Resting on a Doctrine and Living Like Hell — E.A. Johnston

I believe this message today may upset a good number of you. I don't purposely set out to preach disturbing messages that get under your skin, but I found out that if you're going to preach what the Bible actually says, it will disturb some people greatly.

There is an old saying in regard to preaching. It's the preacher's job to do two things, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The problem with much of our preaching today in this country is that the person in the pulpit believes his two main objectives is to make you laugh and entertain you.

Well, I didn't come here today to do that. I came here to preach what is in this book, what it actually says, because if you took the time to listen to what this book actually says about some things, it would disturb and even alarm some of you.

Eternal Security and the Danger of Complacency

The title of my message today is Resting on a Doctrine and Living Like Hell. The doctrine is the eternal security of a believer, more commonly known as once saved, always saved. For if there was ever a generation of church members this side of hell who are resting on that doctrine without really understanding it, it is this generation of lawless church members who are living like hell while they are resting on a doctrine.

If there ever was a generation of church members who need to be shocked out of their complacency with their damnable idea that the security of a believer is to live like hell and go to heaven when you die, it is this generation of church members.

Before I go any further in this message, I want to ask you a question. Are you resting on a doctrine? And living like hell? Are you? Hopefully we will find out today. Let me make a distinction before I go any further.

Lawlessness Versus Legalism

There's a difference between lawlessness and legalism. I'm not talking about legalism. If you're a seminary professor and you like your brandy and your tobacco, I'm not going to pick a fight with you.

It's entirely your own business. If you want to pickle your liver with the one and give yourself emphysema with the other, what I'm talking about today is lawlessness, lawless church members living like hell because they are resting on the doctrine of once saved, always saved.

Hebrews 5 and Salvation for Those Who Obey Christ

I want us to read our text today. It is found in the book of Hebrews in chapter five. You can turn in your Bibles there now. Hebrews chapter five, I'll be in verses seven through nine. Allow me to read that passage to you now.

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard and that he feared, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that disobey him.

Does it say that? That's what a lot of you believe it says. Let me read it again. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Did you hear what the Bible just said?

It said that eternal salvation is restricted to only those individuals who obey Christ. And that's the battle line drawn in the sand today between what the word of God declares and how church people live their lives.

We must be honest with one another, friends, and honest with ourselves. Either we believe the Bible in part or we believe it in whole. You can't pick and choose what suits you. In Hebrews, our passage speaks of a suffering Christ, an obedient Christ who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.

Christ’s Suffering, Atonement, and Obedience

There's Jesus in Gethsemane on his face. He is praying. He's in agony, a soul at what faces him. He asked the father to take this cup from him. What cup is he speaking of? It's the cup of the wrath of God poured out upon the son of God because of sin, because divine justice must have satisfaction.

And there is a cost involved to pay that penalty for sin. And that cost is the dear Savior's blood poured out on our behalf. If you are saved, friend, it is because your sins are washed in the blood. Well, what else does our passage say?

It speaks of Christ's obedience to the father. He obeyed the father by going to the cross and suffering there on our behalf, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

Obedience as Evidence of True Salvation

OK, friends, now take those two verses which we've just read that speak vividly of Christ's passion and suffering and his obedience to the father. And now look again at what verse nine declares. And I want to warn you to listen carefully to it because it states in no uncertain terms the difference between a true born again believer and a hypocrite.

It delineates between those that possess salvation and those who do not listen and being made perfect. He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Did you get that? Please don't nod your head if you're living like hell and disobedience to King Jesus and calling yourself a Christian.

Listen, if you do not obey him, you do not belong to him. Is that too hard for you? Some of you don't like that. All right, let me rephrase it for you. He is the author of eternal salvation only to them that obey him.

Is that better? Listen, friends, salvation isn't something you can put in a tin can and sit on it for 20 years. It's a daily repentance, a daily faith. It's a living faith lived in obedience to a living Lord.

When you truly come to Christ savingly, something happens. Self is dethroned and another is enthroned there. The Lord Jesus Christ. You are now in subjection to that Lord. You live for him. Is that not what the Bible says?

Paul and Peter on the Holy Life of the Believer

Is that not what Paul says? What Peter says? Listen to Paul. And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Listen to what old Peter says about it as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former loss in your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy.

So be ye holy in all manner of conversations, because it is written, be holy for I am holy. But for the majority of church members in our land today, that's not how they live. That they've been told once saved, always saved.

And because they are resting on a doctor and they can live like hell and go to heaven when they die. Is that so? Listen, friend, if you live like hell, you will go to hell. And I don't care how long you've been the chairman of the deacons.

Hypocrisy Behind Religious Profession

I'll never forget the church elder who sat in my office in church. He would pray the most beautiful prayers that would have sent up to heaven. But when you got the old boy out of the sanctuary, he had one of the most filthiest mouths you ever would hear.

He made me blush with his foul mouth. But you see, he was resting on a doctrine and he could live as he wanted to. Isn't that how some of you are? Sam Jones used to say that being a Christian was quitting your meanness.

But some of you here this morning with smiles on your faces right now, when you get home and your family, you are as mean as snakes. You haven't quit your meanness because you don't have to. You're resting on a doctrine and living like hell on your way there.

Now, you don't like that kind of preaching, do you? Does it bother you? Some of you need to be bothered out of your carnal belief that you can live like hell and go to heaven when you die. Because listen, friends, you cannot.

Following Christ in Obedience and Holiness

True salvation is lived out in obedience to a king, King Jesus. He was obedient unto death. Why should you be any different from that? Do you really believe he went to the cross so you can stay in your sins?

Jesus came to save his people from their sins. Listen, friends. Jesus never preached a sin in religion. Like I said, this generation of church members today is the most lawless group of individuals, this side of hell.

Antinomianism and the Rejection of God’s Law

Antinomos means against law. That's where we get our term antinomian. Another way to put it is to live like hell and still go to heaven. Many of you believe you can, but all you're doing is piling up aggravated sins against the holy God who hates sin.

He hated sin so much it cost him his dear son. I remember Manly Beasley relating a story about how he felt many church members in his day were lawless and living like hell because they felt they were once saved, always saved.

Spiritual Declension in the Church

He told the story about how he was preaching in a southern town and he was put up in a fancy hotel room, which was owned by a deacon in the church. Manly said that in his hotel room, there was a refrigerator with enough liquor in there to fill up the bathtub.

And it was a Baptist deacon who owned it all. And Manly Beasley went on to say there was a time in Baptist churches 30 years ago where that deacon would not have been allowed to even to join the church, but not anymore, spiritual declensions meant so bad for so long.

It's now anything goes. And I'm afraid that today in our churches, we have men and women who sit and rule on the throne of their lives and call themselves Christians because they attend church and support it financially.

Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

But when you look at the Bible, it says something different than that. First Samuel 15, 22 says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of lambs. And that takes us right back to our text in Hebrews, that salvation belongs to those who obey him.

Eternal Security for the True Believer

Listen, friends, I'm all for the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. I'm not against that, but I want to emphasize it's for the true believer, not the hypocrite, there is no eternal security to a disobedient to God self-root individual who hugs his sins.

And if that describes you, friend, then you have real problem of certain doom and destruction. If that is so, God is not only not your friend, he is your enemy and he stands against you right now. I hope this message has disturbed somebody enough to get them lost, to upset you enough to shake you out of your carnal security of a false profession, resting on a doctrine rather than trusting in a savior.

You cannot rest on a doctrine and live like hell and go to heaven. When you die, I can promise you that you can be a seminary head and be dead wrong, brother. The letters after your name, friend, won't get you into heaven.

I'm all for academics. I've got six letters after my name, but God's not looking for academics, but for obedience. Uh, this is a serious matter. Friends, do you live for God or do you live unto yourself?

Self-Examination and the Test of Obedience

Are you obedient to Christ and to his demands on your life? Or do you go your own way and live how you want to pleasing yourself and gratifying your flesh? The bottom line is, do you obey him? Is your life lived in holiness unto him or does the following verse better describe you?

They profess that they know God, but in works, they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work, reprobate.