Ephesians 6:17 - The Assurance of Our Salvation

Taking up the helmet of salvation and putting it on means thatwe are having confidence that we are God's children. We are in His family. Yousee the helmet protects us from the biggest lie of the devil that we are notsafe in Jesus Christ. Listen carefully. One of Satan's most crippling attacksis to make believers feel insecure. Their insecurity produces paralysis. If aChristian thinks, "I might not be saved," then they stop movingforward. Whatwe're talking about is the assurance of our salvation. If we don't have theassurance of our salvation, we stop serving the Lord. We stop praying boldly.We stop living with joy in our lives. We become fearful, anxious and unstablein our walk with God. This is so important. This thing of assurance ofsalvation. Why do we lose our assurance of our salvation? Because the assuranceof our salvation is the joy we are experiencing when we know that we are savedand safe! In1 John chapter 1, John is talking about the eternal life that was manifest tohim. He wrote: “We have seen, we bear witness, we declare to you thateternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us”. Why? Johnsaw Jesus personally for three and a half years and walked and talked with Him.He goes on to write: "That which we have seen and heard, we declare toyou that you also may have fellowship with us. Truly, our fellowship is withthe Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write to you thatyour joy may be full."  Myfriend, what John is writing about in the book of First John is how we can haveassurance of our salvation. Here's the fact. Either we have been saved or we'venot been saved. That's why assurance of salvation deals with these two issues. Inthis epistle John gives three series of tests. The test of obedience, the testof love, and the test of truth. I really encourage you to read the Epistle ofFirst John if you're dealing with doubt and saying to yourself: "I'm notsure I'm saved. I wonder did I ever get saved? I prayed a prayer when I was achild, but now, I don't know that I’ve ever truly been born again. Yes, I gotbaptized, but I don't know that Jesus is my savior. I don't have that assuranceof salvation." Johngives three series of tests, as I said, and the tests have to do first with sonship.Are you really a son of the Father? You really in the family? Secondly, thereis the test of fellowship. You can be saved and lose fellowship with God. Thefollowing verses in 1 John 1:5-10 have to do with that. They basically say thatif we have fellowship with Him, we walk in the light as He is in the light. Ifwe sin, we can lose that fellowship. But if we confess our sin, He is faithfuland just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then welove Him. We walk in His truth and we keep His commandments. We're obedient.  Thedevil doesn't want you to have the assurance of your salvation even when you'resaved. So that's why John writes in 1 John 5:11-13 “And this is thetestimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Hewho has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not havelife. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son ofGod, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue tobelieve in the name of the Son of God.” My friend, your eternal life is notin who you are and what you do and what you can do for God. Your eternal lifeis in Jesus Christ.  Jesustells us in John 10:28-29: “And I give them eternal life and they shallnever perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand”. Romans8:38-39 also assures us: “For I'm persuaded that neither death nor life norany other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of Godthat's in Christ Jesus our Lord”. My friend, this is the helmet, this isthe settled truth. I belong to Christ. I'm kept by Christ and I'll be broughthome by Christ today.