FORGIVENESS: 8 How You Can Be Certain You Are Forgiven Forever

Table of Contents

Chapter 1.8

How You Can Be Certain You Are

Forgiven Forever

1 John 3:10

Week 3

► For a God Time use the “P.O.W.E.R. Plan” in Appendix A.

► After reading this chapter, answer the following questions:

1) On a scale of 1 to 100% how certain are you that you will go to Heaven?

2) This chapter describes at least 5 important proofs that you love God and are a real Christian. What are they?

3) How would you describe loving the world? Why is this a sign you do not love God?

4) Why is your response to persecution and painful difficulties a good test of your love for God?

5) What is real Christian love? Why is it a good proof that you are a real Christian?

6) What was especially meaningful to you in this chapter? Why?

Joanna was so glad that the Bible gave her a clear and convincing way of knowing for certain she was a Christian. She had been taught that you must simply trust God that you are a Christian because God is trustworthy. That sounded spiritual, but it did not answer her question: How could she really know she had truly trusted Christ for her complete and forever forgiveness? Thankfully, she learned the Bible answers that question in a very simple but tangible way. The Bible says:

Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. (1 John 3:10)

Loving God and loving people is the proof you have been forgiven forever.

A) Your forever forgiveness is proven by your new love for God

In the previous chapter it was explained that the fruits and powers of God’s Spirit in a real Christian will prove their forever forgiveness. One of the primary ways God’s Spirit will affect you is giving you a new love for God. How do you know if you love God? Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). A vital sign that you have received the Holy Spirit and been forgiven for your sins and is a great desire to obey Jesus. How do you know that you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior? As written in a previous chapter, you trust Him to be your King and live like it.

Many want Jesus to only be their Savior because they are afraid of being punished for their sins. But their life shows little desire or power to live like Jesus is their King. This is why the word “disciple” (follower) in the Bible is synonymous with being a Christian. Every real Christian is a disciple, a follower of the commands of Christ. Therefore, the Bible says: “Anyone who does not live righteously . . . does not belong to God” (1 John 3:10). Likewise the Bible says:

We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

A desire and lifestyle of obeying the commandments of God in the NT is a primary proof that you love God and are a Christian.

But mere obedience is not enough. Your motives matter. Many false Christians live moral lives because they feel fear or guilt toward God. They view God as more of a demanding task master than a gracious Father. Their false version of Christianity is a religion of laws instead of a relationship of love with God.

Still, they convince themselves they must be accepted by God because of their good deeds like going to church, giving money, and being nice to people. But if they are honest, they do not experience the joy, peace, and power of God’s Spirit. Trying to live the Christian life in their own will power becomes a joyless burden motivated by their guilt instead of God’s grace. All of this is because they really are not indwelled with God’s Spirit.

In contrast, the Bible says living for “the kingdom of God” on this Earth “is . . . a matter of . . . righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God” (Rom 14:17-18). Real Christianity is not just about “righteousness” because the kind of moral living empowered by God’s Spirit, instead of human guilt, will also come with “peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” And it is only those “who serve Christ” with “peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” that are “pleasing to God.” Likewise, “Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all” (Rom 8:9).

Beware if Christianity feels more like a religion of laws to you rather than a relationship of love with the Lord. Remember, the Apostle Paul “was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law” and he was “count[ing] on [his] own righteousness through obeying the law” (Phil 3:5, 9) to be accepted by God. But he admitted he had no real relationship with God.

Likewise, Lydia is described in the Bible as a woman “who worshiped God.” But it wasn’t until “the Lord opened her heart” that “she accepted what Paul was saying” about Jesus and became a Christian (Acts 16:14). This was evidenced by her willingness to be baptized and invite the Christians to live in her home (v. 15). Mere religious morality is not enough evidence of true Christian faith. The powers of love, joy, and peace from God’s Spirit need to accompany our righteousness.

A real love for God will result in several other things as well. First, you will love God’s word. Again, the Bible speaks of “those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them” (2 Thess 2:10). God’s Spirit will give you a love for God’s word. This is why the Bible says, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). A real Christian will crave God’s word like a newborn baby craves a mother’s milk.

How is a love for God’s word demonstrated? Do you have a great desire to read and understand the Bible? Do you enjoy listening to the Bible being taught? Do you have a strong sense that the Bible is God’s word to you? Do the promises of Scripture encourage you? Do the commands in Scripture express your deepest desires? People who say they are a Christian but do not have much interest in reading, learning, or obeying the Bible probably do not have the Spirit of God in them.

False Christians will be repelled by the preaching of God’s word because they do not want to be convicted of their sin. Real Christians, however, invite the conviction of the Spirit in their lives so they can spiritually grow (cf. John 3:19-21).

However, a real love for God’s word will not result in a lack of love for people. Mere “knowledge” of the Bible can “puff up” (1 Cor 8:1) the person without God’s Spirit. Divisive arguments over different interpretations of Scripture is the fruit of pride, not God’s Spirit. The Bible describes such people as:

Anyone who teaches something different [than the Apostle’s taught] is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. (1 Tim 6:4-5)

Loving God’s word will not decrease a love for God’s people and a desire for unity. Therefore, mere knowledge of God’s word is not a true sign of loving God’s word. The Bible says, “Don’t just listen to God’s word [and have mere knowledge]. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22).

Another proof of love for God is not loving money. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt 6:24). Both money and Jesus cannot be your King. Being “devoted” to making and spending money is to “despise” Jesus.

Your relationship with money is one of the best measures of your relationship with God. This is why GENEROSITY is a very important proof that someone is a Christian. If a person claims to be a Christian but has no desire to give generously to the financial needs of a local church, then they may not be a Christian. Being stingy with your money is evidence that Jesus is not your master, nor your Savior.

A sinful love for money is related to another proof of being a Christian: you are not worldly. The Bible says: “If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Likewise Scripture says:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. (1 John 2:15-16)

Having a real faith and love for Jesus Christ, and being indwelled with God’s Spirit, will radically change what you VALUE in this world. Before conversion to Christianity, people seek the pleasures of sin, are attracted to the money, success, and power of the world, and are repelled by the demands of a holy and sacrificial Christian life. But the real Christian loves to be generous, to serve and help others, and lives to please God.

These different desires and values in the real Christian will cause opposition from people devoted to the world’s values. This is why Jesus says to all Christians:

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. (John 15:19)

Are you willing to be hated by worldly people because you love God? A willingness to be rejected by people because of your commitment to God is powerful proof you really love God. This is why Jesus warned of false Christians, “who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But . . . they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word” (Matt 13:20-21).

God allows “problems” and persecution in a person’s life for the purpose of testing their love for Him. The Apostle Peter wrote: “you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine” (1 Pet 1:6-7; cf. Rom 5:3-5; Phil 1:28). A person’s response to painful circumstances is one of the best tests of true love for God.

The Bible says: “Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:10). Loving God and loving people is the proof you have been forgiven forever. This is especially true when you need to trust and obey God in difficult circumstances or be patient and kind to difficult people.

B) Your forever forgiveness is proven by your new love for people

Our text says a real Christian will also love people. The Bible says:

If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still [spiritually] dead. . . Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence. (1 John 3:14, 18-19).

Real Christian love is the real Christian proof that you are a real Christian. Unfortunately, most people do not understand what real Christian love is. Christian love is an unconditional patience and kindness toward people, even if they do not love you. The Bible says:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. (1 Cor 13:4-5)

Before people become Christians they think primarily of themselves and how they can be happy. But when the Spirit of God comes to live in you, you begin to primarily think of others and how to help them be happy. You are not “self-seeking.” You have a new desire and power to want what is best for others and to seek to serve them.

Real Christians want to be around other Christians, attend church services, and other fellowship meetings. They want to love the Father by loving His children. In fact, loving people becomes the drive of their life.

Some claim to be Christians but do not even join a local church. Their reason may be that they have been hurt by Christians or have not found a church good enough for them. But these are not excuses that God would accept. A lack of interest in spending time with Christians reveals a heart that does not love Christians and is not indwelled with God’s Spirit. The Bible says of such people:

These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. (1 John 2:19)

There can be good reasons to leave a local church. But people who never commit to one should have serious questions about their Christian faith.

Remember that love, acceptance, patience, and forgiveness toward other Christians is the clearest evidence someone is a Christian. People who refuse to commit to a local church usually lack these very things.

It is possible to be a hurting Christian and avoid fellowship for a while. But a real Christian will never be happy about this. However, when a false Christian leaves the fellowship, they often experience an enduring relief and have no desire to embrace the “burdens” of Christian responsibilities.

God expects the Christian’s love for people to be greater than those who do not have God’s Spirit in them. This is why Jesus taught:

Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. (Matt 5:44-47)

“Pagans” without God’s Spirit can love those who love them and be kind to their friends. But only a person controlled by God’s Spirit can be patient, kind, and compassionate toward those who hate them. Or as mentioned above, how we respond to persecution and difficult people is one of the best tests of whether or not we are a real Christian. Only real Christians have the power to unconditionally love people who hate them. This is why such love is such a powerful proof of a real relationship with God.

However, an equally powerful test of love is how we treat the people closest to us. Would your spouse, children, and parents say you are a loving person? That you love them more than yourself? It does not matter if neighbors and workmates think you are a nice person. Anyone can do that without God.

A love for people obviously includes forgiving people. As noted above, Christian love, “keeps no record of being wronged” (1 Cor 13:5). Real Christians have the desire and ability to forgive the people that have hurt them. Because God has forgiven them for everything, He expects all Christians to forgive others. This is why Jesus said:

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt 6:14-15).

This is because your refusal to forgive others reveals that you were never a Christian and never had your sins forgiven by God. ^[1]

Finally, the Holy Spirit will give you a new love for those who are not Christians. You will greatly desire for them to have the peace and forgiveness you have through trusting in Jesus Christ.

C) Good deeds do not earn your forever forgiveness but they prove you have been forgiven forever

In summary, the Bible says: “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God” (Matt 3:8). To repent is to change your mind and life to hate sin and love God. You can know your faith in Christ is real and His Spirit is in you, if you have new desires to know the Bible, obey the Bible, and love Christians. The Bible says:

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? [the answer is no] . . Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? (Jas 2:14, 20)

The role of good deeds in Christianity can be confusing. As discussed in chapter 1.4 of this study, your good deeds cannot pay for your sin or earn God’s forgiveness. In other words, before you become a Christian, your good deeds are worthless. But when God gives you the gift of trusting Christ to pay for your sins, He gives you something else: the Holy Spirit indwelling you. And this will result in good deeds. And it is these good deeds that prove you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit and are a real Christian. ^[2]

► Return to the beginning and answer the questions there.

Matthew 6:14-15 is a startling statement. The respected Bible teacher J. M. Boice remarked: “We must have a profound change of heart, expressed in a willingness to forgive others if we have experienced God’s forgiveness ourselves.” (Matthew 1-17 [Baker, 2001], 100).

Likewise, NT scholar Leon Morris simply explains: “Jesus is saying that to fail to forgive others is to demonstrate that one has not felt the saving touch of God” (Matthew, [Eerdmans, 1992], 149).

Jesus’ warning to unforgiving false Christians is illustrated in His parable of the unforgiving servant (cf. Matt 18:21-35). What was the result of the servant’s refusal to forgive another servant? Jesus concluded: “Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (v. 34-35).

An inability to forgive someone for their sins against you, is proof that you have not truly received and experienced God’s forgiveness for your sins. This is a sobering warning to Christians to make sure they have forgiven anyone they are bitter or hardened towards, in order for them to be sure they are a Christian themselves. ↑
Unfortunately, some Christians confuse the purpose of good works in the Christian life. In an effort to be clear that salvation is by grace and not good works, they ignore the need for good works to prove salvation. For example, the rightly respected and popular Christian leader Rick Warren has written in answer to the question, How do I know I am saved?:

Your assurance of salvation is not by your works, because you can’t earn your salvation. Your assurance of salvation is not by your feelings, because feelings come and go. What is your assurance of salvation? The promise of God’s Word. If God says it, that settles it, because God cannot lie. You can trust the promise of God’s Word. You can rest in it. (online at: http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/how-do-i-know-i-m-saved).

The author confuses the “assurance of salvation” with how we obtain salvation. We obtain salvation by grace. We prove salvation with deeds. Also contrary to the author, and as discussed in this chapter, feelings play a vital role in being sure we are a Christian (cf. Gal 5:22).

There is an unfortunate and unbiblical trend in modern Christianity to deny the Bible’s claim that our salvation is proven by our good deeds. Accordingly, the Bible teacher John MacArthur writes:

Most contemporary discussions on assurance focus almost exclusively on the objective grounds for assurance [i.e. God promises salvation for those who believe]. They minimize or dismiss the subjective grounds [i.e. how can we know we believe], thus robbing an untold number of believers of a valuable source of assurance. Worse yet, in doing so they perpetuate the tragic phenomenon of false assurance. (Saved Without a Doubt [Cook, 2001), 15] ↑
There are two vital but more complex topics that are touched on in this chapter but covered in more detail elsewhere in the Christian Essentials. First, a key to being certain you are forgiven forever and possess eternal life is knowing that you cannot lose your relationship with God. This is described by Christians as the “once saved, always saved” and is the view of these studies. This is discussed further in study #3 FAITH, in the section entitled “Your Father’s Acceptance.”

Secondly, the topic of recognizing and responding to false Christians is another vital but rather complex topic. This is discussed further in the study Difficult People; online at newlifecr.com. ↑