Sunday Notes, March 20, 2011
Dear friends,
Let’s take a break from 1 Peter. Two weeks from now, March 27, Matt Jones, our college intern will be preaching on John 12. In April we will look at the account in the Gospels of the last week of Jesus heading toward Easter, April 24. This Sunday we will examine the question: Can I know I am saved and have assurance of eternal life? What is God’s will concerning this vital question? Does He want us to know for sure we are saved?
Do we have confidence when we die we will go to heaven and not the unquenchable fire Jesus taught was the destiny of the wicked?
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Mark 9:43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
Interestingly Jesus probably spoke as much about eternal punishment as He did the joys of heaven.
How can we be sure we are saved? I see three reasons why we can be assured we are saved and live in that truth.
Romans 8:12-17 the witness of the Spirit and our own spirit, that we are the children of God in actuality.
1 John 5:1-13 – our works show we are saved.
John 3:31-36 – the testimony of Scripture.
Discuss this question with others. Ask if they know they are saved and will go to heaven when they die. Our Christian life will bring forth much fruit if we can know the answer to this question. What about you?
See you Sunday,
Lee
