John 3:11-15 Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?

28.12.08 John 3:11-15 (NASB)

Audio Sermon: John 3:11-15 (file incomplete)

Going Deeper: Study Guide

Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?

The last time when we were in the gospel of John, we met a very well known religious man. He was a prominent teacher of God’s law named Nicodemus. We found out that despite his outward devotion and morality, his life was spiritually bankrupt. He was good man, but he was not saved from above…he was not born again….he was not going to heaven. Jesus knew this because He could see into his heart condition… it was devoid of spiritual regeneration. From Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus we were challenged to look at our own claims to Christianity. Are we genuine believers, are we born again, through the work of the Holy Spirit? This week we continue with Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus from chapter 3, verses 11-21:

11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

v.11 Our passage today once again starts with the phrase - ‘Truly, truly.’ So once again something important is to be stated, and we the readers are alerted to this fact. Our passage deals with this theme - the reason why Jesus came. But it is not left just at that, but presses us further - to think about the importance of believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Jesus speaks and makes this important statement - we should note that Jesus speaks using the plural ‘we’- that Jesus is part of the body of reliable witnesses to the reality that to be born again (3:7) - that is to have true spiritual life, it must come from above. God is the One who saves the sinner, and spiritual regeneration does not come through what man achieves. Despite Jesus’ authority in what He does personally know, and what He has personally seen, in respect to the working of God…..Nicodemus, and in general, the people do not accept this testimony. They chose not to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, even though Jesus was stating objective truth.

v.12 Jesus further explains by contrasting earthly things with heavenly things. Jesus says that the things that must take place on earth - like being born again - that if Nicodemus can’t understand these fundamental issues then how can he expect to grasp the deeper issues that relate to heaven? Yet Jesus will continue in dealing with these issues.

The whole emphasis of verses 11 and 12 really focuses on the idea that unbelief in Nicodemus and the nation of Israel is the cause of ignorance. Nicodemus was a very intelligent man, but he still did not believe in Jesus’ authoritative witness, which lead to his spiritual ignorance. This emphasizes the reality that spiritual regeneration is wholly a work of God. God is the One who opens our eyes to see truth - it is not based on how smart we are.

v.13 In verse 13 Jesus states No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. Through this statement Jesus clearly states His authority in being able to make these claims of truth. No man has ever been to heaven and has come back to tell others about the things which Jesus knew and saw. Even the apostle Paul was taken into heaven and saw great things, but he was not to speak about what he saw (2 Cor. 12:1-4). So it is only through Jesus that we receive special revelation concerning spiritual heavenly realities. Jesus is the Son of Man and therefore is the One who descended from heaven.

Let’s take a little detour for a moment. There are so many different religions claiming to be the pathway to God, claiming to be the source of truth. Have you ever wondered about this? Have you ever questioned why Christianity is the only way? If you have had any questions or doubts, then we need to examine the impact of this verse. As a point of interest this verse states clearly that no one - except Jesus has special revelation from God. Despite the claims of other religions, no one but Jesus has direct access to God. Other religions’ key figures say that they have direct revelation from God, but in this verse Jesus out rightly rejects that false notion - therefore making other religions to be false systems of belief. This verse indirectly reveals who Jesus is…that He is pre-existent and that He is Deity, affirming once again the facts about His nature and character as it was done so clearly back in chapter 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

v.14, 15 Jesus now begins to give us the reason why He came to earth. Jesus turns to something that Nicodemus would have been very familiar with as a Pharisee, the Old Testament. Jesus provides Nicodemus with an analogy to illustrate His purpose in coming to our world …to earth.
Jesus looks to Numbers 21:4-9, where the Israelites are in the wilderness and are being judged for their complaining. What happened was that God sent fiery snakes in judgement of their sin. The snakes - bit the people, so that many people of Israel died (Num. 21:6). When the people confessed their sin they asked Moses to intercede to God on their behalf. As a result God asked Moses to - ‘Make a fiery [serpent], and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.’ (Num. 21:8). If anyone wanted to live, this was the means that God chose to heal the people. As we find out from this afternoon’s passage, this is a foreshadowing of Christ on the cross. And this is what Jesus does, He comes to our world to be lifted up, as God’s sole means of healing us from our sins. Jesus lifted up on a cross for the sins of the world, is the sole means of salvation from the penalty of sin. The people in Moses’ time made a willful decision of faith to look upon the lifted up serpent as God’s means of being saved physically from death. In essence the people through faith were looking to the Lord and trusting in His instruction - so it was not the image of the snake that saved, but it was the act of belief in the Lord. Likewise with Jesus - all those who look to Christ, who was ‘lifted up’ on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world, will live spiritually and eternally.

The purpose for Christ’s death is laid out. Whoever believes will in Him - that is believes in Jesus Christ alone, will be saved from their sins and have eternal life. What is eternal life? It is the same term as everlasting life. A life that not only refers to a duration of time, but also to the quality of that life experienced. Literally eternal life means - ‘life of the age to come.’ It refers to the believers future resurrection and existence in heaven with Christ, which will be in perfect holiness and fully realized glory. Not only is eternal life something to be experienced in the future, but it is also something that believers benefit in now. Christians benefit from fellowship in Christ, the eternal Word of God - and the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God operating in your life. So we find from this passage the reason why Jesus came - Jesus Christ came to this darkened world from heaven as a testimony that God is working in peoples’ lives. What is God doing through Jesus Christ? He is saving people from their sin. God does this by offering forgiveness and eternal life in Christ. Jesus Christ was lifted up on a cross to die for our sins.
The basic answer to today’s key question - Why Did Jesus Come To Earth ? - is this - Jesus came to earth was to settle the issue of sin in your life.

So what is sin? Why is it so damaging to our relationship with God? Let us take some time now to examine this basic question:

What is Sin?

The use and reference to the word, "sin," is minimized in today’s society. The word itself brings to mind a negativity that is shunned and is regarded as being politically incorrect. It is a word that people do not want to deal with, yet it applies to all mankind. So what is sin? Sin may be defined as follows: Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. What follows is a brief survey of the nature of sin and its entrance into humanity.

The Bible does not reveal the origin of evil in the universe, but focuses upon sin and its origin in man. In no sense is God the cause or agent of sin, nor does He provoke, condone, authorize, approve, or consent of it. God only permits Satan and his demons to act, yet He overrules evil which does not fit His purposes, which are always good. Sin is one-sided, for it is a contradiction of what God is, and He will never be indifferent to sin for it would go against His very nature as being completely holy. God is unable to contradict Himself.

Sin is expressed in the Bible by many words, but there are several which are significant. These words when translated from the original languages, provide us with the scope of its meaning which includes: "rebellion," "transgression," "perversion," "impiety," "missing the mark," "unrighteousness," "lawlessness," "depravity," and "evil desire." The first expression of these terms can be found in the beginning events of creation.

The entrance of sin in man is traced back to the garden of Eden when man was tempted by Satan (Gen 3:1-6). Sin was not an isolated event for Adam and Eve and limited to them only. But its consequences are apparent in their succeeding offspring and generations. It appears in each one of us. As a result of the presence of sin in man, man has a different attitude towards God.
Man’s fellowship with God is replaced with emotions of shame and fear and thus he desires to hide from Him and no longer wants to be in His presence. Gen 3:8 - states ‘They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.’

God’s attitude towards man also has been affected and now man’s sin evokes His wrath, displeasure, reproof, and condemnation. Adam and Eve are sent out of the garden (Gen 3:23). Sin also resulted in affecting the world we live in. The whole of creation is affected by sin. Gen. 3:17b-19 summarizes this reality - ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.’ Instead of man having dominion over creation, the ground is cursed and man now must toil and at the end of it all will die separated from God’s blessings forever. The ultimate end result of sin is that it brings about the penalty of death. The warning was first given by God as He commanded the man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). The result of death is that it brings about fear and terror in man as he confronts its inevitability, which will culminate in eternal separation from God. The sin of Adam and Eve abounds through their children and culminates in the near destruction of mankind. As sin proliferates in the growing number of people upon the earth, God judges man by sending a worldwide Flood (Gen 6-7).

This is what God reveals to us in the Bible about the condition of people as sin permeated the earth - ‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’ (Gen. 6:5). Despite the flood and the grace that was shown to Noah’s family, the sin nature continues through him, and thus to all mankind.

From Adam and Eve and this point on, man is born in a sinful state and condition. Sin permeates our innermost being and is at the core of the human soul. Jesus tells us this - ‘"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders’ (Matt. 15:18-19).

The root cause of sin is man’s rebellion against God. Sin places man at the center of all activity and removes God from His rightful place as Creator and Lord. It affects our intellect (2 Cor 4:4), conscience (1 Tim 4:2), will (Rom 1:28), and heart (Eph 4:18). Sin is not just failure and lack on our behalf, or even a deficiency of some sort, but it is the lack of true knowledge which would include the exchange of truth for falsehood (Rom 1:25). The scope of sin would also consist of acts of omission and commission - things which God desires for us to do but we don’t - and thing s which God teaches us not to do but we do them anyway. The result of sin is that man is totally depraved (Eph 2:1-3). A Christian named Charles Ryrie explains what total depravity means:
‘Total depravity does not mean that everyone is as thoroughly depraved in his actions as he could possibly be, nor that everyone will indulge in every form of sin, nor that a person cannot appreciate and even do acts of goodness; but it does mean that the corruption of sin extends to all men and to all parts of all men so that there is nothing within the natural man that can give him merit in God’s sight.’
Sin is the violation of God’s divine command and may be pictured by a person going beyond a set boundary. The sign stating "trespassers will be prosecuted" is ignored and the person proceeds only to find that he faces a penalty for his decision. Likewise sin in our lives is marked out by disbelief, denial, and rejection of the divine truth of the Bible. It is a willful act of disobedience to God’s revealed truth. It is the absence of righteousness in one’s life and the presence of enmity towards our Creator.
Sin is also the rejection of God’s right to impose divine standards and the denial of His supremacy over mankind. By doing so God’s right to be all that He is, is denied and His Lordship diminished. Sin is the failure to live according to, and the failure to attain to the divine standard. This failure on man’s part may be pictured by an archer failing to hit the bull’s eye - we constantly miss God’s holy standard in what we do each day. The reason that this takes place is that man has intentionally transgressed God’s bounds; therefore, deviating from His will, and producing a shortcoming that ultimately ends in eternal death.
It should be noted at this point that because man’s condition at birth is in a sinful state, he cannot achieve the divine standard. Man’s life is therefore marked by his separation from God, rebellion against Him, and the chaos that ensues. Yet man lives in this state and even strives for it, and he does not acknowledge what sin really is.
The corruption of sin is delineated by the following characteristics. Sin is a lie, which began in the Garden of Eden propagated by the father of lies, Satan. Sin has man in its grip by inviting him to believe a lie. The falseness of sin is expressed through terms like seduction and deception.
Christ establishes sin’s nature stating that Satan "does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him (John 8:44)." Sin deludes, which is complete in a cunningness and craftiness which betrays man. Sin deceives us, it lures us to that which is false - false religions, self worship, nature worship. Sin also offers us the promise of much pleasure - sex, money, success - which in the end are empty and void. Sin is darkness, which covers up the truth that God is Light (1 John 1:5). It is brought forth by the prince of darkness, Satan, inspiring man to evil deeds and love of darkness and evil (John 3:19-20).

Sin is iniquity, which perverts and distorts our thoughts of God and His law (Isa 64:6). As it operates in us, sin leads to the pollution and destruction of our soul and mind. Sin is bondage, for indulgence in sin results in a captivity which tragically grips man to Satan’s dominion. Man thus rejects serving God and prefers to serve himself and Satan, only to find in the end that ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Rom 6:23). Sin is vanity, for it leaves us in confusion and emptiness.
It promises much, but returns short-lived pleasure and over our lifetime, the pleasure of sin will be outweighed by defeat and dissatisfaction. Sin leads you astray, onto paths that seemingly prosper you, but over time you will discover that you fall prey to the enemy, Satan (Isa 53:6). Sin affects our minds and causes it to think in ways that are in contradiction to God’s will (Rom. 12:2). Sin causes the body to react in physical ways - it saps our strength, causes breakdowns, brings about sickness, damages our health, brings about physical death (Ps. 32:3-4, 38:3, 1 Cor 11:30). Sin is separation, for it isolates you from a right relationship between yourself and others. Sin separates you from any form of personal relationship with God. Without God’s initiative of reconciling you back to Himself - the forgiving of your sin, you will die in this state. And when you die in this state you will realize the wages of sin - the horror and anguish of being eternally separated from God and His grace(Rev 20:15).

The results of sin are many and the Bible confronts us with the hard truths that we do not wish to deal with. Sin foremost brings about a verdict of guilty upon your soul by God, which leads to a deserved penalty - the wrath of God. The Bible makes this clear for it states, ‘The soul who sins shall die’ (Ezek. 18:20). Sin produces in you, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, a state of wickedness. This state of wickedness is propelled by evil and the end result is that you will be judged by God, and sentenced to an eternity in hell (Ps. 9:17). Sin produces an existence that is empty of hope for it brings ruin and brokeness to your life. Sin produces distortion in your view of the dangers of indulgence, and drives you away from the path that leads to God’s holiness, righteousness and true spiritual life (Matt. 7:13). Sin brings upon you a defiling influence on your life with its fruit of moral corruption. Sin corrupts you and therefore in your soul you reject God and His holiness, and you diminish the sinfulness of sin (Ps. 14:1). A known theologian wrote this - "Sin ensnares the soul . . . blinds, deludes, deceives, defiles, then destroys. If unforsaken, sin results in irretrievable ruin."

If we do not understand our own sinfulness - if we fail to see sin as God does - if we try to hide or deny the reality of the presence and impact of our sin - or if we deny responsibility for our own guilt, we cannot discover the only way that God establishes to deal with our sin - once and for all.
Until you humbly realize that your sin is utterly loathsome, you will never know God, you will never have any relationship with Him, but the only reality that you will realize one day is the terrifying consequences of eternal damnation in hell.

Next week we ask you to come back, because through God’s Word we will discover that God does not leave us in judgement due to sin….but He offers to us His only plan to rescue us from our sin. Next week we will unfold the gospel - the Good News that we can be free from the penalty of our sins - forever.

(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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John 3:1-10 Believing Believers

14.12.08 John 3:1-10 (NASB)

Audio Sermon: John 3:1-10

Going Deeper: Study Guide

Believing Believers

Here is our inspired text this day, from John 3:1 - Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God [as] a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus ^said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.' 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

As we begin chapter 3 we should note that there is a direct connection of this section with Jn. 2:23-25. This is indicated by the connective word now. Last week we looked at ‘Unbelieving Believers’ - people whom Jesus knew that were not truly saved, despite their own personal claims. We looked at eight factors which neither prove or disprove that a person is saved. These factors were VISIBLE MORALITY, INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE, RELIGIOUS INVOVEMENT, ACTIVE MINISTRY, CONVICTION OF SIN, PROFESSION OF FAITH, THE FEELING OF ASSURANCE, and the TIME OF DECISION. These in and of themselves do not conclusively demonstrate true saving faith. Today’s passage connects with last weeks sermon, because in Nicodemus we see that most of the factors that neither prove or disprove that a person is saved is evidenced in Nicodemus. He is a classic example of someone who believed that he was going to heaven, but was deceived - Nicodemus at the time of his meeting with Jesus was an ‘Unbelieving Believer.’

We begin our study today, with a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was an important man. He was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a strict religious group that were highly zealous for Mosaic ritual and religious purity. To the Mosaic law they added many traditions. The Pharisees were Jews - who were business men rather than priests and Levites. They represented orthodox religion and had a strong influence on the common people of Israel. Jesus condemned them for their outward religion and lack of true spiritual regeneration.
The Pharisee’s route to salvation was through loyalty to the law, VISIBLE MORALITY - which was nothing more than salvation by works and not true spiritual rebirth.

In addition Nicodemus was in ACTIVE MINISTRY as a ruler of the Jews. This council was the Sanhedrin, the main ruling body of the Jews in Palestine. The Sanhedrin was composed of the High Priest, chief priests, elders, and scribes and acted as Israel’s ‘supreme court’ - ruling in civil and criminal cases.

v.2 - Because of Nicodemus’ high profile, he took caution in meeting Jesus - there was a lot at stake in his career. This is why he came to Jesus by night, yet there was an interest to find out more about Jesus. The theme of darkness or night runs through out John’s gospel - and usually indicates doubt, unbelief, evil, error, and things related with the domain of Satan.

It was Nicodemus that initiated the contact with Jesus. He gave Jesus the social grace of calling Jesus - ‘Rabbi’ - placing Jesus on the same playing field as he was on. But in reality, the Sanhedrin would look upon Jesus as one of the common people - a worker, a carpenter - and not one of the theologically learned. Yet Nicodemus was quite accurate in his acknowledgment of Jesus. He also realized that Jesus had come from God as a teacher because of the miraculous signs demonstrated. Nicodemus realized that no one can do these signs that Jesus continued to do if He were not empowered by God. So he approached Jesus with an open mind - challenged - ready to receive and analyze the truth.

v.3 - Jesus’ response to Nicodemus is important. It is marked by the words Truly, truly - which was also found in 1:51. Literally translated it is ‘amen, amen’ - indicating something very important was to be stated. Jesus is going to explain to Nicodemus the relationship that he could have with the living God. Jesus is going to tell Nicodemus the necessary relationship that a person must have in order to see the kingdom of God - that is to enter into heaven as a BELIEVING BELIEVER.

Likewise what is going to be said is an important message for us too. Jesus states that a person must be born again. A person must be born again or in other words, be born from above, in order to have a true saving relationship with God. By this statement, Jesus makes it clear that the view that spiritual rebirth through personal effort and merit is way off base. Instead spiritual rebirth is solely the work of God through the Holy Spirit.

Going back to Nicodemus we must think back to whom Nicodemus was. He was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. So in Jesus’ statement, He has already determined that Nicodemus was not a true believer. He did not have eternal life - despite his VISIBLE MORALITY or outward ‘purity’ - his spiritual condition was bankrupt - Nicodemus was a UNBELIEVING BELIEVER.

v.4 - This fact is underlined in verse 4 when Nicodemus is puzzled and does not understand what Jesus is implying as he states - "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Instead Nicodemus could only think about the physical aspects of birth. He was puzzled as to how someone who was a man who was old could become a new born again. Nicodemus certainly would not think that he needed to undergo any spiritual change in his life, because of his RELIGIOUS INVOVEMENT. He would not have known like we do, what being born again means in light of New Testament revelation. He was puzzled to say the least.

v.5 - Jesus responds to clarify what He means by being born again - what it means to have genuine spiritual regeneration. If we look down at verse five - there are those words again - Truly, truly. Jesus is once again going to say something that is crucial and important. Jesus explains that being born again is of water and the Spirit. This signifies that being born again is not a physical transaction as Nicodemus thought. But this was a regeneration - a life that only can come from the kingdom of God above. Spiritual rebirth comes only through the will and working of God’s Spirit.

v.6 - Jesus further explains using a contrast - He says - That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Whenever the word flesh is used in this gospel it always refers to a finite state of being - human frailty and weakness, something that is mortal. It doesn’t refer to the ruling sin nature, as in other parts of Scripture. So Jesus is explaining that human weakness can only lead to more of the same. But if one were to be spiritually born again, then its source must stem from the Holy Spirit for - that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

v.7 - Nicodemus should not have been - amazed, and because of his INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE, should have understood what Jesus was saying, when He stated that - You must be born again. Because the Jews looked forward to the day when God would pour out His Spirit upon the nation. Nicodemus would have been very familiar with the passage from Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36:26-27 states - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

v.8 - Jesus continues His response and states in verse 8 - The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. There are two words I want to draw your attention to. These are the words ‘wind’ and the word ‘Spirit.’ In the Greek it is the same word - pneuma - we get the English word pneumatic from it. So there is a play on words that Jesus employs, in answer to Nicodemus. The wind like the Spirit of God comes and goes and we cannot see Him or know where He comes from or is going. We are able to hear the sound of the wind blowing, but we cannot comprehend its course.

Jesus uses this metaphor of the Spirit to explain to Nicodemus that the work of the Holy Spirit is not fully comprehensible to people. Everyone who is born of the Spirit appears to others as the sound of the wind. In other words people look at new believers knowing that there is something distinguishable about what has been done in this persons life, but they cannot fully comprehend how it took place. The person that is born of the Spirit or born from above, displays fruit that cannot be denied, but it is rather difficult to explain (scientifically anyway). Others can only sense that something is different….new. The Christian’s life is a testimony to the unseen reality of the work of the Holy Spirit.

v.9-10 - Nicodemus’ response to Jesus was continued misunderstanding, yet it hinted at a desire to receive the truth - How can these things be? - he says. Nicodemus was a prominent religious leader, and also an unrivaled teacher of the Jews - He was the teacher of Israel, but he still did not understand these things which Jesus spoke about. There is some irony in this exchange because the learn-ed Nicodemus who was a spiritual leader - Pharisee - was wise in earthly matters, but unlearned in spiritual matters.

So what we find through this passage is that if a person is - in Jesus’ own words - born again - then this person is a BELIEVING BELIEVER. Last week we looked at UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS and factors which neither prove or disprove that a person is a BELIEVING BELIEVER.

Now we complete the picture with the marks which do demonstrate that a person is born again - born from above. So let us look at 10…

Factors Which Do Evidence True Saving Faith

If you remember from last week in 2 Cor 13:5, there it suggests to us that we need to examine our faith. This is one of the reasons I’m going over these characters of genuine saving faith with you. It is a good exercise to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. As well, it helps us in giving our conversion testimony to others, and also when we lead someone to Christ, we know how to help them examine their belief also.

The first factor that does evidence that we are a genuine Christian is:

1. REPENTANCE

There must be a turning away from sin and a turning toward God. The word "repentance," literally means "to change one’s mind." Repentance is to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete Spirit driven change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness. True conversion is turning away from sin and turning toward God. There must be a hatred of sin because God hates sin. This is not merely a verbal profession, but a total change from a life which was committed to sin and self; and now to a life of total commitment to forsake sin and a total commitment to follow Christ as a believer.

Acts 26:20 tells us of the various people groups of the New Testament times: that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

Acts 20:21 - I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (NIV)

If there is true repentance, your heart will be convicted of sin before a Holy God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit - out of your own heart you will profoundly realize that you are a sinner fully facing the wrath of God to come. And in response there will be a sincere and abiding repentance of sin and there will be an awareness of God’s complete forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ.

The second Factor which does evidence true saving faith is:

2. BELIEF AND PROFESSION OF CHRIST

There must be a sound profession of belief in the crucified and resurrected Christ. The decisive factor of true Christian faith is the acceptance of the crucified and resurrected Christ, our Saviour. There are many so called saviours, but one distinguishing reality of true saving faith is the historically verifiable resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is critical to the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture.

Romans 10:9-10 - 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.

A person must profess specifically the crucified and resurrected Christ. This is not just an intellectual ascent, a mere belief - but it is a life changing belief that affects every aspect of your life. True belief and profession of Christ results in visible spiritual fruit in your life.

The next Factor which does evidence true saving faith is:

3. GENUINE LOVE FOR GOD IN CHRIST.

There must be a deep genuine continuing love for God, and for Christ. Do you love God, Christ? Do you love God’s nature? Do you seek God through prayer and the Word? Do you seek to know and worship God? Matthew 22:37 - And He said to him, " `You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 1 Corinthians 16:22 - If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.

The opposite of genuine love for God and Christ is hate and resentment against God and Christ. In addition there is no pleasure taken, in the person who does not truly love God, in knowing that God is sovereignly in control of them. Now a person may claim to love God and in fact does but the key is do they love the Christ of the Scripture? Genuine love of God in Christ is demonstrated by a life that is centered around making God’s glory known. Loving God is not out of personal convenience to receive a happy life - it is not an insurance policy for protection from eternal hell when one dies apart from Christ Genuine love for God is not self centered, seeking personal gain and fulfillment. Genuine love for God in Christ elevates God and Christ to their rightful place and reduces our high view of self. Genuine love for God and Christ is a decisive factor in evidencing true saving faith.

Not only does a true believer demonstrate Repentance, Belief and Profession of Christ, and Genuine Love for God in his or her life….but there also is…

4. OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST

In the believer’s life there must be a determined obedience to follow Christ (obedient living). Do you show strong desire to please God by willingly obeying Scriptural teachings? Do you accept correction or instruction from the Bible humbly and then respond Biblically? Do you apply Biblical commands, teaching, and principles to your life the best way you can? Luke 9:23 - And He was saying to [them] all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Hebrews 5:9 states that Jesus - became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him (NIV)

Obedience to Christ and His Word is not an option it is commanded.

5. TRUE HUMILITY.

True saving faith will manifest genuine humility. The marks of humility are in part listed in Matthew 5: 3-6 where Jesus said: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

If true humility brought about by spiritual regeneration - that is being born again) is present - you will come to God fully dependent upon Him. You will not be coming to God full of yourself, but rather in self denial and lowliness of mind. God saves the humble:

James 4:6-10 states this - But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

If you posses true humility, you will not come before God with all your pride and boasting of all your religious and spiritual achievements. If one is born again you will come empty handed in full dependence upon Christ.

6. CONTINUING WORSHIP

There are many who claim to be Christians yet their lives are not marked by continuing worship. If the Spirit gives birth to spirit (Jn. 3:9) then genuine saving faith will manifest itself in the desire to worship God. The indwelling Holy Spirit in a believer will drive a person who is saved to worship God. True worship is not external conformity to a habit, but it is a heart attitude of obedience to worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24 - 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Worship goes beyond corporate worship services on Sundays, but every moment of your life as one who is born again, is an act of worship. 1 Cor 10:31 - Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

If there is genuine saving faith there also will be a constant and consistent worship of God.

7. GOD CENTERED LOVE

When a person is born again, God will place upon our hearts the love for other believers. This love stems from the very fact that as unbelievers we love ourselves more than we love God. But when God saves us we are given His love.

1 John 4:19- 5:3 - 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the [child] born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
This is the primary way that the world can recognize that we are followers of Christ. It is a testimony of the grace that we have in Jesus Christ. There must be love for others, which is an act of obedience to God.

8. SANCTIFICATION

When a person is saved by God, He begins the process of sanctification. Sanctification is the setting apart of oneself from sin and then unto holiness. Any former love of the world is being set aside and being replaced with holiness. Your love and devotion is now directed towards God and His glory. We give up the ungodly pursuits of this world and our focus shifts upward. 1 John 2:15-17 - 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Upon those who are born again is the definite and growing pull of our heavenly hope on our redeemed souls. The Christian is no longer following the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience - as it states in Ephesians 2:2.

In those who are true Christians, there must be a setting apart from the world and a putting on of personal holiness.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Ephesians 4:15 tells us that "…we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him who is the head, [even] Christ. So there must be spiritual growth. There is no other way about this fact. If you do not demonstrate spiritual growth in your life then, you are not born again. And we looked at the parable of the soils last week, and briefly as we look at it again we will see this very truth.

Luke 8:15 - But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. True spiritual regeneration will produce spiritual growth, there is a crop of righteousness that will be harvested. When God saves a person, God guarantees that spiritual growth will take place. This is brought to our attention in:
Philippians 1:6 - [For I am] confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

If you are born again, you will definitely grow into a greater degree of Christ likeness. Those who are alive to Christ will grow, improve, and increase spiritually. You will move from one level of sanctification and glorification to the next, until you are complete in Christ.

We are going to look at one more area that evidences true saving faith.

10. CONSISTENT PRAYER

True believers have a personal and private prayer life with God. A mark of true saving faith is a the act of humble, submissive, and believing prayer with God, because the indwelling Holy Spirit will prompt us to do so. Ephesians 6:18 - With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. The believer is marked by prayer in his or her life. As it reveals in Ephesians, the believer is to pray a variety of prayers; pray with frequency; pray with submission to God’s will; pray with watchfulness; pray with persistence; and to pray for one another. If one is a BELIEVING BELIEVER there must be constant prayer.

There is no question to the reality that even though we are BELIEVING BELIEVERS will there be perfection in each area mentioned above. A Christian will fail in some if not all of these areas, but the overarching pattern of our life is upward in each area. There is a consistent pattern of spiritual growth and maturity led by the indwelling Holy Spirit in each area.

Today we have looked at 10 areas that evidence true spiritual rebirth - true Christianity. There are inevitably other areas that will corroborate what has been stated today, beyond these 10 evidences. I encourage you to examine your life in light of what is stated in Scripture. Do you see the above evidences in your life? Does your life evidence: REPENTANCE, BELIEF AND PROFESSION OF CHRIST, GENUINE LOVE FOR GOD IN CHRIST, OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST, TRUE HUMILITY, CONTINUING WORSHIP, GOD CENTERED LOVE, SANCTIFICATION, SPIRITUAL GROWTH, and CONSISTENT PRAYER. All these are real evidences of a saving faith that is genuine.

When we look back to the two categories of ‘evidences’ we have examined:

Factors which are indecisive to evidence true saving faith.
Factors which do evidence true saving faith.

We will be able to determine if we are UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS or BELIEVING BELIEVERS.

If you take last weeks list - Factors which are indecisive to evidence true saving faith - they were: VISIBLE MORALITY, INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE, RELIGIOUS INVOVEMENT, ACTIVE MINISTRY, CONVICTION OF SIN, PROFESSION OF FAITH, THE FEELING OF ASSURANCE, and the TIME OF DECISION….if this list is true of you and today’s 10 ‘Factors which do evidence true saving faith’ - are not evident in your life - you need to seriously question your profession of faith.

But on the other hand if today’s 10 ‘Factors which do evidence true saving faith’ - are evident in your life - then it will go without question that last weeks list will also be true in your life too.
If you are a BELIEVING BELIEVER - a genuine Christian, there will be noticeable spiritual growth in your life. As this takes place you will become more and more like Jesus. That which is born of the Spirit will produce itself. If you are alive in Christ then you will grow, there is no other way. So as we close off today’s sermon, remember that the Bible calls all of us to examine our life in light of the Word of God.

Do you see any Biblical spiritual growth? Is your life marked by an increase in godliness, and a decrease in the frequency of sin? Is there a growing pattern of devotion to God?

(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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John 2:23-25 Unbelieving Believers

07.12.08 John 2:23-25 (NASB)

Audio Sermon File: John 2:23-25

Going Deeper: Study Guide

Unbeleiving Believers

For nearly 2000 years there has been a crisis in Christianity. As it was in Jesus’ day, people are confused as to what it means to be a Christian. We find people in all levels of culture, and in every social strata claiming to be Christians. Even recognized and established cults, make the same claim that they are Christians. Ideas of Christianity are as broad as the colour spectrum of a rainbow. These people believe that they have a good chance at getting to heaven when they die because they simply call themselves Christians.

The Gospel of John in 2:23-25 reveals this to us:

23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

Last Sunday we found Jesus in Jerusalem as He cleansed the temple. Jesus did so in order to pave the way for true worship for both Jew and Gentile. Today as we continue in the Gospel of John, chapter 2 in verse 23 - Jesus is still in Jerusalem at the Passover. Now many people during the feast witnessed the signs which Jesus was doing - and the text states this - that these people believed in His name. So there was apparently a certain level of belief in Jesus, due to the signs that began at Cana. Through these signs, people got a glimpse that in Jesus, was more than meets the eye. What was this belief?

Today we are going to look at different aspects of belief found in the UNBELIEVING and in BELIEVERS - manifestations which do not necessarily demonstrate true belief and in next week’s sermon - those traits that do demonstrate true belief.

As our church goes from door to door in this neighbourhood - we often get this response to our question - do you think you will go to heaven when you die? And most people give the answer that they think they will - or at least have a chance of getting into heaven….and they may not even call themselves a Christian. What is the basis for their thinking and belief? Something more disturbing is the fact that a number of people who sat in a church pew today - are clinging to a faith that does not save. They do have a faith…. but not have THE faith which will save them from God’s wrath against sin. These people are what I would call - UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS.
In one of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he challenges his opponents in this way: 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

In light of today’s passage, we are cautioned about our own belief. Therefore it is wise to test ourselves in this regard.

Continuing in our text in verse 24 - Those who believed in His name - that is believed in Jesus, viewed themselves as believers. But Jesus had a different assessment of these persons. This is Jesus’ assessment - But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them. Why did Jesus not entrust Himself to these people who believed in Him? John gives us the answer - for He knew all men.

The word - knew, in this verse is the Greek word which expresses personal and experiential knowledge. The last time we saw this specific word used was at the end of chapter 1, in Jesus knowing everything about Nathanael. In chapter 2 verse 24 Jesus knew everything about these people’s belief.

Once again, in Jesus’ response we see aspects of Christ’s nature of Deity at work, that He is all knowing and all seeing. Jesus Christ super-naturally is able to see into the hearts of all men. Jesus did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. Jesus didn’t need man’s instruction about false belief because, Jesus already knows that man is a sinner.

So you may ask what kind of belief did these people have? In the context of the passage and in analyzing the word - believed, we can come to a definitive conclusion. The word believed - has the Greek tense (aorist) which indicates that the believing is attained, but does not progress. It is a one-time event. Therefore they did believe - but this kind of belief, was an intellectual ascent to the signs displayed - and to the person who was the source of them. But it was not the kind of belief which goes beyond the external - the kind of deeper belief which is necessary for true salvation - genuine saving faith. It was not a true belief which is marked by true life changing faith in Christ, brought about by the Holy Spirit. Therefore Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them - because Jesus knew that they were still dead in their trespasses and sins. In summary - this can be said - ‘just because you say you are a believer doesn’t mean that you are a believer.’

Do we claim to be a Christian? Do we feel that we will be going to heaven? Is there any evidence which underwrites your statements? It is important for us to test ourselves as it states in 2 Cor. 13:5 - "Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" Our faith needs to be tested. If we do this then we may recognize if we have been deceiving ourselves or not, in regards to our salvation. A sober examination and testing against the following evidences of true faith, will lead you to an answer to our key question - ‘ARE YOU SAVED?’

Is there a way to test ourselves as to true saving faith? Yes there is. The standard for all saving faith is found in God’s Word - the Bible. And after having put yourself to the test it is our hope that you find yourself saved by God’s grace.

From Scripture we will see that there are two categories of ‘evidences’ -
a. Factors which are indecisive to evidence true saving faith.
b. Factors which do evidence true saving faith.

What I am presenting is based upon an article by my former pastor (John MacArthur), which is in my study Bible. We will begin with the:

Factors which are Indecisive to Evidence True Saving Faith

These are factors which neither prove nor disprove true saving faith. We will examine eight factors:

1. VISIBLE MORALITY - a person who may appear to live a moral life does not give us any indication of a saving faith in Christ. We can see the outward behaviour but we can not see the heart condition. These people in their relationships with others can be very moral, honest, dependable, and even very religious. They can be kind and loving to others, and generally grateful.

Despite these outward traits many of these people know nothing of sincere love for God. Outwardly they are moral but inwardly they have no sincere love for God and do not live for His glory. Whatever good works that are done in the end are done apart from God, because they do not have any saving relationship with God. The Bible gives us examples of this in Matt. 19:16-21:

16 And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 [Then] he ^said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man ^said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go [and] sell your possessions and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

In this passage we find a young man who is self-righteous. He kept all the commandments which Jesus mentioned here, "all these things I have kept" he claimed. In other words, he claimed that he had kept the Law. He was trying to obtain eternal life on his own merits. He did not recognize his sinfulness and that he could not keep God’s perfect law. That’s why Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, for Jesus knew that the commandment for covetousness was what the young man could not keep. If you follow down to verse 22 - the young man went away sorrowful because he knew he could not keep God’s law, yet he did not recognize his sin either, thus he went away sad.

In Matt 23:27-28 we find the scribes and Pharisees:

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

They were the ones who knew God’s law well, they were in the position of authority, yet they were legalistic, because they added human traditions to God’s Word. On the outside, they were moral and righteous, doing all that the law and the traditions dictated, yet on the inside, they were hypocrites who did not obey God’s law and added to it, which burdened those they taught. The whole of ch. 23 of Matt. dealt with the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

The young man, scribes, and Pharisees focused on visible morality, but it doesn’t necessarily mean salvation. People can ‘clean up their act’ through self reformation, but this is not the same as regeneration. So reformation or visible morality in itself is not an evidence of true saving faith.

Another factor we examine is:

2. INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE. It is very possible to have intellectual ascent and knowledge concerning the truth about God, yet be unsaved. Knowledge of the truth of God’s Word is necessary for salvation, and if one is saved then visible morality would be a fruit of this. But neither of these two alone translate into true saving faith.

James 2:19 - You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
This passage tells us that the demons know God, and that they believe and shudder.

But we do know that they do not posses nor ever will be saved. They know the truth about God, that there is one God, yet this is not a proof of saving faith, for they hate the truth and they hate God. People can know about God and all that He is. They can know all about Jesus, who He is and what He did to save people from their sins, but still turn their backs on Him. People can even witness the Spirit of God working in other people by imparting salvation and spiritual change in these lives, yet they themselves will not honour God.

Rom 1:21 - For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. This passage tells us that those who are unsaved know God, yet they do not honour Him as God. There are many people who know the Scriptures yet their eternal destination is hell, because they turn away and reject Christ. A person cannot be saved apart from the knowledge of the truth, but having INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE alone does not save.

A third factor which is indecisive in evidencing true saving faith is:

3. RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT. Being involved in the life of a religious organization like church, does not prove or disprove one who possess true faith. In the parable of the talents - Matt 25:14-30 we have an illustration which underscores the tragedy of missed opportunity:

14 "For [it is] just like a man [about] to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who [had received] the two [talents] gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one [talent] went away, and dug [a hole] in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves ^came and ^settled accounts with them. 20 "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, `Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 "Also the one who [had received] the two talents came up and said, `Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no [seed]. 25 `And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, `You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no [seed]. 27 `Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my [money] back with interest. 28 `Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "For to everyone who has, [more] shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We should note that all three slaves have the same master who portrays Christ. The slaves are professing believers, for they all call Him Master. Each slave was given different levels of responsibility or opportunity, represented here by the talents. Note that this parable has nothing to do with the stewardship of one’s natural ability or gifts. Talents here is a measure of weight, in other words money, gold or silver. The slaves were each given a different amount of money. The amount represents different responsibility given to them by Christ, as believers they are to serve Christ until His return. Faithfulness is what Christ demands of them, notice the two faithful slaves received the same reward, though they were given different number of talents. The reward is to enter into the joy of the Master.

The parable suggests that all who are faithful will be fruitful to some degree. The fruitless person is unmasked as a hypocrite and utterly destroyed. This fruitless slave is not a genuine believer, even though he called Christ his master, he had no true knowledge of Christ and his life does not produce any fruit.

A person may attend church regularly, but this is no proof that this person is truly saved. Religious involvement or attending church does not necessarily indicate if one is saved or not. Like in the parable there are those who go to church and are true believers. And there are those who go to church and are not, like the man with one talent …in the end when Christ returns He will receive those who are true believers and reject those that that are not believers. It is difficult to tell simply by the act of attending church - or in other words RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT if a person is a true believer.

Next we examine:
4. ACTIVE MINISTRY. A person may be very active in serving and ministering at a church, yet this is also no proof of saving faith. The Bible gives us many examples of people in this category. Balaam, fits in this category, he was a prophet who spoke truths from God, but in the end we know that he was a false prophet (Deut. 23:3-6). Then there is Saul of Tarsus, who believed that he was serving God by killing Christians, before the Lord saved him and he was renamed Paul. Judas was one of the 12 disciples and even did public ministry as a disciple, but turned out to be an apostate.

Matt 7:21-23 states this - "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter]. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

Jesus spoke about certain people who were involved with ACTIVE MINISTRY, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for he knew all men. Jesus said He never knew them…which is a stinging call for one to - Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
Being involved with ministry, serving in the church, does not prove that one is a Christian or not. Matt. 7:21-23 deals with works which unbelievers tried to pass off as being done in the Lord’s name. But from this passage we know that they were not true works of righteousness for Jesus says `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

What was done in Jesus’ name were really acts of lawlessness - that is -rebellious works stemming from unbelief, because these people had no saving relationship with Christ. Heb. 11:6 - states - And without faith it is impossible to please [Him]. Jesus does not suggest that it is good works that count toward salvation, but He is saying that true faith will not fail to produce the fruit of good works.

Another area we examine is:
5. CONVICTION OR FEAR OF SIN.

Most people have convictions or fear of sin, they know and would even admit that they have done something unrighteous. There are numerous people in our world who are filled with guilt. These people would even perhaps admit that they are not following God’s standard. They feel badly about their sin. They are convicted of sin in their lives just as it was with Felix in Acts 24:25 - But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you."
In Acts 24, Paul was engaged in a discussion with Felix, the governor of Judea at the time. Paul was talking about righteousness, self-control, and judgment with Felix and Felix became frightened. The reason for Felix’s fear was that he had lured another man’s wife - Drusilla, to be his own. This was now Felix’s third wife. As Paul talked about righteousness and self-control, Felix knew that he had none of these and he was fearful of the judgment which he faced. So he quickly dismissed Paul and over time Felix’s conviction of sin diminished, as did the opportunity to repent.

In Acts 8:21-24 we find a man named Simon:
21 "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." 24 But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

Simon was a sorcerer who had professed faith in Christ, and was even baptized (8:9-24). Yet in the context of the passage we find that Simon wanted the same authority as the apostles, and he offered them money to get that power. Peter rebuked him and Simon was fearful of perishing. Simon was convicted of his sin, yet he was unwilling to repent and seek forgiveness, because his profession of Christ was false (I will show you why he was a UNBELIEVING BELIEVER later in our last point). He was only trying to escape the consequence of his sin of wanting power for his own gain.

Therefore being in and of itself - conviction of sin or fearing sin does not prove if one is saved. Many people know that they are sinners but they do not act in response to that conviction. The Holy Spirit and our consciences alert us to sin, righteousness, and even judgment, but this is a conviction that is meaningless because - there is no true repentance. What there is, is only the desire to be released from the consequences of sin.

People may confess their sins and abandon the sins which create a guilty feeling in them. They acknowledge that they are not living in a right way and want to change. So they change their ways externally, but there is no internal regeneration, so they still fall short of genuine saving faith. This is the kind of conviction that the demons experience, as they tremble, but they love sin more than God - so they are not saved.

Like Felix or Simon who were only fearful of the consequence of their wrong doings, many people know that they are sinners but they do not act in response to that conviction - they failed to repent of their sin, and ask for forgiveness from God. Therefore, even if there is a CONVICTION OR FEAR OF SIN, without repentance, a person does not have saving faith.

The sixth area of examination relates to the:

6. PROFESSION OF FAITH. There are many people that when asked will state that they are Christians. If we were to ask more questions of them, in regards to their profession we could discover they have a false profession. An examination of the pattern of their life would also indicate this too.

Mark 4:3-6 - "Listen [to this]! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some [seed] fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 "Other [seed] fell on the rocky [ground] where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Jesus interprets this part of the parable in verse 16-17:
16 "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky [places], who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no [firm] root in themselves, but are [only] temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

In the parable of the soils we find people who hear the word of God and received it with joy, yet after a while they fall away and produce no fruit. These passages are talking about people who professed Christ, without truly following Him as their Lord in their life. It is only a mere profession, there is no submission or obedience in following Christ. So when trials come and temptations arise, they stop following Christ, because they do not have saving faith.
Therefore, even if a person professes to be a believer, it is not evidence that he is truly saved. Man cannot see the into his own heart or anyone else’s heart, yet God is able to look deep into a man’s heart. Many people today claim to be believers but just by making that claim, it does not prove that you are a genuine believer. As in the parable those who wrongly profess faith, in times of trouble and in the test of time will fall away because they really were not believers. The PROFESSION OF FAITH is not trustworthy in determining true saving faith.

The seventh area of examination turns to:

7. THE FEELING OF ASSURANCE. Many people have the feeling that they are saved. Yet this is no guarantee that a person is indeed saved. In Matthew chapter 23 - Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their own belief that they were saved.

Here is a sample of Jesus’ assessment of them:
23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say [things] and do not do [them].
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Jesus’ assessment of the Pharisees was that their faith - was merely outwardly religious and pious, and any unfounded feelings of assurance were brought to light as Jesus rebukes them for their unyielding and fruitless hearts. Today you hear people make this kind of claim - ‘I am a Christian because I feel and think that I am one.’ This kind of thinking is deficient reasoning. If merely thinking that you are a Christian, makes you a Christian, then anyone could simply, yet erroneously, believe that they are a Christian. This is one of one of Satan’s tactics. Satan deceives people to think this way, so that they are detracted from thinking about one’s eternal condemnation. They are lured into thinking they are saved when in fact they know nothing about God’s call to salvation. They believe that they will be going to heaven, that God won’t condemn them, because they feel good about themselves. They are OK and feel assurance - but they have a subjective assurance, which is not based upon the Word of God. THE FEELING OF ASSURANCE doesn’t either prove or disprove that one is truly saved.

A final factor which is indecisive in evidencing true saving faith is a:

8. TIME OF DECISION

Some people point to the time when they filled in a commitment card, walked down an aisle, raised their hand in response to a message, or the time they prayed a prayer. These people might even be able to pinpoint the exact time, date, and circumstances when this happened - but in and of itself does not mean anything. They may have even been baptized, and joined a church, but never experienced genuine saving faith. True salvation is not demonstrated by a past moment.

If we go back to Simon in Acts 8:13, it states that - Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

The text states that Simon - believed - the tense of the word believed in Greek (aorist) is the same as in our passage in John 2:23, which indicates that the believing is attained, but does not progress. It is a one-time event. From what we learned about Simon earlier, we knew that his belief was not genuine, but a matter of personal gain. His faith was not in the name of Jesus Christ but in desiring the power for the signs & wonders which were performed.

When we look back at the parable of the soils we find that there are people who encounter a TIME OF DECISION for Christ at a certain point in their life. But later on they fall away, because they were never saved (Mk. 4:16-17 - parable of the soils). It was not that they lost their salvation (which we will demonstrate that it can’t happen - later in this gospel) - but that they never had it in the first place. Just as it is was with Simon - we see that a person can make a decision, and may even be able to recall the exact time that this took place; but still it may not be conclusive evidence of genuine saving faith.

When we look at VISIBLE MORALITY, INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE, RELIGIOUS INVOVEMENT, ACTIVE MINISTRY, CONVICTION OF SIN, PROFESSION OF FAITH, THE FEELING OF ASSURANCE, and the TIME OF DECISION - we have discovered that these factors, do not either prove nor disprove one’s faith. They in and of themselves do not necessarily demonstrate genuine saving faith. In light of unbelief Christ desires true belief. A belief that leads to repentance demonstrated by the on going fruit of true belief - which is evidenced by receiving a new nature which produces a change in heart and the increasing measure of true obedience to the Lord.

Jesus in today’s passage found in chapter 2 of John, finds those who believed, but Jesus never entrusted Himself to them. Jesus knew their hearts. When Jesus examined them they were found to be UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS. The marks of genuine saving faith were not present. So you may be asking - what are the proofs for authentic true Christianity? Does God’s Word give us any clues? Yes the Bible makes it clear that there are a number of Biblical criteria for determining if one is truly saved or not. You will have to wait until the next Lord’s Day when these distinguishing marks will be examined.

(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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