“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-4, then various from the Gospel of John

• I ask you all to join me on a journey of seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance on the meaning of salvation. I freely admitted that there are things that I don’t understand. For example, can "saved" people walk in continual patterns of sin and rebellion against God’s commands and called themselves saved? And if this happens because of 1) trauma in the past of a truly saved person, or 2) lack of moral knowledge (our normal reasons), where is the "washing of rebirth" (regeneration) and the "renewal of the Spirit?”
• We looked again at John 3 and found out that the truly saved are Born Again! Jesus was in affect saying, “all you thought you knew and all you thought you were are nothing; you must start over.” This is SO much more than signing a card or walking an isle. This is a complete and total transformation (by the Spirit) of a person whereby they are translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. In other words, you cannot just “decide” to enter His Kingdom; you must be Born into it! This means nothing less than a shift in thinking, a change in nature, and a new understanding of divine revelation!
• Salvation, by its very nature, is supernatural. It happens by grace through faith and is a work of the Spirit: "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:5-6). In the King James Version, the word "rebirth" in verse 5 is the word "regeneration."
• I honestly have some questions for the Holy Spirit:
  1. Even with the understanding that sanctification is a life-long process by the Spirit, how can the “saved” willingly abuse God’s grace (Romans 6) over and over?
  2. Is it possible that "asking Jesus to come into your heart" without truly and totally submitting to Him as Lord is part of the problem?
  3. Is it possible that people are "getting saved" by walking aisles and signing cards but not truly being transformed and reborn by the Spirit? Is it even possible that some folks who think they are saved...aren't...because they never fully submitted everything to Christ?
  4. Where are the radical, life-transforming, totally sold-out for Christ salvations Scripture describes?

Jesus Presents His Gospel Pt 2: He declares “I AM!”

1. But first, some thoughts from 1 Cor 12:3:
   1. The declaration that “Jesus is Lord” is the most fundamental declaration of the saved.
   2. The belief in and knowledge of this truth can only come by revelation of the Spirit: "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” (Jn 15:26)
   3. It was the revelation of His Lordship given to Peter that caused Christ to change his name and reveal apostolic authority. (Matt 16:13-19)
   4. And this revelation is the beginning of a total renewal of the heart, mind, and spirit of the believer. It begins to shape everything the believer does and color everything the believer sees. It is the joy producer, the heart fixer, the contentment giver, and the service enabler!
   5. Important Point: being a churchgoer or member WON’T give anyone this revelation, and putting your name on a card or walking an isle doesn’t mean you have it either! This is a work of the Spirit!
   6. And throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus tried to get this point across as He presented His Gospel….
2. “I AM!”
   1. Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)
   2. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
   3. "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58)
   4. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)
   5. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
   6. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…” (John 11:25)
   7. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
   8. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
3. A revelation of His Lordship was the final stage in producing the revival on the Day of Pentecost:
   1. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Act 2:36-3, KJV)

So what should the revelation of “Jesus is Lord” produce in the believer?

1. Deep brokenness and humility?
2. Life-changing love for Him, His Church, and His Kingdom?
3. Overwhelming thankfulness?
4. A fierce loyalty to family and friends in the Gospel?
5. Understanding and forgiveness?
6. Radical obedience to His Word by faith?
7. Life-long faithfulness?
8. A passion for His Word, for prayer, and for worship?
9. Uncommon generosity and unselfishness?
10. Depression-destroying eternal perspective?
11. Unflinching integrity?
12. Soul-winning motivation?
13. A tender love for what He loves and a bold hatred for what He hates?

Friends, I’m slowly becoming convinced that if Christ isn’t truly Lord in our lives, we must ask ourselves if we are truly saved. The revelation of His Lordship and the grace imparted to be forgiven of our sins should be enough to dismantle selfish ambition and produce a love-based “fear and trembling” in the heart of the truly redeemed. Let’s close by meditating on a few words from the Holy Spirit through Paul…. (Philippians 2:1-13)