Apostasy and Perseverance
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[00:00:00] Good morning.
If you'll turn to your, in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter six. Amen. Hebrews chapter six. We're actually gonna take a running start. I'm gonna start in chapter five. I'm gonna start in verse 12, but if you, if you're able, if you would please stand and hear this for what it is, God's word. Just to refresh our memories beginning in Hebrews chapter five, the 12th verse,
actually verse 11, concerning him speaking of Christ. Speaking of our high priest after the order of melek concerning him, we have much to say and it's [00:01:00] hard to explain. Since you have become dull for though, by this time, you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you, to teach you the ABCs, the elementary principles of God's word, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness. He's an infant, but solid food is for the mature who, because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Messiah, let us press on the maturity, not laying again, a foundation of repentance from dead works of faith toward God, of instructions about washing and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead in eternal judgment.
And this we will do if God permits for in the case of those who have once been enlightened, [00:02:00] have tasted of the heavenly gift have been made, partakers of a Holy Spirit, have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and have fallen away. It is impossible to renew them again to repentance since they, again crucify to themselves the son of God and put him to open shame.
For ground that drinks the rain, which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those, for whose sake it was tilled. They receive a blessing from God, but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed and it ends up being burned. May God add a blessing to the reading, the hearing, and the correct understanding of his word.
Please be seated.
We start Hebrews chapter six today, but we're gonna do a little bit different. Today is gonna be more of an introduction to prepare you for what chapter [00:03:00] six says. You see, unfortunately, there's a debate amongst Christians today, and it asks the question, and I'm just gonna ask it the way you normally hear it.
Can a Christian lose their salvation? Can a Christian lose his or her salvation? And this text that we're gonna look at. Specifically verses four through eight is one of the chief texts that is often referred to. So now I'm gonna tweak the question just a little bit. Not much can a born again Christian and kids.
This is in your outline, John chapter three, verse three. You may have to look it up, but can a born again Christian and literally in the text it's literally can a born from above Christian. And I just want to note one thing. One who is born from above has nothing to do with their birth. God does something to them.
Can a born [00:04:00] from above elect chosen by God before the foundation of the world? Ephesians chapter one, verse four. Can a born from above elect believer lose their salvation? That's how we should ask the question. Is that possible? And I want you to think about this before we even move on. You see, most evangelicals, I dare say all evangelicals, this is kind of one of those qualifying evangelical marks.
But all evangelicals would argue that I can do nothing to earn my salvation. It is a work of God. And God alone. We've been, we went over that series. God alone, Christ alone. Grace alone, faith alone. I can do nothing to earn my salvation. But then we want to come through the back door and we have the arrogance to think that I can ruin it.
I [00:05:00] can't earn it. It has to be a work of God, but somehow on my own, I can dismantle what God has done. That's what we're asking.
Can a born from above elect believer? Lose their salvation. Number one on your sermon outline. Some clarifications. Some clarifications. And I wanna begin with definitions. And I thought since our statement of faith is the Westminster, I thought I would read from chapter 17, and I'm just gonna read a portion of the first two paragraphs.
And what I wanna do here is define what I mean by what has historically been called the perseverance or the preservation. Of the saints and that's actually two sides of the same coin. So in chapter 17 to the Westminster Confession of Faith, we read this. They whom God has accepted in his beloved, they whom God has accepted in Christ effectually, called [00:06:00] sanctified by his spirit, can neither totally nor finely lose, fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein.
To the end and be eternally saved. Paragraph two. This perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the father, upon the efficacy and merit and intercession of Christ Jesus, the abiding of the spirit.
And of the seed of God within them and the nature of the covenant of grace. So when I ask the question, can a Christian, and I'll just shorthand it, can a Christian lose their salvation? I am talking about the doctrine of perseverance. We as Christians, we are to persevere. We are to strive, to continue to believe in Christ Jesus.
But I'm also talking about the doctrine of [00:07:00] preservation because God preserves us the. Uh, council of dot, uh, put it this way. The cannons of dot put it this way. Just another way to understand this, those saved by sovereign grace, God preserves those saved by sovereign grace. God preserves so that they persevere until the end, even though they may be troubled by many infirmities, many sins as they seek to make their calling an election.
Sure. It goes on to say, all who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They're kept in the faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end. Or if you just want the common way that you're gonna hear this once saved, always saved. And just so you know, so there's no mistake.
So there's no misunderstanding. That is the position of this church. If you are truly saved by God, if you are [00:08:00] truly born again, if you were chosen before the foundation of the world and you come to faith in Jesus Christ, you cannot fall away. Does the Bible support that? So we need to make some distinctions, and one of the distinctions I wanna make, and this might be new to some of you, and you're gonna have to go home and think about this, but my question is, what is a Christian?
What does it mean to be a Christian? You see, we use that term in a very gracious way, and in fact we actually use that term Christian in a way, very different from scripture. It's only used three times in scripture in the first two times. It's used in the, the Book of Acts chapter 11 and chapter 26, and it's a pejorative term.
It's not a compliment. You Christians, Peter uses it in a good way. In first Peter, chapter four. But it's only used three times. So what is a Christian? Is there a difference? And I've already answered this question. The answer is yes. Is there a [00:09:00] difference between saving faith and historical faith? Saving faith and temporary faith.
You see, according to the parable of the sower, many come to faith in Christ Jesus and yet some fall away. Can we call those who fell away? Can we call that saving faith? And I would submit to you, no, we cannot now. I'm going to give you at least two mini logic lessons today, okay? And homeschool moms. This is for you because I know there's going to come a day in your curriculum that you're gonna introduce logic.
Either an online course, you're gonna take it on yourself, or it would be my dream to do it here at the church. Uh, but, uh, some things in logic, and that's an equal sign. You see, an equal sign means something different in logic than it means in math. In math, it goes both directions. Four equals two plus two.
Two plus two equals four. But it doesn't always work that way in logic. So let me give you an example. To be a man equals to be male, [00:10:00] right? You should agree with that. To be a man equals your a male, but it doesn't work. The other way to be a male does not necessarily equal. You're a man you see to be male, you can be a boy to be male.
You can be an infant to be male, you can be a dog.
To be elect equals you're a Christian. To be elect equals you're a Christian, but the reverse is not necessarily true. To be a Christian does not necessarily equal your elect. You see the term Christian, the description Christian is a covenant description. All it means is you have made a profession of faith.
It means that you have made a profession of faith and you're currently in good standing, but only God knows your heart. And there have been scores, sadly, of those who have professed faith, those who have claimed the name of Christ and yet they've walked away from [00:11:00] Christ. You see, the Bible doesn't use the term Christian as synonymous with elect as synonymous with Born Again.
It is a covenant description of those who have confessed Christ, those who have been baptized, those who have initially decided to follow Christ. But you see, the test of saving faith is a life saving faith is not a moment. Saving faith is not praying a prayer. Saving faith is not throwing an acorn into a fireplace.
Saving faith is a lifetime well lived. Saving faith comes from an internal change brought about by the spirit of God that changes us and makes us a new Christian, and our life will evidence that. So we need to be careful when we talk about faith, when we talk about can a Christian lose their salvation?
And the last thing, the last distinction that I wanna make is, this is not a standalone doctrine to truly [00:12:00] understand this question. One saved, always saved. There's other doctrines that we need to understand, many of which we've touched on election. Ephesians chapter one, God chose us. God elected us before the foundation of the world.
This is tied to that doctrine, the atonement. We've talked a lot about the atonement here in the book of Hebrews, and we'll talk more about it, but one's understanding of the atonement. Did Jesus go to the cross to make something possible, or did Jesus go to the cross to guarantee something? And depending on how you understand that, it affects your understanding of this question.
Grace. What does it mean to be saved by Sovereign grace? So this is not a standalone doctrine, but there's a lot of other doctrines that are tied to it. Number two, on your outline, expectation of perseverance. Preservation in the book of Hebrews, I submit to you. And we're just gonna do kind of an overview real quick, [00:13:00] uh, before we dig into Hebrews chapter six.
And just so you know what we're gonna do next week. Uh, Sean is going to be filling the pulpit. Sean's gonna preach next week. I would ask for your prayers. I'm gonna be in Tucson all week, helping my brother. Uh, you all know the story of my brother, uh, Sean, pray for me. Uh, but Sean will fill the pulpit next week.
The week after that, we'll celebrate Christmas, and then the week after that, we'll be back in Hebrews six. But in order to prepare for that, I would submit that the author of Hebrews expected. Perseverance and preservation. So we're gonna do a quick fly by and kids, before we go there, one more thing, and I think this will help moms and dads as well, but on your outline, kids, I wanna one more time just cover the definition of what I'm talking about.
So kids on your outline. Perseverance, that's what we do. Perseverance is to believe in Christ, to strive to obey him and be [00:14:00] faithful to him as King of kings and Lord of Lords. Preservation is what God does. All the while that we strive to obey. All the while God guards, protects and keeps us so kids. One more question on your handout.
Do Born Again, born from Above Christians continue to sin And the answer is sadly yes. We still have residual sin in our life. We still continue to sin, but we fight against it. And how do we fight against it? We fight against it by confession, by repentance and striving with the help of the Holy Spirit to obey.
And moms and dads, if you're taking notes, we strive against it by being in accountability relationships. We find someone who will call out our sin. We strive against it by fellowship, by our best friends or Christians. We hang around with Christians more than anybody else. And I'm not saying you can't have unbelieving friends.
You need to have unbelieving friends. But our best [00:15:00] friends are believers and we fellowship often. We fight against it by prayer. We fight against it by church on Sundays. Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter nine, and this is going to be a summary. We're gonna fly through some of these verses and just so you know, in your bulletin on the handout with the discussion questions, I've included an additional 44 verses that you can study on your own.
So add to all the different passages we're gonna look at today, 44 additional verses, but in Hebrews chapter nine, verse 12. Again, we're gonna fly through some of this. And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered the holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption.
Couple of things there. The phraseology once for all therein reference to time, okay? It is not saying that Jesus died once for everybody. It's saying that Jesus died once for all time. He [00:16:00] went to the cross, he died and his death was acceptable and it never had to be repeated. Unlike the high priests in the Old Testament, and what did his death accomplish?
Literally, he obtained, and I'm not gonna bore you with all the grammar, but I'll point out the highlights. It was successful, it was complete, it was accomplished. He obtained eternal redemption. He didn't make it possible, but for those for whom Jesus Christ died, he obtained their never ending redemption.
Verse 13, for if the blood of goats and bulls in the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctified for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
You see, Christ's death accomplishes something. It earns eternal salvation and it [00:17:00] literally cleanses our conscience. And the writer will go on to talk about the Old Testament saints whose conscience was never cleansed because year after year after year, they had to make sacrifice not so with Christ.
Also, the author is making a certain kind of argument here. He's arguing from the lesser. If bulls and goats as types and shadows work the way they were supposed to work, how much more will the perfect blood of Jesus Christ work? Look at verse 15. For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. So that since the death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, and a couple of things to point out.
A death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions. Words in Greek function different than words in English. This, this little three letter word, four, it [00:18:00] speaks of result, it speaks of purpose. And what the author is saying here without using a single verb, is that Jesus Christ's death resulted in accomplished redemption.
He redeemed the transgressions of those in the old covenant. He redeemed our transgression. It resulted in redemption. It was successful. Those who have been called may receive the promise. Now, here's another word that we have to make a distinction between English and Greek. In English, we read words like May as a possibility, those who have been called so that they might possibly receive the promise.
That's one way you could read it in English. You cannot read it that way. In Greek this, this word may, and the grammatical construction, again, it looks at purpose. Yeah, those who have been called the idea there is will receive the eternal inheritance because Christ's work was successful. Flip [00:19:00] over a few pages to Hebrews 10 beginning in verse 11.
Again, this is just a survey in Hebrews chapter 10. Verses 11 to 14, every priest stands daily ministering and offering. And this is important. Time after time, after time, after time. This is the Old Testament priest, time after time, the same sacrifice, which can never take away sins. These were shadows and types, but he, speaking of Christ, he having offered one sacrifice for all time, time element.
He did it one time in history and he's done. And what happens? He sat down at the right hand of God, and again, as we've looked at these verses in the past, it means his job is done. It means his work is successful. His sacrifice accomplished what all the Old Testament sacrifices only pointed to. And so Jesus sits down waiting from that time onward until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet, for by one [00:20:00] offering, he is perfected for all time.
Those who are sanctified. Again, this word perfected by one offering, Christ has perfected those for whom he has died. He has brought them to the goal. And why did Christ come? Christ came to save sinners to be perfected in Christ. In this context, in this verse means you are saved. Now we gotta remember, we experience it in time.
Some of us have children that maybe haven't come to faith yet. They will experience it in time, but it was accomplished at the cross. It was made sure at the cross. That's the message of Hebrews. He's perfected for all time. Those who are sanctified. What about Jesus's high priestly work? Turn back to Hebrews chapter one.
Again, we've looked at some of these, but I think it's a good thing. To be reminded. I think it's a good thing to see [00:21:00] how the author of Hebrew's rights, you see, he expects believers not to fall. And yes, we've read a lot of warnings and the warnings function covenantal, the warnings get us back on track, but the warnings do not imply that a genuine born from above electrician can lose their salvation.
It simply means we need a kick in the pants every once in a while. Hebrews chapter one, verse three, and he is the radiance of his glory in the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of his power. The book begins with the divinity of Christ. The book begins by introducing Jesus as divine, and when he had made completed action, when he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
And literally this word purification is he cleaned the pollution of sin and he accomplished [00:22:00] it at the cross, and so he is seated at the right hand of the father. We experienced this again in time, but it took place at the cross. You might not even have to turn a page. Chapter two, verse 17. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in all things so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people in this phrase to make propitiation.
There's no verb, again, it's a word that means result, literally. It says he was a faithful high priest and things pertaining to God into propitiation of sins, and that is a very Greek way of saying it accomplished. Propitiation, it accomplished satisfying the wrath of God. I've said this before, I'll say it again.
Those for whom Christ died. God is no longer legally angry with God, has no legal [00:23:00] case with the elect because Christ paid the price, their penalty has been paid. The wrath of God has been satisfied. Chapter four verse 14,
and again, chapter four verses 14 and 15. Simply again, speak of the accomplished work of Christ, but I want you to see how many times the writer of Hebrews brings it up. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, unlike the other high priest who would go into the holy place.
Go into the Holy of Holies and then come out the same way. Jesus passes through because his job is done. Jesus goes to heaven and he presents his sacrifice in the heavenly holy of Holies. And then he keeps going to the right hand of the Father and he sits. And when we put all these verses together, it is the father who brings the [00:24:00] nations under his feet.
It is the father who conquers the nations for his son.
Therefore, since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast. Our confession, the exhortation for us to hold fast. Our confession is based on the fact that Jesus' work was successful, that Jesus passed through the heavens. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all things as we are yet without sin.
Hebrews chapter seven verses 25 to 28. Hebrews chapter seven, beginning in verse 25. Therefore, he is able to save forever. He has the ability, this is an ability word. He has the power to save for those who draw near to God through. And we see something that we've seen throughout the scripture. We see the sovereignty [00:25:00] of God.
Jesus is able to save forever for he is sovereign and he came to save. And yet we also see right next to it the responsibility of men. We must draw near to God through him. And then if you look at verse 27. Up. Jesus does not need daily like those priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of his people because he did so once for all his work is done when he offered himself up for the law, appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law appoints his son, made perfect.
Now we talked about this. What does it mean that Jesus was made perfect? And I I, I think it was last week, I explained to you it means he reached his goal. He didn't lack perfection, but when he went to the cross and he died, he was made perfect because he reached his goal. And what was his goal? To do the will of the father.
And what was the will of the father to save those whom the father gave him. [00:26:00] It was done at the cross.
Hebrews eight verse one. Now, the main point in what has been said is this. We have such a high priest who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heavens. And I don't know if you've counted it. I didn't. But if you're counting here how many times the author reminds us that Jesus work is done, that Jesus was successful, that he was the one and only successful high priest, his work is complete.
And to use the language of the Westminster confession, his work was efficacious, his work was effective. It accomplished what he came to do. You see some Christians think, some evangelicals think that Jesus came and he did everything that he did to make salvation possible.
But [00:27:00] I believe the writer of Hebrews makes it very clear that Jesus did not come to make salvation possible. He came to save. He came to save people, and his work is done. His work is complete. Hebrews 13 verse 11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.
Therefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people through his own blood. Again, there's that he might sanctify, but in the Greek that what he's trying to communicate is he does sanctify. He sets apart those for whom he died. It is a done deal. He would sanctify the people through his own blood suffering outside the gate.
Let us go out to him outside the camp bearing his reproach. And if you read this in context, and as we get to it, I'll explain it in more [00:28:00] detail, but this is covenant language. And what he's saying. Remember, he's writing to Hebrew Christians who are thinking about going back to the old covenant ways, and what he's saying is don't go back to Jerusalem.
Don't go back to the old covenant. You need to go outside the camp. Just as Jesus died outside the camp, because he is a great high priest, he has a better covenant.
Think about it. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood suffered outside the gate. For you to overturn salvation, you would have to overturn the suffering of Christ. Christ went to the cross. He suffered for three hours, but in reality, because he's the God man, because he's infinite, he suffered for an infinite amount of time on that cross.
He bore the wrath of God and we think we can turn it over. If Jesus died for you, it is arrogant to think [00:29:00] you can disect that
perseverance. Look at Hebrews chapter three verse six. Turn back to chapter three Again.
Here's your second mini lesson in logic, but let me read the verse. Hebrews chapter three, verse six. But Christ was faithful as a son over his house, whose house we are. If we hold fast, our confidence in the boast of our hope firm until the end. Again, most of you moms that are homeschooling, you're gonna introduce logic at some point.
I wish they still did it in the public school. It is necessary. It is a fun class. It is the best class I ever took that in apologetics. But anyway, in logic we have what's called if then statements. And let me spell it out in an if then statement, if the first part of the statement is true. The second part of the statement is necessarily true.
The writer of Hebrews uses if then [00:30:00] statements throughout the book, but Christ was faithful as a son over his house, whose house we are if we hold fast, our confidence and the boast of our hope until the end. So let me put it in logical language. Yes. If we hold fast our confidence, then we are Christ's house.
That's what he's saying. If we hold fast our confidence, then it is a guarantee that we are Christ's house. So if you live a life of faith, if you believe in Jesus right now, if you're striving to love him and serve him and you're bowing the need of Jesus right now, then it is a guarantee that you are Christ's house.
That's the promise. That's how if then statements work.
Another one in chapter three, verse 14 in chapter three, verse 14, for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast, the beginning of our assurance until the end. So let me put that in logical language. If we hold faster assurance, we are partakers of Christ. [00:31:00] If you are striving to live obediently, if you're striving to live by faith in Christ, if you're striving to live by the power of the Holy Spirit, then you are a partaker of Christ.
Your assurance is guaranteed. The Westminster confession of faith goes so far as to say we can have infallible insurance assurance of our faith. Infallible assurance of our faith, because it boils down, will I believe Jesus. I don't know about you. But I had a hard time during the singing
because I was reminded of his promises. I have worked through this all week, but I was reminded of his promises. I was reminded of his assurance. I was reminded of just how much he loves us. You see, we say we believe in Jesus. We say we trust him, but then we wanna question his promises, and [00:32:00] we think we're being humble.
By doing so, it works in reverse order too. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26, in Hebrews 10, verse 26, if we go on sinning willfully, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice of sin. If we continue to sin, if we continue to live a lifestyle of sin, the exact same thing John says in his first epistle.
If we continue to sin, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. It wasn't for us because if Jesus died for me, he promises to change me. He promises to clean me up. He promises that I'm a new creation. So if I go on will willfully sinning, if I go on not caring, then the sacrifice is not for me. However, last but not least be before we turn to the last part of the sermon, the writer of Hebrews gives us encouragement throughout.
He continues to call the reader's brethren. He continues to use the plural. When he [00:33:00] talks about the promises, he expects better thing. Why? Because he has an expectation of perseverance. He has an expectation of preservation. Number three, on your outline. Preservation in the New Testament. What does the rest of the New Testament say?
And again, can A born from above elect Christian lose their salvation? What does the rest of the New Testament say? Turn to John Chapter three.
We're gonna look at what is probably the most well-known verse in all the Bible. John chapter three, verse 16. It is probably the best known verse in all of scripture, and sadly, it is often the most misunderstood verse in all of scripture. John three 16. For God so loved the world, and literally what the Greek says is God loved the world in this way.
This is how God loved the world. He gave his only begotten son. He [00:34:00] gave his only begotten son. And most, most Bible translations that whoever believes in him, but literally in the Greek, it's the believing ones for God loved the world. In this way, he gave his only begotten son that the ones believing in him shall not perish.
Another if then statement. If you believe in the son, you will not perish. You see many people go to John three 16 and they interpret it in such a way that they take it to mean that anyone can come to faith. Maybe that's true. Maybe that's not true. It's not what John three 16 teaches. John three 16 teaches.
It's a guarantee passage. What John three 16 says is, if you believe in Jesus Christ, and just so you know, the believing is ongoing. Saving faith is ongoing. Saving faith is not temporary. And anytime scripture talks about saving faith, it's an ongoing faith. It's an act of faith. It's a day-to-day faith.
And if you have [00:35:00] that kind of faith, if you continue to believe in Jesus, you are not gonna perish. That is a guarantee in scripture. You cannot lose your salvation. Turn to John six. I think this passage spells it out in even more detail. John, chapter six. We're gonna begin reading at verse 35. We read this verse at the beginning of the service.
John six, beginning in verse 35, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. We're gonna come to the table here in just a little bit, and we're gonna celebrate the bread that gives life because the bread and the wine is a picture of Jesus' body sacrificed on our behalf. And Jesus uses this, this picture throughout the gospel of John, I am the bread of life.
He who comes again. Ongoing. The one coming to me, the one that spends his life, seeking me, serving me, coming to me, [00:36:00] he will not hunger. And just so you know, in English, when we have a double negative, it turns it into something positive. Okay? I will not, not eat means I'm gonna eat. But in Greek, when you have a double negative, it is the strongest way of saying something is not gonna happen.
And literally what this verse says. I'm the bread of life. He who comes to me will not, not hunger. It is a guarantee. If you come to Christ, you will not hunger. He who believes in me, again, continuous action. He who believes in me will never, will not, not thirst,
but I said to you that you have seen me and yet you don't believe in me. And so there's kind of a hidden question there between verses 36 and 37. Why is it that some of the Jews didn't believe? Why is it that some of your friends don't believe? Why is it that we all have family members and we've shared the gospel and we've explained it in the best [00:37:00] detail we know and they still don't come to faith?
It seems so logical to you and me. It seems so rational to you and me. It seems like a no-brainer. But people don't come to faith and Jesus is going to address the question, why do some not believe? Verse 37, and I'll just give you the, the, the quick, unspoken answer because not everyone has been given to me.
That's Jesus' answer. Not everyone has been given to me. So look what he says in verse 37. All that the father gives me will come. All that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes, I will certainly not cast out. I will not not cast out. You see, if you have been given to the son by the father, you will come.
The son went to the cross on your behalf. The son paid the price of your sins because [00:38:00] his job is to do the will of the father. Verse 38. For, I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me, and this is the will of him who sent me that. All that he has given me, I lose nothing.
If you are in Christ, if you are truly in Christ, you have been given to him by the Father. You have been chosen before the foundation of the world. He went to the cross to die through your sins, and he paid the price completely. You cannot fall away. It doesn't mean we stop sinning. It doesn't mean we don't have periods of backsliding, but ultimately you cannot fall away because Jesus is not a liar.
And you can either believe your own emotions, you can believe what others say, or we can believe the words of Jesus. I raise it up on the last day, I lose nothing. [00:39:00] Verse 40, for this is the will of my Father. That everyone who beholds this son and believes continuous sense continues to believe in Jesus will have eternal life.
I guarantee it. I myself will raise him up on the last day. I will raise him up on the last day. Is Jesus a liar? Can he born from above chosen by God, died for by Jesus sealed and filled by the Holy Spirit, can that person lose their salvation? Can someone who confesses Christ appear to lose their salvation?
Yeah, because a confession is an outward covenant act. But can someone who God has worked in his heart lose their [00:40:00] salvation? Turn to Romans chapter eight. We read this at the beginning of service as well.
This is known by theologians as the golden chain of redemption. And I'll just say a few things before I read it. It's the golden chain of redemption and the grammar and the words that are used in in the Greek. It cannot be broken. You cannot break this. And if you want proof of that, you can jump to the end of the chapter and read verses 35 to 39.
Not only does the grammar prevent it from being broken, but the text Paul says there's no interrupting this chain. Basically, Romans chapter eight verses 29 to 30. For those whom he for knew, speaking of God the father, for those whom he for knew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son so that he would be first born among many brethren.
And these whom he [00:41:00] predestined, he also called, and these whom he called, he also justified. And these whom he justified, he also glorified. And just to let you know the, the grammar and the tense of the verbs that are used here it is all completed action. And is taking a snapshot at the life of every believer.
Certainly when Paul is writing, there are believers that haven't even been born yet, but he is writing it to guarantee the, the, the, the verbs bring. The idea of this is a guarantee.
God is the subject of every verb. God is the only one acting in this passage. We are completely passive. For whom he for knew. And a lot of people will tell you that this has to do with God's knowledge. God had knowledge of certain facts and he looked ahead into the future and he knew who would come to faith.
And those are the ones he chose. That is not what the word means. The word never means that anywhere in scripture, but it comes from the Hebrew [00:42:00] word yaah. And just to give you an example of what that word means, Adam Yaah Eve and Eve has a child. I Yahu Jeremiah from before you were even born. You see, it speaks of God's covenant love and faithfulness for God.
To know someone is to love them, covenantal, and the book of Ephesians says that prior to the foundation of the world, prior to creation, God chose us. God set his love upon us. For those whom God covenantal loved, he predestined. He made a decision beforehand. To become conformed to the image of his son so that he would be first born among many brethren.
Couple of things there. That's the promise of change. Not only did God love you before you were born, before you were created, but he promised to change you. You are going to be literally in the Greek morphed into the image of God. You're gonna become more and more like [00:43:00] God. That's a promise. That's a guarantee.
And here's the fascinating thing, and here's the challenge, so that Jesus would be first born among many brethren, and I know so many Christians that think hell is gonna be overpopulated and heaven's gonna be sparse. But Jesus says, I wanna be among many brethren, and as far as I know, this idea that hell will have more people is based on one passage.
Matthew chapter seven. Let me read to you, Matthew chapter seven, verses 13 to 14. Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction. And there are many, same exact Greek word. There are many who enter through it. For the gate is small, in the way is narrow that leads to life.
And there are few who find it. And we take that verse and we take it in isolation and we think that's all scripture has to say about it. But guess what? In the very next chapter of Matthew. Listen to the words of [00:44:00] Jesus. I say to you that many same Greek word that he used in the earlier passage, same Greek word that Paul uses in Romans, I say to you that many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
For those whom he loved in eternity past, he preordained. That they would be morphed into the image of his son, that he would be first born among a multitude of brethren
and these whom he predestined, he called in time, and these whom he called, he justified, and those whom he justified will be glorified. It is sure, it is a guarantee. This chain cannot be broken.
I can't tell you how many times I've been told that you shouldn't teach this stuff. [00:45:00] If you teach this stuff, it will breed a false sense of security that people will have a false sense of security. In my experience, true believers continue to doubt, even though all of these promises are screaming at you.
Maybe it's just me screaming, but either way, all these promises are in the scriptures and we tend to doubt. You see in the life of a real true born from above believer, it does not produce a false sense of security. It pro it ought to produce a necessary sense of security. I've been told that people don't need to hear this.
They need to hear about holiness, and that is true. But I think we strike a pretty good balance here. And I would remind you, don't forget the warning passages. Yes. I would remind you of some difficult differences, and that is a profession of faith is not the same as saving faith. We treat it that way, but it's simply not the same just because you [00:46:00] professed faith in Jesus Christ.
How do I know that you're a believer by watching your life. You see, when we baptize an adult on a profession of faith, it is a, it is an assumption. We baptize them based on an assumption of their professed faith, but they could face discipline at some future time. Professing faith and having saving faith can be the same thing.
They're not necessarily the same thing. Saving faith is demonstrated by a life of perseverance. That is what James teaches in chapter two. Faith without works is dead. You are saved by faith alone, but faith never comes alone. Remember the warnings, but just as much as you remember the warnings. Remember the promises?
If you hold fast your faith, you have partaken of Christ. Jesus, be encouraged. If you profess belief in Messiah, trust him. [00:47:00] And that's what made it hard when we were singing, because it hit me how often I don't trust him, how often I doubt my own salvation. How often I get mad at him because he's not doing the things I want him to do, and then he's done far more than I could ever ask, and he's made these incredible promises.
Am I gonna believe his promises? If your faith is in Christ Jesus, know that you are saved. Know that you are saved. Never forget the warning passages. And we're gonna turn to the warning passage in chapter six, the week after Christmas. But I hope to end today's sermon with a simple exhortation. Be encouraged.
Be encouraged. Believe the promises of Christ. Let's pray. Father in heaven, [00:48:00] I know we've already confessed our sin and we don't need to do it again. However. I just want to confess, Lord, that sometimes we don't believe your promises. We read them and we just skirt by because somehow I have this odd, strange, incredible ability to mess up what you've done.
Forgive us for that Lord, in spirit of God, I ask that you would just pour yourself out upon your people right now, that you would change minds, that you would change hearts, that you would give us assurance. That we would have what? The Westminster speaks of an infallible assurance. Because right now, this moment, I love you.
I'm walking with you. I desire you. My knee is bowed, and your promise says if those things are true, I'm a believer. Spirit of God give us infallible assurance. Jesus, thank you. We started this series, father talking about sola Christus. [00:49:00] This book is all about the work that Christ has accomplished. Don't let us think we can overturn it.
We are creatures. You are creator. Let us bow the knee for we ask all of this in Christ Jesus. And all of God's people said, amen.
