Perseverance of the Saints

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What I want to do now is get straight into The the final issue the final day called

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P. Perseverance of the Saints and let's get right into it Perseverance of the

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Saints also sometimes known as eternal security is the teaching that all who are truly

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Regenerated will by God's grace be kept in the faith. They will never stop being a

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Christian They will never stop persevering. They will persevere until the time they die

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Christians persevere because of the grace of God not because of their own ability to do good or remain faithful True Christians are therefore secure in Christ.

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They cannot fall away. They cannot lose their salvation Now, let me give you a quote from Wayne Grudem's systematic theology

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Quote the perseverance of the Saints means that all those who are truly born again

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Will be kept by God's power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives and that only those who persevere until The end have been truly born again close quote alright so, you know as I've said and as I've been going through this and you'll probably recognizing if you've been paying attention that There's a lot of verses that I repeat and because they are foundational to a lot of the truths found in Scripture in this particular set of Topics and scriptures that we're dealing with we need to review quickly that God is the one who grants that we believe

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Philippians 1 29 and That he is the one who works belief in us.

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Now. This is important John 6 28 29 They said to Jesus what must we do to work the works of God and Jesus says this is the work of God that you

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Believe your belief if you're a Christian is the work of God Don't take credit for it yourself

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And I asked Christians that do you take credit for your own believing? and I've had Christians say of course

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I do and we talked about what that means and if there's any arrogance in that I Believe because God has granted that I believe

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Now our perseverance is not dependent on our ability to keep ourselves in the faith Whether it be by doing bad thing or not doing bad things

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Excuse me, or by doing good things or by keeping ourselves right with God through our faith

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It's not dependent on our abilities Instead our perseverance is dependent on God's faithfulness to us not our faithfulness to him after all

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We are never perfectly faithful First Peter 1 5 says that Christians have an inheritance in heaven and that Christians quote are

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Protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time close quote

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That's what Peter says. We are protected by the power of God Through a faith through faith for a salvation.

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We're protected by God for salvation. That's what he says. That's first Peter 1 5 now this perseverance does not mean that Christians don't have a free will or that they were forced to believe

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And doesn't say that they can't backslide either we struggle against our sin

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We don't live perfectly But God is always faithful and he disciplines us as a loving father in order to bring us to repentance when we stray

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Even as the regenerate well, you know, we do we mess up don't we as Christians?

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We do commit sins and I'm God I'm glad it's gonna be that God says he will never leave us or forsake us

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Well Hebrews 13 5 is an important verse Make sure that your character is free from the love of money from being content with what you are

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Being content with what you have for he himself has said I will never desert you nor will

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I ever forsake you Now this is important for us to understand It's critical that we understand that we are kept by God's grace and not our ability

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Otherwise grace is not grace If our salvation depends on our faithfulness in any way then it most certainly means we will be lost now think about it

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Are you that good that perfect? Are you I'm not if my salvation depended on my faithfulness.

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I'm in trouble If it depended on my ability to do good or not do bad.

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I'm in trouble now if you think That you're good enough and you're faithful enough man.

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Go I'm gonna follow you out to the nearest lake I want to see you walk on water Are you better than Peter better than John better than Paul the

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Apostle who struggled who had issues I? mean I have encountered so much arrogance in the

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Christian faith for those who boast who claim that they are able to keep themselves right with God by not doing a set of things by you know abiding

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Faithfully with the Word of God by continuing to believe and that it's their effort that they believe and in so doing

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Well, they just keep themselves right with God How wonderful for them that they're that good?

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I'm not I need to depend on Christ completely. I must completely depend on him

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So our ability is based in Christ It's critical that you understand this if we're kept by anything that we do in any way then grace is not grace

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You understand that Would any of you stand before the throne of God and claim that you by the effort of your own will kept yourself in the faith by remaining faithful Would you stand on that day

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Lord? I kept myself in the faith by believing Would you not me?

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But some will say that we must continue to believe and that we should be sincere well, yes, we ought to believe and We should also be sincere

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However, remember it is God who works faith in us John 6 28 29 our believing is the work of God He grants that we believe that means 129.

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Who are you giving the credit to yourself or God who's receiving the glory? yourself or God As far as your sincerity goes the standard of God demands perfection

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Not a sincere yet faulty effort first Peter 1 16 because it is written you shall be holy for I am holy and Galatians 3 10

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For as many as are the works of the law are under a curse for it is written Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them and Deuteronomy 2726 is that quote that's what's referencing cursed as he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them

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And all the people shall say amen see God's standard is perfection.

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Now when people look at their sincerity and I've had Christians tell me this Well, as long as they're sincere

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God will accept them and I say why because they're sincere They know that God knows it.

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They're not perfect and they're trying but they're sincere And so God'll you know, he understands that and it'll work out

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Boy, that's arrogant Man, is that foolish? If anyone were to appeal to his sincerity as one of the reasons that he can stand in God's presence and be saved

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Then he is being extremely prideful because he's appealing to the goodness of his own heart

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God Look at me. Look at what's good in my own heart. Look at the sincerity of my heart That's why

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I get to be with you Lord, I've trusted in Christ I believe in Christ I try and do what's good I try not to do what is bad.

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I'm not like that tax gatherer over there And just go to Luke 18 9 through 14

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And you can see that the tax gatherer according to Jesus. He was boasting. Look what he was doing

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He did not commit adultery. He was faithful He tithed he was saying things

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He didn't do as well as things that he did do and yet Jesus Condemned him.

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In fact, let me just read this and he also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves

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That they were righteous and viewed others with contempt two men went up to the temple to pray One a Pharisee and the other a tax gatherer the

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Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself God I thank you that I'm not like other people swindlers unjust adulterers or even like this tax gatherer

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I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get and notice what what's going on here?

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The tax gatherer then says, you know, Lord be willing to me I mean God be merciful to me the sinner and Jesus says that the tax gatherer was the one justified

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He was the one saved the Pharisee was not what is the Pharisee doing? He's a believer in God He's not a swindler.

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He's not unjust. He's not an adulterer. He's not like the tax gatherer He fasts twice a week he pays tithes there are things he doesn't do and there are things he does do as He's a believer in God and Jesus condemns him because he's appealing to the goodness of his own effort and There are a lot of churches out there that teach that very thing who teach

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Pharisaical ideology and not complete and total dependence on Christ And so they look down their nose at others because the others aren't like the well them see their tax gatherers

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Because the others that they're looking down at well, you know, they don't go to church like we do

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They don't dress like we do they don't go to they go to movies like we don't They don't dress like we do look what we do

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We tie we this we that and they boast in their arrogance and their self -deception

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But perseverance of the Saints is not based on our effort It's based on God's truth and Christ's faithfulness

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So I would urge you to go study Luke 18 9 through 14 Now this brings up an issue are we so secure in Christ that we're free to sin all we want

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People say well Matt look, you know if we can't lose our salvation. Are you saying it's okay to be an adulterer?

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No, I'm not. Are you saying it's okay to to to do bad things? No, you saying it's that we shouldn't do good thing.

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Not at all Are you saying Matt we can sin all we want well Hear me out in one sense.

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Yes, and another sense. No You see as a Christian I can sin all I want

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Here's the question. How much do I want to sin as a Christian? I Don't want to I war with it.

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I struggle with it. I Met war with my flesh because I'm regenerate

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You see I'm I'm I'm a new creature 2nd Corinthians 517 says

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Unbelievers don't resist their sin Unbelievers don't struggle Says this is not a license to sin

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Because it's dependence on God You see look Philippians 1 6 for I'm confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it

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Until the day of Christ Jesus who began the good work in you and who's perfecting it

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Are you keeping yourself right by your effort? Of course not. It's God who's working in you.

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In fact Philippians 2 12 and 13 so then my beloved just as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only

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But now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling that means manifest it work out

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What is in you? Okay, verse 13 for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure

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It's God working through you and in you And of course as I've already said second Corinthians 517 and this is important.

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We're made new creatures and as new creatures We want to war against our sin.

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I've had so many people misrepresent the idea of eternal security of Perseverance of the

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Saints by saying oh, it's just a license to sin. No, it's not It's such a misrepresentation when they say that that means that they're believing that we're not regenerate that we're unregenerate

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That we don't have God dwelling in us. We're not new creatures and that we just won't want to sin because why hey look

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Hey, we're saved. So we go out sin all we want. That's not Christianity. It's ignorance.

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It's misrepresentation And you know, I want to read something to you. That's very interesting here and few people really look at these scriptures

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I'm gonna read verses Romans chapter 5 verse 20 through chapter 6 verse 2 now the chapter divisions are our inventions

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So I'm just gonna read this. This is where it is starting in Romans 5 20 through chapter 6 verse 2 Now check this out.

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This is in the context of eternal life of being saved Okay.

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Now notice what Paul says you pay attention about this about the issue of going ahead and sin He says this and the law came in that the transgression might increase but where sin increased grace abounded all the more that is

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That as sin reigned in death even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our

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Lord Oh, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase may never be

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How shall we who have died to sin still live in it now? There is a theological term called antinomian ism against the law namas law

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Antinomian ism and that means that we can sin all we want because we're saved Well, wait a minute what's

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Paul addressing here, but that very thing Paul's teaching the issue of eternal life and Then he raises this issue.

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Is it okay to sin then? Of course not we've died to sin see The teaching here that he's giving is that it's not okay to sin because we're secure in Christ Paul negates that He teaches eternal life that we are secure in Christ Notice he says we have eternal life through Jesus He immediately then goes to Romans 6 1 and asks us if it's okay to sin that God's grace may increase

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Of course not. Why would he say that if we could lose our salvation? He's only saying it because we can't so we certainly eternal security this perseverance of the

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Saints. It's not a license to sin This is as simple as it is And this is true because we have been predestined from the foundation of the world

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Ephesians 1 4 & 5 and Those whom he foreknew he also predestined

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Romans 8 29 We are the ones called by God chosen for salvation that is 2nd

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Thessalonians 2 13 God called us from eternity And so we can't be lost

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Because we've been given to Christ Now I'm going to go through some of the verses that are used to support

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Perseverance of the Saints and then I'm going to go through some of the verses used to refute it and address them and then we'll take

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Callers so we have time John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten

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Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have Eternal life notice that Jesus equates eternal life with not perishing

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That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life Jesus equates eternal life with not perishing

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There's no conditional statement here such as should not perish but have eternal life if they stay faithful or if they do enough good or Unless they do enough bad.

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There's no conditionals on here in John 10 27 through 29 Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them and they shall

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Never perish notice. He says never perish in the context of eternal life

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This is what Jesus says never perish. They'll have eternal life. They will never perish if you can have eternal life and lose it

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Then how can is it? How can it be true that you will never perish? It would be you could have eternal life, but you might end up perishing

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It's not what Jesus says and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. That's what he says And he says no one shall snatch them out of my hand

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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

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So Jesus again equate eternal life with never perishing. That's what he does

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Yeah, we must believe but we're granted the belief. Remember I keep telling you this

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Philippians 1 29 Our believing is the work of God John 6 28 29 Therefore they said to him what shall we do so that we may work the works of God Jesus answered and said to them

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This is the work of God that you believe in whom he is sent Also notice in John 10 27 29

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That Jesus says no one is able to snatch the sheep out of his hand That's first 28 or the father's hand verse 29.

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Think of two hands cupped together holding fast kept in the Christ Keeping the

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Christian secure in his grip Remember it's the Christian who has been chosen from before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless

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Ephesians 1 4 It is the Christian who has been chosen for salvation 2nd Thessalonians 2 13

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It's the Christians who have been predestined by God for salvation Ephesians 1 verse 5 verse 11

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Romans 8 29. Well God make a mistake will he goof and lose those whom he's predestined from all eternity to be saved and Who he has given to the

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Sun for safekeeping and They're gonna be lost Does anybody think that's even possible?

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I'm just bewildered when people say yeah, that's possible that God ordained from eternity

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That they would be saved and given to the Sun for safekeeping, but they can lose themselves It makes no sense because the verse says no one not no one except yourself and No one is able to snatch him out of your father's hand

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No one that means the individual who saved is included in the group. No one You they belong to the group called no one.

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There is no condition No one except the Christian himself who can want to do this as people add into the

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Word of God to make it say what? They want so many times Let me turn to John 6 38 through 40

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This is really important set of scriptures for I've come down from heaven not to do my own will But the will of him who sent me

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This is the will of him who sent me that of all that he has given me I lose nothing but raise it up on the last day for this is the will

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Excuse me of my father that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself will raise him up on the last day

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Notice what Jesus is saying in verse 38. He says that he came to do the will of the

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Father in verse 39 He says that the will of the Father is that Jesus lose none, but raise us up on the last day then in verse 40

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He again says that the will of the Father is that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in him will have eternal life

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Then he says he'll raise him up on the last day So Jesus is saying that the will of the

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Father is that Jesus lose none of whom the Father has given to Jesus And that Jesus will raise him up on the last day

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It is also the will of the Father that all who hold and believe in the

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Son will have eternal life and Jesus will raise Him up on the last day if it is possible for Christ to fail to do the will of the

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Father by losing some Then it must also be possible that those who behold and believe in the

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Son don't have eternal life You see in verse 39 the will of the Father If the will the

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Father is not always done then the will the Father is not always done in verse 40 because in 39 Jesus isn't to lose any and in verse 40 if you believe behold the

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Son and believe in him you'll have eternal life But if 39 can't be true or might be falsified as so was first 40

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The agreement is between the Father and Jesus not between the

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Christian and Jesus you see Jesus Was sent by the

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Father to redeem the ones given to the Son by the Father The covenant is between the

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Father and the Son Not between the Son and the people The issue is that Jesus says that the all that the

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Father is given to Jesus Jesus will lose none That's the will of the Father and if anyone wants to say that people are lost then they're saying that Jesus failed to do the

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Will of the Father that he did lose some if that's what you're saying Then you're accusing Jesus of sinning by failing to do the will of the

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Father It cannot be true Now there's this phrase in Hebrews 13 20

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I'm gonna read Hebrews 13 20 because I think it bears on this as well May the

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God of peace who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal

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Covenant even Jesus our Lord through the blood of the eternal covenant First of all a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties a marriage

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Covenant, you know, my wife and I are married. We have covenants signs a wedding rings We made a covenant with each other to be faithful to each other, etc

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And a covenant is a pact or an agreement made between two or more parties now in this case It's called the blood of the eternal covenant the eternal covenant seems to imply the inter

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Trinitarian covenant relationship in Between the members of the Godhead that the father would choose to redeem and give to the son

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The ones chosen by the father to redeem That's why Jesus says in John 6 37 through 40 all that the father gives me

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This is the will of father who sent me that of all he's given me. I lose none Because they've been given to the son by the father

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Second it says blood this implies the sacrifice of Christ by which we are redeemed

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Now we have to understand something that the blood of Christ the sacrifice was

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Decreed from eternity past in the inter Trinitarian communion that the father would choose people for salvation

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Second Thessalonians 2 13 give them to the son John 6 39 The son would always do the will of the father

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John 8 29 and he would redeem them because he would bear the sins of The sheep. Okay.

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That's what he said. John 10 11 and he cancelled out their sin debt at the cross Colossians 2 14 not when we believe but at the cross

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Colossians 2 14 it could only have been done for those given to the son by the father

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Because it's talking about the blood of the eternal covenant So that's who they are

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In fact in John 17 to Jesus says even as you gave him authority talking about himself over all flesh that you

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That to all whom you have given him. He may give eternal life Jesus gives eternal life to the ones the father gives to the son now some people will say yeah

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That's because God knows that they're gonna believe I've already addressed this in the earlier teachings on this

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God does not look into the future to see who's gonna pick him and then give him to the son based on that That means

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God is reactionary. It denies the aseity of God his eternal Independence of all things and it implies that God is somehow learning in some degree and then reacts to what he foresees in different circumstances because of man's so -called free will

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Which can't exist in the libertarian sense according to scripture and that the free will is not Enslaved to sin in spite of what the

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Word of God says in Romans 6 20 and 1st Corinthians 2 14 It implies that man is somehow able to do good

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Just of his own sinful nature, which is refuted by Romans 3 10 11 and 12 I've already gone over all this stuff

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But people find any way they can they look for any way they can to get around this

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They don't like the idea in my opinion many people do not like the idea of God's sovereignty.

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They want their own They want the blonde -haired blue -eyed Caucasian surfer Jesus standing at the door of their heart asking permission

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To come in because it's up to us and our sovereign free will Even though God grants that we believe

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Philippians 1 29 and our believing is the work of God John 6 28 29 We're born again. Not of our own.

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Will John 1 13 and we're caused to be born again 1st Peter 1 3 Too many people want the sovereignty of God For their own they want to make the decision.

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We've already gone through this in the earlier lessons. Here's another verse 1st

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John 2 19 They went out from us But they were not really of us for if they had been of us they would have remained with us

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But they went out in order that it might be shown that they're not all of us now

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Excuse me. John is talking verse 18. He's referring to the entire Christian era. That's what it seems to be the last hour

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Now Peter talks about this as well in Acts 2 16 through 17 and 1st Peter 1 verse 20

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But the last days in these last days and in these last days are Antichrists and many antichrists as he goes on up to even through verse 26 to speak of Now he tells us that they went out from us

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This is the spirit of the Antichrist those who are not true converts those who don't believe in the true living Christ That they went out from us because they'd not we're not really of us if they had been of us

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They would have remained they're saying they would have stayed they would have been here They would have remained with us, but they left because they were never really of us

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You see if you're truly a Christian you'll remain People say well, that's just not right.

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Well, look at the context It's not you know, it's about Antichrist. What the Antichrist that they're really of God.

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They're gonna remain doesn't make any sense It doesn't make any sense at all now

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If there are many verses that I can go through I've already gone through a few I don't want to hog all the pro versus a lot of people are saying well, you know

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Matt There are verses that you have to address that if you're gonna be saying we can't lose our salvation that we're eternally secure that God Is the one who's faithful?

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Let's go through a few of them and I can't get to all of them Okay, so if I don't get to your particular one that you think is the coup de gras my apologies

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Maybe we can talk another time Matthew 24 13, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

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The context is the time right before Christ's return He isn't saying that you keep your salvation by enduring

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It's not saying that it's like him saying you endure to the end

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You've been demonstrating that you're truly saved. We would have to ask questions Well, why does one person endure another one does not endure and we can get into this issue of wealth up to your will and Back to total depravity and review that lesson

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So they endure because God works in them. He will perfect in them the work.

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He's begun Philippians 120. I'm just gonna be one six Don't take the credit for yourself This is important.

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Don't take credit for yourself. You know a lot of people Christians included Want to take the place of God?

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just as Just as Eve Saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat good to the touch she made her decisions and We fell when she gave the fruit to Adam and sin entered the world through him

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Romans 5 12 Now I'm gonna be careful here what I say, but I'm trying to wake people up.

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Are you in any way? seeking to maintain your salvation

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Through your wisdom and your effort to what you decree in your sovereignty and not

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God's This is something you got to think about and be careful about that. You don't fall into sin in that Let's go to John 15 1 through 6.

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Let me read all the verses I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser every branch in me that does not bear fruit

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He takes away and every branch that bears fruit. He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit

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You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot

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Bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. So neither can you unless you abide in me?

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I am the vine and you are the branches he who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit For apart from me you could do nothing if anyone does not abide in me

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He's thrown away as a branch and dries up and they gather them and cast them in the fire and they're burned now

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Did you know that? Israel is referred to as the vine in Psalm 80 verse 8 you removed a vine from Egypt you drove out the nations and planted it and Hosea 10 1

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Israel is a luxuriant vine There is covenant language here that the

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Jews are going to understand There's a sense in which the people who are in the vine are spoken of as The way

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Israel was spoken of by God as a vine, but doesn't mean everybody in there was saved furthermore, there are two kinds of branches mentioned the fruitful and the unfruitful now the in me

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That phrase in me can refer to the covenant aspect of Israel Who is supposed to be in relationship and covenant relationship with God and they can say that they are in God and in the

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Messiah in that sense in a covenant sense Just as Jesus said he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matthew 15 24

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The covenant language is here and it appears that Jesus is speaking about the nation of Israel and using the

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Old Testament imagery found in Psalm 80 however Verse 5 suggests some sort of individuality and connection on an individual level

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Hence the idea of being baptized and professing Christians, but such is the case as many

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Who were baptized and professed Christ John the Apostle? Actually speaks in a way that well

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Shows that people claim to be Christian But we're not now Jesus taught this in Matthew 7 22 and 23 many will say to me on that day

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Lord Lord They would not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles And then

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I will declare to them. I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness they claim to be believers in Christ, but they never were saved to begin with and They were doing some mighty things you could even say they were bearing fruit because they're performing miracles

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They were casting out demons. They were prophesying in the name of Christ, but they were never saved The fruit is not what saves you true fruit comes from the

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Holy Spirit You can go to Galatians 5 22 the fruit of the Spirit is love joy. Peace patience kindness, etc

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The word fruit there's in the Greek karpas masculine singular the single fruit of the

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Holy Spirit is love joy peace patience, etc Now this is back to John here in John 2 23 to 25

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Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast many believed in his name

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Observing his signs which he was doing but Jesus on his part was not entrusting himself to them for he knew all men

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Wait a minute. They believed in him, but he wasn't trusting himself to them because he knew people Well, what's he saying?

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Is he saying that they weren't really saved the implication certainly seems to be that there is a sense in which people can believe

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But not truly be saved they can be in that covenant relationship, so to speak, but they're not really regenerate to begin with John 8 31 so Jesus was saying to those

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Jews who had believed in him if you continue in my word Then you are truly disciples of mine Yet Jesus goes on to speak of those

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Jews Who are claiming to be Abraham's descendants and then they insult Christ saying they're not born of fornication

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Like he was John 8 41 But Jesus is speaking to them if you continue in my word

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Then you're truly disciples of mine if he's speaking to them But continuing in the word what word the

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Old Testament in John 660 when Jesus is speaking about drinking his blood and eating his flesh

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Many of the disciples left him John 6 64. He says but there are some of you who do not believe

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For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe so They were not true converts since they left

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Jesus. They were Well in covenant relationship with him, but it doesn't mean that they were

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Regenerated and saved this seems to be the kind of language that is being spoken of in John 15

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Now I have to make a point here too. You have to understand something. This is figurative language very figurative language

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When we have this is a principle of interpretation when we have a set of scriptures and they seem to be well

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Let's just say not contradictory because the scriptures don't contradict but we have one set That's very clear and another set on this topic

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That's not very clear The very clear set can only be interpreted one way and the other set can be interpreted two ways then you must interpret the second set the ones that can be interpreted two ways or more in Harmony with the ones on that same topic that can only be interpreted one way if we cannot lose our salvation

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Then it cannot be the case that the vines in Christ those Were actual saved people who then ended up being unsaved it wouldn't make any sense and furthermore

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Paul picks up on this idea of Romans 11 20 through 22 But they were broken off because of unbelief and you stand by faith do not be arrogant

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But be afraid now he's talking about the Jews here Right and the Gentiles for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either

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Were they saved they were in Israel they were in covenant relationship.

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They were part of the vine yet They're broken off and he says to the Gentiles. You don't be prideful. They can happen to you as well

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It's not saying that you're gonna lose your salvation. He's talking about the covenant aspect The natural branches are the

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Jews Paul is telling the Gentiles to not be arrogant Generically speaking if God cuts off the

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Jews at the natural as the natural branch So to he'll do that with the Gentiles in other words Examine yourself.

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Make sure you're in the faith. Don't be self -deceived. Don't be arrogant Let's go to Hebrews 6 4 through 6

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Now this is a Some people think this is the coup de gras. This is it. I don't think so and I'll go through this for in the case of those who've once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the

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Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the power of the age to come and then have fallen away It is impossible to renew them again to repentance since they again crucify to themselves the

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Son of God and put him to open shame Now this is a controversial verse and it's used by both sides on the argument for and against eternal security

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But to better understand this Context we need to understand that The book of Hebrews was written to the

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Hebrews who apparently Were under the temptation of going back to the old sacrificial system and thereby committing apostasy

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Now don't have time to go into all this but I'm gonna give you the references that you can cross -reference and check this out This is

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Hebrews 2 verse 3 Hebrews 2 verse 12 also teaches this issue about going back to the old sacrificial system

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Hebrews 9 9 Hebrews chapter 10 verses 1 3 well, let me just say 1 through 26 just read through them because there's a lot

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Also Hebrews 11 verse 4 and Hebrews 13 verses 15 to 16

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So there's a lot in the book of Hebrews that talks about the issue of apostasy going back to an old sacrificial system

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It's written to the Hebrews. Hence the book title Hebrews First of all, we can see from the previous verses that we've gone over that from John 6 38 to 40

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It's the will of God that none be lost and that Christ's sheep will never perish

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John 10 27 to 28 and that those Who are Christians will remain Christians as 1st

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John 2 19 So what's Hebrews 6 4 through 6 telling us that people lose their salvation?

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I can't otherwise it would contradict the other scriptures Instead Hebrews is a generic warning against apostasy to the

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Jews who had outwardly confessed Christ But were in danger of returning among other things to the old system of animal sacrifices

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See when it says they're enlightened The Greek word is for Tidzo and it means to shine light upon to illuminate

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That's what it means. Check this out. John 1 9 There was the true light which coming into the world enlightens every man.

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Does it mean every man was saved? Of course not they were enlightened. Does it mean they're saved? No, it doesn't does

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Hebrews 6 4 say that when it was there enlightened that They were saved. No, it doesn't Make partakers of the

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Holy Spirit. No, it see me I skipped one tasted the heavenly gift Tasting is a temporary thing not a permanent thing to taste the heavenly gift is to not have it permanently there

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But to have experienced it. This is an you know, this whole section is really full of symbolic languages

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Where the other areas are very clear like John 6 37 through 40 John 10 27 28 here

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We have things like enlightened and tasted the Jews could have tasted the heavenly gift of God by seeing the

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Apostles work Maybe even seeing Jesus perform miracles and hearing him teach They were also made partakers of the

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Holy Spirit. Well, what does that mean? Does it mean they were dwelt by the Holy Spirit? Well the Greek word for partake is metokos

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It can mean one who partakes in something and also a partner companion a fellow worker

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People can partake of the Holy Spirit by seeing the work of God does not mean they're saved. I mean

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I Can review Matthew 7 22 23 do we not prophesy in your name cast out demons perform miracles in your name?

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And Jesus says get away from me. I never knew you They were partakers of the Holy Spirit in the work of the Holy Spirit.

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They tasted the heavenly gift. They were enlightened. They saw it But they were never saved to begin with They tasted the good word of God.

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It was preached to them And then they've fallen away That means they've turned back to the old system

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It's impossible to renew them again to repentance. They've rejected the only Sacrifice the only thing offered to them for salvation.

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There is no repentance. They've seen Christ They've seen what it is. They've rejected it.

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There's no place for repentance in them Now second Corinthians 710 tells us that there's two kinds of repentance true and false

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For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret leading to salvation

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But the sorrow of the world produces death those who repented of their old ways looked to Christ and then

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Those who turned away were guilty of false repentance That's it If you're truly repentant, it's because God's granted you that repentance 2nd

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Timothy 225 and doesn't grant it to those who are not saved Or who are going to hell because along with this repentance he grants belief lipids 129

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He gives it to us the writer of Hebrews is Warning them not to go back to a system of sacrifice a sacrificial system of blood and animals if they do

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You're abandoning the true sacrifice of Christ. I would not be able to turn to the true and living

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God There's no place to go other than Christ. They cannot be renewed to that repentance again.

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It can't happen in Hebrews 1026 if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, they're no longer made to sacrifice for sins

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This verse is similar to the one we just examined is dealing with the same kind of people who've rejected the knowledge of the truth

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They've rejected who Jesus really is and what he's done on the cross By rejecting the knowledge of the truth

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There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins because it would mean that they have Rejected it and returned to the

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Old Testament sacrificial systems It's impossible However, it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins

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Hebrews 10 for By returning to what cannot work. They have no effective sacrifice at all.

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There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins Galatians 5 for is often used as well

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You have been severed from Christ you who are seeking to be justified by law you have fallen from grace

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People say man that proves see you've fallen from grace. It proves you can lose your salvation really severed from Christ Notice what that says in the context deals with circumcision because that's what the whole context is about those who want to be circumcised and And this word in Greek cut our gift at a

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You've been severed. It means literally to put a stop to to invalidate to render in inactive the word occurs in 1st

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Corinthians 13 11 in putting an end to childish things and also in Ephesians 2 15 regarding abolishing the enmity between the

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Jews and Gentiles It does not mean to be removed from Christ as though someone was already in Christ and was saved and it can't mean that I'll show you why

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Because look what it says You have been severed from Christ you who are seeking to be justified by law.

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Wait a minute Are they Christians if they're seeking to be justified by law? Of course not

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Christians don't do that Christians are saved by grace through faith Ephesians 2 8 & 9

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Paul says we maintain that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law Romans 3 28

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Romans 4 5 To the one who does not work, but believes his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

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These aren't Christians Paul is talking about being severed from Christ and the issue of circumcision

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Notice the pun you've been cut off. You've been severed That's what he's getting at If you receive circumcision

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Christ will be of no benefit to you because you're seeking salvation through the works of the law

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That's not what a Christian does That's what the false religious teachers do It's not what the

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Christian does When it says you've fallen from grace to say that someone has fallen from grace in the context does not necessitate

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The idea that a person has fallen from the grace of being saved Rather it's falling from the truth that grace is the only means of salvation

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That is found in Christ's sacrifice by faith not by law as represented by circumcision.

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It's falling from the grace of Salvation in Christ falling from that truth moving away from it

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Paul is contrasting law and faith and this is why Paul goes on to say that neither circumcision nor circumcision

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Uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love Galatians 5 6 Those seeking to be justified by keeping the law are fallen from that grace of God that is in Christ They never had it

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They've fallen from it. They're without it. They never had it

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Because they were never of us for if they had been of us, they would have remained first John 2 19

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Finally let me get to Revelation 3 5 He who overcomes thus shall be clothed in white garments

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And I will not erase his name from the book of life and I will confess his name before my father before his angels

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This is sometimes used to show see the name can be erased does it? Doesn't mean their names can be blotted out, but that their names will not be blotted out

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It's similar to Matthew 22 32 where Jesus says and whoever speaks a word against the

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Son of Man it shall be forgiven him But whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him either in this age or the age to come

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Jesus is not saying that such a sin can be forgiven in the age to come but that it will not be

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Just as it says your name will not be removed because of the faithfulness of Christ because you have eternal life and The reason people overcome is not because of their ability but because of Christ You know,

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I was in college and someone asked a professor Christian College Christian professor if Someone puts a gun to your head and says deny

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Christ or I'll kill you. What would you do? And after a pause of like 30 seconds

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He said he could only hope that he would not ever deny Christ But if he did it would be because of his own sin

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And if he did not it would be because of God's grace If we overcome and Persevere, it's because of God's grace if we continue to believe it's because of God's grace

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If we're in the faith and continue it's because of God's grace Not because of our wisdom not because of our ability not because of how good we are not because of how wise we are

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Jesus says all that are given to him. He will lose none You either believe that He said that that you will not be lost if you're truly in him or you have to believe that if you can lose

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Your salvation there are things you must do to keep it What good things have you got to do to keep yourself in the faith if you believe you can lose your salvation

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Don't lie. Don't steal don't lust According to the law Are you being good enough to keep yourself, right?

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If you say yes Are you being prideful? Is your heart pure enough before God?

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Are you in any way looking to your own ability to be saved and keep yourself right with God or are you putting all your?

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hope in Christ Did Jesus pay for all of your sins or not

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If you paid for all of your sins, then all of your sins are paid for You cannot go to hell if your sin debt has been canceled at the cross

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Colossians 2 14 It would not then mean That your eternal destiny and salvation is dependent on your faithfulness and your ability to not sin

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Or your ability to abide by God's rules or your ability to remain faithful I get tired of having to go through this with Christians so many times

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Who tell me in their well humility? That they themselves are keeping themselves right with God and keeping themselves in the faith by their continued effort of believing and their continued effort of abiding and their continued effort of not doing bad things and Doing the good things in other words

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Trying to please God because if they don't well, then they can lose it How is that not?

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salvation by works How is that not a form of arrogance? instead

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Perseverance of the Saints rests in Christ rests in his faithfulness God the Father gave us to the

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Son before the foundation of the world and Jesus says in John 6 37 through 40 and I ask that you look at that over and over It's between the

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Father and the Son that all that the Father has given to the Son will not be lost in John 8 29

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Jesus says he always does what pleases the Father Therefore Jesus cannot lose any otherwise.

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He's not done the will of the Father and he has sinned Don't take for yourself the credit that belongs to God.

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Don't take for yourself the credit that belongs to Christ He keeps you Your response is to give him the glory and the praise to thank him for his great mercy upon you

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To thank him and to give him that glory that belongs to him and then love him and speak of him and pray for others and try and do good and try and avoid sin and Preach and teach that word and live a sanctified life

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Confess your sins be dependent upon him and give him all the glory as Isaiah 43 -7 says

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God created us for his glory for his glory in this

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He receives all the glory and I just urge you to bend your knee humble your heart before him and trust him at Every turn in all things do not rely on your own understanding or your own wisdom your own ability your own faithfulness your own goodness

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Rely on Christ. Amen, and amen All right well that concludes my

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Tulip week. We only have a few minutes left If anybody wants to somehow zip a quick call and let's get to Josh from Maryland.

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I had a question about Matthew 721 and if it's in connection with John 6 40 because Jesus says

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But those that do the will of my father and I just had a question about that and I've heard a lot of response But I wanted to hear your take on that.

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What is your question? Oh well, just if um, what is Jesus referring to by saying

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Those who do the will of my father. Oh The will the father is to come to Christ to listen to Christ and follow

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Christ Jesus tells us Yeah, Jesus tell us what to do pick up your cross daily and follow me

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Luke 9 23 believe in him trust in him That's the will the father come to him.

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Okay. Okay. Okay, and Also for 1st John 2 19.

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Yes, people say okay. Well, those are just the Gnostics. They're not You know That doesn't count.

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Oh, then then the Gnostics Well, then if that's that they would they went out from us But they would have remained if they had been of us or the

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Gnostics would have been of us if they had been really true Christians a Gnostic would have stayed if that's the case. They wouldn't have been

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Gnostics Right. It doesn't make sense Hey folks that concludes the five points five days and hopefully

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I've represented him properly and accurately in this series I hope That has challenged you and that you've grown in your faith towards Christ.