Examine Yourselves Whether You Be in the Faith, Part 2

God is patient God is kind God is good God is gracious God is merciful God is long-suffering God is not willing that any should perish, but God's mercy has limits better company like light! Going to heaven will one day hear Jesus say I never knew you depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. How do you know if those words might apply to you. You may believe God exists, you may read your Bible regularly serve your local church faithfully but is any of that proof that your truly saved.

The bottom line.

How can you be sure your Christian consider that today on grace to you as John MacArthur gets to the heart of this issue of genuine salvation in his series titled examine yourself. Now here's John with today's lesson. Look with me for a minute before we examine the book of Hebrews to John chapter 12 in John chapter 12 in verse 32. Our Lord said, and I if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, we've heard out of the law that Christ abides forever, and how sayest thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up, who is the Son of Man.

In other words, we've heard that the Messiah will live what you talking about that he would be crucified.

What Son of Man is this. Then Jesus said under them, listen, yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walk the thin darkness north not worry go while you have light believe in the light, that you may be the sons of light. These things spoke to Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them. What an illustration. He says you better believe while you can believe and then to illustrate that he went and hid where they could never find them so that they might comprehend what it would mean not to have him around in verse 37 says even though you done so many miracles before them, yet they believe not on him, but the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke. Lord, who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord been revealed.

Therefore, they could not believe because that Isaiah said again.

He has blinded their eyes and harden their heart that they should not see with their eyes north understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them download Jesus says you better believe when you can believe you better enter the light while the light is available for the time will come when it isn't around, and then he illustrated it in the prophecy of Isaiah came to pass. They wouldn't believe. Therefore, they couldn't believe in God, closed out the day of great that's what Isaiah site. This was Jesus last appeal. By the way one last invitation. In the Gospel of John the day of grace was passing in the very next chapter he meets with his disciples the day before his trial, and ultimately his death.

This is his last invitation. He says I'm not here very long.

You better after while you can act before you are confirmed in the sovereignty of God in your unbelief in John chapter 8 and he here says the same thing. At least three to in verse well look at verse 12 and spoke Jesus again under them, saying, I am the light of the world he that follow with me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. That's the first invitation he saying if you follow me and walk in light, but then he says in verse 21. I go my way and you shall seek me and show die in your sin, where I go ye cannot. This is the second invitation really because it's a warning that if they don't accept the light while the light is available there come a day when the light is not available and in verse 24 he repeats the warning 1/3 time, I said therefore unto you, but you shall die in your sins, for if you believe not that I am he.

He shall die in your sin, you see, Jesus was always extending his love, but always telling them there was a limit go back to chapter 7 verse 33 then said Jesus unto them, yet a little while am I with you just a little while and then I go on to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me and where I am there. He cannot come. It's the same idea. You know, before God sent the flood in Genesis chapter 6 in verse three God said, my spirit will not always strive with man. In other words, there comes a time when God runs out of patient and then came the flood than the whole wide world was destroyed in Isaiah chapter 63 we find it illustrated in verse 7 to 10 prophet Isaiah says I will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord in the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord is bestowed on us in the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his lovingkindness and what of verse talks about the lovingkindness and the praise in the goodness and mercy of God, for God said surely they are my people, children that will not live so he was their Savior.

What a picture of God. He was so loving it was so merciful he was so kind. He was so gracious he was their Savior. In verse nine, in all their affliction. He was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them in his love, and in his pity he redeemed them and he bore there many carrying them all the days of old old. What a picture. What a loving Savior, but verse 10 comes like a shock like a lightning bolt out of the blue to shatter the piece of the scene but they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit.

Therefore, he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against. Can you believe that kind of change in one little three verse section God is patient God is kind God is good God is gracious God is merciful God is long-suffering God is not willing that any should perish but God's mercy has limits. You better come to the light while the light is available. That's the message of the book of Hebrews gives us a graphic look at this wonderful truth. This wonderful warning invitation of God. I want to look at Hebrews and with a look at what it has to say let's look at warning passages very briefly and see what they say.

Chapter 2 verses 1 to 4 is the first chapter 2 verses 1 to 4 therefore therefore what is there for me takes us back to chapter 1 that's all about the majesty of Jesus Christ all about the glory of Jesus Christ all about the one who is ascended to be the one at the majesty, the right hand of the majesty of God, the one who is better than the Angels, Jesus Christ himself because we learn what we learned about Jesus Christ because we now know who he is because we now know how God is exalted because of who he is in his Majesty.

Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time. We should let them what slip for verse two's. If the words spoken by Angels was steadfast.

Now what was the word spoken by Angels. That was the Old Testament law. That was the law of God given by God at Mount Sinai. That law was ministered by Angels. So if the Old Testament law. If the Mosaic law. If the 10 Commandments spoken by Angels was steadfast or binding on people and every transgression and disobedience of the moral of the Mosaic law received a just recompense of reward. In other words, if God gave the Mosaic law and demanded absolute obedience and judgment on everybody who disobeyed. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation as that which is in the new covenant in Jesus Christ.

If the people under the Mosaic economy never escape the judgment of God. What makes you think you will.

If the people who lived in the Old Testament before Christ didn't escape God's judgment and God was more tolerant then what makes you think you'll escape because you reject the great salvation in Jesus Christ. That's what he say in the us here. We ought to give uses the word we use is again in verse three.

How should we escape, if we the idea. This plurality is Jewish. In the context its national if we who are of Israel, who have heard the gospel. If we know that those under the old economy didn't escape when they denied God's word. What makes us think will get away.

If we deny God's word is a powerful passage. Certain judgment will result it says in verse two. Every transgression and every disobedience received a just recompense of reward and it's a negative you think you can turn your back on Jesus Christ. Do you think you can neglect so great a salvation as he offers and still escape no. They couldn't even escape under the old covenant, but alone under the new site of the second warning in Hebrews chapter 5 and six Hebrews chapter 5 and six. We don't have time to go into all this in detail. Let me just just look at chapter 6 and will skip some of the earlier part, but he saying to them. Verse 12 this is a warning when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you the first principles of the oracles of God. By the way, the oracles of God of the Old Testament laws. In other words, he says you people you want to be teachers of the gospel you have enough information to be teachers of the gospel, but in instead of that somebody needs to teach you the Old Testament laws again. You are trying to live when you should be advanced.

You haven't responded to what you heard. Now go to verse four and he warns them.

It is impossible to see that work. It is impossible for those who were once enlightened have tasted of the heavenly gift were made partakers of the Holy Spirit have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the son of God and put him to an open Shane Ellison this is a warning to get this is not to Christians. And this is not the flagrant blatant non-Christians. This is to the fence sitter. This is to the person who says I know it's true, but I never have made the commitment and what he saying is this lack. If you have been enlightened.

In other words, enlightenment is a memento comprehension mental understanding.

If you have tasted the heavenly gift, and and who is the heavenly gift, but the spirit of God and how they taste of the spirit of God, because the gospel preached to them had been confirmed by signs and wonders and gifts of the spirit.

It says in chapter 2 verse three and four so they had had the spirit of God working in their midst. They had tasted of it. They had really eaten and partaken they had tasted up in a full sentence they needed to partake, but they were sort of partial partakers and partial tasters even tasted the word of God.

They tasted the power of the age to come see the miracles that were done in the early church and in the miracles were done in the apostolic time were like a forerunner to the miracles to be done in the kingdom and the miracles of course the Christ will do when he returns, and so he says to them, you've had your mind enlightened you you had tasted you've been in on what the Spirit has done no many Jews had why this the Holy Spirit was the power through Christ that fed the 5000, and everybody that ate the fish and the bread that day when Jesus fed them was taking in what the spirit had done they had partaken of his miracles, that partaken of his teaching did partaken of his word, but they never made their own and what he says is if you had all this revelation and you've tasted and you heard and you see and the power has been displayed and you turn your back on it and you fall away. It's impossible to get you save the point being, this if you reject when you have full Revelation your hope because what else can God do right by the way no term in verse four or five, not the term enlightened tasted the heavenly gift, partakers of the Holy Spirit tasted the good word for the powers. This cup none of those terms is ever used anywhere any time in the Bible for salvation. They are not salvation turn their terms talking about exposure to the gospel and exposure to the power of God and exposure to the life of Christ, and they had seen enough and heard enough and with all information they would fall away, they could never be saved because, listen, beloved, if you don't accept Jesus Christ. When you have full light never accepted because he can't do any more than that.

So it's a severe warning certain judgment than he gives an illustration in verses seven and eight for the earth.

He says which drink in the rain that cometh often upon it and bring it forth. Herbs fit for them.

By whom it is to receive his blessing from God is not a beautiful thing. He says the earth drinks in the rain that comes often on it and brings forth herbs fit for them. By whom it is still in other words, the crop is produced and it's a blessing from God. When the rain falls and you know what the pictures is the picture of a ready heart in the reign of the gospel falls in the ready heart takes in the rain, it brings forth the fruit of salvation, but verse eight that which bears thorns and briars is rejected and is near unto cursing whose end is to be burned. The rain is spiritual truths. The rain is the gospel, the rain is spiritual enlightenment. One piece of ground produces good herbs one produces thorns and thorns are the fruit of religious effort. See, it's a works righteousness system. They don't produce nothing. They produce the wrong thing to say they're very busy, very productive, but it is an urge to eat it.

Thorns and all you want to do with thorns is stay out of their way there useless religious self effort is cursed.

So I says to these Jews listen, you can stay in your Judaism and you can crank out your self-righteousness and when it's all said and done, you're going to have thorns or you can take in the reign of this enlightenment. You can hear the gospel and you can believe it in your heart and let it go into the soil of your life and produce the thing that God wants it to produce.

The choice is yours. The choice is yours is another warning we take it in the third morning in the 10th chapter 3rd warning is in the 10th chapter and verse 26 and here's the same thought. He's going to hit these fence sitters again these people to keep, but never make a commitment. These people here at all. The never do anything about these people say it's all wonderful and I believe it not. I'm going to do it someday will do its he hits him again and he says luck for if we sin willfully in the city. Here is the sin of rejection. If you willfully reject after you received the knowledge of the truth, yet receive salvation you received the knowledge of it. You know what it is you understand it and if you willfully rejected. Then there is no more sacrifice for sin. He saying that you you can kill all you want, you can slaughter all of those you want you can kill all about you want you can slay alternatives you want, but there is no more sacrifice for sin. If you reject Jesus Christ as nothing. If you know the truth and you turn your back on Christ. You do nothing about Christ. There is no other thing that you can do. There is no other sacrifice and you see these Jewish people.

They didn't want to come to Christ. They were afraid of being on synagogue.

You know, put out of the synagogue, losing all their friends and all her family and so they would go on their Judaism and they wouldn't come to Christ, but they keep up their sacrifices and he says that's ridiculous.

You turn your back on Jesus Christ.

If you sin willfully after the knowledge of the truth you're damned because nothing can do for you what only Christ can do and what will happen. Verse 24 seven says it a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary.

In other words, God is going to come down on judgment, they say, will you know I think that I think that God will probably be easier on the people who really knew the most and came to church the most in and got the most information will know the truth will be harder on them. The less you know, the better it will be for you in eternity. And if you have exposed yourself by God's grace to the fullness of God's truth.

You are the most responsible of all in the fiery judgment is waiting is waiting for you. If you reject Jesus Christ. And that's exactly what he says. Verse 2029 he that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Listen if you just despise the Mosaic law. The law that was given on the earth. The law that came from Mount Sinai. If you just despise the tables of stone, you were slain. Why how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden underfoot the son of God.

If you violated Moses and you died what you think's going to happen if you violate the son of God.

You see, that's the point. If you have counted the blood of his covenant. Some on the holy thing. If you've done despite to the spirit of grace is he to disobey law was to die to treat that covenant with disrespect was to die to violate that law was to die all how much more severe is the punishment for the one who turns his back on the son of God counts the blood of his covenant an unholy thing, and despite those despite to the spirit of grace, for we know that he has said, vengeance the longest on the me I will recompense Seth, the Lord and then verse 31 it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Or that's pretty strong stuff as a warning that if you know the truth and you turn your back on vengeance is mine, I will repay is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Such a serious problem and so we once again that if you know the truth that you don't receive it.

There's a deeper and greater responsibility.

Because your trampling under your feet, the son of God. Can you imagine it so I wouldn't do that.

I just have made up my mind yet know is not how the other by the looks you may see it is not making up your mind. God sees it as treading underfoot the son of God is 1/4 warning in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 25 and it sums up basically the same thought. It's the same thing says see that you refuse not him that speak by the way, that's God that's God. He's the main speaker in this chapter, you better refuse, not God.

Now listen for if they escaped, not who refused him that spoke on earth much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven whose voice then assure the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven know when God spoke from the earth at the giving of the law and God uttered his voice from Mount Sinai right on the earth.

God spoke from the earth and the mountains shook contract and revealed and he says if they didn't escape when they refused the one that spoke on earth. What makes you think you're going to escape when you speak to what when you refuse the one who speaks from heaven say who is that that's God, God said from heaven several times and the voice came out of heaven, saying, this is my beloved son, hear ye hear is it in the Old Testament God spoke out of an earthly mountain and said to this law in the New Testament God spoke out of heaven, and said here.

My son and if they didn't escape when this refuse the voice of God on earth. What makes you think you will escape. If you refuse the God who spoke from heaven, sums it up in verse 29 by saying for our God is a consuming fire is a consuming fire. And someday he'll shake not only amount but he will shake the very heavens in his judgment. What a warning this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us along with teaching each day on this radio station. John also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study is looking at the typical command to examine yourself that you know John, thinking about what it means to examine yourself. We received a call on our Q&A line that I'd like you to address, but I imagine this is a question that lots of Christians struggle with. In fact, maybe all Christians do. At one point or another. So let me play this question and then you respond. John, whatever your area. If a person or believer that you want back so similar fan repair repair repair promptly repair all written word regular freight. They keep falling short of the glory of God to follow Lala Victor and I want to know about salvation. Thank you God bless you. God bless your ministry well. Thank you. Thomas send yeah that's that's that's a hard question that and I understand it, because it can be so discouraging to have those so I guess with about a cause besetting sins. Those common sins that you go back to the can I help you with that by saying this you remember when Jesus was speaking to Peter and Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive somebody three times and Jesus said no, forgive them 70×7. And there's even indicates that it could be 70×7. A day so the Lord understands that sinners repeat their sins and if the Lord says to Peter you need to forgive 70×7, then that's the kind of forgiveness that the Lord himself offers its discouraging to us. I know to fall back into those sins. And we ought not get in the places where those things can happen and we need to keep our minds set on the word of God and be in prayer to fight against those things.

But even the Lord knows that we need a lot of forgiveness and that we need to be forgiven maybe 70×7, the day so I think the grace of God is great enough to cover those sins.

It's your desire to be delivered from them. That is the evidence of your salvation.

It's your hatred of that sin that shows that your new creation. It's your desire to honor the Lord. It's your affection for him. It's your weariness with your sin look.

Paul said that I do what I don't want to do. I don't do what I want to do wretched man that is in me when you see it as wretchedness that is in you, that's the view of a person who's been redeemed, so I hope that helps encourage or even in the battle yes thank you, John. It encourages me and thank you Thomas for your call now. If you have a question for John and I encourage you to call our Q&A line you just leave a message with your question and you may hear John answer it.

Contact us today. The number for the Q&A line 661-295-6288. Again, you simply leave a message with your question and you may hear John answer it on a future broadcast our number one more time.

661-295-6288. You also find that number. That's the Q&A line at our website TTY.and friend.

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