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I John 5:11-13
THE BIRTHMARKS OF THE TRUE BELIEVER
Intro: In the church I attended as a boy, there was a set of twin girls who attended there also.
These two girls were absolutely identical, except for the fact that one of them had a large birthmark on her cheek.
Without that birthmark, it would have been impossible, at least for me, to have told them apart.
Did you know that all true believers also possess certain marks that set them apart from the rest of humanity?
We could rightly call these things that set us apart our birthmarks.
They appear when we are saved and they mark us as children of God.
Every saved person has every one of the birthmarks of salvation.
Some people doubt whether it is possible to know for sure that one is saved.
Well, the Bible tells us of some who knew: Job, Job 19:25; Paul, 2 Tim.
1:12.
Since God is no respecter of persons, you may have that same assurance also.
In fact, one of the reasons for the writing of this book from which we have read this morning, was to help people know for sure that they had been saved, 1:6; 5:13.
As you read First John, it becomes clear that he is trying to help God's people gain absolute assurance of their salvation.
He uses the word "know" 39 times.
John is trying to tell us that there are some things we can know.
One of them is whether or not we are saved.
If you have struggled in this area, I want to help you get that matter settled once and for all this morning.
I want to share the birthmarks of the true believer with you this morning.
Identifying the presence, or the lack, of these traits within our lives can help us understand where we stand in relation to God.
If you have struggled in this area, there is no need to do so any longer.
God can give you assurance, on way or the other, right now.
Let's look together at The Birthmarks Of The True Believer.
I. 5:1 A SPIRITUAL CONVERSION
A. This verse tells us that the true believer is a person who "believes" that Jesus is the Christ.
What then is belief?
Is it merely a mental acknowledgment of the facts?
No! Belief is knowing something with the head, but it is also accepting that truth into the heart.
Genuine belief, or saving faith, is coming to the place where one is trusting nothing else, or no one else, but Jesus Christ for salvation.
There is no room for works, religion, good deeds, or anything else in the heart of the truly saved person.
B. I cannot tell you whether you are saved or not.
Only you know what you are trusting to get you to heaven.
However we do have the promises of God in this matter: 1 John 5:12; John 5:24; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rom.
10:9-13; Rom.
8:1; Rev. 22:17; Acts 2:21, and hundreds more besides!
We also have this principle from Scripture: God is holy and cannot lie, Heb.
6:18.
What He promises to do, He will do!
Therefore, if you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, according to the plan laid out in the Bible, then you are saved!
You have His word on it!
C. So, that brings us to the place where some questions must be asked and answered.
1. Has there been a definite, clear moment in your life when you trusted Jesus Christ, and nothing else to save your soul?
2. When you had your "experience" was it according to the plan laid out in the Word of God? Namely:
A. Did you come to the place where you recognized and acknowledged your sins to God? (Rom.
3:23; 3:10) That is, have you ever been lost?
Until you can see your sins and yourself as a sinner, you cannot be saved.
This process is called conviction!
It is the Holy Spirit drawing sinner unto Himself, John 6:44; John 16:7-11.
B. Did you recognize the horrible consequences of your sins?
Namely, did you know that because of your sins, you were separated from God, Isa.
59:2; dead in those sins, Eph.
2:1, and because of your sins headed to an eternity in Hell, Rom.
6:23?
This goes back to the knowledge of being lost before God.
C. Did you come to the place where you understood completely what Jesus did for you when He died on the cross and when He rose from the dead?
Did you understand that when He died, He was dying in your place, shedding His blood for your sins, 2 Cor.
5:21; Rev. 1:5? Did you understand that when He arose from the dead, He did so to provide you with a new life?
Did you go beyond just knowing these things in your head to believing them with all your being?
D. Did you cry out to God confessing yourself a sinner, acknowledging Jesus Christ and His shed blood as your only hope of forgiveness and salvation?
Did you ask Him into your heart and life to be your personal Savior?
Did you trust Him and nothing but Him to save your soul, Rom.
10:13?
3. When this experience took place, was it crystal clear?
I mean, when you look back now, is there a clearly defined moment in time when everything changed?
Or, is the whole thing kind of fuzzy and unclear?
The fact of the matter is this: when Jesus saves a soul, it isn't a thing done in a corner.
It is clear and dramatic.
The circumstances surrounding the conversion may differ, but one thing remains the same, there will be a specific point in time that the redeemed person can point to and say.
"Right there is when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and my life was forever transformed!"
(Ill.
The Gadarene Demoniac, Mark 5; Ill.
Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9; Ill.
Me - May 23, 1983!)
D. Now, looking back, and in all honesty, how would you describe the event you are trusting to take you to Heaven?
Was it clear and dramatic?
Can you honestly say that you trusted Jesus and Him alone to save your soul?
If so, then that is the Bible way.
Or, would you have to admit that you really can't remember ever being lost?
You can't remember confessing your sins and receiving Christ into your life.
In fact, the whole event is unclear.
Maybe you need to come this morning and get that thing nailed down.
There will be the birthmark of a genuine spiritual conversion.
I.
A Spiritual Conversion
II.
1:6-7 A SPIRITUAL CHANGE
(Ill.
These verses tell us that those who are saved have a desire to "walk in the light".
Jesus is the Light, John 8:12.
Therefore, those who are saved will want to seek fellowship with Jesus.
In other words, when they are converted, their whole life will change.
This is a theme that runs through the whole book of First John.
He tells us that the second birthmark of the true believer is a spiritual change in their lives.
Let's follow this thread through First John and see if we possess this mark of the new birth.)
A. 1:6-7 - There will be a desire for fellowship with the things of light.
The person who is truly saved by grace will gravitate toward those things that have to do with the Lord.
Things like the Bible, prayer, the church, the fellowship of the saints, etc, will all be precious and special to the person who has been saved.
If you find that you are drawn toward things pertaining to darkness, you might need to check up on where you stand with Jesus.
B. 2:3-6 - There will be a desire within the true believer to do the things God commands us to do, and to avoid the things God commands us not to do.
Genuine salvation is proven by a desire to obey God!
According to verse 6, the genuinely saved person will want to walk just like Jesus!
C. 2:29 - There will be such a change in the believers life that they will naturally begin to do the things that mark them as righteous.
They will live out the new life that was placed within them when they were saved by the grace of God.
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