An abundant entrance or scarcely saved.
And the reason for this is often times, people look at these
passages of scripture and think that they're really contrary to
each other. Now just a little background
over the years, it's been several years.
I've actually dealt with both of these passages separately but
for a long time now I wanted to have a sermon that dealt with
both of them and find out exactly what Peter divinely
inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was saying in each one of
them. The first passage we want to
notice the second Peter chapter 1 and verse 11, where Peter says
for. So an entrance will be supplied
to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord
and Savior. Jesus Christ, I really don't
know of a more encouraging passage.
As we look to the trials of our life and understand that Peter
is saying that the child of God, one day is going to have An
abundant entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom.
But then again, what about this passage?
What about First Peter chapter 4 and verse 18 where Peter said
now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the
ungodly and The Sinner appear? I got to tell you what I've
always heard in my life among some.
And even as a little boy, I remember this.
Somebody one time interpreted this passage from the pulpit
like this and said the righteous.
That's the Christian that's true.
The righteous is going to barely make it in other words, you
remember what Jesus said? And few there be that find it.
So sometimes people look at that passage and they say this is
what it means. If the righteous is barely going
to make it another words, just a few of us are going to get in
Then The Sinner and the ungodly have absolutely no hope at all.
But is that what he's talking about?
And is that what scarcely means are both of these talking about
the same event, or is one of them talking about something
else will notice that in detail as we move along.
But first of all, let's notice from 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses
5 through 7. This is just before that passage
in our text Peter said. But also for this reason, giving
all diligence add to your faith virtue, and to Virtue knowledge,
and to knowledge self-control to self-control perseverance to
perseverance, godliness to Godliness, brotherly, kindness
and to brotherly, kindness love. You know we look at these
Christian Graces or these Christian virtues.
This is very important because understanding these helps us to
understand what Peter said directly out after that.
And by the way if you're looking for a passage of scripture that
will help you practically live a Christian Life, it is right
here. If you want to know what the
Lord wants from your life, in terms of your growth, it's found
right here from verses 5 to 7. Let's talk about them very
briefly, we've done. This in the past.
So very briefly at this time. Here they are.
He said, add to your faith virtue and virtue.
Literally means, moral excellence.
In other words, what you're doing is you are making
excellent, the quality of your spiritual life, you are changing
yourself. You're not going to follow the
ways of the world. And by the way, the Greek word
that comes up with that word Virtue is very, it's not very
common in the Bible, but it's very common in in secular Greek.
And it literally means to perform heroic Deeds.
It means to do things that are excellent.
What does Peter say add to your faith?
When you're baptized for the remission of your sins and moral
Excellence, it has to be based on something, though, and that
is knowledge, that word knowledge means correct in
sight. That means that you understand
the word of God in the proper manner.
And you properly apply it in your life, too.
This is a perfect understanding. If you look at the very
definition of knowledge, that would shoot down, any theory in
the world where people would say, well, what's true for you
is true for you and what's true for me is true for me, this is
knowledge of the word of God. It's correct in sight of it.
So I need to pursue, moral Excellence based on proper
knowledge. You know what that's going to
do. That's going to give me the
strength to have self-control. Everybody needs self-control.
It literally means to hold yourself in.
Have you ever been angry? I don't know what your
weaknesses are, but if you have an angry and you didn't hold
yourself in and you didn't demonstrate self-control and
maybe you said something or did something that you shouldn't
have because you were angry. If we pursue this, notice based
on proper knowledge, we're going to have the strength to have
holding oneself in then, perseverance.
It leads to endurance and that means literally to endure or do
what's, right? It'll be based on godliness
which is reverence, it's having a practical awareness of God.
In every aspect of your life that will be Demonstrated and
brotherly kindness which is brotherly, affection, and the
ultimate is agape self-sacrificing.
Love Okay, I was very brief about that.
Be very brief about this too. Have you ever stopped to
consider? This is not just a one-time
thing and it doesn't just go in One Direction.
Notice how it goes the other way too.
And this is very important in the context of what we're
studying, if I have the proper agape love in my life, it will
demonstrate itself in brotherly kindness.
It'll be based upon having a practical awareness of God.
In every aspect of my life. It will do.
What? It'll give me the courage to
persevere with endurance to do, what's right?
I will have the strength to hold.
Hold myself in and have self control.
It'll be based on proper knowledge.
Correct, inside of the word of God, as I pursue, moral
excellence in my life. Very very practical things.
All right, all that being said as we keep it in context, we go
to the next two verses. This is what Peter said.
If you'd if these things are yours and abound What.
Thanks. Those things.
If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither be
Barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord, Jesus
Christ for He Who lacks these things and short-sighted even to
blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old
sins, then in verse 10 for if you do these things, you will
never stumble. That's the new King James.
The King James says, you will never fall.
Did you hear that? You will never Fall.
Now, this doesn't mean you will never sin, everybody sins.
We have an advocate with the father.
Jesus Christ, the righteous. If a man says he has no sin, the
Bible says he's a liar and the truth is not in him.
So we all have sinned. It doesn't mean you'll never
make a mistake. It means you will never fall.
Notice you will never stumble. In fact, Barn says, what this
means is you will never stumble. Meaning you shall surely be
saved. So if we continue to grow in the
knowledge of Christ, adding these virtues to our lives, then
we have God's promise, we will never fall and this is one way
we can know that we have eternal life.
I love this. Passage is so encouraging.
And first, John chapter 5 and verse 13.
These things I have written to you, who believe, in the name of
the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Okay. Sometimes, you know things
because Cuz that's just your perception.
Sometimes I might say that. I know something but it's just
my perception. The problem is perception, can
be mistaken or perception? Can be wrong.
The word no here in this passage is found 13 times in the Epistle
of First, John. And it literally means this, it
means to know for certain in the here.
And now, what's that mean, does that mean that you can know
you're saved? Yes, that means that you can
know that you are saved. Does that mean that when I go to
bed tonight and I ask God to clear my slate and forgive me
for anything. Perhaps then I have done said or
thought or left undone and ask God to forgive me of those.
James. Does that mean that I have
confidence When I close my eyes? That if the Lord comes back?
While I'm asleep, I get to go to heaven.
Yes, that's exactly what that means.
There's a difference though between assurance and arrogance
and there's a difference between confidence and can seat.
You can have confidence got to make a point though about being
saved. You know, the Bible talks about
we are saved by grace as true. It doesn't contradict anything
that we're saying here, we are saved by grace.
Absolutely. And what that means is, I could
never deserve it or earn it. In fact, the Bible says that if
I do all that is commanded a required of me.
What am I? I am still deemed an
unprofitable servant saved by grace.
Let's understand what unprofitable servant literally
means it be like this. It'd be like, if I, for example,
hired Chris as a painter and I said Chris I'm going to pay you
ten dollars an hour and I go to work for Jack holiday and I
contract out Chris's Services. I'm going to pay Christian but I
said kill Jack holiday, I'm going to charge you $30 an hour.
Chris Osborn has just become a profitable servant to me.
In other words, he is doing more for me than I'm doing for him.
So what that means is when you talk about being a child of God,
there's no way in the world that I could ever do more for Jesus
than he's done for me, I cannot be of more value to Jesus than
he is to me. Because, without Jesus, I am
lost. That's what that means.
So, what it's saying is we're still not going to deserve it
but we've obey the word of God. And when we do, we need to
understand. We're still an unprofitable
servant saved by grace. But this word no means to know
for sure. Certain that we have eternal
life. All right.
We can believe in the in that very fact.
Now, don't misunderstand me, please.
Please hear what I'm saying? we don't believe and preached a
doctrine of once saved, always saved because that's
unscriptural, Because a man can fall from grace and be lost.
So a man can fall anybody can fall and be lost.
I'm not preaching a doctrine of once saved always saved, but
let's be very careful not to also of the flip side of that
preacher doctrine of once saved and forever lost.
You can know you have eternal life now there are conditions in
1st. John Chapter 2, there are
conditions and we're going to sum it up in a general passage
Now by this, we know that we know him.
Now this word no is the same word right there.
It means to know for certain. So what John is saying is by
this, we can know for certain that we know meaning we have a
relationship with how many people in the world would love
to have a Relationship with God. How many people in the world?
Think they have a relationship with God?
But John said there's a condition.
He said this we may know for certain that we have a
relationship with God if we keep his Commandments.
He who says I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a
liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word.
Truly, the love of God is perfected in him by this.
We know that we are in him. The love of God is perfected in
him. Hold that thought for just a
minute. I'm going to get to that phrase
in just a second, but first of all, two things, keeping his
Commandments is the same thing as keeping his word and keeping
his word is the same thing as keeping his Commandments.
Do you know why God's word is in his Commandments and God's
Commandments is in his word? That's the condition.
God commands are expressed in his word.
This is a Perpetual action, but what about this phrase right
here? The love of God is perfected in
him. Now, you can read various
Scholars, I have on this very sentence and sometimes they are
at odds with one another as to what he's talking about.
For example, is this saying, is this God's love for man?
Or is this man's love for god? Well, let's notice what it says,
but whoever Keeps his word. Truly, the love of God is
perfected in him? Is that God's love for man?
Well, let's take a look at it in John.
Chapter 3 and verse 16. The Bible says that God.
So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have
everlasting life. When did God loved us?
When we were yet? Sinners, and when we were yet,
sinners Christ died for us, okay?
So it cannot mean that my obedience to God perfects God's
love for me. It has to mean my love for God
has to In fact, by the way, this is actually better rendered.
The love for God is perfected in him.
When you keep his Commandments, your love for God.
Is perfected in you. It's Proof of Your Love and the
word perfected, their, by the way, means to be fully developed
fully developed. Talk about love for just a
minute. You know, love is a greater
motivator than fear, don't, you think?
All the years of coaching, I've known a lot of coaches that were
loud. And over the years, I got less
and less loud. And sometimes coaches,
especially Old School coaches, they coached where the
motivating factor was driven by fear.
In other words, make the player afraid of you and therefore,
he'll perform. All that does is make the player
play. Tight uptight tense nervous.
And, by the way, you will do greater things out of love than
you will ever do out of fear. Absolutely.
I believe that I believe that you will get more out of a
person when they do it out of love and respect, then if
they're afraid of you and that's what the Bible is talking about
here we get to the point in our Christian growth, our Christian
Life, where we've grown in Christ and guess what?
Now everything we do is motivated and driven by our love
for God, we're going to do greater things.
Now, I will say this, when you obey the gospel, you hear the
gospel preached and you realize I'm in a lost condition, aren't
you a little bit afraid of that? Because you won't be lost, sure,
but as you grow in Christ, love starts taking over.
Love Takes Over fear, love is the motivating factor and by the
way when you do that, it is perfected in you.
It is fully developed. Now, when you do all of that,
let's go back to Second Peter 1 and 11.
I love this for. So an entrance will be supplied.
Lied to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord
and Savior. Jesus Christ, let me just ask
you something really quickly. Does that right there?
Look like just barely squeak in. Does that look like barely make
it to you? Don't you see here?
The entrance is supplied abundantly into the Everlasting
Kingdom. In other words, we Supply the
virtues abundantly and God supplies the entrance in the
same way. When these things are bound, by
the way, a bound means exist in large, quantities or large
amounts. Abundantly is Extreme
quantities. So, our part is large amounts of
obedience. God's part is large amounts of
entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom, okay?
You might be wondering if there's a lot of
misunderstandings today about things that Daniel spoke of
Chris preached on Daniel not long ago.
I just want to notice one passage because I want to
notice. What is this?
Everlasting Kingdom? What is the connection with that
to Daniel chapter 2? In Daniel chapter 2 and verse
44. And in the days of these Kings,
the god of heaven will set up. A kingdom that's the church
which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom, that's the
church. Shall not be left to other
people. It shall break into pieces and
consume all these kingdoms and get this and it shall stand
forever. The Everlasting Kingdom of
second. Peter 1, in 11 refers to the end
of the world. When the kingdom in Daniel 2:44,
the church will be delivered back again to the father.
Now, Daniel foretold of a time of an indestructible Kingdom
established on earth, that is the church.
The kingdom is indestructible, it will always exist, it will
continue to exist and it's what Jesus Will.
Dover to his father, it will abide forever.
You know, I find some really encouraging things about this.
Don't ever think. For one minute that the church
is going anywhere. It's not.
Now, I know that sometimes members of the church they fall
by the wayside, they fall away, maybe they turn their back on
what's right? But the church itself, the
church as a whole that is the kingdom that Daniel prophesied
about and that's what will be handed over to the father.
In the end, the church is going nowhere.
It is indestructible, it will last forever and that's why
Peter calls it. An everlasting Kingdom.
This is hard times. You may remember this, some of
the older folks might remember times in life when things were
really bad and sometimes we that are younger.
We think we understand things that are bad.
We don't have a clue not in this country.
We don't even have a clue. We don't know what a hard time
is not really. And even the older folks that
might remember a time back in the depression or back in other
periods of time and there were persecution.
There was things that went on those hard times and the church
always what? It always grew.
Have you ever considered that every time, there's hard times,
the church grew in history, you know why?
It's not going anywhere and it doesn't matter what a man thinks
he can do. He can't destroy it.
Cannot cannot it will last forever.
Okay? So what happened between Daniels
prophecy and what Peter said when he said about the
Everlasting Kingdom, abundant entrance?
Let me notice five quick things. First of all, number one, Jojo
and Isaiah all prophesied about the establishment of the
Kingdom. As the church, many years later,
John, the Baptist. What did he say?
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and that phrase at hand,
literally means close enough that you can touch it, it can be
perceived by the senses. It's that close.
Then what happened? Here comes, Jesus, Jesus comes
on the scene. He also says the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand close enough to touch it, but Jesus, add some
things too. Jesus, then says, some of you
will still be living when you see the kingdom of God, come
with power. It's going to come in their
lifetime long long time ago. What else, Acts chapter 2, the
very first gospel sermon was being preached to those that now
had an opportunity to respond to it.
And they were offered the gospel.
They were offered the Plan of Salvation.
They were baptized for the remission of their sins.
Three thousand Souls were saved and Jesus added them daily to
the kingdom or the church. And finally, from Acts chapter 2
on this Kingdom folks. Don't let people think there's a
kingdom coming. The kingdom is always spoken of
as already in existence. So the point for us is this to
be in the Everlasting Kingdom that we've talked about, you got
to be in the Kingdom or the church today in this life, the
kingdom will be delivered back over to the father.
When he comes in first Corinthians, 15 and 24, notice
then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom, that's the
church to God the father, when he puts an end to all Rule and
all authority and Power, so, An abundant entrance Everlasting.
And you know why it's Everlasting?
It's Everlasting because it's eternal You know, God gave us
the concept of time. But God doesn't care about time.
God is not concerned about time, he gave time for us.
He wants us to redeem the time. He wants us to make good use of
the time. But time is something for us.
It's not for God. God does not deal with time and
care about time, but when you talk about Everlasting, you are
talking about something that is eternal, you're talking about
something you cannot count. I cannot count.
And you know why it's Everlasting.
Here it is. Those that are saved forever in.
Eternity, will have no worries at all.
When that be great, wouldn't it be great to finally not have a
worry or a care in the world? Think about all the stress, you
might have. And all the worry.
You have get this. If you make Heaven, you were
going to be saved and you will have no worries.
But on the other hand, those that are lost, will have no hope
for all eternity. So that is the phrase abundant
entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom.
So what does the phrase mean scarcely saved?
What's that mean? Well, first of all, it does
scarcely. Saved mean is it referring to
the end of time? When it says, if the righteous
scarcely be saved, where shall The Sinner and the ungodly
appears that the end of time? No, no, it is not.
It's referring to something else.
First Peter chapter 4 beginning in verse 17, please notice the
context and stay with the flow here for the time.
Has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.
And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those
who do not obey the gospel of God.
Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the
ungodly and The Sinner? Appear.
Now Peter is talking about. He is writing this letter in
about ad, 65 or possibly ad 66. He is writing about an event
that's about to happen in ad 70. They were understanding the fact
that they were under great persecution.
He's writing this letter about 80-65 about something that's
going to happen in ad 70. What's the event in the event?
Is the destruction of Of Jerusalem.
That's the event. The destruction of Jerusalem.
Now, Jesus spoke of this event, too.
In Matthew chapter 24, notice this is Jesus predicting the
destruction of the temple and beginning in verse 1, verses 1
and 2. Then Jesus went out and departed
from the temple and his disciples came up to show him
the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, do you
not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you.
Not one stone shall be left here upon another.
That shall not be thrown. Rome down.
Now, here comes verse number 3, and verse number 3 is their
response. To what.
Jesus just said in verses 1 and 2, very important to stay with
the context very important. So here comes verse 3, this is
so misunderstood in the religious World, here it is.
Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
him privately, saying, tell us when these things be Be what's
these things? Those things?
Those things. What shall these things be when
is it going to happen and what will be the sign of your coming
and the End of the Age? Incidentally the King James says
the end of the world so people say oh what's the sign of the
end of the world? Know that word is better.
Rendered age notice they asked three questions.
Please get this. This is not two events.
They're not asking questions about two events.
They're asking questions about one event.
What's the event? What Jesus just said in verses 1
and 2? They asked the following
questions about that one event. Tell us when these things be,
what things, what he just said, in verse 1 and 2.
What else? And what will be the sign of
your coming? That is a phrase often times
used in the Bible, referring to judgment.
Or Vengeance. What's he talking about?
What Vengeance, what judgment, what?
He said in verses 1 and 2? Talking about the destruction of
Jerusalem and the third question, what's going to be the
end of the age? Tell us those things, three
questions. One event.
Now Jesus gave the following. He gave five remote signs.
And he gave one immediate sign to remember this to all those
that want to apply these words to the end of time, show us the
end of time and all of that Jesus gave five remote signs and
one immediate sign to the event that they were inquiring about.
And that is the destruction of Jerusalem, okay?
Here's number one, here's number one.
There were going to be false Christ's In Matthew 24, verses 4
and 5. And Jesus answered and said to
them, take heed that no one deceives you for many will come
in. My name, saying I am the Christ
and will deceive many, that's the first sign it's going to
happen. Jesus said that's a remote sign,
okay? Here's another one.
It's going to be worse. You know.
People do all. Look look the wars.
It's going to happen and of times coming that way song about
Matthew 24, verse 6 and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.
See that you are not troubled for all these things must come
to pass, but At the end is not yet.
Here's another one. How about this famines famines
for it's in verses 7 and 8 for nation will rise against nation
and Kingdom against Kingdom and there will be famines
pestilences and earthquakes in various places.
Get this. And all these are the beginning
of Sorrows. What else?
How about Affliction, verses 9, and 10.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.
And you will be hated by All Nations for my name's sake.
And then many will be offended will betray one another and will
hate one another. Again these were remote signs
but then there's another one. There's another one.
And by the way, this one makes it absolutely proof positive
that it's referring to something that happened in the first
century and is not going to be something's going to happen
later on. This is it?
You know, what is divine inspiration?
How do I know that Mark's account Mark 13 and 11?
But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry
beforehand or premeditate what you will speak.
But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that for it is
not you who speak but the Holy Spirit.
Here's another one in Luke 21, 14 and 15.
Therefore settle it in your heart's, not to meditate
beforehand on what you will answer for.
I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your
adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist all of this
happened. Obviously, in the first century
in addition, in addition before Jerusalem fell The gospel was
preached to all the world. He considered that before
Jerusalem fell and AD 70. The gospel was preached to the
whole world, Matthew 24:14 and the gospel of the Kingdom will
be preached in all the world as a witness to All Nations and
then the end will come Well the end is the destruction of
Jerusalem. These were the remote signs.
What about the immediate sign? I love this.
And by the way, just watch from now on through the rest of the
lesson. Watch the handiwork of God
because I believe that none of these things were possible
without God. He gave him five remotes.
I he always telling them you're going to be persecuted, you can
have some hard times going to happen and even God's people are
going to be persecuted. But here are the remote signs.
And when you see these remote signs understand they are a sign
of that day but the end is not near now.
He's going to give an immediate son.
How we going to know Lord. How are we going to know when
it's actually going to come? Here is the immediate sign.
Matthew, 24:15, I love this. Therefore, when you see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel, the Prophet
standing in the Holy place, this right here means standing in
Jerusalem, Holy place, there is a phraseology referring to
Jerusalem. What he saying is when you see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by, Daniel the Prophet
standing in Jerusalem, He told him to flee.
He told him to flee. Look at Luke's account.
Luke 21. Look at this. but when you see
Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know it's the Desolation,
it's desolation is near then let those that are in Judea flee
where to the mountains Let those who are in the midst of her
depart and let those who are in the country in her.
For these are the days of Vengeance that all things which
are written. May be fulfilled.
That's the immediate sign. He said when you see the armies
coming, Get out. And flee.
And by the way, misunderstanding, this passage
and trying to make it to the end of time, is the reason that
sometimes people in the religious world have sold their
possessions. Oh, IMA.
Look around, is kind of bad going on.
Bad stuff going on today. Bad stuff going on today.
I'm so my position. Lord must be come back.
There's Wars and famines and pestilence that and go stand on
a Mountaintop only to have to walk back down.
You know why? Because they try to make that
passage mean the end of time. They try to make the end of time
something that you can attach signs to, that's not what the
Bible says. In fact, the Bible says nobody
knows when that day is going to be except the father only.
So when the Lord comes back, we don't see signs.
We have something else. Bible says, it's like a thief in
the night. Unannounced.
But the signs here were regarding the destruction of
Jerusalem. Jesus said these words and Luke
21 and a t-33. Okay.
Now fast forward in your mind. 80-65, Five years before the
ultimate destruction. And persecution is on Peters
mind. His pain is Guided by the Holy
Spirit and he spreads ink on parchment and this is what he
says, stay in the context with me. 1st Peter, 4:12 through 16
Beloved. Do not think it strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some
strange thing happened to you. But Rejoice to the extent that
you are partakers of Christ's sufferings and when his glory is
revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding Joy, if you are
reproached for the name of Christ.
Blessed, are you for the spirit of glory?
And of God rests upon you on their part.
He has blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified but let
none of you suffer. Suffer as a murderer, as a
thief, and the evil doer, or as a busybody in other men's
matters, yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed but let him glorify God. In this matter, he said all that
and here's our text, he said all that and here's our text
persecution was on his mind 80-65 and then he said this For
the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.
And if it begins with us first, then we'll be the end of those
things who do not obey the gospel, and then there's this.
Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the
ungodly and The Sinner appear? That's the context.
Watch this though, this right here.
Does not mean barely and a few of us that is a
misinterpretation of the word scarcely.
Scarcely means with difficulty, that's what that means.
What he's saying is, if the Christians in that time and AD
70 are going to with difficulty be spared and not go down to the
destruction of Jerusalem. Where's that going to leave the
ungodly? And where's that going to leave
the center? If the righteous one is
scarcely. Safe.
James McKnight says it like this.
When God best punishes the nation, if the righteous Jews,
who believe in Christ, that's Christians with difficulty.
Can be saved from the destruction of Jerusalem.
Where will the ungodly and the sinful part of the nation show
themselves saved from divine. Vengeance.
Some of you have heard me say. as we wrap up our lesson, Of
what happened? And I, again this has to be the
hand of God. This is amazing.
Josephus records and he was there.
Josephus records. That when Rome came and took.
Jerusalem. He said that 1.1 million Jews
were killed. He said 110,000 more were taken
captive. But then he said, for whatever
reason is, I said it, what forever, whatever?
Reason Rome pulled back. the armies of Rome pulled back and
Josephus a historian said and every Christian got out scarcely
saved. With difficulty.
Every Christian got out. Now, Josephus didn't know.
I would imagine Why Rome pulled back.
But why not give it the credit that it's due?
ROM pulled back I believe because that's exactly what God
wanted. How did they know, how are they
prepared? You know, why?
They were prepared because 37 years before.
Jesus said, here are five remote signs and an immediate sign.
And when you see the immediate sign get out, and that's what
they did. And you know what God did?
He just had old Rome, pull back a little bit and the Christians
got out. so, so, Applying to us today that passage the righteous
scarcely being saved is not talking about the end of time.
It's not talking about eternity. It's not talking about the
Christian today. What is talking about the
Christian today is what Peter said about the Seven, Christian
Graces or virtues. If these are things that are in
my life and they are abounding in my life, Then this.
We will be neither be Barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord, Jesus Christ for He Who lacks these.
Things as short-sighted even to blindness and has forgotten that
he was cleansed from his old sins.
So what else are we going to have?
If we do these things, we are not going to stumble ever, we're
gonna fall. I'm Gonna Fall Away. and
finally, for an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into
the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, I don't know how it's going to be, you know, I've heard
people say, you know, I'll just be a sweet, a street sweeper in
heaven, I would too. Or I just want to barely make it
in if I can just barely squeak in, that's all I want.
I just want to get in, you know, I feel that way too.
But that's not what's going to happen.
If I make it, it will be an abundant entrance into the
Everlasting Kingdom. That's what it says.
I don't have to put that blow the doors off.
I don't know. But it's an abundant entrance
into the Everlasting Kingdom. Can you know?
You're saved? Yeah, keep his word, keep his
Commandments. Keep those things in your life
have Jesus Christ. Be the advocate with the father.
When we sin ask, God to forgive us in the blood of Christ
washes, that's in a way to yes. Yes, we can know with assurance,
that we have eternal life. Are we keeping his word?
Are we keeping his Commandments? Are we obeying?
What he said to do in our Christian Life?
But before all that. The only way that all of those
things become a benefit to you is first of all, you got to
contact the blood. Without blood, without being
covered by the blood. You can't be saved the way to be
saved, is simply by being covered by the blood.
How you do that? You come believing in Jesus, you
repent of your sins, you make a change in your life.
You confess the precious name of Jesus Christ.
You say the words, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God. Those are steps that point
toward, or lead to the point of salvation.
But the only way you're saved is in baptism when you go down to
the water, Very grave of baptism, first Peter 3:21, the
like figure, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.
You know why? That's when you get the blood
and that's the only place you get the blood.
And then you have it for the rest of your life.
And if you live Faithfully unto death, you're going to get an
abundant entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
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