MUCH
ASSURANCE
ASSURANCE
OF SALVATION
THIS
MESSAGE IS TO A BIBLE BELIEVER
WHO KNOWS HE IS BORN AGAIN:
1
Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power,
and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we
were among you for your sake.
If
your local church is not giving you:
1.
The Word-- Preaching and teaching God's revelation
2. Power in the preaching
3. The Holy Ghost being obviously present
4. Much assurance....
You
are NOT in a New Testament local church.
The
key note of a REAL New Testament local church, one based on the Apostle Paul's
teaching above, is this:
Every
Sunday, as the worship starts, during the singing, during the prayers, during
the visiting, at the end of the service, in the benediction, there is....
MUCH
ASSURANCE-- Read the verse above. Paul said that assurance was essential in his
teaching.
AND,
the saints commonly give one another "much assurance" as the meet and
fellowship with each other.
Note
the key adjective, MUCH !! I find that Fundamental Bible believing pastors are
TERRIFIED to believe the sheep are really sheep. They are perpetually suspicious
of the sheep. Paul, over and over in the Epistles, rejoiced in the salvation of
the saints in the churches. When is the last time your pastor told you he rejoiced
in YOUR salvation? Indeed, when is the last time YOU told someone you were rejoicing
in THEIR salvation? Are you learning to not believe in the sheep? If you cannot
believe in other saints' salvation, why can you believe in YOURS?
Here
is what Paul believed about the saints at Rome:
Romans
15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye
may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
14 And I myself also
am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish
one another.
Can
you imagine a preacher saying such things about a believer? Why anyone knows the
saints are wicked, backslidden, and rebellious. :-)
Paul
loved the saints, and he believed in their salvation more than they did.
If
your pastor gives you doubt and terror instead of MUCH ASSURANCE, you do not have
a pastor-- you have wolf !!
But,
let's talk about you. Could you have the faith to just believe that brat kid,
who comes to church in the van ministry, the one who keeps going forward for assurance,
is born again? If so, would you tell him you thank God he is born again? Could
you tell him you look forward to spending eternity with him in heaven? Come on
now, "such were some of you." A little hug and assurance would go a
long way when that kid sins again. Maybe he would go to I John 1:9 instead of
frantically running to the altar to get saved again.
And,
how about that defeated fellow at the tire shop who used to teach Sunday School
but is now dragging center and living in defeat? Would a little assurance encourage
him to long for the former days of power? THINK !!
SEND
MAIL if you need to confess Jesus Christ as your Savior.
BLESSED
QUIETNESS IS BEST FOUND IN MUCH ASSURANCE
