Do You Truly Have the Assurance of Salvation? John Giftah | Christian Sermon

0:01 Speaker 1: Do you ever look around and think, Wow, the world is a crazy place and it just seems to get crazier and crazier. Ease your mind and take a break. This is Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. We're a hub for inspirational Christian sermons, practical keys for Christian living, in Christian discussions and interviews. You'll be inspired to live the life that you were created for. Your host is a top ranking podcaster, best selling author, world record holder, aerospace engineer, life coach, evangelist and founder of John Gifta International.

0:41 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta.

0:45 Speaker 2: Hello everyone, Welcome to this edition of the Fuel for the Soul with John gift Podcast. As if we're celebrating or remembering what Jesus did on Thecross two thousand years ago, this Good Friday, this old week, we've been studying various aspects which recurud to the incident twittercard to the two thieves on the Cross with encountering Jesus, and I really recommend you to go back and check that. But today I want to just conclude this. When Jesus was replying to this man, this is something that you might know it's just a generic thing this, But then I just wanted to put it out there to remind you and make sure that we're all in the same page.

1:19 Speaker 2: Tootcard to this. And when this man says, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I shared with you in one of the recent segments, how that expression, that language he used shows that he looked at Jesus as king, and he looked at him as one who had a kingdom right. He didn't look at him for what he saw on the outside, the one who was beaten, the one who was nailed, the one who seemed helpless. He didn't look at how he saw things from the outside. But he looked at him as king, and he said, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

1:52 Speaker 2: And Jesus responds to that man, and he says, today you will be with me in paradise. Today he will be with me in paradise. There's so much to unpact, so much to learn in this when Jesus was saying this to him. But this is an assurance for each one of us that this man did not have to wait for some day. In the sweet buy and back, he said, today you will be with me in paradise today you will be today. Like he knows he's going to die today. He was telling him, listen, man, you're going to die today and you're going to be with me.

2:27 Speaker 2: I'm also going to you know, die and we're going to see each other. We're going to be together in paradise. I'm going to be with you. You're going to be with me. You see. That's the essence that when we give our life to Christ, the situation around us may not change. Like for example, when he said it, he was still on the cross. His physical situation did not change. The pain probably increase more. He was in deeper like anguish and you know, can't wait to die kind of fulfil the It would have felt very torturous.

3:02 Speaker 2: But Jesus cave this word saying today you will be, which meants which meant that here's the thing. Your situation around may not change, but the word has transformed you, or the promise is what sustains you, or the fact that you have repented has set you this assurance that today, any minute, when you pass from planet to Earth, you're not going to be forgotten. You're going to be with me in paradise. This is a lesson to us or a reminder to all of us that, you know what, no matter how the situation is, we have that assurance that when we connect with Jesus, things change.

3:47 Speaker 2: Today you may be saying, oh, I'm a Christian. My question is do you personally have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have that actual assurance and conviction from the top of your to the source of your feet, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. Do you have that assurance that if you pass from planetre today, if you stop breathing, your heart stops beating, or the roof over your head comes down, do you have the assurance that you will be with Jesus or do you have fear?

4:23 Speaker 2: Do you have doubt? Do you have anxiety? Do you have anything that's giving you a feeling like maybe what if I don't make it to Heaven? What if I don't be with Jesus? What if I land in hell today? Let me tell you something. This man, you know, if Jesus said you know you have to do some good deeds by then you know, then only you can come. This man is stuck. He can't do anything right. See, I'm not saying is this a place for good deeds? You can't say, you know what I'm saying, And I can do whatever bad I want.

4:52 Speaker 2: I can live in a sinful life. That's a different thing. I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is this man had nothing to prove, he had nothing. Only he could do at that moment was believe and confess. Believe and confess. That's why the Bible says in the Book of Romans, believe in your mouth. So believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you will be saved. This is all that happened. Nothing changed in the physical, nothing changed, you know, emotionally or even mentally for that matter, probably, But one thing is true.

5:21 Speaker 2: That is assurance that when he passes, he's not going to be lost. He's going to be with Jesus. He's going to be with Jesus. And there's a reason why I'm not mentioning or specifying the aspect when he said he will be with me in paradise. I don't want to us to word paradise right now, because now that Jesus died and the veil is already removed, now when when we parts, we actually go to be with Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of the Father. Right, So we don't have the aspect of paradise, right, Paradise existed before Jesus finished the work on the cross.

6:03 Speaker 2: Right, So all of this, Abraham and all of them, initially they were in paradise, you know though. But the through is the when Jesus died, those who had died in Christ they also got up. Okay, there's there's a deep teaching to it. I'd probably teach that another time. But but then that's the thing. So let's not get complicated with the theology of you know, the paradise or heaven at this point. But the message for us is that assurance. Today you die, the next breath you breathe will be with Jesus.

6:37 Speaker 2: That's what the Possible said, Like you here, you breathe your last the next breath that you want to take is going to be in the presence of the Lord. Do you have that assurance? And I pray that today If you don't have that assurance, lit today be that reminder for you. This good Friday will be a real good Friday for you where you will say, Jesus helped me have that assurance. I believe in what you did on the cross for me. You died for my sins so that I will experience the gift of eternal life. Not someday, not in the sweet by and by, but today I'm on that assurance that any minute I pass, any minute I die, I will be with you in paradise.

7:23 Speaker 2: I will be with you forever. I will be with you through all eternity. And I just want to, you know, close with this quick example from my life. Even though I've been a minister of the Gospel and a believer for ever since I was young, there was this moment where I used to get these anxiety attacks or panic attacks in the middle of the night, this fear of like if I die, will I really go to Heaven? Or am I going to go to Hell. I'll tell you also this that I have had encounters where I have seen Hell, so I know how bad Hell is like, not to their extent like where some have seen, but I've seen glimpses and they were horrible in itself.

8:08 Speaker 2: People who have experienced Hell in a different dimension. It's totally scary, It's totally it's not a place for us. It's definitely not a place for us. But and it's also not the gospel to scare people saying you don't want to go to help come to Jesus. I don't want that as well. But the truth is Hell is I do scary and being a minister, it was very hypocritical. You're preaching salvation, but you are getting these you know, anxiety or panic attacks in the middle of the night with a cold sweat and you know, like a fear that groups me like, you know, if I die, now, where am I going?

8:44 Speaker 2: And that is the moment when I encountered these you know, this message by this interview of pastor John Burke, who's run owned in the area of near that text experiences and he was on the Sean Ryan Show where he shared about things and listening to that, you know, helped me get that assurance of how people of different faiths and backgrounds when they died, the other experiences when people actually clinically die see him and on hell and then they come back to life. And I'm telling honestly that you know, entire thing helped me so much that all those panic attacks stopped and I was more convinced ever that Jesus is the way, the truth and life because people of different faiths and backgrounds, everyone encountering the God of the Bible.

9:45 Speaker 2: And here's the thing. You might know this, but I've also got the chance to listen to interview him on my podcast. You can go down on the podcast platform to check it out, or you can check it out easily on YouTube as well. But just the thing, I want to tell you that today, even if you feel or you're dealing with something similar to what I'm shared, I just want to challenge you maybe check this out because it really helped me, because apologetics did not help me, but this helped me to be more rooted in knowing and having that conviction that Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and only life.

10:24 Speaker 2: And maybe that will help you to really walk with that assurance of salvation. And last year I even had an experience which I can't clinically prove, but I believe I had like an indie myself where I saw my body down and when I was very sick, saw my body down I'm going up, very similar to how people experience when they experience indies. Near the experiences, and I heard an audible voice from Jesus saying, go back to your body. And I got back and I came. I can't prove this to you. If you believe it, believe it.

10:54 Speaker 2: If you don't, it's fine, But I want to share these to let you know that Jesus, this Israel. The message to the Gospel Israel. So I challenged that you will have that assurance of eternal life. Amen. God bless you.

11:11 Speaker 1: You've been listening to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. We hope you were blessed and inspired to live the life that God has for you. Make sure to subscribe to the John gifted YouTube channel for regular uploads of sermons, skits, interviews, and more. Follow John Gifta on Instagram for regular inspirational posts, and don't forget to check out the best selling books written by John Gifta, Who Am I which will help you understand your identity and the latest number one best seller Unveil your Purpose, helping you discover your purpose and to start walking in it.

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