Preserving Grace: What about Sin?

When Susan moved into the temple of the Holy Spirit moved out and and the glory of God moved out now as the spirit is come to indwell us when sin comes into our life is not believing he's not moving out and we can do a clean house Holy Spirit will be with you for ever. You might've this Friday if you're because it's not uncommon to wonder whether God could walk out on us at some point in our lives may come from a tradition that believes that indeed you can lose your salvation, our teacher, Dr. Steven Lawson, Texas to the gospel of John to show us that not only are we saved by grace preserved by grace only, again to this wonderful truth of the preserving grace of God there different titles are labels that have been put on this doctrine. Some call it the perseverance of the saints.

Some called the perseverance of the spirit. Some would call it the preservation of the saints.

Some would call it eternal security of the believer were calling it preserving grace, but they all say the same thing. In reality, that wants one is brought into the kingdom of God, he will never exit he can never fall away from grace, and it is this truth that causes all of the other doctrines of grace to be so sweet to be so precious those whom he chose in eternity past, will be saved forever. Those for whom Christ died will never fall from grace. Those who have been born again can never be unborn.

We are forever a child of God and the last three headings that we looked at the last for eternal life. And then we had three never sin staccato fashion never perish. Never thirst never condemned only give you another never, never lost. This is number five minutes in John six and verse 39, I invite you to turn with me to that section and this is a glorious truth and it's another way of asserting the eternal security of the believer in John six verse 39 Jesus said this is the will of him who sent me that of all that he has given me lots this I lose nothing other strong words my friend, I lose nothing, and he's referring to all those who have been given to him before the foundation of the world. Our Lord is an all-powerful Savior and all who have been entrusted to him.

He says I lose nothing but raise it up on the last day what he is saying there is that all the elect will be raised up and resurrected on the last day and will be raised up in grace will be raised up safe and guarded by Christ. Listen to John Calvin, the great exegete in the expositor of the Reformation. John Calvin writes, Christ is not the guardian of our salvation for just one day Marie over a few days, but he will care for our salvation to the end. Calvin says he will accompany us as it were, from start to finish of our journey and so he mentions here the final resurrection from the alpha to the Omega from the beginning to the end he guards us. He keeps us he holds on to us we will never slip through his fingers and he will raise us up on the last day to look at verse 40. The very next verse in John six for this is the will of my father that every want and that word implies no exceptions. Everyone who blowholes the son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day that last day is the day of judgment and what Jesus is saying here is, none of the elect will ever fall from grace. He will raise us up to stand faultless before the throne of God, he will raise us up to a place of full acceptance with God on that last day.

Look at verse 44 in John chapter 6, he continues with this this thread running through this chapter, he will raise us up on the last day and this is something for which we need not fear this is something for which we should have great anticipation, verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him now look at the end of the verse and I will raise him up on the last day the idea, he will raise us up secure and saved for ever.

Look at verse 54 one more time. This theme runs through John six he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. There we have it again present tense but notice the end and I will raise him up on the last day and that means to live with God and to remain with God forever and ever and ever give you another passage while were in John six, and this is another way of saying the very same thing live forever we will live forever with the Lord in John six verse 51 Jesus said I am the living bread that came down out of heaven.

If anyone eats of this bread, referring to himself.

He said I am the living bread.

If anyone eats of this bread, meaning if anyone believes upon the and receives me as someone would receive bread into their mouth as someone receives me into their soul does what it says he will live forever. Now we just tell you that everyone is going live forever. Someplace, either in heaven or in hell.

So this must go beyond that and meaning what this is saying is, everyone will live forever in God's presence who believe upon Christ and who eat of this bread, he will live for ever and Jesus point here is that there will be a great differentiation between an unbeliever who dies and a believer who dies the unbeliever who dies their soul will go on forever and ever and ever. They will have mere existence near empty, hollow, shallow existence as they will suffer the torment of the damned forever with those who eat of this bread will live forever and ever and ever fully alive in the Lord's presence. Thus, this one will live forever and it's another way of asserting the eternal security of the believer. Also get another verse John chapter 10 verse 27 now if I had to turn to just one text in the Bible to establish the eternal security of the believer. This is my signature text put me in a room with just one section to defend what were talking about. This is, I think the premier passage and I want to call this one forever secure forever secure and we want to look at this verse under the atonement and under election and under irresistible grace.

This section just speaks to all of the doctrines of grace, but here we are forever secure. Look at verse 27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me right that is irresistible grace. Now note verse 28, and this goes hand-in-hand together. Notice and begins verse 28 and this is inseparably bound together.

All who are irresistibly drawn to Christ. Verse 28 and I give eternal life to them and they will never perish, that we've already talked about eternal life and never perish, but now here's 1/3 in this one verse.

1/3 reason for the eternal security of the believer. No one will snatch them out of my hand forever secure in hand of Christ no one will ever snatch them out of my hand.

I think Jesus has in mind here, the thieves and the robbers who are trying to break in. Referring to the false teachers and the false prophets of Israel, but it can certainly be opened up to even Satan himself. The demons whatever spiritual forces there would be that would threaten our soul and try to turn our heart away from God says no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jesus asserts their absolute ear revocable eternal security and promises their preservation. But he does so in four ways here and we just make sure that you see this first, he gives them all eternal life very talked about that was settled for eternity cannot be undone in time. Second, they will never perish stirred no one will snatch them out of my hand and then fourth in the next verse, verse 29 we read, my father, who is given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand just think about this. The psalmist would say see law, ponder and meditate. This we have eternal life settled for eternity. We will never perish. We are held in the hand of Christ, and we are also held in the hand of the father. Betz is secure is secure can be in the Holy Spirit.

Also seals us in Christ. The entire Godhead father son and Spirit are preserving our standing in grace this passage to me is unmistakably clear. This is the good shepherd he loses. Not a one of a sheet not a one so all glory and praise to him was continue to look at this, come to John chapter 11 with me.

I want to give you an eight heading which is never die.

John 11 verse 25. In the beginning of verse 26.

No believer will ever suffer eternal death or the second death. Verse 25 Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life.

Please note the definite articles there. There is no life outside of Christ. There is no resurrection outside of Christ is not a life in a resurrection he is the life and the resurrection.

He who believes in me will live, even if he dies. Do you know you will never be more alive than five seconds after you die you will simply graduated glory. The apostle Paul said for me to live is Christ and to die is gain meaning I get to go be with Christ. That's what this is something he who believes in me will live, even if he dies, even if he dies physically, he will live spiritually forever with me then look at verse 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Now all believers are going to die unless Christ comes back before the time of our deaths was he mean will never die. Martin Luther's died. John Calvin has died. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield have died. What is this mean will never die. This is referring to the second death.

This is referring to eternal death.

This is referring to being banished and condemned and sentenced to hell and under the eternal wrath of God forever and ever is represented as the second death.

No believer will ever die in that sense, we will live forever with the Lord. I want to say again after you die as a believer in Christ you will never ever be any more alive number nine never abandoned John 14 verse 16 and maybe have never thought about this text as confirmation of the preservation of the saints, but it is because the word forever is mentioned in it. John 14 verse 16. I will ask the father and he will give you another helper H that he may be with you for how long. Forever God the Holy Spirit has come to enjoy well us right. First Corinthians 6 verse 19. What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, I'm in our body is the temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells now the Old Testament remember the glory of God moved into the temple in the book of Ezekiel we learn that the glory of God moved out the Shekinah glory moved out. God wrote Ichabod over the temple glory has departed.

The Holy Spirit is come to indwell us and he has brought the glory of God into our soul. And now that he has moved in, he will never move out in the Old Testament when sin moved into the temple. The Holy Spirit moved out and and the glory of God moved out, but now is the spirit is come to indwell us when sin comes into our life is not believing he's not moving you. It was Gandhi's got clean house and he'll bring conviction who bring discipline and he'll print and he'll wash and he'll cleanse Holy Spirit. This says will be with you for ever.

And then verse 17 he abides with you and will be in you. We could add never to leave, never to move out, never to desert's beloved God the Holy Spirit. The third member of the Godhead who is coequal and coeternal has come to make his abode in your heart and in your soul. Now that he is moved in, he will never move out and when sin develops in our life and we all continue to sin right it's his ministry to bring about the conviction to clean up what has become cluttered in our lives only give you number 10. I want to give you one more number 10 John chapter 17 and we come back. It seems like all roads lead to John chapter 17, doesn't it. It's impossible to talk about the doctrines of grace without visiting John 17 again and again and again. This is a lofty mountain peak.

This is grand and glorious passage of Scripture.

So in John chapter 17 I want you to note verse 12 notice verse 12 while I was with them I was keeping them in your name.

Now that is an extraordinary statement of preserving grace the preservation of the disciples in the preservation of the sites I was keeping them in your name was keeping them from a pasta sizing he was keeping them from falling away.

He was keeping them from being lured away. He was guarding their soul. He was protecting and preserving them. That is what you sign that knows what he continued to say in verse 12 and I guarded them and not one of them perished. Not a single one when the wolves came in the thieves and the robbers came spiritually speaking. He was the good Shepherd and he defended his flock and not a one of them perished. Then he says, but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. He say what what you have say about that when Judas was never saved to begin with.

Judas was a counterfeit disciple Judas gave the appearance outwardly of believing when Jesus and one of you will betray me. The other 11 didn't rise up and all point a finger at Judas ago. I knew it all along. It was Judas else. It is as it may, Lord. So they had no idea that it was Jews but the Lord knew and from the very beginning. Judas was never born again.

Judas was simply what we would say today, he was religious, but lost. Judas heard the greatest sermons that ever been preached in history the world beset under the preaching of Jesus Christ himself. Judas had the closest access and proximity to Christ teeth traveled with him, and he served with him. He beheld the miracles he saw the people who were healed he saw the people who were saved. No one had such exposure to truth, as did Judas, but Judas had the devil's initials carved in his heart and Judas was never saved learn this about Judas the faith that fizzles before the finish at a flaw from the first. He had simply spurious faith non-saving faith.

It was something in the head but it was never in the heart and it never activated the will and so Jesus at the end of verse 12 says, but the son of perdition.

That's Judas. He did perish, but he acknowledged even that was according to the sovereignty of God. Even that was God's eternal decree and it was recorded in Scripture so that it would be fulfilled so as not to shake the faith of the disciples.

Jesus wanted them to know know this was a part of God's plan and purpose from long ago.

What I want you to see is there in verse 12 says I was keeping them in your name and I guarded them and not one of them perished. The same is true of us here in this room as we go through this series. Not one of us will perish. We who have entrusted our lives to Christ. The reason is because he is guarding us and he is keeping us on say again is not a matter of me holding on to Christ.

It's a matter of Christ holding on to me his grip as a whole lot stronger than my grip and there are times when I trip and when I fall and my grip is weakened that he never weakens his grip on me now look at verse 24 only show you one more verse father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am is referring to heaven he saying I pray God that they will all be in heaven, and to be with me there so that they may see my glory, which you have given me for you love me before the foundation of the world.

I want you to know this prayer will always be answered. This prayer for all of his sheep will never go on answered the Lord has prayed for us and he continues to make intercession for us and we are Secure and one day we will be around his throne and glory and we will both hold him not as he was. But as he is will not see the meek Messiah nor the humble carpenter from Galilee.

We will behold the king of kings and the Lord of lords, and we will see him enthroned upon high and we will follow in her face before him, and we will sing all hail the power of Jesus name, all who have been entrusted to him all who have believed upon him, all who have been capped by grace will be safely transported to his throne above and he will lose not one of what a great say what a great Shepherd years that he loves us so much grace is so far-reaching that none of us ever Christ is a great Savior, a strong Savior is perfect. Life is death and his resurrection secured and guaranteed the salvation of his people.

That is good news referred from Dr. Steven Lawson over the past couple of days you're at Renewing Your Mind teaching from histories. The doctrines of grace.

In John we been exploring God's sovereignty and salvation and will send you this 12 part series when you contact us with a donation of really about to look at her ministries. These videos would be a great 12 week study for your Sunday school class or a small group so request the two dvdset@renewingyourmind.org you can also call us with your gift at 800-435-4343 elected to adjustable with the thank you for supporting the work. Would her ministries opportunities for proclaiming the truth of God's word are opening up around the world.

For example, we've recently launched our dedicated language outreach in Hindi supply trustworthy Bible teaching to equip the church in India for Christian discipleship ever reaching the Arab and Farsi speaking role to work.

Islam is the major religion so your gifts make this outreach possible and were grateful for them.

With that in mind next week were going to feature Dr. scroll series dark side of Islam is a critical look at the Muslim religion.

We hope you enjoy this beginning Monday here on Renewing Your Mind