Jim Van Gelderen: Welcome to the Thee Generation Podcast. This is Jim Van Gelderen broadcasting from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Well, we are excited about the fact that the summer has begun and so many exciting things. I know myself, I’ll be in different places.

Ministering already have been. Uh, Mr. Bobby Bosler, who often speaks on the podcast, will be taking the team out all summer long. You may want to go to colon slash dot org and see where his team will be.

Maybe you’ll be close, but I’d also like to mention something that’s coming up this fall, and this will be the third time we’ve done it is the colon slash plus. And that is a really it’s the the Generation Youth Summit. And this will be our third one. And each year it’s grown, I anticipate it will grow again this year, probably about three hundred, maybe more young people competing in some of those games you remember from the war or War of Special Forces.

The only difference is there’ll be four teams on the field in a kind of a square. It’s very intense, it’s exciting, and we’d love for you to be a part of it. You can go to colon slash dot org slash plus if you’d like some more information about the colon slash plus. And it is something that we have really been thrilled how the Lord has worked in many hearts, and kids have really made some life changing decisions.

So look at that. Pray about coming to the The Generation Youth Summit. That’s October eleventh to the thirteenth this coming fall and might be good now to start looking for plane tickets. Or if you can drive, that’s fine too.

Uh, but we would just want to, to tell you about that. It’s something that is really been growing and is very exciting, particularly spiritually in people’s hearts. Well, today I’d like to just spend a few moments challenging you about something that I have found as a major problem. Many times when I ask teenagers, uh, with heads bowed and eyes closed, how many of you have ever struggled with the assurance of your salvation?

It’s not unusual to have at least fifty percent. Most of the time, near seventy five percent of the young people raise their hand. Now, from that, it certainly indicates to me that it is a problem. Over the years, I have had many young people talk to me about the fact that they weren’t sure they were saved and were deeply concerned about it.

Uh, years ago, I was preaching at a school camp late at night. There was a knock at the door. I opened the door. Probably the biggest guy in the school, probably six foot three, two hundred and twenty pounds, stood there and you could tell he was trying to contain his emotion.

Uh, he stepped in. He sat down. I said, Tim, how can I help you? And I remember he looked at me and basically, in essence said, you know, I’m not sure I’m saved.

Can you help me, uh, know whether or not I truly am born again? Young people struggle with that. Now. Why do young people struggle with that?

Well, there could be many reasons. Sometimes it’s as simple as the fact that you were saved younger and maybe don’t remember everything. And that certainly can be, uh, something to cause young people assurance problems. But most of the time it comes from your own life.

Many times young people say, how could I be saved? And then fill in the blank? And in that blank you say, how can I be saved? And look at what I.

Some things I look at or how can I be saved and treat my parents the way I do? And how can I be saved and think the thoughts that I do. Now, all of those issues and more that young people struggle with are issues. But you know, young person, the key to overcoming those sin habits is the fact that you know you’re saved.

Because if you’re saved, the very person of power, the Lord Jesus lives in you, and he’s the one that you need to look to, to overcome those sinful habits. So you say, well, preacher, I do some of these things. How could I know that I’m saved? Well, there’s a verse of scripture that’s fairly familiar, but I want to give it to you from First John, chapter number five, the apostle John writes, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye might know that ye have eternal life, and that ye might believe on the name of the Son of God.

Now if you notice, what he wrote was to people who believe on the name of the Son of God. So they were saved people, but they clearly didn’t know they were saved. Because I’ve written this, he said to you, that ye might know that ye have eternal life. So that indicates you can be a believer in Jesus Christ and not know you’re saved for whatever reason.

Usually a lack of assurance comes from the fact you’re looking for assurance of salvation in the wrong place. The only true place for assurance of salvation is in Jesus. If you look to yourself to try to determine whether you’re saved by your own performance or the fact that you do good things or don’t do certain things, uh, that’s looking for assurance in the wrong place. Real assurance of salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, verse number one of First John five says, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. The one mark of a believer is just that he’s a believer. That means he’s a truster. He’s a defender in the Lord Jesus.

In other words, young person, if I were to ask you, what are you trusting for eternal life and sins forgiven? The only answer that suffices in light of Scripture is the fact as a hell bound sinner, you trusted Jesus Christ to wash your sins away, keep you out of hell, give you eternal life, and you can look into your heart at this very moment and see that your trust and hope for sins forgiven and eternal life is in the fact that Jesus loved you, died on the cross, shed his blood, rose again the third day conquered sin, death, and hell, and paid the awful price for your sin and for eternal separation from God in hell. And you’re trusting Jesus to do everything for you, for salvation, things that you could never do. Now that’s how you know you’re saved.

And if you’re out there and have been doubting your salvation because of what you do or don’t do, remember, friend, assurance of salvation comes because you’re resting in what Jesus has done for you. If you got saved younger and you’re not sure what happened the moment you got saved, well, right at this very moment, it’s just good for you to say, well, my only hope is Jesus. My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever living one.

His wounds for me shall bleed. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.

The songwriter put it well. And if you do that right now, that gives you assurance. I’m saved. My only hope is Jesus.

I’m trusting him for eternal salvation. Now, I hope this podcast will help you, friend, because the whole key in having victory over sin is an assurance that the victor, Jesus Christ, lives in you. Are you trusting him? Are you depending on him?

Can you right now, look into your heart and see that all your hope is built on the Lord Jesus and the fact he died for you and shed his blood? I hope you can leave this podcast with a joy in your heart that Jesus Christ has saved you. Now remember, for all of you out here in the V generation, remember our battle cry. It’s total surrender to the will of God and of total dependence on Jesus to do his will.