1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Father, thank you for today. Thank You that we can gather 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,560 together to study your word or we are a blessed people to be 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,640 able to look into the Word of the Lord and to understand what 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,880 it is you have for us. And our prayer tonight is that 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,200 you would continue to open our hearts and minds to behold the 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,000 beauty of the Lord. Help us to see things as they 7 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,600 really are, as You've intended them to be for our lives, that 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,120 we might truly follow and serve You with all of our hearts. 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,760 We thank you Lord, for this opportunity you've given to us. 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:37,280 May we redeem this time that we might be used of you in days 11 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,800 ahead for the glory of your Kingdom until you come again, as 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,880 you most surely will, in Jesus name, Amen. 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:53,560 This morning I had the opportunity to preach at the 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,680 memorial service for Helen Macias. 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:05,080 It was a great time. Interesting that someone came up 16 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:11,600 to me afterwards and said wow, you were just so sweet and so 17 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:20,480 soft. To which I said, I am always 18 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:26,080 sweet and soft. I'm like soft serve ice cream. 19 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:33,480 And she laughed and said not really, but that's OK. 20 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:38,320 But it was a a great time celebrating the life of someone 21 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,600 who knew they were going to be go home and be with the Lord. 22 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:49,120 When I visited Helen last week in the hospital, she was ready 23 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,840 to to go home. That's one thing about the 24 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,440 believer. They're, they're always ready to 25 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,280 go home when God's going to call them. 26 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,760 They, they never are reluctant to leave. 27 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,080 They don't necessarily know all that's going to happen once they 28 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,440 pass from this life to the next, but they know that their 29 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:16,400 destination is heaven and they cherish that opportunity And 30 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,760 uniquely that when you go visit someone who's dying, they become 31 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,360 the encourager more than you are the encourager. 32 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:34,040 Those who know the Lord become the great encouragers at the 33 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,080 time of death. And Helen was a a great 34 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,160 encouragement to me. I went there to pray with her. 35 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,640 I, I went there to be with her, her husband, only to realize 36 00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:48,120 that she, she encouraged me a lot more than I could ever 37 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:54,480 encourage her. She was about to embark in the 38 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,600 glory. I'm not. 39 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,640 But she was, and she knew where she was going to go. 40 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640 I wonder if you know for certain that if you were to die today 41 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,080 that your destiny would be in the presence of our Lord. 42 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:21,680 I wonder if you have the ironclad assurance, without any 43 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:27,960 reservation or hesitation, that heaven is your destiny, because 44 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:34,200 all believers truly have that. But it's interesting to note 45 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:40,320 that there are many people who are professing believers who 46 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,560 think they're on the way to heaven but will not end up 47 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:50,880 there. That's a tragedy that that's the 48 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,560 reason we've embarked on the series about what is a Christian 49 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,480 so that there wouldn't be any confusion in your mind or those 50 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,640 you come in contact with about their eternal destiny. 51 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,400 But there's always been a question over the years, ever 52 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,440 since the birth of the church, about people who who think 53 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,560 they're Christians, but in reality they're not. 54 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:29,960 Over 250 years ago, it was Jonathan Edwards who was the 55 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,760 preacher that instigated the Great Awakening. 56 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:44,200 And in the 1730s and 40s, he was the main instrument of God to 57 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:50,680 preach the gospel and to bring about the great revival in 58 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,880 America. After the the peak of that 59 00:04:54,880 --> 00:05:02,560 revival, Edwards wrote a treaty concerning religious affection 60 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,680 to deal with the problem, not unlike those that we face today. 61 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,360 The matter of evidence in true conversion. 62 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,000 Many people want the blessing of salvation, especially eternal 63 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:25,840 security, but nothing more. In the explosive drama of the 64 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:29,440 Great Awakening, it seemed as though conversions were 65 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:35,440 occurring in great numbers. However, it didn't take long to 66 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:41,760 realize that some of the clean conversions were not genuine. 67 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,840 While various excesses and heightened emotional experiences 68 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:53,680 were common, scores of people didn't demonstrate any evidence 69 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:59,520 in their lives to verify their claim to know and love Jesus 70 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,560 Christ, which led critics to attack the Great Awakening, 71 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:08,040 contending it was nothing but a big emotional bath without any 72 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:13,200 true conversions. Thus, partly in defense of true 73 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:17,400 conversion and partly in to expose false conversions, 74 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:24,240 Jonathan Edwards took up his pen and began to write a treaty 75 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,720 concerning religious affection. He came to this simple 76 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,680 conclusion. The supreme proof of a true 77 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,920 conversion is what he called holy affections, which is a zeal 78 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:43,920 for holy things and a longing after God and personal holiness. 79 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:49,480 He made a careful distinction between saving versus common 80 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:54,400 operations of the Holy Spirit. Saving operations obviously 81 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,400 produce salvation. Common operations of the Holy 82 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,120 Spirit, he said, May sober, arrest and convict men, and may 83 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:06,160 even bring them to what at first appears to be repentance in 84 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,400 faith. Yet these influences fall short 85 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:15,800 of inward saving renewal. How can you tell whether the 86 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:22,520 Holy Spirit has performed a saving operation, as the 87 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,960 principal evidence of life is motion? 88 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:32,240 Edwards wrote, So the principal evidence of saving grace is 89 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:37,680 wholly living, he said. True salvation always produces 90 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:42,160 an abiding change of nature in a true convert. 91 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,080 Therefore, whenever holiness of life does not accompany a 92 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:52,000 confession of conversion, it must be understood that this 93 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:58,320 individual is not a Christian. In the very year Edwards's 94 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,800 treaty was published, popular teaching asserted that, to the 95 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:07,000 contrary, the only real evidence of true salvation is a feeling 96 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,960 based on experience, usually the experience at the moment of the 97 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,760 alleged conversion. And that teaching introduced the 98 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,920 prevalent but erroneous concept that a person's true spiritual 99 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:26,000 state is known by a past experience rather than a present 100 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:35,120 pursuit of holiness. So 250 years ago, Jonathan 101 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,000 Edwards was concerned that the fact that there were multitudes 102 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,559 of people professing Christianity, but very few of 103 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:54,640 the multitude expressing true Christianity. 200 years later, 104 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:01,160 Harry Ironside became the pastor of Memorial or Moody Memorial 105 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,000 Church in Chicago. He wrote these words. 106 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:12,040 Perhaps someone may ask, but does it make no difference to 107 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:18,240 God what I am myself? May I live on in my sins and 108 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:23,920 still be saved? No, assuredly not. 109 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:27,440 But this brings in another line of truth. 110 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,720 The moment one believes the gospel, he is born again and 111 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,880 receives a new life and nature, a nature that hates sin and 112 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,760 loves holiness. If you have come to Jesus and 113 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,560 trusted Him, do you not realize the truth of this? 114 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,840 Do you not now hate and detest the wicked things that once gave 115 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,320 you a certain degree of the light? 116 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,520 Do you not find within yourself a new craving for goodness, a 117 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,800 longing after holiness, and a thirst for righteousness? 118 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:06,120 All this is the evidence of a new nature, and as you walk with 119 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:11,000 God you will find that daily the power of the indwelling Holy 120 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:16,040 Spirit will give you practical deliverance from the dominion of 121 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,960 sin. Doctor Ironside would face the 122 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:25,120 same problem that Jonathan Edwards faced, the same problem 123 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:31,720 that the writers of the Gospels and the Epistles faced, that 124 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:36,880 people would profess a relationship with Christ but 125 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,640 live contrary to that profession. 126 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:46,080 Profession. Some 50 years later, Jeffrey 127 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,600 Wilson would pick up his pen and write these words. 128 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:56,040 Today's Christianity is in a state of disarray and decay, and 129 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,720 the condition is deteriorating year by year. 130 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:03,280 The truth of God's Word has been watered down and compromised to 131 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,320 reach a common denominator that will appeal to and accommodate 132 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,640 the largest number of participants. 133 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:12,880 The result is a hybrid Christianity which is 134 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,320 essentially man centered, materialistic and worldly, and 135 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,920 shamefully dishonouring to the Lord Jesus Christ. 136 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:27,440 The shameful degeneracy is due in large part to the erroneous 137 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:33,560 gospel that is presented by many today around the world. 138 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,080 He's right. You listen to preachers on the 139 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:45,760 radio and on TV and they present to you a pseudo gospel and it's 140 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:53,040 not even recognizable. And people by the droves believe 141 00:11:53,040 --> 00:12:01,360 in that kind of gospel. In fact, it was said that all 142 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:07,000 who say they have accepted Christ are enthusiastically 143 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:13,440 received as Christians, even if they're they're supposed faith 144 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:20,000 later gives way to a persistent pattern of disobedience, gross 145 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:28,440 sin, or hostile unbelief. Now, can that possibly be true, 146 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:34,760 that someone who professes Christianity can live in want 147 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:41,960 and sin in rebellion against God and live in unbelief? 148 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,280 One writer even said it this way. 149 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:52,760 It is possible, even probable, that when a believer out of 150 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:59,880 fellowship falls for certain types of philosophy, if he is a 151 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:07,800 logical thinker, he will become an unbelieving believer. 152 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:17,080 Yet believers who become agnostics are still saved. 153 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,720 They are still born again. You can even become an atheist. 154 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:28,160 But if you once accepted Christ as Savior, you cannot lose your 155 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:33,400 salvation even though you deny God. 156 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:42,560 End Quote that that is a blatant lie that is not true. 157 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,920 Can someone actually be labeled an unbelieving believer? 158 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,240 Can someone actually who says they believe in God all of a 159 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,200 sudden become agnostic or even an atheist? 160 00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:01,960 But because he professed Christianity or because he had a 161 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:06,840 past experience at one time, there will be some preachers 162 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,080 that will confirm them in that state. 163 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,560 Yet Jesus said these words. Matthew 1033. 164 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:25,680 Whoever shall deny me, I will deny before my Father who is in 165 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:32,800 heaven. That's what Jesus said the 166 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,600 Apostle Paul would write in Second Timothy 2 verse #12 If we 167 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:44,720 deny him, he also will deny us. Why? 168 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,760 Because God is faithful to His Word. 169 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:54,120 It will keep His Word. And so 11 weeks ago, we embarked 170 00:14:54,120 --> 00:15:00,960 on this journey to help people in our church understand exactly 171 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:05,000 what a Christian is. That's the question we've 172 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:11,840 answered, and not to its fullest extent at all, but at least 173 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,640 we've given you some principles that will help you understand 174 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:21,960 true Christianity. A Christian is known by #1 His 175 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:27,840 decision. Luke 923 If any man come after 176 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,360 me, let him deny himself, take his cross and follow me. 177 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,560 That's the invitation to salvation. 178 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,640 That's the gospel as Jesus himself presents it. 179 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,800 And the person who has made that decision is best defined in 180 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:52,440 Philippians 3 verse #3 that we are the marked ones. 181 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:57,720 We worship God in spirit. We glory only in Christ Jesus 182 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,920 and put no confidence in the flesh. 183 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:13,160 And the person who is defined that way is described in Second 184 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:20,280 Corinthians 5/17, that if any man be in Christ, he is a new 185 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,920 creation. Old things are passed away 186 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,040 beyond all things have become new. 187 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:34,080 The believer is described as being in Christ, and Christ is 188 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:38,480 in him. And the person who is a true 189 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,560 Christian is marked by the fact that they have a declaration 190 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,000 that they without hesitation make. 191 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,840 Matthew 1616 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 192 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:53,200 God. Every believer knows that Jesus 193 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:58,720 is God in the flesh. Every cult denies that Jesus is 194 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:04,480 God in the flesh. And Christians are are 195 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:08,359 dedicated. They are dedicated to live for 196 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,520 Christ. Philippians 121 For to me, to 197 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:17,200 live is Christ, to die is gain. They're dedicated to living only 198 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:23,760 for Christ and not themselves. They also live a life of 199 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,560 denunciation. Colossians 318. 200 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:33,720 They denounce anything that will cause their members to fall into 201 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,520 sin, and so they are involved in the principle of mortification, 202 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,800 putting to death those members that would cause them to turn 203 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:48,440 away from the Lord. That Christian is also known by 204 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:54,280 his devotion. Second Corinthians 59 Paul said 205 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,040 we make our ambition to please the Christ. 206 00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:03,760 The Christian is devoted to pleasing, not man, not even 207 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,400 pleasing himself, but pleasing the Lord. 208 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:13,120 That's his devotion. And then the Christian is known 209 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:17,360 by his disassociation, for he refuses to associate with the 210 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:21,560 world anymore. James 4/4 says that whoever is a 211 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:28,240 friend of the world is the enemy of God and last week it was the 212 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,400 fact that a Christian is known by determination. 213 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:38,640 First Corinthians 22 where Paul said I determined to know 214 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:47,160 nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 215 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,440 The Bible is very clear about Christianity. 216 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,880 The Bible is very clear about what describes the Christian, 217 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:06,600 what defines a Christian, what a Christian is made of simply 218 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,520 because they are in Christ and Christ is in them. 219 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,200 Tonight, as we come to the end of our study, a Christian is 220 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:24,240 known by destination. They know where they're going. 221 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,200 They know for certain that if they were to die today, they 222 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:32,440 would spend eternity with the Lord Jesus. 223 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:41,360 It's very important because that destination is is solidified by 224 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:50,720 5 principles, and those five principles then are seen in one 225 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:55,760 principle. So you might adhere to the five 226 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:03,320 principles that solidify your eternal destiny, but if the one 227 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:10,640 principle is not seen, then you're not a true believer in 228 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:15,240 the Lord Jesus Christ. So important to understand this. 229 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,960 It's it's always good to be in the know. 230 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,960 So the Bible says these words in Romans 828. 231 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:31,600 For we know that all things work together for good to those who 232 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,240 love God and are called according to his purpose. 233 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,760 Christians know that that's something they can be assured 234 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,600 of. So Paul would say, we know that 235 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,360 all things work together for good because we love God and 236 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,680 have been called according to his purpose. 237 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:58,680 Paul also said in Second Timothy one verse #12 I know whom I 238 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:03,480 believe, and then persuaded that he is able to keep that which 239 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:08,240 I've committed unto him. Until that day Paul didn't say I 240 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,840 know in what I believe, although he did. 241 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:20,320 He says I know in whom I believe, and I'm absolutely 242 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:25,120 persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed 243 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:32,680 to him. And then John would say these 244 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:38,040 words in first John chapter 5, verse 11. 245 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:43,200 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, 246 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:47,040 and this life is in the Son. He who has a Son has life. 247 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:52,080 He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 248 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,920 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of 249 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:04,800 the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 250 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:11,360 And John's, the whole epistle in first John is about the moral 251 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:18,920 test, the doctrinal test, the relational test, three main 252 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:24,040 tests that he gives over and over again in chapter 1, chapter 253 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:28,960 2, chapter 3, and chapter 4. And then says, these things are 254 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:34,760 written that you may know that you have eternal life if you 255 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,320 take the moral test, if you, if you take the doctrinal test, if 256 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,440 you take the relational test and you pass, then you know you have 257 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,160 eternal life. But if you flunk, then you don't 258 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,080 know you have eternal life. Just that simple. 259 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,920 And so we come to a place where the believer is known by his 260 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,600 destination. He knows where he's going. 261 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,200 He has the ironclad assurance that heaven is his destiny. 262 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:02,520 Every believer has that assurance. 263 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,240 If you don't have that assurance, it could be you're 264 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,000 not a believer. It could be that you really 265 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:14,040 don't know the Christ. Because if you know Christ and 266 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:18,200 you understand true Christianity, the assurance of 267 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:22,680 your eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ our Lord. 268 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,840 That the doctrine of eternal security is such a, a pivotal 269 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:35,080 doctrine in in the life of the Christian and it's solidified by 270 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,520 5 principles. Let me give them to you. 271 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:46,840 My eternal destiny is solidified #1 by the promises of God. 272 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,640 Our God is faithful. He's true, He cannot lie. 273 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:58,800 He makes a promise, He keeps it. John 5 verse #24 truly, truly, I 274 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:04,400 say to you, Hugh hears my word and believes him who sent Me has 275 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,840 eternal life and does not come into judgment, but is passed out 276 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:17,480 of death into life. That's a promise, and your 277 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,680 eternal destiny is solidified by that promise. 278 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:26,760 He would say in John 6 verse #37 All that the Father gives me 279 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:33,000 will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not 280 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:39,400 cast out. Verse 39 This is the will of him 281 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:45,200 who sent me, that of all that He has given me, I lose nothing and 282 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:50,560 raise it up on the last day. God makes a promise. 283 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:57,400 All that come to me I will not cast out. 284 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:05,200 Then again in John 10 verse 27, my sheep hear my voice, and I 285 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:11,160 know them, and they follow me, and I give eternal life to them, 286 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:19,040 and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of 287 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:24,920 my hand. What a promise, and that promise 288 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:31,800 solidifies my eternal destiny. Paul would say in Philippians 289 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,600 one verse #6 being confident of this very thing, that he who 290 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,320 began a good work in you will complete that work. 291 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,920 And Romans 8 tells us that that once you have been called and 292 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,440 because you have been predestined you, you will be 293 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,840 justified. And all those that are justified 294 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:54,280 will ultimately be glorified. That is the promise that God 295 00:25:54,280 --> 00:26:01,640 himself gives Romans 11/29 says that the gifts and calling of 296 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:06,920 God are irrevocable. God's not going to say I called 297 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:12,000 you, you came to me, but now I'm resending the call. 298 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,200 God doesn't do that simply because He's made a promise, 299 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,520 that great version John 316, that God still loved the world, 300 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,000 that whoever believes in him should not perish but have 301 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:30,240 everlasting life again. It's a promise that solidifies 302 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:36,520 my eternal destiny. Then of course, in John 14, 303 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:42,640 Christ said to his men that in my Father's house are many 304 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,320 mansions. If it were not so, if it wasn't 305 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:51,200 true, I would have told you. And so I go and prepare a place 306 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,080 for you. And if I go and prepare a place 307 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:58,080 for you, I will come again, and I will receive you unto myself, 308 00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:01,000 that where I am, there you may be also. 309 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:08,840 That's just a beautiful promise. So your eternal destination is 310 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:16,280 solidified by the promises of God #2 it is solidified by the 311 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:22,160 power of God. God can keep his promises 312 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:27,240 because he's all powerful and He can always accomplish what He's 313 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:31,400 promised. So the Bible says in first Peter 314 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,560 chapter one verse #3 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 315 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:39,120 Jesus Christ, who according to His mercy, His great mercy has 316 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:42,680 caused us to be born again to a living hope through the 317 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,760 resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an 318 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,480 inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and 319 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,320 will not fade away, reserved in heaven. 320 00:27:53,320 --> 00:28:01,640 For you who are protected by the power of God, your inheritance 321 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:10,000 that's imperishable, that is undefiled, is kept by the power 322 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,800 of God, and God is the almighty God, the all powerful God. 323 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,880 And so your eternal destination that's been reserved in heaven 324 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:29,760 is kept by the all powerful God. Jude 24 says. 325 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:36,480 He is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand 326 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,520 in the presence of His glory, blameless. 327 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:45,960 With great joy. He's able to do that. 328 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:53,400 That's why Paul said in Second Timothy 112 that he knew in whom 329 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,560 he believed and was persuaded that his God would keep him and 330 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:03,960 protect him to the very end. Because the power of God 331 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:08,560 solidifies your eternal destiny. Because the promises of God 332 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:18,240 solidify your eternal destiny #3 The purposes of God solidify 333 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:25,000 your eternal destiny. Ephesians chapter one verse #3 334 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,280 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 335 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:33,000 blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places 336 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,800 in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of 337 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,960 the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in 338 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,440 love. He predestined us to adoption as 339 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:50,000 sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind 340 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:55,800 intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His 341 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,760 grace. God's plan as a purpose. 342 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,560 The purposes of God are always accomplished because He's all 343 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:08,880 powerful and He made a promise, Paul would say in First 344 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,000 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 23. 345 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,640 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may 346 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,440 your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame 347 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,240 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 348 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:27,040 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to 349 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:32,520 pass. Again, the promise of God, the 350 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:37,920 power of God, the purposes of God to cause you to stand holy 351 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:43,200 and blameless in His presence solidifies your eternal destiny 352 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:54,840 #4 The prayers of Christ solidify your eternal destiny. 353 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:07,320 Over in John 17 Christ said these words in verse #11 I am no 354 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,640 longer in the world, and yet they themselves are in the 355 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:12,480 world. And I, I come to you, Holy 356 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:16,680 Father, keep them in Your name, the name which you have given 357 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,840 me, that they may be 1 Even as we are, we are. 358 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,680 While I was with them, I was keeping them in your name which 359 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,400 You have given me, and that guarded them. 360 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:34,080 And not one of them perished, but the Son of perdition, so 361 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,760 that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. 362 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:40,120 Verse 20. I do not ask on behalf of these 363 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:45,560 alone, but for those also who believe in me through their 364 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:49,040 word. So as Paul, I mean, as Christ 365 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:53,880 would pray on the eve of the crucifixion for His men in their 366 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:58,120 hearing, He was also praying for those who would one day believe 367 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:06,000 in His name, that we might be 1 with the Father, as He is one 368 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:13,800 with the Father over in Hebrews Chapter 7 verse 25. 369 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:20,720 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near 370 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:26,280 to God through Him, since He always lives to make 371 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:31,520 intercession for them. So in Hebrews 725 there's a 372 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,920 promise that He will keep us forever because He lives to make 373 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:43,120 intercession for us. The prayers of Christ are always 374 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,320 answered in the affirmative. Why? 375 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:49,840 Because His will is God's will, for He is God. 376 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:56,040 He is one with the Father. So when the Lord prays that you 377 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:03,960 would be kept and protected, you are kept and protected that you 378 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,560 might be with Him in glory. So the destination of the 379 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,640 believer is solidified and secured by the promises of God, 380 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:17,400 the power of God, the purpose of God, the prayers of Christ, and 381 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:23,480 fourthly or fifthly, the presence of the Holy Spirit. 382 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:34,320 Ephesians one verse number #14 or verse 13 in him you also, 383 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,760 after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your 384 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:43,280 salvation, having also believed you were sealed in him with the 385 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:48,200 Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge or a down 386 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:52,440 payment of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of 387 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:59,080 God's own possession, to the praise of is glory. 388 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:05,000 In other words, the presence of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee 389 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:10,880 that we will ultimately receive the inheritance that God has 390 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,159 given to us. So when you look at those five 391 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:23,600 principles, you realize that our security, our eternal destiny is 392 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:30,239 solidified by what God himself does. 393 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:40,960 Yet you must understand the 6th principle because the 6th 394 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,880 principle will help you understand whether or not you 395 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:48,960 really truly believe the first five and that the first five 396 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:57,080 really apply to you. And that is, although your 397 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:03,240 eternal destiny is solidified and secured by the promises of 398 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:09,640 God and the power of God, the purposes of God, the prayers of 399 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:15,640 Christ, the presence of the Holy Spirit, that eternal destiny is 400 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:29,840 seen in the perseverance of the Saints, The perseverance of the 401 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:34,040 Saints. It's a great doctrine. 402 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:40,320 It's one that's not talked about much, but the doctrine is simply 403 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:51,400 states that your faith will always endure, always your faith 404 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:56,240 because it's God-given. It's a gift from God is a faith 405 00:35:56,240 --> 00:36:01,080 that is not fragile, nor is it a faith that is temporary. 406 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:07,160 It's a faith that's a grace gift from God to those who believe in 407 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,040 him because you can't believe unless God has granted you the 408 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:16,320 the gift of grace or the gift to believe or the gift to repent or 409 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:23,400 the gift truly of faith. And that faith that he gives you 410 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:29,680 is not a fragile faith, but it's strong because it's based on 411 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:35,280 what God has said and who God is. 412 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:43,400 So no matter what happens in your life, you continue to 413 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:48,680 continue on in the faith. That's what Hebrews 11 is all 414 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:55,480 about, the Great Hall of faith. None of those men or women had 415 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:59,360 fragile faith. Their faith was strong, 416 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,960 especially in the face of adversity, in the vase of 417 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,160 suffering, in the face of hardship. 418 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,720 I mean, if your faith, the faith that saves you, doesn't work 419 00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:16,960 when things are bad, what good is the faith that you have? 420 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:23,480 But the faith that God grants you works best in adverse 421 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,520 circumstances. The faith that God gives you 422 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,600 works best when there's turmoil and hardship. 423 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:36,360 The faith that God grants you is tested and strengthened through 424 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:41,920 trials and suffering because that faith is not fragile. 425 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:48,280 That faith endures all the way to the end. 426 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:53,640 The perseverance of the faith is the doctrine that says I might 427 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:59,000 fail, but I will never fail fully or finally. 428 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:08,000 Peter failed, but he did not fail fully or finally. 429 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,840 Why? Because of the perseverance of 430 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:18,280 the Saints, the truth, the doctrine that says all those who 431 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,440 believe in Christ will continue and always believe in Him. 432 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,400 They will be steadfast. They will be immovable, 433 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,200 immovable. They will be abounding in their 434 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,440 work with the Lord because of the faith that He himself has 435 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:37,200 granted to them. So important. 436 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:44,040 So let me show you in Scripture where this is. 437 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:51,000 By the way, listen to the words of Jeremiah chapter 32. 438 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:59,440 This is so telling about the New Covenant and the guarantee that 439 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:05,320 all true believers will never apostasize the faith, never 440 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:12,880 defrock the faith, never become agnostic or atheists, and never 441 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:19,040 turn away from the Lord fully. And finally, Jeremiah chapter 442 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:27,960 32, verse #40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them 443 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,920 that I will not turn away from them to do them good. 444 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:39,280 And I will put the fear of me in their hearts so that they will 445 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:46,240 not turn away from me. That's a new covenant promise. 446 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,240 God says I'm going to do something unique and special 447 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:53,520 with my people, Israel. I'm going to make a covenant 448 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:59,000 with them, and I will do them good, and I will put the fear of 449 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:03,160 me in their hearts. Remember Psalm 130 verse #4 450 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:05,800 There's forgiveness with Thee, that thou mayest be feared. 451 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,960 Only the believer fears God. The unbeliever does not fear 452 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:10,400 God. Why? 453 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,440 Because God puts the fear of Him in their hearts. 454 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:20,320 And because the fear of Him is there, they will not a guarantee 455 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:26,560 turn away from me. God's children never turn away 456 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:31,560 from Him. They don't throughout the years 457 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:34,200 of our church's existence. 31 of them, to be exact. 458 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:41,040 We have baptized a slew of people are baptismal people who 459 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:45,920 have made a profession of Christianity, who have stated 460 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:47,960 that they gave their life to Christ. 461 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,920 Some of them were young in their teenage years, some of them were 462 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:56,000 even in their 20s and 30s, and some even beyond that. 463 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,600 And how do you know that the person who makes that testimony 464 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:10,200 of saving faith truly is saved? Time and truth go hand in hand, 465 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:12,400 do they not? Of course they do. 466 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,880 And so many times over the years, we've had high school 467 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:24,720 students, college students make a profession of faith only to go 468 00:41:24,720 --> 00:41:29,000 off to college, only to get married and go off and do 469 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,960 something and completely turn away from the Lord. 470 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:42,520 That tells you that they simply made a profession of faith but 471 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:47,360 never truly believed in Christ. Because the guarantee of 472 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,120 Jeremiah 3240 is an absolute fact. 473 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:55,760 They will not turn away from me. They will not. 474 00:41:55,760 --> 00:42:03,680 And this is a great a great test for you as parents when you look 475 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:08,760 at your children who have grown up in the church and they have 476 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:12,160 made a profession of faith. Maybe they were baptized in the 477 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:17,080 church. Maybe you supposedly LED them to 478 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:22,160 the Lord in your home while they were young and they've grown up, 479 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:26,720 but they've gone off to college, they got married, and they 480 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:32,440 turned their back on the Lord. They were not saved to begin 481 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:37,680 with. They just weren't because of the 482 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:44,160 guarantee of Jeremiah 32 verse #40 plus a slew of other verses. 483 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:48,480 Let me give them to you. Colossians, chapter 1. 484 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:54,720 Colossians chapter one verse #21 And although you were formerly 485 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:58,200 alienated and hostile, and mine engaged in evil deeds, this was 486 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:03,040 your unbelieving life. Yet He has now reconciled you in 487 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,720 His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before 488 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:09,640 Him holy and blameless, and beyond reproach. 489 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:18,960 If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and 490 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:24,720 steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that 491 00:43:24,720 --> 00:43:28,760 you have heard, which is proclaimed in all creation under 492 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:35,680 heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister, this is the 493 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:39,720 way you once were. But God has reconciled you to 494 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:42,800 Himself. And how do you know that God has 495 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:49,440 reconciled to Himself if you continue steadfastly in the 496 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:53,160 faith? Because if you don't continue 497 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:56,640 steadfasting the faith, it's evident that God has not 498 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:01,360 reconciled you to himself. Listen, the perseverance of the 499 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:09,160 Saints is a doctor that says you do not earn saving faith by your 500 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:14,800 perseverance, but your perseverance evidences saving 501 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:17,680 faith. Very important to realize that 502 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:23,520 because you keep on keeping on, you don't earn saving grace. 503 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:27,400 You give the evidence that you've been saved by grace. 504 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,320 You see that? That's what the doctrine of the 505 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:32,640 perseverance of the Saints is all about. 506 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:38,800 Look at what the Bible says in the book of first Corinthians 507 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:41,400 15. Paul says, Now I make known to 508 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,880 you, brethren, the gospel which I preach to you, which also you 509 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:49,160 received, and which also you stand first to, but which also 510 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:53,280 you are saved. You heard the gospel, you were 511 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:59,760 saved by the gospel. If he says you hold fast the 512 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:07,680 word which I preach to you, unless you believed in vain, 513 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,320 that's very telling. He makes it very clear. 514 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:14,280 I made note to you, brethren, the gospel. 515 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:21,560 I preach to you the gospel, the gospel in which you stand, if if 516 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:26,760 you'll fast the word of that gospel, unless of course, he 517 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:30,280 says you really didn't believe at all. 518 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:39,520 Your belief was empty, It was futile, it made no difference. 519 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,120 How about this Romans 15 verse #4 For whatever was written in 520 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,040 earlier times was written for our instruction, set through 521 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:49,960 perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, 522 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:53,760 we might have hope. Now may the God who gives 523 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:59,280 perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind 524 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:01,520 with one another, according to Christ Jesus. 525 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:04,800 You see, God grants you the gift of perseverance. 526 00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:09,520 The reason you persevere, the reason you don't defrock the 527 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:13,120 faith, the reason you don't apostasize the faith is because 528 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,560 God has granted you not just the gift of faith and not just the 529 00:46:16,560 --> 00:46:19,600 gift of belief, and not just the gift of repentance. 530 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:22,480 He's granted you the gift of perseverance. 531 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:27,360 Perseverance is a gift that God gives to His own. 532 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:33,040 That's why they don't turn their back on their God, because they 533 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:38,240 love Him so and they persevere to the end. 534 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:44,680 Revelation 14. How about this defines the 535 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:50,920 perseverance of the Saints? Revelation 14 verse #12 here is 536 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:57,880 it says the perseverance of the Saints who keep the commandments 537 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:03,400 of God and their faith in Jesus Christ. 538 00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:06,680 There it is. There's the definition of the 539 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:10,440 perseverance of the Saints. They obey the commands of God 540 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:13,640 and they keep their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 541 00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:17,160 Now their faith is kept by God because God is a protector of 542 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,320 their faith. But at the same time, they 543 00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:22,480 evidence that their faith has been protected by persevering no 544 00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:25,480 matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstance. 545 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,400 In a Revelation 14, it's all about the tribulation of Saints 546 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:35,280 who've gone through an horrific ordeal on the planet, but they 547 00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:40,160 never turn their back on the Lord, even though they were 548 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:45,120 persecuted and were killed because of their faith. 549 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:57,440 Jesus said in Matthew's gospel, the 9th chapter, I'm sorry, the 550 00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:05,440 10th chapter, the 22nd verse, these words, Matthew 1022. 551 00:48:06,720 --> 00:48:13,160 Let's start with verse #21 brother will betray brother to 552 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:17,280 death, and the father is child, and children will rise up 553 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:20,080 against parents and cause them to be put to death. 554 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:22,600 You will be hated by all men because of me. 555 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:29,120 But it is the one who has endured to the end who will be 556 00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:35,600 saved again. Endurance doesn't save you, but 557 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:39,160 endurance is the evidence that you have been saved. 558 00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:45,840 And then later in Matthew 24 as crisis in the Olivet Discourse, 559 00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:52,040 he says these words. He says many false prophets will 560 00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:57,520 arise and will mislead many because of lawlessness is 561 00:48:57,520 --> 00:49:00,480 increased. Most people's love will grow 562 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:10,360 cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. 563 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,840 You see, those are just a few verses the Bible speaks of 564 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:19,280 concerning the perseverance of the Saints. 565 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:25,200 It's imperative that you understand that, that the true 566 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:30,400 believers will continue in the faith. 567 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:34,080 They will not turn their back on the Lord. 568 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:37,640 Oh, there will be times of mishaps and there will be times 569 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:41,440 of doubt and there will be times of sin and there'll be times of 570 00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:44,560 of rebellion against God. Those things happen. 571 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:47,520 Yes, they do. But they're not long extended 572 00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:51,000 periods of time where you completely turn your back away 573 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,000 from the Lord and walk away from Him. 574 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:56,920 Why? Because you're kept by the Holy 575 00:49:56,920 --> 00:50:00,480 Spirit. It's the power of God that saves 576 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:03,800 you and keeps you. It's the promises of God that 577 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,920 guarantee your eternal destiny. And therefore you're willing to 578 00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:11,960 persevere all the way to the end no matter what, because it 579 00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:17,840 evidences the fact that you truly have been born again. 580 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:24,600 True believers will always persevere. 581 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:31,120 Professing Christians who turn against the Lord only prove that 582 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:35,280 they were never saved to begin with first, John 219. 583 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:43,640 They went out from us, but they were not really of us, for if 584 00:50:43,640 --> 00:50:49,640 they had been of us, they would have remained with us, But they 585 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:56,760 went out in order that it might be shown that they all are not 586 00:50:58,320 --> 00:51:04,280 of us. John made it very clear that 587 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:13,760 those who left the faith were never really part of US1 Author 588 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,960 said that no matter how convincing a person's testimony 589 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:23,400 might seem, once that person becomes apostate, he or she 590 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:28,120 demonstrates irrefutably that the testimony was hypocritical 591 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:33,720 and the professed salvation was spurious at best. 592 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:41,400 The Christian's destination, he's known by that and that 593 00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:48,280 destination is seen not when he died, but in the lifestyle that 594 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:52,840 he lives because he continues in the faith. 595 00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:57,800 He's not like the, the weedy soil in Matthew 13 or the rocky 596 00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:02,320 soil in Matthew 13. Those soils that jump on the 597 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:08,040 Jesus bandwagon and and live the hip, hip, Hooray kind of life 598 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:11,400 for a season. And then when persecution and 599 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:14,760 affliction come, they fall away. Or because of the deceitfulness 600 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:17,840 of riches and because of the cares of this world, they fall 601 00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:25,640 away because they had no root, they could not stand, therefore 602 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:31,560 they fell away from the Lord simply because they they were 603 00:52:31,560 --> 00:52:39,640 never saved to begin with. It's so important that you 604 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:45,240 understand true saving grace and the power of the gospel that 605 00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:48,400 somebody who's a believer truly is a new creation. 606 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:56,320 Judas was that classic example of an apostate. 607 00:52:58,640 --> 00:53:04,400 Judas was was one who followed Jesus simply because that was 608 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:10,280 the thing to do. And Judas was one who who truly, 609 00:53:10,720 --> 00:53:20,720 truly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and why he stayed 610 00:53:20,720 --> 00:53:23,520 with Jesus as long as he did. I'm sure he thought there was 611 00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:27,600 something in the the Kingdom Project that would benefit him 612 00:53:28,720 --> 00:53:36,960 to some degree. For three years, day in and day 613 00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:46,560 out, he was with the Son of God. He preached the gospel, he 614 00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:50,200 before miracles like the other apostles did. 615 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:58,000 He looked and acted and sounded like every other disciple. 616 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:06,000 But he was not. Satan is a master of deception. 617 00:54:08,160 --> 00:54:13,040 And there are people, yes, even people in our church who look 618 00:54:13,080 --> 00:54:19,520 and sound like everybody else and they have everybody fooled. 619 00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:24,480 They've lived a life of deception or they have been self 620 00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:26,480 deceived thinking they're on the way to heaven. 621 00:54:26,760 --> 00:54:31,440 But in reality they are not because the life they live is 622 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:37,800 contrary to the life that Christ has shown us in His Word. 623 00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:48,360 We must not affirm them in their rebellious state and tell them 624 00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:54,440 you had a past experience. You had a past prayer. 625 00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:59,760 I was there when you walked the aisle at the crusade. 626 00:55:01,600 --> 00:55:06,360 I was there when you you made a profession of faith at your 627 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:14,360 baptismal. No, what proves a person's 628 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:17,920 destination is their holy lifestyle. 629 00:55:20,240 --> 00:55:23,920 They love the Lord. They serve the Lord. 630 00:55:25,360 --> 00:55:31,560 They had made that decision to take up the cross and follow 631 00:55:31,560 --> 00:55:37,200 Christ. They have one devotion to please 632 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:46,920 only the Lord, not man. They are completely dedicated to 633 00:55:46,920 --> 00:55:49,520 living for Christ because they know that when they die, it is 634 00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:54,240 gain. They disassociate themselves 635 00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:58,040 from the world. You find those people who want 636 00:55:58,040 --> 00:56:00,600 to associate with the world more and more. 637 00:56:00,720 --> 00:56:04,800 The lure of the world pulls them in, keeps dragging them in. 638 00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:09,320 That's because the life of Christ is not in them. 639 00:56:10,640 --> 00:56:13,280 They so easily won't go the way of the world. 640 00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:20,160 They're determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him 641 00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:24,480 crucified because it was to the personal work of the Messiah. 642 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:31,040 They are saved and their destination is secure based on 643 00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:36,400 what God has done, and their destination is seen because they 644 00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:40,600 persevere all the way to the end. 645 00:56:40,920 --> 00:56:45,160 Let's pray. Our Lord, we thank you for today 646 00:56:46,080 --> 00:56:48,720 and all the things that you've taught us over the last several 647 00:56:48,720 --> 00:56:50,480 weeks. Our prayer is that they would 648 00:56:50,480 --> 00:56:54,840 stick with us. You would help us as we seek to 649 00:56:54,840 --> 00:57:00,760 look at our own lives and those closest to us especially that we 650 00:57:00,760 --> 00:57:03,160 might instruct them and teach them in the way that they should 651 00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:10,360 go, that your Bible is clear about the perseverance of the 652 00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:15,840 Saints. They will keep on keeping on, no 653 00:57:15,840 --> 00:57:19,440 matter what the difficulty or hardship, the tragedy or trial. 654 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:27,720 They love the Lord and they want to serve the Lord. 655 00:57:29,120 --> 00:57:34,600 Their life is not wrapped up in this world, but in the world to 656 00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:38,480 come, the world of God's glorious Kingdom. 657 00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:42,720 My prayer is for everyone in the room. 658 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:50,880 They would know for certain that Jesus Christ is their King and 659 00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:57,880 their Lord and their Savior and that in obedience to you, they 660 00:57:57,880 --> 00:58:07,000 truly, truly serve the living God and they strive to live a a 661 00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:12,600 life of holiness Because you said be perfect as your Father 662 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:19,920 in heaven is perfect. Be holy as your Lord God himself 663 00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:27,000 is holy. May that be our our drive, may 664 00:58:27,000 --> 00:58:34,600 that be our desire, may it be our ambition and passion to live 665 00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:40,800 a life that reflects the beauty and holiness of our great God 666 00:58:40,800 --> 00:58:46,040 and Savior Jesus Christ. Until you come again, as you 667 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:50,040 most surely will, in Jesus name, Amen.