Three Types of Lost Sinners:Three Types of Lost Sinners:

1) The Careless Sinner1) The Careless Sinner

2) The Awakened Sinner2) The Awakened Sinner

3) The Convicted Sinner 3) The Convicted Sinner

Two Types of Two Types of CounterfeitCounterfeit Believers: Believers:• A A counterfeit believercounterfeit believer shares some characteristics of shares some characteristics of true believerstrue believers• A parable of the A parable of the SowerSower (Soils) – 4 types of soil (Soils) – 4 types of soil

1) The 1) The HardHard Heart Heart

2) The 2) The ShallowShallow Heart Heart

3) The 3) The DividedDivided Sinner Sinner

The Evidence of SalvationThe Evidence of Salvation• Although salvation is Although salvation is personalpersonal, it is not , it is not privateprivate• Though its Though its inner workingsinner workings are are unseenunseen, its , its outward changesoutward changes are are visiblevisible

to allto all• Hence, there is an Hence, there is an inward evidenceinward evidence known only to the one who known only to the one who

experiences it, and an experiences it, and an outward evidenceoutward evidence to be observed by others to be observed by others

I. The Inward Evidence I. The Inward Evidence A. A. By the SpiritBy the Spirit

“… “… you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witnesswe cry out, “Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rom 8:15-16) (Rom 8:15-16)

• received a spirit of received a spirit of adoptionadoption (as sons) (as sons)• we cry out ‘Abba! we cry out ‘Abba! FatherFather!’!’• the Spirit the Spirit bears witnessbears witness w/our spirit w/our spirit

• that we are that we are childrenchildren of God of God

I. The Inward EvidenceI. The Inward Evidence• When one truly repents of his sins and believes in Jesus Christ, he …When one truly repents of his sins and believes in Jesus Christ, he …

• receives the receives the giftgift of the of the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit (Acts 2:38-39) (Acts 2:38-39)• as a promise or as a promise or pledgepledge of his future of his future inheritanceinheritance (Eph 1:13-14) (Eph 1:13-14)• who for the present inhabits or who for the present inhabits or dwellsdwells within within himhim (Rom 8:11) (Rom 8:11)

• Since God Himself Since God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) (through the Holy Spirit) has taken up residencyhas taken up residencywithin him, he alone within him, he alone knowsknows if he has been if he has been savedsaved..

• The Holy Spirit will The Holy Spirit will bear witnessbear witness with his own with his own spiritspirit that he is indeed that he is indeed a a childchild of God having been adopted into His family. of God having been adopted into His family.

Has Has

I. The Inward EvidenceI. The Inward Evidence B. B. By the WordBy the Word

“ “These things I have written to you who believe in the name These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you haveof the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13)eternal life.” (I John 5:13)

• These things I have These things I have writtenwritten• In order that you may In order that you may knowknow (that you have (that you have eternal lifeeternal life))

I. The Inward EvidenceI. The Inward Evidence

• I John was written in order that people might read the letter I John was written in order that people might read the letter and discern in their own life …and discern in their own life …

• whether they whether they know Godknow God • whether they whether they possess eternal lifepossess eternal life

• The phrase The phrase ““by this we knowby this we know” ” is used each time by John as anis used each time by John as an identifying mark of a true believer identifying mark of a true believer

I. The Inward EvidenceI. The Inward Evidence• ““And And by this we know by this we know that we have come to that we have come to knowknow Him, Him, if we keep His if we keep His commandmentscommandments.” (I John 2:3).” (I John 2:3)

• ““but whoever keeps His but whoever keeps His wordword, in him the love of God has truly , in him the love of God has truly been perfected. been perfected. By this we know By this we know that we are that we are inin Him: the one Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to who says he abides in Him ought himself to walkwalk in the same in the same manner as He manner as He walkedwalked.” (I John 2:5-6).” (I John 2:5-6)

• “… “… if we if we love one anotherlove one another, God abides in us, and His love is, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. perfected in us. By this we know By this we know that we that we abideabide in Him and in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (I John 4:12-13)He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (I John 4:12-13)

I. The Inward EvidenceI. The Inward Evidence• “… “… let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” • “ “We shall We shall know by thisknow by this that we are of the truth, and shall that we are of the truth, and shall assureassure our heart before Him, …”our heart before Him, …”• “… “… if our heart does not if our heart does not condemncondemn us, we have us, we have confidenceconfidence before God.” (I John 3:18-19, 21)before God.” (I John 3:18-19, 21)• AssuranceAssurance of our salvation (knowing you are saved) is a of our salvation (knowing you are saved) is a functionfunction of the of the

heartheart and a and a witnesswitness of the of the SpiritSpirit..• The heart either The heart either condemnscondemns itself or itself or affirmsaffirms the the confidenceconfidence it has before God it has before God • This This inner revelationinner revelation of the true state of the soul is known as of the true state of the soul is known as the the security of the believersecurity of the believer

II. The Outward EvidenceII. The Outward Evidence““For by For by gracegrace you have been you have been savedsaved through through faithfaith; and that not of; and that not of yourselves, it is the yourselves, it is the giftgift of God, not as a result of works, that no of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9) one should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

““For we are His For we are His workmanshipworkmanship, created in Christ Jesus for , created in Christ Jesus for goodgood worksworks, which God prepared beforehand that we should , which God prepared beforehand that we should walkwalk in in them.” (Eph 2:10) them.” (Eph 2:10)

““But the But the fruit of the Spirit fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” (Gal 5:22-23)goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” (Gal 5:22-23)

II. The Outward EvidenceII. The Outward Evidence• The initial evidence of being saved or receiving the Holy Spirit isThe initial evidence of being saved or receiving the Holy Spirit is known known onlyonly to the new believer, but … to the new believer, but …• … … in in timetime the evidence for this new the evidence for this new experienceexperience will show; it will will show; it will be manifested in the outward life for all to be manifested in the outward life for all to seesee• Although we are not saved as a result of our works, we do become Although we are not saved as a result of our works, we do become a part of His a part of His workmanshipworkmanship, so that we are created for , so that we are created for good worksgood works• In other words, works do not In other words, works do not produceproduce our faith or our faith or justifyjustify our past our past sins before God, but they are a sins before God, but they are a by-productby-product of the of the kind of faithkind of faith that that

does save usdoes save us

II. The Outward EvidenceII. The Outward Evidence• Thus, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives does not simplyThus, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives does not simply

confirmconfirm our being saved, it our being saved, it conformsconforms our life to that of our life to that of ChristChrist and andHis His charactercharacter (see Rom 8:20)(see Rom 8:20)