Romans 1:16-1716 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:26-2726 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

1 Peter 1:8b-118b Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

Christianity is Walking by Faith in a Promise

Mark 16:16

“He who believes and is baptized

will be saved; but he who does not

believe will be condemned.”

1 Peter 1:9

“…receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

Acts 2:47b

“And the Lord added to the church daily

those who were being saved.”

Can I know that I am saved?

What do I currently believe about assurance?

• Is my assurance rooted in a subjective better-felt-than-told experience?

• Do my ideas about assurance marginalize the roles of “hope” and “faith” in salvation? – cf. 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Rom. 8:23-25

• OR is my salvation truly and wholly rooted in FAITH IN GOD?

Two Keys to Having Assurance

We must have faith in the CONDITIONAL PROMISES of God!

We must have faith in the UNCHANGING CHARACTER of God!

Salvation is a promise

• Mark 16:15–16 - 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

• Acts 2:21, 38-40 - 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’ . . . 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

Salvation is a promise

• 2 Timothy 1:1 - 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus…

• Acts 26:5–7 - 5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

Salvation is a conditional promise

• 1 Corinthians 15:1–2 - 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

• 1 John 1:8–10 - 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Salvation is a conditional promise

• Romans 10:8–13 - 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Salvation is a conditional promise

• John 10:7–9 - 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

An obedient faith is how we receive God’s promise of salvation!

• Romans 10:17 - 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• Hebrews 11:1, 6 - 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

An obedient faith is how we receive God’s promise of salvation!

• Hebrews 11:13–16 - 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

An obedient faith is how we receive God’s promise of salvation!

• Consider Enoch – Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5-6

• Consider Noah – Gen. 6:5-22; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20-21

• Consider Abraham – Gen. 12:1-4; 15:1-6; Heb. 11:8-10; Rom. 4:1-25; Jas. 2:20-24

An obedient faith is how we receive God’s promise of salvation!

• Hebrews 11:39–12:2 - 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 10:36-3936 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.