How I may know that I am saved?

How I may know that I am saved?

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:13

Are you a Christian? Are you saved? Are you a child of God? Do you have assurance that if you died today you would go to heaven? YOU CAN HAVE.

I. Some reasons for lack of assurance

1. Seeking it by keeping the law - their own good works.

Isaiah 64:6 "All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" What about our sins if our righteousness is like this.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:19-20

2. Never been born again
Many have substituted religious ceremonies for a vital experience with God.
Joined church - without miracle of grace being wrought in hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Morality - Reformation

3. Have not faced and dealt with the question of sin in their lives
Sought results of salvation rather than salvation itself.
John the Baptist -- "Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."

4. Lack of faith in what God says in his word.
They examine their conduct, feeling rather than the Word of God. I John 5:12-13

5. Think it is impossible to have absolute assurance in this life.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." John 5:24

6. Lack of consciousness of definite time.

7. Neglect of Christian duty.
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15
"Beloved, now we are children of God.." I John 3:2

II. How can we be positively sure?

1. By the witness of the Spirit, testimony of the Holy Spirit.
   

   "The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.." I John 5:10 Romans 8:15-16
   I John 3:24
   Galatians 4:6

2. Not feelings - not attainments but by the Word of God. Believe, Confess
   J. William Chapman helped by D.L. Moody with John 5:24
   John 3:36 – "He who believes in the Son has eternal life"
   Romans 10:9-10
   John 1:12
   I John 5:13

3. By Christian Love - possession of love toward the brethren.
   I John 3:11-14
   I John 4:7-8 Love one another…God is love.

4. By Joyful Obedience - desire to obey God's commandments
   I John 2:3-5
   Romans 8:7
   I Corinthians 2:14
   John 14:21, 23

5. Fellowship with Christ and others
   I John 1:3, 5 - 2:2
   Hebrews 12:5-11
   

6. Transformation of life and desires
   "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." II Corinthians 5:17
   

Indications that show salvation has come

A. A real turning from sin

B. Deep settled peace of soul

C. New power to resist and overcome sin

D. Fear of death removed - I Corinthians 15:55-57

III. What assurance will mean to you

1. Stabilize your Christian experience

2. Enable you to enjoy a positive life of prayer.

3. Power over Satan

4. Power to your testimony

5. Enable you to work and serve effectively

6. Enable you to have full joy and peace

7. Face future with confidence

8. Enable you to honor God

Faith

Faith - Hebrews 11

Introduction: The subject of this chapter is faith. Five things are taught about faith:

1. What it is
2. How it shows itself
3. What it gets
4. What it accomplishes
5. How to get faith

I. What faith is. Defined in the first verse. Another way of saying it is: "Faith is the assurance and unshaken confidence that what God says is so, even though at present there is no other evidence that it is so, than that God says so.

II. How faith shows itself.

1. By standing unwaveringly on what God says - verse 3
2. By doing just what God bids. verse 4, 8, 17a
3. By cheerfully suffering affliction with the children of God. - verse 25
4. By stopping at no sacrifice that God demands. - verse 17

III. What it gets.

1. Gets testimony from God that the believer is righteous in his sight - verse 4
2. Gets salvation - verse 7
3. Gets life - verse 31
4. Gets power to bring forth children for God - verse 11
5. Gets an heavenly and eternal home - verse 16

IV. What faith accomplishes

1. Overcomes difficulties that seem insurmountable - verse 2, 9
2. Wins victories over enemies that seem fortified behind impregnable walls - verse 30
3. A host of other things - verse 32-34

V. How to get faith

1. Pray for more faith. - Luke 17:5 - "Lord, increase our faith"
2. Read the word. - Romans 10:17
3. As you read ask God to make it clear to you what he means.
4. When you find a promise, believe it, stand on it.
5. When you find a commandment meant for you, obey it.

Do what God says. Do it at once.

Use it or Lose it

Use it or Lose it - Matthew 25:14-30

by Estelle Nazary

1. Talents - What is meant

No talents? Can anyone say this truthfully? Does God know our ability?

Talents are whatever God gives us to use and improve.

2. According to ability - verse 15

God does not expect more of us than we can produce. God does not entrust

us with more than we can handle. What counts is how we use what we have!

3. Venture and risk - verse 16

They were trusted and wanted to demonstrate that they were trustworthy

4. Fear and laziness - verses 24-27

Shift the blame - "hard master"

Afraid - excuses

Get by - idleness

5. Not to use is to lose - verse 28

Great tragedy of living is to fail to use gifts God has given us.

6. To use is to gain - verses 21-23, 29

Doubled!

What can Christians do that would pay double?

1. Invest gospel in lives of others.

2. Invest ourselves in needs of others

3. Invest in growth spiritually

Faithfulness:

1. Is demonstrated by using our talents for God; rewarded by increase in talents. God blesses those who use what gifts they have. Keep busy for God - doubled what they had.
2. Is nullified by hiding our talents. No challenge in living for God - no vision of his potential.
3. Will be rewarded at return of Christ, according to each believer's endowment. "Well done, my good and faithful servant of the Lord." enter in joy - great satisfaction Christ will give.

Results of unfaithfulness:

1. A harsh, critical spirit - lack of faith causes believer to doubt God and his work - see him as harsh tyrant, rather than loving master.
2. Fear and confusion - fearful of making things worse - timid - ridicule - reputation (Perfect love casts out fear)
3. Divine judgement ( by word and deed)
4. Unreasonableness - unbelief is always irrational

What are some gifts God has entrusted to you?

"it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy" I Corinthians 4:2

Faithfulness until Jesus comes - Be thou faithful until death!

Dealing with Sin

I found handwritten notes by Granddaddy today. Boy, do I need to practice this concept of complete confession and NO SELF-PUNISHMENT! I can't seem to apply that in my own life. I can't see how anything or anyone could possibly punish me as much as I punish myself. A huge personality flaw that I have, but praise God his word sets me free if I would just Let Go and Let God!

Dealing with Sin

1 John 1:5-10

We deal with Sin in our lives by:

1. Denying it - renaming it

2. Excusing it

3. Blaming others - people, past, things...

4. Ignoring it

5. Personal self-atonement (feel we must atone for it)

God's Forgiveness - 1 John 1:9

Confession - it comes when we drop our excuses, blame of others, no longer deny it, but accept it - become responsible for it. However, it can be risky - may be rejected when we confess to others.

We must be accepted by grace - men often reject when we confess to them. But...God has taken risk out of confession.

When God forgives...

It is...forgiven and forgotten
Bring to the cross - His atonement means no self-atonement or self-punishment. Then..
you are liberated to experience joy!

In Christ
we have forgiveness
we can forgive others
we must - in Christ - forgive others because He has forgiven us!
we are united in Christ because of forgiveness!

Confession is painful, but forgiveness is free!

This video tribute was shown at the funeral of my grandfather - Jack D. Nazary.

Filling of the Holy Spirit

Filling of the Holy Spirit
By Estelle Nazary

Definition: The filling of the Holy Spirit is simply the unhindered control of the Holy Spirit over the life of a believer so that He can bless and use him. The key word is control - “Be ye constantly controlled by the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

Facts regarding the filling of the Spirit

1. Being filled with Spirit is mandatory. Eph. 5:18

2. Is a repeated experience - Acts 2:4; 4:31

3. Privilege of all believers, yet enjoyed only by yielded believers. Acts 4:31, Gal. 5:16

4. Two factors that account for spiritual differences among believers
A. Filling
B. Maturity
5. Carefully distinguished from baptism of Spirit - I Cor. 12:13
6. Is indispensable to holiness of life and to service for Christ. - Gal. 5:22, 23; Acts 4:31

Consequences of being filled

1. Christ likeness - Gal. 5:22-23

2. Victory over sin - Gal. 5:16-18

3. Guidance - Rom. 8:14; 12:1-2
4. Effective prayer life - Romans 8:26; Jude 20
5. Acceptable worship - Eph. 5:18, 20
6. Proper family relationships established - Eph. 5:18, 21, 22, 25; 6:1
7. A life of blessing to others - John 7:37-39
8. Boldness in witnessing - Acts 1:8, 4:31

Conditions to the filling

1. “Grieve not the Spirit” - Eph. 4:30
Unconfessed sin and allowing things in our lives contrary to the Holy Spirit.

2. “Quench not the Spirit” - I Thess. 5:19
By saying “no” to Spirit’s leading
Yield to Christ - Romans 6:13

3. “Walk by the Spirit” - Gal. 5:16-18, Rom. 8:4 -Walking in total dependence upon the Spirit of God. Using means of grace which God has put at our disposal such as Bible study, prayer life.

Blueprint for Blessing II

Blueprint for Blessing II - James 1:22-25

by Estelle Nazary

I. Casual obervance

1. There is a simple comparsion.

2. Notice a sad conclusion

a. He thinks, but he does not know. "delude themselves" verse 22

b. He looks, but he does not see. "He has looked at himself - he has

immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." verse 24

c. He hears but he does not act. "he has gone away" verse 24

II. Careful obedience - verse 25

1. The duty of looking attentively

a. discernment

b. depth

c. discipline

2. The delight of living accordingly

a. He hears

b. He believes

c. He is a doer

d. He looks; he continues looking; he makes the necessary

changes; he is blessed.

e. A faith which produces no trust in Christ and no obedience

to Christ is of no value. Luke 11:28; John 13:17; Psalms 1:1-3

Blueprint for Blessing I

Blueprint for Blessing I - James 1:21

by Estelle Nazary

I. Something we need to remove - "Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness..." - includes moral failure, malice, meanness, abundance of evil...

1. It speaks of sin's defilement - cancerous, defiling growth on the soul
A. Unwillingness to listen
B. Spirit of criticism
C. Unrighteous, unjustified anger
Colossians 3:8; Hebrews 12:1; 1 Peter 2:1

2. Sin's depth

3. Sin's damage

4. These must be recognized, regretted and removed.
A. Confess them in God's presence - Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9
B. Conquer them in God's power.

II. Something we need to receive - "in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." - Something good must take its place - We must open our hearts to allow God's word to enter and accomplish his wonderful work of redemption.

1. What? "receive the word"

2. How? "receive with humility" - Submissive to God and have a teachable spirit. A teachable spirit is without resentment, without anger and is able to face the truth even when the truth hurts and condemns.

3. Where? "the implanted word" - Like the implanting of human organs - implanting God's word saves life in a spiritual sense.

4. Why? "which is able to save your souls"
A. There is the initial possessions - Ephesians 2:8
B. There is the gradual progress - 1 Corinthians 1:18
C. There is the final prospect - Romans 5:9; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:32

Additional notes - Once someone knows Christ, he is a new creation and this change is to show in his life. All his evil must be put aside - God is not pleased with partial obedience.
Get rid of everything that would stop your ears to the true word of God - Man's own sins can make him deaf to God.

Keep the Heart

My first attempt of blogging is based on the title of my blog. This was a sermon most likely written by my great-grandfather - W.H. Wood and revised by my grandfather - Jack Nazary. So here is a special word on the very important verse in Proverbs about guarding our heart...

Keep the Heart
Proverbs 4:23

Introduction: Presupposes a work of grace which has set the heart right by giving it a spiritual bent, leaning, or inclination. As long as the heart is not set right by grace as to its habitual frame, no duties or means can keep it right with God.

Man by creation was of one single spirit, held one straight and even course; not one thought was disordered; his mind had a perfect illumination to understand and know the will of God. He stood in obedient, willing submission.

Man, by the fall, has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, contesting with and opposing his master as the:

• First cause - by self dependence
• Chiefest good - by self-love
• Highest lord - by self-will
• Last end - by self-seeking
  
• and so... is quite disordered and all his acts irregular

his illuminated understanding is clouded with ignorance
his complying will is full of rebellion and stubbornness
his subordinate powers cast off the dominion and government of the superior faculties

By regeneration ---
this disordered soul is set right again.
Sanctification being the rectifying and due framing or being made "after the image of God" in which:

Self-dependence is renounced by faith
Self-love by the love of Christ or God
Self-will by subjection and obedience to the will of God
Self-seeking by self-denial

The darkened understanding is illuminated - Ephesians 1:18
The will sweetly subdued - Psalm 110:3
The rebellious appetite gradually conquered - Romans 6:7-23
And thus the soul, which sin had universally deprived, is again by grace restored and rectified...

Thus, now the need for constant care and diligence of such a renewed man, to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace hath brought it and daily strives to hold it.

Although grace has restored the soul, sin will disorder the soul.

It's like a musical instrument which needs to be tuned when even a little matter gets it out of tune.

To preserve the heart from sin, and to keep it fit for a life of communion with God let us notice some helpful suggestions:

1. Frequent observations of the heart - "commune with thine own heart" Psalm 4:4. This is to be done not by the lost but saved - carnal persons take no thought here. The heart can never be kept until its case be examined and understood.
2. It includes deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders. Hezekiah humbled himself for pride of heart - 2 Chronicles 32:26. People ordered to spread forth their hands to God in prayer in a sense of plague of their own hearts - I Kings 8:38. The upright heart cannot be at rest until it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.
3. It includes earnest supplications and instant prayer for heart-purifying and rectifying grace. (when fault - sin) "Cleanse thou me from secret faults" Psalm 19:12. "Unite my heart to fear they name" Isaiah 6:1-6.
4. It includes strong bonds and vows unto God to walk more carefully with God and to avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
   
5. A constant holy jealousy over our own hearts. Pass the time of your sojourn here in fear.
6. It involves the realization of God's presence with us - the setting of the Lord always before us. Keep eyes on Jesus.

Heart Work then is:

1. The hardest work - to shuffle over things with a loose and careless spirit will cast no great pains, but to set thyself before the Lord, and to tie thy thoughts up to him will cost something...to be able to use good language in prayer is easy, but get one's heart broken for sin while confessing it, and melted with full grace while blessing God for it...to outwardly conform is one thing, but to seek to kill the root of corruption is more difficult.
2. It is constant work - Never done until death. Same with Christian or seaman that has sprung a leak at sea. There is no time or intermingling in the life of a Christian to grow weary in this work. It is with us as it was, with the keeping up of Moses' hands while Israel and Amaleck were fighting below - Exodus 17:12. Cost David and Peter many a sad day for failing to keep watch over their hearts for a few minutes.
3. It is the most important work of a Christian's life - Without this we are formalist in religion; all our professions, gifts, and duties signify nothing; "My son give me thine heart." Proverbs 23:26
   

"My son, give me thine heart"
God is pleased to call that a gift which is a debt. If man does not give God his heart, he does not accept what else may be brought to him. There is so much of worth and value in what we do as there is of heart in it.

Concerning the heart, God seems to say as Joseph said of Benjamin, "If you bring not Benjamin with you, you shall not see my face."

Among the heathen, when the beast was cut up for sacrifice, the priest looking first to see his heart, and if that was unsound the sacrifice was rejected.

God rejects all duties. How glorious in other respects offered without heart. He that performs duties without a heart, needlessly, is no more accepted with God than he that performs it with a double heart - that is hypocritically. Isaiah 66:3

Thus we see the nature of the duties of "Keeping the Heart".

(I believe some points have been taken from "Keep the Heart" by John Flavel - I have a very old copy of this book that belonged to my family. I am not sure of the publisher or publication date to give credit where credit is due.)

My Legacy of Faith

This blog is simply an expressive of love. I come from an incredible family legacy. My great-grandfather was a simple man who walked away from an assured victory in small town politics which would most certainly mean notoriety and respect to follow the still small voice of God. Without a high school education, without family support, without any money, but with a wife and children, he left his home to complete his education so that one day he could answer the call into ministry. His oldest daughter was my grandmother. The sweetest person that has ever walked on this earth. Of course, that is my opinion, but I dare you to dispute it. She met my grandfather at Clarke College. He was a shy farm boy who was immediately captivated by her ability to speak to others about Jesus Christ. It took some doing, but he finally got the nerve to ask her out. With the war churning, their courtship would be disrupted and marriage was most certain before his impending departure to the war. During their time together, he felt the call to the ministry. He always loved to tell about the first time my great grandfather took him to church to preach. Bro. Wood (my great-grandfather) introduced him and really told the congregation about how they were going to be blessed by the words of granddaddy. When it was finally time for him to speak, he fumbled through some scriptures and spoke for less than 5 minutes. That experience would most assuredly discourage me, but not him. After the war, he finished college and began his ministry. My grandmother and him had a tremendous ministry together at churches all over Mississippi and one in North Carolina. They meant so much to so many people. God can do anything to anybody if only we will just surrender to Him and have faith. If he can take one man against all odds educationally and financially to give up everything to follow him, what can he do for you if you will just allow him. If he can take one man who was so terribly shy and make him a bold witness for Jesus, what can he do for you if you will just allow him. I plan to tell more about my grandparents as this blog progresses, but I mainly hope to share their words. My grandmother was a gifted teacher who wrote very moving devotionals that I think need to be shared. I would also like post the powerful sermons that my great-grandfather and grandfather wrote. I hope you enjoy learning more about my family, but more importantly about how good God is!

Proverbs 4:23