How Firm Is Your Foundation? | 1 John 2:28-29

ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:02

So verse 27 of 1st John chapter 2, God's Word says,

00:09

And as for you, beloved, the anointing whom you received from him abides in you continually and permanently, and you have no need for anyone to teach you.

00:20

But as his anointing actively teaches you about all things through his spirit and means of grace, of course, and is true and is not a lie, and just as he has taught you already, abide in him.

00:34

And now, little children, abide in him. Remain fixed in him, so that when he is manifested, we may have confidence, full assurance, and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming, or rather in his presence.

00:52

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of him.

01:00

Now, that phrase at the end, born of him, you know, we're not sons of Christ, technically speaking.

01:06

We're sons of God the Father, adopted sons, and Christ is our elder brother. But that phrase, born of him, that's referring primarily to being born of Christ as God by means of his anointing.

01:20

His anointing of truth is what saves us and leads to that adoption as sons as well, and being regenerated.

01:30

So, we keep seeing, once again, how John's letter jumps back and forth between related subjects, right?

01:42

Often for emphasis and to remind us to abide in what he's teaching us.

01:48

They're constant reminders, going back and forth. And I noticed, we saw last week, how the apostle here starts and ends with Jesus Christ the righteous.

02:02

If you jump back over to verse 1 of chapter 2, we'll see that he earlier wrote,

02:10

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate, empirically, with the

02:19

Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Amen? And so, he ends the chapter as well.

02:28

Similarly, if you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of him.

02:37

That's a very powerful bookend there. And, as we're recapping here from last week,

02:47

I did also want to make a correction to something I said. I mentioned last week, when

02:54

I was explaining, I was preaching through what it means that the anointing is true and is not a lie.

03:02

And I mistakenly said that, yes, it makes sense to say that God is true, but it doesn't make as much...

03:10

It's a little more awkward to say that God is not a lie. But in the sermon, I said

03:15

God is a lie, so that's not what I meant. Disregard that. I meant to say

03:21

God is not a lie, but that's kind of awkward. Because to say that something is not a lie more typically refers to propositions, to doctrine, to doctrinal statements.

03:34

Which is why it referred more to the anointing being the gospel, the gospel doctrine that saves us.

03:43

So, because Christ, of course, anoints us continually and permanently with his logos, right?

03:54

With his word and his truth, which is the truth.

03:59

Remember that? God's truth is all truth. Not all truth is God's truth. It's God's truth is all truth.

04:06

He is the truth, the source of all truth. And a good way to kind of summarize last week's sermon, too,

04:16

I really... I forgot to throw this in there, but it's a really good summary of what we covered about the

04:24

Lord's steadfast means and ways of grace. From the

04:29

Baptist Larger Catechism, in question 143, it says, What are the outward and ordinary means by which

04:37

Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption? The answer is that the outward and ordinary means by which

04:46

Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances.

04:53

Particularly the word, baptism, the Lord's Supper and prayer, all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

05:05

Amen. And the following question similarly says, How is the word more specifically made effectual to salvation?

05:14

The spirit of God causes the reading, get this, and especially the preaching.

05:21

Yes, the reading, but especially the preaching, corporate preaching of the word of God to enlighten, convince and humble sinners.

05:32

The spirit drives sinners out of themselves and draws them to Christ. Beautiful phrase there.

05:38

He comes, he conforms them to his image and subdues them to his will.

05:44

He strengthens them against temptations and corruptions, corrupting influences. He built and he builds them up in God's grace and establishes their hearts.

05:55

Just like first John says, right to abide in him. He causes us to abide, to remain steadfast, established in him in holiness and comfort through faith.

06:08

Unto salvation. Amen. Powerful summary of God's truth there.

06:17

We abide in and remain in him by his steadfast means and ways.

06:24

That's a very important thing to understand. Our abiding union with Christ.

06:32

By his Holy Spirit, his anointing and means of grace will progressively, continually and permanently sanctify us unto holiness and our final state, perfection and glorification.

06:49

Right. Our best life is yet to come. Beloved, don't believe the lies that Joel Osteen tells you to have your best life now because that's not a good sign.

07:00

That means your next life is in hell. So our best life is yet to come and we all need, we all need each other.

07:13

We all need each other and each other's gifts in to help each other grow, sharpen each other.

07:22

Like the word says, right in true love, harmony and fellowship. One mind, one mind, like the word says.

07:31

And we all need qualified and ordained men of God to preach to us and to administer

07:38

God's steadfast means of grace. You know what we just talked about, what

07:44

I just read from the catechism. God's means of grace, baptism, the

07:49

Lord's Supper, the preached word with and all within the context of a local, faithful and true church.

07:57

Right. We saw, too, that God is further instructing us in this passage.

08:06

First John here on matters of discernment.

08:13

Right. There are matters of discernment and right from wrong.

08:18

Good from evil. Truth from lies. Sound doctrine from false teaching.

08:25

True from almost true and Christ from Antichrist. But note that this also includes discerning righteous and unrighteous behavior.

08:37

Right. Behavior as well. That's something that we cannot overlook.

08:43

It's everything. It's both and. Not just doctrine, truth and lies, but right and wrong actions and behavior.

08:57

The like like from verse twenty nine, he who does righteousness, right, he who does righteousness.

09:05

The letter continues on to flesh this out in the next chapter, as we will see of.

09:13

And it's of the evidences of grace. These are evidences of grace operating and working and apparent in true believers.

09:22

Right. And consequently, a lack of evidence, such evidence in unbelievers.

09:34

I want to I want us to tackle verse twenty nine first, since it's a little bit more straightforward than verse twenty eight.

09:42

So let's let's jump back over to verse twenty nine. God's word says, if you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of him.

09:58

Right. Of Christ as God, by his anointing and his means of grace.

10:03

Now, this turn over to the next chapter briefly in verse seven of chapter three.

10:11

There's a similar admonition here that the apostle gives us very similar parallel.

10:19

He says, little children like verse twenty eight, little children, let no one deceive you.

10:27

The one who does righteousness, does righteousness, is righteous, just as he is righteous.

10:36

Right. Just as Christ is righteous. So now let's not let's not get it twisted here, because this this needs to be understood as evidence.

10:50

Right. Evidence of those who are already saved, already justified, already declared righteous, legally righteous, forensically righteous before God's judgment seat, courtroom.

11:10

We do not become righteous. We do not become righteous by doing righteous things.

11:17

OK, because nothing we do is righteous apart from God's grace and spirit and anointing.

11:23

That's backwards. That is a confusion and perversion of law and gospel. Can't put the cart before the horse.

11:32

Grace must come first. Sanctification follows justification, to put it in doctrinal terms.

11:41

Right. And rather, rather, we live and do righteously because we have already been regenerated by God's grace and converted into good trees that therefore bear good fruit and no longer bad fruit cause and effect.

12:05

Right. Cause and effect. And it's such a blessing that we didn't orchestrate this, that the catechism question that we read today from the

12:13

Orthodox catechism says one thirty three. But can those converted to God obey these ten commandments perfectly?

12:21

No. In this life, even the holiest have only a small beginning of disobedience.

12:28

Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some of God's commandments.

12:36

Amen. Because God anoints us and empowers us with his spirit and means of grace. So there is a visible evidence of our salvation.

12:48

It's important to encapsulate this properly with the analogy of Scripture. OK, let's compare

12:54

Scripture with Scripture and interpret Scripture with Scripture. Turning to Matthew seven now.

13:00

Gospel of Matthew, chapter seven. We'll start in verse 17. Now, Matthew, chapter seven, verse 17.

13:23

Our Lord and Savior Christ, Jesus says. Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the battery bears bad fruit.

13:36

A good tree cannot, cannot, cannot bear bad fruit.

13:41

And conversely, nor can a battery bear good fruit. You can't, can't do it.

13:48

You're corrupted legally and naturally by sin and Adam can't do it.

13:56

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire because you are a guilty, unrighteous, wretched sinner.

14:03

So then you will know them specifically the false prophets and by extension, false believers, false

14:11

Christians by their fruit. By their fruits.

14:17

Now, when you're talking about fruit hanging off a tree, is it visible? Can you see the fruit?

14:25

Yeah. You know what kind of tree it is by the fruit. And so likewise, that's why

14:30

Christ tells us this illustration to describe believers and their evidences, their fruit and the fruit of unbelievers.

14:43

Now, and just like what first John has repeatedly instructed us to see those who are in the light do this.

14:52

Those who are in darkness do that. They are deceived. They are in darkness. They don't they don't know. They don't understand.

14:57

They don't believe and so on. Their fruits includes their words and their doctrine.

15:09

OK, because he's talking about false prophets. It's not just as well as their actions and behavior, but also their words and doctrine, what they teach, what they profess.

15:23

And this people tend to miss this a lot of times, but it's it's everything. And. The apostle

15:32

John very similarly admonishes us in 1st John, chapter three, which hop back over there, 1st

15:38

John, chapter three, verse 18. Lots of scripture here that. We're seeking to harmonize very nicely through God's analogy of scripture and the faith.

15:56

1st John, chapter three, verse 18. God's word says little children.

16:14

Very common address that he uses for us as believers, all of us as believers, little children.

16:21

Let us not love with tongue, with word or with tongue only, but indeed in action and truth.

16:34

And sound doctrine, law and gospel rightly distinguished and applied.

16:41

It's both and right, both in now. But the the the primary, the fundamental is the knowledge, because we just read how

16:53

Jesus said you cannot. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit. You must first believe the right gospel.

16:59

The doctrine is prior. It's first. It's always first and foundation, foremost and foundational.

17:08

So. Remember also that faith without works is what is dead, right?

17:19

James 2, 17. But someone will say, and I'm reading here from the legacy standard

17:26

Bible. Someone will say, you have faith and I have works.

17:34

Show me your faith without the works and I will show you my faith by my works.

17:43

Right. James 2, 18. Very clear. You cannot claim to have faith without evidence and fruit and works that follow, because that is to make

17:56

God a liar. God changes us and conforms us to the spirit, to the image of a son.

18:04

Those are that's an inescapable consequence of being regenerated and converted and saved.

18:11

Justified is that fruit will follow repentance, sanctification, growth in holiness and in truth and in sanctification and growing in mortification and putting to death.

18:26

Sin, mortifying it, which is why we're doing this corporate church fast right for the week to help us to crucify our flesh.

18:40

And so that's important to always have proper balance of.

18:45

And, you know, first, John, the letter has ongoing parallels with the epistle of James as well.

18:53

There are a lot of similar overlap. And so so what does this lead us to?

19:04

Well, beloved, continue to abide in him. Right. To grow in the grace and knowledge of our

19:12

Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Like 2nd Peter 318 says by how, by what?

19:19

By renewing your minds. Romans 12 to your thoughts.

19:25

In other words, your words and consequently your actions.

19:31

In and according and by the truth, according to the truth, not by your own mere strength and efforts.

19:41

It's impossible with man's mere efforts, but by the anointing, the sound doctrine and discernment of his spirit in the truth of the saving gospel and the whole counsel of God.

19:56

All of it. By his means and ways of grace lived out in the context and fellowship and worship of a local faithful, true church.

20:08

Amen. Now, let's jump back to verse 28 of 1st

20:14

John, chapter two. Let's. Oh, man, I'm excited to cover this stuff today.

20:19

This is really good stuff. Let's reread verse 28 in 1st

20:28

John, chapter two. And now little children abide in him, remain fixed in him so that when he is manifested, when he appears, right, when he returns, we may have confidence.

20:52

We may have full assurance and not shrink away from him and shame at his coming.

20:58

Now, I gave another translation that I think is more accurate.

21:05

It's not at his coming. It's in his presence. It's to be in his presence. Parousia is the

21:11

Greek word there to be in his presence now. Now. OK, so have no fear, beloved, because the captain of our salvation is here now through the anointing and his spirit and his coming.

21:31

The leader of God's spiritual army, Jesus Christ, who the righteous.

21:39

Right. The only righteous one. He leads the way.

21:45

Our anointed Lord, master and omnipotent savior, our conqueror, our prophet, priest and king.

21:54

Right. We are more than conquerors because he conquered. Everything for us.

22:02

Everything. The world, the flesh, the devil. Satisfied the wrath of God, like we saw in this beautiful hymn.

22:12

His mercy is more. What riches of kindness he lavished on us. His blood was the payment.

22:18

His life was the cost. We stood neath a debt we could never afford our sins.

22:23

They are many. His mercy is more. Amen. Now, this is so important, but sadly, many evangelists, pastors, teachers and Christians.

22:43

So they sometimes tend to instill way too much fear and doubt in true believers with respect to the final advent or the final return of Christ.

22:56

And that's not biblical. That's not right. When he has manifested, like first twenty eight says, when he appears and is manifested.

23:06

Almost as if we will have to face him as some exacting judge.

23:13

And prove our worthiness to enter heaven. And I've dealt with this many times before.

23:19

You tend to see this especially with lordship salvation preachers and men like John Piper who teach this false gospel that we have to present our inherent righteousness to God before the final judgment.

23:36

Face him as a judge in order to prove our worthiness to enter heaven. And that means that Christ is no longer your only foundation.

23:45

It matters now what you do to get you in the grounds and the foundation is no longer just Christ alone.

23:53

That's a denial of Christ alone, by faith alone, the gospel. Now, federal vision, that's another massively popular teaching.

24:04

It's the same thing. And there's an initial justification and a final justification at the final judgment that you have to prove your worthiness to God.

24:14

So. But didn't Jesus say it is finished?

24:21

Wasn't this past tense two thousand years ago at the cross? It's a denial of the gospel.

24:29

It's a denial of Christ. Finished, finished work. Amen. Now. OK, so but let's let's not go too far into one direction.

24:40

If you are an unrepentant hypocrite, on the other hand. If you have a dead faith, like James says, then, yes, you may have something to worry about.

24:54

Right. You're in trouble. You better repent. You need to repent and believe the gospel or you may end up shrinking away from him in shame before his presence.

25:07

Like verse twenty eight says. Right. And like like when Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin and shame with fig leaves, with their own sort of self -righteous way of covering their shame and guilt.

25:22

And they hid themselves from God when he approached and manifested himself to them and said, hey, what are you doing?

25:31

So. But but otherwise. No, you have nothing to worry about.

25:40

His his advent, his return is it is reason for rejoicing. You really have nothing to worry about anymore.

25:50

Our biggest problem has been resolved at the cross. Now, do we have trouble in this life?

25:56

Of course, is there trials, persecutions, all of these things? Yes. But our greatest problem has already been solved at the cross, at the cross.

26:08

And that's why his coming to us believers who are not hypocrites with a dead faith will be an immensely joyous, glorious expectation.

26:23

The greatest expectation and occasion for celebration and rejoicing.

26:30

There is going to be a marriage supper of the lamb with the lamb. It's something to look forward to, not something to be afraid of.

26:40

So be careful with these lordship preachers that under that take that rob you of your joy and your confidence and your assurance in Christ.

26:50

Don't let that happen to you. Because our paraclete, right, our advocate, our defense attorney, our bridegroom has finally arrived at that point.

27:05

He's here to sweep us off our feet. And take us home to glory and glorify us, because as the

27:13

Apostle John later assures us in the next chapter, once again, he assures us of this.

27:19

He says, we know that when he is manifested, we will be like who?

27:27

Like him. We will be like him when he comes back finally, because we will see him just as he truly is.

27:41

Amen. That's 1st John chapter three, verse two. And this is so amazing, beloved.

27:48

I just I cannot preach this enough because those of us who believe the gospel and therefore consequently abide in him, like 1st

28:01

John continues to tell us. Will receive glorified bodies immediately upon the

28:10

Lord's awesome, awe -inspiring return. Immediately prior to the final judgment prior, because when we believe when we who believe are changed in the twinkling of an eye, like 1st

28:33

Corinthians 15 says, and receive our glorified bodies, death will be swallowed up in victory.

28:41

54 verse 54. And thus we shall always be with the

28:48

Lord. 1st Thessalonians 4 7. When we face

28:54

God. First of all, there is no final judgment anymore. The judgment was satisfied where?

29:01

At the cross. And before God judges anyone, we will be already glorified upon his return.

29:11

That's the first thing Christ is going to do for us. He is going to glorify the saints who are alive and then resurrect unto glory those who are who have passed on.

29:24

Amazing assurance that God gives us. So don't let these these false views of the final judgment that, oh, you're going to face

29:34

God on judgment and you're going to have to give an account for everything that you did. Excuse me. That account was already settled because I believe in the right in the who in the righteous one who did it for me.

29:48

Amen. That account was settled. That judgment was settled at the cross.

29:55

And that's why we will know where we're going by our glorified bodies.

30:02

We know we have our ticket to heaven. Our bodies are going to tell us where we're going. And this is before the final judgment.

30:12

OK, keep that in mind. In other words, we who are now now adopted sons and daughters and have eternal life.

30:25

Now we have it already. We don't have to prove anything else. We have eternal life.

30:32

It's applied immediately. Our justification and our adoption when

30:37

God gives us faith in his son. We are going to walk into Christ's courtroom at the final judgment in our glorified state already.

30:49

And in the words of the larger catechism, this is beautiful gospel promise and assurance.

30:57

In order to join Christ, join Christ in the judgment of reprobate angels and men.

31:07

So far from being judged ourselves, we are going to judge with Christ in the final judgment.

31:15

Know ye not, beloved, that you will judge the world angels even?

31:23

How much more so can we not judge earthly matters, right? We need to take confidence in this.

31:31

That's what he tells us. John tells the apostle John tells us, take confidence in this. Knowing that we will neither be judged nor condemned with full assurance of our heavenly destination.

31:43

By virtue of our faith and God's evidences of grace and his glorified body that he gives to us.

31:54

He gives us glorified bodies, resurrected bodies, full assurance of where we're going.

32:01

Our heavenly destination and glory to meet Christ our bridegroom before the marriage supper of the

32:07

Lamb. And eternally rejoice before the heavenly host and the rest of God's people. For Christ himself assures us, memory verse, one of the memory verses we need to memorize.

32:21

He who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life already.

32:29

But that's not all and shall not come into judgment, into condemnation, but has passed from death into life.

32:46

Most assuredly, most confidently, I say to you, the hour is coming.

32:52

And now is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God. And those who hear and those who believe will live by faith alone in Christ alone.

33:06

Amen. John 5, 24 to 25. That's a very important memory verse.

33:12

I encourage all of us to memorize that passage if we haven't already. Allow me now,

33:20

I love to get some quotes from church history here regarding this matter, because it is such a twisted, this doctrine, this promise, this beautiful gospel assurance and promise is so often twisted with so much of the false teaching rampant today in the church.

33:41

Allow me to introduce a very good friend, a very good friend. The Italian reform scholastic theologian

33:48

Francis Turretin. OK. Christ will be the judge, he says, in that very visible nature in which he was condemned for us.

34:03

This he will do, especially both for the greater consolation of the pious, of believers.

34:13

Listen to this. Who will look upon him as their defender and advocate instead of their judge?

34:23

Because God is no longer our judge. Amen. Instead of their judge.

34:31

And for the greater terror and confusion of the wicked, unbelievers, hypocrites,

34:38

Antichrist and so on. So, yeah, it's scary for them. They're going to shrink away in shame.

34:44

But we who believe Christ, we know where we're going. We have faith, we have assurance, and he's given us means by which we can be assured now.

34:54

That's why John wrote his letter. These things have I written to you so that you may know that you have eternal life.

35:03

No, now. And so the process, he continues, the process of judgment is such that mention may indeed be made of good works, but not of their evil works.

35:19

He's not going to mention our evil works, our sin, because it's already been settled. It's settled already.

35:26

There's no double jeopardy with God. Amen. Amen, baby. And the pious, the pious will not hear the publication of their sins, but the reward, the vindication, the defense and the reward of their love and beneficence.

35:51

They're good works there that that's what

35:56

God meant and taught. That's what he teaches us in his word. That's the truth of God's gospel promise, beloved.

36:05

And don't let anybody deceive you otherwise. Right. And here is our

36:12

I just I love to I'm going to double down. I'm going to double down here as our other most excellent friend whom you are all familiar with by now.

36:22

The French Protestant reformer, John Calvin. What did he have to say? Well, he had many excellent things to say, but this is one of them from his institutes of the

36:32

Christian religion. For it is impossible to think of the dreadful majesty of God without being filled with alarm, with alarm.

36:42

Right. Like 1st John 28 says to shrink away in shame, to be fearful.

36:49

And hence the sense of our own unworthiness must keep us far away, to shrink away in shame.

36:58

That is coming. That is that.

37:03

But that is until Christ interpose, until Christ intervenes, until Christ advocates for us, steps in on our behalf before God and says, this daughter and son of yours, their account has been fully settled by virtue of what

37:29

I did for them. Amen. So now he interposes.

37:39

And what else? And convert a throne of dreadful glory into a throne of grace.

37:49

Grace, not judgment for us, but of grace.

37:55

As the apostle teaches that thus we can come boldly, therefore, onto the throne of grace, that we may have mercy, obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

38:08

Hebrews 4 16. Amen. Christ given to us by the kindness of God continues on.

38:16

Calvin is apprehended and possessed by faith alone.

38:23

That's my emphasis, but that's what he means. Faith alone and by means of which by means

38:32

God uses means. Remember, one of those means to save us is faith alone in Christ alone, by means of which we obtain in particular a twofold benefit.

38:44

Take note of this twofold benefit. First, being reconciled fully by the righteousness of Christ, who is the righteous one.

38:57

Amen. Alone. Christ alone. Now and then secondly, being sanctified, therefore, by his spirit, his anointing.

39:11

Like God tells us, the apostle tells us, we therefore aspire.

39:18

We strive to integrity, therefore, and purity of life.

39:24

We do righteousness, right? Not perfectly, but increasingly in conformity to the image of a son.

39:35

And likewise, according to 1 John 3 and verse 3, everyone who has this hope, this hope of what?

39:46

Of his return, this assurance, this faith. It's a hope. It's a hope for us, not a fearful thing.

39:54

It's a hope because we know what he's going to do for us at that. And it is coming.

40:07

That's that hope that is fixed on him. Our savior purifies himself just as he is pure.

40:15

He is pure. He is perfect, holy, righteous, just and good.

40:21

Amen. Now, I think I might have skipped something here. I hope I didn't skip this.

40:26

I did. Oh, that would have shame on me for skipping this part, because this is one of my favorite parts from Calvin's quote here.

40:34

God becomes, instead of a judge, instead of a judge, an indulgent father, an indulgent father.

40:45

That's I love that phrase. God is now our indulgent father who blesses abundantly.

40:52

Like Ephesians says, like Colossians, like all throughout the word of God says, we are far worth more than anything else in creation.

41:04

And God blesses us above all measure. The fullness of the riches of God's glory and grace through Christ his son.

41:11

He God is now our indulgent father and we are his sons and daughters. Amen.

41:17

Amen. Now. These. These verses show us that we sometimes need to be reminded of truths that we already know to be true.

41:31

No matter how simple or basic they may be, because our heart, our inner man, sometimes gets in the way and causes us to doubt and sometimes even to deny our reality and assurance of salvation that we have already in Christ.

41:52

And sometimes we're deceived. Sometimes we're misled. We have to be reminded. That's why

41:57

John is so emphatic, emphasizing the same things over and over and over again. We need to drill these things in our mind and meditate on them, abide in them.

42:12

Right. You know, and I recently saw one of Todd Friel's videos, the

42:19

Wretched Radio Guy, called Why Are Christians Missing This? You know, he critiques, he critiques several, not critique so much, but he gives some feedback regarding different popular

42:32

Christians and people who had given influential videos and stuff like that, like Wes Huff being one of them when he talked to Joe Rogan.

42:43

But Todd Friel claimed that justification by faith alone is not really the main thing.

42:50

And I kind of, you know, and I don't, I don't look for this stuff. Okay. I don't look for it. It just finds me.

42:57

I just wanted to know what he had to say. I said, why do I keep finding this stuff? And, you know,

43:04

I'm not trying to, I'm not trying to, what is it called? Like poke, you know, pick on people or anything.

43:10

It's just like, why, what? I wasn't expecting to hear this, but he said it. He said it's not really the main thing.

43:19

It is not the all -important doctrine that the reformers and the historic Protestants made it out to be and that the

43:27

Bible makes it out to be, frankly. Yeah, because according to him, even though justification by faith alone is very important, it's only a means to a more important end.

43:42

Our adoption into God's family. That's like, okay, I had to kind of think that over a little bit.

43:50

I'm like, no, something's not right here. It's not sitting well.

43:57

So I'm going to read to you what he said. Okay. And let's see what you think. Something that I think is missing from many of our gospel presentations, especially if you're conservative like we are, right?

44:10

You love theology like we do. What do we like to talk about when it comes to the gospel?

44:16

The judicial nature of the gospel, the forensic nature, the legal nature, right?

44:22

That God is just and holy and we are not. We deserve his wrath in God's courtroom.

44:28

We're going to be condemned and sentenced to an eternity in the lake of fire. But Jesus steps into the courtroom.

44:34

He pays our fine and we are good to go because Jesus paid our fine.

44:40

And to all of that, we say amen. And to all of us, we say amen. Right.

44:45

That's all well and good. We say amen. That is the judicial aspect of the gospel.

44:53

But OK, here's the here's the but there is another aspect of the gospel that I fear many of us have missed.

45:03

We've missed the relational aspect of the gospel. We Biblicists like to focus on the doctrine of justification, but we tend to neglect the doctrine of adoption.

45:16

OK, this is what he's saying. Brace yourself for this. Brace yourself for this.

45:22

This might go clanging inside of your conservative ears. He's he's trying to warn us.

45:28

OK, I'm not I'm not doing it. He is justification. He continues.

45:35

As wonderful as it is, is not the be all and end all doctrine for Chris, for for Christians.

45:42

OK. What meanest thou?

45:49

He continues. But justification is everything.

45:57

Isn't it? I thought that was everything. No, he says justification isn't everything.

46:04

It is a thing and it's a big thing. But justification is actually a lesser thing.

46:13

Oh, gosh. OK, not getting better here, not getting much better. But OK, let's go.

46:19

Let's continue. I'm going to try to restrain myself. Justification serves a greater doctrine, a greater doctrine.

46:26

Justification a means to is a means to a greater end. Justification makes it possible for the doctrine of adoption.

46:34

OK, so. OK, OK. Here's Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs.

46:42

Excellent, excellent author whom I commend to you all as well for your benefit. Though justification be the foundation of all, yet the glory of our privileges lies in our adoption.

46:53

Here we take into the very family. We take into the very family of God.

47:00

Richard Sibbs, another Puritan, also said justification brings us near, but adoption brings us into his household.

47:07

And I think this is what is missing in virtually every gospel presentation I've seen these days.

47:13

The gospel is about a relationship with the creator. OK, I don't know if y 'all's ears were clanging, but mine were definitely ringing.

47:24

OK, that was that was a little painful. OK, now, yes, the gospel is about establishing a right relationship with the creator.

47:34

Sure. But what is that relationship founded on? What is that relationship based on?

47:41

How righteous, how firm is your foundation for being called a son or a daughter?

47:49

Because Roman Catholics think that they're sons of God and daughters of God. So do Mormons. So do

47:55

Jehovah's Witnesses. Is that a solid foundation to rest on? Judas Iscariot, in fact, had a very close relationship with the

48:07

Savior, so much so that he kissed him on the cheek. That's more intimate than any of us can claim, unless you're a pietist, but that's a false.

48:17

That's not right. That's not true. Right. We already went through the Zinzendorf. We don't want we don't want that. Right. He went way too far.

48:23

But what was Judas's relationship based on?

48:30

His faithless betrayal. The relationship is not what's more fundamental.

48:38

The relationship stems from the true foundation. And I'm afraid

48:43

Brother Todd missed the mark here. Missed the mark. Misrepresented what these

48:49

Puritans actually meant as well. That's not what they meant. They didn't mean that adoption is more important than justification.

48:58

Ask yourselves, what is our adoption based on? Grounded on what foundation?

49:09

Obviously, on the firm foundation, on the only foundation, on the one foundation of justification by faith alone.

49:20

He failed to properly explain the proper relationship between justification and adoption, both of which are legal by the way.

49:30

The reason adoption is a relationship is because it's a legal thing. When you adopt someone, it's a legal adoption into your name, your household name.

49:40

That is also legal. It's also forensic. But instead, he diminished the importance of justification by faith alone because it is the foundation for not only adoption, but for many other many of the doctrines that follow.

50:01

It's foundational. And it's it's not, you know, to some extent, this is not a surprise because this is one of the.

50:10

Tendencies that Lordship salvation preachers tend to have sometimes.

50:17

And it's not unrelated to this issue. These are, after all, foundational issues and doctrines.

50:24

We have to be careful to rightly distinguish and order justification and sanctification.

50:32

We have to be careful to order them properly, foundationally and logically.

50:38

So what were to happen if our adoption as sons into God's family was based on or founded on a justification that required own good works?

50:54

Even a little bit or that we could lose. What if we could lose it by failing to keep our end of the bargain?

51:03

That adoption is based on sand. It's a foundation built on sand.

51:10

Not solid ground because it's not grounded in justification by faith alone.

51:17

That means nothing when you don't have Christ alone. That adoption means nothing because you you could lose it because it's not based solely on the righteous foundation of Jesus blood and righteousness that we receive and are justified by faith alone.

51:38

Listen to this. Without justification by faith alone, there is no adoption as sons into God's family.

51:47

Without justification by faith alone, there is nothing else matters.

51:54

Nothing else applies because there is no adoption into God's family.

52:04

Therefore, justification is more foundational, just like the

52:10

Puritans. He quoted he didn't he's not he's not properly ordering these doctrines and he's misreading them.

52:18

It's more foundational and is therefore more important than adoption because our adoption rests on the foundation of justification by faith alone.

52:29

And I hope that's clear, more clear now. Even the Puritans that he quoted, Jeremiah Burroughs says,

52:36

Though justification be the foundation of all, everything, yet the glory of our privileges lies in our adoption.

52:46

Yes, that's true. But he himself is acknowledging that it's the foundation for everything. And therefore, he wouldn't say that it's less important or that it's somehow lesser.

52:56

Why is this happening?

53:02

You know, and I've mentioned already in part that, you know, there's a lot of movements and false theologies that are undermining these very precious truths of our assurance and of the gospel, lordship, salvation and federal vision and, you know, this initial and final justification and salvation.

53:22

All of these things go contradict the truth of God's word.

53:28

And I've read previously a quote from John Robbins, which I think is very prescient for us today as well.

53:35

It is because the great truth of justification by faith alone, the true gospel is no longer at the center of the church's attention.

53:47

OK, adoption is a blessing that comes from the gospel.

53:52

It follows. It follows. Right. But it is not the gospel per se, strictly speaking.

54:02

And it is no longer at the center of the church's attention.

54:07

Justification. That truth has been eclipsed by an earthly man centered vision. And that's where you start to see men teach more emphasis on what we must do rather than what rather than what

54:19

Christ has done. And this is true not just with respect to dealing with Antichrist, because that's what the context of what

54:28

Robbins was saying, but also when dealing with the doctrine of adoption and all the other doctrines that are founded on our justification by faith alone.

54:39

When we fail as believers and as a church to recognize what is truly foundational and of first importance, then compromise inevitably follows.

54:52

You cannot compromise the foundation, beloved. The foundation is everything. It's everything.

55:00

Is it any wonder then that just about all of the reformers and Puritans made this doctrine their battle cry?

55:11

The foundation, because God does it, because God proclaimed it.

55:17

And that's why the very same doctrine which Martin Luther proclaimed to be the article by which the church stands or falls.

55:29

Why? Because it's the foundation. And which John Calvin trumpeted as the principal ground.

55:39

The principal what? Foundation. On which religion, all religion must be supported.

55:47

All true religion anyway. You can support false religion on a false foundation, but that does you no good.

55:55

It's only on the true foundation of faith alone and Christ alone. Alone.

56:04

By faith alone. And, you know, he also says that it is the hinge on which all religion turns.

56:17

The hinge on which everything else follows and turns. Notice the emphasis here in which forged the conflict with Rome during the

56:31

Protestant Reformation and which resulted in the largest schism in the history of the church. This is the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

56:41

My oh my, Brother Todd needs to be careful not to stray from what the reformers rightly recognize.

56:48

And the Puritans that he quoted. I mean, we have to be careful not to take these things out of context.

56:56

And know what's foundational and therefore more important in that sense.

57:02

That's not to say, okay, so what do we conclude here then?

57:11

Of course, we should not neglect the doctrine of adoption when sharing the gospel.

57:18

But we have to still recognize that that is a benefit of the gospel. Okay, we cannot fail.

57:27

It's more important that we not fail to properly and logically relate these doctrines to each other and ground them accordingly with the right foundation.

57:40

Okay, our adoption is worthless if it's not grounded on the right foundation of justification by faith alone.

57:49

The battle cry of the Reformation, sola fide, faith alone and nothing else and nothing else.

57:59

And, you know, it's sort of like, you know, the game

58:05

Jenga, the game Jenga. When you have this, you put up these pillars and you build a tower.

58:11

And you have to try to take out pillars from underneath the at the bottom.

58:16

You try to take them out from the foundation from the bottom and you put them back on top. That's what Brother Todd is doing.

58:23

You're taking the pillars of justification by faith alone and taking that out of the foundation and putting them on top of adoption, which is not as foundational as justification.

58:37

And that makes the foundation shaky. That's why you cry Jenga and the thing falls because you don't have the right foundation.

58:46

Right. So let us not lose sight, beloved. Let us not lose our balance, our foundation of what is most important.

58:55

And may the Lord's anointing and means of grace continue to assure us and sanctify us with natural, spiritual, doctrinal, so important balance and discernment.

59:08

With sound doctrine that agrees with sound words, those of our

59:13

Lord Jesus Christ, and with a doctrine that conforms to godliness, as 1st Timothy 6, 3 says.

59:20

And to that God's people said, Amen. Let's go ahead and bow with a word of prayer. Our precious

59:27

Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank you for this beautiful Lord's Day, Lord, that you can that you that your mercies are new and renewed each and every day by your means and by your mercy and your grace and by the amazing foundation, the true one true righteous foundation of Jesus Christ alone and his righteousness.

59:47

The only righteous one, as your precious word says, in so many places and which gives us confidence.

59:56

Therefore, Lord, this this is what gives us true confidence, faith in him and not in ourselves, not in our subjective state, but in him and his perfect finished work, his active and passive obedience.

01:00:09

Father God, we thank you for that gospel promise and assurance that also gives us the blessing of adoption.

01:00:15

And we therefore can call you father. Lord, we can call you father and Christ, our older brother, because we are now part of your precious family, chosen family of God, adopted family of God, of you,

01:00:32

Lord. We thank you for your blessings and give us, Lord, the grace and the confidence, the assurance to not shrink away from you, but to rejoice at your coming, to rejoice and expect it, knowing that this hope also purifies us and to approach your throne of grace boldly every time, no matter what happens, even when we sin, even when we fail, even when we fall, even when we struggle.

01:00:58

Christ, as your word says, is righteous and faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness by declaring us righteous and making us actively, progressively more and more righteous by his anointing, his spirit and means of grace.

01:01:19

We thank you, Lord, and we ask these things in Jesus almighty name. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermons of Thorn Crown Covenant Baptist Church, where the

01:01:32

Bible alone and the Bible in its entirety has applied to all of faith and life. We strive to be biblical, reformed, historic, confessional, loving, discerning

01:01:42

Christians who evangelize, stand firm in, and earnestly contend for the Christian faith.

01:01:48

If you're looking for a church in the El Paso, Texas area, or for more information about our church, sermons, and ministries such as Semper Reformanda Radio and Thorn Crown Network Podcast, please contact us at thorncrownministries .com.