The Assurance of Salvation

GOD IS GOOD! GOD LOVES YOU!

June 2, 2002 - Community Chapel, Nashua, New Hampshire

Matthew 7:21-29

One thing that marked the beginnings of the Methodist revival in England, and later here in America, was the message that WE CAN BE SAVED, and that WE CAN KNOW THAT WE ARE SAVED. 250 years later I wonder how important we think that certainty is? 'Everyone' knows what it means to be saved. Do YOU know that YOU are saved? HOW do you know?

Sometimes people put the bar way too low. They say, "Oh, God is too good and merciful to ever send anyone to hell!" And so they adopt a tacit universalism. Others say "Except you dot your 'i' and cross your 't' exactly as WE do, you will be damned!" They show the world an unholy exclusionism.

The Bible makes it plain that God is interested in saving everyone. IT IS HARDER TO BE DAMNED THAN SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK. The Bible says, "Whosoever will may come!" The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth and believe with your heart you shall be SAVED!" (Romans 10:9-10) I believe that!

As we come to the table of the Lord today to celebrate our salvation I would lift out three figures of salvation that the scriptures use to help us in our assurance.

  1. One is the figure of the Ark of safety; the story of Noah.
  2. A second is the figure of a journey; the Savior's call that echoes down the centuries: "Come! Take up your cross! Follow Me!" wherever it takes us.
  3. A third paradigm is salvation as a HOME that is built or being built on a solid Rock.

I. SALVATION AS AN ARK OF SAFETY

This is the lesson of Noah. An evil generation is doomed. Only a few are saved. Salvation is entering into an Ark where God Himself shuts the door. Either you are "IN" the Ark, or you are "OUT."

There are a few problems making this figure stand for all that salvation means. It is a "static" salvation; it is salvation, as it were, in a "box." I do believe salvation is freely offered to all. Entering is not hard (Romans 10:9,10 !) But is that all there is, really, to this life in Christ?

Also- who built the Ark? GOD didn't build it! He gave the plans to Noah, but God didn't drive a nail or saw a board. Maybe, just maybe, the ARK is the figure of the TRUE CHURCH- the Body of Christ. Jesus IS building His church with the help of His Body here on earth!

II. SALVATION AS A JOURNEY WITH JESUS

"If anyone would come after Me, let him . . .follow Me!" Here is a call to leave all and follow Jesus. Our Reformed and Calvinist brothers and sisters (and they ARE brothers and sisters!!) think we are preaching salvation by "works" here, perhaps. But I am more interested in getting right what Jesus said than in interpretations of static and passive salvation.

The journey can get rough. The going can get hard. Storms WILL come. You can count on it. Abraham will be asked whether he loves God or Isaac more. And so will every one of us. But when we cry to the Lord in the storm, you can be sure HE HEARS EVERY CRY!

As we come to the Table this morning, WHEREVER YOU ARE ON YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, CRY OUT TO JESUS! He hears every cry! You can be assured that He is with you. This is not a static, dead thing: it is DYNAMIC, ON-GOING TRUST!

III. SALVATION AS A HOME (BEING) BUILT ON A ROCK

Matthew 7:21-29

Jesus didn't preach CHEAP grace. Salvation IS free. But Jesus made it clear (as He closed the Sermon on the Mount) that our lives would be consistent with our confession of faith. We are NOT saved by "being good."

By the same token we are NOT damned and cut off when we stumble and sin unless we rebel and continue in rebellion.

But we ARE saved finally and eternally as we trust Jesus enough to build a life day-by-day in obedience and trust whether we feel like it or not.

A workman went to his big boss one day and said, "I'm tired. I think I'll hang it up- take my retirement benefits and get in a hammock. It's been great working for you."

The big boss looked disappointed, and he said, "I really hate to see you go. I was hoping you could do at least one more big job for me. Will you, just one more?"

Reluctantly the builder agreed to build a house for some important client of the big boss. It was a big house, a lot of work, on a golf course, with a lot of detail.

But the workman's heart wasn't really in it. He threw the house together in record time, and cut corners on material and workmanship whenever he could. He saved the boss a lot of money, but it wasn't really his best work, and he knew it.

Imagine how he felt when he turned the keys over to the big boss, and the boss gave them right back; he fished around in his briefcase and gave him the title and deed to the property on the golf course.

"This is my gift for you," he said. "Thanks for all your good work across the years!"

Then the builder wished he hadn't been in such a hurry. He wished he hadn't cut corners and taken short cuts just to get the job done.

Life is like that. Maybe our assurance of salvation is like that, too. We become the product of our own integrity in following after God. Or our lack of integrity. We become exiles from assurance when we cut corners in our walk with God.

IV. AN INVITATION TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD

We can be saved! And we can KNOW that we are saved!

Do YOU know you are saved just now? Are you clear in your heart between yourself and God? Between your heart and your brother or sister? HOW do you know you are right?

GOD IS HERE! Right NOW is a good time to ask God to help you draw closer to Him! I don't know about you but I don't want to try to get away with building a "shoddy house" because I know I'm going to have to live in what I build!

*WHAT THIS TABLE IS:

Memorial, Promise, best of all PRESENCE!

*WHO MAY COME?

You who truly REPENT! What about "back-sliders" "never-been-saved" ??? IF you believe Jesus died for YOU - and IF you WANT to trust Him- YOU COME!

*PRAYER

make this a true sacrament - make us able to receive YOU - The Lord's Prayer -

**WORDS

Jesus BROKE the bread- he TOOK the cup- This is my BODY, BLOOD

BENEDICTION