The longer Ive been a Christian, the more I realise that plenty of us still ask this question regularly: How can I be sure if Im saved? How can I be sure Im going to heaven?

How can I be sure Im going to heaven? Dan Bidwell, Senior Pastor Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10 6 February 2022

How can I be sure Im going to heaven?

That was actually one of the first religious questions I ever thought seriously about. I was 13 years old, in the 7th grade. I was on my way to catch the train home after school, and I was walking down the steps to Town Hall station in the heart of Sydney, when a very old man grabbed onto the stair rail, and leaned over to me, and asked:

If you died tonight, would you be sure youd be going to heaven?(He was pretty old he was more likely to die that night than I was!)

But I remember him asking that question, or something like it. How can you be sure if youre going to heaven?

And I remember thinking, Im a pretty good kid. I dont do bad things. I went to church a few times when I was younger. Surely thats enough. I hope its enough...

I got on my train, I forgot about the old man, I forgot about the question. PAUSE

But not everyone can forget about this question so easily. The longer Ive been a Christian, the more I realise that plenty of us still ask this question regularly: How can I be sure if Im saved? How can I be sure Im going to heaven?

Over the years Ive talked to lots of people about assurance of salvation. Some of the people I talk to have rock solid hope. And others are plagued by doubts.

- Am I really saved?- Is my faith real, or is it somehow just an act? Why dont I feel God, why dont I feel the Holy

Spirit?- Why is it quiet when I pray? Why do I feel nothing when I read the Bible?- And what about the sins in my life? Surely God knows my hypocrisy. Will he really forgive me for

what Ive done? Surely no other Christian falls into sin and temptation as much as I do... Im no better than an unbeliever...

Those are some of the words Ive heard people speak, the agonizing words of doubt that eats away at Christian brothers and sisters...

Some of you wont be able to relate to that kind of doubt.But for many of us in the room these doubts are real and regular and really hard...

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So today I want to remind you of the promises that God makes to us in the Bible promises he makes to us in Jesus that by faith in him, we can be absolutely sure of our salvation.

So Im going to pray that God himself would speak to us today as we open the Bible, and read these words of assurance in Ephesians 1 and 2. So lets pray:

Our heavenly Father, will you speak to us today and give us assurance that you love us, assurance that you will forgive our sins in Jesus, assurance that you will bring us into eternal life... Will you speak to us and comfort our hearts, in Jesus saving name we pray. Amen

So our task today is to answer the question: How can I be sure Im going to heaven? There are two schools of thought about how to answer questions like this.

- One is, to cast the net wide, to look at a hundred Bible verses and show you how all through the Scriptures, we see God promising to save us from the sin of Adam and Eve...

- The second way to do it is to dig deep into one passage that helps us read the rest of the Bible with our eyes open to Gods plan of salvation from beginning to end.

Both are good methods. Were going to do the second one, because I think Ephesians 1 2 tell us 3 things we need to keep remembering about assurance.

Three ideas

Salvation is from God

Salvation is not by works

Assurance comes by hearing the truth

So first: salvation is from God.

i. Salvation is from God

Its tempting to think that Salvation starts with us. That salvation is all about what we choose in life. - If we choose God then were saved, and if we reject him were condemned...

Now those are both true statements, but the Bible tells a much bigger story of salvation. A story of salvation that started before the day we made any decisions about God. In fact, our salvation started before any of us were born, before Jesus was born, even before Adam and Eve were born!

Look at Ephesians 1:4 it tells us there that the story of our salvation begun before the creation of the world!

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Imagine that! Right back there in the beginning, or even before the beginning, it was then that God

chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight.2

Thats a pretty crazy idea, right! That even before the world was created, God already had you in his mind, thinking about you and choosing you to be holy and blameless in his sight in the creation that he would soon bring into being... He knew that you wouldnt be born until 20 generations after Jesus, but still he knew you and chose you at that time...

Salvation doesnt begin with us choosing God, it began with God choosing us from before the world was even made!

And it wasnt just that God chose us to be holy and blameless, v5 God predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ!

Lets just think about the word predestined for a moment.

Destiny is a funny concept for the modern Western mind. Destiny is the idea that an outside force controls our future.

There was a series of really terrible horror movies a few years ago called Final Destination. There were 4 or 5 of them. The franchise was based on the premise that you cant escape destiny, and so when death comes for you, it will get you one way or another. So you spent the movie wondering how the next person will die. Like I said, terrible.

Thats destiny the idea that our fate is decided by some outside force, and you cant change your destiny.

In the Western world, I dont think most of us buy into that idea of destiny, or fate. Were so used to making our own decisions in life, and relying on our own strength and education to choose our way in the world.

But Ephesians 1 verse 5 tells us that destiny is real. And that God has predestined some to be adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.

Whats the basis for his choosing us and predestining us?

Second part of v5 says: God chooses and predestines in accordance with his pleasure and will!

God doesnt choose us because of anything weve done, but purely because of his love end of v4.

And he brings us into his family, and gives us the status of children. He pours out gracious gifts on us every spiritual blessing (v3) in Christ, his glorious grace (v6) which he gives us freely.

Salvation starts with God, and it started even before the creation of the world.

But salvation doesnt come just from the Father its also wrapped up in Jesus.

Did you notice in v3, 4, 5 6 how Jesus is mentioned in every verse? Every good gift of the Father is somehow wrapped up in Christ...

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- v3 blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ

- v4 For he chose us in him

- v5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ

- v6 God gives us his glorious grace in the One he loves.

Salvation comes from the Father and the Son. And we see in v7 exactly what role the Son plays.

7 In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, (Ephesians 1:7)

Its in Jesus that Gods plan of salvation was accomplished. Jesus death on the cross was for the forgiveness of sins. His death brings us redemption from the destiny that sin held in store for us.

So Gods choice of us before the creation of the world was secured by Jesus death in our place. Nothing can stand in the way of Gods plan hes made sure of that in Jesus.

And God wants us to know that truth! v9

And he [God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment

God has told us the meaning of life the mystery of his will, his plan which he is working out according to his will, to bring everything under the lordship of Jesus. And were included in that plan (v11) because of Gods choice and predestination!

Does that blow your mind? It blows my mind...

It seems so implausible as I live my little life, as I go about my little jobs and look after my little family. That somehow God chose me, that Jesus died for me... It seems so distant from my day to day world. A plan formed thousands of years ago, a death died 2000 years ago.

How do we keep the faith when Gods plan takes such a long time to come to fulfilment? How do we keep the faith when life intrudes?

Jo and I own a house back in Australia. Weve had it since before the kids were born, and its been rented out for more than 15 years. Im either the best landlord in the world, or the worst depending on how you look at it. I havent raised the rent in over 5 years. I trust that the property manager is doing a goof job. And so most of the time I dont even think about that house my life here is so busy, and the house there is so far away that I almost forget about it...

But in a drawer in my house is the contract that says Im the owner of the house, with all the benefits and responsibilities. That contract guarantees my ownership of the house.

And God has given us a guarantee of his promises, a contract stamped with the Kings own seal. v13:

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When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are Gods possession (Ephesians 1:13)

The Holy Spirit is the way that God stays close to us until Jesus returns. And the way in which God helps us feel close to him. Because the Holy Spirit is God indwelling us, God remaining with us, the presence of God with us permanently, to change us and shape us and mould us into the likeness of Jesus until the day of our final redemption.

The Holy Spirit begins the process of sanctification in us a work which wont be finished while were in the flesh, but only in the resurrection. Its the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sin without him we wouldnt care about the sins we do because we wouldnt care about pleasing God. But its his voice that bids us to repent, and do the good works that God has prepared for us to do (2:10).

So were asking the question How can I be sure if Im going to heaven?

And so far Ephesians 1 has taught us that we can be sure were going to heaven because God made a plan before creation to choose and predestine us for salvation, through the death of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.

Its the plan of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to save, thought of by them alone, initiated by them alone, and achieved by them alone...

ii. Salvation is not by works

So our second big idea is that Salvation is not by works.You see if salvation comes through God alone, then we contribute nothing to our salvation. And thats absolutely clear in Eph 2:1-10.

It paints a picture of us how we used to be before we knew God it says we were dead in our sins (v1). Thats the way everyone is when we live apart from God spiritually dead, disobedient (v2), living only to gratify the cravings of the flesh (v3).

That life of sin deserves Gods wrath (v3). But look what it says in v4

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved.

We are saved not because of our own good works, but by Gods grace. Even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Because of Gods great love! The love that he had for us even before creation, love that would take Jesus to the cross, and love that would save us even while we were still enemies of God.

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It tells us again in 2:8 that it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and even our faith is not from ourselves, but it is the gift of God so that no one can boast.

Let me read it again so that we can let it wash over us:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the

gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 1:8-9)

This is such a good verse to remember when your faith is weak... Sometimes your faith might not feel like much, but God has given you enough faith to keep running the race, enough to keep trusting Jesus for your salvation.

Because we need to trust Jesus for our salvation, rather than trusting in our own works.

Trusting in religious works was the problem of the Pharisees in the NT, and its the problem of many world religions. They put all their hope of salvation in the good works that they do. Being a good person, doing the right thing, performing religious ceremonies or attending religious services. Theyre all good things, but theyre not the way were saved.

2:8-9 reminds us: we are saved by faith in Jesus alone, not by works. By trusting in him alone for forgiveness and salvation.

Now we should do good works as Christians. Verse 10 teaches us that we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. But those good works arent the reason why were saved. Theyre the working of the Holy Spirit after were saved, as the Spirit helps us to choose what is right more and more often. And as a Christian, God willing, over time youll see that your life is characterised more and more by good works as you submit yourself to Gods will and deny the cravings of the sinful nature. Then your good works will be a sign pointing to the work God has already done in you by the HS.

But our works are never a reason for God to save us. He chose us and saved us and made us alive while we were dead in transgressions (v5)!

So How can I be sure Im going to heaven? Its God who saves. And he doesnt save because of my good works. Nor has God denied me salvation because I didnt do enough. My salvation is Gods choice through and through.

These are the bedrock facts of Christianity. They are true regardless of how we feel. Nothing we do could make God love us more, and nothing we do could make him love us less.

iii. Faith comes through hearing

Then why is it so hard to find assurance?The reason is that were still very much like our first parents Adam and Eve.

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We still feel the temptation to question Gods word. And the voice of the serpent still whispers in our ear Did God really say?

In the book of Revelation, Satan is called the Deceiver, and he still wants to deceive us just like he did in the garden. Did God really say your sins are forgiven? Did God really include you in his plan? Do you really think God loves you?

PAUSE

We dont need to listen to Satans voice. He knows he has lost the battle for your soul, because Jesus has won you from him. So now the devil is furious, and he tries to inflict as much damage as he can in his dying moments...

I love this quote from Christian author Tim Challies. (On your handouts)

Though Satan can never steal the Christians crown, though he can never snatch him away from the hand of the Father, he is so envious and malicious that he will leave no stone unturned in robbing the Christian of comfort and peace, in making their life miserable, in giving them reason to live in constant sorrow and mourning, doubt and questioning.

Did God really say?

Although its tempting to listen to the voice of doubt in our weakness, I want you to listen to the voice of truth today. Not my voice, but the voice of God.

Because God says Yes! we can trust that our sins are forgiven. We can trust that his plan is true. That he is already changing us and sanctifying us by the work of the Holy Spirit!

He tells us to listen to the truth that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1:13)

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. (Ephesians 1:13)

So sister, brother, have you heard the word of truth? Then you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

Thats the simple message I have for you today.

Faith comes through listening to God. And he is speaking to you today. Hear his voice and trust in him. Come to Jesus and see what God will do in your life. Listen and believe.

I know for some it wont be enough, and for some it wont silence the voices of doubt. But this is what is true... And thats why we share the hope of Jesus week in week out here at Yountville Community Church. I want you to have assurance.

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Its also why I keep encouraging you to keep taking next steps in faith. Join a small group, join Alpha a course to find out more about the basics of Christianity. You can start that journey today. Fill out a Connect Card and let us know you want to start that journey towards faith and assurance.

Because this is what God wants for your life. You just have to trust him. Will you pray with me?

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