Salvation Is Irrevocable, Part 2 B

The church that he loves the church he died for the church he died for is the church is making holy the church.

He makes holy is the church. He will present to himself. And when the church is presented to himself in all glory the church will be absolutely whole, but that's another way to say, with whom he foreknew he predestined, whom he predestined, called him, he called he justified and justified that once your Savior saved forever. He said he should be, of all men. The most miserable because he would lack any ground for comfort while friend, how about you do you have assurance that you are saved for good that right now as I'm speaking you are permanently in the grip of God helping you settle that question is what our current study is all about.

John calls this series the grip of God and with today's lesson. Here's John. Well, we have the opportunity to turn to the word of God. Romans chapter 8, we find ourselves in the closing part of the chapter versus 31 to the end which is sort of a doxology that ends the chapter, but at the same time also. It's a a fitting summation of Paul's argument for the security of the believer.

He started out in chapter 8 verse one there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

In other words, those who are in Christ were believers will never be condemned. They'll never lose their salvation and then never be sent to eternal punishment.

There will be no condemnation of those who are in Christ that is the fact that he states in chapter 8 verse one spending the rest of the chapter showing why that in fact is true in Jeremiah 31 three God said this to his people. I have loved you with an ever lasting love and that is still how God loves his people. He loves his redeemed people with an ever lasting love one hymn writer had it right. This is what he wrote in your familiar.

I'm sure with this for many of you are.

How firm a foundation, the saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he has said, you who to Jesus for refuge have fled. Fear not, I am with you all.

Be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen the healthy and costly to stand upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand went through the deep waters I call the to go the rivers of grief shall not be overflow for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless and sanctify to the thy deepest distress when through fiery trials, thy pathway shall lie.

My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt the I only designed thy dross to consume and I gold to refine the soul that on Jesus has a lien for repose.

I will not I cannot desert to its foes that soul though all hell should endeavor to shake never know never know. Never forsake that of course is a him based upon the great truth of Romans eight no never forsake that is the promise of God. Those who are in Christ. There will never be any condemnation because he anticipates at this point that somebody is going to throw up some objections. Remember we talked about this, somebody is going to say well that's all fine, but what about this possibility and what about that possibility first possibility. There are some persons who can take away our salvation. Second possibility. There are some circumstances which can take away our salvation. Those are hypothetical and Paul knows that they might be raised by someone so he wants to eliminate them altogether. So in verses 31 to 34.

He deals with whether or not any person can take away our salvation and in verses 35 to 39. He deals with whether any circumstance can take away our eternal salvation. The argument is simply this very simple argument. God delivered up his own son Jesus to die on the cross to provide our salvation.

That was the greatest gift the greatest sacrifice. The greatest act, and God will do all the lesser acts necessary to keep us safe.

That's the argument can we be legitimately accused and condemned.

Can we be damned. Will God hear such accusations back to verse 33 here's the answer.

Who will bring a charge against God's elect. God is the one who justifies literally shall God the justifying one is God going to listen to such an accusation who has justified us.

Can God listen carefully.

Can God at the same time condemn us and justify us if he has declared us righteous. Kenny, at the same time condemn us if he has made us righteous in Christ. If he is granted us the righteousness of Christ. Kenny, at the same time hold us guilty answer no, you did it would be to negate the work of Christ. When it would be to depreciate the work of Christ. I love Isaiah 53, one of the great chapters of the Old Testament. Unfortunately, the unconverted Jews who reject Jesus Christ don't understand it but to those who do understand it is so rich. Isaiah 53 which talks about how he carried our griefs in our sorrows, and in all of that, he was led as a sheep to slaughter, and so forth. But at the very end of Isaiah 53. Then in verse 12 it says he poured out himself to death. He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he himself bore the sin of many, that's talking about Christ and his sacrificial death, but Isaiah 53 ends with this line, and interceded for the transgressors. Every time an accusation might come before God.

You have a lawyer for your defense, the high priest, Jesus Christ. Interceding on your behalf, and when Satan comes with a list of inequities. Christ is there to say I paid for that one. I paid for that one. I died for that one. I suffered for that one. I was separated from God for that one that was covered there, all covered. The price has been paid. It's all done. It's all accomplished. No accusation can stand because the lawyer for the defense was himself the sufficient sacrifice what a tremendous truth that is go back to verse 27 in this chapter, just for a moment. So many things to many scriptures flooding my mind I go do a little editing here so I don't get carried away here, but in Romans eight I want to go back to verse 27 for a minute he who searches the hearts that's God the one who knows the hearts of men is God who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is right. God knows the mind of the Holy Spirit.

Why because there one that's a Trinity because he, the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God normally set about that. As a believer you possess the Holy Spirit right back in chapter 8 verse nine. If you don't have the spirit of Christ. You don't belong to him. If you do belong to him you have the Holy Spirit spirit lives in you in the spirit does many things you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

One of the things the Holy Spirit does is right here, the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. He always prays, according to God's will and God knows the mind of the spirit and what is the spirit praying for praying for your security, praying to bring you to glory interceding for you. The spirit is your intercessor. Your personal indwelling intercessor, interceding, according to the will of God the father will always hear and always answer the intercessory prayer of the spirit because the spirit always prays, according to the God's will and God always does as well. And God's will is that all who were predestined be glorified in the spirit prays to that end, it doesn't happen just because God said it happened.

It happened because God makes it happen and the spirit prays that it happened in Christ intercedes so that happened. The Trinity is very involved in the spirit is praying that we get the glory that is God's will. God hears that prayer and answers it according to his will not carry that same idea down to verse 34.

Here is the sun at the right hand of God. Also interceding for us in perfect harmony with the will of God and that gives us the confidence that Christ doesn't have to argue God into anything brought Christ is praying consistently with the will of God, which is to bring us to glory in John 1142 Jesus said I know talking to the father. I know that you always hear me, God always heard the prayer of Jesus because Jesus always prayed for God's will to be done so you have the Holy Spirit praying for the continuity of your faith. You have the Holy Spirit praying for your protection that you might never have to face something more than you could bear the Holy Spirit praying as it were from within you. Before the throne of God always according to the will of God. And then in heaven at the right hand of God. You have Jesus Christ interceding for you. Also, in perfect harmony with the will of God and as a result of all of that intercession going on. We are kept secure. Turn the Hebrews for just a moment. Chapter 4 verse 14. Since then we have a great high priest, speaking of Christ, who is passed through the heavens in his ascension, Jesus the son of God. Let's hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Listen, is not a high priest who will only intercede for us if were innocent is not a lawyer who only takes the case of those who are innocent.

He is a high priest to intercedes for us knowing we are guilty and knowing that we need grace and we need mercy, we can't possibly get what we deserve and survive. So here we can go to this high priest with confidence. Verse 16 says that he will provide the necessary grace that is the necessary favor in spite of our iniquities that we need the necessary mercy the withholding of judgment, we will find from him mercy and grace. This is just a tremendous tremendous promise.

There are people you know who think that well you can lose your salvation if you send too much. There is no limit to grace when you go before the Lord.

No matter what you've done as a Christian you see grace and mercy it's there is where sin abounded, what grace did much more abound. Look at Hebrews 7 verse 24 just in case somebody might think that Christ might turn over his priestly work to somebody else.

He abides forever and holds his priesthood permanently.

I'm glad for that.

Aren't you there will be any change folks.

He will always be there. He will always be interceding for us.

Hence verse 25 he is able listen to this to save for a while noticing I don't think so is able to say what forever. How can he do that because he always keeps on living to make intercession for them. He is that high priest.

Verse 26, holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners and exalted above the heavens. And he doesn't have to daily, like other high priests offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this he did once for all when he offered up himself as at a great verse. It's all done so all finished and now we have a high priest is perfect and he's paid the penalty and he's done the work, and he's made the sacrifice and now he just keeps on inter-seating for us to see everything is settled in heaven.

Everything is settled in heaven. I can't resist is go back to chapter 6 once I get in Hebrews I can really get lost go back to chapter 6 of Hebrews. Look at verse 17 in the same way talking about booths and swearing to confirm things in the human level.

In verse 16 and in verse 17 in the same way God listen to this desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise look at this.

The changeable notice of his purpose.

If God purpose before the world began to save using a change to change its unchangeable and in order to demonstrate to the heirs of promise the unchangeable notice of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, people who want you to know that this is the typical pattern in the Old Testament, Abraham, and so for the make a promise to make a note to make a covenant make contract so God using a human sort of means wanting us to understand how how absolutely perfect and unalterable and unchangeable.

His saving promise is made enough verse 18 it did in order that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to what the lies of God made a promise sets will be.

We may have strong encouragement. We who have fled for refuge and laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul of hope, both sure and steadfast, and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us having become a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, God made pledges God made promises then God sent Christ into heaven as the anchor that holds those premises and those promises are based on two things.

The fact that God can't lie in the fact that Christ is in heaven interceding for us. And when you go through this and in Romans chapter 8 you really begin to wonder how people can believe someone can lose their salvation right now there are people who come into the church and confess and profess Christ and go away and maybe even deny the Lord. How are we to understand them. Look at first John two first John two. This is a very important passage because otherwise it leaves so question in people's minds because they say well you know there's a member of my family and they came to church and I thought they knew Christ in you know they they seem to respond to Christ and so forth and so on and then all of a sudden they turned her back and went away in their living in sin. How are we to understand at first John 219, here comes they went out from us, K but they were not really what of us were that so important if they had been all glass they would've what remained with us would say something one of the evidences of genuine salvation is continuity of faith when God grants saving faith is not temporary.

It's not that God gives you the faith to believe and then after you believe you're on your own faith and hope it's not the God by his Holy Spirit empowers you to believe at the moment of salvation and then abandons you to your own faith to hang onto that salvation impossible when he gives you the faith to believe he gives you the faith that sustains that believe right on the glory true believers persevere in faith, they went out from us, they were not really of us if they had been of us, they would've remained with us, but they went out in order that it might be shown that there all not of us but you verse 20 have an anointing from the holy one you true believers have an anointing from the holy one who set Holy Spirit implication. They didn't have the Holy Spirit. The first act of Christ's priesthood was sacrifice second act of his priesthood is intercession. He was the sacrifice.

Now he is the energy accessory priest and he will bring us to glory and anybody who comes and goes.

Those because they really work of us. I want Sherry one of the passage and then I'm actually going to save the rest for next the part about circumstances, I want us safer next time.

But I want to look at Ephesians 5 I promise this will be the last one in Ephesians 5. Can this you might overlook in the context of eternal security. But you shouldn't. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her loving your wife as Christ loved the church, means giving yourself up for her doesn't mean buying or something. It means self-sacrifice for her just like Christ loved the church and he loved the church, not you. You notices interesting thing he loved the church and gave himself up for her. You get the idea her that he had set his love upon the church before he ever died he loved the church and gave his life for her, with the view verse 26 that he might sanctify her, that is to make the church what holy, pure, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that that's the idea that there purpose, so that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and blameless.

Now there is the plan of salvation in those verses, forgetting that the message to husbands here.

Let's just talk about what this says about our salvation. First, Christ loved the church.

He loved the church.

He loved the church that the Lord had himself chosen before the world began. He set his love on the church because he loved the church he gave his life for the church gave his life for the church in order that he might make the church holy completely cleansed and washed so that he might someday present to himself the church know what's that one's not going to happen in glory right. The church that he loved is the church he died for the church he died for is the church is making holy the church. He makes holy is the church. He will present to himself. And when the church is presented to himself in all glory that church will no longer have any spot any wrinkle or any blemish, the church will be absolutely holy, but that's just another way to say that, whom he foreknew he predestined, whom he predestined he called, whom he called he justified, whom he justified he what a glorified he'll bring the church to glory. There is no person who can change that plan. There is no legalist, no cultist, no false teacher nor religionist. There is no person who can change that plan. There is no group of secular educators. There is no brilliant bright savvy marketers applying all the media trade who can rest your salvation away from you.

God himself won't do it because he already did the greatest thing in giving his son. He'll do the lesser things to keep those who are in his son, for whom they were for whom his son was given. Satan can do it. He can't do it because no matter what. He accuses us of its Artie been paid for and we are not righteous on on our own anyway.

But we have been given the righteousness of Christ to love. Philippians 378 Paul says I was found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, but the righteousness of Christ which is given to me. So Satan's accusations are a waste of time, and Christ will do it because Christ died for us rose for us was exalted for us and continues to intercede for us. No person or persons can remove us from salvation or cause us not to persevere, not anyone, not God, not Satan, not demons, not Christ, not anyone was free, father, sister a joy to bask in these great truths we were just literally overpowered by the wonder of this grace we were lost in sin. Darkness condemnation headed for eternal hell did without capability we couldn't muster up the understanding to grasp the gospel. We couldn't somehow crank up the faith to believe it. We were hopeless and then inexplicable boundless mercy and grace. You reach down and awakened us to truths give us life in Christ that we didn't deserve, and we still don't deserve and not only did you save us, but you keep us and we rejoice beyond words with gratitude and Lord. The fact that you keep us does not make us irresponsible are some who would accuse us saying if you feel so secure than you will be irresponsible in the way you live just the opposite is true. It is the gratitude it is the boundless gratitude of our hearts causes us to want to be faithful to we just praise you and thank and that thanks turns to obedience. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study on grace to you. It's called the grip of God. John, throughout this series on assurance and our security in Christ. We've talked quite a bit about the doctrine of election because if it's God who chooses us for salvation.

It salvation is entirely his work isn't going to mess up the job or give it up before it's complete. So our security is rooted in that and yet I occasionally meet people who can't quite seem to gain assurance because of the doctrine of election. They always ask how I know that I may elect. How would you answer that, while I think the most telling statement on the doctrine of election is in John six word Jesus said all that the father gives to me will come to me and I will lose none of them, but raise them up on the last day. So God chooses gives whom he chooses to Christ as a love gift Christ receives, keeps and raises into eternal glory. So God's choosing God's election results in the glorification of the elect and nobody gets lost in the in the process. That's why Paul says nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The reason people doubt is because they don't understand. First of all, the solidarity of that divine promise of election on to glorification sweeps through justification, through sanctification, and ends up at glorification and secondly because they perhaps don't understand how that doesn't require for them to be perfect, and I often tell people it's not the perfection of your life that validate your salvation.

It's the direction of your life. None of us is perfect. Even the apostle Paul says wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death. He feels like it's got a dead corpse strapped to his body and because the sin that is still present in me. He says so were all battling that. So if you're going to look at only your sin and conclude that the well. I have sins in my life and they tend to be use the same kinds of sins I have the habits that I have a difficult time getting over with. Just remember this first John in chapter 1 says this. If we are the ones confessing our sins. That's present tense, continuous action if we are the ones continually confessing our sins, he is continually forgiving our sins. That is the promise of the assumption of the promises that were going to sin and working to be confessing our sins and he's going to continue forgiving our sins. Having said that I would just say on the positive side you know you're Christian because you love the Lord your love is word you love his people because you recognize your sin and you desire to live righteously and thoroughly because there is a longing in your heart to be obedient and you're disappointed by your own disobedience.

Those indications of new life are found only in the heart of a believer. No nonbeliever loves God loves the truth of Scripture and loves the church. No nonbeliever is humbled and broken by his own sinfulness and no nonbeliever has a willing heart to obey the Lord so it's those directions in your life that indicate you are saved right and friend if you need help fighting your lack of assurance. Let me recommend John's book saved without a doubt. It explains from Scripture how any Christian can know spiritual peace and assurance to order a copy.

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