Conversion to Jesus Christ (3)

First Baptist Church Leominster iconFirst Baptist Church Leominster

3 views

Are we Converted (3)

0 comments

01:28
Today is our third Lord's Day, our third Sunday, in which we're addressing this topic, conversion to Jesus Christ.
01:39
Of course, it could easily be argued that this is the most important of subjects for us to consider. How could there be a more important topic than this matter of conversion, true conversion?
01:52
It's important for several reasons. First, it's an important subject because there's no greater matter to which we should give our attention than the eternal destiny of our souls.
02:03
Lord Jesus indicated, what does it profit a man if he gained the whole world but lose his own soul?
02:10
It is the most important matter that we could ever give our attention to. Second, it's an important subject when we consider the great degree of ignorance among so -called
02:22
Bible believers respecting the biblical teaching regarding salvation. What we're going to be talking about today, some of you perhaps have never even heard.
02:32
It's certainly not something that's commonly proclaimed, as we'll point out, and yet it's very biblical.
02:39
What we're going to be saying today and emphasizing is consistent with historic
02:44
Protestant theology, Reformed theology, as men of God have understood the
02:51
Bible, what it teaches for hundreds and hundreds of years. It was the message of the
02:56
Puritans, the message of Spurgeon, the message of Whitefield, and God blessed that message to the conversion of many through the revivals that God brought.
03:06
Yet many Bible believers supposedly would not understand what we're saying here today and even reject what we're saying out of hand.
03:17
There's an assumption on the part of many in evangelical churches, they understand these matters, but sadly, and I think it's all because of the judgment of God upon us, there is much error and there is much that is superficial.
03:33
But thirdly, our study about true conversion to Jesus Christ is also very important due to the great number of professing
03:39
Christians that are deluded about their own souls. This makes it so very important.
03:46
Who have apparently never experienced true conversion to Jesus Christ. The fact is the bar of what makes a
03:52
Christian or constitutes a Christian has been so lowered that anybody and everybody that just somehow says,
03:57
I believe on Jesus is now regarded as converted and they're never challenged.
04:03
There's just an assumption that's the case. They're treated as such, even when biblical evidence should lead them into another conclusion that they are not saved.
04:15
And so it's important that we're informed in the truth of these matters. It's important for each of us personally.
04:21
May the Lord forbid that any of us be self -deceived regarding our own standing before God. And yet being self -deceived as a manifestation of God's righteous judgment, he not only wonderfully opens our eyes to behold the truth, but he also closes eyes.
04:39
And so we need to be humble before the Lord and teachable. You know, better men than I, better men and women than we have been deceived and self -deluded.
04:49
May that not happen to us, but may God be merciful and may he prevent the devil from blinding us.
04:57
May the Lord, you know, wonderfully illuminate our minds and hearts to the truth of these very important matters.
05:07
Now thus far in our study, we've shown why it's easy and common for people to have false assurance of salvation.
05:14
The unconverted can understand the truth that is in Jesus Christ and yet not be saved.
05:20
The unconverted can believe all the essential promises of the gospel, even believing that they are participants and beneficiaries of those promises, but in reality they are not.
05:32
They think they are. The unconverted can be greatly moved emotionally in things that they assume are spiritual and that just affirms them in their delusion.
05:45
You can't convince them otherwise, that they've experienced God and encountered the spirit, know
05:50
Jesus. Surely they're true Christians or so they think because of moving experiences they have or they've had.
06:00
The unconverted can also have faith, even faith that seems to see God at work in their lives and yet they don't have saving faith.
06:12
It's an easy thing to be deceived respecting one's conversion to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, it's a very difficult thing to become undeceived.
06:21
It's easy to be deceived. It's very difficult to become undeceived because we're prone to presumption.
06:31
We, some of us, will never doubt ourselves. Some of us always doubt themselves, but there are some that never doubt themselves.
06:39
But it's a very difficult thing to become undeceived respecting false conversion to true
06:44
Christianity. And so may our Lord grant us mercy and grace as we continue to work through these matters and we're going to do so for some weeks.
06:54
One of the major and very common errors regarding the Bible's teaching about obtaining salvation is that it believes it requires no effort on our part, that God only requires our faith.
07:06
Why, that's such a common tenet among evangelicals who could challenge that, who could even question that. It doesn't take any effort.
07:13
All you have to do is believe, believe the gospel. And they would argue, after all, consider
07:19
Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 for by grace you've been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
07:29
And so they assume that works are unnecessary, for salvation is by grace apart from works.
07:37
But this passage in Ephesians is not saying that our works are unnecessary, rather it's a declaration that our salvation is not earned by our works.
07:46
That's the point. It's by God's grace, not your works. But the very passage itself advocates the necessity of good works.
07:56
Verse 10, of course, declares that, for we are his workmanship. You're not saved by your works, it's him doing a work in you, you are his work, his workmanship.
08:08
And you're created in Christ Jesus for or unto good works, these good works which
08:13
God prepared beforehand or ordained or decreed from eternity that we should walk in them. And so God has decreed that all people who are saved by faith walk in these works.
08:23
And to argue, therefore, that it's not necessary to put forth effort or diligence or take action with regard to your salvation, that somehow that's a heresy of works' righteousness, is not what the scriptures declare.
08:38
And again, what we're advocating, we're declaring is no different than the presentation of the Christian life as set forth by John Bunyan in the
08:46
Pilgrim's Progress. Christian needed to leave that city of destruction. He needed to get to the celestial city depicting this
08:54
Christian life. And it was a way of difficulty with all kinds of foes. And he had to fight and overcome and resist and get
09:01
God's help and assistance and the help of the evangelists and all others in order to make it successfully.
09:07
There was no doubt he would make it, God would see to it. But it required much effort on the part of Christian.
09:14
And that's the kind of Christian life we're talking about. For salvation is ultimately received in its fullness when we enter that glorious city and we escape wrath on the day of judgment.
09:28
And that's far different than, hey, just believe what Jesus did and your sins are forgiven, you have eternal life.
09:34
And kick back and enjoy it, pity those poor people out in the world, they don't have Jesus like we do.
09:41
See how easy it is to be deluded about these matters, that somehow it doesn't impact or influence the way we live.
09:48
And yet this is a common understanding of the so -called gospel and evangelicalism.
09:54
This is great error. God has ordained that his people are to labor to overcome any and all obstacles in order to inherit salvation.
10:04
Jesus said it's necessary to enter that narrow gate, pursue that narrow way that leads unto life because there are many that take that broad way, the easy way that leads to destruction.
10:17
And so discipleship to Jesus Christ is the way of salvation. Now we read the passage,
10:25
I've got it in your notes I believe, but we read the passage already in which the
10:31
Apostle Paul sets forth his own diligence that he gave to his life so that he might benefit from the gospel.
10:40
And if you look at your notes and if you look at that passage, 1 Corinthians 9, verses 15 through 27, you'll notice that I am bold and italicized some of the font for the sake of emphasis.
10:54
He declared in verse 16, for necessity is laid upon me, woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
11:02
And then down in verse 23, I do it all for the sake of the gospel that I might share with them in its blessings.
11:10
And then he closes the passage, verse 26, I do not run aimlessly,
11:16
I do not box as one beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control as to after preaching to others,
11:23
I myself should be disqualified. So we see in these highlighted words
11:30
Paul's concerns for his own salvation. His personal salvation was tied up in his responsibility to proclaim the gospel.
11:39
Understand what that is saying there. This is what
11:46
God called him to do, to preach the gospel. It was the path of faith, the course that he was to follow throughout his life.
11:52
His faith, saving faith, was manifest by him proclaiming the gospel wherever God sent him.
11:57
That's how he was to live out his Christian life. That's what God had called him to do. And he must do it.
12:07
It was essential for him. He declared for necessity is laid upon me. It was not an option for him.
12:13
It was required of him. He next declared, woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
12:21
Look at that word woe. What does that mean? He's not just saying that, you know, I'm going to be really disappointed and sad if I don't do it.
12:28
He's talking about God's judgment. Woe to me. And that's an Old Testament word, isn't it?
12:34
Found in the prophets all over. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. And so the expression woe is not simply
12:41
Paul saying it'd be a sad or unfortunate thing if he failed to proclaim the gospel. For him, failure to proclaim the gospel would be apostasy from the faith, even saving faith.
12:54
He says this is necessary. I'm not in it for the money. I've got more concerns.
13:00
I've got concern for you. I've got concern for myself in this, to faithfully proclaim to you the gospel.
13:09
And again, woe is a description of God's impending judgment in which he pours out his wrath upon his enemies.
13:15
Paul, it sets him forth really as an Old Testament prophet that God called to warn his people of their need to escape his judgment.
13:23
And if those prophets had failed to fulfill their responsibility, then God would have required of them the guilt of the blood of all those they failed to warn.
13:34
Those who perished. And so God would pronounce his woe upon those false prophets for their failure.
13:41
And Paul didn't want him to be as that. Woe unto me if I don't preach the gospel. For example, we read in Ezekiel 13, one and following of God's judgment on unfaithful prophets.
13:55
And the word of the Lord came to me, came to Ezekiel, son of man, prophecy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, hear the word of the
14:06
Lord. These were false prophets. And thus says the Lord God, woe to the foolish prophets.
14:11
He's speaking about God's judgment upon them, condemnation of them. And Paul again said, woe to me if I fail to preach the gospel.
14:20
Here people who failed to warn the people with the truth of God, woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.
14:30
Oh, Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You've not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the
14:39
Lord. They have envisioned futility and false divination saying, thus says the Lord, but the
14:45
Lord has not sent them, yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision?
14:51
Have you not spoken false divination? You say the Lord says, but I have not spoken. They basically were telling the people that God loved them, that they were not under his judgment.
15:02
They failed to warn the people rightly, and so God's judgment came upon them. And Paul says,
15:07
I've got to preach the gospel. Necessity is laid upon me. It's not an option. I gotta do it.
15:13
Whether you pay me or not, it's immaterial. I'm gonna do it. Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel.
15:20
This wasn't an option, was it? Paul wasn't talking about possible losing rewards when he stands before a so -called beam of seed of Jesus.
15:29
He's talking about his own soul here. It's wrapped up in the proclamation of the gospel, important matters.
15:39
He was declaring this would be his fate if he failed to proclaim the gospel. And so in the language of 1
15:45
Corinthians 9 .13, the apostle declared the necessity of preaching the gospel was upon him. It brought no credit to him in proclaiming the gospel.
15:53
He would not say by doing this or earning this, but if he failed to do so, he would incur the wrath of God.
16:00
He would be as guilty and culpable as those false prophets of old who failed to warn the people.
16:06
He would have abandoned the faith, the apostatized from the gospel in his failure to proclaim it faithfully.
16:12
This is what he's expressing here. And really what he's doing, he's repudiating the church at Corinth.
16:17
If I give such attention to this, such effort to this, how can you people be so callous and careless in your sins?
16:24
Doesn't that concern you? This had to have been a rebuke to them, as we'll see in one of the comments of one of the commentators.
16:33
We then read Paul's words of verse 23, that all he did in his ministry for the sake of the gospel was with view to his own enjoyment of the promises of the gospel, even his own salvation.
16:45
Verse 23 reads, I do it all for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them and its blessings.
16:52
He didn't say so that you may share in the blessings with me, but that I might share with you in these blessings.
17:03
Here are the comments of John Calvin on these words to underscore that this is not just coming out of my head.
17:09
As the Corinthians might think with themselves that this was a peculiarity in Paul's case on the ground of his office, he argues from the very design of it that this is common to all
17:20
Christians. For when he declares that his aim had been and that he might become a partaker of the gospel, he indirectly intimates that all who do not act in the same part with him are unworthy of the fellowship of the gospel.
17:34
To become a partaker of the gospel is to receive the fruit of it. In other words, salvation, the outcome of the gospel.
17:45
Paul saw salvation as tied together with his faithful proclamation of the gospel. This was a manner in which he would show forth his faith in Christ, saving faith.
17:55
To discharge his duty to proclaim the gospel would result in him enjoying the benefits of that gospel, that is salvation with all who embrace it fully.
18:06
Here are the words of Charles Hodge, the well -respected Presbyterian commentator and systematic theologian at Princeton back when
18:14
Princeton was a solid school back in the early 1800s. And the italicized words are
18:20
Paul's words, I do all things. And then he paraphrases, my whole course of action, not merely accommodating myself to the prejudice of others.
18:29
In other words, to the weak, I became as weak to those outside the law, what have you.
18:35
But in everything else is regulated for the promotion of the gospel. Paul lived for the gospel.
18:41
He did all things for it. Why? That I may be a joint partaker thereof. In other words, a partaker with others, not with you as there is nothing to confine the statement to the
18:52
Corinthians. In other words, what Hodge is saying, Paul was not saying I'm preaching this gospel so that you might enjoy the benefits along with me and others, but rather I might enjoy it with you.
19:03
That's what he's saying. To be a partaker of the gospel means, of course, to be a partaker of the benefits, the subject of redemption, which it announces.
19:12
It is necessary to live for the gospel in order to be a partaker of the gospel. And that's an important statement.
19:20
And that's a truism for all people. We live for the gospel. The gospel is to be at the heart of things, in our thinking, in our being.
19:30
And if it's not, then we have been distracted or deceived, or we have never have known the
19:38
Lord. Well, the apostle concludes this section of his epistle with these words of verses 26 and 27.
19:45
So I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control.
19:52
Lest after preaching to others, I myself be disqualified. Here, the apostle described his self -imposed discipline to be like the athletes who had competed in the
20:03
Grecian games. But where they did so in order to win a foot race, a perishable crown, he did so with view to attaining the prize of his salvation.
20:15
Some try and argue that Paul's concern was that he was merely concerned about becoming disqualified to preach the gospel through his failure to be faithful to the calling to preach the gospel.
20:27
But Paul has more in view than being fruitful in his ministry. And verse 25 makes that clear.
20:33
The runners in the Grecian games discipline themselves in order to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
20:41
He had view to his own salvation. And again, the words of Charles Hodge that are affirmed for you, what we're saying is right.
20:53
In opposition to the fruitless or objectionless fighting just described, Paul says,
20:59
I keep under my body. Literally, I bruise my body. His antagonist was his body, which he so smoked.
21:07
In other words, so dealt with as to bring it into subjection, literally to lead about as a slave.
21:14
Perhaps in reference to the custom of the victor leading about his conquered antagonist as a servant, though this is doubtful.
21:22
The body is in part the seat and organ of sin is used for our whole sinful nature.
21:29
Romans 8, 13. It was not merely his sensual nature that Paul endeavored to bring into the subjection, but all the evil propensities and passions of his heart, lest having preached to others.
21:42
Perhaps the apostle means to adhere to the figure and say, lest having acted the part of a herald, whose office at the
21:48
Grecian games was to proclaim the rules of the contest and to summon the competitors or combatants to the lists.
21:56
He himself should be judged unworthy of the prize. However, the word is so often used for preaching the gospel, he may intend to drop the figure and say, he made these strenuous exertions, lest having preached the gospel to others, he himself should become a reprobate, one rejected.
22:13
There are preachers that will be in hell one day, perhaps even good preachers.
22:24
What an argument and what a reproof is this? The reckless and listless Corinthians thought that they could safely indulge themselves to the very verge of sin, while this devoted apostle considered himself as engaged in a life, not life struggle, life struggle for his salvation.
22:41
This same apostle, however, who evidently acted on the principle that the righteous scarcely are saved and that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence at other times breaks out in the most joyful assurance of salvation and says that he was persuaded that nothing in heaven, earth or hell could separate him from the love of God.
22:59
Romans eight, the one state of mind is the necessary condition of the other, underscore that.
23:09
It is only those who are conscious of this constant and deadly struggle with sin to whom this assurance is given.
23:17
And so in the very same breath, Paul says, oh, wretched man that I am and thanks be to God who gives us the victory.
23:25
It is the indolent and self -indulgent Christian who is always in doubt.
23:35
Now there are those who argue that from this passage in first Corinthians nine, the true Christian can lose his salvation and that's what
23:43
Paul is warning the Corinthians about and that's of course mistaken, that's wrong. This passage bears no such interpretation.
23:52
It does testify that a true Christian must live as a Christian in a manner consistent with the calling of the gospel.
23:59
That is to repent of sin, to turn to God, place one's faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and then as a manifestation of that faith to purpose by God's grace to live for Jesus Christ and the furtherance of his gospel even for the expansion and development of the kingdom of God.
24:18
And if we're thinking rightly as Christians, that is our life, that's what we're about.
24:25
That's what we desire, that's what we wanna do, that's what we wanna contribute to, that's what we wanna see happen.
24:32
This is what governs us and if you're clueless about this and you have no interest and no desire about any of these matters, then may the
24:43
Lord awaken you, you're probably in danger. You're certainly not thinking rightly.
24:53
The footnote in the Reformation Study Bible confirms this idea on the last words of verse 23, lest after preaching to others,
25:00
I myself should be disqualified in this note and this is a study Bible, of course, general editor
25:05
R .C. Sproul. This statement has often been used as evidence that Christians can lose their salvation and he's referring to that statement, the last clause of the passage in which he talks about being disqualified lest after preaching to others,
25:24
I myself should be disqualified. The witness of the New Testament and of Paul in particular is that those whom
25:30
Christ has brought to himself are his forever because the life they've been given in Christ is eternal in character.
25:37
What God has begun, he will bring to completion. However, it would be wrong to dismiss or minimize
25:43
Paul's concern by suggesting that it is merely hypothetical or relates only to rewards and not salvation.
25:51
See, that's how it's commonly understood and the Reformation Study Bible is correcting that wrong understanding of this passage.
25:59
Paul was confident that absolutely nothing would be able to separate him from God's love but he never presumed that he was saved regardless of what he did.
26:09
No Christian can afford to take lightly the warnings of scripture because these warnings are the
26:14
God -appointed means by which true believers persevere to the end. Those of faith heed these warnings as the spirit works through them to make them will and work for his good pleasure.
26:26
Amen. And so the idea of severing the need for diligence, all diligence, give all diligence in these matters with respect to salvation, that is a message that I don't hear being proclaimed very frequently.
26:46
And so the point is this, we who profess to be Christian are to give ourselves wholly to this matter of living for Christ, seeking to defeat sin in our lives and using the means of grace that God has given to us and the outcome of that kind of life, the outcome of this devotion and diligence is glorious.
27:07
This is what the Lord declared through the pen of the apostle Peter, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence.
27:15
What do you give yourself to? What do you give your heart to, your life to, your hours of time to, your labor to?
27:24
Take all those things and set them in second place. Give all diligence to this.
27:32
This is the most important matter for you. Add to your faith, virtue, virtue, knowledge, knowledge, self -control, self -control, perseverance, perseverance, godliness, godliness, brotherly kindness, brotherly kindness, love.
27:44
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
27:50
Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is short -sighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
28:00
And therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure. For if you do these things, that requires action on our part, doesn't it?
28:11
He's not passively, you know, sit back and say it passively, trust in Jesus. And, you know, without putting forth any effort.
28:18
No, he says, put forth all your effort. And if you do these things, you'll never stumble. For then, verse 11, for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
28:30
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Somebody who claims to be a Christian but is not given himself, herself wholly over to the matter, you got a problem.
28:42
And it's very possible you've never been converted. Now, last
28:48
Lord's Day, we emphasize the need to use biblical tests by which we are to assess ourselves.
28:54
And we, of course, do our attention to 2 Corinthians 13, 5. Examine yourselves, whether you'd be in the faith, whether you're in the faith, test yourselves.
29:02
It's legitimate to test yourself. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?
29:09
That is, unless you fail the test. Unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test. And of course,
29:16
God has given us instruction in his word on how we may discern true and false conversion.
29:25
A lot of people apply wrong kinds of tests to assess themselves. And we pointed out last week, even though in external matters, it's easy for a person who has never been converted to appear like a converted person in external matters.
29:54
But as we pointed out, the biblical way in which we are able to distinguish true from false conversion is not seen in the observation of externals, but rather not whether we can ascertain if an inward work of grace is done in the soul.
30:12
That's the point. This is how you make a determination. Ordinarily, the true and false believer is not easily distinguished.
30:24
But when we examine what the holy scriptures declare to be the true marks of saving grace in the soul, then the matters become quite clear.
30:34
It's not that difficult. And so this is what we've been working through.
30:41
And we only addressed one last week, how we may distinguish between true assurance and presumption or carnal confidence.
30:47
Well, let's move on in the time we have this morning. And I hope to finish this this morning. We wanna move on to another matter.
30:56
But secondly, we may view our obedience to God's word as a distinguishing evidence of true saving grace in the soul.
31:04
Obedience. God's word governs us, controls us, guides us.
31:11
We read in 1 John 2. Now by this, we know that we know him if we keep his commandments.
31:18
They're clearly obedience to God's law. Obedience to God's commandments is one of the ways in which we may be assured that we've been converted.
31:30
The one who picks and chooses what he wants to do, that God sets forth, is really not being commanded by God.
31:37
He's really being commanded by himself and his own lusts. He's willing to do some things if it's in accordance with his own desires, but he'll say that no more, not here.
31:47
That is not the response of a Christian. But rather, there is obedience.
31:55
This matter, however, needs to be understood rightly. Obedience to God's commandments is the evidence or the effect of knowing
32:01
God, not the cause of it, of course. It may be said that there are really three different ways that we obey the commandments of God or possibly could obey the commandments of God.
32:11
First, there's complete and perfect obedience, which of course only the Lord Jesus did while in this life, but the saints who are in heaven now are in perfect accordance and obedience to God's will, aren't they?
32:25
A second form of obedience, however, is imperfect obedience. Nevertheless, this is sincere obedience to God, and this is the obedience of the true child of God.
32:37
None of us are fully obedient, but there's a sincerity to be obedient, and we're smitten in our hearts when we're not, right?
32:46
And that becomes made aware to us. But then third, there's an external obedience, perhaps with some inward emotional effects, but this obedience is that of one who has not truly been converted to Christ.
32:59
This is partial obedience, kind of like King Saul. This is obedience that is only when seen by others or when the person feels like, you know, okay, that's what
33:12
I want to do, and so I'll go along with that. But he's really not driven by a desire to please
33:18
God. He does not obey God's commands because God is the one who's directed him, but because for some reason, he momentarily and partially decided he wanted to conform his life to one or more of the commandments of God.
33:31
But the obedience of the true child of God is not like that. It's born out of love for God.
33:38
And so the scriptures describe the Christian's obedience as faith working by love. A life characterized by obedience to God's law as expressed in his commandments is a sure indication that a person is in a state of saving grace.
33:53
This is true because only the grace of God can lead and enable a sinner to keep the law of God.
33:59
We read in Romans, the carnal mind, and that's the unconverted mind. The carnal mind is enmity against God.
34:07
See, there's a hostility there toward God, and God toward that carnal mind.
34:12
This is an unconverted person. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
34:21
It's not possible. And so if you find a person who truly is subject to the law of God, and what
34:27
I mean by that is all the word of God, wherever it can be understood and clearly understood, this is what
34:33
God would have us do. And so there's a compliance. Sometimes there's resistance. Sometimes there's failure for a while until he chastens us, but ultimately there is a submission to it.
34:45
Well, this is all due to the grace of God working in a person because a carnal person, an unconverted person, it's impossible for that person to be submitted to the law of God.
34:57
But this implies the spiritual mind controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit is subject to the law of God.
35:04
It's impossible that the carnal mind can be, but for the spiritual mind, and what we mean by spiritual here is converted, it can't be otherwise.
35:16
God has written his law upon their hearts, hasn't he? He's put a desire in us.
35:21
We want to please God, and it's our frustration and torment that we fail in doing so.
35:29
But it's our desire to do so. We should understand that our obedience, however, as true
35:36
Christians is an evangelical obedience and not legal obedience. We need to take some time to deal with this, but we're not going to do so this morning.
35:45
What's the difference? Well, legal obedience, this is born out of thinking that one's works are meritorious, or it's present when obedience is rendered only out of fear of punishment.
35:55
And there are some people that will comply to the law of God in a measure simply because they're afraid of what will happen if they don't.
36:03
That's a legal obedience. But an evangelical obedience, on the other hand, will be seen as Christians when we strive to order our lives according to God's commandments.
36:16
However, when we fail in our obedience, and we often do fail, God pardons us for our disobedience to the covenant of grace that he has with us.
36:26
But God regards our sincere obedience to his law, our righteousness, as pleasing in his sight.
36:34
And this is the obedience that the true Christian exhibits, an evangelical obedience. Evangelical obedience involves our striving to be obedient itself, to be an act of faith in our savior, to enable us by his spirit to do the things that he commands us in his word.
36:51
And oftentimes the uninstructed Christian, the young Christian in particular, will sadly attempt to obey the commandments of God in his own strength, and he'll fail miserably until he discovers that he needs to look to King Jesus to give the
37:05
Holy Spirit to him to enable him to do that which is commanded of him. We obey
37:14
God from the heart, even though that's imperfect. The obedience of the true
37:21
Christian includes conformity to the first four commandments of the 10 commandments, which prescribes our duty before God, but also that second set, that sixth commandment that respects our duty to our fellow man.
37:35
It was the apostle John who also wrote, in this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.
37:41
Okay, this is how you can distinguish between true conversion and false conversion. That's what he's saying.
37:47
Whoever does not practice righteousness, and that's a life governed by the law of God, the commandments of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
37:56
More will be said about that in a little bit. But here you can see obedience to the law of God is one of the tests by which you can determine true and false conversion.
38:08
The one who claims that he or she believes in Jesus, but is not subject to the law of God, but rather his self -will goes through life ordering his or her own will according to his own desires is not converted or else is in great error and confusion.
38:25
And that happens too. This obedience to God's law must be an inward matter, not just an outward conformity.
38:32
For again, unconverted people can order themselves so that there is an outward conformity to the commandments of God.
38:40
And this is what our Lord described to the Pharisees, who only manifested outward conformity to God's law.
38:47
Jesus said to his disciples, do not think I came to destroy the law, the prophets I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
38:54
For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
39:02
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so. There are a lot of people that teach that's okay.
39:09
We're under grace, not law. And that certainly is a truism, but they wrongly understand that and wrongly conclude.
39:16
Therefore, it doesn't matter. We're not under the law. We don't have to obey the law. You know,
39:22
Jesus says, whoever teaches that kind of thing will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he should be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
39:30
For I say to you, and here it is, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
39:40
And he's not talking about the need for imputed righteousness through faith alone there. He's talking about the need for internal obedience.
39:50
The Pharisees were only outwardly conforming to the law. And you better have a righteousness that far outstrips them.
39:57
It better be more than just outward. It better be from the heart, is what Jesus is saying.
40:03
And unless your obedience is from the heart, you will not enter heaven, is what he's saying.
40:12
There's a need for practical righteousness wrought in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that's why someone concluded,
40:22
Anthony Burgess, who wrote a wonderful book called Spiritual Refining, the Anatomy of True and False Conversion.
40:28
I'm finding very helpful in this. He wrote, that external moral obedience under the law of God, though it be much relied upon by men, yet it is no sure evidence of salvation.
40:40
There are a lot of moral people around, unconverted moral people. My dad wasn't, you know, he wasn't a
40:48
Christian all his life. He professed Christ on his deathbed. Thank the Lord for that. But he would claim all his life.
40:56
He ordered his life according to the gold rule. And he did in many respects. But he was no
41:01
Christian. It was an external obedience. Anthony Burgess revealed the problem with only external conformity to God's law, that there in this moral obedience to all the commandments of God is defective is that it is a body without a soul, a shell without a kernel, a picture without life.
41:19
There's nothing but an outward shape of righteousness as for a principle of regeneration and a new life within that is wholly absent.
41:28
Now this was a fundamental miscarriage of the Pharisees as appears by Nicodemus. They were wholly ignorant of original corruption.
41:36
They believe not all was carnal and defiled within them. And thereupon saw no necessity of being born again, of having a new nature infused into us and so become new creatures.
41:47
And this is the rock upon which thousands split their immortal soul still. They please themselves thus.
41:53
I live honestly. I do justly to everyone. I frequent the church, receive the ordinance of God.
42:00
And what further thing is to be done? I thank God that no man can accuse me, nor does my conscience accuse me.
42:07
But in the meanwhile are miserable, seduced men and are at that very time in the state of gall and wormwood.
42:14
Paul, though he walked with a good conscience and concerning the righteousness of the law unblameable.
42:19
Yet when God enlightened his soul, what a heavy doom did he pass upon himself and called all that dumb, which he judged gold wants.
42:28
Therein, therefore, herein is the danger of mere moral obedience, that it is all a glorious house without any foundation, a fair apple with a rotten core, a comely beautiful face with impostum, whatever that is, impostum viles or inwards, corrupt inwards.
42:49
And so obedience to the law of God, but it has to be more than just external. Now that's not to dismiss external.
42:55
It must be external. Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees.
43:01
You know, it must be external, but also it must be from the soul inward and inward righteousness manifested.
43:12
We have to go quick now. Third, we may view our opposition and abstaining from sin to be evidence of true saving grace in the soul.
43:19
We read in 1 John 3, whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed,
43:25
God's seed remains in him. He cannot sin because he's been born of God. And this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.
43:33
This is how you can tell the difference between a converted person and an unconverted person. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he, nor he who does not love his brother.
43:44
This is not the description of a perfect man, but of a righteous man who desires not to sin for he has come to see sin as God sees sin.
43:53
And so in his new nature, in his new heart, he wants none of that. God's given him new desires.
44:01
He detests sin. Oh, sin is attractive to him. It's appealing and oftentimes he succumbs to it.
44:08
But when he does, he's a miserable man for having done so. He wishes he hadn't.
44:14
The true Christian cannot practice sin. He cannot leaven sin. Sin alarms him, disappoints him.
44:20
Sin discourages him. And so this antipathy against sin may be a sign that a true worker of saving grace has been wrought by God in the soul.
44:33
We're gonna pass over this in which Anthony Burgess under this heading described this as a sign of true conversion.
44:40
Maybe if you have time, you can read through it. Let's drop down, however, to the next point.
44:46
Four, we may examine the nature of our desires to be evidence of true saving grace in the soul.
44:54
What are your desires? Be honest with yourself. What do you desire in life?
45:00
What's important to you? When a person is truly converted to Jesus Christ, he undergoes a transformation of his values and his aspirations.
45:12
God imparts a new heart to the ones he brings salvation. And in doing so, God imparts holy desires, holy aspirations in the hearts of his people.
45:22
Before being converted, the desires of the sinner was for himself and his well -being only.
45:29
He'll come to church, he'll read the Bible, he wants teaching from the pulpit that will help him and please him and satisfy him, help him be fulfilled, but that's not necessarily spiritual.
45:44
But when a person is converted, the converted man or woman discovers in himself new and noble desires, desires consistent with righteousness.
45:54
And so here in the arena of our desires, the reality of our true conversion can be ascertained.
46:02
What do you desire in life? Someone sent me a devotion recently, some of you may have seen it.
46:09
This was sent by Mary's sister, Sue. She sends out this, I get one about one a day from her.
46:15
And this piece was written by Archibald Alexander. Mary pointed it out how this underscores exactly what we've been saying is that if you wanna determine true conversion and discover false conversion, you don't look at externals, but rather you look for an inward work of grace.
46:35
And here Alexander talks about desires and how desires are a true indicator of conversion.
46:42
And so he wrote this back in 1879, the desires of the heart are the best proofs of salvation.
46:50
And if a man wishes to know whether he is really saved or not, he can very soon find out by putting his finger upon the pulse of his desires.
46:59
For those are things that never can be counterfeit. That's good. You may counterfeit words, you may counterfeit actions, but you cannot counterfeit desires.
47:13
You cannot always tell a Christian by his actions, for sometimes true Christians act in a very ugly style.
47:19
And sometimes those who are not Christians act in a very beautiful way. And hypocrites often act the best.
47:25
The whole of a hypocrite's life may be a simple counterfeit. Nor are words always a true test.
47:33
Often the most beautiful experience as far as language goes is the experience that falls from the lips of a man whose heart knows nothing about the grace of God.
47:43
It's possible to mix with God's children until you pick up a sort of Christian dialect and talk of others' experiences as though they were your own.
47:51
Just as a man sojourning in a foreign country will learn a good deal of the language of its inhabitants by simply hearing it spoken, so it's possible to dwell among Christians until their language is in great measure acquired.
48:05
I think that's the result of a seeker -sensitive ministry, by the way. That's the kind of Harvard you gain.
48:11
But talking a language does not constitute a nationality. But there is one thing which cannot be picked up or counterfeited, and that is a desire.
48:22
Let me know my desire, and then do I know myself. For I can no more counterfeit a desire than I can counterfeit fire.
48:32
One says, do you want to know what you are? Go ask your desires, and they'll tell you. Do you wish to know where you're going?
48:39
See where your desires tend. A good action may be done without any love to that action, and on the other hand, an evil action may be avoided, not from any hatred to that evil.
48:51
The good action may be done from an impure motive. The evil action may be avoided simply from a selfish motive, but the desire of the soul, that is the immediate issue of the heart.
49:02
A caged bird cannot fly. Does it therefore cease to be a bird? No. That it does not fly is because it's in a cage.
49:11
Open the door and see how quickly it darts through the opening and flies skimming through the air heavenward.
49:17
It has the bird's nature. It had the desire for flight, even when the cruel wires kept it in.
49:24
Think of children raised in a Christian home, and then you open the cage, and there they go. It's their nature.
49:32
And so it is with the child of God. Often does he get caged, and if you were to judge simply by appearances, you would say, surely he is not the nature of the
49:39
Christian within. Only open the door. Only give him a chance of flight, and you'll see then that after all, the desire of his soul has been towards God, for in the language of my text, he says, my heart and my flesh cry out for the living
49:52
God. The desire of the true Christian is after God himself.
49:58
My desire and my flesh cry out for God. This desire swallows up all others.
50:04
Longing after God is a more infallible proof that you are gods than your most zealous services or the very best of your actions.
50:13
These might be counterfeit, but this longing after God cannot be. Amen. Oh, what must heaven be if all the desires of a saint are concentrated in God, then what must be the satisfaction of heaven be when it's all
50:28
God, God on the throne, God before me, God leading me, God delighting my eyes,
50:33
God in my songs, the world, its cares, its sorrows, its worries all gone, a heavenly atmosphere of God all around.
50:41
How unutterably deep the satisfaction. My heart and my flesh will no longer cry out for God, but will eternally rejoice in him.
50:49
And then Alexander concluded with these words from the hymn by Philip Doddridge, who was a preacher and also a hymn writer.
50:57
Do not I love thee, O my Lord? Behold my heart and see and chase each idol far away that dares to rival thee.
51:05
Thou knowest I love thee, dearest Lord, but oh, I long to soar above the sphere of mortal joys and learn to love thee more.
51:13
Philip Doddridge. We're gonna conclude and I'm gonna run through three and each one of these could be a message or even a series of message.
51:25
Or maybe, yeah, three. And so fifth, we may examine whether or not we love the world to determine if God is true saving grace in the soul.
51:34
Do you love the world? A converted person doesn't. An unconverted person does.
51:42
What do we mean by the world? Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the
51:48
Father is not in him. He's not a converted person. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, these are the things that govern the unconverted man.
52:01
This is what takes his interest, his time, his effort, his thoughts. But the person who loves the world is not of the
52:12
Father. He's not converted. And then six, we may examine whether or not we truly love
52:17
God from the heart to be evidence of true saving grace in the soul. Do you love
52:22
God? Do you truly love God and delight in him? Do you delight in him truly being glorified?
52:29
Are you grieved when God isn't glorified but some man gets up there and begins to assume that which ought to be rendered to God?
52:37
It's a cause of grief to the converted person, isn't it? Certainly it is.
52:43
And this is a love for the triune God. We love the Father. We love the Son. We love the Holy Spirit.
52:49
Although sometimes our understanding and balance is not always in a biblical proportion.
52:56
And then lastly, we may examine whether or not we truly love our Christian brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ to be an evidence of true saving grace in the soul.
53:06
Talked about this numerous times. But this is a true test of conversion. The apostle
53:12
John declared, we know we have passed from death into life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
53:20
Are the people of God attractive to you? Do you delight in their company because you have similar aspirations, likes and dislikes, goals, aspirations in your life?
53:38
Common loves. We love God. We love Christ. We love his word. We love righteousness. This causes us to resonate with one another, don't we?
53:46
Doesn't it? And of course, this love for our
53:51
Christian brothers and sisters, this too cannot be truly generated by the unconverted soul.
53:59
But rather, this is a result of the operating grace of God in converting a person to himself.
54:06
Paul could tell the church at Thessalonica, I don't need to teach you how to love one another for God himself has taught you to love the brethren.
54:16
When you're converted, you love converted people. This is just, this comes with true conversion.
54:25
You desire to be with them. You delight in them. Oh, sometimes they disappoint you and grieve you and maybe make you angry, but they're still, you know, you're part of them and they're a part of you and you know that.
54:41
And this is an evidence of true salvation concerning brotherly love. You have no need I should write to you for you yourself are taught by God to love one another, but he follows up immediately.
54:51
Nevertheless, you need to abound more and more in this. All of us love the brethren, but none of us love the brethren rightly or enough or in the way that we should.
55:02
And so let's close with this. How do you fare? Ask yourself honestly.
55:09
Have you truly been converted? Have we been converted? Do we have new life in Jesus Christ, the kind of life we've described?
55:18
If not, it's imperative to acknowledge your condition and seek God and seek the true conversion that only he can give.
55:27
Pray to God as those who cry out to God, turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the
55:32
Lord my God. Trust the Lord Jesus as your prophet, priest and king to do for you which you cannot do yourself.
55:38
You cannot convert yourself. God has to do a work of grace converting the soul.
55:46
And he does so through the means that we've been using today, the teaching and proclamation of the word.
55:53
God does a wonderful thing and plants life in people and aspirations and desires and longings well up.
56:01
And the spirit affirms these things as true. But also if the Lord's in mind to convert you and you're unconverted, he presses upon you the importance of these matters in preparation perhaps for conversion.
56:17
And we're gonna be talking about that now in the next few weeks. How does God, because conversion is a work of God's grace, how does
56:24
God commonly bring people to salvation? And so we'll give ourselves our attention to that,
56:31
Lord willing, let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your word. We pray that you would help us, our
56:37
Lord, to be undeceived if that indeed is our condition. Help us rejoice our
56:43
God in the salvation that you have wrought in our souls. And we pray that that would be more clearly and fully manifested.
56:51
Help us, our Lord, not to love this world, but to love you and to love your word and to love your people.
56:58
Do not allow us, Lord, to grow hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Do not allow us,
57:04
Lord, to stray from your side. And we pray for any that perhaps have strayed, that you would restore their souls.
57:12
Help each of us, our God, to go forth from this place more fully devoted and committed to walk in faith and obedience governed by your word.