Personal Security: The Book of 1 John

The Bible teaches that when a person is saved, he or she is saved forever. There is nothing he or she nor anybody else can do that will take away the salvation that God has freely given them for their faith and trust that they have put into Jesus. I would say that there is nothing mystical about salvation. It truly is when one confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, then they will be saved. (Romans 10:9) This verse implies that a person knows exactly what Jesus did for them when He died on the cross; that He paid for the penalty of man's sins. So by confessing Him Lord we confess that we are a sinner and that He is the sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the whole world.

Therefore, we repent of our sin, our sin nature, and turn from that to follow the living God. That is what salvation is! It is not a simple "O, I believe that, but I am going to live the way I want to." It is a complete confession that you have placed everything you have and are into the Lordship of Jesus Christ the Savior. Jesus even said, "Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." He also shared that "broad is the gate that leads to destruction, but narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life." one has done that they salvation is secure. If one has truly repented and placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, then that person's salvation is secure! There is no way and nohow their salvation can be lost or taken away.

This brings me to my brief point I would like to make this morning. It is this: if someone wants proof to validate their salvation, John gives us a litmus test we can take in our own life to validate for us whether or not we have salvation. Again, it is a litmus test that we have been saved, not a do these things and you will be saved. The message that John is arriving at that every other writer and disciple arrived at is that your life will be different when you are saved!

Here is the Litmus Test:

* Keep the Lord's Commandments- live like Him

* Don't love the world or anything in the world- if you love the world that the love of the Father is not in You.

* Abide in the Jesus

* Love one Another

* Avoid False Teachers

* Test the Spirits to make sure they are not false

* Hold one another accountable

I would encourage you to read the book straight through to see John's complete message. But it is quite something!

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