If you reached this page by mistake, then
click HERE to return to course main page.

SIGN IN FOR CLASS ATTENDANCE
(If you have not already signed-in for class on a previous page.)


VI. Salvation
Is it mine and who says whether it is or not?

 


Salvation comes from God alone!

Psalm 3:8
"Salvation belongeth unto the LORD ..."

 

God, knowing us as He does, knows that in the weakness of our flesh we will need, from time to time,
reassurance that we truly are saved.  That we truly do possess God's Salvation through Christ.
We can only praise Him for His love for us as His children that He will pick us up when we
are down and soothe our fears with words of encouragement, assurance, and love.
    
He has even given us an example and a prayer for such occasions of human
weakness when we may start to look with the eyes of sight instead of the
eyes of faith and belief and we cry out to Him for help and assurance:
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe,
all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child
cried out, and said with tears,
"LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF."
(Look up and read the context of these verses in Mark.)


In the study following are many words of encouragement and assurance
from God our Saviour to help us know that His Salvation is truly ours.

These we need to learn so we can share them with others who
may be subject to the same fears from time to time.  For as long
as there is a Devil to taunt and whisper, and as long as people
are in this flesh, the fears will be there- from time to time.  Doc Van


A. 
Repentance is necessary.
        The first criteria for Salvation and assurance is: have we repented of our sins?
    Luk 24:47 "And that __________ and ____________  __  ____ should be preached
        in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
    Act 5:31 "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a _________,
        for to give _________ to Israel, and ____________ of sins."
    Act 11:18 "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God,
        saying, Then hath God also to the ________ granted __________ unto ____."
    Act 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, _________ toward
        God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
    Rom 2:4 "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-
        suffering; not knowing that the goodness of ___  _________  ___ to repentance?"
    II Cor 7:9 "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed
        to _________: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might
        receive damage by us in nothing."
   
II Cor 7:10 "For _____  ______ worketh __________ to _________ not to be
        repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

    Heb 6:1 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on
        unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of _________ from dead ______,
        and of faith toward God,"

    Heb 6:2 "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection
        of the dead, and of _______  _________."
    II Pet 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
        slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
        but that all should come to ________."

    Mar 1:14 "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
        the gospel of the kingdom of God,"
   
Mar 1:15 "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
        hand: ______ ye, and _______ the gospel."

       
It is obvious that the first step of knowing that Salvation is ours is to check that we have met the
    first criteria- have we repented of our dead works.
        Heb 6:1 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on
    unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of _________ from dead ______,
    and of faith toward God,"
       
And that brings us to our 2nd criteria- Faith and belief!

B.  Faith and belief are necessary to work in conjunction with repentance.
    Have we exercised faith and belief?
    Act 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, ________
        toward God, and ____ toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
    Hab 2:4 "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:
        but the just shall live by his _____."
    Act 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
        power of Satan unto God, that they may receive ___________ of sins, and inheritance
        among them which are sanctified by _____ that is in me."
    Ro 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God which is by _____ of Jesus Christ unto all
        and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

    Ro 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
        that is in _____  _____:"
    Ro 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through _____ in
        his _____, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
        are past, through the forbearance of God;
"
    Ro 3:26 "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just,
        and the justifier of him which _________ in Jesus."
    Ro 3:27 "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works?
        Nay: but by the law of _____."
    Ro 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is _________  __  _____ without
        the deeds of the law."
    Ro 3:29 "Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles?
        Yes, of the _______ also:"
   
Ro 3:30 "Seeing it is one God, which shall ______ the circumcision __ faith,
        and uncircumcision ______ faith."
    Ro 4:16
"Therefore it is of _____, that it might be
__  _____; to the end the promise
        might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also
        which is of the _____ of Abraham; who is the father of us all,"

    Ro 5:1
"Therefore being _________  __  _____, we have peace with
        God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

    Ro 5:2
"By whom also we have access by _____ into this grace wherein we stand,
        and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
   
Gal 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
        the ____ of Jesus Christ, even we have _________ in Jesus Christ, that we might
        be justified by the _____ of Christ, and ___ by the works of the law: for by the
        works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
   
Gal 3:7 "Know ye therefore that they which are of ____, the same are the children
        of Abraham."

    Gal 3:8 "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
        through _____, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying,
        In thee shall all nations be blessed."
    Gal 3:9 "So then they which be of _____ are blessed with faithful Abraham."
    Gal 3:11 "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident:
        for, The just shall live by _____."

    Gal 3:23 "But before _____ came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto
        the _____ which should afterwards be revealed."

    Gal 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,
        that we might be justified by _____."
   
Gal 3:25 "But after that _____ is come, we are __  _______ under a schoolmaster."
    Gal 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God __  _____ in Christ Jesus."

C.  Have we accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour; and that, by God's grace alone?
        This is the third criteria for assurance that Salvation is ours.
    Ro 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the ______ of Christ: for it is the ______ of
        God unto _________ to every one that __________; to the Jew first, and also
        to the Greek."
    Heb 4:2 "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word
        preached did not profit them, not being mixed with _____ in them that heard it."
    Jo 3:15 "That whosoever ________ in him should not perish, but have ______  ____."
    Jo 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
        whosoever _________ in him should not perish, but ____ everlasting life."
    Jo 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
        but that the world through him might be _______."
    Jo 3:18 "He that _________ on him is not condemned: but he that believeth ___ is
        condemned already, because he hath not _______ in the name of the only begotten
        Son of God."
    Eph 2:4 "But God, who is rich in _____, for his great ____ wherewith he loved us,"
    Eph 2:5 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
        (by ____ ye are saved;)"
    Eph 2:6 "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together
        in heavenly places in _____  ______:"
    Eph 2:7 "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of
        his _____ in his kindness toward us through _____  _____."
    Eph 2:8 "For by _____ are ye saved through _____; and that not of yourselves:
        it is the ____ of God:"
    Eph 2:9 "Not of _____, lest any man should boast."
    Gal 2:21 "I do not frustrate the _____ of God: for if righteousness come
        by the law, then Christ is dead in _____."
    Php 3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of
        the law, but that which is through the _____ of Christ, the ___________ which
        is of God by _____:"
    I Tim 1:14 "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with _____ and
        love which is in Christ Jesus."
    I Tim 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
        came into the world to _____ sinners; of whom I am chief."
    I Tim 1:16 "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus
        Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which
        should hereafter _______ on him to ____  __________."
    II Tim 3:15 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able
        to make thee wise unto __________ through _____ which is in Christ Jesus."
    Ro 10:8 "... The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is,
        the word of ____, which we preach;"
    Ro 10:9 "That if thou shalt _______ with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
        and shalt _______ in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
        dead, thou shalt be saved."
    Ro 10:10 "For with the heart man ________ unto righteousness;
        and with the mouth confession is made unto __________."

D.  Assurance that Salvation is ours.
           
In several places in the Bible we find scriptures that tell us of several things that will
        assure us that Salvation is truly ours.
    1.  Our best word of assurance is because God tells us that it is ours!
            This is easily seen by the multitude of scriptures to which we have already referred.
        Such as:
        II Tim 3:15 "...  the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
            unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
               
And those scriptures are the very words of God himself- inspired by Him and written
            down for us by the hands of those through whom God breathed His word to us.
       
II Tim 3:16 "All scripture is given by __________ of God ..."
   
             "inspiration"  Gk
qeopneustoV, they-op-neu-stoss, def. divinely inspired
                from:
qeoV, they-oss, "God"; and pnew, pney-oh, "to breath or to blow"
                From this we get the definition of "God breathed out" for the word "inspiration."
            Therefore, it is from the very Word of God, the Scriptures, that were "breathed out" by
        God himself that gives us our greatest assurance that Salvation is truly ours.
 
       
And this is what God tells us in His very Word- the Bible:
            I Jn 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the ______, the ____, and
                the _____  _____: and these three are one."
            I Jn 5:8 "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water,
                and the blood: and these three _____ in one."
            I Jn 5:9 "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of ___ is greater:
                for ____ is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son."
            I Jn 5:10 "He that ________ on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
                he that believeth not God hath made him a ____; because he believeth not
                the record that God gave of his Son."
            I Jn 5:11 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us ______  ___, and
                this life is in ____  ____."
            I Jn 5:12 "He that hath the ____ hath ____; and he that hath ___ the
                Son of God hath ___ life."
            I Jn 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
                the Son of God; that ye may _____ that ye ____ eternal life, and that ye
                may believe on the name of the Son of God."
                  
It is easy to see that God tells us that we can "know" that we have "eternal life ... in his son."
   
             There is no greater assurance to be found anywhere that we do have God's Salvation;
            but, God has chosen to give us other assurances in His Bible besides this greatest of assurances.
    2.  Our spiritual fruit also gives us assurance that Salvation is truly ours.
       a.  Good works are the natural fruit of a saved person.
             Mat 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
                 into the kingdom of heaven; but he that ____ the will of my
                 Father which is in heaven."
             Luk 6:43 "For a good tree bringeth not forth _______ fruit;
                 neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
             Luk 6:44 "For every tree is _____ __ his own fruit.  For of thorns men do
                 not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes."
             Luk 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
                 which is _____; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth
                 forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
             Luk 6:46 "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and __  ___ the things which I say?"
             I Jn 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in_________,
                 we ___, and __  ___ the truth:"
             I Jn 1:7 "But if we walk in the _____, as he is in the light,
                 we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of
                 Jesus Christ his Son ________ us from all sin."
            Gal 5:22 "But the fruit of the ______ is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
                gentleness, goodness, faith,"
            Gal 5:23 "Meekness, temperance: against such there is no ___."
            Gal 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have ________ the flesh
                with the affections and lusts."
            Gal 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also _____ in the Spirit."

            Eph 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now
are ye
light
                in the Lord: ____ as children of light:"

            Eph 5:9 "(For the fruit of the _____
is
in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)"
           
Eph 5:10 "_______ what is acceptable unto the Lord."
        b. 
A living faith that is shown forth in good works gives us assurance that Salvation is ours.
           
Jas 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is _____, being alone."
   
             In Christ we are created "unto" good works, not "by" them.
            Eph 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus ____ good works,
                which God hath before ordained that we should ____ in them."
 
                   
Good works shows others, and ourselves also, that we have a living, saving, faith; and
                assures us that through the channel of that faith that God truly did save us by His grace.
 
            Jas 2:18 "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: ____  __ thy
                faith without thy works, and I will ____  __ my faith __ my works."
            Eph 2:8 "For by _____ are ye saved _______ faith; and that
                not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
            Eph 2:9 "Not of _____, lest any man should boast."
 
        c.  Our self-sacrificing love for the brethren also will give us assurance.
            I
Jn 3:10 "In this the children of ___ are manifest, and the children
                of the devil: whosoever doeth ___ righteousness is not of God,
                neither he that loveth ___ his brother."

            I Jn 3:11
"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning,
                that we should ____ one another."

            I Jn 3:12 "___ as Cain,
who
was of that wicked one, and slew his
                brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works
                were evil, and his brother's righteous."

            I Jn 3:13
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."
            I Jn 3:14 "We _____ that we have passed from death unto life, _______ we
                love the brethren. He that loveth not
his
brother abideth in death."
            I Jn 3:15
"Whosoever hateth his brother is a _________: and ye know
                that no murderer hath _______  ___ abiding in him."
            I
Jn 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life
                for us: and we ______  __ lay down
our
lives for the brethren."
                   
From these scriptures, and many others, we can see that our love for the brethren gives
                us much assurance that we truly have received God's Salvation.

D.  Summary.
        Our exercise of faith and belief in the gospel plainly given in the Scriptures, and our personal
    acceptance of God's grace without any of our works and receiving of Christ as our Saviour by calling
    on His name, these things plus our spiritual fruit, our love of the brethren, and the good works that
    we naturally began to do following our Salvation, all of these give us undeniable assurance that God's
    Salvation is truly and personally ours.