The Unconverted “Believer” (24); Continuing in Faith in Jesus Christ 08/15/2021

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Pastor Jason will come and read for us today Acts 27. This is this is a account of course of Paul sailing to Rome and there he would bear witness of the kingdom even in Caesar's household.

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This record of this sea voyage is one of the most clearest, fullest of detail records of mariners in the ancient world and this passage is resorted to a great deal not just by Christians reading the

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Bible but by many secularists as a little window into the nature of mariner traffic in the

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Roman world. Acts chapter 27. Acts 27 and when it was decided that we should sail for Italy they delivered

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Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named

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Julius and embarking in a ship of Adermidium which was about to sail the ports along the coast of Asia we put to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a

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Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon and Julius treated

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Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for and putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us and when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra in Lycia.

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There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.

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We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Snidus and as the wind did not allow us to go farther we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmon.

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Coasting along it with difficulty we came to the place called Fairhavens near which was the city of Lycia.

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Since much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the fast was already over Paul advised them saying sirs

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I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss not only of the cargo and of the ship but also of our lives but the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what

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Paul said and because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in the majority decided to put out to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach

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Phoenix a harbor of Crete facing both southwest and northwest and spend the winter there.

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Now when the south wind blew gently supposing that they had obtained their purpose they weighed anchored and sailed along Crete close to the shore but soon a tempestuous wind called the

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Northeaster struck down from the land and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind we gave way to it and were driven along.

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Running along the lee of a small island called Cotta we managed with difficulties to secure the ship's boat.

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After hoisting it up they used supports to undergird the ship then fearing that they would run aground on the

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Cirtus they lowered the gear and thus they were driven along. Since we were violently storm -tossed they began the next day to jettison the cargo.

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On the third day they drew the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands when neither sun nor start appeared for many days and no small tempest lay on us.

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All hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Since they had been without food for a long time

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Paul stood up among them and said men you should have listened to me and not set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss yet now

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I urge you to take heart for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship.

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For this very night there stood before me an angel of God to whom I belong and whom

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I worship and he said do not be afraid Paul you must stand before Caesar and behold

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God has granted God has granted you all those who sail with you so take heart men for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told but we must run aground on some island.

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When the 14th night had come as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land so they took a sounding and found 20 fathoms a little farther on they took a sounding again and found 15 fathoms and fearing that we might run on the rocks they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come and as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow

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Paul said to the centurion and soldiers unless these men stay in the ship you cannot be saved then the soldiers cut away the ropes off the ship's boat and let it go.

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As day was about to dawn Paul urged them all to take some food saying today is the 14th day that you have continued in suspense without food having taken nothing therefore

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I urge you to take some food for it will give you strength for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you and when he had said these things he took bread and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat then they were all encouraged and ate some food themselves we were in all 276 persons in the ship and when they had eaten enough they lightened the ship throwing out the wheat into the sea now when it was day they did not recognize the land but noticed a bay with a beach on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore so they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made it for the beach but striking a reef they ran the vessel aground the bow struck and remained immovable and the stern was being broken up by the surf the soldiers plan was to kill the prisoners lest any should swim away and escape but the centurion wishing to save Paul kept them from carrying out their plan he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship and it was so that all were brought safely to land let's pray our father we thank you for your providential care of your people we thank you that even in the midst of great difficulty

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Lord your will is always accomplished and there is nothing that can thwart your will and Lord that is so encouraging for us to know that whatever difficulties face us they are from your righteous hand and it is your hand that is guiding us and it is your hand that we hold as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death and Lord we exalt and we praise you that you are our father and that we can call you our father and Lord we we thank you that we're here this morning to exalt and to worship you and we pray

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Lord that as we continue our worship through the preaching of the sermon we pray that we would hear the

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Word of God and that we would act upon it we pray Lord that you would reveal to us areas of our life that are out of plum with your will and your word we pray that we would repent and believe we pray that you would help us in all of these things so Lord help us in our study and we pray that you would be pleased thank you

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Lord in Jesus name Amen well let's turn to Colossians chapter one for this morning's message it's our intention to complete next

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Lord's Day this Sunday morning series today is what the 24th installment 24th

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Lord's Day we've given to this that we have called the unconverted believer of course addressing the matter of nominal

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Christianity people who are Christian in name only our concluding emphasis in this series is on the nature of saving faith as it is initially manifested at conversion as it is continually exhibited throughout life and then as it must be sustained on to the end of life and so those are the subjects of these last three

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Sundays last week we focused on the first of these our initial coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and today we'll consider we weigh what the scriptures teach regarding the true

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Christian continuing in faith in Jesus Christ throughout life and then next week

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Lord willing we will conclude our series with what it is to complete this life of faith in Jesus Christ on to our full and final salvation it's all important how we finish and so that'll be our focus next week now again last

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Lord's Day we set forth what the Word of God teaches regarding the sinner initially coming to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith in order to come to salvation in order to become a

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Christian and we showed from the Word of God that saving faith is not as it's commonly assumed to be by many well intentioned people simply accepting

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Jesus Christ as your personal Savior or trusting Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins that is not the gospel in its entirety and it certainly is not the way of salvation as the

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Bible sets forth and so as we've repeatedly emphasized through this series biblical salvation is more than God's forgiveness of sins as essential and important as that is to offer salvation limited to the obtaining of God's forgiveness of sins is to distort the biblical teaching regarding salvation because biblically speaking to to enter salvation to receive salvation by God's grace is to enter a new existence a new way of living a new way of life even eternal life and so in order for sinners to be saved they must repent of their sin they must turn from their former independent way of thinking and living and believe and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords and King of Kings in initial saving faith is shown in that turning only through the total surrender and yielding of one's life to Jesus Christ the

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Lord may one receive God's promise of salvation including the forgiveness of sins and the gift of everlasting life but coming to Jesus Christ as one's

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Lord and Savior is not just a one -time acceptance of him or decision to believe on him coming to Christ is a commitment to continue in faith in Jesus Christ throughout life it's just a beginning point it began with the initial resolve to order one's life and submission and obedience to doing the will of God through Christ and again that's what it is to repent of sin initially and to turn to him which leads to salvation but that commitment is ongoing our repentance is a continual condition and practice as Christians not just one time and the

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Apostle Paul described biblical repentance on to salvation in his second letter to the church at Corinth he had previously written a letter confronting that church with their sin thankfully the grace of God was at work and brought it brought them to true repentance and so then

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Paul wrote of them rejoicing in their repentance and he described their repentance and here we have a wonderful definition of biblical repentance for even if I made you sorry with my letter

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I do not regret it though I did regret it now we feel bad when we have to confront people but we know that's what they need so we do it for I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry though only for a little while now

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I rejoice not that you were made sorry but that your sorrow led to repentance for you were made sorry in a godly manner that you might suffer loss from us and nothing for a godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation and not to be regretted

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King James I said think reads not to be repented of Spurgeon gave a sermon about a repentance that does not need to be repented of a phony repentance but the sorrow of the world produces death non -christians can be very sorry for their sin for what they've done for observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner what diligence it produced in you what clearing of yourselves what indignation what fear what vehement desire what zeal what vindication in all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter that's biblical repentance

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Paul had characterized their response to his instruction as true repentance onto God it was not simply sorrow for having sinned for unconverted people do that much their repentance involved personal heartfelt resolve to turn from their sin on to the

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Lord true repentance which brings salvation is the product of the grace of God working in the heart and mind of a person transforming him from his former way of thinking and living into one who loves and serves

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God in righteousness there is a few old

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Puritan books that are very good in their presentation of this biblical doctrine of repentance and one of them is by Thomas Watson and he wrote repentance is a grace of God's spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed before a man can come to Christ he must first come to himself

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I love his the way he words things he wrote that repentance was a spiritual medicine made up of six ingredients first sight of sin secondly sorrow for sin thirdly confession of sin fourth shame for sin fifth hatred for sin and six turning from sin and then

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Watson expanded on each of those and that was in his book entitled the doctrine of repentance and by the way if you receive our sermon notes via text or email

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I attached that entire book the doctrine of repentance in a PDF file to this morning's notes and so you have that available to you but again initial repentance from sin and believing and submitting to Jesus Christ the

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Lord is but the beginning of a life of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we thereafter live before and unto

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Jesus Christ seeking to do the will of God from the heart and so saving faith is shown shown in repentance is not a one -time decision but rather a lifelong discipline which was born by God's grace and carried on by God's grace through life onto our full and final salvation there was another man who wrote of biblical repentance

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John Calhoun he actually lived and wrote at the beginning of the 19th century he wrote of true repentance and how it was exhibited through the life of the true

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Christian in other words it's not just an initial act when you're converted but really it begins a life of repentance true repentance is not a transient act it's not one time as if a sigh or a pang of sorrow for sin amounted to it no these may indeed be acts of true repentance that might be the case with someone who truly repents while they issue from a heart sincerely penitent but repentance itself instead of being a passing act is an abiding principle a lasting disposition of the soul a gracious principle lying deep in the heart disposing a man at all times to mourn for and turn from sin the waters of godly sorrow for sin and the renewed heart will continue to spring up there while sin is there in other words tears being shed though they may through remaining hardness of heart be much obstructed for a time after the heart has at the sinners first conversion been smitten with evangelical repentance the wound still bleeds in other words we continually soar over our sin and will continue more or less to bleed until the band of glory be put about it in the holy place on high in other words until we leave this life and go before the

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Lord if therefore a man regards repentance only as the first stage in the way to heaven and instead of renewing daily his exercise of it satisfies himself with concluding that he has passed the first stage the truth of his repentance is very questionable the man who does not see his need of exercise and repentance daily may have a counterfeit but cannot have true repentance he may have a superficial sorrow for his sins and even such remorse mine at his conscience as maybe the first moving of the worm that shall not shall never die talking about the plague conscience of those in hell as that of Judas was and yet be a total stranger to that evangelical repentance which is both a saving grace and an abiding principle and so repentance is ongoing now today we want to move on from initially coming to Jesus Christ unto salvation to consider what the

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Word of God teaches us regarding the true Christian continuing in faith in Jesus Christ throughout life and so we want to consider

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Colossians 1 19 through 23 Paul wrote to this church setting forth

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God's work of salvation among them for pleased the

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Father that in him all the fullness should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now he is reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight and then we have a conditional sentence here a clause if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard which was preached to every creature under heaven of which

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I Paul became a minister we're first going to address the meaning of the words phrases and clauses of these few verses and then we'll give our attention to verse 23 that last one we read which underscores the believers need and responsibility to continue to believe unto the salvation of the soul we can consider these verses in three parts first we read of the father's purpose in his son

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Jesus Christ verses 19 and 20 secondly we read of the father's purpose for his saints for Christians verses 21 and 22 and then thirdly we read of the father's promise to his faithful saints that is those who continue to believe through life on to the end so let's first consider verses 19 and 20 the father's purpose in his son

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Jesus Christ Paul was writing to these Christians in the church at Colossae the small house church he wrote them in order to encourage and exhort them to grow in their faith and knowledge of God the

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Father and their Savior the Apostle first set forth the primary goal or purpose which

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God was accomplishing through his son Jesus Christ and so here we have a statement it is quite incredible in its extent for it pleased the father that in him all the folders should dwell speaks about the incarnation

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Jesus is fully God truly God and truly man and by him by Christ to reconcile all things to himself that's

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God the Father by him that is by Christ whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross and so in these few words the

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Apostle Paul set forth both God's overarching will and purpose of all of history this is what history is all about this is what

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God is doing in history it's his intention to accomplish this purpose through Jesus Christ all things were in need of being reconciled unto

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God and he determined to accomplish this great work of reconciliation through his son

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Jesus Christ now this requires some explanation the

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Bible teaches that through man's initial sin all of God's creation suffered the total severance of its subordination and cooperation with God as creator with the fall of Adam into sin all humanity and even the entire created order not just mankind but the entire created order which had been placed under man's stewardship fell from its former state of harmony submission and blessedness before God before sin entered the world all existed in full compliance to the will of God all things were in willing submission to God the creator but upon Adam's fall sin's effects permeated

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God's creation and again not only did man become cursed of God but all the earth did as well

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Romans 8 20 Paul stated for the creation was subjected to futility not just man not of its own will but because of him

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God who subjected it God has objected the world to Adam as a steward when

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Adam fell the world fell and so the effects of sin became all -encompassing and all -corrupting but we read in Colossians 1 19 and 20 that God the

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Father purposed through Christ to reconcile to himself all that exists whether things in heaven the heavens or things on earth in other words

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God purposed through Christ Jesus Christ to recover and restore his creation to a willing and joyful submission to him as its creator through the mediatorial kingdom of Jesus Christ God purposed to redeem recover and renew his creation

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Paul wrote of the future completion of God's purpose in history in first Corinthians 15 we read this recently but upon the future resurrection of the dead we read

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Paul's words then comes the end when he Christ delivers the kingdom this is the mediatorial kingdom which the

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Lord instituted and has been building up delivers the kingdom to God the

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Father when he puts an end to all rule all authority and power for he Christ must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet the last enemy that will be destroyed is death for he has put all things under his feet but when he says all things are put under him it's evident that he who puts all things under him is accepted in other words the

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God the Father was not subjected to Jesus Christ he's the one exception now when all things are made subject to him that is to Christ or the

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Father then the Son himself will also be subject to the Father who put all things under him that God may be all in all

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God will have accomplished his purposes to Christ upon the resurrection of the dead and I might just interrupt interject here

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Paul makes no allowance for a future thousand -year Jewish millennium year on earth upon the resurrection of the dead this fullness takes place history is completed according to what

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Paul declares here in first Corinthians 15 now let's consider a little more carefully specifically what it means for God to reconcile all things to himself first what it does not mean it does not mean that God is regaining his control over his created order it's a great error to think that because man fell into sin and continues in rebellion to God that God had lost his sovereign control over his creation and even

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Christians unwittingly think that as they look out of the world and the chaos confusion disruption

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God won't you intervene won't you won't you take over won't you gain

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God is in control the common thinking is this things have run amok

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God is desperately trying to recover the authority he lost when man rebelled but this is terrible error for our

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God is sovereign and because he is the creator he's a king of all that exists and man's sin didn't change that God has always reigned over creation his authority has never been diminished

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God has always controlled all that transpires on the earth even the wickedness of men

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God's purposes have never been thwarted he has never failed at anything he has sought to do the fall of mankind into sin in no way removed or even diminished

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God's sovereign rule over his world God is in the heavens and does whatsoever pleases him scriptures declare it whatever the

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Lord pleases he does in heaven and on earth in the seas and all deep places

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Psalm 135 6 Psalm 103 19 reads the Lord established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all

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God has always been and always will be the king of his creation the

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Lord is king forever and ever the nations have perished out of his land Psalm 10 but due to the fall of man into sin and sins adverse effects on all creation none of his creatures was willingly and lovingly submissive and serviceable to him and his will no one willingly cooperated with him because of man's sin no one was willingly honoring him and subjective to him and yet he continued to be the sovereign ruler of all history

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God is God what then does it mean for God to reconcile all things to himself well

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God purposed that he would glorify himself through history in restoring his creation that all things would be reconciled onto him that is all things would once would would once again become subservient and compliant to him that's what

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God is done in Christ and saving his people from their sin God secures for himself they're willing and loving subjection and devotion and God purpose that he would accomplish his great work in history through his son

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Jesus Christ although he's the one eternal sovereign God his creation has been at war with him since Adam's fall mankind refused to submit honor and obey him man is at war with God and God is at war with his creation all are at war with him that is apart from those that are in Christ those who have salvation their warfare is ceased the world system all it is is against God and he's against it and that's why

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James wrote in his epistle do you not know that friendship with the world is is hostility toward God therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God they're opposed to one another the work of God in Christ is to fight against his enemies to defeat and subdue them and in doing so he brings his elect to submit in unconditional surrender on to him he won the battle with you and me as Christians we surrendered without condition that's what it is to become a

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Christian Jesus is Lord I'm not but aside from bringing us into subjection to him he's destroying all others who refuse and this is what he's doing in history barring them from answering the fullness of his everlasting kingdom but God even now is anticipating the time when all his enemies will be made a footstool for his feet and that's what's happening in the world today how does

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God accomplish this work of reconciling the creation to himself well the answer is Colossians 120

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God has purposed through him to reconcile all things to himself having made peace through the blood of his cross this is a matter that's just too far beyond me to comprehend fully or even express adequately

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I'm not capable of doing so how through the death of Jesus Christ on that cross was all creation reconciled to God I can only at this time give the primary reason because Christ bore the curse of God and himself

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God could thereby thereafter deal mercifully and graciously that is redemptively and mercifully with his creation

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Matthew Henry wrote it this way there was such a value in the blood of Christ on account of Christ shedding it

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God was willing to deal with men upon new terms to bring them under a covenant of grace for his sake and in consideration of his death upon the cross to pardon and accept a favor all who comply with them so until the justice of God was satisfied the curse of God would remain upon his creation and so Colossians 1 19 and 20 declare it is

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God the Father's purpose through his son to bring all that exists to honor him and submit willing to him as the one true

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God John Gill who pastored the same church as Spurgeon a hundred years before Spurgeon wrote of the reconciliation that Jesus Christ secured through his death he tended to write in long sentences with a lot of subordinate clauses it was the goodwill and pleasure of God from all eternity is to lay up all fullness in Christ for his chosen people so to reconcile them to himself by him and which is another reason why

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Christ is and ought to be considered as the head of the church whose reconciliation he has procured and why he ought to have the chief place in all things and among all persons reconciliation supposes a former state of amity and friendship as before Adam fell and in such in one man was originally with God and a breach of that friendship which was made and issued in real enmity in the heart of man and also a restoration to friendship again and it's to be understood not of a reconciliation of God the men which the scriptures nowhere speak but men did

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God men are reconciled to God God's not reconciled to men is what Gill is arguing and God's reconciliation of them not to the love of God which is elect all we shared in but to the justice of God offended by the transgression of a righteous law and is indeed properly a reconciliation atonement satisfaction for their sins and so of their persons whereby all the perfections of God are reconciled to and agree with each other in the salvation of such sinners now this takes its first rise from God the

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Father it is owing to a sovereign goodwill and pleasure he took the first steps toward it he knew what a state of enmity and rebellion his people would fall into his thoughts ran upon their peace and reconciliation from everlasting he called a council of peace about it this is talking about the

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Council of the Holy Trinity before creation he called a council of peace about it and it drew the model of it he entered into a covenant of peace with his son and in consequence of it sent him into the fullness of time to affect it laying on him the chastisement chastisement of their peace it was his pleasure that this affair of reconciliation should be brought about I wish

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I could think about like that and express myself in ways like that with clarity and fullness and so that the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ was the apex of all redemptive history

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God's purpose in history was assured and secured through that event

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Christ shedding his blood upon that cross and Paul declared it pleased God to have reconciled all things unto himself through his son's death peace exists between God and his people secured through Christ atoning death on their behalf however you'll notice

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Paul seems to be speaking beyond of just the elect being brought into a covenant relationship with him through Christ but he's referring to all things whether in heaven or earth how should we understand this and so we should not limit the death of Christ on his cross to securing only the salvation of his people it also secures the defeat and overthrow of his enemies they're reconciled to in other words one day they're going to be brought to bow the knee and confess with their mouth

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Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father and the reason they're going to do so is because of Christ dying on the cross is what

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Paul is arguing Paul describes God's accomplishment through the death of Christ as having reconciled all things to himself by him whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross now some have in great error suggested this hints at universalism everybody's going to be saved that God will remove fully the barrier between himself and everything that he's created bringing peace between himself and all the creation this is clearly wrong but through the death of Jesus Christ on his cross

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God not only secured the salvation of his elect but he also secured the defeat and the eternal banishment of his enemies from his presence

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FF Bruce wrote of this the peace affected by the death of Christ may be freely accepted or it may be compulsorily imposed another between Christians and non -christians when

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Paul speaks here of reconciliation on the widest scale he includes in it what we distinguish as pacification the principalities and powers whose conquest by Christ is described in chapter 2 verse 15 are certainly not depicted there is gladly surrendering to his grace but is submitting against their wills to a power which they cannot resist everything in the universe has been subjected to Christ even as everything was created for him by his reconciling work the host of the high ones on high and the sinful men on earth have been decisively subdued to the will of God and cannot but subserve his purpose whether they please or not and so in Philippians 2 11 things in heaven things on earth things under the earth ultimately unite to bow in the name of Jesus and to acknowledge him as Lord and that's the passage it says that every knee will bow every tongue confess that Jesus is

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Lord to the glory of the Father and this was all secured to the death of Christ on his cross and that's what

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God is doing in history through his son that's the purpose for which God the

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Father sent his son to recover restore and renew his creation unto himself even of course create a new creation now after the

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Apostle set forth the father's purpose in his son Jesus Christ in verses 19 and 20 he next sets before his readers the father's purpose for his saints for Christians this is what he purpose for his son this is what he purposes for you and me as Christians what is the father purpose for his saints for true

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Christians verses 21 and 22 and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now he's reconciled in the body of his flesh to death and then the purpose clause begins with that preposition to it's really an infinitive to present you holy and blameless above reproach in his sight that's

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God's purpose for you and it's going to happen it's God's intention he is purpose to the reconciling death of his son to present you before him holy blameless and beyond reproach this is quite a task is it not look at what he what we had become in sin and consider what

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God had to overcome to enable sinners like you and I to become holy and blameless beyond reproach

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Paul described Christians this way you were formerly alienated hostile in mind engage in evil deeds and it's quite clear that because of the work of Christ in salvation

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God's people are no longer alienated they're no longer hostile in mind and they're no longer engage in evil deeds there you see salvation has to be much more than just forgiveness of sins right it's not just a cancellation of guilt as important as that is consider our desperate hopeless and helpless former condition first again

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Paul declared that Christians once were alienated we were born into this world alienated from God and alienated from one another by the way look at Adam and Eve and how they acted toward one another after sin we were strangers foreigners to all that makes for a peaceful existence we were on the outside separated from God excluded from the garden excluded from the presence of God in whom alone is life and our entrance to return on day and was barred to us until Christ opened the way for us breaking down the barriers that exclude us from the presence of God and fellowship with God we were in need of reconciliation with God but then secondly

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Paul declared that Christians were once were enemies in your minds the problem with sin that God had to overcome was not just God securing the forgiveness of our sins salvation involves much more than that the effects of sin are far -reaching sin had permeated us thoroughly corrupting us completely our minds were hostile toward toward God fallen man and God come into close contact with one another and what happens they crucify

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God and we would too if it were not for the mercy and grace of God operative in us enemies in our minds our minds are hostile consider the immediate effects of sin on Adam as recorded in Genesis 3

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I've read this before but this is Arthur Pink's description of Adam after he had sinned and what resulted

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Adams understanding originally in light with heavenly wisdom became darkened and overcast with crass ignorance his heart formerly fired with holy veneration toward his creator warm with love to him now became alienated and filled with enmity against him his will which had been in subjection to his rightful governor had cast off the yoke of obedience his whole moral constitution was wrecked and had become unhinged perverse in a word the life of God had departed from his soul is a version for the supremely excellent one appeared in his flight from him as soon as he heard his approach in the cool of the day his crass ignorance and stupidity were evinced by his vain attempt to conceal himself from the eyes of omniscience as if he could hide from God his pride was displayed in refusing to acknowledge his guilt and his ingratitude when he drew indirectly uprated

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God for giving him a wife it's her fault and of course that was just at the beginning of sins entrance into the world it's had much time to develop and manifest itself in many forms the fact is that from birth we did not naturally desire to submit to God we were before being reconciled to God hostile in our minds we were in need of a new nature that which only comes to the new birth being born again and that has only come to us because of the death of Jesus Christ his ascension to his throne and the imparting of his life to us his people and this is what resulted in our complete change of attitude toward God and his son and then not only were we were we alienated and enemies in our mind but we were once alienated by wicked works what we did our evil deeds were the product of our hostile minds each of us was in need of a new heart to unseat the reign of our hostile minds we needed the blood of Jesus to secure the forgiveness of our sins it was through his death that Christ was exalted to be the

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Lord and King of creation so that the grace and mercy of God could be brought to bear upon his people it took

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Christ's death to pay for our penalty but it takes what Christ's life to provide us purity and power to live before God as his holy people and so although you were formally alienated hostile in mind engaged in evil deeds yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death to what purpose in order to present you before him holy blameless beyond reproach it's his doing not yours purpose in his son his purpose for you and he's gonna do it said he would but then we come across this conditional clause in verse 23 they can be really troubling to some

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I complete salvation will only finally and fully take place and Paul wrote if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard which was preached to every creature under heaven of which

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I Paul became a minister Paul was saying the gospels already been preached throughout all the world through all the nations but he said this is only going to take place for you if you continue in the faith and so again last week we focused on beginning entering into faith and here we see the emphasis on continuing in our faith in the

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Lord Jesus let's read this verse once again in context you who once were alienated enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now he's reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you a holy blameless above reproach in his sight if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard again this verse is very troublesome to some they assume that this verse makes allowance for a truly saved person to lose his salvation if he fails to continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel but we know of course the

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Holy Scriptures are quite clear in teaching that no one who has been truly converted to Christ can become unconverted losing his soul once you're born again you can't become unborn once you're adopted as a child of God you can't become unadopted unadopted once you're sealed with the

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Holy Spirit you can't become unsealed by the Holy Spirit the Lord doesn't lose any of his own a truly converted person cannot become unconverted losing his soul but it may seem to some that this verse is troublesome in that it suggests its possibility some might wrongly conclude this very suggests our salvation is based on works on our effort to persevere and again we know that salvation is secured to us solely through faith one is not saved because of works lest any man should boast to be saved by works is not to be saved by grace and so this verse may appear to be troublesome and some may teach that wrongly but it should not be troublesome so how do we deal with it as Christians well it's been dealt with in several ways some have said the following well

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Paul is only talking about rewards that God will bestow upon Christians it really does not speak about salvation but clearly the context says that they argue those who are faithful will be presented in heaven holy blameless and beyond reproach but all others will still be saved they just won't have as good a presentation before God that's incredible but it's that's pretty common teaching frankly it completely does violence to this context of the whole passage rather we're to take the passage as it stands you he reconciled in order to present you before before him holy and blameless beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel you have to continue in your faith actually this verse is perfectly consistent with the eternal security of the believer and salvation by grace through faith alone what it sets forth is that true saving faith is a continuing persevering faith throughout life we've often said a temporary believer is not a true

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Christian saving faith is a continuing faith now it's true that God will keep every one of his own onto their final salvation but it's also true that the true believer is to give all diligence to remain in faith onto his final salvation of course we know it's the grace of God that will assure the true believer does so to quote

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FF Bruce once again who addressed this matter clearly and forcefully he wrote of the final salvation of those in Christ whom

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Paul was writing this then is the prospect which lies before them that is being presented you know holy glory without blame provided that they remain firmly founded and established in their faith if the

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Bible teaches the final perseverance of the Saints it also teaches that the Saints are those who finally persevere in Christ continuance is the test of reality the

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Apostles language may suggest that the readers first enthusiasm was being dimmed that they were in danger shifting from the fixed ground of the

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Christian hope and indeed to hold fast to hope is throughout the New Testament and an indispensable condition of attaining the goal of full salvation to be revealed at the

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Parousia or Parousia which is a Greek word for coming the second coming of Christ hope forms an essential part of the gospel the gospel which

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Paul has already emphasized is spreading and bearing fruit in all the world having been proclaimed in the whole creation under heaven now we need to say a word about the perseverance of the

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Saints we know that God himself enables his people to persevere their faith through life unto their full and final salvation this is a blessed biblical doctrine the fifth of the five points of Calvinism the perseverance of the

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Saints perseverance speaks of the certain continuance of a true believer in his faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that he will most certainly show forth throughout life his faith through his repentance from sin and obedience to his

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Lord and Savior this is the teaching of Scripture that is often affirmed in the face of Arminians that is those who follow the teaching of Jacobus Arminian Arminius a rather late late coming

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Dutch guy at the end of the 16th century who taught that true

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Christians can lose their salvation and so oftentimes that perseverance of the

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Saints is set forth in fact in the Senate of Dort when the doctrines of grace were first presented each of those five points was refuting five points of the

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Arminians and so this fifth point the perseverance of the Saints was to repudiate the idea that Christians can lose their salvation that was the teaching of Arminius and it's false teaching the scriptures teach that God's purpose to save his people can never be frustrated or defeated but that God keeps all of his people secure by his grace

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God does not lose one of his elect but rather saves them to the uttermost Jesus said all that the

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Father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out

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Jesus Christ has promised that here's a statement and an explanation of the doctrine of perseverance is taught in the

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Holy Scriptures those who are the elect of God are the recipients of God's effectual call

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God call you to salvation having been regenerated born again by the Holy Spirit led to repent of sin believe on Christ for salvation shall never fall away so as to perish but will be kept by the power of God unto salvation which is reserved for them in heaven in order to clarify what this statement affirms what it does not affirm consider the following points first the doctrine to perseverance does not mean that everyone who professes to believe or believes for a while is saved eternally this has reference to the elect of God true believers who are truly born again whose lives bear evidence of the presence of saving faith secondly consequently the common expression the eternal security of the believer is somewhat of a misnomer in one sense it's true in another sense it's not perhaps the eternal security of the true believer would be better but the expression eternal security should probably be distinguished from the expression the perseverance of the

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Saints the former expression the eternal security of the believer is often stressed with only respect to what

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Christ has done on behalf of the Christian you're eternally secure and that's true his perfect sacrifice atone for his people sins once forgiven forever forgiven but the perseverance of the

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Saints is a little different than the security of the believer because it speaks about what the Holy Spirit does in a person not what

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Christ did on behalf of them but what God does in a person and that the Savior enables his people to persevere in their faith on to the end and then third perseverance and faith and obedience is the grand distinguishing mark of a true child of God true believers continue to believe true saving faith cannot be totally extinguished for its undergirded by the power of God assuring that saving faith will overcome all obstacles and endure every trial and so here's a wonderful expression of this biblical doctrine of the perseverance of Saints from the first London Baptist not the second one which we commonly assert it's in the second two but it's longer here is a little shorter concise beautifully worded all those that have this precious faith wrought in them by the

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Spirit can never finally or totally fall away seeing the gifts of God without or without repentance so that he still be gets and nourishes in them faith repentance love joy hope and all the graces of the

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Spirit on to immortality and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon notwithstanding through unbelief and the temptations of Satan the sensible sight of this light and love be clouded or overwhelmed for a time in other words people can be come to doubt their salvation who are truly

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Christian yet God is still the same and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation where they shall enjoy their purchase possession they being engraven upon the palms of his hands and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity that's a beautiful expression of the perseverance of the saints but this is important again we get back to verse 23 of our text as time is slipping away here one of the means that the

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Lord uses to enable his people to persevere are the exhortations and the writings in Scripture of the believers responsibility to persevere in their faith they are not exhortations to do so in our own strength but we're to employ the means of grace that the

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Lord has set forth in Scripture to the end that we will persevere yes you will persevere but he's chosen the means to do that you need to be in the

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Word of God you to be need to be meeting with the people of God you need to be in prayer you need to be humble you need to you know there's all kinds of things that the

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Lord would have you do any he uses these means to enable you to continue in the faith and so when addressing this doctrine it's also important to stress the responsibility of the believer to use every means of grace that God has made available in order to persevere and that's what you have here in Colossians 123 you have a conditional sentence in which we read of the necessity that we must persevere it doesn't suggest doubt that we will persevere but it does provide motivation for us doesn't it not to become lazy careless to present a presumptive again you'll be glorified one day you'll be holy in his sight blameless if indeed you continue in the faith grounded steadfast or not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard

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Lord don't let me stray don't let me wander but keep me close and so you must do all that you're commanded to do in order to assure that you continue in the faith but we know that God will do all that he needs to do to assure that you will continue in the faith that saves your soul we need to cite some other passages and then we'll close because this is not a unique passage there are numbers of them in the

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New Testament 1st Corinthians 15 Paul wrote about the gospel brethren

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I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you which also you received which you stand by which you're also saved but then the conditional clause if you hold fast that word which

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I preached to you unless you believed in vain how does one believe in vain you stop believing you believed in vain you believe for 10 years fine and well you stop believing now you don't believe in the next 120 years what good did the last 10 years do you none it didn't save your soul saving faith is abiding faith

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Peter declared though now you do not see

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Christ yet believe in you rejoice with joy and expressible full of glory receiving the end or the outcome of your faith even the salvation of your souls

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Paul told Timothy now Timothy was a godly man he was a pastor and Paul's instructing him about going to pastor the church at Ephesus he tells

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Timothy take heed to yourself and to your doctrine Timothy why continue in them for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you we read similarly in Hebrews yes

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Moses was faithful in his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which should be spoken afterward that is with regard to us this

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New Testament age but Christ is a son over his own house whose house we are we are

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Christ's house but the conditional sentence if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the whole firm to the end here's perseverance and then later in that same chapter beware brethren lest there be any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the

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Living God but exhort one another that's another one of the means of grace we exhort one another when we somebody starts you see they start you know seeming to harden their heart and depart they're not as consistent or faithful we're to go to them with concern and exhort them this is what what the writer was declaring to them exhort them why because we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast on to the end and then the

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Hebrew Christians could be assured their future salvation was secured to them through their persevering faith we desire the writer told these professing

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Christians that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope on to the end that you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises and the promises he's talking about is salvation it's through life a lifelong of faith and so we're to persevere and so Paul's words here in Colossians 1 23 if indeed you continue in the faith grounded steadfast or not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard is a teaching that is commonly found in the

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New Testament and it's one that needs to be stressed and pressed upon the people of God today this whole error of decisionism all you have to do is pray this sinner's prayer walk this aisle in this evangelistic crusade and you're safe never have to give another thought about it you know it's it's secure this is not what the

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Scriptures teach we're saved through faith in Christ but that faith is a continuing abiding faith and this faith is shown from turning from sin throughout life and turning back on to him him and it's something that we all do and must do throughout life this is what saving faith is and Paul talks about this this is the hope of the gospel the gospel is largely a promise of future what

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God is going to do in the future he's going to present you you know without blame holy before him it's a future hope and this is the promise of the gospel and we believe the gospel and that's why we continue in this way it should motivate us to watchfulness and diligence as Paul wrote to the church at Rome do this knowing the time that now it's high time to wake out of sleep for now our salvation is nearer than we first believed and so may the

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Lord encourage us and enable us to put forth all our desire resolve and energy to continue in this faith in Jesus Christ by the way

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I know numbers of professing Christians for whom I am very very concerned they walked with Christ they were in this church they are no longer

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I look for evidence of new life I don't see it they don't seem to be continuing in faith and yet they tend to be presumptive they think they're okay not so may our

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Lord encourage us enable us put forth our desire resolve and energy to continue in this faith using all the means that he has granted us with the assurance that we will stand on that day let us be a job who could in faith declare

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I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last and I shall stand at last on the earth after my skin is destroyed this

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I know that in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another let us have that confidence our salvation is not in doubt it's it's a certain promise we have a responsibility but we shouldn't be some fearful as though again our salvation is based upon our clinging weakly to Jesus's hand but he has a firm grasp on us and he will see us through and carry us through onto this glorious day and it may be coming soon who knows let's pray father help us we pray to be resolved afresh to believe on the

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Lord Jesus Christ and may our faith our God be clearer today than it has ever been may our perception and value of Christ our

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Lord be be greater in our souls today we thank you Lord for the glorious promises that we have in Jesus Christ and help us our

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God to order our lives in faith Lord as you have promised those in faith to receive these blessed promises and help us our

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Lord to be faithful to our family and to our friends and even strangers our