The Bible

John Calvin said that we ought “to attempt nothing but by Divine authority.” Next question -- Where is that Divine authority found?
-Not the church
-Not within yourself
-Not culture
-Not government
-Not your personal experience
-Not some new revelation
-Not some priest, nor pope

Divine authority is found in the 66 books of the Bible. (sorry, no Apocrypha) Every word is inspired of God and every word is infallible. Therefore, the Bible alone is the final authority. So, yes, "Scripture Alone" should be the motto of every believer. We test all things by Scripture -- all doctrines, all churches, all our actions, all councils, preachers, priests and popes.

If you are not reading the Bible, learning the Bible and following the Bible, you are living for yourself and have put yourself or something else in the place of authority. If you don't know Scripture, you can't live by Scripture, and if you don't live by Scripture, you are not living by the authority of God. It is in Scripture that we learn about Christ, who is the only way of salvation. It is in the Bible that we find out that "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8,9

Divine authority is found in Scripture, which is God's holy, inspired, inerrant, infallible Word.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." ~ Isaiah 8:20

"The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever." ~ Psalms 119:160

"Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." ~ Psalms 119:89

"These were more fair–minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." ~ Acts 17:11

The Authority and Inspiration of the Scriptures - B. B. Warfield
http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/bbwauthority.htm

How to Have Assurance of Salvation - Chapter Two

Chapter Two – True and False Assurance

The starting point in the pursuit of full assurance is self-examination.

2Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?"

The Bible clearly calls upon us to question ourselves -- to examine ourselves and determine whether we are saved and have Scriptural reasons for this assurance. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves, not so that we who are saved would begin to doubt; but for the following two reasons:

1) That on the one hand those who are not saved would not be deceived by a false assurance.

2) That those are truly saved would come to have a firm and biblical assurance of it.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 18 is titled, “Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.” There are four paragraphs or sections in this chapter. Dr. Joel Beeke, in his excellent book The Quest for Full Assurance, says “Its four brief paragraphs include the following themes: 1) The possibility of assurance, 2) The foundation of assurance, 3) The cultivation of assurance, and

4) The renewal of assurance.”

Let's look now at chapter 18 section one of the Confession, which has to do with the possibility of assurance:

I. Hypocrites and other unregenerate men may deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of their being in God's favor and about their being saved. Their presumptions will die with them. However, those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, who honestly love him, and try to walk in good conscience before him, may in this life be assured with certainty that they are in the state of grace. They may also rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and they will never be ashamed of that hope.

There is a false assurance and on the other hand, a true assurance of salvation. There are those who think they are saved who are not. They are deceived about the state of their soul.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"

Ultimately, only God knows those who are saved. 2Timothy 2:19 says, "The Lord knows those who are his." We can be deceived about our own salvation and about the salvation of others, but the Lord is not deceived. Hebrews 4:13 declares that, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

The confession says that such persons have "false hopes and carnal presumptions of their being in God's favor and about their being saved. Their presumptions will die with them."

The natural man is a religious man. He wants to go to heaven, but has no right or claim to heaven. He flatters himself that he is good enough to be accepted by God. Man naturally has a spirit of self-righteousness and self-confidence.

There are those who say they have faith in Christ, and yet there is no fruit and evidence of that faith. This is what the Bible calls “dead faith.” James 1:22 says, “But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 2:20 says, “But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

Then there are some who have outward works that appear to be good, but their trust is in the works and not in Christ for salvation.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Outward works, even done in the name of Christ, may be part of a false profession of faith. Such persons need to repent of their self-righteousness and trust in Christ alone and come to know Him as their Savior and Lord.

How can we distinguish true from false assurance? A.A. Hodge gives four tests that enable us to distinguish true from false assurance:

1) True assurance produces real humility; false assurance begets spiritual pride. (1 Cor. 15:10; Gal. 6:14.)

2) The true leads to increased diligence in the practice of holiness; the false leads to sloth and self–indulgence. (Ps. 51:12,13,19.)

3) The true leads to candid self–examination and to a desire to be searched and corrected by God; the false leads to a disposition to be satisfied with appearance and to avoid accurate investigation. (Ps. 139:23,24.)

4) The true leads to constant aspirations after more intimate fellowship with God. (1 John 3:2,3.)[1]

I like what G.I. Williamson said, “It is not the strength of one's conviction which proves the validity of his assurance but the character of one's conviction.”[2]

Professor Sinclair Ferguson summarizes the confession's concern about false assurance well. He said:

It is… terribly possible for someone to have a kind of faith and assurance that is little more than self-confidence, born out of an intellectual conviction rather than out of a helpless casting of one's sinful self upon a willing Savior. But so long as there is a vestige of reliance on my righteousness, my service, my knowledge of Scripture, -- so long as I rely on my faith rather than on Christ's work alone -- so long am I the possessor of a false and temporal assurance. The sands of time are littered with the strewn wreckage of men and women who have made shipwreck of their souls because they went forward with a false assurance, not having really laid the foundation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is a tremendous danger.[3]

It is interesting that Ferguson said that they “went forward” with a false assurance. I am convinced that countless thousands of people in the Bible Belt think they are saved because they “went forward” at some meeting! Un-biblical methods of evangelism inevitably lead to much false assurance of salvation.

Look now again at what the last half of section one of the Confession said:

"…those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, who honestly love him, and try to walk in good conscience before him, may in this life be assured with certainty that they are in the state of grace."

There is such a thing as true assurance of salvation. Genuine faith in the Lord Jesus is the foundation of such assurance. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1John 5:13)

Sincere love for Christ is also part of that equation. Notice that the confession did not say perfect love for Christ, but sincere love -- i.e. not hypocritical.

Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself (assure him?) to him.” (John 14:21)

Walking in good conscience before God is part of our assurance. A person who goes to God daily, confessing and forsaking sin, will build up his or her assurance.

Lastly, the confession says, “They may also rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and they will never be ashamed of that hope.” Assurance is a subset of hope, joy and peace. Romans 14:17 reminds us that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

While it is possible to be deceived about one’s salvation, the Bible encourages us to seek and find a full assurance of faith.

__________________

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[1] A.A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith, p. 239.

[2] G.I. Williamson, Westminster Confession of Faith: for Study Classes

[3] Quoted in The Quest for Full Assurance, Dr. Joel Beeke p. 121

How to Have Assurance of Salvation

Chapter One – What is Assurance?

This short study is for any person who has a desire to be certain of his or her eternal destiny. You may not even believe at this point that it is possible to know such a thing, much less to have certainty about it. Let me assure you, the Bible teaches that a person can know with certainty where you will go after death. Would you like to know and be sure about it? Then read on with prayer that the God of the universe will help you in this pursuit.

In this study of the "assurance of salvation" we will mainly draw from the teaching of Scripture and the Westminster Confession of Faith.

When we speak of the "assurance of salvation" we are talking about something that is somewhat subjective, although many objective elements are involved. Assurance of salvation is a gift of God. Only God can grant assurance but He does so through several means.

Let me give you a definition of assurance by Donald Whitney from his book How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian.

"Assurance of salvation is a God-given awareness that He has accepted the death of Christ on your behalf and forgiven you of your sins. It involves confidence that God loves you, that He has chosen you, and that you will go to heaven. Assurance includes a sense of freedom from the guilt of sin, relief from the fear of judgment, and joy in your relationship with God as your Father."

Do you know for certain that you are saved and in a state of grace? Are you sure that if you died today, you would enter heaven? My prayer is that after reading this book you will be able to answer these questions in the affirmative, and for the right reasons.

Why ought believers to study this doctrine? For three reasons:

1. Because the Scriptures teach that it is something we may have.

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1John 5:13)

The purpose of the book of 1John is to give believers joy and assurance of their salvation. Therefore, it is a privilege that God's word says we may enjoy.

2. Because it is very beneficial to have this assurance.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1Corinthians 13:13)

Assurance and hope are very much related. Hope, in Scripture, has to do with an assured confidence before God. If we do not have an assured hope, we will be fearful and hesitant in the battle against sin and darkness.

"But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." (1Thessalonians 5:8)

This verse indicates that the hope of salvation will be a helmet to protect us from evil. The context of this verse indicates that this is one way in which we can be prepared for the second coming of Christ.

3. Because we are commanded to seek this assurance.

"Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fall." (2Peter 1:10) We will look more at this verse later.

Of course there have been many objections to this doctrine of assurance. Here are three:

1. Some believe that it would be presumptuous, or prideful to claim that you know for sure you are going to heaven.

However, if the Bible says we may attain such assurance, it would actually be presumptuous not to seek it! Assurance would be presumptuous if we based salvation partly upon our works, as Roman Catholics do. They say that full assurance is not possible and therefore would be presumptuous to claim it.

2. Some say that the Bible teaches that a person can fall away from grace.

Those passages are a warning to unbelievers in the church who have a false assurance and a disobedient lifestyle. There are many more passages in Scripture which show that a true believer in Christ will never perish.

3. Others say that this teaching leads to slackness in obedient living.

This is far from the truth. 2Peter 1:10 says that in order to attain assurance, there must be diligence in the Christian life. God has tied our assurance partly to our obedience. Though our salvation is by grace alone, our assurance of that grace is enjoyed fully only when we are walking close to Christ and in ways that please Him.

Let's look briefly at that verse in 2Peter 1:10:

"Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall never fall."

To say that you are certain of salvation is to say that you are sure you are going to heaven when you die. It is the same as saying that you are sure you have been called by God's Spirit to believe in Christ and be saved. It is the same thing as saying you are sure that you are one of the elect.

Election is the foundation upon which all else rests. In order to be assured of our election, we must reason backwards from our faith, obedience and calling. If you have been called, and if you possess faith and obedience, then you can be certain that you are one of the elect.

Peter is not saying that God's election depends upon us in any way. God's decree of election is certain and unchanging. What Peter is urging is that each individual who professes faith in Christ must seek to become assured of his own election and salvation. I am not to try and assure others of my salvation. The verb in this verse "to make" is in the middle voice. The middle voice indicates the subject performing an action upon himself (reflexive action) or for his own benefit.

Peter is saying that each person who professes faith ought to make certain of his own calling and election. In order to gain such a firm assurance, where does one begin? The starting place in the pursuit of full assurance is self-examination.

2Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?"

So, are you in the faith? Are you sure? Is Jesus Christ in you? Are you one of the elect? I had someone in my church years ago tell me that they didn't think it was right to ever question anyone’s salvation. Of course we are not to judge others' hearts. We can't possibly know the heart of another human being.

But the Bible clearly calls upon us to question ourselves -- to examine ourselves and see whether we are saved and have Scriptural reasons for this assurance. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves, not so that we who are saved would begin to doubt; but for the following two reasons:

1) That on the one hand those who are not saved would not be deceived by a false assurance.

2) That those are truly saved would come to have a solid assurance of it.

Those who are truly saved ought not be shaken by self-examination. Those who are unsaved ought to be shaken -- out of their self-deception.

Over the next few chapters we will look at HOW we can obtain this assurance and WHAT it is that we must do to make sure of salvation.

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The Real Secret

The Real Secret

Can I let you in on a secret? What if I told you that there was an ancient secret that you could tap into that would bring you untold wealth, success and happiness in life? That is exactly what the recent book and the film titled “The Secret” claim. “The Secret” claims that “You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life. …men and women have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness.” The power to have these things resides in you and in certain laws that exist in the universe. Ultimately, these laws are used to get you the car, the money, the relationship and the happiness that you want. As "The Secret" puts it, all you have to do is "put in your order with the universe." Ask. Believe. Receive. That's the mantra. It is a nothing more than a New Age version of the prosperity gospel. All you have to do is think the right thoughts and you will get rid of disease, find the right person, and get rich.

The flip side to “The Secret” is that if bad things happen to you, it's all your fault. As surely as your thoughts bring health, wealth and love, they are also responsible for any illness, poverty or misery that comes your way. The truth is that you and I are not in control of the things that happen to us in life – God is. And he brings both prosperity and sometimes hardship, according to his sovereign will. The good news is there is a secret to life – not a secret of how to abound and be prosperous, but how to be content no matter what your circumstances. The apostle Paul said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Would you like to learn this secret? Then listen to these verses from Philippians chapter four.

PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In verse 11 Paul said that he had learned to be content. Contentment is not a gift or a natural disposition. It is something to be learned. Have you learned contentment? If Paul learned contentment then there is hope for you and me to learn also. The word Paul used for “learn” in this verse means “to learn by use and practice; i.e. by experience.” The school of Christ often involves hardship and trials. Paul had his share of them. He suffered more than any other apostle. In order to learn the lesson of contentment in the Christian life, Christ will put you through things that will stretch you and test you. You will probably fail many times before you learn this lesson. But learn this lesson you must. God will keep testing you and humbling you until you learn. Sanctification does not come about overnight. God is patient and will teach us until we learn, but from our standpoint it may seem to take a while.
The test of contentment can come either through poverty or prosperity; through hardship or through success. The poor person says, “I’ll be content when I can just get out of poverty.” The rich person says, “I’ll be content when I have a little more.” But if you think like that, you’ll never be content. Do you ever think that way? I’ll be content when _______ happens. I’ll be content when I meet the man or woman of my dreams. Or, I’ll be content when I get the house I’ve always wanted, or the furnishings for that house. I’ll be content when I get the job I’ve always wanted, the car I want, the boat, the vacation, etc. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” If you love things, you’ll never be satisfied with things. You’ll never have enough. Jesus said you can’t love or serve both God and mammon. But if you love God instead of things – you’ll be satisfied.

In Psalm 73 we read the musings of Asaph who became discontented with his lot in life. Asaph said, “I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.” He looked at their prosperity and their comfortable lives and he began to be envious. He thought about his life and it seemed as if there was no reward for seeking God. He said, “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.” Do you ever feel that way? That you have tried to serve God and be committed to him and you begin to wonder where it’s gotten you? You may think that you have served God for many years and you have nothing to show for it. You question whether it has been worth it. That is what Asaph was thinking.

But Asaph did something – the psalm says that he went into the sanctuary of God. There he gained the perspective he needed. He realized what the destiny of the wicked would be. Though they seemed to be at peace and well-off, in a moment God would bring them “down to destruction.” He confessed his foolishness and his ignorance. He acknowledged the presence of God and his guidance. In Psalm 73:25 Asaph said, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” You see, the true goal of contentment is to be content with God alone as the object of our affections. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to enjoy the things of this life – he does. It is not that we should have no drive or ambition to achieve things in life – we should. But we are to be satisfied with God alone. Calvin stated that “If we give the smallest portion of our affections to the creatures, we in so far defraud God of the honor which belongs to him.” Contentment then is satisfaction with your circumstances because God is ordering those circumstances and God is present with you in those circumstances. Paul is talking about contentment with the things you and I cannot control. We are never to be content with our current level of sanctification. However we must always be content with the providence of God in our lives. Learn to meditate on God’s Providence so that you learn to think this way: “The Lord willed it, it must therefore be endured; not only because it would be wrong to strive with him, but also because God wills only what is good and right for me.” (paraphrase of John Calvin)

How then did Paul learn contentment? What was his secret? Verse 13 contains the answer – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” What is the secret of contentment? Jesus Christ. Do you really know Him? Have you put your full trust in Him as your all in all? Draw from his strength and you can do all things. You can have contentment in any and every situation. You can do all the things that Paul mentions in his letter to the Philippians. You can do whatever God commands you to do.

The world’s “Secret” is to find a way to make more money, get better health and find a great relationship in order to find contentment. God’s way is to find Jesus Christ and then find contentment. Apart from Christ, you will never be content, no matter if you gain the whole world. There is no substitute for an intimate relationship with God through Christ to bring true contentment to your soul.

Let Your Light Shine

The Lord God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”. The apostle John said about Jesus that He is the “true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” Jesus gives light to every man who comes to Him and believes in Him. It was said of John the Baptist, that he “came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” Jesus said to His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” If you believe in Christ then He lives in you. And if He lives in you, His light is in you. You have a choice – either you can hide that light, or you can let it shine. You cannot alter the fact that light dwells in you. You cannot put that light out. You can only block the light by your sins and your unwillingness to let it shine. But the light doesn’t go away. Christ said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We forsake Him often. Like Peter, we deny we know Him. We pretend we are not Christians. I just watched a portion of the old movie “The Robe”. There was a Christian named Demetrius in the movie. At first he was noble and Christ-like. But after a while, after going through a lot of painful experiences, he seemed to get hardened, and even ended up denying Christ and acknowledging that Caesar was the only Lord. You see, we either let our light shine, or we deny the Lord. If we hide the light of Christ, then people only see us. When we let our light shine, they see good works God produces and give Him glory. By hiding the goodness and love of Christ who lives in me, I am by default seeking to honor only myself. Unless I let the light of Christ shine through me, I cannot honor the Lord. What does it mean to let our light shine? Albert Barnes said, “Let your holy life, your pure conversation, and your faithful instruction, be everywhere seen and known; always, in all societies, in all business, at home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, let it be seen that you are real Christians.” John Gill said, “His sense is this; that the light of the Gospel, which he had communicated to them, the spiritual knowledge of the mysteries of grace, which he had favored them with, were to be openly declared, and made manifest before men. Light was not given merely for their own private use, but for the public good of mankind; and therefore, as they were placed as lights in the world, they were to hold forth, in the most open and conspicuous manner, the word of light and life.” Do you have the light in you? Do you let the light shine through you? Publicly? Openly? Conspicuously? Is there any doubt that those around you can see that light shining and know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ?

Lost?

Acts chapter 16 records that Paul and Silas were thrown into jail for their faith. While incarcerated, they started singing praises to God. At that time a great earthquake occurred and all the prison doors were opened and the chains of the prisoners were loosed. The jailer woke up and feared that all the prisoners had escaped. He was about to commit suicide when Paul intervened and told him not to because they were all there. Then the jailer fell down trembling and asked Paul and Silas a question. He asked them THE question – the question that every man, woman, boy and girl ought to ask. He asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

What made this jailer ask this question? Have you ever wondered what can be done today to get people to ask this question? The jailer asked the question because he realized that his soul was in danger. He knew that he was lost and that he deserved the judgment of God. The circumstances of the earthquake and the open doors of the prison were used by God to get his attention. After Christmas our family drove to New York to visit my daughter and son-in-law. I had looked at the maps and the route looked to be rather simple. We had just taken the same route last summer to Virginia. I drove north on I-85 and then got on I-77 and continued to head north. I merged onto Interstate 81 and kept going north, or so I thought. I really wasn’t paying that close attention to things. I thought I was going the right way. I was actually headed south instead. I was lost and didn’t know it until I saw a sign that I was headed for Knoxville. I didn’t want to go to Knoxville; I wanted to go to NY!

I immediately took the next exit, turned around and started going in the exact opposite direction. I would have ended up in Knoxville if I hadn’t seen a sign. The Philippian jailer didn’t know he was lost until he saw a sign. The earthquake and open prison doors were a sign to him that got his attention. He had probably heard Paul and Silas talk about eternity and salvation. Suddenly he realized he was lost and headed for hell. He didn’t want to go to hell. So he immediately cried out, “What must I do to be saved?”

Have you ever come to the realization that you were lost? You may have been going through life up until now thinking that you are fine – that you are on the way to heaven. Yet you could be lost and on the way to hell. You could be lost and not even know it. I thought I knew the way to NY. I thought there was absolutely no way I would get lost. So I didn’t pay attention. I assumed I was going the right way, but I was going the wrong way. Don’t merely assume you are on the road to heaven. You could be on the road to hell. It is possible that you need to be saved from your sins.

If you are lost, you need to ask for directions. Have you ever sincerely asked – what must I do to be saved? Would you like to know the answer? The answer that the apostle Paul gave the jailer is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” This is the way to heaven – the right directions. But you not only need to know the right directions to be saved – to get to heaven, you need to follow those directions. You may know what those directions are, but have you followed them? You must stop going your own way and turn to Jesus Christ and put your faith in Him. Then you must stay on that narrow path and follow Him. If you are not following Jesus in your daily life, then there is a good chance you are lost. In 2Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul said, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

I am convinced that especially in the Bible Belt where we live, many people who go to church are going to hell. They think they are saved and have nothing to worry about. If you were on the way to hell would you want to know it? If a person found out that he was headed for hell, do you think he would be more inclined to seek salvation? Of course. Therefore I believe that people need to be warned about sin and the dangers of hell. They need to hear an explanation of God’s law, which will show them their sins. God’s law reveals the standard by which God will judge us.

On our trip last week I had gone 70 miles in the opposite direction before I realized I was headed the wrong way. How long will it take you to realize you are going the wrong way in life – that you are not going to heaven, but in fact are on the broad road that leads to destruction? If I had not turned around, I would never have gotten to New York. If you do not turn around – if you do not repent, you will never get to heaven. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

How do you know you are on the broad road to hell? What are the signs? You know you are on the broad road when you have no love for God – for His word or His worship. You are on the broad road if you have a Bible but no interest in reading it; you go to church, but you don’t really enjoy it. God is part of your life, but you are not consumed with loving Christ or living for Him. You know you are on the broad road if your lifestyle is no different than the unbelieving world around you. If your language and your daily life are not pleasing to Christ, then it is likely that you are unconverted. If you know that you need to be saved and you desire to be saved, then what must you do? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” To believe means to put all your trust and confidence in the Lord Jesus for salvation. It is putting all your hope for heaven in Him alone. Jesus alone can save. Therefore, turning from your sins, simply believe that He will save you and put your faith in Him to do so. Then you will be saved. And if you are saved you must stay on the narrow road that leads to life.

Tomorrow?

A little over 15 years ago I was sitting in the plush conference room of an attorney who was being paid $100/hour to do some work for us. He was probably around 42 years old at the time. We began to discuss church and he told me that he used to be a deacon in a prominent church in town but had grown disillusioned with church quarrels and such, so he wasn't attending very much at that time. So I asked him "the question". I said, "If you were to die today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven?" We talked about salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ for the next thirty minutes as the files on the table lay untouched. He told me it had been many years since someone had engaged him in a conversation about the things of God and of eternity.

I could tell he was touched that I had been willing to talk to him about things that really mattered. It wasn't easy to take the step of faith to start a spiritual conversation with him. He was a successful professional, and I was only a poor student at the time. The setting was a bit intimidating from my perspective. He was in his element, and I was completely dependent upon his advice and expertise. But God enabled me at the time to dare to enter into forbidden territory. I felt good about the encounter.

Our family moved to another town and about 3-4 months later I called the attorney's office to ask some questions about legal matters. I asked the receptionist if I could speak with our attorney on the phone. The attorney's partner answered instead. He said, "Didn't you hear about him? He died of a heart attack on the golf course 3 months ago." I was shocked. Then I thought back to our conversation and wondered if this man was ready to meet God when he died. I realized how critical it was that I spoke up about Christ when I had the opportunity. James 4:13-14 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

No one knows if they will see tomorrow come. The unbeliever does not know, and therefore ought to begin seriously seeking God immediately. The believer does not know if tomorrow will come either. When we have an opportunity to witness and tell others about the best news the world has ever known, then we ought to step out in faith and speak up about our faith. We don't know if we will ever have "tomorrow" with that person. I wonder how differently we would all live if we didn't presume upon tomorrow.

If you are not certain that you know the Lord and have eternal life then listen to Isaiah the prophet: "Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (Is. 55:6,7)

If you are a believer and you are certain about the eternal destiny of your own soul, listen to Colossians 4:5-6 "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."