INTRODUCTION:
The Gospel Defined:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. ... And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. ... And if Christ be not raised, ... ye are yet in your sins. ... But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 14, 17, 20)
Don't receive the grace of God in vain:
"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." (2 Corinthians 6:1)
Jesus said: "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:7-9)
"Now ... many believed in his name. ... But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." (John 2:23-25)
EXAMINE YOURSELF AND MAKE SURE:
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Peter 1:10)
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
KNOW FOR SURE IN YOUR HEART:
1. That Jesus is sinless and He came to save you:
"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. ... Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God ... And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 3:5, 4:2, 5:19)
2. That you are born again:
"If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. ... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ... Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of his Spirit. ... And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us. ... We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (1 John 2:29, 3:9, 24, 4:13, 5:18; The phrase "doth not commit sin" concerns one's regenerated spirit, not his carnal nature which must be kept in check by yielding to or walking in the Spirit and the Word of God [Galatians 5:16-18; Romans 8:1-10]. The Lord Jesus says that two things are essential for the new birth [John 3:5]: 1) water or the Word [cf. Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Isaiah 55:9-10; John 17:17; Revelation 22:17], and 2) the Holy Spirit.)
3. That you should guard God's Word:
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ... By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." (1 John 2:3-5, 5:2; Key Word: KEEP. "Keep" means: guard, preserve, take care of. Believers are charged with caring for the Word of God. We cannot follow the Word if we don't keep it! Without the Word one cannot be saved, nor obey it [cf. John 8:51, 14:15, 21, 23-24, 15:10, 20; Revelation 3:10].)
4. That you now better understand God's Word and love the brethren:
"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. ... We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ... We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." (1 John 2:20-21, 3:14-15, 4:6; cf. Matthew 13:19)
5. That your prayers are heard by God:
"And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ... And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John 3:19-20; 5:15)
6. That Satan temporally controls this world, but we are of God:
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:18-19)
7. That the Lord Jesus is coming again and we will be like Him:
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)
DON'T FALL FROM STEDFASTNESS, BUT GROW IN GRACE:
"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:1-3)
"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:17-18)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13)
CONCLUSION:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ... We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:13, 18-20)
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