Title: HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE SAVED?
John 16: 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Proposition: you know you are saved when you are reproved by the holy spirit in your heart: OF SIN, OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OF JUDGMENT.
“REPROVED”-means to be convicted and convinced. Holy Spirit conviction is being convinced by the power and Word of God of these three things: of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.
I. OF SIN.
John 16: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me;
The Holy Spirit convicts you and convinces you that you are sin. Your sin becomes not what you do or do not do but your own unbelief—the light that dawns is “you do not believe on Christ.
Before this, sin was you do something wrong. What you called conviction was just you fearful of getting caught and punished. That is legal fear. All along, when you felt that way, you tried to fix it so you could clear your conscience. After you performed your little formula after awhile your conscience stopped bothering you so you stopped your little formula.
Illustration: Boat starts sinking in ocean.
When you tried to fix the leak in the boat—not convicted and convinced of your need. When you saw the last boat pass by and you did not call out because you were ashamed—you were not convicted and convinced. When you are in the water, alone, absolutely helpless—you are convicted and convinced you need to be saved.
You only know you have been saved, after you first know your need of salvation. You begin to realize sin is all you are: your nature is sin, your thoughts and motives are sin, your words are sin, your deeds are sin. But it is all brought home when you realize—no matter what facts about Christ you accepted or the facts you rejected—you have never believed on Christ.
So first, the Spirit convinces you that the only evidence needed of the sin you are is: you do not believe on Christ. The Light comes on—“I really have never believed on Christ!”
II. OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
John 16: 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
“Righteousness is “right-ness.”
How sinners are made right with God in a way that is right with God.
The way of God’s righteousness is manifest apart from your lawkeeping; but is witnessed by the law and all the scriptures—righteousness is Christ Jesus. The way God can punish you and save you is by punishing his Son and giving you the righteousness of his Son. When the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces you of this Righteousness—of his right way—you no longer look at your way as right but you trust God’s right-ness—his way is right.
Illustration: Bad taste in your mouth—extra sour pickle or unripe persimmon. This word was always like that to you—a savor of death: of sin, of guilt, of shame, made you just feel bad.
How do we get a good taste for this righteousness?
Notice here he connects this conviction of righteousness--with his going to the Father—the Lord says “because I go to my Father and ye see me no more.” Christ arose to apply his righteousness to our hearts to unite us to him (Ro 4:25) The authority that has been given to him, is to fill all things, Eph 4:10--From heaven he creates a new heart and fill it with his righteousness.
Christ our Righteousness is imparted into us through the Holy Spirit.
· Partaker of Divine nature.
· It is a Divine Requirement—a must within us.
· It is a Divine Work—only the Holy Spirit.
When the Spirit convicts and convinces that Christ is the Rightness of God--You see God’s glory in Christ.
Illustration: Floating in the ocean of sin.
You know your boat has sunk. You are floating helpless in the ocean. In the distance you catch a glare from the sunlight—a boat. Nothing ever appeared so beautiful. Your every desire is to be in that boat.
That is what Christ does in the heart of his people—when he convinces you see the shining glory of God’s righteousness in Christ. He makes you to desire nothing else but to be in ‘FELLOW-SHIP” with Christ.
III. OF JUDGMENT.
John 16: 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
Illustration: They pull you on board the rescue boat, wrap a warm blanket around you, give you cool water and something warm to eat. You are safe, secure, and you can breathe—oh, you can just take it all in and breath—you are saved. When the Holy Spirit convinces you that justice is satisfied and judgment Finished for you. You will know it just as real as when you are pulled from the waters of death—YOU ARE SAVED!
Romans 8: 1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death….33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You will confess Christ and bow to his Authority.
Illustration: What if the Captain informed you that they were the boat that passed by when you first sinking. Why did you not call then?
It was because then you were ashamed—ashamed to admit you were sinking, ashamed to admit the right way was in the rescue boat, not convicted and convinced you would be received without judgment from the Captain. You had confidence in some sump pump, some pail with which you were bailing water—dead doctrine, works of religion, church formula. But now you are ashamed of that false hope and no longer ashamed of him.
Romans 10: 11: For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
Matthew 10: 39: He that findeth his life shall lose it:
Those of you who do not surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ to do what he will for you are finding your life and losing it. You are on the leaking boat, watching the rescue go by, too ashamed to cry out for help.
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
Lose your own life and find life in Christ.
· Surrender to Christ.
· Submit to the Lord of salvation:
Have you experienced Holy Spirit conviction? Has God the Holy Spirit convinced you of your sin, God’s righteousness, and the judgment of sin in Christ?
If you can lay back in the ship and relax and enjoy the waves and the wind as he carries you home—then he has saved you! It is my prayer for each of you.
Amen!