Motives to Perseverance, Part 2

Welcome and Context for the Sermon Series

0:02 This adult Sunday school class was held on May 24, 1987, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, while others are finding their places, let me extend a very cordial welcome to the unusual number of visitors who are with us this morning. It's usually the case on a holiday weekend, as a number of our people are in other places and hopefully visiting churches wherever possible of like faith and order. Likewise, we have the privilege of welcoming not a few visitors among us, and we do extend a cordial welcome to you, and trust that your day among us will be one blessed by the Lord to your spiritual refreshment. Now, I need to get to the point. I need to give just a word of explanation, particularly for the sake of our visitors. Normally, Pastor Bob Martin, for the past couple of years, has been taking the major lead in the adult class and guiding us in a verse-by-verse study of the letter to the Hebrews, and we're drawing near to the close of that study.

1:12 We're in the middle part of the last chapter. But he was away this past week ministering up in Albany, New York, at our sister church there, where Pastor Dean Allen and Scott Van Steenburg labor together in the work of the ministry. And on that occasion, I took the adult class, and we kind of brought everything to a screeching, awkward halt at about five or seven minutes after the allotted time. And as I spoke to Pastor Bob in the light of his own preparation and the demands upon him this past week, and the way we left things kind of hanging, we came to the mutual agreement that it would be best for me to carry on the class today.

1:56 Now, what we were doing was discussing together motives to holiness and perseverance in the life of the child of God. And growing out of several pastoral contacts with individual members of the congregation, I felt it was time to address this subject. It is addressed by way of exposition. And application periodically in the regular preaching of the word, but in a focused, concentrated way.

2:27 It's been some time since this question or this issue has been addressed. And so, I tried to lead you in a guided discussion. And in these guided discussions, our general framework is that I throw out a question and seek your input and input that is buttressed by chapter and verse. And when you are ready, we'll start the discussion.

2:49 And when you are ready, we'll start the discussion. And when you are ready, we'll start the discussion. we have found by experience that it is the part of wisdom to limit our discussion to the members of our congregation. First of all, I can be courteous enough to call upon them by name, and then we can assume that their responses come within the framework of perspectives with which all of us will feel comfortable, and that do not put the leader in the awkward position of listening to something that may be very sincere but off the wall, and then his credibility is both jeopardized on the one hand as a gentleman and on the other hand as a safe guide in the scriptures, and we've been in those awkward moments before, and we like to avoid them.

Review of Foundational Pillars of Divine Preservation

3:32 Well, so much by way of that general introduction and guidelines, let us briefly review and then plug in a couple of things that we omitted last week, and then we will carry on from there. into what these strange-looking figures on the board are meant to represent. We began last week with the question, in the ultimate and foundational sense, how are the people of God kept in the way of holiness and obedience? And the answer that you gave was a four-fold answer, that every true believer, according to the word of God, and this is to represent the Bible.

4:13 Is kept in the way of holiness and obedience because, number one, you brought forward a series of text which indicate that it is God's divine purpose in election that all of those whom he has marked out for salvation will not only be brought into the way of life and salvation, but be kept upon the way until at last they are glorified. And so, ultimately then, all of these things that we have brought forward are kept in the way of holiness and of the people of God are kept in the way because of God's divine purposes, his gracious electing design. And then secondly, and this is where you are most slow, so it indicates to me maybe we need some preaching in this area, to underscore that the death of Christ itself secured the ultimate salvation of all the people of God. And there were several pivotal texts, Romans chapter 8, verses 34 and following, and then of course the pivotal text, Ephesians 5, 25 and following, passages which clearly teach that Jesus Christ did not die simply to make some men savable, or all men savable, or some men saved for a time, but he died to present all those who were given

5:39 to him by the Father, to present them in the last day without spot. Or wrinkle in the very presence of God. And then you brought forward as the third reason why we are kept in the way, the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Several key texts, Ephesians 4, 30, Romans 8, 9 to 11, and the Spirit's ministry is one which once begun in a saving way in the human heart, in applying the virtue of the death of Christ, once the Spirit is given, he is never withdrawn. But in the last day, that Spirit will himself even quicken these mortal bodies when we are glorified and our redemption is completed. And then fourthly, you brought forward several key passages which indicate that the intercession of Christ secures our being kept in the way. Hebrews 7, 25, several passages in Romans chapter, in, sorry, in Hebrews 7, 25, John chapter 17, and then also out of Romans 8, 34, we deduce the same truth. Now there was a fifth one that in a sense overarches all of these that we did not mention, and between Sunday school and

Adding God's Sworn Promise as the Overarching Pillar

6:59 church, one of the other elders mentioned it, and I want to plug it in. And this is the fifth, or we might even say the overarching, ultimate reason as to why all of the people of God, are preserved in the way of faith and holiness, and will be ultimately glorified. And that's found in Jeremiah 32, 37 to 40. Now what we call this is a matter, I believe, of liberty, discretion.

7:32 You may want to call it God's sworn promise, his inviolable covenantal oath. You can pile up the words, but whatever words you use, they should be words that underscore, that Almighty God is committed by sworn commitment, that if he ever puts us in the way, he will keep us on the way, even unto the end. Jeremiah chapter 32, did I say 37? No. Okay, all right, 32, and then beginning with verse 37.

8:10 Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, whither I have driven them in my anger and in my wrath, and in great indignation, and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. Now this framework of God's promise of mercy under the new covenant is very frequently repeated in the prophets. They speak of the ultimate blessings of redemption in terms of God gathering his people together out of the lands. And notice what he says he will do. And they will be my people, and I will be their God.

8:52 And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from following them to do their good. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them good. And I will put my fear in their hearts that they may not depart from me. So here you have God's sworn oath, his covenantal commitment that having gathered his people, he will so work in them that their perseverance will be assured by the commitment of God himself. So add that to your list in answer to question number one, in the ultimate and foundational sense, how are we or why are we kept in the way? Then I asked the second question, and that question was this, in the outworking of God's preserving grace, which is certain resting upon these

Believers' Active Role in Perseverance and the Importance of Motives

10:08 five pillars or these four pillars bound together by this fifth pillar, which is the fifth principle of divine revelation. My question was, are we, as the kept, active or are we passive? And you answered very emphatically, and the scriptures came out of the woodwork, that we are indeed most active. We do not simply go into the holy float and let God's faithfulness and the virtue of the death of Christ and the work of the Spirit float in the way of God's faithfulness. We do not simply go into the holy float and let God's faithfulness float. We do not simply go into the holy float and let God's faithfulness while bypassing the engagement of our minds, our wills, our affections, our judgment, our susceptibility to motives of various kinds. And you brought forward a number of scriptures, some of the pivotal ones, Philippians 2, 12, and 13, Jude 23, I have in my notes, keeping yourselves in the love of God, Romans 8, 13, if you, by the Spirit, and many others. Now, I then made an assertion before asking question three, and my assertion was that in this process of the activity of the believer,

11:28 by which God is fulfilling his own commitment to preserve us, one of the major factors, now notice I didn't say the major factor, but one of the major factors in the believer's actively committing himself to a life of perseverance is to be found in the area of the motives which impinge upon his mind and heart to keep in the way of holiness and obedience. That God impresses upon our hearts motives. We are not acted upon. We are not acted upon like robots.

12:11 But we are active in terms of feeling the pressure of motives which persuade us all along the way to make proper choices in the direction of holiness and obedience and against sin, selfishness, the world, and the way of death. So that there is absolutely no contradiction when the scripture tells us we are kept by the power of God, and the scripture says he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. Well then, having made that assertion, I then asked you, what are some of the major motives that are set forth in the word of God by which the people of God are to be influenced in their perseverance in the way of holiness and obedience? Now, without repeating all the verses, those of you who were here, tell us what were some of those motives that you mentioned and buttressed with scripture.

Recalling Previously Mentioned Motives

13:18 That's a bona fide question. I want you to pick up the review now. We'll quickly list some of the motives.

13:25 All right, Jeff? The fear of hell.

13:31 Another motive. All right, Jerry? All right, a long life. Pleasing Christ.

13:39 All right, the fear of God. Some other motives that were mentioned. We've got four. All right, worship on the name of Christ.

13:56 Some more. You can take a quick look at your notes if you want to. All right. Rob?

14:03 Love of God, particularly. Yes, the love of Christ. All right. Another?

14:09 Louise?

14:12 All right. The motive of seeking to be a positive influence in the conversion of sinners. Psalm 51. Lord, do this, do this, do this.

14:22 Then shall sinners be converted unto thee. Other motives that were mentioned.

14:31 All right, David? Proverbs. This host of motives. The fear of bringing reproach to mother and to father.

14:46 The fear of bringing reproach and harm to ourselves. The warnings against an immoral life in which the father tells his son, it'll rot your body, it'll ruin your name, it'll land you in hell. He piles up all motives and then giving motives to recognizing the Lord's portion. Honor the Lord with thy substance and the firstfruits of all thine increase.

15:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy vats shall overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3. I believe that's 11 and 12. All right.

15:20 Any other motives that we mentioned last week?

15:23 All right, John? Pleasing God's servants. All right. Pleasing God's servants.

15:27 Paul says, if there's any consolation in Christ, if there's any this and that, make my joyful and do this. He says, if you want to make me happy, then live this way. Obviously. A legitimate motive for believers to act in such a way that they know it will make their spiritual overseers happy.

15:44 Very fundamental motive. We find it in the book of 1 John. We find it. Very wisely woven into the very texture of the letter to Philemon in very subtle ways at some point.

15:57 All right. Any other motives that were mentioned?

Categorizing Motives: The Rotating Pie Analogy

16:01 I think you've pretty well covered the ones that we mentioned. Now, what we want to do this morning, and this is where you've got to put your thinking caps on. It was suggested again by one of the brethren that perhaps it would be helpful since the Bible does not anywhere gather all of these motives. Into three chapters and then outline them into four categories.

16:25 It would be lovely if that were there, wouldn't it? And you'd turn up motives for perseverance. Well, that's why I'm going to go for my devotions this morning. So I go to 2 Hezekiah chapters 4, 7, and 9.

16:39 And it would be wonderful. But God hadn't done it that way. Well, we think it would be wonderful, but it isn't. If it were, God would have done it that way if that were in our best interest.

16:47 But there's a better way. They are scattered. But throughout the Word of God, both in history, biography, in what we might call the more didactic sections where teaching is brought forward, where warnings are given in the midst of prophecy, we find these things scattered throughout the Word of God. Now, what we've done is we've sort of gone by with a bucket.

17:13 And as our memories have brought them to remembrance, we've just thrown them in from wherever we found them in the Word of God. Now, let's try to dump them out on the table. And having dumped them out on the table, let's see if we can sort them out into certain categories where at least they have similar colors and shapes and smells. All right?

17:34 That's what we're going to try to do, to use the imagery. So we're going to sort them out, and we're going to put them into the pie. And the reason I put them in the pie, and this came as I was working on it. This was not the suggestion of the pie.

17:48 It came from one of my fellow elders. But he didn't suggest to have it a rotating pie. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought, this is the way it works.

17:59 If we have them in their various categories, at any given point in our Christian experience, as we walk with the Lord, as we meditate upon the Word,

18:11 these motives are like a rotating pie. And at any given point, the Spirit of God, through our regular reading of the Word, or by bringing to remembrance something read before, will highlight. One category of motives. And maybe a half an hour later, the wheel spins around, and this segment of motives brings its pressure to bear upon us.

18:32 And that's why we don't want to put them in a list of descending importance. But we want to put them into an integrated pie. Because the God who is committed to keep us in the way, has wisely given the whole motives, the rotating pie, as the instrument, he will use in great measure to motivate us unto a life of holiness and obedience. So if God put all the slices in the pie, then he knows we need them all.

19:05 So you see the error of saying, well, this one is spiritual, therefore I'll only wait when this spiritual motive turns around. If God is bringing to your remembrance a very earthy, seemingly unspiritual motive, and you reject that motive, you know what you're doing? You're resisting and grieving the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is bringing that motive to bear upon you, and shining the light on that motive, and God put it in his word, and you say, well, that's not spiritual enough, you're telling God you're wiser about how to keep you in the way than he is.

19:41 Now that's pride. All under the guise of being very spiritual. But it's stinking, rotten pride. God is smarter than you are to know how to keep you in the way.

19:53 You see that? You see that?

19:56 You see that? Okay, all right. So now you see why we've got a rotating pie. We do all kinds of strange things around here.

Category 1: The Glory of God

20:02 But so long as it helps us to understand the word of God, that's all right. Okay, now. Would you be prepared to suggest, of all the various motives that were listed, some general categories under which we could range three or four, maybe more,

20:20 of all the motives we've mentioned, would you like to at least suggest what one category might be?

20:28 Who will be best? All right, Chet, you're going to be bold this morning. Carpet cleaners are bold. When you can come into our messy homes and clean our carpets.

20:36 All right, Chet. Make motives for the life that is now might be a possible category. All right, let's hold that here and see if maybe that does not itself fit under. That certainly does gather some together, doesn't it?

20:58 Good health. The matter of a good name.

21:04 Pleasing our parents here and now. Some of them could be motives for the life that is now. Anyone else want to suggest a category? All right, Jeff, way in the back.

21:17 The motive of fear. Would you want to break that down? Fear is broad. Fear of God.

21:28 Fear of the consequences of my sin. That's so general that that would gather up too many. We'd end up sorting out that category. Do you think we could sort that out into...

21:40 All right, the fear of God. And how would you...

21:45 And using the term... How are you using that term, the fear of God?

21:50 Fear of Him as an impartial... As a father.

21:57 All right, so filial fear that fears to displease a loving father. Okay?

22:05 Some other category. And obviously fear would have another major category. Fear of the consequences of sin now and in the world to come. All right, some other categories.

22:18 All right, David?

22:21 All right, the glory of God. What makes you think that's big? It's big enough to be a major category. David Swan's song.

22:39 He's last Sunday with us and he came up with a winner like that.

22:44 When I ask the category of the glory of God, why should that be a separate category? He says God is big enough to have his own category. Now, we'd like to hook that into a couple of scriptures for us, Dave. And what...

23:18 ...of life taking its springboard from a very mundane aspect of life, namely eating and drinking, and uses that to say...

23:28 If in... ...area where we...

23:30 ...we're most like the animals, we're to glorify God, how much more in every area?

23:35 Have I suggested the text now? All right.

23:39 Corinthians 10.31. Whether therefore you...

23:56 ...words whatsoever and all in that context,

24:05 whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Now, many of us can remember as young Christians...

24:12 Now, I don't know if this is emphasized as much today. In fact, I'm quite certain it isn't. Those of you of my generation, if I may use that terminology, who had the privilege of at least being in the nurture of general evangelicalism as young Christians, what was one of the first rules that was given to us when we were wrestling with what shall I and what shall I not do as a Christian? What was one of the first rules given to us?

24:39 Mr. Becker, did you have it given to you in your circles?

24:43 Okay. All right. Someone else of my generation. Mr. Bischoff, did you have it given to you in your circles?

24:51 All right. What I'm fishing for...

24:52 All right. Elaine?

24:55 Yes. Do you remember that? We were told, here's a good little rule of thumb. If you don't know if you should do this, this, or the other, ask yourself, before you do it, can you say, oh God, glorify you in this activity?

25:11 And I can remember that being impressed upon me with the questioning about smoking, drinking, going to the theater. Now, granted, those things had perhaps an undue emphasis in those areas, but they had some legitimate place. Yes. We don't want the pendulum to go to the place where we think that those are matters of total indifference.

25:33 And we were impressed with this and say, Lord Jesus, I glorify you by going into this place. I glorify you by taking this thing into my fingers and sucking it into my lungs. I glorify you by taking this upon my lips and swallowing it. And that was a great help to many of us as young Christians to think in every situation where you had a chance to think and issue through.

26:01 Now, many times you don't. But in situations where you were wrestling with shall I or shall I not, this great concern, the glory of God, for when all is said and done, the answer of the old catechism is indeed a distillation of the teaching of the Bible. What is man's chief end? In other words, what in the world is man here for above all else?

26:25 And the answer is to glorify God and to enjoy God. To enjoy Him forever. You see how God-centered that answer is? Man's chief end is not to be happy-happy all the time or to have his own goods secured all the time.

26:42 It is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. And we could bring here a number of passages, particularly in the epistles, in which this is underscored that the glory of God is one of those great major slices in the pie of Moses. Motivation. All right?

Category 2: Gratitude for Mercies Received

27:03 Some others now that we want to list here and then see how they just fit. Another category of motivation.

27:12 Someone else bold enough to venture an answer? Yes. All right. The future glory.

27:20 All right. We're running out of space here. Okay, let's see. The future glory of the saints.

27:31 Now, would that be a major category or would that fit under another broader category? Sorry.

27:43 The future glory of the saints. What is that? What is that called in the Bible? One word.

27:48 The focal point of the biblical doctrine of hope is the certain future glory that the saints will share with Christ. We are saved,

28:05 but hope that is realized is not hope. But what we don't yet have, then we with patience wait for it. All right, let's put that to the side for a minute and see maybe it ought to be a major one. All right?

28:17 Some other categories. All right? Sherwood? Love to Christ as a separate category.

28:24 All right? But what other things would fit under that?

28:32 If we put love to Christ as part of a bigger category.

28:46 All right? As being God, love to God.

28:59 The love of Christ constrains me. That was one of the passages that came up last week. And the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

29:12 If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.

29:18 But I've got a suspicion that maybe that fits under a broader category. Begins with the word G.

29:27 All right, Norman?

29:29 That's it. All right. Gratitude to God for mercies received. Now let's see how that works out.

29:37 Gratitude to God.

29:46 What's that gratitude? If you look at the passage like Luke chapter 7.

29:54 Luke chapter 7. Very familiar incident to many of us, I'm sure.

30:03 Woman with a very checkered reputation appears in a Pharisee's house. And she appears there not because...

30:11 Because the Pharisee was like flypaper to women with checkered reputation. No, Pharisees were like flyswatters, not flypaper to such people. But it was the Lord Jesus who was there who was the attraction.

30:34 Please turn to side 2 for the second half of this message.

30:39 Extreme devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. And this upsets the Pharisees. Man, if he knew who in the world was doing this, he'd have nothing to do with her. I mean, holy men don't have anything to do with her likes.

30:54 Well, the Lord interprets the whole thing and we don't want to read the whole passage, but this is what is crucial to the matter we're dealing with. Notice now verse 47. Wherefore I say unto you, Luke 7, 47, her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much. The evidence that she is a forgiven sinner in the court of heaven and in the consciousness of her own heart.

31:24 The evidence, not the ground. This is not the ground on which we are forgiven. Love a lot and you'll get forgiven. Where does the Bible teach that?

31:33 No, this is the evidence that she was forgiven. In the court of heaven and in the court of her own heart that she was tasting the sweetness of forgiveness. I say unto you, her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth much. Little.

31:54 And he said unto her, now to send her away with an undeniable,

32:02 that which she already knew and was expressing by her love, Jesus gives his own word, thy sins are forgiven. So you see, her gratitude for the mercy of forgiveness was that which produced her.

32:25 What other things then would come under this category of gratitude for mercies received? Love to Christ, love to God, who sent the Son, love to the Father, who was revealed through the Son. When we say God, we say so as Trinitarians, so it is the triune God.

32:45 How else will gratitude for mercies received express itself? Love to God, revealed in Christ. How else?

32:59 A life of principal obedience. And where do we see the connection between gratitude and a life of principal obedience? Can you give us a text?

33:13 Cliff, going out of love with an expression, of our gratitude or an accompaniment of the gratitude. There will be a life of obedience. May I commend to you, just read through the 119th Psalm and you'll come up with a whole armload of verses. Alright?

33:35 Where the connection between gratitude and a life of principal obedience is shown again and again. Gratitude for prayers answered intensifies the desire to pray. I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and attended. He hath responded unto my supplications.

33:54 Therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. Psalm 116. Alright, some other expressions of gratitude for mercies received. Things that fit under this category.

34:07 Belden?

34:09 Alright, love to the people of God. How, what's the, is that another category we're dealing with? Or under gratitude?

34:18 Under gratitude. Alright, now, where does the Bible link those things together?

34:29 Okay, the intimate connection between Christ and His people indicated in a passage like Matthew 25.

34:39 Another passage, two or three other passages where this is stamped right on the face of things.

34:46 Yes, Jim?

34:55 Alright, this would be good under the matter of a life of principal obedience. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God feeling the pressure of gratitude for mercies received. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. Live a life utterly devoted to God.

35:11 Rejecting the molding influence of the world. Constantly subjecting yourself to the transforming influence of God to do the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. That's a good verse for there. But now, under this third one about how it will cause us to relate to our brethren.

35:29 Yes, Pastor Nichols?

35:33 There we are. That's the passage I had in mind. Want to read it for us? Ephesians 4, 31 through the first part of chapter 5.

35:40 ...clamor and railing be put away, from you with all malice.

35:51 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Therefore, imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. So here the apostle is saying as God is dealt with, with you in mercy and with a heart suffused with the consciousness of the greatness of his mercy to you, you reflect that in your dealings with your brethren. That's why John goes on to be bold to say if anyone professes to know God in Christ and has a settled of ill will to his brethren, he's a murderer and eternal life does not abide in him and he's a liar and he doesn't know God. Strong language. But that's what the Bible says. And it's not just John.

37:00 Jesus said it in Matthew 18. He said, If you profess to be forgiven and you are not a forgiver, you're self-deceived and you'll be dealt with by your tight-fisted, narrow-hearted attitude by God the same way you've dealt with others. That's what you'll receive. So shall my heavenly Father do to every one of you if you do not forgive every man his brother from the heart.

37:23 Now that's blunt language, dear people. But that's the Bible. And so, no Christian is devoid of gratitude for mercies received, utterly devoid of it. There are degrees of it.

37:34 Therefore, no Christian can as a settled disposition of heart live in hatred to his brethren. Can't do it. And if you live in hate, you live in darkness. That's the teaching of the Bible.

37:46 And John sets it in black and white either or categories in a way that presses us to the wall to ask, well, am I really living in the light of the mercies of God to me in Christ? If so, there'll be love for God, a life of principled obedience, a life of love to the brethren. I'm sure we could expand that, but we do want to fill in some more pieces of the pie. Some other major categories.

Category 3: The Fear of God (as Judge)

38:09 All right, Mr. Bischoff? It manifests the importance of judgment of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. And in connection with that, every earnest and sincere Christian as we seek to live that Christian life and we want to obey Christ and we know we go through the battles and temptations of life, we know what sin is and how that grieves the Lord.

38:44 The one thing we want to hear more than anything else with all of our heart is for Christ to say, well done, how good and good is your life. All right, so you'd be willing to say that's a slice in itself that the recognition that we will stand before God as an impartial judge.

39:04 All right? All right. I think I'd be prepared to stick it as a major piece and we'll put in a couple of the verses we brought from last week. All right?

39:11 So how will we express that? The glory of God, gratitude for mercies received.

39:18 How should we express that? What should we call it? Help me out, Professor. You have to please Him knowing that you're accountable to Him in the last day, knowing that you live before Him under His eye, that you're answerable to Him, that He's your judge and you want to hear well done from Him.

39:43 In the broadest sense, that's what it means to live in this sphere. All right. So you would say it's to be subsumed under this broader category of the fear of God. Yeah.

39:57 Yes, Ed?

39:59 Yeah.

40:01 Yeah, we'll give you permission to do so, Ed. Change life. All right. The fact that we have a changed life.

40:08 Yes, this would certainly want to be, we're going to come to a category that fits into that general description. But let's stick on this for a minute. And I think as I wrestle with this and Pastor Nichols and I even kicked it back and forth earlier before this morning, that there are different ways of defining the fear of God. But if we limit the fear of God to those aspects, those aspects of our relationship to God that perceive of Him as lawgiver, as judge, but who is now our Father, but He doesn't cease to be judge.

40:47 1 Peter 1 makes that very plain. If you pass the time of your sojourning here, he says, if, no, if you call on Him as Father who judges every man according to his works, pass the time of your sojourning in fear. So, to be the judge. Now, for the unconverted, God's only judge.

41:10 That's all. Pure judge.

41:17 Father.

41:20 All right. And you see how that comes out in the motivation that Paul mentions. We must all appear. Let me finish and then I'll take your question, please.

41:27 Let me finish. Seeing hands going up while I'm talking distracts, okay? Where am I now? All right.

41:34 2 Corinthians 5. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men follows on the heels that we shall all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ when Paul is charging Timothy in 2 Timothy 2. What does he try to press on him? I charge you in the sight of God and of the Lord Jesus who shall what?

41:54 Judge by His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the Word. All of the past, the parables that Jesus gives to underscore faithfulness all take us into the realm when the householder comes back and there's accountability between him and his stewards and either says well done, good and faithful steward or depart from me wicked, slothful man, etc. So, if we limit the fear of God to that dimension of our relationship to God and God's relationship to us in which we conceive of Him, as the one in whose presence we constantly live, all things are naked and open before Him, all actions and thoughts and words have moral accountability.

42:45 By Thy words Thou shalt be justified. By Thy words Thou shalt be condemned. Every idle word that men shall speak. If we limit the fear of God to that ballpark of concern, then that brings within it many of these motives that we've made up.

43:05 Mention the desire to hear His well done, the dread of displeasing Him, of bringing grief and shame to His name, etc. Alright? So, we have that aspect of the fear of God. Now, another major category of motivation and to pick up on the thread of what Ed has suggested, let me just state it and then you'll begin to think of all of the various passages that come to bear.

Category 4: Consciousness of Our Own Identity in Christ

43:34 I've called it the consciousness of our own identity.

43:42 Consciousness of our own identity as the people of God.

43:48 Now, can you think of verses where this is brought forward as motivation? Think of what you are and let that motivate you to a certain kind of lifestyle.

44:01 Alright? In 7, certainly, Paul again and again in Romans 6 says, don't you know? Don't you know what you are and who you are? You are someone who in faith union with Christ have undergone a spirit in which you've died with Christ, you've been buried with Christ, you've been raised to newness of life.

44:27 Let the consciousness of that regulate you. Reckon yourself indeed to be what you are. And if you are one in whom sin's dominion has been broken, live accordingly. Alright?

44:40 Another passage that underscores that. Yes.

44:45 Alright, good passage. 1 Corinthians 6. Alright, read it for us.

45:10 Alright, here in 1 Corinthians 6 you have many examples of that. Our brother Kenny has picked up on the last part, but if you even go up further, he's dealing with the subject of fornication and how to be armed against it. And he says in verse 15, don't you know your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I take away the members of Christ and take away the members of Christ?

45:31 And make them members of a harlot? He's saying, look, the next time you're tempted to go up into one of those temple prostitutes on the way up at the steps, stop and say, wait a minute. This body is united to Christ. I'm implicating Christ in what I'm contemplating to do.

45:46 Is that motive enough to get you to turn around and come down the steps and beat it? That's what he's saying to them. He said, I implicate Christ. Don't you know that he that is joined to a harlot is one body?

45:58 For the two said he shall become one flesh. And then here he says, don't you know your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Consciousness of your own identity. You're a living temple of God.

46:12 You are in living union with. You have entered in with Christ to the power, the liberating power of his death, burial, and resurrection to newness of life. Romans chapter 6. A couple of other key passages that bring in another whole motif in the New Testament.

46:29 Bruce?

46:35 All right. Galatians 2.20. Certainly, I think it would be a supportive text.

46:42 Now, I'm fishing for a whole, it's a major, all right, Lamar?

47:00 All right, this text that we got several weeks ago is a clear example of this. But, you are, 1 Peter 2.9. Here's your identity.

47:09 An elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of possession, in order that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into marvelous light. Now, after that, what does he say? Verse 11. Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul, having your behavior seen.

47:35 Besitting in terms of what you are. What you are and let people see what you are. Let me tell you what I was fishing for because we're coming down to your home base. It's the whole beautiful concept of the Christian as a new man in Christ.

47:52 Notice how this is put forward for motivation. In Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Colossians chapter 3.

47:59 In Colossians chapter 3.

48:03 He says in verse 5, Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth. And then he lists them. And then he says, Though you once lived in those things, you no longer live in them as your way of life, but put away all the last remnants. Verse 8.

48:20 Put away anger, wrath, speaking out of your mouth. Don't lie one to another. Why? Let the details of your life style it.

48:43 That that putting off of the old and the putting on of the new is real. That this putting on of the new is the putting on of the new man that is undergoing a process of renewal into more and more conformity to the image of God and the image of Christ. So the consciousness of our own identity. So every time you read a passage that says this is what you are, you need to stop and pray, Lord, help me to lay hold of that.

49:12 That this is not just poetic language. When the Bible says I'm a new man in Christ, that's reality. Oh, Lord, help me to live out that reality. When I'm about to say something, let me ask, is that an expression of a new man in Christ or,

49:31 and I apologize to whoever had his hand raised, because my own conscience smites me as I ask the question. That irritation was an expression of an old man in Adam, and I'm sorry. That's what it was. That's Albert N. Martin in the remnants of the old man in Adam. Now, whoever had his hand raised, he may have something repentant to do for not having enough social grace to wave his hand while I'm talking, but that's his problem. You see? But my irritation is mine, and I am sincerely sorry for that.

50:00 And I've lifted up my heart and asked the Lord to forgive me, and I ask you as a class that was not exemplary, that's not the forbearance of the new man in Christ. You see? So when you start asking yourself questions like that, it starts coming home. You see?

50:16 And you pray in those things. And when you read, we are pilgrims in sojourn. You say, Lord, that means this is not my resting place. So what's the big deal if I drop a dozen eggs today?

50:30 I'm a sojourner. What in the world will that mean in heaven? So why should I get all upset, get the family all upset, and make nothing but fuel for repentance, fussing over a dozen eggs that fell on the floor and seven of them broke right out, three of them cracked, and only seven, seven, three, two came out unscathed. How will I look at this when I'm in heaven?

50:57 The big deal, I'm making it now, and that can release you from all kinds of present distresses to say, how will I look at this from heaven? That's been a great means of grace to me over the years when something is beginning to loom so big, some little piddling thing. I stop and I say, wait a minute, how will I look at this when I'm in heaven in a few years? Well, if I think at all of it, I'll look back and laugh and say, you jerk.

51:21 You stupid idiot. You're on your way to glory and you're like, you better let a thing like that get you all unstuck. Shame on you. So say shame on you now and turn away from it.

51:31 Pastor Nichols.

51:35 I think that it's something that you spoke about your generation before. I think it's something that my generation has a desperate need to come to grips with. Who are we? Why were we made?

51:49 What happened? What are we doing here? If I may, I would like to suggest something. Yes, you may.

51:58 To draw some category under that whole idea. It'll get better and better. It'll get better on here. And I won't have to repeat it.

52:08 Okay. You're in trouble with the tape.

52:23 Go ahead. That we were created in the image of God. We have the dignity of being God's image bearers in God's image. We're not cosmic junk.

52:39 That's one way to put it. We didn't evolve from apes, etc. But we're created in God's image. And therefore, we have this whole responsibility and dignity to imitate God.

52:53 And to be like God. And that ought to motivate us to be holy. But the second thing is we're fallen creatures. We're sinners.

53:02 You think of chapter, I think it's three? Yes. For we ourselves are...

53:08 Put that in mind.

53:12 For we also were once foolish. We also were once like that. Don't forget what we were. Because what we were motivates us to be Christ-like.

53:23 And then with regard to the new work, I think you can think of it in two things. One is conversion in the Christian life. The profound change that took place in our hearts once for all at conversion. That should always motivate us.

53:37 Like Romans 6. The significance of our baptism should motivate us. The purpose of our regeneration. And the work that God did in our hearts.

53:47 That should motivate us. And then, the Christian life. The very fact that we have walked in a life of obedience to the Lord for one, two, three, four, five years. I think of the passage in Philippians that uses our obedience in the Christian life in Philippians 2 to motivate us to continue.

54:08 The very key text in Philippians 2.12 So then, beloved, even as you have always obeyed not in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both to will it to work for His good pleasure. It appeals to the fact that they have always obeyed. It appeals to their sanctification and to their obedience of their ongoing Christian life as a motive to continue in obedience.

54:40 Why should I forsake the Lord now after I've obeyed Him for so many years? And right on to chapter three where it says by the same rule that we have walked by the rule we have walked let us walk by that same rule. So you think in terms of creation our previous life as sinners the once for all wonderful work of conversion and the ongoing work of the Christian life and all those things as to who we are to motivate us to be holy and to persevere. Amen.

Category 5: Legitimate Self-Interest

55:10 All right, now our time believe it or not and I do want to add one more category which is a catch-all for many. Now these are not the complete categories. We leave to you now to complete this and maybe with pastoral input over the next months and years if the Lord spares us out of your interaction will come a series of sermons. It won't be the first time that's happened.

55:31 But I'd like to put one evident category that no one has mentioned and that is legitimate self-interest.

55:41 Now this is where some people really get hung up. They say self-interest? That's not spiritual. Well, not according to God.

55:48 God says would you see good life, long life? Remember we looked at 1 Peter last week and he quotes out of the Psalms refrain your lips from speaking evil and guile and the rest and God says it's the way of blessedness. All of the motives that come out of the book of Proverbs. The whole matter of personal dignity as opposed to shame.

56:08 The matter of well-being. It shall be health to thy name. And marriage in the ordinary course of God's providence is not only to have a modicum of understanding of how God has made us and to eat healthfully to exercise as much as is necessary for us to keep ourselves from becoming flabby and our hearts becoming our physical hearts from becoming underworked or overworked muscles and weak, etc. But apart from those things the best prescription for good health is a life of holiness.

56:51 Because holiness is what we were made for. Not unholiness. So in terms of legitimate self-interest the matter of receiving a full reward is mentioned in the New Testament. The whole matter of the approbation of God.

57:08 Many things come under legitimate self-interest. Legitimate self-interest even the matter of escaping the terrors of hell. Fear not them who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Now that's self-interest but it's legitimate self-interest.

Conclusion and Call to Cultivate Motives

57:28 So when you come across those motives don't be more spiritual than God. Put them in as well as these motives of gratitude for the mercies of God living to the glory of God living to the glory walking in the fear of God living in the consciousness of our identity as the people of God. Well, I hope this gives you fuel for meditation. I hope you'll carry it with you into your devotions.

57:53 You who are heads of households when you come across these passages with your children bear down upon their consciences with these things. Seek to enter into discussion with them and draw them out to say alright if this is so what difference will that make on the playground? What difference will that make when you go upstairs into your room to do your homework assignment? If you believe God is watching you and how you do it either brings God's smile or God's smile will that make any difference in the way you do your homework?

58:26 You see teaching and cultivating this sense of living under the eye of God is not something that comes like that. And so let me urge upon you in your own personal devotions as you read through the scriptures wherever you find any spiritual strand of these categories of motivation note them. If you want to start taking a you know a purple pencil and putting M in the margin every time you come across do anything you need to do to highlight these things and to pray them in and then in your own family worship because remember as God preserves us in the way we are active and no little part in our activity is the exposure to and the absorption of and the absorption of and the working out of these motives these manifold motives to a life of holiness and obedience given to us in the scriptures. Well I trust God will wonderfully and powerfully work these things in us and make these two weeks of study of permanent profit to all of us. Let us pray together.

59:36 Our Father we thank you for your holy word. We thank you for every provision that has been made for us in the grace and in the gift of your son and we thank you that even now we have the assurance that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and even as we have sought to engage our minds with your word we've been made conscious Lord that sin is always at our elbow yea near as our next breath oh Lord to walk before you ever cleansed in the blood of your son ever filled with the joy of knowing that when sin is confessed we are cleansed and we are privileged to walk on in the joyful sense of communion with you. Thank you for this time together for the contribution of your people Lord write these great principles upon our hearts and continue to feed them in our hearts as we feed upon your word we ask in Jesus name Amen. Amen.