(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

OK, so you're in John chapter 8, John chapter 8, and we're going to look down at verse 31. So John 8, 31, and we see this, it says in verse 31 of John 8, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And the time of my sermon this morning is, did they really get saved? Did they really get saved? And I'm going to pray before we get going with this message. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the truth that we can get from your word, Lord. Help me to just preach this message clearly and accurately and boldly today, Lord, an issue which we come across a lot and an attack that we come across a lot, Lord. Help me to just make it very clear from your word, Lord, you know, the truth about salvation, the truth about what comes and doesn't come after salvation. Lord, help me to just preach fully your spirit, Lord. Help everyone to have a tent of his. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. OK, so as New Testament believers, you know, if anyone's wondering, we no longer fight a physical battle. So I know some people maybe wonder about that sometimes, but we don't. It's not a physical battle that we're called to. Our battle is spiritual. And instead of physical swords, physical bows and arrows, physical spears and things like that, instead of any of that coming at us, it's spiritual ones, isn't it? We deal with spiritual attacks and probably the most dangerous weapon that's employed against us is false doctrine. OK, so false doctrine comes at us in many different ways, different angles. It's not just the guy behind a pulpit. It comes in various ways, doesn't it? And it comes sometimes from a seed sown here or a whisper there. Sometimes it is just blatantly coming. Sometimes it's coming from the false churches that we know are false churches. But just enough of it over the years starts to get, starts to penetrate, doesn't it? If you bombard in a physical battle enough, maybe you're just firing arrows and firing arrows and armies, eventually one or two slip through, right? And that's what happens with false doctrine. It comes in all shapes and sizes. And sometimes it's to make you doubt your church. Sometimes it's to make you ruin your family. Did you know that? There's false doctrine out there whose goal is to make you ruin your family with false doctrine about, for example, parenting and spouse roles and things like that. Sometimes it's to distract you with unimportant hair splitting. Sometimes that's another goal of it. But do you know what its ultimate purpose nearly always is? Nearly always, false doctrine, the ultimate purpose is to limit people getting saved. That's the goal. The goal is to stop people getting saved. That's what the battleground is, OK? That's what our battleground is. It's people's souls. It's people's souls that we're earnestly contending for. OK? And that's what it's all about. The goal is people's souls. If it gets you out of church, if the false doctrine gets you out of church, it's one less soul winner in the long run because they don't maintain in the long run when they're out of church. If it ruins your parenting, it's X amount of kids not growing up to be soul winners in the future. If it distracts you down conspiracy rabbit holes, it's just less time soul winning. If not, it causes enough of a problem where you just can't be in church anymore because you're so obsessed with whatever conspiracy everyone seems to not buy. There are many motives and goals, OK, of some of the big false doctrines amongst unbelievers, OK? It's not all about soul winning because a lot of them affect unbelievers, don't they? There's a lot of people that aren't saved that believe a lot of false doctrines, that have other motives, other goals, other ulterior motives to them. But amongst believers, they pretty much all just limit salvations. Eventually they limit salvations. For example, the pre-Trib rapture creates apathetic Christians waiting to disappear at any moment, doesn't it? They just say, oh, you know, he might come now, you know, the Blessed Hope, when's he going to come? And you get all these guys who don't even do anything, do they? The Zionism distracts Christians to pretty much focus on the most unreceptive group out there. I mean, those Jews are more unreceptive than the Muslims. I mean, they're so unreceptive, yet Christians save people all over the place, not only praying and wanting to help the ungodly, which is putting them at enmity with God anyway, but also they're focusing all this time and effort and resources on a group of people who, for the most part, are so hardened, if not given over, that it's just a complete waste of time and resources and energy, isn't it? I mean, think like what a, you know, Israel's probably a massively at least attempted evangelised place in all different ways. What do you think the results are? Very few salvations, if any, at all. The pro-LGBTQRSTUV stuff is the same, OK, in that it results in a complete waste of time amongst people that are saved. And I'm talking about the saved that are poisoned by this, that think, yeah, we've got to try and reach those poor people, get them saved and stand at the Pride rally and preach to them and everything else. Waste of time. But secondly, what does it do? A lot of them, they're opening their houses, they're opening their churches to predators to destroy. And what eventually is the result? The salvations. There's people getting saved. The battle is for fresh soul. So is it any surprise, with that in mind, that probably the most attacked area, one of the most attacked doctrines, is soul winning? It's massively attacked. It really is, and we don't necessarily always focus on those attacks of soul winning. But that is, it's a big attack. The false doctrine around soul winning does come from every angle. And I've heard and seen many of these over the years. OK, I've heard them in bad churches, I've heard them even in good churches, I've heard them in our churches. There's, for example, the faith cometh by reading crowd. Yeah, they're out there, aren't they? And they're not all unsaved devils. There are people that have been poisoned by that and think that if they give a track to someone, that they might get saved. So think the amount of hours, years of people's lives, of genuine Christians that have been wasted giving tracks to people, when they could have just knocked on that door. When they could have just asked that person, do you want to know how to get saved? How about soul winning is only for those with the gift of evangelism? Anyone heard that one before? I've heard that one before. I was at a church, again, you know, the guy appeared to be saved, who was saying no, he doesn't believe that he has that gift of evangelism. So it's not for him. It's only for people that have that, and in fact he was going one further, that are in the ministry to some degree. Again, think how many, how few salvations we'd have in this church if we all believe that. Or soul winning is only, here's another one, sorry, instead of faith cometh by reading, how about faith cometh by hearing and hearing by your testimony? How about that one? Not by the word, forget the word of God, what about me and the change in my life and look at everything that's happened to me since I've got saved, and look at, and back in the old days, I believe this, and there are people that go out there and start, and come out with that, not so they think that's what's going to persuade people to put their faith away. And again, obviously with all of these things, there's the unsaved, there's the devils doing it, but there are saved people that get pulled into this stuff, right? What about the, you don't have to call upon the name of the Lord? That's a false doctrine to attack soul winning, because how many people would all of us here have walked away from going, oh yeah, well they said they believe everything I've said, but then when you said to them at the end, because you know, yeah, they haven't, they haven't put their faith and trust in Christ yet, you say to them, right, you're ready to call upon the name of the Lord, and they go, no, I don't know, I'm not, I'm not, and I'm not talking about the people that go, I'm a bit nervous, or in bad, the people that just go, I believe everything you're saying, I'm just not ready to get saved. Well, according to the, you don't have to call the name of the Lord crowd, all those people are saved. And again, what does it do? It limits somebody, and also it creates contention, it creates issues, it creates problems, even amongst the saved, because people get their heads turned by that sort of stuff. How about the those that make it into a laughing stock with a literal one, two, three repeat after me? Because that's the false doctrine, because you've got those that criticise our, criticise legitimate biblical soul when you call it that, and then you get those that then get involved with people like us, and literally stand there and say to someone, can I show you how to get saved? They say no, okay, I'm going to tell you a verse, and then preach a two minute gospel presentation to them, and then go, are you ready to pray? It's a laughing stock. It's a joke. People need to want to hear the gospel, and when they want to hear the gospel, you need to make sure they believe the gospel. Not just talk to them for five, ten minutes, and then tell them to pray with you, and there are people that do that as well. But the one that I've heard a lot at Closet Repent Your Sins churches, and amongst our own people as well, is, did they really get saved? Did they really get saved question? Do you think they really got saved though? With varying reasons why they either doubt or even disbelieve the soul winners report, and we get that a lot, don't we? Do you think they really got saved? Yeah, but I wonder if they really got saved or didn't. So today I want to deal with the false doctrine, and the doubts that it can cause in the soul winner and the potential soul winners minds. The title is, did they really get saved? And point number one is, did they really get saved if they don't come to church? Did they really get saved if they don't come to church? And there are varying motivations for asking this question, okay? For some, it's because they believe in a full repent of your sins type salvation. So, and there's a lot out there like that. So for some, they're just full wicked. They believe that they had to repent of their sins to get saved. They had to give up all these different sins, and one of those would be non-church attendance, right? It's a sin not to attend church. So they must, if they did not come to church, how did they repent of their sins? Now, they might not verbalize that. A lot of them won't say that outright because they know they've got to be careful what they say. Well, that's what they believe, don't they? And there are those out there. And then there are those, there are those that believe that in order to get saved, you have to at least give your life to Christ. You've heard of people that come out with that sort of stuff before. And giving your life to Christ surely would include church attendance, wouldn't it? Because if you weren't attending church, you weren't attending, in their mind, legitimate church. And again, depending on the person you're talking to here, that might vary. Well, you haven't given your life to Christ. So we're going to deal with that kind of damnable heresy first. And here in John 8, Jesus is in the temple and many people come unto him. And I just want to focus on this passage quickly to explain it. Verse 1, it says in John 8, Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes of Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst, and just pause there for a second. Basically, we've got a load of people, we saw all the people in verse 2, including the scribes of Pharisees. Now, he deals with the attempt here, in the next few verses, to trip him up with the adulterous woman, where the Romans won't allow them to put anyone to death, okay? So that's why they're trying to put him in this awkward position, where it's like, what does he do? Does he go against the Lord? Does he go against, you know, the Roman law? And I'm not going to deal with that for now. But it seems that he's then speaking to the same group again after this, so look at verse 12. It says, then spake Jesus again unto them. Okay, so it's the same people, right? He spake again unto them. Oh, because remember, they go out at the end of the whole adultery thing. They all walk away when he asks who's without sin, basically. He casts the first stone. Then he's speaking to the same group again, saying, I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now, look at verse 13. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou barest record of thyself, thy record is not true. So the Pharisees are rejecting Christ, just like these works salvationists do today. They reject the record that we're about to see. Okay, that's what they're doing. Look at verse 14. Jesus answers, send unto them. So he's talking to them, yeah? These Pharisees. Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true, for I know whence I came and whither I go. But ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go. So he's clearly talking to them, who are later also referred to as the Jews. Okay, the Pharisees aren't, they are Jews, they're just Jews called Pharisees, okay? He said, ye judge after the flesh, I judge an omen. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself and the Father that sent me bears witness of me. Then said they, same people unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. So it's the same people he's talking to. Verse 20. These words spake Jesus in the treasury as he talked to the temple, and no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come. Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come. So this is clearly the same group of Pharisees, isn't it? That he's addressing, but of course it also includes anyone else there who's been given over. So you've got the Pharisees, and there's a big group of people here, but he's basically addressing these Christ rejecters as a whole here. In John 12 40, and you don't have to turn to referring to the people as a whole, not just the Pharisees, it's just the rejecters. It says he has blinded her eyes and hardened her heart, and they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. And this is what we're talking about here, these people that cannot come. They cannot get saved, okay? That's who he's talking to. Verse 22 says, Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? Because he said, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, so he's still speaking to the same guys, Ye are from beneath, I am from above, ye are of this world, I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. And they didn't, okay? That's why he said ye shall, it's the same people. Verse 25, Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same as I said unto you from the beginning, I have many things to say unto judge of you, but he that sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spoke to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself. But as my Father taught me, I speak these things, and he that sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him. So let me show you what's happened here. He's preaching the truth. He's addressing these wicked rejecters. And many of the other Jews there believed on him. And that happens a lot, right? A lot of the time, you might hear a pastor or a preacher preaching. Really, he's preaching at the wicked. He's preaching at the other. Maybe he's preaching at wicked people in the church sometimes. It happens. Or sometimes he's just preaching a message. And in a way, he's almost directed to the wicked. But people hear the word of God and they get saved. OK. And I mean, I've had it before where I was preaching. Really, I was talking to like this look like a witch, this woman, but she had a granddaughter with her. And she's trying to debate the gospel. And I'm just trying to keep the conversation going. This was over in South Africa because for me, it was like the granddaughter's listening and hearing. You could see she's paying attention. So not that I want to debate with a witch, but I'm just getting the gospel out, getting verses out, getting verses out and preaching the gospel, preaching the gospel. And unfortunately, my soul winning partner is sadly being pulled into the whole, you know, anti-worship stuff. And it's like, she's older, quick. How dare you be disrespectful and tell her she's wrong. And it was like, it was, it should have carried on. And it kind of went a bit wrong, sadly, at the time. But my point is, is that preaching, sometimes you're going to preach someone wicked, but someone else is going to get saved from that. And that's what's happening here, right? OK, he's addressing them. But these guys get saved. It said, as he spake these words, many believed on him. OK, what does it mean, many believed on him? What does that mean? They got saved, right? Translation, they got saved. In Acts 16, 30, when the Philippian jailer asked the Apostle Paul and Silas, so is what must I do to be saved, what's the answer? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that thou shalt be saved and my house. Thou shalt be saved. Not that I might be saved, thou shalt be saved. They, many, believed on him. That's all you've got to do to be saved. In John 6, 47, Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. OK, it's clear, isn't it? In John 11, 25, Jesus said to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he liveth and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die, believeth thou this. And here in verse 30, as he spake these words, many believed on him. That's salvation. They've put their trust in Christ, they're saved. They've trusted Christ, they've put their faith in him, they believed on him. So you've got many people getting saved, agreed? Many believed on him. Now, keep a finger here and turn to John chapter 3, because there are two groups of people here now. There are those that have believed on him and those that haven't. John 3.36 shows how this is what it basically boils down to in life. You are the believer, you don't. You either trust in Christ or you're not. John 3.36 says it like this. John 3.36, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. It's just belief, it's faith, it's trust. Whatever word you want to use for that in Christ is what will save you. If you're not trusting that he has saved you, that he can and has given you eternal life like we see here, you're not believing on him. And you're believing on yourself and or a counterfeit Christ. That's what it comes down to. You're either believing on the Lord Jesus Christ or you're believing on a counterfeit Christ, a different Christ, where salvation isn't a free gift. Where salvation isn't based on trusting him, it's based on trusting your own works in the future, your own works in the past, whatever it is, right? It is really that simple. It's so simple. And what happens is the wicked heart, the wicked flesh, wants to somehow self-justify, find something to justify themselves with. It's as simple as that. Back in John 8, verse 30, it says as he spake these words, many believed on him. Many believed on him. Now that's clearly talking about salvation. And he then says this to the people that just got saved. So they've just got saved, and he says this. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Now I just want to clear something up quickly here. The reason I wanted to make it clear that up to this point, he had been addressing the reprobates amongst them, is because it's the same rejectors that now answer in verse 33. So verse 33 says they answered him. We be Abraham's seed, and we're never in bondage to any man. How say it so? Ye shall be made free. Who he then goes on to call the children of the devil. Okay? It's the same they from verse 25, from verse 27. The Jews that got saved didn't collectively reject what he said, and then later call him a devil. Okay, just to make it clear. They got saved, and then Jesus said this to them. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So there's a difference, clearly, to getting saved and being made a disciple, and that's who he's talking to now, and then after that, the bad guys, he's been addressing the whole time answer him. Okay, just to make that clear. Okay, but there is a difference, isn't there? You get saved, but does that make you a disciple? Clearly not. Clearly not. According to verse 31 here, he said, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. There's a difference. There's a difference between getting saved and continuing in his word. And I want to show you how clear this is made in the Gospel of John, okay? It's so clearly made in the Gospel of John. Put something in John 8, okay? We're going to do some quick page turnings. Maybe just put something there if you've got a bulletin, put it in there. Put a finger if you don't. And turn to John chapter 20. John chapter 20. So in John 20, okay, Jesus shows Thomas the holes in his hands and his side. Okay, and he reaches forward and actually puts his finger in them of the glorified body of the Lord Jesus Christ here, post-resurrection. It says here in verse 29 of John 20, John 20 29, Jesus saith unto Thomas, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Because that's all it takes to be saved, that's why they're blessed, yeah? And many other signs truly to Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. Now, the mights meaning that it's made possible, they're not a maybe. He's not going, well, maybe. That's not what the might means. It said it's made possible. You could read it like this, but these are written that it's made possible for you to believe, and that believing it's made possible for you to have life through his name. Okay, that's how that's read, okay? So this book is pretty clear about what's required for salvation, okay? Being the gospel of John, that is. Go back to John chapter two, because John's gospel shows a lot of people getting saved. Okay, it shows a lot of people getting saved in John's gospel. John 2 23, John 2 and verse 23 says, now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast day, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did. He said many believed in his name back in John chapter two. Now go to chapter four, where John 4 39 says this. In John 4 39, and many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him. For the saying of the woman which testified, he told me all that ever I did. Many of the Samaritans believed, right? Look at John 4 41, and many more believed because of his own word. So we've got even more. So we've got some that is saved because of the woman at the well. We've got others getting saved because of the word of God, and there are many each time, right? Then in John 4 53, Jesus just healed the nobleman's son. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him, thy son living in himself believed, and his whole house. Now he's a nobleman, I'm guessing he's got quite a large household there, right? With servants and things like that. John 7 now, and verse 31 says John 7 31, and many of the people believed on him, and said when Christ cometh will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? Many again. We just saw in John 8 30, flick there if you want, as he spake these words, many believed on him. And then in John 10 and verse 42, John 10 42 says, and many believed on him there. John 11 45 says, John 11 45, then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. I mean, they're getting saved left, right, and center here. John 12 11 says, because that by reason of him, many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus. And in John 12 42, we see that even amongst the chief rulers, it says in verse 42 of John 12, nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue. So jump forward to Acts 1 for the first church meeting. Acts chapter 1, we've seen many, many, many. Now that's not to mention, by the way, that's not to mention all the soul-willing budge on the Baptist beforehand. Okay, that's not to mention all the soul-willing budge on the Baptist before and during the beginning of Christ's ministry, the 12 disciples sent out, the 70 sent out, two by two, the thousands that he preached to at once, 5,000 men and their families. I mean, how many thousands? I don't know, 4,000 men and their families. Then in Acts 1, he's just gone up into heaven, they're told to stop staring, they're like, stop gawping, all right? We've got work for you to do. Verse 12, it says in Acts 1, Then returned they unto Jerusalem for the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, Zelites, and Judas, the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said the number of names together were about 120. 120? Hold on. That's not much bigger than our church. After all of that, many, many, many, many, many thousands of people listening to him preaching, all these people getting saved. Just so one's documented, we've just seen many, many, many, many of the Samaritans, many of the Jews, many of the Jews, many of the Jews, many of the chief rulers. Anyone notice the chief rulers mentioned here? No. Anyone notice the noblemen mentioned here? No. 120. Where is Cornelius? Where's a woman from the... Where's Legion? Where's Legion? Where was he mentioned in the book of Acts and onwards? Where are they all? Did they really get saved? Hmm? They must not have got saved. No, they did get saved, they just didn't want to come to church. They got saved, but they didn't go to church. Because that's the reality of life. People get saved and don't come to church. They've got... I mean, Mary, I mean, we're talking probably thousands and thousands of people got saved. And there was 120 of them in that first church service. And we don't see them going, hold on, where is everyone? We're like, yeah, yeah, they all met together and then they were still waiting with the doors open for everyone to come in. They just didn't come in, just couldn't work it out. They started questioning the salvations. And do you know what? Most of our converts don't want to come to church. Did you know that? Most of your converts, most of the people we get saved don't want to come to church. It doesn't mean they didn't get saved. Because getting saved is separate to come in a church. And even if they do come, it doesn't mean they're going to stay. Either, by the way. You don't have to turn there, but in John 6.66, which is an interesting chapter reference of some hard preacher, it says, from that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. That's Jesus Christ there in the flesh. Jesus Christ in the flesh, walking there. They've got saved. They're his disciples. And they left. And they walked away. And they walked no more with him. You go, if Jesus was here, I'd definitely be at church. If Jesus was preaching, I'd be at church. Well, many didn't. And you know what? We're preaching the Word. We're preaching Jesus' words, and many don't want to walk with him. Many don't want to be there. Because it takes more than salvation to serve God. That's why. And go back to John 8, where Jesus said this. He said in verse 31, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. The title is, Did They Really Get Saved? Question number one, did they really get saved if they don't come to church? Question number two, did they really get saved if they go to a false church? Did they really get saved if they go to a false church? Or you could say, if they still go to a false church. People wonder about this too, okay. How could my new convert still be at the Catholic Church? How could my new convert still be at their Pentecostal Church? Basically, how could they still be worshipping a false god? How could they still be worshipping an idol? And let me give you the quick answer. Because they're not continuing in his word. That's why. Because they're not continuing in his word. How many here, look, how many here in this church still find it a struggle to read their Bibles regularly? To keep the routine? Let alone to live his word. Let alone to continue in it. Let alone to actually try and live by his word. So many here will struggle with that. And you're hearing it preach my services. You're hearing it preach, you've heard it preach for years. You've heard it preach separate from this church for years. In the other preaching, you might listen to your hearing that sort of stuff preach, and you still struggle. They're saved, but they're not disciples. Verse 31, it says, And that's not to mention the other reasons, by the way, that people stay in false churches. It's not just because they haven't continued in his word. There are other reasons that people stay in false churches. Go back to John 12 again, to remind ourselves of one of those reasons. Because you might say, but they're surrounded by the unsaved. They're being taught by false prophets. Or look at John 12 37, John 12 37 says, This is talking about wicked reprobates. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him. So they've been blinded, they've been given over, they've been rejected, yeah? Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. Now these are the top guys here, right? These are the chief rulers, and they won't even admit that they're saved in case they're kicked out of basically what the equivalent is, is a false church. They're in the synagogues of the Pharisees, who are false prophets, who are wicked reprobates, and they won't admit that they're saved. So it's not only that they've got saved and they're hanging around there and trying to talk about the gospel, and you know, they're just like, well, maybe they believe slightly different. They know that they would kick them out for it, and they're staying in there and keeping their mouth shut. By the way, it's not talking about them not getting saved. It's not saying, oh, they didn't call on the name of the Lord. You know, people try and use this to go, see, you don't have to call on the name of the Lord. They didn't confess. It's not confessing with thy mouth the Lord. Jesus, they didn't confess. They didn't confess that they believed. They didn't admit that they put their trust in Christ. However, they're still there, and you go, well, why? Well, that would have had ramifications. They would have not only been kicked out of the synagogue, they would have probably had some social ostracisation because of that. Or ostracism, sorry, that's a word. They would have had all sorts of issues and problems, maybe family splits and other things. And isn't that the reality today still? When you've got that Roman Catholic saved down the road, whoever, because there's a few Catholics around here, were they just ready to go, right, that's it. Time to just tell all my family I'm not coming to the church anymore. I'm not going to the stupid baby sprinkling sessions there anymore. I'm not going to go and shake hands with that weirdo in his wizard's outfit, waving incense around and everything else. I'm done with it. Oh no, how great if they did do that. They should do that, shouldn't they? But they don't do that. Is the Pentecostal just going to go, right, I'm cutting off from everyone now, all my family, all my friends, all the Sunday lunches we have after church, and all that stuff, it's all done. I'm not getting involved anymore. I'm going to go down to the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. I don't even know what the service is going to be like, because I've grown up in Pentecostal services with people running around and barking like dogs and stuff. I mean, can I do that here? I don't know. Thanks. I was just about to. But does that mean that person didn't get saved? No. Just like the chief rule is here, they're not willing to make a stand. But since when did getting saved mean that you're willing to make a stand? And you know, right, you know what he says in verse 43, the reason? For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. And that's a very common reality, isn't it? That's people everywhere. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They loved the praise of their drinking buddies. That person who got saved who wasn't even in church more than the praise of God had come into church. They were fine at the beginning. They were like, yeah, I'm really up for that. Yeah, I'm going to get right. And then they've gone and told their mate, who's just mocked them and scorned them and laughed at it. And they've gone, don't know about that. Turn you up at church because people think I must be a weirdo. Or maybe they loved the praise of men at whatever false church, down the old C of E church. They love, you know, the old ladies down there, you know, down there drinking a cup of tea with them and being told what a nice guy. They said to them, oh, well, I spoke this independent phone. Oh, be very careful. Sounds like extremists. Probably King James only. Oh, people are going to think I'm X, Y and Z. Oh, I don't want to go there. And you can think of a thousand different similar scenarios. Did it mean they didn't get saved? No, it didn't mean they didn't get saved. They got saved if they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Go back to John 8, where Jesus said this, said in verse 31, then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The title is, did they really get saved? Number one, if they don't come to church. Number two, if they go to a false church. And number three, if they don't clean up their lives. Did they really get saved if they don't clean up their lives? Now, obviously, the subtle false prophets like this one, they'll say things like, and I was at a church where a guy claimed to be saved. And people, you know, to this day will try and claim this guy who said things like, how could a saved man or woman use cuss words? How could a saved, what? And they're meant to be saved and the language coming out of their mouths. And by the way, they're also trying to steer it towards people like past Stephen Anderson and others who will use the word hell from behind the pulpit. Honestly, this is where the angle was steering, you know, and I managed to kind of just walk away from it. But this is at a church, I was trying to make do with it. And, you know, many of us have been in that situation. You're like, well, they claim to believe it's grace through faith. And what they're basically saying, these guys, you know, they'll say things like, how could a saved man or woman still get drunk? They'll come out with this one. I don't know. I mean, you know, how could a saved man or woman live in fornication? They'll say as well. In fact, I had one once years ago. I think myself, brother Dan was speaking to this guy, this guy at Bethel Baptist Church in Wimbledon. He took over the past trip there, this guy called Alex, who said, well, if, you know, if a sodomite, he said, if a sodomite gets saved and continues in sodomy, I mean, are they saved? And like, where did you even start? And we were like, yeah, anyway. That was kind of one of the last conversations we had before we left. But this is the sort of stuff these people come out with. Now, what they're basically doing, OK, they're saying, well, I'm drawing a line of which what I think is acceptable, what I think is OK. And of course, when it comes to sodomy and vile perversions like sodomy, you ain't saved. If you're into sodomy or you, well, I was into, you know, I was into it, but then I got right, then I repented of that. No, you were given over to a reparate mind. That ain't changing. OK, but aside from that sort of thing, where is your line? You could say, how could a saved man or woman lie and deceive? And I've been at churches where those pastors are lying and deceiving regularly. You could say, how could a saved man or woman not love their neighbour as themselves then? How could a saved person not love their neighbour just like they love themselves? And you know what, that's every single one of us fails, everyone out there fails on that. How about have a foolish thought? How about that? How can a saved man or woman have a foolish thought? And because what is the line? I'll tell you what the line is. The line is you're saved from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, yeah? And I'll tell you how we know, because Romans 4-5 says, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Okay, it's got nothing to do with your works. It's to do with your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation doesn't mean you've suddenly given up all of your old sins. Or half the New Testament, I mean it is probably about half the New Testament, encouraging us to do just that would be completely pointless, wouldn't it? Half of this is exhorting, encouraging, trying to get you to live right, you know, don't live like that, don't do that, put that away from you, put that away from you. What's the point in that? If you just automatically suddenly just going to clean up your life and sort yourself out, might as well not bother. No, salvation makes us free, but salvation makes us free from the eternal burden of sins, okay? Salvation frees you from that. But to be free from the daily burden in this life, to be free from the flesh, from the sin which doth so easily beset us, well verse 31 in John 8 said it like this, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. What's the truth? Well John 17, 17, by the way talking to his saved disciples, says sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. So he's saying to God, sanctify my saved disciples through the word of God. That's what can make us free in life, the sanctification that comes from the word of God. We need to continue in it to know it, to then be able to be free from the daily sins, be able to clean up our lives, yeah? It's not salvation that cleans up your life, it's the optional sanctification from the word of God which can clean up your life. You're two separate things, okay? Salvation gets you saved. It's the word of God, and here's the thing, if you're in a church, if you're reading the word of God and everything else, you should see a change. But if you've got saved and you ain't opened your bible and you're not in the word of God and you're not in church for anything else, why should we see any difference in your life? Because he said sanctify them through thy truth and thy word is truth. He said and you shall know the truth here and the truth shall make you free. It's the word of God and he's talking about from daily, from the physical battle with the flesh, and you're not going to win that permanently, but you can be victorious. You can be victorious on a daily basis and you can fail. And it's the word of God which will help you get that daily victory over the flesh. And that's still a daily struggle, okay? That's a daily struggle that many will just regularly lose, that everyone will lose at different times. And how one person loses it is different to how you might. You might go, I just can't believe, are they even saved? Because they're doing this, they did that. I got them saved and they're still in that sin. And again, aside from just reprobate stuff, yeah? But maybe someone else deals with something, maybe you're dealing with something that they can't imagine. Maybe they can't imagine, they can't get their head around you still having a problem with a certain sin, you now and again flitting into another sin, because everyone's got their own list. And what you think is just so out there, is different to what they think is so out there. Turn to Romans 7 to see the Apostle Paul explaining that he still struggles with sin. The Apostle Paul, and just because he could say at the end in 2 Timothy 4-7, I've fought a good fight, I've finished my cause, I've kept the faith, it doesn't mean everyone else will. Okay, and we're talking again, he's not saying I've given up sin, what he's saying is I've managed to keep in the things of God. But that doesn't mean everyone will be able to say that at the end, it doesn't mean that everyone will even be able to start that journey at the beginning. In Romans 7 he said it like this, verse 14 says, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. Present tense, continuous. He continues to do the things that he hates. The Apostle Paul, sole winning extraordinaire, church planting, teaching great doctrines from the Bible, the Apostle Paul did things that he hated. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Every single one of us here has sin that dwells in us. For I know that in me that is in my flesh, because it's in your flesh, because you haven't got rid of that flesh yet. Dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then the law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, that's a new man, the regenerated man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. He still gets bought into it. O wretched man that I am, not O wretched man that I was, not O wretched man that I could possibly be if I wasn't saved, not O wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. And even with the word of God, with discipleship, with preaching, with soul winning, with that sanctification, it's a daily battle. It's a daily battle, but people believe that some new convert is going to somehow automatically win that in the beginning. People believe this, that some new convert who's just got saved is suddenly just going to, that's it, it's all gone, done, sorted. What on earth? The apostle Paul's battling with that decades down the line. And the thing is they might never even get close. They might never even get close to even attempting to win that daily battle because the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word and it become unfruitful. That saved people. That saved people who just get completely swamped with the things of this world. They still have the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts of other things, and they don't even start trying to live for God. But if they got saved, they got saved. And they're still going to heaven because my Bible says in Galatians 2 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even that we have believed in Jesus Christ, we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Because you know what? A lot of the time it is it's back door works. It's people justifying themselves by their works. It's the same people in Matthew 7 saying, Lord, Lord, have we not done whatever their list of works is that they think justifies themselves? And there's a lot of people out there that are trying to justify themselves by their works, so they'll just cast people off as unsafe because they don't consider them to have the works they have. What are they trusting? They're trusting their works. Their own works. And we've got to stop trying to justify other people by their works then, right? Whether it's the church they are or aren't in or their so-called turning from sin. It's got nothing to do with salvation. Turn to Luke 6. You say, well, how do we know if someone got saved then? Because people want to know that, don't they? Understandably, you're like, well, how do I know if my new convert got saved? How do I know if that person I went out and preached the gospel to got saved? The simple answer is that we can't know for sure. That's the simple answer, you can't know for sure. There isn't a way to know for sure. However, we can get a pretty good idea. We can get a fairly good idea by their fruits. And no, I'm not talking about their works, because people try that one. They go, oh, by their fruits you should know them. And then they go off to the fruits of the Spirit, go, are they full of joy and peace and love and everything else? Well, that's funny because he's talking to a church of believers where he's going, you've got to put away the flesh and you've got to not quench the Spirit. You've got to live in the Spirit. You've got to walk in the Spirit. And they might not be walking in the Spirit. I'm not talking about their so-called salvations because none of that is foolproof, is it? Oh, well, no, my new convert must be saved because they told me they then got their brother, father, mother, father, whatever, saved. Must be saved because now they're going, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a Christian. Oh, yeah, must be. No, Luke 6, Jesus said it like this. He said from verse 43 in Luke 6, for a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit, neither do the corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit, for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather thy grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. All we can know for sure is what comes out of someone's mouth. That's all we can know for sure. And that is what we use to count salvations. What's come out of their mouth? Now, no, that's not foolproof because people lie. Because everyone's a liar because let God be true and every man a liar. No, we can't know 100%. You go, oh well, are they getting chastised? You don't really know. And some people lie and pretend they're not getting chastised when they are because they think somehow it shows they're not a good person or something. So no, you don't know by any of that. All you know by is what comes out of their mouth. And the reality is eventually, especially with, and ultimately, here there's sermons about new converts. We've looked at, for example, you're going through the Book of Proverbs trying to give us all these clues for fakes and people that are pretending to be one of us that aren't. But that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm just talking about someone that's got saved. And someone that's got saved, what's coming out of their mouth, it's usually a pretty good indication, isn't it? And if they're like, well, I don't think, I'm not sure, maybe, you know, you think, you know, and again, that's if you get to check up with them. Or even before, look, if you're going to get someone to call the name of the Lord, you want to just do the best you can with them first. And you need to make sure that they're saying, I believe, I believe I'm a sinner. I believe I deserve to God out. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that he died, was buried and rose again to pay for all my sins. I believe the only thing you got to do to be saved is to put your faith, your trust, believe on believing the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And I believe that once I'm saved, there's no way I could lose that salvation, no matter what. And I believe, and kind of back to point two, I believe that I was on my way to hell before I'm now going to call the name of the Lord. And if they do all of that and they say all of that and out of the abundance of the heart, it seems their mouth is speaking. I'm counting that salvation if they call the name of the Lord in faith. And that's what we go by. And what happens after that, it makes no difference. Unless you think, well, yeah, I mean, we do the soul-willing, but I think really they need to come to church for a while to really understand. Because that's what a lot of people think, don't they? Well, they're a bit odd. So? Well, they're, you know, they kind of, now they just keep saying hallelujah, are they really saved? They sound a bit Pentecostal to me. It doesn't matter. If they say they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that's all you can go by. And you don't have to find ways of tripping them up and tricking them. And look, of course, you want to make sure they believe there's no way they can lose their salvation. But ultimately, if someone says they believe, they're putting their trust in Christ, they don't believe they can lose their salvation, I'm going with that, right? I'm going with that. Obviously, look, there are some tricky people out there. And when we're questioning people, we want to get it out of their mouth. But just a quick thing, I'm going to go through this in a few weeks' time. When you are questioning people, and before you've preached them the Gospel, you know, don't put words in their mouth. So be careful to ask them what they believe. Remember, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Be careful to ask them, well, what do you believe? Because if you start going on to say, you believe you've got to do the X, Y, and Z, yeah, yeah. And then afterwards, they're kind of like, well, I was just agreeing with you, because some people might even do. Do you think out of those people you got saved, who are genuinely saved, do you think that if in several years, 10 years, they never read their Bible once, they're not in church. In fact, no, they're in a false church. They're listening to false Gospel and everything else. Then someone comes to their door and starts going there, well, you believe you've got to, you know, of course, you've got to do some works to be saved. Do you think some of them might not go, yeah, I think so, without even thinking about it, because they're just agreeing. So be careful with that. Let them tell you what they believe. What do they believe? And if they really think about it, if they believe, unless they've believed in vain, they're going to believe, and they're going to be able to say with their mouth, no, it's faith in Christ alone. And give people the chance to do that when you're soul winning, obviously. But then after that, someone, if someone believes that, they believe that. And if I've gone out and I've preached Gospel with someone, they say they believe everything that's required to be saved, and ultimately that's trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, but that's believing you're a sinner, you're on the way to hell, and that faith in Christ is what saves you. I'm counting that salvation. And what I don't want is people, whether it's here or people outside, or people that, you know, and that will constantly come is people going, well, you just never know. No, you don't. But we don't have to keep reminding everyone that, because the reality of it is I can be pretty sure. And some people, you know, don't you? Now, I'm honest. Sometimes I come back from soul winning, I'll say to someone, yeah, I don't know, though. Like, yeah, they said they believed everything, but I kind of got a feeling that maybe they were just agreeing. Maybe it kind of went on for quite a long time, and we got to the point where I was kind of having to hammer it a bit, you know, and maybe they just got to the point where they agreed with me, because I'm just going to be honest about that. But that's not because I don't believe that someone just gets saved. It's just because, ultimately, I'm just being honest and saying that wasn't, I wasn't as confident in that salvation as another. And as you're soul win for many years, you start to get that, don't you? You start to get a feeling with people in your life. Yeah, no, and other people you're like, that was a salvation. That person I know, they were sure I know that person got saved. And again, as much as you can because of what's come out of their mouth. But I don't believe that people need a discipleship course. I don't believe that people need to turn up at church to prove they're saved. I don't believe that people need to give up any sins out of their life to show that they're saved. I don't believe any of that. I believe that they just need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. So next time someone wants to doubt your salvations, maybe ask them what they believe someone has to do to be saved. Next time someone wants to doubt your salvations to you and someone wants to, and whether it's here or outside or people that claim to be saved, and well, they claim to have got all these salvations at that church. Where are they all? Oh, sorry, what do you believe someone has to do to be saved? Flood our church and burst out of the walls and through the roof and everything else? Because my Bible doesn't say that. If they'd all turned up in that upper room, everyone that got saved, well, they wouldn't need a big upper room, okay? Because that's not the reality. We're trying to save people from hell, and yeah, we would love to get them involved. We would love to get them to church, and we're trying ways of encouraging and getting to that point where we can hopefully disciple more people. And sometimes they come, right? Sometimes they come, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they come for a bit, sometimes they leave after a while. Sometimes they might come for one service. Sometimes they might do a bit. Sometimes you'll follow up. And I spoke to someone the other day. Messaged me in an email. I'd been emailing this guy that actually came to our church, and I got him saved in the church. And he emailed me, and he's like, basically, he's, well, yeah, but I'm going to whatever church. Yeah, a false church. I briefly looked at it and replied yet to the last email, where I was trying to be polite, and I think I might just, you've got to tell him, right? Tell him straight. What a waste of time. You're at this false church. But his last email to me was, but if I don't come, I'll see you in heaven. Got saved. He's at a false church. But that's life. And you come across them, don't you? Sometimes you knock on the door, and there's someone that's saved. You're like, oh, do you go to church? And then they tell you you're a church. They go, don't you think? I had one recently in Switzerland where Pierre was talking. The guy was at a Catholic church. I've had him here. In fact, I've had him here as well. People that say, yeah, they seem to get everything right. They believe the gospel and everything. Anyway, like the most far away from the gospel type of church. But I suppose any church here, it's going to be far away from the gospel, really. Most of them. It's only, sadly, a handful of churches, probably, that have the gospel right in this nation, if that. But look, does that mean they're not saved? Of course it doesn't. And next time someone wants to put doubt on your salvation, the salvation of this church or anything else, why don't you ask them, what do you believe someone's got to do to be saved? Because do you believe it's get saved and come to church? Do you believe it's get saved and clean up your life? Do you believe it's get saved and leave your false church? Or do you believe it's get saved? It's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The title was, did they really get saved? Number one, if they don't come to church. Number two, if they go to a false church. Number three, if they don't clean up their lives. And you could add a hundred other criteria in there. But the reality of it is, yes, if they put their trust in Christ alone. And on that, we're going to finish the word of prayer. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the honor of soul winning, Lord. Wow, what a great thing that we're able to do for you, able to do for the Kingdom of God, Lord, and that we're able to do to give people all the ability to be able to not end up in hell, Lord. And we're just preaching the gospel, Lord, we're preaching the truth and help us not to be shaken. Help us not to have our heads turned by all the different attacks on the gospel, Lord. Help us to be just strong in it. Help us to just be steadfast in what the word of God says, that it's belief, it's faith, it's trust alone that saves someone and anything else is a corrupted gospel, Lord, and it ain't getting people saved. Help us to be sure about that. Help us to be strong and help us not to have our heads turned. Help us not to have, you know, just our strength, our faith in soul-winning, weakened by those that want to do that, Lord. And help those here that maybe just, it's not that they want to do that, but maybe they just kind of have doubts and have worries, help them to understand that, you know, that stuff can really affect people and that we need to just be strong and steadfast in the word of God, Lord. Help us go out this afternoon and get people safe, Lord, to pull them out of the fire, Lord, and in return this evening for the evening service.