BUNCHES OF TIMES

JOHN 13:1-11

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

While visiting in Tn. many years ago, I asked a man who rarely attended church, “Have you ever trusted Christ, have you ever been saved?” He said, “Yeh, I been saved bunches of times!” You’d think he’d got it right one of those times.

A few years later I heard about a Sunday School teacher, soul-winning lady who worked at a Christian school getting saved - for the third time. In the same meeting another lady made her fourth profession of faith. I had heard her second or third testimony and it sure sounded like they understood that time.

Is this practice of making a new profession of salvation over and over right or wrong? What can be done about it? We will seek to clear up some misconceptions by rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

 

I. THE CARELESSNESS OF A WRONG EMPHASIS

 

1. Feelings over Facts & Faith [Ps. 51:1-12] Feel married during an argument?

 

2. Assuming Sin is Proof they are Lost when they are Backslidden [1 Jn. 1:6-10]

 

3. Continuing as Before their Profession [Eph 4:17ff] Baptism? Restitution? Changing?

 

II. THE CONFUSION OF WRONG EDUCATION

 

1. The Teaching that Salvation can be Lost [1 Pt. 1:3-5]

 

2. The Teaching that Saints can’t commit some Sins [2 Pet. 2:7-9]

 

3. The Teaching of Self-appointed Fruit Judges [Mt. 7:1]

 

“I know you can’t judge but you can examine their fruit and know…” In other words, “You can’t judge but you can judge” [Mt. 7:1 Rice note, v. 15-20=false teachers, v. 21-23=God has to judge concerning salvation. We can judge actions or teachings by the Bible but cannot see the heart]

 

III. THE CORRECTION OF RIGHTLY DIVIDING [2 Tm. 2:15]

 

1. We are Encouraged to be Sure “We” are Saved [2 Cor. 13:5]

 

Did I trust Christ? Who do I doubt? – only 2 possibilities.

 

2. We are Discouraged from Judging Others Salvation except as it differs from the Gospel

 

[1 Sam. 16:7, Mt. 7:1, Rm. 1:16]

 

3. We are Encouraged as Christians to confess & forsake sin to keep fellowship open while realizing the relationship cannot be broken [1 Jn. 1:9, Jn. 6:37-40, 13:1-11]