Preschool
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
Evidence of Salvation
Memory Verses
Primary
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
Junior
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
Background Scripture: Jeremiah 32; Luke 7
Lesson Scripture: Jeremiah 32:6–14; Luke 7:44–50
Introduction
The Scriptures speak clearly of evidence that accompanies salvation. Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit” (Matt. 12:33). James asks the question, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:11). Every living thing created by God produces according to its own kind, a rule that holds true both spiritually and naturally. Instinctively, everyone knows that any person who names the name of Christ should be Christlike. Sometimes we look at fruit as a means to gain approval instead of as evidence of actual life. We will explore different aspects of this in this lesson.
Key Verse
For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter (2 Cor. 7:11).
Lesson Scripture
Jeremiah 32:6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.
8 So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.
11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:
12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.
13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.
Luke 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Studying the Lesson
The book of Jeremiah chronicles the sad demise of the tribe of Judah. He reproved them for their evil ways and prophesied their coming captivity and exile. He did not leave them with only consequences but held out hope and restoration. In prison, Jeremiah had every reason to be despondent, yet God gave him reason to hope. He was to buy a field, which was God’s way of telling him that there was a future for him and Judah.
God told him to put the evidence in an earthen vessel, a type of provisionary deposit. Even in a state of deplorable hopelessness with no apparent hope or change in sight, God does not want us to give up hope in life or in Him. Second Corinthians 4:7 states that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Our earthen vessel that contains the evidence of hope and salvation so often comes up short of our expectations. The above scripture reveals that although we will never be perfect, it is through our imperfections that the glory of God can be manifested in our lives. Making amends for failure often brings more glory to God than our assumed good living.
The joy and peace that comes to a redeemed and forgiven life is truly the greatest blessing man can know. We haven’t all been forgiven in exactly the same sense, but when we really see ourselves, we realize how wretched and undone we are before God. It truly is a humbling experience that will cause us to be forever thankful and serve God out of love and gratitude for his unspeakable gift.
Practical Truths for Today
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Jeremiah tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). How are we to look for the evidence of salvation with these two factors in mind? We are to “reckon . . . [ourselves] to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God” (Rom. 6:11). What is a manifestation of the life of Christ within? Can we admit with the apostle Paul to having been crucified yet fully alive with Christ living inside?
When we consider our own inability to live right, do we despair of ever attaining the walk with God we so earnestly covet? Do we at times forget about the importance of having both the inner and outer evidence?
God has provided ample evidence for his eternal plan. God is forever the same, and his word is forever settled in heaven. God confirmed his commitment to mankind by two immutable things: it is impossible for God to lie, and because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and his love for us knows no bounds or limits, nor is there any greater example of humility than Christ Himself.
When we consider all that God has done for us, we should stand in awe of his goodness with deep thankfulness. When we give Him our life, He gives us eternal life. From this life of God, the evidence of salvation shines through us.
Romans 8:9 tells us that “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The second chapter of Philippians brings us face to face with the spirit and nature of Christ and is a pattern of the inner evidence of a Christian. Nothing is to be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, we are to esteem others better than ourselves. We are not only to look on our things but also on the things of others. Jesus made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself to fulfill his mission (vv. 3–8).
When Jesus was tried, He did not defend Himself. The truth never needs to be defended. If we find ourselves defending or justifying ourselves, is that the spirit of Christ? When Jesus was accused, He answered not a word. These actions of Christ are an example of the outer evidence that bore witness to the inner evidence of Christ’s spirit.
Humility is not listed as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, because it is something we do. We are told to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. The Scripture plainly tells us that God does not dwell with the proud but with the humble and contrite. It is incredibly important for us to be right—we want to be well thought of and receive credit before men. Pride is insidious, deceptive, and full of lies. Everything we have has been given to us: our heritage, our lineage, our gifts, and talents, and the list goes on. In essence, the Bible asks, “Who makes you different than another person? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? If it was given to you, why do you glory and take credit for it?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
When we humble ourselves and are able to see ourselves as we really are, God moves in and transforms us into a new creature. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22–23). The outer evidence of actions, attitudes, and character will adorn the doctrine of Christ and the church when God’s grace has been written upon the heart. The doctrine is right and good, but without the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit, it is empty, hollow, and unattractive. In some ways, doctrine could be likened to a skeleton, the supporting structure of the human body. The skeletal framework is indispensable to life and very important, but without flesh, skin, and blood, it is lifeless.
Sometimes we may employ historical faith, cultural practice, or our works as evidence of a relationship with God. We do this because these things do not require us to be vulnerable—they are not real evidence of a person’s spirit and character. There are only two kinds of works, or fruit: the dead works of the flesh or the evangelical works of a right relationship with God. The works of the flesh are always rooted in a proud, insubmissive nature. Some of Jesus’s harshest criticism was for those who had confidence in themselves.
Jesus emphasized the two great commandments of loving God first and loving our neighbor as ourselves. The challenge of Christian living is keeping eternity in view. We are drawn to the here and now, and temporal affections and daily cares of life are constantly in front of us, demanding so much from us. Our aspirations and ideas for what life can offer are ever increasing; thus, the amount of energy it takes to get things done is also greater. Unless an honest effort is made, eternal things become so distant they hardly get much attention.
Let us look at our lives and our hearts. It is true that we will always find deficiencies, but our perfection and completeness are in Christ. If we step back to take in the bigger picture of life, we should be able to see what the focus of our life really is. What is the overriding emphasis? Is there a thread of Christ-centered evidence running through what we say and do? Is there a manifestation of charity, forgiveness, and forbearance? Are we willing to be used in God’s kingdom, or is there something holding us back? Is there a strain of self-centered living tainting our profession? If we are completely honest with ourselves, what kind of testimony would our fellowmen give us?
Illustration
A man working in a factory was confronted one day by the plant manager and accused of doing a certain thing wrong. He knew he was not responsible for the incident he was being accused of. His immediate response was to open his mouth and defend himself. God gave him the grace to be silent. Later when the details became clear, his boss came by and commended him for his actions. If we can allow the grace of God to permeate our lives, it leaves a clear witness.
Questions
- What are the most important Christian works? Can we have a clear testimony of a Christ-filled life and not have a Christlike appearance?
- Why is it so easy to get works and faith confused?
- God created nature to produce after its own kind. Why does man have such a strong tendency to try to produce the good fruit he does not naturally bear?
- Do we spend too much time focusing on fruit and not on the heart?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).