Are You Really Saved? – Isa.

30:1-3; 1:11-20
Are You Really Saved? What a question that is! Your answer to that question
determines whether you will be in heaven or in hell for eternity and whether or
not your life is worth anything in this world. I hope you will seriously ponder
the question and give an honest answer. The most troublesome question that
confronts real Christians is, ‘Are our loved ones really saved?’ How often we
hear, ‘I’m not sure my children-husband-wife-brothers-sisters-Mom and Dad
are really saved. I want to believe they are, but the real evidence is lacking.’
The question, Are they really saved? haunts us. It does about some of my
loved ones, and some people that I know. Many have grown so careless about
things of God and are nonchalant—we cannot be nonchalant about the matter
of our eternal destiny. They may say they are Christians, but they are not
living a Christ-like life. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch,
Acts 11:26. Why were they called Christians? Because they were following and
living like Christ. ‘Are your loved ones really saved?’ Are they living for the
Lord? Are they attending church? Do they have Christian convictions about
how they live? What is even sadder is when they are lying in a casket and we
have doubts about their salvation. Many times the preacher will preach them
right into heaven to try to give some comfort to the family. I have never
preached anyone into heaven that I know of, and I don’t intend to. Yes, I try
to comfort the family in their hour of bereavement, with the words of Jesus,
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,
Mat 11:28. And I do my best to preach to the others who are lost, or may be
in doubt about their own salvation. Perhaps those we have questions about
concerning their salvation are not here today, so I can't direct this message to
them. But I will tell you what you can do, and that is to use the ‘Roman’s
Road’ Gospel tract in your bulletin and give it to them and tell them you are
praying for them. If you are not that concerned about them, then I hope this
message speaks to your heart that it will convict you of not doing what you
can to see them saved. I can’t preach to them if they are not here, so I am
preaching to you who are here. I want everyone here today to do some soul
searching concerning your relationship to God. We need to face the question,
‘Am I really saved?’ You need to realize that more than a mere profession
that you are saved is necessary and that you can leave this service knowing
that you are really saved. 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (‘know-so salvation’)
I. Are you really saved? To properly answer this question we must ask
ourselves, ‘In whom do I put my trust?’(Isa. 30:1-3) The times in which Isaiah
lived and ministered were some of the most difficult in the history of Judah. It
parallels some of the things we see in America today, as it was a time of
emptiness and formality in religion—prevalent in our churches today. Some of
our churches have adopted the music, the dress and lifestyle of the world to
attract the world; the people may leave with an emotional high, yet their lives
are empty and will continue to be so until they deal with the sins in their lives.
The land of Judah was plagued with greed and ungodliness—true of America
today. Materialism is the greed of our land when people get all they can, and
can all they get. And if you don’t think there is ungodliness in our land, just
look at television —or should I say don’t look at most of the television that
comes into many homes of America. It was a time of warfare and strife in
Judah as one crisis followed another. We’re in warfare against the terrorists—
the religion of Islam teaches their people in their Koran to destroy all believers
and Jews, who they consider infidels. Then there is the strife, the contention,
of same-sex marriage between homosexuals, as well as the killing the unborn
babies being conceived in the womb. Judah was a nation who professed to
serve God and yet denied Him by sinful living. Are you really saved? Are you
putting your trust in God or in the world. A woe is pronounced upon those
who rebel against the Lord. The nature of their rebellion is shown in vv. 1,2.
A. Seen in their counselors. (v.1) Worldly wisdom is preferred to heavenly.
Have you prayed for God's leadership in a matter, and then attempted to work
it out on the basis of convenience or affordability? When problems arise in
your personal life, do you worry over it and go everywhere else for a solution
before coming to the Lord? All problems are a result of sin and not because
of one's past environment and socialization as the psychiatrists say who are
followers of Fraud and Skinner. There is an element of truth that society and
one’s environment influences us, but God holds us responsible for how we
respond to these influences. Modern psychology's chaos and helplessness in
the period in which we live is given in the following words: I went to my
psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed; To find out why I killed the cat and
blacked my husband’s; He laid me on a downy couch to see what he could
find and here is what he dredged up from my subconscious mind. When I was
one my mommy hid my dolly in a trunk, and so it follows naturally that I am
always drunk. When I was two, I saw my father kiss the maid one day, and
that is why I suffer now from kleptomania. At three I had the feeling of
ambivalence toward my brothers, and so it follows naturally I poison all my
lovers. But I am happy; now I’ve learned the lesson this has taught, that
everything I do that’s wrong is someone else's fault.
Blame shifting began in the Garden of Eden: Adam said, Gen 3:12, The woman
whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat . Eve said,
The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat (v.13). (The devil made me do it)
Those who rebel against God and have problems won’t come to God, because
they will have to face up to their sin. You can't fool God, as He sees you as
you are--Isa 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the
LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who
knoweth us? Remember, recently I preached about God from Psa 139:12 Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness
and the light are both alike to thee. ‘There’s an all-seeing eye watching you!’
B. The nature of one's rebellion is also seen in their walk—they walk to go
down into Egypt, v.2. Their faces are toward the world and their desire is to get
into its ways. They don't seek His guidance, but live their lives the way they
want to, with no regard for God or what His Word says. Prov 14:12 There is a
way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
C. The nature of one's rebellion is seen in their motives. ‘. .have not asked
at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in
the shadow of Egypt.’ (2b) They seek worldly strength and protection, because
their heart is in rebellion to God. The Bible speaks repeatedly about God
being the believer's strength and refuge. Is this a characteristic of your life?
D. The result of turning to the world and not God is found in v. 3. Shame
and confusion. Confession of your shame and confusion is the first step to a
right relationship with God. Jer 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our
confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our
fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the
Lord our God. The world's ways always brings confusion and is the way Satan
wants you to go. James 3:15,16 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work. Our prayer needs to be as the Psalmist's in 71:1, In thee, O
Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Wisdom that comes
from above will make a difference in our lives. James 3:17,18, But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated,
full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the
fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
II. Are you really saved? More than a mere profession is needed. Everyone
now-a-days is saying he is born again. Many who have no idea of the Biblical
meaning of this term, will tell you they’ve been born again. The real question
is, If you died today would you go to heaven or hell? Can you back up your
claim to salvation with Scripture and a changed life? You may come to church
every service and still have sin in your life that makes your worship of God a
mockery (Isa.1:11-15) Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you
and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear .
What good is there in pretending to be saved if you know in your heart that if
you were to die today you would go to hell. The only one you are deceiving
is yourself! What are you gaining by a false profession? Pretending to be saved
brings no joy, no real presence of Christ and makes you no blessing to your
family and friends. All will be revealed in the end (Mat 7:21 ff.)
III. You can be really saved. If you are here today and there is any doubt in
your heart about your salvation, you can walk out those doors with an
assurance in your heart and a confidence that you are going to ‘. . dwell in the
secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty, Psa
91:1, and that you are no longer going to trust in the shadow of Egypt You
can know you are saved, but you must be honest with yourself. What are you
relying on for your claim to heaven? The fact that you are living a good life?
Or that you attend church? Church member? Answer these simple questions:
1. Was there a time when you, realizing yourself a sinner, did what the
Bible said to do to be saved? (Rom. 10:9,10, 13) Did Christ stand at your
heart's door and knock and did you open it and let Him in (Rev. 3:20).
2. Is there the witness of the Spirit—an honest consciousness of God in
your life? Can you truly say ‘I AM SAVED’ without a contradiction of
conscience? Can you say with John in 1 John 3:24 ‘. . we know that he abideth
in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us . Does the Spirit of God bear witness
with your spirit, that you are a child of God, Rom.8:16 .
3. Has there been a definite change in your life resulting in genuine
obedience to God's commands? 1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we
know him, if we keep his commandments. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new. Unless you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, your claim to
salvation is a false claim. You are among the millions holding a false hope of
heaven, who in the end will find themselves in hell.
You need to settle the question of this message right now—Are you really
saved? Christ wants to save you today.
Perhaps you are here today and you lack the assurance of your salvation that
you once had because of neglecting to follow God as you should. The
intention of this message is not for you to doubt your salvation, but if there is
any doubt in your mind concerning your salvation, you need to get it settled
today. I close with what I call the Gospel of Isaiah. Isa 55:6,7 Seek ye the
LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon.
9/19/04 AM Jackson