11;20 - 01:25:19;45] But the Bible says that we're going to inherit the full measure of all that Jesus has. Wow. [01:25:21;11 - 01:25:30;18] Am I the only one that is absolutely in shock and in awe at what God is doing for us? Ah, goodness. [01:25:31;44 - 01:25:35;22] Look at this. Don't overlook the last part of verse 17. Look at it. [01:25:36;36 - 01:25:38;31] If indeed we suffer with Him, [01:25:39;54 - 01:25:44;38] so that we may also be glorified with Him. [01:25:46;41 - 01:25:49;03] MacArthur stated, it is therefore inevitable [01:25:50;09 - 01:25:57;42] that whether persecution comes in the form of mere verbal abuse at one extreme or as martyrdom at the other extreme, [01:25:58;59 - 01:26:05;20] no believer is exempt from the possibility of paying a price for his or her faith. [01:26:06;29 - 01:26:21;40] When we suffer mockery, scorn, ridicule, or any other form of persecution because of our relationship to Jesus Christ, we can take that affliction as divine proof [01:26:22;56 - 01:26:39;19] that we truly belong to Christ and that our hope of heavenly glory is not in vain, that ultimately we will also be glorified with Him. Now listen, the first part of your salvation is justification. [01:26:40;50 - 01:26:50;19] That's when you're forgiven. That's when you're justified before God because of the blood of Christ. That's when God the Father declares you not guilty. [01:26:51;37 - 01:27:04;11] But I want you to know, after justification comes sanctification. And that sanctification process begins the moment you're saved and it continues until you die or Jesus comes again and you go into heaven. [01:27:05;27 - 01:27:07;43] Now when you get into heaven, that's called glorification. [01:27:08;46 - 01:27:16;00] I want you to understand something, that no one, no infernal demon, [01:27:17;21 - 01:27:39;09] no Satan himself cannot stop the process that God's put in place in your life as a believer. The moment you're justified, I guarantee you are absolutely promised and guaranteed by a faithful God that one day you will be glorified. You'll be glorified, you'll be with Him in heaven. [01:27:40;22 - 01:27:48;31] That's your destiny. And it's the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit who defines your destiny. [01:27:49;31 - 01:27:50;38] Now let me ask you this. [01:27:51;57 - 01:28:07;35] Do you know for sure that you're saved? Listen, the Holy Spirit confirms your salvation, He changes your conduct, He frames your freedom, interprets your identity and defines your destiny. Hey, I've asked Amy, Amy come up here. [01:28:09;35 - 01:28:20;01] This morning we meet together as a staff before the church begins at 8.30 and we have prayer time. [01:28:21;07 - 01:28:22;51] And come here Amy, I'm not gonna bite you. [01:28:25;04 - 01:28:31;59] (Congregation Laughing) Amy was talking this morning, I shared with them what I was gonna preach today. By the way, the message is entitled blessed assurance. [01:28:33;30 - 01:28:50;36] And this morning Amy talked about how she struggled with her salvation of knowing for sure that she was saved. Amy, talk to us about that. Yeah, it was a really a tripling time in my life because I just kept wrestling with this doubt and doubt really is bondage. [01:28:52;21 - 01:28:57;58] And it was in this church, it was years ago when I was probably right around 30 years of age. [01:28:59;43 - 01:29:19;04] I just kept asking Jesus into my heart. It was like every invitation that was offered, I just kept asking Him to come into my heart. And I began to think, why, why am I doing this? This isn't making any sense. Okay, so how did you get victory over that? How did you finally get assurance that you're saved? [01:29:20;10 - 01:29:47;39] I truly know it was the Holy Spirit that gave me the assurance, but it was through studying scripture and just beginning to see more and more of His love. And finally resting in that. It was like salvation finally became a posture in my life where I rested in the finished work of Christ. There's nothing that I could do to earn my salvation. There's nothing I could do to lose it. I came to that. Amen, and thank you, Amy. Thank you so much. [01:29:48;39 - 01:29:55;03] Hey, look, I wanna read something to you. I was 2 Peter, 2 Peter 1. [01:29:57;35 - 01:29:58;40] Do you hear what Amy said? [01:30:00;15 - 01:30:09;13] She said there was a point in my life when I kept struggling. I just couldn't get any confidence that I was truly saved. [01:30:10;26 - 01:30:23;44] And the reason being, listen to what Peter wrote here in 2 Peter 1, beginning with verse five. "Now for this reason also, [01:30:24;48 - 01:30:30;16] applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence, [01:30:31;19 - 01:30:33;29] and in your moral excellence, knowledge, [01:30:34;46 - 01:30:52;55] and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For these qualities, listen, if these qualities are yours and," don't miss this, "and are increasing, [01:30:55;13 - 01:31:12;55] they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins." Verse 10 is very important, let's do it. [01:31:14;06 - 01:31:16;22] "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent [01:31:17;25 - 01:31:28;30] to make certain about his calling and choosing you. For as long as you practice these things," the things we just listed, listen, I love this, you will never stumble. [01:31:29;53 - 01:32:05;24] You will never have that recurring doubt about your salvation. You will never make regular trips to the altar to be saved again and again and again. You will know in your heart that you've been born again, that you're a child of God because you've trusted Jesus as your savior. That's what Amy had to come to. She had to put her, make sure that her faith had been on Christ and it was, and then she had to act upon that and she had to begin to grow spiritually to get to the point where she didn't stumble anymore. [01:32:06;54 - 01:32:08;14] There are many of you in this room [01:32:10;02 - 01:32:11;17] and you're struggling. [01:32:12;44 - 01:32:14;29] You're struggling with this idea [01:32:15;42 - 01:32:18;29] that you could have assurance of your salvation. [01:32:20;20 - 01:32:22;44] And I tell you on the authority of God's word, [01:32:24;06 - 01:32:28;14] you can know that you know that you know that you're saved. [01:32:29;48 - 01:32:38;30] And there are four markers right here in Romans chapter eight, verses 12 through 17, [01:32:39;35 - 01:32:43;33] that the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to put into this letter. [01:32:45;27 - 01:32:46;40] Hey, examine yourself. [01:32:48;04 - 01:33:06;49] Now, if you're a born again believer struggling with your assurance of salvation, I want you to come to the altar here in just a moment and I want you to bow your knee before King Jesus and I want you to pray to him. Pray to the Lord. Pray to the Father, say Abba, Father. [01:33:08;24 - 01:33:09;45] I believed in your son. [01:33:11;08 - 01:33:23;48] I talked with a man the other day, he said, he said he'd been struggling with his salvation and he finally got nailed it down. He knew that he was saved. He said, if I go to hell, I'll go to hell believing in Jesus. [01:33:28;18 - 01:33:33;59] I tell you, if you believe in Jesus, you won't go to hell, I promise you. Do you trust him as your Savior and your Lord? [01:33:35;35 - 01:33:39;22] So I want you to come as a believer and bow at this altar [01:33:40;48 - 01:33:50;32] and ask the Lord Jesus, ask Abba, Father to give you confidence and assurance of salvation today. But if you're in this room and you don't have that assurance [01:33:51;36 - 01:33:56;28] and these four markers are not present in your life, you need to be saved. [01:33:57;29 - 01:33:59;36] You don't need assurance, you need salvation. [01:34:01;29 - 01:34:04;47] And I'm gonna ask our staff to come, our worship team to come [01:34:06;13 - 01:34:10;58] and we're gonna sing blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. [01:34:12;02 - 01:34:31;44] Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. You come, you come to one of our staff members and tell them that you wanna be saved today or you come to the altar and you bow before the Lord and you ask Abba, Father, to give you confidence and assurance just like he gave to Amy. [01:34:31;44 - 01:34:33;50]