by Pastor Patrick Cho

In living the Christian life and pursuing greater growth in faith, it can be easy to lose sight of why we do what we do. Many Christians adopt a performance-based mentality where spiritual maturity is gauged by how many ministries they are involved with or how often they are at church. This is like a person gauging their physical health solely by how much they are exercising. I want to be careful to make sure we understand that ministry is necessary and there should always be activity in the church, just as with the physical body it is important to exercise in order to be healthy. But activity alone doesn’t guarantee that a body is healthy. You can run all you want, but if something’s wrong inside, you need to see a doctor.

When someone is measuring spiritual health with a performance-based mentality, things get complicated when it comes to assessing a person’s spiritual growth. One’s opinion on how they are doing may vary greatly from week to week depending how much they were able to do or be involved with. “I didn’t have a good week because I missed small group.” “Spiritually things are great because we had a chance to go feed the homeless.” “I must be spiritually mature because I haven’t missed a Sunday for years.” Once again, I don’t want us to make the mistake of swinging the pendulum the opposite extreme and to say that none of this matters. Certainly it is helpful to attend small groups. It is great to feed the homeless. Church involvement and attendance is vital for personal growth.

The problem is that spiritual health is not only determined by how much we are exercising our gifts or getting involved in Christian ministry. This is most definitely a crucial part of growing spiritually and something all believers should remain committed to, but it isn’t the only thing. The church at Ephesus was buzzing with all sorts of spiritual activity. From the outside, it looked as though they were a solid church and very healthy. But God, who sees past the external and views the heart, understood that the church at Ephesus was sorely lacking one thing – their first love (Rev. 2:1-4). The church was so busy in all its spiritual activity that it failed to do it all in love. They began well and had love at first, but somehow in the busyness of ministry, they lost it.

A huge factor in determining spiritual health is your love for Christ. Do you love Jesus and do you desire to know Him? Again, it goes back to determining why we do what we do. The Apostle Paul got a taste of what it meant to know Jesus, and he determined that nothing else compared (Phil. 3:7-11). He was willing to give up everything and even consider it loss in order to gain Christ. Wherever Jesus was, that’s where Paul desired to be, even if it meant identifying with Jesus’ suffering and cross. It was all because of his love for Christ.

This love we have for Christ trickles down and fuels the love we have for one another (1 John 4:19). Our ministry must be motivated and driven by this love. This was the commandment of Christ that we love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). This love would serve as the great testimony of God’s work in our lives (John 13:35). The Apostle Paul goes so far as to say that without love, everything we do is nothing and pointless (1 Cor. 13:1-3).

All this is sort of what this year’s theme for Lighthouse is all about. It is about counting everything as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus (Phil. 3:7-8). My great desire for LBC is that as we walk through God’s Word together, as we participate in ministry, as we serve one another and invest in each other, we would not lose sight of why we do all this in the first place. We run the race so that in the end we would gain the prize. We run hard always keeping our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-2). We are not supposed to just stay busy and fill our lives with activity. While we seek to be obedient to the commands of Scripture and to grow in faith through our involvement in ministry, at the same time we must remember to keep our hearts in the right place pointed in the right direction.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This past Sunday, January 22, 2012, was the thirty-ninth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade. In that decision, the Supreme Court ruled that it was the fundamental right of women, in accordance with the “due process” clause of the 14th amendment, to terminate a pregnancy in order to protect the mother’s health. The court also made it clear in that ruling that the unborn child is not protected as a person by the Constitution, and so the “right to life” does not apply to the child (Part IX, Sec. A). Roe v. Wade was ruled in conjunction with Doe v. Bolton, in which the court defined a woman’s health in broad terms taking into consideration “all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age.”

Since the Roe v. Wade decision, there have been over 50 million abortions in the United States alone. There are about 3,700 abortions each day in the U.S., and according to the Center of Bio-Ethical Reform, about 42 million abortions are performed annually worldwide. Only about 1% of abortions are performed after rape or incest, and only 6% are performed to protect either the mother’s or child’s health. An overwhelming 93% of abortions occur because of social reasons (i.e., the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

The Bible explicitly teaches that God values the lives of little children. During Jesus’ ministry, He claimed that the kingdom of heaven belonged to those who were dependent like children (Matt. 19:13-14). He even used a child to illustrate the principle of true greatness in humility (Matt. 18:1-6). Psalm 139:1-16 helps us to understand that God is intimately involved in the details of a person’s life, and that those details are in mind even when a child is in the womb.

When John the Baptist was not yet born, he leaped for joy in his mother’s womb when Mary approached (Luke 1:41-44). Even from this passage alone, it is clear biblically that life and personhood begins in the womb. John not only exhibited deliberate human behavior in the womb, but even human emotion. It used to be commonly thought that babies in the womb were insensitive and incapable of feeling pain. However, Dr. A. W. Liley found that a baby in the womb clearly experiences fear and pain:

“When doctors first began invading the sanctuary of the womb, they did not know that the unborn baby would react to pain in the same fashion as a child would. But they soon learned that he would. By no means a ‘vegetable’ as he has so often been pictured, the unborn knows perfectly well when he has been hurt, and he will protest it just as violently as would a baby lying in a crib” (H. M. I. Liley, Modern Motherhood, rev. ed. (New York: Random House, 1969), 50).

As we examined this past Sunday, the greatest example of God’s love for little children is seen in His willingness to forgive their sin and give grace to save them from eternal judgment. Even though Scripture is clear that people are born in sin (Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Eph. 2:3), the Bible also teaches that there is hope for babies that die.

When Job despaired of life and cursed the day he was born, he believed that to die stillborn or even to have miscarried would have brought him rest (Job 3:1-17). Solomon agreed that it would have been better to miscarry than to have a man be fooled by the pleasures of this world without understanding the greater purpose and meaning of life (Eccl. 6:3-5). Neither Job nor Solomon was concerned that a baby that died would spend an eternity in hell. When King David’s child died as a baby, he was comforted by the thought that they would one day be reunited in heaven (2 Sam. 12:23). In contrast to these examples, there is no place in Scripture that explicitly teaches that babies who die are destined for hell because of their innate sin.

My point is that God obviously loves children, and He obviously agrees that life begins in the womb. He loves these children even to the extent that He would freely save them by a special means of grace (not because they are sinless, but because he is gracious and good!). He does not condemn them eternally because of Adam’s sin. He certainly does not dismiss them as some tissue that can be disposed of. And if God would show such love, such care for these children, then we should likewise cherish them and love them.

Any American should appreciate the value of personal liberties, but there are certain principles that take priority over the exercise of personal liberty. This is obvious. I am not at liberty to steal someone else’s property or to take their life without punishment because of the laws and principles of this land. For the Christian, it is evident that the child in the womb is an individual person created in the image of God and valued by God, and God is the one who prohibits the taking of innocent life. The issue of how to view life in the womb is not as much about personal liberties as it is about loving the Lord, trusting what His Word says, and making life choices in response to its principles.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe another year has gone by so quickly. Perhaps for some, 2011 will go down in history as the year we witnessed the passing of some infamous world leaders like Osama bin Laden, Moammar Gadhafi, and Kim Jong Il. For others, it may be remembered for great sports achievements like the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl victory or the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series championship. As the song “Auld Lang Syne” goes, it is good to think back and remember fond memories and the experiences of the past.

At Lighthouse, 2011 may be remembered for weddings and babies (much like almost any other year!). It could be remembered as the year we celebrated with the LBC San Jose church plant for their inaugural services (1/30) or the first joint missions trip with LBCSJ to the Czech Republic. Perhaps it will be remembered for the All-Church Retreat with Dr. Ernie Baker, or the acquisition of the church van. However you remember the past year, it would be good to take some time to give thanks to God for all He has carried us through as a church.

The New Year is also a time for making resolutions. While the typical goals people set for themselves usually end up in failure and discouragement, some spiritual goals should always be in pursuit with great perseverance and diligence. As we usher in the New Year as a church, we must not rest on past laurels but to look forward in faith and continue to press on towards the goal of knowing Christ.

It was an old tradition in England to ring church bells on midnight of New Year’s Eve to symbolize the passing of another year. Then, just as the bell tolled for the old year, another bell would ring to usher in the New Year. This serves as a fitting illustration of what Paul writes in Philippians 3:13. Even though Paul had incredible religious credentials, he understood that nothing he had achieved benefitted him at all when it came to his conversion. He understood that he did not possess a righteousness of his own through his adherence to the Law. Rather than boasting about his achievements and basking in his accomplishments, Paul put those things out of mind and pressed on towards the goal of knowing Christ.

Paul simplified the Christian faith to that one idea of knowing Jesus. It was his life ambition through the help of the Holy Spirit to know Christ more and more with each day. Everything else was rubbish in comparison. I can only imagine what strength the church would gain if this year its members focused like Paul on this one goal. It is so easy to be distracted by the busyness of the daily grind that spiritual things get drowned out. It is even easy to get sidetracked by the busyness of ministry itself so that we focus on the activity instead of the devotion.

While 2011 had its share of memorable events and there were significant moments that helped promote spiritual growth and propagate Christian love and service, hopefully this next year will be known even more so for our drive as a church to further know Jesus and grow in Him. As we strive for discipline in His Word, in prayer, and in Christian service, we will see greater maturity in faith and closer relationship with Him. That is a worthy resolution not only for the New Year, but for all of life in general.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

We were so excited this past weekend to enjoy our annual Christmas Concert! This has been one of our favorite traditions at LBC, especially because we get to see our members showcase all their various talents for the glory of God. It also affords us an opportunity to invite our friends and family to come and hear God-glorifying music and the gospel message. This year’s Christmas Concert certainly wasn’t a disappointment. Every year, I think, “That might have been the best one yet!”

The thought that I wanted to focus on from the Bible for this year’s Christmas Concert is the remarkable privilege we have as Christians to know the God of the universe. Every once in a while we might experience the excitement of meeting a celebrity. Whether it’s a movie star or professional athlete, it is interesting to find out what they are like. It is (even if in the slightest bit) just cool to be in the presence of such a well-known figure. With this in mind, as believers, we have the greatest reason to boast because we have intimate knowledge of the Creator of all that is. The God who spoke everything into being knows us and we can know Him!

Back in the Old Testament, God’s people understood how terrifying a thought it was to see the glory of God. In Exodus 20, after God communicates the Ten Commandments, the people are deathly frightened. They see the smoke and lightning and they hear the rumbling and trumpets, so they ask Moses to speak on God’s behalf. They said, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die” (v. 19). The people were terrified at the thought of encountering the holiness and glory of God.

Later in Exodus 33, it is revealed that Moses had a uniquely personal relationship with God. The account states that “the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (v. 11). It was clear that Moses’ interactions with God were particularly special. Even still, it was limited. In v. 18, Moses asks God to show him His glory, but God has to refuse. His reasoning? No man can see His face and live (v. 19-20). Moses had to settle for a compromise as God hid him in the cleft of a rock and passed by him allowing him to see His back.

It is important to have this context from the Old Testament to better appreciate the words of John 1:18. No one has seen God at any time, but in Christ we have the ability to see the face of God. This is why the Apostle John writes in v. 14 that in Christ we behold the glory of God. In Jesus, we can see the fullness of God in the way that only the Son could represent the Father.

It is only through Christ that we can know the Father and see exactly what He is like. If you want to know what God would do, you should study what Jesus does. If you want to know what God would say, you should know what Jesus says. But more than this, because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can be reconciled to the Father and come into right relationship with Him. Even though we are sinners and He is the righteous and holy God, we can be forgiven of our sins because the penalty for our guilt was paid for on the cross.

It is truly grace that we could be saved from the wrath of God. It is grace that we could be forgiven of our sins. It is grace that God would send a Savior to pay our debt in full on the cross. But this Christmas season, it is also worth meditating on and appreciating the truth that because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have access to the Father. Because of His grace, we look forward to one day seeing Him as He is (1 John 3:2). I’m sure it will still be terrifying (He is God after all!), but not to our despair. It will be our greatest joy to bask in His greatness and stand in awe of who He is for all eternity.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As far as I can recall, this is the way I found out. Please keep in mind that it was early, I was tired, and so my recollection of events might be a little foggy. If you want the precise account, you may need to ask Christine!

On Sunday morning, I was awakened to a sudden tap on my forehead. It was still about ten minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off, so I was a little bothered at first over the interruption to my sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Christine standing next to me holding something in her hand. As my eyes focused, it looked like a pregnancy test. Before I could say anything, she asked, “I think that’s two lines, right?” I focused my eyes further (I was certainly awake now) and looked at the white stick in her hand. “Yeah, that looks like two lines.” We smiled at each other and hugged.

This is how I found out this past weekend that by God’s grace we were going to have a second child. At this point, it is still very early in the pregnancy, but we are overjoyed. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since Sunday morning! It has been a lot of fun finding creative ways to break the news to parents, family, and friends. Now that the pregnancy is on Facebook, I suppose it is officially official.

Since Sunday morning, anticipating this significant change in life has gotten me to reflect on what the Scriptures say about having kids. Psalm 127 was one passage that immediately came to mind. King Solomon undoubtedly understood the blessing that God intends by providing children. He only wrote two of the Psalms, but dedicated one of them to this theme. Psalm 127 states:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Solomon really communicates two major ideas in this Psalm. First, the Lord is the one who builds a house. His sovereignty rules over all and He accomplishes all His purposes, and it would be foolish to attempt any endeavor without the full realization that it will only succeed if God intends it. Because God is sovereign, those who know Him can rest in His sovereignty. Second, children are an incredible gift from the Lord. If the Lord in His sovereignty should allow a couple to have children, it should be received as a wonderful blessing.

Children are a blessing! One clear way we can apply this truth is by having a positive attitude about kids. Sadly, even in the church, too often I hear people tell me they don’t like kids. Sometimes couples will say that they want to put off having kids as long as they can. These kinds of responses manifest a heart that does not trust God’s Word.

Several years ago, I received a gift from a friend but it was something that I really didn’t want. They watched with a smile as I opened the gift, but that smile quickly faded when they realized that I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Unfortunately, I think they could see it in my face. I was acting foolishly. There was nothing wrong with the gift. It wasn’t even a bad gift. If I’m honest, I think most of the disappointment came from my desire for something greater.

As Christians, we need to be careful about the way we treat God in response to His Word. You should feel no disappointment over gifts that come from God, because His will for your life is the best (cf. Rom. 12:2). If children are a gift from the Lord, let us take care not to spurn the gift. Your attitude can and should be adjusted if your view towards children has not been good. We ought to celebrate the gift of life with our families and praise God for His kindness in providing such a wonderful gift.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

You couldn’t turn on the radio or TV these past couple weeks without hearing something about the scandal at Penn State University and the child sexual abuse charges against former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. Certainly all that is surfacing, as well as the firing of university heads and head coach Joe Paterno, will damage the university’s reputation for years. It will certainly be a long time before the university recovers from all of this. It is a sad and serious situation for the school and for all the families involved.

I don’t want to get into the grossness of the allegations or even the recently published defense of Sandusky where he claims he was merely guilty of “horseplay” with those boys. I don’t want to talk about the culpability of Coach Paterno or whether or not he was morally responsible to do more than he did in response to the accusations he received. I’m sure many more articles will be written about these things in the coming months especially as the trial gets underway.

Reflecting on this whole situation, one thought kept repeating in my mind, and I realize this is a minor issue compared to the seriousness of the situation. But we certainly have a tendency to make heroes of men and even idolize them in our hearts. Oftentimes, we make sports stars into heroes who really have no business being treated that way. Just because a guy can throw a ball or run fast doesn’t mean we should make them out to be saints, but sometimes we do. Sometimes, in our eyes, our heroes can do no wrong. The Sandusky situation is a sobering reminder of how false this thinking is.

Sadly, it reminds me of other greats in the athletic world who came crashing down because of scandals and moral failures. Tiger Woods is no longer a name that is only associated with golf because of his adulterous affairs. Tiki Barber has been bashed for leaving his wife of eleven years while she was pregnant in order to continue what had been a two year affair with an intern.

Growing up, my favorite athlete was Michael Jordan, who arguably could be the greatest athlete of all time to this day. It seemed everyone wanted to “be like Mike.” Over the years, it became more and more apparent that he wasn’t one that was worth idolizing either because of his adulterous relationships and problems with gambling. Even in his Hall of Fame induction speech, it seemed all Michael Jordan cared about was Michael Jordan.

All in all, how much should we really look up to sports figures? This is a great reminder to me especially because I am a parent. What kinds of people do I want my children to admire and revere? We need to really think about how character is displayed more than athletic ability. This is one of the reasons why (and I hate to say it because I’m a Chargers fan) I appreciate Tim Tebow. At least to this point, he seems to stand out as one who is not admired as much for his athletic ability but for his personal character. It is interesting in light of this how much Tebow is belittled in the media. What do we really care about anyway?

In the end, however, is it wise to lift up men to this level at all? As believers, we worship and serve Almighty God. But more than that, by His grace we enjoy a personal relationship with Him. How much greater is this than knowing any sports celebrity? We know the God of Creation because of His Son Jesus Christ (cf. 1 John 5:20)! Jesus Christ gave us understanding SO THAT we could KNOW Him who is true! Think about what an awesome privilege this is to say you know the God of the universe in a personal way.

All this scandal in the sports world should also remind us that life is all about lifting up the name of Christ and adoring Him, and not about giving undue veneration to men. We can certainly appreciate athletic ability. I know I will never dunk a basketball in my life. I can celebrate the victories of my favorite teams and the accomplishments of my favorite players. But we need to be careful not to elevate these individuals to idol status. They’re just men.

by Stephen Rodgers

This is the hub post for Pastor Patrick Cho’s seven-part series on the details and implications of the Gospel. From this page, you can easily find and refer to all posts in this series.

All posts in the The Glorious Gospel series:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Several years ago, I remember counseling a young man who was struggling with his faith. This individual thought he loved God but still wondered if his profession of faith was sincere. Although he had prayed that God would be gracious to save him, he struggled with recurring sins that caused him to doubt. Many believers come to this struggle at one point or another during their Christian lives. Having a valid concern in wanting to make sure they get the gospel right, they scrutinize their lives for the evidence of genuine salvation. Part of the reason for a believer’s doubting their faith is because of confusion regarding what the Bible teaches on the assurance of salvation.

A person’s eternal security and their assurance of salvation are two sides of the same coin. It comes down to the different perspectives of their salvation. Eternal security looks at an individual’s salvation from the perspective of God. Certainly God knows who are His people and who are not. He knows who the genuine followers of Christ are as well as who the pretenders or rejecters are. Eternal security is objective in that it is based on the truths of Scripture and the faithfulness of God to His promises (cf. Titus 1:2). Because of this, it is unchanging. Once God saves a person, their salvation is completely secure in Him. Paul writes about this security in Romans 8:29-39. Christ is the one who establishes the golden chain of salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), so that no one can stand against His elect to condemn them (Rom. 8:31-34). Once a believer is saved by God’s grace, nothing can separate them from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39). From this perspective, salvation is entirely God’s work. He begins it, He sustains, and He is sure to finish it (cf. Phil 1:6).

The assurance of salvation, however, is from our own perspective on salvation. Our sense of assurance is the feeling of whether or not we are saved. It is critically important to understand that our assurance of salvation should rest in the promise of eternity security. We should feel secure in salvation because our salvation is secure in Christ. God doesn’t change His mind about our salvation and promises that once we are saved, we will always be saved (cf. John 10:9, 16, 27-28). Still, the assurance of salvation, unlike eternal security, is subjective and fluctuates. This is because our feeling of assurance is contingent upon our obedience to God. While our salvation is completely sustained by God, our feeling of salvation can be sustained by man. This is why James says things like, “I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Likewise, the Apostle Paul could affirm the salvation of the Thessalonians because of what he witnessed in them (1 Thess. 1:1-10).

There is significant danger in mistaking these two things. Some people have a sense of assurance without the reality of eternal security. In other words, they might feel saved but are not really saved. This might be the case with someone who trusts in some shallow confession of faith. Perhaps they prayed a prayer when they were a child but since have not walked in faith. Their lives are all about themselves and not about Christ, and even a general perusal of their life evinces that Christ is really not a part of who they are at all. This could also describe someone who trusts in a different gospel or even in his works to save. Sadly, many people will stand before Christ one day thinking they are saved when they are not (Matt. 7:21-23).

On the other hand, there are also those who have eternal security in Christ, but who struggle with a sense of assurance. In other words, a person may really be saved, but still not feel saved. This tends to describe the person who doubts the power of the gospel because of recurring sin in their life. Sin stands in the way of their having complete confidence in their salvation.

So, how can you know if you are a Christian? As was mentioned in the previous article in this series, it must begin with “God saved me.” We stand secure in Christ because God promised salvation through Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross. This salvation shows itself through the evidence of a life that has been changed by God. The Christian can see the fruits of saving faith in his life (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17 – old passed away, the new has come). Paul could proclaim as a follower of Christ that he died to himself and lived for Christ (Gal. 2:20).

We must understand that our deeds do not sustain our salvation. Salvation is entirely God’s Work – to begin, sustain, and complete. But our works demonstrate the genuineness of our salvation and confirm that God has saved us. It is possible that at times true Christians will struggle with their faith, so we must remember that this work of change will not be completed in this life. As long as we live this life in the flesh, we will be tainted by sin. Our hope must rest in God who saves by grace and is faithful to His promise. We are not saved because we live our lives to deserve salvation. We are saved because (in spite of our ill-deserving selves) there is a loving God who desires to show us mercy, grace, and love.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the criticisms against churches that preach repentance and the lordship of Christ is that by saying a person’s life must show forth evidence of their salvation causes some to question the genuineness of their salvation. The critics claim that it is unloving to challenge people about their salvation or to cause them to second guess the sincerity of their confession. But this is exactly what the Apostle Paul did when he considered the possibility that some in Corinth would not repent or bear good spiritual fruit even after his warnings and rebukes (2 Cor. 13:5). When a person has reason to question the genuineness of their faith because of worldly living or unrepentant sin, it is appropriate and loving to point that out. How horribly unloving it would be to allow someone to think they are a Christian when in reality they are not!

Certainly, it is inappropriate and unkind to cause someone to question their salvation for no reason. It is not the goal of the church simply to get people to doubt their faith. We want people to be confident about their salvation, but we want their confidence to be placed in the truth. Too many people are banking on some emotional appeal they made as a child, or the fact that they cried when they first heard the gospel, or that they walked an aisle or raised a hand during an altar call. Some people will say that they were really sincere when they asked Jesus to come into their hearts. But the Bible doesn’t tell us that any of these things should be considered evidence of true saving faith. Sincerity is not the greatest proof. Certainly, the rich young ruler was sincere in wanting to gain eternal life, but he still walked away from Christ in the end (Mark 10:17-22).

This is one of the dangers of the easy-believism gospel. It gets people to a point where they understand some facts about the gospel, and hurries them into making a decision for Christ. Based on that decision, they are told that they are children of God and eternally secure in Christ. But no evidence of conversion has been seen in their lives. They may from that point completely walk away from the Lord! They have been given the guarantee of their salvation before it was truly appropriate and could continue on living life thinking they are saved when they are not.

The Bible tells us there will be many who believe they are truly saved and are mistaken about it (cf. Matt. 7:21-23), but these individuals would be known for the fruit that their lives produce (Matt. 7:15-20). Assurance of salvation was such an important issue that the entire book of 1 John was dedicated to it (cf. 1 John 5:13). The fact is that our assurance needs to be based on the truth of God’s Word, and not on our emotions. It isn’t that we are confident about our salvation because we really know we’re saved. It’s that we are confident about our salvation because God is faithful to His promises.

How do you know if you are a Christian? It must begin with “God saved me.” God promised salvation through Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross. The confidence you have in your salvation will come as a result of seeing how your life has been changed by God and you see the fruits of saving faith in your life (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). You have died to self and now live for Christ.

It is also important to remember that you do not sustain your salvation through your deeds. At no point does God hand over the reins and ask you to take over. Salvation is entirely God’s Work – to begin, sustain, and complete. Your works merely demonstrate the genuineness of your salvation and confirm that God has saved you. You must also remember that this work of change will not be completed in this life. As long as you live this life in the flesh, you will be in a constant battle against sin. It is essential that you patiently allow God to work in you to help you live for Him.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

“Do you want to go to heaven or hell? If you want to go to heaven, all you have to do is believe that Jesus came and died on the cross for your sins. That’s the amazing part! You don’t have to do anything. Jesus did it all for you! Don’t you feel a sense of emptiness in your heart? Nothing in this world will ever be able to fill it. Everything else that we pursue in life falls short. But God can satisfy that longing. He can fill that void completely. Would you like to receive this incredible gift? If you do, all you need to do is pray this prayer after me and Jesus will come into your heart.” Many people today are given a gospel presentation very similar to this one. It’s simple, straightforward, and easy to follow. And who wouldn’t want to believe after hearing a presentation like this? It appeals to the desires of the hearer, and it emphasizes the point that the hearer really doesn’t have to do anything – just believe!

This is what we typically refer to as the easy-believism or free grace gospel. It essentially teaches that a person is saved by God when they profess faith in the tenets of the gospel and make some appeal to God to save them. The emphasis of this evangelistic approach is winning souls by helping people understand the gospel and helping them ask God to save. Most importantly, those who hold to the “easy-believism” philosophy do not believe that repentance is a necessary component of the gospel and do not believe that one must submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ in order to be saved. This is something that is done subsequent to salvation if the person so chooses to make such a commitment to God, but belief is all you need to be saved.

The danger of the easy-believism gospel is that it oftentimes leads to shallow, fake professions of faith leaving people thinking they are saved when they are really not. They go on to believe they will go to heaven (and are warned not to doubt it!) even though they do not show any evidence of salvation in their lives. Jesus said that it is difficult to enter into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:23-25). Why would He have said these things if faith really is as easy as some say?

Looking at the issue biblically, we come to see that repentance and faith are completely inseparable. There are times when the Bible shows that we need to believe in order to be saved (John 3:16). There are times when the Bible shows that we need to repent in order to be saved (Mark 6:12; Acts 3:19). And in Mark 1:15, Jesus brings the two terms together (cf. Paul in Acts 20:21). The reason for this is that you can’t have one without the other.

Repentance is the act of turning from our sins. Those who demonstrate true repentance exhibit genuine remorse for their sin against God and turn from their sin. Faith is the act of turning towards God, but you can’t turn to God unless you turn around first. This is because the direction of our sin is away from God (Rom. 3:11-12; cf. Isa. 53:6). In order to turn to face God, we must turn away from our sin. In this way, repentance and faith are two perspectives of our conversion – two sides of the same coin. Just as faith is a necessary part of the gospel, repentance is also a necessary part of the gospel. This is why Jesus preached a gospel of repentance and He preached a gospel of faith. This is why the Apostles did the same. Whenever faith is spoken of in the Bible, by necessity repentance is implied, and whenever repentance is spoken of, faith is implied.

Some argue against preaching repentance because they say it amounts to teaching salvation by works. They say that preaching repentance is like telling people they need to change in order for God to save them. But the gospel calls for a response. We sometimes forget that both faith and repentance are commanded by God (cf. Acts 16:31; 1 Cor. 1:21; Acts 17:30; Mark 1:15). Not only this, but both faith and repentance are described as granted by God (cf. Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:24-25). Both are received by a person by the grace of God. Just as God is the one who brings about faith in the unbelieving heart, so God is the one who brings about repentance in the unbelieving heart. Salvation is entirely God’s work.

Biblically, you cannot have one without the other. To call people to follow Christ in faith is to call them to turn from their sins, forsake this world, and submit to Christ. The genuine believer is not just the one who understands the facts of the gospel and believes them to be true. He also understands that the gospel has implications for his life. In Christ, he has a new life, a new allegiance, and a new citizenship. The old passes away and new things come (2 Cor. 5:17). It would be foolish to bank on some experience as the surety of your salvation. Perhaps you prayed a prayer at a retreat as a child, or maybe you walked an aisle during an altar call. The evidence for true saving faith is not the sincerity you felt when you asked Jesus to come into your heart. The evidence of saving faith is the changed life that resulted as the outcome of that confession.