John 5:24-27
24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
NKJV
John 6:34-35
34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
NKJV
John 6:46-50
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.
47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
NKJV
Acts 13:38-39
38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;
39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
NKJV
Romans 4:5-8
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."
NKJV
Romans 10:3-4
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
NKJV
Romans 10:10-13
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
NKJV
1 John 5:4-5
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
NKJV
1 John 5:9-13
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
NKJV
The assurance is based on being obedient to doing what Jesus commaned.
John 10:27-28 (KJV)
27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand.
To follow Jesus means to do what He did. It's not a pasive word......sitting in church every week listing to the pastor and putting money in the collection plate is not what Jesus meant by following Him. Jesus was involved in the community and one of the things He did was healed those who needed healing.
Luke 4:40 (NASB)
40 While the sun was setting, all those who had any
who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.
Acts 10:38 (ASV)
38
even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Jesus also preached the kingdom of God. He even said that was what He was sent to preach.
Luke 4:43-44 (KJV)
43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
Jesus commaned His people to preach the kingdom of God and to use their gifts.
Luke 9:60 (KJV)
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Matthew 25:14-15 (KJV)
14 For
the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country,
who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
The use of the gifts they were given will determine what they will recieve when Jesus returns.
Matthew 25:16-30
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made
them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that
had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
But those who didn't use the gifts they were given by Jesus will be cast out......they will not make it.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo,
there thou hast
that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him,
Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and
then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give
it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The one who refused to use the gifts he or she was given is regarded and wicked and lazy. Lazy, because the person knew the reason he or she was given their gifts, but they didn't anyway. Wicked, because by not using their gifts, they deprived others of the benefit they would have gotton. Jesus in that parable didn't accept the lazy servant's excuse, because even if he didn't know how to use what he was given, he could have at least went to those who were the experts and have them help him.
And in regards to the gospel of the kingdom of God, Jesus said the end will come when that message is preached to all Nations.
Matthew 24:14 (ASV)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
It's not God's people who should be waiting for Jesus to return, but rather, it is God who is waiting on His people to preach the kingdom of God to all Nations. People always want to know when Jesus will return, and Jesus in Matthew 24:14 tells us when......when the gospel of the kingdom of God begines to be preach to all Nations. We don't know the day or the hour, but we know the time.
Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God is all of God's people's responsiblity. But to preach it, you have to know what it is or what's it's not. The gospel of the kingdom of God is not about Grace, Calvery or preaching about Jesus.