In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the prominent theme of the disciples, including James, Hebrews, and Jesus, which is the end of the age and the separation of the righteous from the false believers. Jesus used parables such as the ten virgins and the dragnet to teach about this concept. The preacher also highlights the issues faced by the Corinthians, including incest, party spirit, and jealousy, which led Paul to write them a letter. The sermon emphasizes the importance of the gospel, which is the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, and the conditional aspect of salvation. The preacher also references 1 Peter and 2 Peter, emphasizing the importance of the word of God and the commandments for Christians to strive for virtues and Christ-likeness.

This morning I want to speak on something that's very, very important. I want you to please consider taking notes this morning, because the subject on which I'm going to speak I've been sharing for many years, but I believe it's more important now, in this hour, to speak than maybe years gone by. See, certain doctrines through the years are lost through the theological seminars and Bible schools and things like this. And this is one doctrine that needs to be taught, and I'm going to share why in just a moment. Father, we come to you and open our hearts, Lord God, and help us to take the notes diligently, Father, to study this out, to search it out. Father, we know that, Lord God, that many today have false hopes of eternity. Many of them, Father, think that they'll see Jesus, Father, and yet there's no reality of God in their life. Father, if there's anyone like that here this morning, may they realize that they're in a refuge of lies, that they need to come out and flee to Christ and repent of their sins. But Lord, those of us that are teachers and preachers and Sunday school workers and who lead people to Christ, may we, Lord God, know these truths. In Jesus' name, Amen. You may be seated. Now, first of all, as I've already mentioned, I want to talk to you about religious loss or professing Christians in hell. The Bible says that many times we find in Scripture that Jesus said that they confess me with their mouth, but in their deeds or in their works they deny me. What does that mean? It's very easy and simple for anybody to understand. They say that they've made a commitment to Jesus Christ. They verbalize the commitment, but their lifestyle or their actions or behind the scenes is nothing to do with real, genuine Christianity. That's exactly what he means there. Now, first of all, before we get into this message, I want you to realize that I believe that you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're saved. In fact, that's one of the reasons why John wrote 1 John. Let me read it to you. In chapter 5, it's an assurance verse that many people have used for many years. These things, in verse 13, John says, have I written, this book, the book of 1 John, these things have I written that ye, for you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may think, what does it say? That you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. So there's primarily two reasons why he wrote the book. First of all, so you can really have the assurance of your salvation. And secondly, that others would come to Christ. But I want you to see over there in verse 18, right in context, for we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. And it literally means to live a lifestyle of sin or anarchy or willful rebellion against God. They're not allowing Jesus Christ to be the Lord of their life. That's what it really means. The word comes from the word anarchy or high treason. Living a life of rebellion. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God or born again, he keepeth himself. Amen? And that wicked one toucheth him not. Right after giving us a verse on assurance, he comes right back and says, we know whosoever is born of God, he keepeth himself. I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can know that we're born again. You remember Jesus one day, the disciples came, the 70 came to Jesus and they were rejoicing and they said, we cast out demons in thy name. And Jesus lovingly rebuked them and said, don't rejoice that you can cast demon spirits out of men. But Jesus said, rather rejoice that your name's written in the book of life. So we can know that our name's written in the book of life. And you know how we can know? By the spirit that he's given us. Look over there in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 13. Hereby know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his spirit. Did you know that's one of the major evidences of being born again is that the spirit of God dwells inside your body and you know it. It's not think so or hope so or maybe so, but God is alive inside of you and there's been a change. And we see that. And I want you to study that out in 1 John when you have the time because he repetitiously says that this is the greatest evidence of being born again. Well, it's love and the Holy Spirit dwelling inside the body. And you know what he's really saying, you can't love without the Holy Spirit being inside of you. Because the fruit of the Spirit is love and 1 John says that God is love. And so the spirit of God comes inside of the body when a person is born again. That's what's so unique about Christianity. I told a man the other night, I said, you know what's different about Christianity than any other religion in all the world? All other religions based on works. You keeping your salvation or earning your salvation. But Christianity is totally different because Christianity has to do with a person, Jesus Christ. And Christianity is God coming inside your body giving you the power to live the Christian life because Jesus said in John 15, without me, you can do nothing. And Paul says, he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his. And so Christianity is when God, when we repent of our sins and we believe that Jesus died and rose again and we say, Lord Jesus come into my heart and He's the one that gives you the divine enablement to live the Christian life. Otherwise, Christianity is an impossibility to live apart from the Holy Spirit living within you. You cannot live the Christian life without God's Spirit dwelling inside your body. It's an impossibility. These commands that we have in the New Testament cannot be obeyed by carnal nature. They cannot be obeyed by unregenerate man. Only a person that has God's power being released within them can live the Christian life. And I use my own personal testimony as an example. I prayed the prayer many times. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I prayed that prayer many times. In fact, as I share my personal testimony that when I was 13, I went to Scrooge Lake, New York and heard some of the greatest preachers that you'll hear in the United States of America. And I felt the mighty conviction of the Holy Spirit of God. And I made a mental recollection of Jesus Christ. Well, I believe that He died for me and He rose again the third day. But it was just a prayer without repentance. And I came back from Scrooge Lake, New York and for six and a half years I lived on the streets on drugs. And according to 1 John, I was not born again. You know, one man put it like this. And I want you to write this down. We had all different types of pastors. And you know I'm an interdenominational evangelist, undenominational evangelist. And we had pastors of all different denominations. Some that believed in eternal security, some that didn't believe in eternal security. And one of the pastors that believed in eternal security said to one of the pastors that didn't believe in eternal security, he said, What do you believe in eternal security? What do you believe about it? This man was so wise because he said what 1 John said and Paul said and Jesus said. He said, There's no assurance in sin. There is no assurance in the Word of God when a person is living in blatant sin. Because even Paul, as we're going to see in a few moments, as he preached to the Corinthians and after leading many of them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they were having so many problems with bitterness and fighting and fornication and party spirit that Paul looked upon that scene and he says, I don't even know if you're born again. We're going to look at the verses. I don't know if you're saved. He says, You've made it a profession of faith, but he says, I don't even know if you're truly born again. And if Paul with apostolic gifts and such a mighty man of God and receiving revelations from Jesus Christ could not discern whether these people had truly made a commitment to Christ. And I find that to be the theme of the New Testament. You can't fool around in sin. You can't gamble with sin because of all these truths. John Wesley, great Greek scholar and man of God studied these truths and they battled between these two doctrines of eternal security and the security of the beloved believer and all these things for ages. Great theologians, extraordinary men of God. And they battled over these issues. But today I believe that we're living in such a day of easy believism. And the great preachers of the past predicted a day where preachers would preach the gospel without repentance. The great preachers of the past, they said that one of these days that there's going to be preaching in America where people will stop believing that you have to turn away from your life of sin to believe Jesus. And that's the missing doctrine. And that's why it's so important in this generation because I talked about these C-Rock albums that many of them, they talk about Jesus, they talk about God, but nothing about turning from sin, nothing about repentance, nothing about being sorry for your sin. It's just a quick ride to heaven. It's just really a cheap ride. And they really think of Jesus Christ as some kind of a fire escape. And that's all. That if God is real, that if Jesus Christ is real, then I've made the profession of faith and I'll make it one of these days if He's real. That's the mentality of many people today. I want to tell you something. You can't make a commitment like that to Jesus Christ. It's an all-out commitment. Jesus said, when you come to Me, He says, there is an about-face. It's a military command. And Jesus taught it. About-face. You turn from your life of sin. We find the Ephesians in Cautions they turn from idols to serve the living God. It's a military term. About-face. Repentance. Peter said that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Paul, when he was speaking to the Ephesian leaders, he was on his way back to Jerusalem. They cried. They wept. They wanted Him to stay with them for a while. But Paul says, I preach with a clear conscience repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ. And it wasn't until six and a half years later, after going through near-death experiences, after going through overdoses, after going through so many heartaches, seeing that Satan was real, the demonic assault upon my life, that as I got on my knees and said, Lord Jesus, You have all of me. I lifted up that rock guitar and I said, Lord, I don't want it no more. All I want is You, Lord Jesus. I want You to be the King of my life. I want You to be the Lord of my life. I believe that You died. I prayed that prayer so many times without repentance. I said, Lord, there's no strings attached. You have it all, Lord Jesus. I yield myself unto You. Lord Jesus, come into my heart and give me the power to live for You. I was transformed that day. I've never been the same. Six months after that, I was called into the ministry. I had immediate power to be able to turn away from the drugs, to consistently leave them alone. I'll never forget that I did go back on marijuana for a short period of time and it made me sick. God delivered me from the alcohol. He delivered me from everything. In fact, I started loving the things I used to hate and hated the things I used to love. I want to tell you something. All I loved to listen to was loud, squealing music three, four, or five hours a day. I'd lay down in my bedroom with my rock guitar in my hand and put those things by my ears under the influence of drugs. And now God gave me a desire for the old gospel hymns and for music and the church. You know something? I was always the first one in the church and the last one out. My dad, sometimes, he had to really work on his patience because he'd take me to the services. And I would always be talking with everybody. And about an hour after the service, I'd be talking to the preachers and to the people and asking them questions. Well, you say, how can you count from that apart from God supernaturally coming inside of a person's body and giving a young man to live the Christian life? How can you count for that? Six years without a haircut. Down the middle of my back, on drugs, burnout. And all of a sudden too, not only that, but I had an insatiable desire for the Word of God. All of a sudden, the scales failed from my eyes. And for the first time in my life, I could really understand the Word of God. Before that time, I'd read in the Gospels and I understood a little bit about the basic fundamentals as Hebrews tells us that they've tasted of the world to come. They know a little bit about the tribulation hour. Unbelievers even know that. I knew that. And yet when Christ came into my heart, it was just like someone took scales from my eyes. And this Bible became a living Word. It was a living Word. It wasn't just like a newspaper or some novel. It was breathing and pulsating with the life of God. I looked at that and I said, I've never seen that before. I read it for hours and I began to memorize the Word of God and pray and seek God and want to win souls to Christ. That was my desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. But there's a lot of people, they make professions of faith and I don't know what's going on. They say they've received Christ. They've prayed the prayer. Well, I want you to see something. God's Word speaks about that very, very clearly. Let me read to you from James. James, it says... We'll find it down here. Over there in James chapter 2. James chapter 2. Now I want you to see in just a moment I'm going to share with you that every New Testament writer either directly or indirectly encourages readers and hearers to examine themselves to see whether they'll be in the faith. Every one of them. I have made a lifetime study of this subject. I have been studying this subject for many, many years and I see it everywhere. Just like the Renewing of the Mind Seminar. I see Jesus. I see John the Baptist. I see Peter. And watch it in James. Every New Testament writer as I've already mentioned either directly or indirectly encourage the readers. I'd just like to ask if the children could please just stay in their seats until we get done. Because that disrupts so much. If we could just hold down on some of these things. James chapter 2. It says there in verse 14, What doth it profit my brethren though men say that he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? Now what is he talking about? The Bible says in Ephesians 2.8.9 For by grace are you saved through faith. That not of yourselves is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created unto good works in Christ Jesus. So it's through faith. And he's not contradicting Paul in any way. Because it says in Titus chapter 3.5.6 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. We talk about the crucifixion scene as we did last night a little bit. Jesus was battered and bruised beyond human comprehension. He paid the price. You cannot earn your eternity. Christ paid the full price when his face was so battered that you could not even tell that he was a man. Isaiah 42 and verse 14 As many as were astonished at thee, his visage or his face was so marred more than any man. All of his bones were out of joint. Psalm 22 His body was mutilated and he paid the price for our sins. It says in Isaiah 53 It says He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep we've gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Our sins were laid upon Christ. All of our sins. And so he bore our sins. And so you cannot earn your salvation. And so James is not in any way contradicting the teachings of Paul. But what he's saying If you're truly saved, there'll be a lifestyle. Now watch it. Verse 15 If a brother or sister be naked or destitute of daily food and one of you, who is a professing Christian you say unto them Be part in peace, be warm, be filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what does it profit? You say you've got Christ and you see people that are hungry and naked and they have needs He's saying that giving is one of the evidences here of being born again. Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead being alone. He says in verse 18 Yea, this is the half-brother of Jesus. And here Jesus preached these themes repetitiously. I believe there's gonna be a lot of people in heaven that we didn't think would be in heaven and there's a lot of people that's not gonna be in heaven that we thought would be in heaven. Yea, a man may say Thou hast faith and I have work and James says Show me thy faith without thy works and I'll show you my faith by my works He said I'll show you that Jesus Christ is a reality in my life. You can look at my life, it's an open epistle. Verse 19 You believe that there's one God? In almost, we can almost think of this it almost sounds a little sarcastic but it's not. He preached it in love. You believe that there's one God? You do well. The demons also believe and tremble. He said you think just because you believe in one God you believe that Jesus died and rose again? I want you to know James says the demons of hell know that Jesus Christ is God and they know that there's one God. But wilt thou obey man that faith without works is dead? And what he's saying is if you don't have a lifestyle to back up your profession let's just take the word of God for what it says it's dead. It's dead. You don't really have the new birth. You don't really have the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. It was a sham conversion. That's what he's saying. And I want to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt I'm going to give you some scriptures. Now I want you to turn with me if you'd be ready over there in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Now again we see the words of Jesus constantly. Jesus taught people. Jesus said whatever happened to this verse anyway? People used to preach on this. I used to read sermons on this all the time. I haven't heard anybody quote this scripture in years. Apart from my reading this scripture every time I mention this message. Jesus put it like this in Matthew. He says straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it. But he said broad is the gate that leadeth to destruction and many there are that go in there at. Jesus said it. He's the eternal living God. He's the word of God. He's the embodiment of truth. And Jesus said straight is the gate that leadeth to life and few there be that find it. You know all in his parables Jesus kept on saying few there be that find it. In fact Jesus so preached this theme constantly, repetitiously that one day one of his disciples came to him. You just stay there in 1 Corinthians and I'll read from Luke. I want you to write the reference down if you would. In Luke chapter 13 Jesus so constantly taught this theme. You see because Jesus was preaching to a religious generation. They all professed that they know God. But they said that they had the external. Now see they had it mixed up. They had the works without the faith. The children of Israel. They were ignorant of the righteousness that came by faith. And now James is talking about people that say they've got the faith but there's no works. And the faith in Christ comes first. But Jesus repetitiously taught this theme. And that's why one night he spoke to Nicodemus late at night. And Nicodemus said we know that you're a teacher come from God. And Jesus said ye must be born again. Oh that religion is not going to do you any good. You must be born from above. Born in your spirit. And you know something dear friends? I see people in revival crusades that make commitments as Christians. As professing Christians. And I believe that some of them are receiving Christ. I really do. Because they've never repented of their sins. Because we have not been taught this doctrine of this generation. And we've not studied the Word of God diligently in this area. We have not so loved the Word of God that it has blown us richly to see that this is the theme of all the evangelists in the New Testament. It's the theme of James. And we see in the Hebrews whole chapters are given to it. We see it interwoven throughout the New Testament. One of the most prominent themes is apostasy. What is apostasy? Apostasy as we're going to see according to John is people who make a sham conversion but they were never truly born again. But they believe they say that Jesus was God. They say that they believe the Gospel. But they go out and then they turn away from God. John says they were never born again in the first place. I'll give you the reference. Don't turn there because we're going to read from 1 Corinthians. 1 John 2.19 They went out from us, but they were not of us even from the beginning. They were not born again. For if they had been of us, they would have no doubt continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. They all claimed to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. John the Apostle says. And they went out from us. They went out from our churches. They went out from our fellowships. But they were not all of us. For if they had been of us, if they were truly of Christ and truly born again, they would have continued with us. 1 John 2.19 And so apostasy. And many people they just have a mental recollection. What I'm working on for a number of years is the pre-salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit. And I think a lot of people equate this with salvation. That the Spirit of God works in a person's heart and reveals to them that they need Jesus Christ. But I believe that until you repent of your sins that the Holy Spirit will never come into your body until you repent and believe and receive. And I believe that there's people because they've had some kind of a religious experience or an emotional experience that they think that they've received Christ. That is not the evidences of receiving Christ. The evidence is fruit. Jesus said, By their fruit ye shall know them. And Peter said the same thing as we're going to read the Scriptures in just a moment. And as we're going to read now for just a moment. But Jesus said this. He so taught this theme to the people. He went out to the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And then one said unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many. Many. Not just a few. Many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, you begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying, Lord, Lord. They're not atheists, skeptics or infidels. They call Jesus Lord. Open unto us and he shall answer and say, I know you not. Who you are. I don't know you. And then Jesus said, You shall begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence and you've taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not. Who you are. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets and the king of God. But you yourselves thrust out. Jesus is talking in prophecy here. He's going to be the one that's at the white throne judgment of God. These people are going to come and they're going to use these excuses. We've eaten and we've drunk in my presence. We've listened to your teaching. Now look over there very quickly. Just hold your finger there in first Corinthians if you would. Put your title, your card there or something like that, a piece of paper. But I have to have you turn with me to Matthew chapter 7. This is so important that you see this. Just keep that verse over there in first Corinthians because many times it's hard to find that book of the Bible. New Testament, unless you're familiar with it. I want you to see that Jesus is the one that's speaking here. The eternal living God. He is the one that you're going to stand before. You're not going to stand before false prophets and teachers and you're not going to stand before the radio preachers and the television preachers and all the books that you're going to read. The Bible says that this is what we're going to be judged by. The living word of God. Like I say, there's so many albums that pulsate this type of easy believism in our subconscious mind. Sometimes we say is this real? Is what he's saying is it real? Well we're reading it. This is the word of God. This is the inerrant, infallible word of the living God. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 21 and following. He said not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord. Now he's not talking about atheists, skeptics, infidels. He's not talking about blatant unbelievers. He's talking about people that call Jesus Lord. Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. And then Peter said God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Do you know what repentance means? That means you come to God. You see, you've got to turn away from sin to turn to God. You see, you can't be living for the world and just come to God like this. No. They turn from idols to serve the living God. You see, God is in this direction and the world is in this direction. And that's what repentance is all about. And you've got to turn your back on the world to turn your face toward Jesus Christ. That's what repentance is all about. And you'll find it repetitiously in the New Testament. And there's many people that have never done that. They've never come to the point where they said, Lord, no strings attached. I'm here. I'm yours, Lord Jesus. I'm yours. I turn from my sins. You see, the Bible says, whosoever shall believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. He's God. He's Lord. He's not someone that you just take and maybe occasionally obey his precepts and commandments. Maybe every once in a while I'll go to, no, you're receiving the Lord of heaven and earth. You're receiving the monarch of the universe. When you receive Jesus Christ, you're receiving the master of the universe. And that means that I am giving over the reins of my life to this eternal God. And for people to think that they can invite Jesus into their heart just for a ticket to heaven and then live a life of sin and blow the smoke in God's face, they're being deceived. The Bible says that people hide in what's called a refuge of lies in the book of Isaiah. You see, Isaiah talked about this much. He says, the sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell in everlasting burnings? Who among us shall dwell in everlasting fire? And he's talking to religious people. He was talking to professing believers. And he said, who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Who among us shall dwell in eternal fire? And Jesus said, now watch in verse 22 of Matthew 7, he says many. Do you notice that he uses this word? Look at the parables that Jesus uses. He says many, many, many. Many are going to think that they're saved and will be thrust into hell. That's what he's saying. And he says the many, he's talking about the multitudes of people that had sham conversions that thought they were in the faith will wake up to the reality and they'll knock on heaven's doors. The picture we see there in Luke chapter 13. And we see other verses that they're knocking and yet they cannot enter. They shall not be entered because they're not going to have the wedding garments on. And they don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Jesus is going to be the one that's at the white throne judgment of God. Did you know that? Did you know the heavenly father has delegated all judgment to the son because he died and rose again the third day? And you know that the lowly lamb of Calvary will be the lion of the tribe of Judah and he will be reigning over humanity and he's going to be the one that's going to be judging the nations? That's what Revelation 20 says. John said, I saw a great white throne and him that sat up from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. And John said I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were open and another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. This is called the resurrection of eternal damnation where God reunites the spirits and the souls with men who have rejected Jesus Christ bodily and they stand bodily before the God that they've rejected and this is the God they're going to stand before, Jesus. Look at verse 22 Jesus said many will say to me, underscore that word, they're going to say to me I'm going to be on that throne, I'm going to be the one that's judging. In that day, in the day of the Lord, in the day of judgment, Lord, Lord have we not preached in thy name? And in thy name cast out demon spirits and thy name Now I want to read to you some thoughts here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I want you to write these verses down if you would please. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Now remember as I've already shared that Paul had preached the gospel to these Corinthians. Paul had gone there and many of them had a profession of faith. But then Paul left and he received news from the house of Chloe some people came to Paul and gave them a report about the supposed conversion of the Corinthians and these people came up to Paul and he says these people aren't living for Christ. They've got gossip, they've got slander, there's a young man living in incest with his mother there's a party spirit there's jealousy everybody wants the same spiritual gift they won't give Paul had to constantly tell them to give constantly repetitiously. They won't do all these things. And so Paul wrote them this letter and repetitiously Paul said I don't even know if you're saved. Now watch it very quickly don't miss it. It's important that you see this He said moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which is the good news Jesus died for us and rose again which I preached unto you I'm paraphrasing when I was with you which you have received in where you stand you made a mental recollection at least you obeyed what I said you agreed what I said the good news that Jesus died for us and rose again by which also you are saved if that's the conditional word circle that word if by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I preached on to you unless you have believed in vain for I delivered on you first of all that which I also received I shared with you the same thing that brought me to Christ how that Christ died for us according to the scriptures that he was buried he rose again the third day according to the scriptures seen of Cephas he's repeating the good news the gospel to them now I want to give you a Greek rendering of that verse Paul says I want to remind you of the gospel that I preached unto you the good news Jesus died and rose again which you received and on which you have taken your public stand by this good news you are saved if you should hold firmly to the word that I preached on to you otherwise you did believe in vain you had a sham conversion it was empty vain means it's hollow it was just an empty profession it was emotional stirring and that's it I want to give you another proof text in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 in fact they're everywhere in Corinthians 2 Corinthians chapter 13 you've got to see this he writes this first book and then here it is get the picture in your mind you've got to see this Paul after he it was just like almost like we're leaving this area and maybe someone comes up to me maybe there was a number of professions of faith we heard that there's been some 45 people made professions of faith and maybe two months down the line I hear that all of these people or maybe half of them they're not living for Christ and that's what Paul was doing he was looking on that scene he says brethren I don't even know he says I don't even know if you got the real thing now 2 Corinthians 13 5 he ends the book like this he wants to remind them you see the last things that Paul is talking about will be a reminder to them so 1 Corinthians then 2 Corinthians and then in verse 5 he says examine yourselves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates and this is what it means dear friends he said examine yourselves put your life to the test he says is there any reality that God is living inside your body he says put yourself to the test and literally it means evaluate your own selves or evaluate the fruits of your salvation is there enough fruit in your life to prove that you are a genuine born again believer and many of us have used the illustration that if you were taken to court and if the judge was there and there was a persecuting prosecuting attorney and he had the bible in his hand and he was using the word of God alone to try to prove that you are a Christian would there be enough evidence in your life in court to prove that you are a true born again Christian that's what Paul is saying here that's exactly what he's saying he says brethren examine yourselves he says and what it means the word reprobates means they're counterfeits it means they had a sham conversion or they can talk the talk they can use the cliches they can mimic some of the jargon of the Christian life but they're counterfeits he says prove yourself except you be counterfeits on trial and rejected unless you fail the test now some people might say well how do you examine yourself well there's one scripture and then we'll go to John and then we'll close I want you to turn with me if you would very quickly over there to I think it's in 2nd Corinthians turn back 517 therefore 2nd Corinthians 517 I want you to see this therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things underscore the word all all things are becoming new that's what it means and so see how he's getting after these Corinthians he loves them enough to reprove them he doesn't want them to go to an endless hell and you see that's what we're doing today we've got children that have made professions of faith and many times we tell them oh yes you're saved you're saved you let the Holy Spirit tell them they're saved in the word of God yes I believe that we need to have the assurance of our salvation and maybe when they're older they reaffirm their faith but I tell you something we need to make sure in light of all of these and we're just scratching the surface it's everywhere it's just interwoven throughout the entire word of God if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creation Peter said after a list of things that should be in the Christian life brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure look over there in 1st Peter 1 10 look over there that's another excellent passage of scripture that will help you maybe that's in okay it's in 2nd Peter now watch it I'm just going to slip down very quickly and show you this 2nd Peter I want you to see that this is one of the prominent themes of the disciples it was of James of Hebrews of Jesus he gave parables he talked about the ten virgins five are wise five are foolish the dragnet the tares and the wheat constantly preaching sermons along these lines talking about at the end of the age that the angels shall gather the wheat into the barn but the tares and the wheat shall be bundled up and cast into unquenchable fire and Jesus was talking about yes there will be religious people with you until the end of the age but when Jesus is going to come with his mighty angels he's going to tie the wheat up and take it into his barn or into heaven but those who had false professions of faith they're going to be the tares constantly teaching this now Peter talked about many things in 1st Peter 2nd Peter in verse 2 now just speedily will go down this grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God the word of God as we've already quoted this verse all things that pertain to life and godliness is contained in the word of God verse 4 whereby these the word of God you might be partakers of divine nature now watch it in verse 5 there's a series of commandments that we go on as Christians in holiness beside this giving diligence how many of us are really diligent giving diligence add to your faith virtue and the virtue knowledge know more about Jesus have an insatiable hunger for Christ and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness or Christ likeness strive for these things