As many of you know, I speak very highly of Pastor Paul Washer. He is a passionate man of God who has a knack for speaking profoundly to men who are straying and always points them back to the Father and his word. He has without a doubt been extremely profound in my life over the past year or so. He has shaped the way I see evangelism and unknowingly plays a major part in teaching me the true biblical understanding of what it means to be saved and walk with Jesus. There is, in the air, a certain heresy about which churches teach men that if they "accept Christ into their heart" or "say a certain prayer" then they will inherit the kingdom of God no matter how they live their lives. But what marks the true believer? What is the sign that someone follows The Way? What is the evidence that someone is saved? Is there ongoing repentance in their lives? Is their daily fellowship with Him? Are they in the word daily and abiding in it? Paul Washer said this in another sermon (Are you a True Disciple?)
"The bible teaches that a moment a person repents and believes, they are saved. And then they can have a strong assurance in their heart even that very moment of their salvation. But there is yet greater assurance that comes as they continue on in the faith and the evidence, the outward evidence a person has truly believed in Jesus Christ is that they continue on in that belief. The evidence that someone has truly received the word of Christ is in John 8 "They continue in his word and prove themselves to be disciples" (emphasis mine)
- Paul Washer
Always remember to test and examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith (2nd Cor 13:5) Make sure that you are always trying to bare fruit. Jesus said "By their fruit you will recognize them" You don't want to be the branch that bares no fruit. That branch will be cast into the fire and burned. Are we saved by fruit baring? Absolutely not. As Paul Washer says, "it's the evidence of truly having believed unto salvation"
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