We Believe in Eternal Security

The Bible's turn to John chapter 10 you don't have a Bible with you.

Please grab one in the pocket in front of you and open to John chapter 10.

As you know we've been going through a wonderful series here on Sunday nights is our pastoral staff is teaching through the 15 articles of our doctrinal statement and one of the benefits that I get over the other pastors is that I get the privilege to to study and to teach these articles every Sunday night. As I teach our middle school students in the 1300, which has only enriched my own love and adoration for God. A sound doctrine and good theology shapes our thinking and therefore impacts our worship. JI Packer once said, there is nothing that can so comfort the soul so calm the swelling of sorrows and grief and speak peace to the winds of trials is to develop musing upon the subject of God.

With that said, I want to read verse 28 of John chapter 10 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

The question tonight is after God saves a believer can they ever lose their salvation will they persevere to the end of their days. Can a Christian. Give way to unbelief. Can they simply walk out on the faith never to return. In other words, can they throw it all away what you think of when you hear the word perish. What comes to your mind. Perhaps you think of a single word. I was, I asked my nine-year-old son this the other day what you think of when you hear the word perish. And he said well to die to disappear and I looked it up on dictionary.com and in pretty much said that verbatim but what you think of when you hear the word perish. Perhaps you think of a piece of fruit that is set out to long or you think of a flower or a plant that has set out for days without water and it just slowly kind of fades and dries up, and then it dies or we think of our minds or bodies were bodies don't look like they once did, or our minds don't recall and remember things like they once did. It's obvious to us as we look around and contemplate life and that everything seems to be perishing in a sense what you think of though when you put the word never in front of perish never perish. Interesting incident that a Christian will never perish. What does that mean that's the question I want to answer that question tonight in the tide of our sermon is never perish. Tonight I get the wonderful privilege of teaching on this subject of the doctrine of eternal security in the Bible teaches that true Christians will persevere in their faith to the end of their lives and let me add this those who persevere to the end are true Christians. Christians will never perish, they will never be lost. They will never be cast away once they are in Christ, they will remain in Christ, they will never cease to be a child of God. They will never lose their salvation. And it's rightly said that the doctrine of eternal security is perhaps the most encouraging doctrine and all of the Bible to know that you are a born again Christian and you can never lose your salvation is comforting to the believer, but that's not the end of the story tonight because I've also been asked to speak on the doctrine of eternal punishment. What about those who are not in Christ. What about those who do not believe those who turn from the God of Scripture, those who walk away never to return. The Bible says they will certainly perish in their unbelief and their sin of unbelief in the in a place called hell. So tonight I get to speak on one of the most encouraging doctrines in all the Bible and also one of the most terrifying doctrines in all the Bible and my plan is to tackle that through John 10 namely verses 27 through 30. I want to give you six reasons why Christians will persevere in their faith to the very end of their days, must start reading in chapter verse 19 for context, please follow along with me.

There was again, a division among the Jews because of these words, many of them said he has a demon and he is insane.

Why listen to him. Other said these are not the words of one who is oppressed by demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind at that time, the feast of dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple and the colonnade of Solomon verse 24, so the Jews gathered around him and said to him, how long will you keep us in suspense. If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep my sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand, I and the father are one.

I want to give you a little bit of context here on what's going on in this passage, as we see there is a division among the Jews. Verse 19. Some said he has a demon other said these are not the words of one who is oppressed by demon. So there's a division of the timeframe was winter, there was a feast of dedication today. It's known as Hanukkah and this holiday dates back all the way to the inter-testimonial. When Israel was delivered from the wicked hand of antigen kits epiphanies during the Greek dynasty epiphanies prohibited the Jewish Scriptures and so the Jews revolted and were delivered by their enemy. Now this was a time of eating and celebrating a past event that revolved around the word and theme deliverance and it's quite interesting to think about the background of this text and that every Jew, including the ones that had gathered up around Jesus had one word on their mind, deliverance, and little did they know right there in their midst was one who was sent by God to deliver mankind from their greatest in the enemy of sin. Now, in John chapter 9, the Jews had just witnessed another miracle as Jesus had open the eyes of a blind man who was born blind. However, they missed the miracle they were upset with him because he did it on the Sabbath. There were blinded by their religion and their pride now in John chapter 10 Jesus is in the colonnade of Solomon during the feast in a group of religious Judaizers known as the Pharisees gather around him.

They don't like. And it's really an understatement. They want to kill and verse 31 you can see the Jews picked up stones again, something they had done more than once to stone him. They do not pick up little pebbles they picked up rocks for the purpose of killing him in the message of John of Jesus. The message of Jesus to the Jews was very clear he was claiming to be God in the flesh, and they understood this, but they did not believe him. And Jesus says to them if you don't believe my words, believe the works I'm doing.

Look at verse 33 shows the reason why they want to kill, and we are going to stone you for blasphemy because you being a man make yourself God according to Leviticus 2416 whoever blasphemes the name of the God of God shall be put to death all the congregation shall stone him.

So, according to the OT law. They sought to Reston so they could kill him. Verse 39 but he escaped from their hands. The opposition between Jesus and these angry Jews can be traced back to chapter 5 will walk you up to chapter 10 real quick here in chapter 5 we read this. This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God from chapters 6 to 15. Jesus makes seven metaphorical IM statements you're familiar with these statements I am the bread of life. The light of the world.

I am the gate. The good Shepherd, the resurrection and the life. The vine in chapter 15 and these titles speak of the deity and mission of Jesus Christ and Jesus calls his hearers to believe in him. In fact, that's why John wrote purpose statement in chapter 20 verse 31 says these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and as we look through the book of John we see that many did not believe they rejected him again and again so and and chapter 8 verse 24, Jesus says, for in your unbelief. You will die in your sins. And then in verse 42 and 44 of chapter 8 Jesus looks at them and says you are not even from God but from the devil strong words, in-your-face words, but nevertheless true. This opposition would only escalate and would ultimately end in his death in chapter 19 and so we enter into the backdrop of John chapter 10 were a group of angry, aggressive unbelieving Jews seeking to kill Jesus for more than two years, circle around him, and in verse 24.

As you see they circle around him like a pack of wolves, their prey like a angry mob their victim in the ask him a question. How long will you keep us in suspense. If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. This is a loaded question. The word Christ comes from the Hebrew Hebrew word, but she is where we get the name Messiah the word Messiah and it means anoint the singer. You, the anointed one. Are you the promised deliverer of Israel. Are you the Christ, and this was not with good intention. They were annoying they were trying to use his words against him, so that they could arrest him. They were building a case against so that they could put them on trial so they could crucify him. And what is so fascinating about the context other than the theme of deliverance that is circling in the background is the fact that Jesus preaches perhaps his strongest and clearest sermon on the doctrine of security eternal security to a group of unbelievers to a group of spectators. He preaches on eternal security in the face of opposition. He always spoke the truth. It's very clear those who gathered around him were simply haters of him.

In verse 25. Look at verse 25 he says I told you I told you that I am the Christ, everything that he said everything, his teaching his titles, his ministry, both word and deed pointed to this one thing that I am the Christ plainly but he looks at them and he says you to not believe in.

The reason you do not believe in verse 26 some shocking words. The reason you do not believe is because you are not my sheep.

Now beginning in verse 27.

I want to give you six reasons from the lips of Jesus to a group of unbelievers why Christians those who have been genuinely born again brought into the fold of Christ will persevere in their faith to the very end of their days.

Look at verse 27 by sheep. The first reason you will persevere in your faith is.

You belong to Jesus. The word myosin adjective. I know it's a pronoun but it's also an adjective.

It's describing the kind of sheet.

Jesus is my sheep. They are his sheep.

They are under his dominion, his control, his authority and this was planned even before the foundations of the world. Ephesians 1 forwards on the screen. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. They belong to him. They are his. Listen to this and in chapter 6 of John John chapter 639 I came to do the father's will. And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that the father has given me.

Now this is a stark contrast compared to what he just said to the unbelieving Pharisees verse 25. You are not among my sheep. You do not believe that my sheep believe. So we see here that all do not belong to him. Those who do not believe do not belong to him and all who do believe are gathered into his fold and he may call out to them but they will not hear. They will not follow but rather they would choose to reject him. Only those who believe in those who believe belong to him. He is the owner of the sheep and he is the door his sheep enter into the fold through him. Look at verse seven.

Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be safe in your Bible, you can circle the word saved because this whole chapter is about the doctrine of so teratology which is the doctrine of salvation. Jesus is speaking about salvation. He is the possessor of the sheep.

He saves them he is the marshal who looks after them. Look at verse 14. He says I am the good shepherd first and foremost a Christian belongs to the good Shepherd and how do you know that you belong to the good Shepherd. How do you know that you have been gathered into the fold of Christ. Look at verse 27 they hear his voice and follow the second reason you will persevere in your faith is you here and follow his voice my sheep hear my voice.

I know them and they know me both here and follow our present tense verbs. This is action is present.

It's moving is progressing and this is very simple. His sheep actively here and follow him assigned that you are genuinely born again Christian is that you are following Christ not perfectly but growing only this very moment this very moment you are actively following him. If I had to describe to you a person who is eternally safe and secure in their salvation. It is a person who is hearing and following Jesus and they will continue to the end of their days we say what about those who fall away from the faith that will return because his sheep here and follow him. Notice the word here in our passage it's accompanied by the word.

Follow showing. This involves decision and action. We recently moved his Pastor Jim said in January from Southern California and to the Charlotte area and were so dependent on the GPS system. I just learned were Stonecrest is so many of you have lived here all your life and you're still depended on the Gia GPS system, but all we do is we just put in the address, and follow her voice. That's what we do, that's what I do.

He speaks in his sheep here and they follow his voice now is not an audible voice. It's much louder because it speaks to the conscience. It speaks to the heart of God through his word speaks to his sheep is sheep here and follow his voice. This is so important in such an essential characteristic of his sheep that he says it three times. He says it in three verse three in verse four and verse 27 my sheep hear and follow me.

The third reason you will persevere in your faith is. You are intimately known.

I told you this was an encouraging doctrine.

Look at verse 27. I know them. Look at verse three. To him, the gatekeeper opens the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he is brought out his all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow.

But they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. I was doing a little bit of research.

Research on shepherds and Middle East and they actually give names to their sheep like we would a cat or dog and of its kind of weird seems weird but when the sheep are out in the field gracing that the shepherd can literally call one of their sheep by name and that she.

What it's doing in and scurry over to its master's voice, but it would not listen to the voice of a stranger. That's exactly what is going on here my sheep hear my voice and I know them. Now the word no here means personally knows the intimately note knows his sheep and you say what is God know about me. He knows everything about he knows you perfectly.

Look at Psalm 139 with me first to you know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar you search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before word is on my tongue, behold, oh Lord, you know it all together before you speak a word he knows it. You him in behind it before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

It is high I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence. If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed and she all you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand, show lead me in your right hand shall hold me, you can hide your thoughts from others, but you cannot hide your thoughts from God.

He knows all things and intimately all things he knows about those who belong to him. The fourth reason you will persevere in your faith is. You have been given eternal life. Verse 28. I give them eternal life. Notice here.

There are no conditions it doesn't say if you do this, or if you do that you have eternal life. He says I give them eternal life, no conditions.

There are many who believe they can obtain them eternal life by coming to church by praying a prayer walking and I'll doing a good deed and yes there are people who do nice things but when it comes to salvation.

The Bible was so clear that there are none who can regenerate their own heart their own soul. This is sovereign grace.

There's no conditions. He gives his sheep eternal life just as you did nothing to earn grace so you can do nothing to lose. Eternal life is an adjective that describes the kind of life that he gives. He doesn't say I give them five years or 10 year life to see how they will handle it, but he gives them eternal life, MacArthur said eternal life. By definition cannot be temporary. It is the present possession of all those who have truly trusted Christ" it is now and it is forever love what Spurgeon said many people when they hear or read that expression eternal life. Suppose that it means only heaven that does mean that but it means much more eternal life begins here it begins in the believer. As soon as he is born again" eternal life is the abundant life. Look at verse 10 of John. John 10 Jesus as I have come to give life and life abundantly. What is eternal life. What comes your mind when you think of eternal life. What comes to mind when you think of the abundant life. This is eternal life that you know Christ that you know God.

John 17 three. Listen to this and this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. If you're here and you're not a Christian, why would you not acknowledge her lost state and receive the gift of eternal life. Why would you not receive it. He says I give it to them. The good Shepherd gives eternal life to his sheep to sheep here and follow any knows them any gives them eternal life in the fifth reason you a person persevere in your faith is. You will never perish. Verse 28.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

John uses the strongest form of negation there is in the Greek here you can see it in your translation, but there are two back-to-back negative particles. It's it makes the statement emphatic. He's literally saying I give my sheep eternal life, and no never will. They perish if you were voice texting you would say into your phone never!

This is emphatic. Some of you use! When you shouldn't use too many for this is using many this is an emphatic statement there guaranteed to never perish, never. Now what is the word perish me is the same word used in John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish. Now this is in a reference to physical death. Because all people die, including Christians. So what does he mean by never perish, I believe, to gain a greater understanding. We need to appoint some other verses Revelation 211.

I believe it's up there. This is where we use Scripture to interpret Scripture speaks about a second death. After we die. There's a second death.

Listen to this verse 11 he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 26 Revelation 2014 Revelation 28 speak about a second death.

All people believers and unbelievers die and after this they will face judgment.

That's Hebrews 927 Jesus describes this judgment time in Matthew 25, 31, I want you to turn there with me real quick. One look at this together. Turn back a few feels like a few pages to 25 verse 31. He describes this time after physical death when the Son of Man comes. Verse 31 in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left than the King will say to those on his right, you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world and then if you look down at verse 41 he says. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and in verse 46 and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. So that's in the theological significance in John 10 is those who belong to him. Those who believe in him. He gives eternal life, and they will never perish, they will never experience the second death, my sheep will never perish. This is a promise from the mouth of Jesus and this is our hope. The Bible teaches that hell is a literal place, a place of torment. A place of God's wrath and judgment. It is fixed it cannot be overturned is eternal and it is a place where people go who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The question is did you pray a prayer wants her walking.

I own the question is are you a new creation.

That's what eternal life looks like in this life. It's a life that has new desires new motives. It's a life that is the oldest on the new has come as a life that is growing in the love of God, growing in the love the word growing in the love of the good Shepherd growing in the love of others, sheep, the Christian that is been born again loves the church. It's a mark of a Christian who has been born again. The final reason you will persevere in your faith is your secure in the hands of God.

Verse 28 no one will snatch them out of my hand. Verse 29. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand.

I am the father are one so clear, isn't it my sheep. They hear me. I know them, they follow me. I give them eternal life, they will never perish. None will be snatch from my hand or my father's hand.

This is personally says my hand there. My sheep they are in my hand there in his hand. Not only the hand of Christ, but the father's was given them to me is greater than no no one will snatch them out of my hand. Not a wolf of the devil, not angels.

None can pry Christian from the hand of Almighty God. I was walking into DiNardo's pizza couple weeks back with my family and my two-year-old little daughter was jumped out of the van and she was running through the parking lot like she was allowed to do that and I looked down and she just run into the parking lot like no worry in the world and I just reached down and I grabbed her hand and I gripped it and she she being the little independent person that she is trying to pry her little hand out of my hand, which only forced me to just grip it a little bit tighter to wear if a car was even backing out.

I could've pulled her through the air. If I had the believer will walk through this world.

They may trip they may stumble and even fall. But their faith will press on because ultimately our faith is wrapped in the hands of divine sovereignty reminds me of when Peter stepped out of the boat and his faith grew weak and he fell when Jesus just immediately reached down and grabbed not only the suntan but also the father's hand, you may go through this life lose a job, lose money, the child, a spouse securities. Even your own life, but you will never lose your salvation because your eternal salvation is in his hands. Paul writes in Romans eight for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He concludes by saying I am the father are one credible statement I am the father are one means they are one in essence, one in nature, they are united in their plan to to save the sheep.

They have one name one goal one purpose and that is to bring their sheep into their fold into eternally keep them listen to Jesus's prayer in John 17.

I know I gotta finish up your holy father keep them in your name when you have given which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one. While I was with them. I kept them in your name which you have given me I have guarded them and not one of them has been lost IN the father are one. Jesus is the manifestation of his father's glory. Listen to these Old Testament passages quickly.

Isaiah 4011 700 years before Christ came into this earth.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arms. Psalm 78, 52, then he let out his people like sheep and guided them in the in the wilderness like a flock. Ezekiel 34. I myself will search for my sheep and I will seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered so will I seek out my sheep. I am the father are one amazing statement became to do his father's will. He came to make his father known for in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form he verse one tells us he is the exact imprint of his nature. He said to the Pharisees.

If you have seen me, you have seen the father.

He said to his disciples who ever seen me has seen the father. He is the image of the invisible God Colossian one.

He is God in the flesh I and the father are one.

So clear is in it to say that a Christian can lose their salvation once they are brought into the sheepfold of God, you would have to literally just completely overlook this entire chapter and for these words that killed but in the sovereign plan of God.

The good Shepherd, the son of God stepped into this world and went to the cross on Calvary.

So he calls you and knows you.

You hear and follow him, and it gives you eternal life. You will never perish. You are safe in the hands of God, now and forever and I want to clue can close with this.

I want to have this on the screen to Jude verse 24, 25 with stand in honor of God's word. Let me read this to you were to close this if you guys wanted to come to listen to these words now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and majesty, dominion, authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Let's pray father, thank you, thank you for this doctrine of eternal security.

Thank you that we are not in control of our own destiny God your grace will see us through. Father, we ask that you would continue to sanctify us and mold us into the image of Christ and father. We know that you will because your word stands. Father I pray that you will be with our church. I pray that you would be with those who do not know you that you would draw them to yourself for your glory. Pray now as we worship that we would worship you in spirit and truth. Christ name, amen