The Evidences of Genuine Conversion

2 Corinthians 13:5, Matthew 7:13-28

"If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, he has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves his people, not in their sins, but from them. “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” If not saved from sin, how shall we hope to be counted among his people. Lord, save me now from all evil, and enable me to honour my Saviour." - CH Spurgeon

INTRODUCTION: 

2 Corinthians 13:5

 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

“Examine” (peirazo¯)  means to test or to scrutinize.

·         As you place your soul under the test of genuine conversion from God’s Word today, will you pass or fail?

“Prove” (dokimazo¯) carries the idea of passing metal through the fire to test its make up. 

·         Will what you call faith pass the test of the fire of God’s blazing Word today?

“Know” (epiginosko¯) means “to know by some mark”. 

·         Are there any marks that identify you as a child of God?  What marks reveal “that Jesus Christ is in you?”  Are there any?  

 “reprobate” (adokimos), which is the opposite of the word “prove” above…the opposite of approved.  It means disapproved or to fail the test. 

·         It means that when you apply the true, biblical test of salvation to your life…you fail the test. 

·          I want to say, this is one test you had better not fail.  And yet I am convinced that so many will.

“Your own selves” (heautou) is a personal pronoun. 

• The point is that you need to be concerned with examining no one but yourself today!  This is a test personally applied to each of us individually here today! 
• So focus on no one but “your own selves” today.

Let’s read a few passages of scripture, just to lay a nice thick foundation

Matthew 7:17-20

Jesus said:  17“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”.

(James 2:17).The Apostle James said, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone”

(Ephesians 2:8-10)The Apostle Paul said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9.Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”

• These and many other verses teach that we are saved completely by God’s grace through faith apart from good works. 
• But these verses equally teach that all who are saved will bear fruits of righteousness.
• This is how we know for sure that we belong to Jesus Christ.

(1 John 3:10). “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother”

(John 15:5-6). “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned”

(John 15:8) "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples”

• The only way to know for sure that you are saved is to study the Bible to find out what it describes as fruit of salvation, then “examine… prove…and know your own selves.” 
• Examine your life intently to see if these fruits are in your life!

 (1)    Things that are not fruits of genuine conversion (but so many people think they are)

(2)     Things that are fruits of genuine conversion.

A. THINGS THAT ARE NOT EVIDENCES OF GENUINE CONVERSION:  

Here is a few things that people believe prove they are saved, but do not.  If these are the only things you are trusting in as proof that you are saved then you have been deceived.   This is going to be a shock for many who read this today!

1. A Profession of Faith: (Mathew 7:21) Jesus said,“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”. 

• “Lord, Lord” is an emphatic declaration. 
• These are people who frequently use the Lord’s name…who would boldly “prophesy in His name” (7:22) that He is the Messiah and the only way to heaven. 
•  But notice what Jesus says to them, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mathew 7:23).

• While boldly professing Jesus as Lord…in works they deny him…they “work iniquity.” 

Paul warned Titus of these kind of people, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16).

A profession of faith is not an evidence of genuine conversion! 

Neither is “I went forward in an invitation” or “I prayed a sinner’s prayer” or “I know the date, time, and place.”  Evidence of genuine conversion is not what you say, but what you do!  

Has your “profession” produced any change in your life?

2. Assurance: “I Know that I’m saved”  I come from a charismatic background and a lot of my friends are drinking and smoking, clubbing , and when you ask them, “Are you saved?” with passion they will boldly say, “I have no doubt that I am saved.” 

• What they are really saying is “Yes, I went forward!  I prayed the prayer!   I did what the preacher told me to do!  Why, I was even baptized.”  They are confident!  Sure!   Assured that they have a home in heaven!  
• They trust in a decision not in Christ!
• Being bold in stating that you are saved is not an evidence of genuine conversion!

3. An Emotional Feeling:  (James 2:19-2) “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”. 

·         James reveals that demons have a good theology of the person and work of God…they even “tremble” …have an emotional response when they think upon the God of heaven. 

·         But they still have dead faith because it produces no obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ!

So many people I have talked to believe they are saved because they cried during a sermon…they had “an awesome feeling.

·         Do you really want to base your eternal destiny on a goose bump feeling?

You can hear, tremble, cry, have “goose-bumps” and die in your sin and perish in hell.  These things are only “faith without works”, and they will not save your soul! 

·         Emotional feelings are not an evidence of genuine conversion!

4. Church Membership / Baptism:  It is church/religious folks Jesus talks about in Matthew

 7:13-28. How many people have been baptized and joined a church still lost in their sin? 

·         Church membership is not an evidence of salvation!  Neither is baptism!

5. Religious Activity: (Matthew 7:22).  “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

·         Some people confuse religious activity with fruit! 

·         They think their activity is the kind of fruit the Lord is looking for, but notice what Jesus said of them!  While they were preaching…while they were casting out demons…while they were doing their self professed wonderful works…Jesus said that they were “workers of iniquity” (7:23) in sin all the while!

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10).The Lord says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”

Religious activity is not an evidence of genuine conversion!  Some of the most immoral and wicked people I know attend church religiously… deacons…elders... worship team, etc.

B.   THINGS THAT ARE EVIDENCES OF GENUINE CONVERSION:  

Here is a list of things that will be present in all genuinely converted people:

1.  Genuine Love for God!   This is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). At conversion, (Romans 5:5).   “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us” 

• How will I know if I have genuine love for God?

(1 John 5:3). “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”

(1 John 2:3-6). “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked”

• Genuine love for God always produces obedience to His commands!

You cannot legitimately say you love God if there is not obedience to His Word and His Lordship in your life! 

The surest evidence of salvation is a love for God that drives me to submit and yield to His will and His Word!

2. Continual Separation from Sin:  This is the doctrine of sanctification… that God separates us from the world and sin to live a holy life for His glory! 

• Everyone whom God saves, He sanctifies!

(Romans 8:29-30). “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”

• God chose us before the world began to be saved.  
• That choice also guarantees that we will be “conformed” into the image of Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”

(Matthew 7:13-14) 13"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

14"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

• Jesus taught a narrow gate and a narrow path! 
• He said the broad way leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). It is impossible to enter the narrow gate and walk in the broad path. 
•  The narrow gate is the entrance way into the narrow path!  
•  Walking the broad way is evidence that you have not experienced genuine conversion!

We know that we are saved because God is continually at work in our lives, separating us from sin, making us holy, conforming us into the image of Jesus, and maturing us in Christian graces. God’s continual separation from sin is evidence that we have genuine conversion! 

3. Discipline When We Do Sin: (Hebrews 12:6-8). “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” 

• Evidence of genuine conversion is that we love God. 
• This love produces obedience to God and continual separation from sin. 

 But the fact remains that Christians do still often sin. 

·         What happens when the Christian sins? 

·         God disciplines, corrects, even “scourges” or whips him to turn him back into the way!

If you can sin and not experience the discipline of God, this is a crystal clear warning that you are not God’s child! 

• Discipline hurts, but it is a sweet reminder that I belong to God and He will not let sin have me!

4. Genuine Repentance:  (1 John 1:9).  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

• Discipline is designed by God to drive us to repentance. 
• The mark of a child of God is a tender heart! 
•  He is so easily broken by the rebuke of God!  He is contrite and genuinely sorry over his sin! 
•  Sin grieves his heart.  He cannot enjoy it and will not abide in it! 
• His love for God will not allow it! So when(not if) he sins, he quickly comes clean before God!

Genuine repentance is a heart-felt forsaking of sin! 

Genuine repentance is me taking sides with God against me! 

Genuine repentance is agreeing with God over my sin and putting it away!

“…but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

5. Living for God’s Glory:  Paul says God “…will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Romans 2:6-7).

• Patient continuance is the doctrine of perseverance. 
•  Those who are saved continually persevere in seeking to do what they do for the glory of God!  
• The evidence of genuine conversion is living to please God, not self! 

6. Spiritual Maturity:  Folks who are genuinely converted will “grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”(2 Peter 3:18).  

They will grow “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).  

They will be “rooted and grounded” in love.  (Ephesians 3:17)

• Spiritual maturity is a mark of genuine salvation! 
• Saved folks grow strong in the Lord Jesus and are not easily deceived. 
• They do not quit. 
• They do not allow their feelings to dictate to them their level of service to Christ!

7. The Fruit of the Spirit:  (Galatian 5:22-25). “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 23gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”

• You are a tree – Your fruit will so whether God is your husbandman!

Deceptions of the Last Hour

Deceptions of the Last Hour  - Reformed Faith Mission Sunday service

1John2:18-27

Deceptions of the Last Hour

¹⁸   Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

¹⁹   They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰   But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

²¹   I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

²²   Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

²³   Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴   Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

²⁵   And this is the promise that He has promised us --- eternal life.

²⁶   These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.

²⁷            But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

How easy it is for people to be deceived.

·         A failure to be grounded in the word of God

·         A failure to have a vital experience of the Holy Spirit in a community of believers

When people have no theological depth and no personal experience with the Holy Spirit, they are sitting ducks for the anti-christs of our day.

We have a responsibility as a body of believers to teach the doctrinal truths of the bible, to live that truth and to be excited by that truth; so that believers can have depth in them and grow in grace and unbelievers, when they hear such truth can be granted repentance by the Holy Spirit.

1John is written to a situation similar to that of ours today.

Two reasons John wrote this epistle might be:

·         To deepen the churches understanding of the word of the apostles

·         To deepen their experience of the anointing of the Holy Spirit

Observations:

1.      We are in the last hour of deception

2.      The Word of God and the Spirit of God protects us from deception and lead us to eternal life

3.      Therefore, let the Word abide in you and you abide in the Spirit

1.We are in the last hour – verse 18

This was said 2000 years ago. What does the New Testament mean by last hour or last day?

• These are the days that begin with the coming of Christ.
• When the Messiah entered into history, the last days were ushered into history and only God knows how long the last days will last. 

Acts2:16-17

¹⁶   But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷            ' And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh...

1Cor10:11

¹¹            Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Heb1:1-2

¹     God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

²     has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Heb9:26

²⁶            He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

1Pet1:20

²⁰   He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

The last days was characterised by

• ·         the coming of the Messiah
• ·         the out pouring of the Holy Spirit
• ·         and the intensified presence and influence of the spirit of anti-christ popping up all over the world (verse 18)

Jesus in Matthew 24, speaking about the end of the age says in verse 24:

²⁴            For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. – Matt24:24

Satan will use every effort to deceive people, if possible even the elect!

Meaning that if God did not give special protection to His elect, satan’s deception would be so powerful that even the elect would be fooled by it and follow it. Thank God we are in Christ!

So while John is seeing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel being preach, he also sees the spirit and influence of anti-christ moving all over the place.

If this was seen in John’s day, how much more should we be alert that we are in the last hour for we are surrounded by many anti-christ.

In verse 18 John says that there will be coming one day the Antichrist. We see this as the political figure that will bring forth a false peace and that will be seen as the saviour of the world. He will be the embodiment of evil and oppose the church until God destroys him, but now John is saying that as much as there will come the Antichrist, the spirit of antichrist is already in the world and that are many antichrists deceiving people.

John is the only writer that uses the word antichrist.

1John2 ¹⁸Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come

²²   Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

³     and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

2John7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

What is meant by antichrist?

We can’t just assume that when a person says he believes in Jesus that he actually believes in the Jesus of the Scriptures.

We can’t assume that when someone says Jesus is my Lord, that he means what the bible means.

If we’re going to use God’s words, we need to use God’s dictionary!

Jesus says that many will say 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. Matt24:23

Today there are many that present a gospel that they say is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is not the gospel of the Christ of the bible. They’re preaching another Christ, a false Christ.

The same thing happened in Exodus32 when Moses was on the mountain with God.

⁴     And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

We as the people of God have to study theology! We have to study the doctrines of the bible! We can’t live on catch phrases such as “Jesus is Lord” or Jesus Saves or I believe in Jesus.

All manner of people say this, without any idea what they really mean.

Phrases like God is love – What kind of love?

The Jehovah witness also believe in Jesus, so does the mormons and the muslims, But what do they mean when they say so. Surely if you look at what they mean you would come to the conclusion that these all are following the spirit of antichrist. This is also true of many so-called evangelicals of which TD Jakes is a good example.

Why are so many following deception?

1John5:19

¹⁹   We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Thank God we are of God! Thank God for chapter 4 that says:

1John4:4

⁴     You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

2.The Word of God and the Spirit of God protects us from deception and lead us to eternal life

How?

·         Knowing the truth about Jesus Christ is a gift of the Holy Spirit

²⁰   But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

²¹   I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

·         Your knowledge of the truth is dependent on the anointing. Your knowledge relates to the anointing (verse20)

²⁷            But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you

·         The anointing enables you to know the truth (verse 20) and it enables you to do without teachers (verse 27)

What is this anointing?

It’s the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in your life when you are born-again. It is the Spirit by which we cry out “Abba Father.” The Spirit that lives in us and through us causing us to live the normal Christian life, which is a life manifesting the glory of Christ. This is the working of the Holy Spirit in us leading us to all truth. The anointing is the work of the Holy Spirit being poured out in a believer’s life.

When he talks about teachers, he is speaking in the context of all these false teachers popping up everywhere with new teaching and new revelations. He’s talking about people with the spirit of antichrist teaching deceptive doctrines.

How does the Holy Spirit enable you to know the truth about Christ and protects you from deception?

In John’s day and today many false teachers claim to be anointed by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 4:1

¹              Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The answer is in verse 24

²⁴   Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Let what you heard from the beginning abide. The faith once for all delivered to saints (Jude3). Don’t think you need any new revelation. Anything that is proclaimed as new is a deception (there is nothing new under the sun). You don’t need anything new!

⁷     Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

Verse 24 shows us that John did not mean that the anointing will give you additional revelations of Christ or extra biblical teaching than that which was given from the beginning.

We need to abide in the doctrines of the bible. Anything beyond that is the teaching of antichrist.

Paul exhorts the immoral Corinthian church who were practising various gifts not to go beyond what is written.

1Cor 4:6

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 

Look at how serious the bible is about this.

2John1:9-10

⁹     Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰   If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;

¹¹   for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

• ·         The work of the Holy Spirit is to help us accept and abide in the teachings of the bible
• ·         The work of the Spirit is to help us grow in our understanding of the teaching of the bible
• ·         The work of the Spirit is to strengthen us in our power to practice the teaching of the bible
• ·         The work of the Spirit is to increase our confidence in the teachings of the bible
• ·         The Spirit does not add or change the teachings of Scripture.

3.Therefore, let the Word abide in you and you abide in the Spirit

²⁴   Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

²⁷            But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you

We are commanded to let the word dwell in us richly and to be filled with the Spirit.

Col3:16

¹⁶   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Eph5:18-19

¹⁸   And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

¹⁹   speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

You cannot be filled with the Spirit and not abide in the word and the word cannot dwell richly in you if you do not abide in the Spirit.