The central idea
“The test of salvation.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith explicitly identifies this recording as part two of the sermon “Stay Saved.” It continues from salvation's truth to salvation's test, then presents the Holy Spirit's anointing as God's transforming power in believers.
Using 1 John 2:18–20, Pastor Jeffery L. Smith warns that faith is tested not only by trouble, but also by religious language and teaching that sets itself against Christ. His pastoral answer is both disciplined and hopeful: learn the Bible, practice its precepts, resist the pull of pretenders and false doctrine, and follow the Spirit who gives believers power, conviction, and direction.
Verified sermon movements
Three movements stated in the sermon
“We are called to reflect what we have confessed.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith begins Part 2 by asking how the congregation actually did at staying saved during the previous week. That question reconnects the sermon’s practical dimension—responding faithfully when people and circumstances press one’s nerves—with its theological dimension: those who are truly saved are eternally saved through Christ’s work.
Security is not permission for careless living. Pastor Jeffery L. Smith says believers remain accountable for how they live and carry the Christian banner. Genuine redemption should produce gratitude for grace, a desire to please God, visible conduct that resembles the faith confessed, and conviction when a believer acts in a way that does not look like Christ.
“We must consciously, conscientiously and consistently give our absolute best effort to live as if we are saved.”
The sermon does not demand sinless perfection, but it does demand intention. Christian identity should become visible enough that people can recognize a believer without needing a slogan or church shirt to announce it.
“It is not a license to say or do whatever you want to do and live any way you want to.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith directly rejects using eternal security as moral permission. Salvation establishes accountability rather than removing it.
“Genuine redemption ought to give us a desire to want to live saved.”
A changed desire is treated as evidence of grace. The believer may still struggle, but should increasingly want to honor the God who loved, forgave, and redeemed them.
“If you’re a true believer and you mess up, you ought to feel some level of conviction.”
Conviction is the inner interruption that tells the believer a retaliatory or sinful response did not resemble Christ. It does not replace grace; it is one way grace calls the believer back toward faithful conduct.
Verbatim subpoints
- 1:08:37“We must consciously, conscientiously and consistently give our absolute best effort to live as if we are saved.”
- 1:09:43“We are called to reflect what we have confessed.”
- 1:11:13“It is not a license to say or do whatever you want to do and live any way you want to.”
- 1:12:27“Genuine redemption ought to give us a desire to want to live saved.”
- 1:15:24“If you’re a true believer and you mess up, you ought to feel some level of conviction.”
“The test of salvation.”
Verses 18–19 move from the truth of salvation to its test. Pastor Jeffery L. Smith says faith is tested by circumstances and by faulty or false doctrine. Biblical precepts provide instructions that guide conduct; those precepts must become practice through prayer, fasting, Bible reading, worship, and other spiritual disciplines. Without those disciplines, believers may not recognize ideas and teachers that oppose Christ.
The sermon distinguishes the coming Antichrist from the many antichrists already present and defines the latter as people or teaching set against Christ. Pastor Jeffery L. Smith warns about voices that misuse God’s word, work, and way for likes, followers, money, or personal importance. Social media can carry the gospel, but a Christian platform should point to the cross rather than replace Christ with the personality using the platform.
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith applies verse 19 to contemporary deconversion—the public abandonment of Christianity for another religion, generalized spiritualism, agnosticism, atheism, or no religion. His response is not to pretend believers have every answer, but to refuse walking away from God because of what remains unanswered. The test may come through pretenders, tribulation, temptation, non-Christ-centered doctrine, doubt, dislike, or jealousy; the repeated charge is still to stay saved.
“Your faith will be tested.”
The test is intellectual, relational, and circumstantial. Knowing what one believes about Jesus and the cross gives stability when experience or competing doctrine tries to disorient faith.
“You gotta know precepts from the Bible, so you can practice the precepts.”
Biblical knowledge is ordered toward behavior. Pastor Jeffery L. Smith describes growth as precept upon precept and line upon line—often gradual, but still measurable when believers look back at how far God has brought them.
“You gotta have spiritual disciplines in your life.”
Prayer, fasting, Bible reading, and worship train discernment. These practices are presented as protection against spiritual claims that use familiar language while leading away from Christ.
“Our platform on social media ought to always point to the cross.”
The sermon does not reject technology or online ministry. It establishes a criterion: Christian communication should give God glory and carry the gospel rather than use the gospel to magnify the communicator.
“Don’t give up on God, ’cause you don’t have all the answers.”
Unanswered questions are acknowledged without being allowed to become automatic reasons for abandonment. The pastoral appeal is to remain with God while continuing to learn, rather than trading Christ for every new “ism” or confident online claim.
“You’ll be tested by pretenders, but stay saved.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith expands the test into a litany of pressures and people. The believer’s salvation should be valued too highly to surrender it to a deceiver, temptation, hostile relationship, or passing doctrine.
Verbatim subpoints
- 1:16:38“The test of salvation.”
- 1:17:01“Your faith will be tested.”
- 1:19:35“You gotta know precepts from the Bible, so you can practice the precepts.”
- 1:19:45“You gotta have spiritual disciplines in your life.”
- 1:21:49“Our platform on social media ought to always point to the cross.”
- 1:24:15“Don’t give up on God, ’cause you don’t have all the answers.”
- 1:25:13“You’ll be tested by pretenders, but stay saved.”
“We will be transformed because of salvation.”
Verse 20 supplies the answer to the pressure of verses 18–19: believers have an unction, or an anointing, from the Holy One. Pastor Jeffery L. Smith identifies the anointing with the teaching ministry, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit. It is available to every believer rather than owned by one denomination or church tradition.
The sermon develops the anointing through an extended series of effects. The anointing carries God’s power and presence, fulfills God’s purpose, releases God’s protection, facilitates God’s provision, secures and seals believers, changes and improves them, enables better conduct, breaks yokes, strengthens prayer, and makes believers wiser and stronger. Its authority comes from the Holy One—God the Father through Jesus the Son, active by the Holy Spirit.
Transformation becomes practical when the Spirit interrupts a believer who begins to walk away, pulls that person back, and says, “Follow me.” Pastor Jeffery L. Smith closes by inviting hearers to be sure they are saved, publicly confess their desire to stay saved, and know that God’s Spirit is present to keep, change, redirect, and lead them.
“The anointing refers to the teaching ministry of the Holy Ghost, of the Holy Spirit.”
The unction is not presented as excitement without content. The Spirit teaches truth, equips discernment, and supplies the divine power needed to endure the test of salvation.
“The Holy Ghost is available to every believer.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith pushes across denominational divisions, naming Baptist, Church of God in Christ, Methodist, and Catholic believers to insist that the Holy Spirit is not the property of a single tradition.
“The anointing is the power of God.”
Power is immediately joined to presence, purpose, protection, and provision. The sermon’s list prevents the anointing from being reduced to performance; it is God actively forming and sustaining Christian life.
“The reason the anointing is powerful is because it comes from the Holy One.”
The source determines the anointing’s authority. It comes from the sinless God through Jesus Christ and is made present through the Holy Spirit, keeping the sermon’s teaching centered on the triune work of God.
“If you got God’s Holy Ghost, it will help you stay saved.”
Pastor Jeffery L. Smith embodies the point by showing the Spirit catching a believer by the collar, restraining departure, and redirecting the person to follow. The Holy Spirit keeps and changes believers while also calling for their willing obedience.
Verbatim subpoints
- 1:28:10“We will be transformed because of salvation.”
- 1:28:38“The anointing refers to the teaching ministry of the Holy Ghost, of the Holy Spirit.”
- 1:28:58“The Holy Ghost is available to every believer.”
- 1:29:37“The anointing is the power of God.”
- 1:31:27“The reason the anointing is powerful is because it comes from the Holy One.”
- 1:37:24“If you got God’s Holy Ghost, it will help you stay saved.”
Timestamped highlights
Highlighted phrases
- 1:04:05“You have an unction from the Holy One.”
- 1:04:55“We’re going to continue with part two of this sermon called ‘Stay Saved.’”
- 1:08:37“We must consciously, conscientiously and consistently give our absolute best effort to live as if we are saved.”
- 1:08:46“Give our absolute best effort to live as if we are saved.”
- 1:09:43“We are called to reflect what we have confessed.”
- 1:11:13“It is not a license to say or do whatever you want to do and live any way you want to.”
- 1:12:27“Genuine redemption ought to give us a desire to want to live saved.”
- 1:15:24“If you’re a true believer and you mess up, you ought to feel some level of conviction.”
- 1:16:38“The test of salvation.”
- 1:17:01“Your faith will be tested.”
- 1:19:35“You gotta know precepts from the Bible, so you can practice the precepts.”
- 1:19:45“You gotta have spiritual disciplines in your life.”
- 1:20:33“The spirit of Antichrists is those that are against Christ.”
- 1:21:49“Our platform on social media ought to always point to the cross.”
- 1:24:15“Don’t give up on God, ’cause you don’t have all the answers.”
- 1:25:13“You’ll be tested by pretenders, but stay saved.”
- 1:28:10“We will be transformed because of salvation.”
- 1:28:38“The anointing refers to the teaching ministry of the Holy Ghost, of the Holy Spirit.”
- 1:28:58“The Holy Ghost is available to every believer.”
- 1:29:37“The anointing is the power of God.”
- 1:31:27“The reason the anointing is powerful is because it comes from the Holy One.”
- 1:37:24“If you got God’s Holy Ghost, it will help you stay saved.”
One-sentence takeaway