Explicit Assertions from Scripture

Introduction: The Certainty of Perseverance and Preservation

0:01 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, January 9th, 1983, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. We've returned this morning in our study of the Word of God to the vital biblical doctrine designated as the perseverance and the preservation of the people of God. Now that doctrine is succinctly stated in the way in which I've continually brought it before you, and it is this, that all true believers most certainly shall and most assuredly must continue in the way of faith, holiness, and obedience to the end of their days if they would enter heaven at last. And in our previous 20...

0:56 24 expositions of this doctrine, we've examined the scriptural teaching in two major categories. First of all, we considered the necessity of the perseverance of the people of God. And under that heading, we looked at some 30 texts in the New Testament which clearly teach that the people of God must continue in faith, holiness, and obedience. If they would be saved.

1:30 And then for a number of weeks, we have been studying many portions of scripture under this second major category, namely, the means of our perseverance. And we've noted that those means come to us in two basic categories. The corporate or social means, those connected with the life of the church. And then the private or individual means.

1:57 The greatest of which is the subject of keeping a good conscience upon which we dwelt for a number of weeks. Now today, we take up the third and final division of our study in this doctrine, namely, the certainty of the perseverance and, of course, the preservation of the saints of God. And I trust you see the progression in our study. Having established that it is absolutely necessary for us to persevere, having considered the means ordained of God by which we are enabled to persevere, now the great question arises, is it certain that we shall persevere? The great question that presses in upon the mind of everyone who takes this doctrine seriously, is this, is it possible that after all of the struggle, all of the warfare, all of the denial of self, and all of the conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil, is it possible that it will all come to naught at the end? After so violent and virulent a battle, is there any real certainty as to the issue, the ultimate?

3:25 The ultimate result of that battle, when the hymn writer wrote, Yes, I to the end shall endure, as sure as the promise is given, more happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven. Was that just pious presumption? Or was that intelligent, well-grounded, biblical faith penning those words, Yes, I to the end shall endure? The saints in heaven may be more happy than I, but not one whit more secure.

Defining Perseverance: Not Unconditional Security

4:04 Well, I trust to demonstrate from the scriptures that when Toplady wrote those words, he was not guilty of an expression of pious presumption, if there is such a thing, but he was indeed reflecting a mind and a heart well instructed in the scriptures, and a mind and a heart that was presently embracing, and an active faith, the teaching of the word of God, not only with reference to the necessity of perseverance, and implicitly with respect to the means of perseverance, but supremely with respect to the certainty of the perseverance and the preservation of the saints. What I propose to do this morning is simply to demonstrate the absolute certainty of the perseverance, and the perseverance of all of the people of God. Now, as we stand on the threshold of our study, I want to issue a word of caution. We're going to be considering what the Bible teaches about the absolute certainty of the perseverance and preservation of the true people of God. We are not speaking of a preservation and perseverance of everyone who makes a decision, everyone who names the name of Christ,

5:30 everyone and anyone who for a time gives some evidence of Christian experience. Rather, we are speaking of the preservation and perseverance, the certainty of those things, in the case of all who have truly repented, truly believed, all who have truly been born of God, all who have been made new creatures in Christ. And furthermore, this certainty, this absolute certainty of the preservation of the people of God, is not a preservation to be realized whether or not the means of perseverance are used. It is not an unconditional perseverance and preservation. It is an absolute preservation. It is an absolutely certain preservation and perseverance.

6:30 But it is not unconditional. It is a preservation and perseverance to be realized in the believing, obedient use of the means ordained of God for our preservation and perseverance. The old Baptist theologian J.L. Dagg, addressing himself to this very caution, writes, The old Baptist theologian J.L. Dagg, addressing himself to this very caution, writes, They who understand the doctrine of perseverance to imply that God's people will obtain the crown without the struggle, totally mistake the matter. The doctrine is that God's people will persevere in the struggle.

7:14 And to suppose that they will obtain the crown without doing so is to contradict the doctrine. It is a wretched and fatal perversion of the doctrine if men conclude that, having been once converted, they will be saved whatever may be the course of life. God's word plainly declares that he who sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. And every man who does not keep under his body and bring it into subjection, who does not endure to the end in this spiritual conflict, will assuredly fail to receive the crown.

7:56 Without this, no conversion which he may have undergone, not even a call to apostleship, will secure the approbation of the final judge. In other words, I am not talking this morning about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation.

8:21 I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation.

8:25 I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation.

8:30 I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation.

Old Testament Assertions: Psalm 23

8:34 I am not speaking about the wicked doctrine of an unconditional security of salvation. the devil himself rather we are addressing ourselves to the absolute certainty of the preservation and perseverance of the true people of god and the true people of god are those who do persevere who will indeed be preserved in their perseverance whose perseverance is the very manifestation of their preservation but now with that caution before us and i hope behind us and underneath us and around us we still come to our question is it certain that all of god's people will make it to the end and the answer of the bible is yes they shall and as we open up this aspect of the teaching over the next couple of lord's days we'll consider first of v a all some explicit assertions of the certainty of the preservation and perseverance of God's people some explicit assertions of this great truth then God willing we'll move on to consider next week the manifold grounds of the certainty of the perseverance of the saints and then finally the practical fruits of the certainty of the perseverance of the saints and hopefully

10:00 in another three lord's days we will conclude this series of studies on the doctrine of perseverance all right take your bibles in hand as we begin to consider now some explicit assertions of the certainty of the perseverance and preservation of the people of God and we'll look first of all at four texts in the old testament now that may surprise some of you because surely the new testament is much clearer on this doctrine because life and salvation have been brought to their fullest light in the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ but though light and salvation have been brought to their fullest expression in the Lord Jesus there is biblical salvation in the old testament and because it is biblical biblical biblical salvation, it is a certain salvation. And I want you to look with me first of all at what is perhaps the most familiar portion in the Old Testament. If people don't know any other portion of the Old Testament, they at least know something, a verse or two, of the 23rd Psalm. And I want you to turn, please, to Psalm 23 for the first explicit assertion of the certainty of

11:22 the preservation and perseverance of the people of God from the Old Testament. Psalm 23. Now those of you familiar with the Psalm will know that the great theme is Jehovah as the shepherd of his people. Now some commentators debate whether or not there is one image or two. Some would call it the shepherd-host, H-O-S-T, Psalm, where you have an imagery of Jehovah as the shepherd of his people comes down through verse 4, and then Jehovah as the gracious host of his people who prepares a table for them and feeds them in verse 5. But whether we take the view that the dominant and exclusive imagery with some latitude is that of Jehovah as the great shepherd, or Jehovah as the great shepherd-host, the dominant image is that of the great shepherd. Jehovah is my shepherd, I am Jehovah.

12:22 I shall not lack anything. Now that's the great theme of the Psalm. Jehovah has entered into the relationship of a shepherd to needy, dumb, vulnerable, weak sheep. And the Psalmist says, since Jehovah, the infinite God, creator of heaven and earth, God of covenant love and mercy, the God who reveals himself, in covenant love to his people, since he has committed himself to be my shepherd and has made me one of his sheep, Jehovah is my shepherd, I shall not lack anything. And now he begins to unpack that statement in more detail. And verses 2 through 5 demonstrate how it is that the Lord is the shepherd of his people, meeting all of their present needs, and he is the shepherd of his people.

13:22 And here we have the summarizing statement in verse 6. Surely in the light of the fundamental fact that Jehovah is my shepherd, and I shall lack no good thing, surely in the light of what he does for me in this life, goodness and mercy, loving kindness, and mercy, and mercy, and mercy, and mercy, and mercy, and mercy. Kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. Someone has poetically called these the two watchdogs that are constantly attending the shepherd and his sheep. Goodness and mercy. And wherever the shepherd is with his sheep, there his sheep dogs are present. Goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of God.

14:21 Kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of God. the Lord forever. Here is one of the most bold assertions of the certainty of preservation and perseverance to be found anywhere in the Word of God. The psalmist declares that since Jehovah is his shepherd, not only is it certain that he shall lack nothing essential to his life here and now, he's confident that throughout all the days of his life, goodness and mercy shall follow him, and he is just as certain that he shall dwell in the house of the Lord, in the place of God's immediate presence, communion and fellowship, and that forever. Here is a statement of the absolute certainty of the perseverance and the perseverance of the Lord. The preservation of all who are the sheep of Jehovah the Great Shepherd, and right in this

Old Testament Assertions: Proverbs 4

15:24 familiar psalm is an explicit assertion of that certainty. Now then, turn over to Proverbs. One of David's sons, Solomon, as you know, became the wisest man upon the face of the earth, and though at times he tragically failed to apply the wisdom to himself, he makes an amazing statement in chapter 4 with reference to the righteous. The context is warning to his son with respect to the influence of evil companions, Proverbs 4.14. Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it. Pass not by it. Turn from it and

16:20 pass away. pass on. Why are we to be so fastidious about not even associating ourselves with wicked men unless duty brings us into close proximity to them? Why are we to even avoid their way? Why are we to pass from it? Why are we to go out of our way to avoid any unnecessary contact with wicked men? Well, it's because they are not neutral in their desire to perpetuate wickedness. Notice the next verse, for they sleep not, except they do evil, and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall. They're restless on their beds if they come to the end of the day and realize

17:07 that they've not been able to be evangelistic in the perpetuation of their own wickedness. They're not able to sleep. They're not able to sleep. They're not able to sleep.

17:14 They're not content that they have simply indulged the passions of their own wicked hearts. They lose sleep if they can't put notches in their rifle in terms of others whom they have dragged into their own way of alienation from God and rebellion against His law. Now he goes on to say, contrasting the righteous with the wicked. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

17:42 But, but, the path of the righteous is as the dawning light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble. You see the contrast?

18:05 The way of the wicked is as darkness. They live in darkness in the language of John. They walk around in darkness. And in the language of our Lord in the day of judgment they shall be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

18:24 But now the contrast. What is the way of the righteous? The path of the righteous is as the dawning light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. And the root word used here or the root of the word used for the perfect day means that which is the way of the righteous.

18:43 It is perpendicular. It's a picture of the sun rising to its zenith when in that sense it is perpendicular to the surface of the earth. And he says the way of the righteous is just like the sun in its course. Last Tuesday, when Mrs. Martin and I had to make that sad journey to Carlisle for the funeral of Bill Wenger Jr, we had to leave early in the morning. And one of the delights of that early trip was to see the sunrise we left with our lights on and it was dark and we needed them but it wasn't long before the first rays of the sun began to come up long before we could see the sun and then the sky began to get a bright reddish glow and then the top of the sun just peaked up over the horizon and then it was not long before although in the winter it's not directly overhead the sun was at its high point for the winter time that gradual rising of the sun and unless it's hidden

19:48 by the clouds once that sun peaks up over the horizon it's only a matter of time before it will certainly reach its perfect light now that's the picture of the righteous and his experience the path of the righteous is as the dawning light that's That shines more and more unto the perfect day. And that perfect day is the day of consummation. When all that God has begun in His grace with the first rays of His saving light upon the soul. Will infallibly and certainly be carried on to completion. When the Son of Righteousness Himself shall come. And in the language of John we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is.

20:44 And Solomon knows nothing of the path of any righteous man. In which the sun begins to rise and then sets back in the east. The path of the righteous is as the dawning of the day. Once those rays have begun to rise upon a soul.

21:03 They will most certainly and infallibly continue. Continue to shine until they break upon that soul in all of their glory. At the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in language that is not theological.

21:19 But nonetheless powerful. Nonetheless certain. Is an explicit assertion of the certainty of the perseverance. And the preservation of the people of God.

Old Testament Assertions: Jeremiah 32

21:33 And then turn over to the prophet Jeremiah. And these are texts that I trust you as the people of God will hide in your hearts. And often feed upon them in faith. Jeremiah 32 and verse 40.

21:50 Those of you familiar at all with the Old Testament prophecies. Are aware that one of the great themes. One of the great motifs of the prophets. Is that of judgment and restoration.

22:07 And when the prophets announced judgment upon the nation of Israel for her sin. And then announced God's future restoration. Often that announcement of future restoration. Went far beyond anything envisioned.

22:22 In the remnant returning to the land of Palestine. God speaks of a new covenant. Of an everlasting covenant. He speaks of things that he will do internally and powerfully.

22:34 And eternally in the hearts of his people. That are not realized until the coming of the Lord Jesus. And his death and resurrection. And the descent of the spirit.

22:45 And when we turn to the book of Hebrews. We find in Hebrews 8 and 10. The spirit of God to the writer to the Hebrews. Taking those very passages.

22:54 And telling us in no uncertain terms. That they are fulfilled now in Jesus Christ. And in all the people of God. We are the true Israel.

23:04 We are the true house of Israel. In whom those promises have their fulfillment. And we have just such a promise of restoration in Jeremiah chapter 32. Notice the language Jeremiah 32.

23:19 Beginning with verse 36. Now therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel. Concerning this city whereof you say. It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon.

23:32 By the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence. I will gather them out of all the countries. Whither I have driven them in mine anger. And in my wrath and in great indignation.

23:44 And I will bring them again to this place. And I will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be my people. And I will be their God.

23:54 The great heart of all of God's covenant engagements. God pledges himself to be the God of his people. And assures that they will take him to be their God. I will give them.

24:11 Notice God's talking about his activity. 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.

24:23 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them. That I will not turn away from following them. To do them good. And I will put my fear in their hearts.

24:36 That they may not depart from me. Now do you see the beautiful parallelism? God says in this everlasting covenant. He will never turn away from doing good to his people.

24:52 He says that he will never turn away from following them. To do them good. In other words. He will not put them in the way of righteousness.

25:03 Follow them to do them good for a time. Only to have his heart turn away from them. And now pursue them to do them evil. He says I will never turn away from them.

25:16 To do good to them. But he says I will do something in them. That will create in them a reciprocal response. Notice what God says he will do in them.

25:27 I will put my fear in their hearts. That they may not depart from me. They will adhere to me. They will cling to me.

25:39 And to my ways. And to my truth. They will persevere. Because I will do something in them to secure their perseverance.

25:52 Now they will persevere. They will be conscious of choosing me as their God. When they are converted. When I give them.

26:00 A new heart. The first actings of that new heart. Will be the choice of me. As their God.

26:08 And their portion. Forever. And they will be conscious. Of all of the enticements.

26:14 Of their remaining sin. And the pressure of the world. And the devil. To go a whoring after other gods.

26:21 But. I will so work in them. That their choice of me. Will be one that they will never repudiate.

26:29 I will put my fear in their hearts. That they will not turn away from me. Here is God's pledge. Of the absolute certainty.

Old Testament Assertions: Job 17

26:41 Of the perseverance of his people. And then one final text in the Old Testament. Job chapter 17. This is particularly significant.

26:55 For you remember the experience of Job. With none of the light of such passage. As 2nd Corinthians 12. That passage in which Paul records.

27:08 The purposes of God. Which lay behind. His unusual suffering. With no 2nd Corinthians chapter 1.

27:16 Which speaks of the divine purpose for suffering. With no Romans 8. No 2nd Timothy 3. None of the rich New Testament revelation.

27:26 That we have. Here Job is suffering. And he doesn't know why. And all his friends think they know why.

27:34 They had their clever little formulas. Righteous men are blessed. Hypocrites and wicked men suffer. Job you profess to be righteous.

27:44 You suffer. Therefore you must be a hypocrite. That's their theology in a nutshell. And they pour it into his ears.

27:50 Day and night. And the poor man is vexed. By these so called comforters. Vexed by the grief of the loss of his children.

28:00 Of his possessions. Of his health. He's in a miserable state. And then the helper who's supposed to answer to his needs.

28:09 Is breathing in his ears. Curse God and die. That's the counsel he gets from his wife. Yet in the midst of this.

28:16 Listen to his testimony. Job chapter 17. Beginning with verse 8. Upright men shall be astonished at this.

28:27 And the innocent shall stir up himself against the godless. Yet. Yet. Shall the righteous hold on his way.

28:38 And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger. He's in the midst of this situation described in verse 6. He hath made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.

28:56 Mine eye is dim by reason of sorrow. And all my members are as a shadow. When upright men look upon me. They'll be astonished.

29:05 The innocent shall be stirred up. Yet in the midst of this. The righteous shall hold on his way. And he that hath clean hands.

29:16 Though it appears that God is utterly against him. Though God appears to have utterly turned upon him and forsaken him. What shall he do? He that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.

29:31 What a wonderful statement. Of this certainty. Of the perseverance. Of the true people of God.

29:35 With the limited light of the Old Testament. And Job perhaps coming on the very front end of any written revelation. With that limited revelation. Yet Job knows.

29:41 The very Job who can say. I know. I know. I know.

29:45 I know. I know. I know. I know.

29:49 I know. I know. I know. I know.

29:53 I know. I know. I know. I know.

29:57 I know. I know. I know. I know.

30:02 I know. I know that my redeemer lives. And I know that the worms destroy this body. Yet in my flesh shall I see God.

30:12 Here was a man utterly certain with tall lady. I too the end shall endure. As sure as the earnest is given. Much more happy.

30:23 Certainly much more happy than Job. But not more secure. The righteous shall hold on his way. though all seems to be against Him.

30:35 You see, it's the temporary believer, according to Matthew 13, when tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, He is offended and turns aside, but not the righteous, not the one in whom God by the Spirit has planted His fear, for God has said, They shall not turn away from Me. There may be temporary lapses, and the Scriptures in our confession beautifully epitomizes the teaching of the Bible. There may be periods of declension and grievous falls into this or that sin, but the bottom line is that the righteous shall hold on to His ways. He shall indeed persevere unto the end.

New Testament Assertions: John 5

31:18 Now we hasten to look at some of the pivotal text in the New Testament. All we're doing this morning now is just trying to open up some of these clear assertions of the absolute certainty of the perseverance of the people of God. Let's consider first of all three of the very key words of our Lord Jesus and then a couple of the words of His inspired apostles. Turn to the fifth chapter of John's Gospel.

31:48 John's Gospel, chapter 5.

31:53 Again, let me urge you to make at least mental note of these passages. You do well to commit them to memory. In the midst of the battle, you may find yourself strengthened by these assertions. In John's Gospel, chapter 5, we have, as we have often in the Gospel of John, a setting in which the Jews are very much opposed to our Lord.

32:19 In this context, they are seeking to kill Him, and they're seeking to kill Him because of the claims He has made with respect to His person. Notice verse 18 of John 5. For this cause, therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath, that is, according to their notion of what keeping the Sabbath was. He did not break His Father's holy law.

32:46 He broke some of their silly rules. He not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. Jesus had made public claims which could only be understood by the Jews as claims to equality with God. He claimed that God was His Father in such a unique way that the Jews understood Him, that He was not the Son by derivation.

33:17 He was the Son by shared essence of the very Godhead. And they understood that. They were offended by it, and they sought to kill Him. So our Lord goes on to justify these claims and enliven them.

33:32 He goes on to charge on His relationship to the Father in the subsequent paragraph with a focus upon the work that He does. Work which only one who is God can do. A work which He's been entrusted with by the Father. And now we come to verse 24 in that setting.

33:52 Truly, truly, I say unto you, He that hears My word and believes Him that sent Me has the power to do so. He that has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life. Now here is one of the clearest statements of our Lord. First of all, He says eternal life is a present possession.

34:27 He that hears My word and believes Him that sent Me has eternal life. Eternal life is not only a quality of life, it is that. This is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. It is a kind of life, but it is a kind of life that also involves duration.

34:50 It is everlasting life. It is unending life.

34:56 That's the first assertion of our Lord. Eternal life in its quality and duration is a present possession. Secondly, it is an irreversible possession. Notice the emphasis.

35:09 He that hears and believes has eternal life and does not come into condemnation but has passed once for all out of death into life. And having passed out of death into life, the condition of life remains. It is irreversible.

35:34 And hear our Lord in words that can only be heard. It can only be twisted if we are to come to any other conclusion asserts the absolute certainty of the preservation and perseverance of all who believe in Him. There is no condemnation now and on into eternity to those who hear and believe His Word. And then over to John chapter 10.

New Testament Assertions: John 10

36:04 Some of you for whom this is familiar ground, John, bear with us. We have many babes in Christ. Many who are just newly acquainted with the Scriptures. They need to become acquainted with these great passages so that their faith may be strengthened in the conflict.

36:22 In John chapter 10, the setting is again the personal claims of Jesus. Here He claims to be the door and also the Good Shepherd. His claims cause division once more. Verse 19.

36:37 There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, He has a demon. He's crazy. Why do you listen to Him?

36:50 Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? So there's this great agitation over the claims that Jesus makes about Himself. And following upon those claims, He now describes the names and the nature of the work of the Good Shepherd in a new and glorious dimension.

37:13 Verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them. That is, I regard them with distinguishing love and affection. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never, ever perish.

37:39 And no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them unto me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

38:02 They understood His language when He said, I and the Father are one. Whatever He meant by saying, the Father is greater than I, they did not in any way construe it as saying that I am some kind of an inferior God or God of a lesser quality. They understood His claims.

38:21 That's why they took up stones to stone Him for blasphemy. That He and the Father were one. And yet you see, it's in a setting in which He has spoken of His work with reference to His sheep, a work which only one who is God can do. And when He says, and what does that work?

38:40 So to impart eternal life to His sheep that no power in earth, heaven or hell, can wrench the sheep from His saving hand. None can wrench them. I give unto them eternal life. They shall never perish.

38:58 None shall pluck them out of my hand. And it's only the desperation of a bad cause when people say, yes, but the sheep can jump out of His hand. And I've actually heard Paul's responsible Bible teachers make that assertion. Jesus doesn't say what will happen if the sheep decide to jump out of His hand.

39:18 Well, I thought we read in Jeremiah that God will do something in their hearts that they'll never want to. I'll put my fear in their hearts so that they will not turn away from me. I will give them such a heart that they will never desire to jump out of my hand. It's the picture of those who find their joy in the Lord.

39:41 In this intimate relationship with the shepherd, they hear my voice. They stay within earshot. They follow me. They love my voice.

39:51 They hear. They follow. And yet they are sheep, vulnerable to all of the wolves, all the beasts of prey. There they are in their weakness.

40:02 Sheep have not been created by God with those faculties that other animals have to protect themselves in all of their weakness. This is what God says in Galatians 8. He says, I hold them in my hand. My hand is enveloped in the Father's hand.

40:19 I and my Father are one. What power in earth and heaven or hell shall ever pluck my sheep out of my hand? If language means anything, it means that the preservation and perseverance of all the true sheep of Christ is certain. Absolutely certain.

New Testament Assertions: Romans 8

40:39 But now, in the interest of time, I must skip. over the john 6 37 to 40 passage we'll come back to it god willing next week in another connection but just a couple of statements of the apostle now not that the words of our lord are more inspired than the words of paul but just to give you an organizing principle turn to romans chapter 8 the passage that i read last week and commented upon briefly in setting the context for our exposition of verse 32 but now verses 28 to 30 having described the people of god as awaiting their final salvation helped by the holy spirit in the midst of their present infirmities while waiting the consummation the apostle can write and we know and we know that to those that love god all things work together for good even to them that are called according to purpose for whom he foreknew that is those whom he regarded beforehand with distinguishing love and affection those whom he foreknew he also foreordained to be conformed

42:02 to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren and whom he foreordained them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified now if you've been around the christian faith very long sooner or later you heard that this text is often called the golden chain of god's gracious saving purpose for his own and it is just that and it is an unusual and it is an unusual chain in that the initial link on one end of the chain is embedded in eternity past and the final link of that chain is embedded if i may use the terminology in eternity that stretches out before us and here is a chain embedded in eternity but not eternity in abstraction eternity in the purpose and will of the living and the true god and we explain that in this insidious complicated detail that slow ondan dominungs that children whole tercer

43:28 and excel now that is clear anyway we convenient cation we we would with distinguishing love and affection.

43:47 And here that initial link is God's eternal purpose, His foreordination of those whom He loved beforehand and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. That's the great link embedded in eternity in the heart and purpose of God. Then joined to that link you see in time is God's gracious work of calling. Having sent His Son to die, having raised Him from the dead, having taken Him to His own right hand and sent the Spirit, God now calls.

44:26 And that word call does not mean merely to give an invitation to them. To call means effectually to bring them into union with His Son. For notice, whom He called without exception, those He justifies. Not all who are merely invited and earnestly entreated are justified.

44:49 This calling is what the theologians call an effectual calling. It is that work of God by which He actually not only summons the sinner, but in the deep springs of His being so works in power that the sinner comes freely and willingly being made willing by God's grace. And there we see the second link, the first link in the chain, the first link embedded in eternity, God's foreknowledge and His predestination unto Sonship. And then the link of His effectual calling.

45:24 And everyone who is called is one who is foreknown. All who are foreknown will be called. And then the next link is justification and all of the privileges of having our record cleared in the presence of the Court of Heaven. Being called, being declared righteous, all our sins forgiven, being credited with a righteousness that is acceptable to God just as if I'd never sinned, just as if I'd fully kept the law of God, for I did in the person of my surety and representative, the Lord Jesus.

46:01 Now how many of those called are justified? All without exception. Whom He called, then He also justifies. And then the next link, and because it is so certain and so infallible in its issue, it can be put as though it has already occurred.

46:21 Everyone justified them without one exception. Them He also glorified. And we come to the final link that is embedded in the consummation and will usher in the age to come. And He says, all who are justified are glorified.

46:43 Well, you see, if there is but one soul who comes to the justified state and does not persevere and is not preserved, then this golden chain has been broken. And if it can happen for one, why not two? And if for two, why not twenty? And if for twenty, why not a million?

47:01 And if for a million, there's a lot of room for me.

47:07 But in the case of every single one whom He foreknew and predestined to son, He will call them all without exception. And all who are called are justified. And all who are justified will be glorified. And here is that golden chain unbroken because according to verse 31, it is the living God who has forged that chain.

47:36 It is not a chain that is forged by the whim and fancy of men. It is not a chain. It is not a chain ultimately woven of the stuff of mere human effort and human will and human endeavor. It is the chain that is forged by the hand of omnipotence and the heart of grace.

New Testament Assertions: Philippians 1

47:56 If God be for us, who is against us? And then that great statement in Philippians chapter 1. Remember what we're doing now? Just looking at some explicit assertions of the certainty, the absolute certainty, of the perseverance and preservation of God's people.

48:17 Philippians chapter 1, beginning with verse 3, the apostle speaks of his joy as he thinks upon and prays for the Philippians. I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all, making my supplication with joy. Well, what is it that causes him joy? Well, you'll see basically two things.

48:48 For your fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now, he gives thanks to God for all that he's known in this koinonia, this true communion of heart and effort and tears and desire for the spread of the gospel from the first time that he came to Philippi and God was pleased to draw many of them into fellowship with the Lord Jesus and with his servant through the gospel. He said, I make my supplication with joy for your fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now. But how could there be joy if there was any question about the ultimate destiny of those who now give him joy? If there is any doubt that those who now fellowship with him in the furtherance of the gospel in the bonds of true and living faith and union with Christ would ultimately turn away five or ten or a hundred of them and fall from grace? If the work of the gospel were so tenuous that a whole church could come to birth that seemed to have all the signs of life and then come to naught, why not at least build buildings that will stand for a hundred or two hundred years? At least you've got something to show for your pains.

50:10 How can a gospel minister have joy if there is nothing? How can a gospel minister have joy if there is no certainty in the preservation and perseverance of the fruits of his labors? Well, you see, Paul could have joy for this fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel. Why?

50:26 Verse 6. Being confident.

50:30 My joy is in the context of being confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all because I have you in my heart inasmuch as both in my bonds and in defense and confirmation of the gospel you all are partakers with me of grace. What kind of grace? Fickle grace?

51:05 Defectible grace? Grace that peters out? Grace that comes to naught? How could he give thanks with joy if there was no grace?

New Testament Assertions: 1 Peter 1

51:15 There were no confidence that insofar as those who profess the name of Christ were indeed united to Christ they would be perfected until the day of Jesus Christ. And it is Paul's confidence in the certainty of the preservation and perseverance of the people of God that is one of the major strands of his joy and no little factor in giving him zeal for the work of the gospel. And then finally 1 Peter chapter 1 this final clear assertion of the certainty of the perseverance and preservation of the people of God 1 Peter 1 Peter is blessing and praising God Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 3 who according to his great mercy begot us again unto a living God who has been begotten unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for you. He blesses God as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus who according to his mercy has so worked that there are a people who have been begotten

52:43 unto a living hope growing out of the redemptive work of Christ climaxed in his resurrection and they have begotten unto a hope that has as its focus notice now unto an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and it fades not away reserved in heaven. Now what good is it to have an inheritance if there's no certainty that I will come to that inheritance that the inheritance will be preserved for me and that I will be preserved to inherit it.

53:17 One of our members told me of an incident that happened this is real life incident just two weeks ago he assisted someone in the closing on a home on a Friday the next morning the home was burned to the ground their inheritance was a pile of ashes because they had no power to reserve the inheritance now the house may have stood and they could have died Saturday morning no assurance that they could be preserved to inherit the inheritance so you see there must be the preservation of the inheritor and the preservation of the inheritance well God says I'll take care of the inheritance it's there in the heavens look at it uncorruptible undefiled fades not away it's reserved for us that's the inheritance but now what about us the inheritors will we qualify for the inheritance yes we will why because God is equally committed to us verse five who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last day what a marvelous salvation God is committed to preserving the inheritance undefiled and the inheritors he'll guard them until the day when the inheritance

54:46 is inherited in their experience and not one for whom he has laid up the inheritance will cease to be preserved or fail to be preserved in order to enter in to all that God in grace has provided for him now child of God do you see from these texts and this has been simple it's been elementary I know that but the longer you live the more you'll thank God for the simple and the elementary and in the midst of the agony and the struggle of pressing on and in the midst of those seasons when we feel that we could change our own names to change Job and when we feel the pressures of God's afflicting hand and we feel the enticements of the world and the weakness of our flesh we need to come back again and again not only to the truth that we must persevere that we must press on but the glorious truth that we shall persevere and we shall be preserved and all the powers of hell and of darkness cannot alter what has gone forth from the mountains of God from these texts that we've looked at in the Old Testament to these specimen texts in the New and this has by no means been exhaustive I could go on for three or four weeks just expounding the pivotal and key texts but surely these should be enough child of God to fill you with a fresh sense

Conclusion and Application

56:14 of wonder and joy I'm not on a fool's errand in my determination to persevere I am preserved I shall be preserved I shall come to be inherited and sing with top lady with intelligent believing perception of this truth yes I with all my weakness all my vulnerability all of my susceptibility I even I to the end shall endure as sure as the earnest is given more happy but not more secure the glorified spirit in heaven and my dear unconverted friend what in the world have you got to live for with no promise that you'll even live to see the light of another day and with everything that the Bible says about judgment and hell and the darkness of eternity apart from Christ what are you living for your life is a living death that's why God says of a certain class of people that they are dead while they live my dear unconverted friend there's not a verse in the Bible that says all of those promises cannot be yours but there's only one place for you to make them yours

57:43 and that's in Christ you've got to get into Christ how many so ever be the promises of God they're all in Him and you must get into Him and in Him then they're all yours but you say how can I get into Christ they say the same way we got into Christ take seriously all of God's indictments about you as a sinner and own that you are what God says you are and then embrace all He has said about His Son and then embrace the Son about whom He has said all those marvelous things that He is God He is man two natures in one person forever that He lived the life you should have lived He died the death you should have died He was raised from the dead He sits at the right hand of God the Father this day and welcomes needy sinners who would trust Him oh my unconverted friend how can you face another year with all of the uncertainty no promise that you'll be preserved for anything but judgment in hell think of it that's the only thing God is committed to do with you if you reject His Son and go on in your sin it's to preserve your existence that you might be a monument of God's love for you a monument of His righteous anger for eternity and you'll wish you could go into non-existence but you won't

59:09 body and soul will suffer in hell forever oh my friend flee to Christ and in Him know the blessedness of these promises being yes and amen to you to know that whatever comes to me I'm being preserved as the inheritor for that glorious inheritance of God's love for you for that glorious inheritance of God's love for you for that glorious inheritance of God's love for you for that glorious inheritance of God's love for you that will come that will come at the return of the Lord Jesus let the world pity us poor narrow-minded Christians let the world look down its nose at us poor people who can't think straight and who are simple-minded and believe the Bible and all the rest let them pity us the hour is coming they will envy us they'll envy us when they see us resplendent with the perfections of the Son of God as we stand among our elder, in the midst of our elder brother, he the firstborn among his many brethren. Oh, may you be found in that company by embracing the Lord Jesus and trusting only in him. Let us pray.

60:31 Our Father, we plead in the name of your beloved Son that you will take the simple truths of your word opened up in the hearing of this people and make them effectual to the salvation of some, to the comfort, stability, the strengthening of your people. Oh, God, may we be well grounded in our confidence that we are not in a fool's errand, that the ultimate issue of our lives is not uncertain. Oh, may we be a people full of triumphant and overcoming joy and confidence, not in ourselves, but in your covenant promises and in your great faithfulness. To this end, seal your word to our hearts and to your name and to your name alone be praise and honor and glory now and forevermore. Amen.