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We've all been there, in one form or another, have we not? Maybe it was a close friend of ours, professed Jesus Christ for as long as we knew our dear friend, seemed to show some fruit, evidence of genuine salvation, walked with the Lord for n number of years, and years after that decided to throw the towel in.
Or it could have been a mentor of some sort, somebody who discipled us, or invested their life in us in one way or another, a spiritual teacher, a shepherd, a pastor, who decided after some years that it was time to abandon the Christian faith.
Could be somebody we knew in the church, or it could be like my own story of a friend of mine that I grew up with together in seminary, who decided after years, we studied the Bible together, prayed together, ministered together, talked about future ministry together, and after divorcing his wife with two kids, decided church, the Bible, Jesus Christ is no longer for him.
What are we to make of such stories? Is the Bible true? Maybe we hear of some stories, and especially when they're personal to us, people who are near to us, it might shake a little bit the foundation of our faith.
It might cause us, even maybe, to question our theology. Well, as in any situation, we know that experience is interpreted through the lens of Scripture rather than the other way around. We do not interpret the Bible through the lens of our experience, but we interpret our experiences, and of our friends that we've heard stories like that, who have seemed to stop believing or have abandoned the faith through the lens of Scripture.
Of course, we hold dearly to the doctrines of grace, do we not? Total depravity, the engine. That man is not only incapable of coming to God, but is also what many people forget in this doctrine, unwilling to come to God.
And that is why we need the second part of the doctrines of grace, sovereign election, unconditional election. Since man is not only unable and unwilling to come to God on his own, therefore God sovereignly has to choose.
We're just saying it in the hymn, right? Elect from every nation. And of course, Christ, the second member of the Trinity, comes to die for those he came to save, the elect. And we see the work of the Holy Spirit in irresistible grace, in effectual calling, how he calls those whom Christ died for.
And of course, the caboose, which many times is forgotten, and what I want us to look at this evening a little bit, the perseverance of the saints. We say, well, one flows out of the other. If truly man is depraved and corrupt in every way, shape, and form, not only unable to come to God, but also unwilling to come to God, therefore God sovereignly chooses those who would be his from eternity past.
Jesus dies for those, the Spirit quickens them, effectually calls them, and because of all that, they will for surely persevere. There might be misconceptions, so let me, before we look at our scripture passage this evening, what perseverance of the saints, what it does not mean, what it does not mean.
And for this, I go to John Murray's book, Redemption Accomplished and Applied. And he says this, in order to place the doctrine of perseverance in its proper light, we need to know what it is not. It does not mean that everyone who professes faith in Christ and who is accepted as a believer in the fellowship of the saints is secure for eternity and may entertain the assurance of eternal salvation, end quote.
What does it mean, the perseverance of the saints? For that, I'll take you to the Westminster Confession of Faith, where it says clearly, they whom God has accepted in his beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere there into the end and be eternally saved.
This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will. Turn with me, if you would, to the gospel of Luke. I like the Greek doctor. I'm a little prejudice. Chapter 22. Luke chapter 22 is our text, verses 31 to 34.
I've always wondered, when we're in the glories of heaven, such stuff will never happen as revealed in Scripture. We know what heaven will be like in the glory, in the face of Jesus Christ. But I've wondered if Peter would approach pastors and ask them why he's been the brunt of their jokes in many of their sermons.
But let's look at this interaction between our Lord and Peter. Luke chapter 22, verses 31 to 34. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.
And you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. But he said to him, Lord, with you, I am ready to go both to prison and to death. And he said, I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.
That's right of the new American standard. Going back a few years here, for those of you who are in the ESV. I want to highlight here five things that I believe are essential for us to understand this important doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.
Five important biblical truths from this simple passage. The first one is this. The prowling of Satan. The prowling of Satan himself. It's no wonder that in this interaction, the Lord is dealing with Peter.
And in his first epistle, the apostle Peter writes in first Peter, chapter five, verse eight, your enemy, the devil prowls around like what? Like a roaring line seeking whom he may devour. Of course, we know as believers who are still in this state in our sanctification and not yet glorify, we face three enemies, do we not?
We face that of our unredeemed flesh still. If you don't believe it's alive and kicking, just ask your spouse. They'll tell you. We also face the principles of the world. Those things that are against the principles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And of course, as is highlighted here by our Lord Jesus Christ, we face Satan, the prowling of Satan, as Peter put it in his epistle. Notice here how is how the Lord begins. He says, Simon. Simon, that should grab your attention for two reasons.
Why is need not referring to him as Peter? Peter. Back in Luke earlier in chapter six, Luke records that Jesus went up to the mountain and he spent an entire night in prayer, came down from the mountain and he chose the 12 disciples.
And it says clearly there, according to Luke, that he chose Cephas, whom he also named Simon, whom he also named Peter. The Lord here is addressing him by his previous name before he called him to grab his attention.
Not Peter, Peter, but Simon, Simon. And he repeats it twice. Two times he repeats it. When that was done, that was an address of solemnity, an address of importance, a personal way of addressing him to kind of grab Peter's attention.
It wasn't as we might think a parent doing to a child in rebuke. It was sort of what Luke recorded earlier in his gospel with the two sisters, Mary and Martha. Recall that with me. The one was sitting at the Lord's feet doing what?
Listening to him. And of course, her sister Martha was busy preparing in the kitchen. Interesting passage because she rebukes the Lord and tells him, Lord, tell her to help me. And I can almost hear the tone in our Lord's voice.
Martha, Martha, same idea here. Repeats his name twice, his former name before he changed his name to Peter to grab Peter's attention. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat, as he says in verse thirty one, Satan.
The term simply means adversary. Satan is our adversary. Christ refers to him in many different ways throughout the Gospels. He was a murderer from the beginning, he says to the Pharisees in John eight.
He is the tempter who tempted our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the evil one. He is the one who has blinded the minds of unbelievers. He is the prince of this world. Satan is our adversary. And notice what Jesus says that Satan has demanded permission.
Now, the devil cannot make any demands of the Lord. Actually, a better rendering of that would be that he obtained permission of the Lord by asking him. Think with me of Job when Satan himself came to God, he had to get permission from God, even Satan's ability to do what he wants to do is determined by the sovereignty of our Lord.
Satan asked by permission of the Lord Jesus to sift Peter like wheat, the same way he had approached God in Job. But I want you to notice here he addresses Simon, Peter, Simon, Simon. Behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.
That you pronoun there is not in the singular form, it's in the plural. Satan was demanding of the Lord Jesus to sift the apostles. Not just Simon, Peter, even though the Lord is addressing Simon here in this text, it is in the plural.
He demanded Simon permission to sift all of you 12 like wheat. It's consistent with Matthew's account. If you turn with me briefly to Matthew 26. Matthew chapter 26 verse 31. There seems to be in the Gospels two instances when Peter has this interaction with our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one we are looking at in Luke that John also records is happening in the upper room discourse. But the one recorded by Matthew and actually Mark happens in the Olivet discourse when they're on the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 26 beginning in verse 30. After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, you will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.
Matthew makes it very clear. As Jesus says to them, you will all fall away because of me this night. So when Luke records here, the you pronoun, he's referring to all the disciples. Jesus is addressing Simon, Peter saying, look, the devil has asked to sift all of you.
Like wheat, all the 12. Why would he do that? Why would the devil do that? Well, we have to understand that in the context of chapter 22. Look with me at verse seven of our text in Luke chapter 22 to understand what was going on here.
Luke 22 verse seven. Then came the first day of unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So here it is. The Lord is celebrating the Passover with the 12. That's the setting. Jump down to verse 19 with me to see why Satan is demanding to sift you.
All of the 12 disciples. Verse 19, when he had taken some bread and given thanks, he broke it, gave it to them saying, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way, he took the cup after they had eaten saying this cup, which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
But behold, the hand of the one betraying me is with mine on the table for indeed the son of man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. And watch this in verse 23 and they, the 12 began to discuss among themselves, which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.
The Lord tells him one of you is going to betray me. And they didn't all raise their hand and say, I know who it is. They started discussing amongst themselves, wondering, discussing who was going to do such a thing.
So that's what's going on with the 12. And if that wasn't enough, look at verse 24, the very next verse. So while they're discussing who is going to do this thing, Luke continues in verse 24. And there arose also on top of that, a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest.
What was Jesus thinking in hand selecting these 12, right? Look at this. Satan comes and ask permission of Jesus. And Jesus says to Simon addressing Simon, Peter says, look, he has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat, all of you who during the last supper, during the celebration of the Passover lamb, one of you is going to betray me, I said, and none of you know who it is.
And not only that, you're fighting amongst yourselves as to who is the greatest. Now, keep that in mind, because that's going to play later on in this interaction with Peter. So this is the prowling of Satan after Jesus's own 12.
Remember that as John recorded in John chapter 15, Jesus said, you did not choose me, but what I chose you. So the 12 that Jesus himself had chosen right now celebrating the Passover lamb, they are disputing and quarreling amongst themselves and clueless as to who was going to betray him.
So Satan says, I've demanded and asked of you, Lord, to sift them, you, the 12, like wheat. Not only number one, do we see the prowling of Satan, but we see also number two, the prayer of Jesus, the prayer of Jesus.
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat, verse 32, but I have prayed for you. By the way, from now on, whenever Jesus uses the term you or your from verse 32 to 34, he now puts it in the singular.
First, he says, the devil, our adversary, Satan is demanded sift all the 12 like wheat. But now he addresses Peter specifically. I have prayed for you, singular Peter. That is a tremendous encouragement.
Verse 32, when Jesus comes and says, but I, it's divine intervention. It is, is it not? It's on the scale of Ephesians two, four, when we are dead in our trespasses and sins, but God being rich in mercy because of his great love for us made us alive.
But God, and Jesus says, but I notice what he does not say. He doesn't say to Peter, but you are Peter. And upon this rock, he doesn't say that the Lord could have talked about the Trinity. He could have said, despite the fact that the devil Satan wants to sift you like wheat, he could have gone back to John six 37, where Jesus says, all that the father gives me, all that the father gives me, the son will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out for.
I did not come down from heaven to do my own will, but to do the will of him who sent me and the will of him who sent me is that all that he has given me, I will lose none. He could have said that to Peter and he would have been accurate because the father gives to the son.
He could have also addressed Peter referring to himself, Jesus Christ. John 10 says the words of Jesus, my sheep hear my voice and I, Jesus know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish and no one can snatch him out of my hand.
He would have been accurate to say that, or he could have gone and addressed Peter by answering him about the Holy Spirit. Actually, this text, this parallel text in the gospel of John is recorded in John chapter 13, the very end of John chapter 13 and from John chapters 14 through 16, a great portion of that Jesus teaches them about who the Holy Spirit, because he's about to leave them.
He had the right to do that here and talk to them about the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit that because of his ministry, because of his work in his life, Peter's life, he would be secure, but he does not do that.
Instead, Jesus focuses on the fact that he had prayed for Peter and what specifically did he pray? Notice verse 32, that your faith may not fail, that your faith may not fail, that it would persevere, that he would persevere to the end, despite Satan's attacks.
In Christ's great high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, Christ himself makes it very clear when he says in verse nine there, I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you father have given me.
And that's what he is doing here. He is praying specifically for Peter, that his faith will not fail. Not only do we see the prowling of Satan in the prayer of Jesus in response to that, but number three, we also see the perseverance of Peter, the perseverance of Peter.
Notice what Jesus says in verse 32, but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, and you, you Peter, when once you have turned again. The Lord doesn't say to Peter there, if you turn again.
In Jesus's eyes, so to speak, it was a guarantee. Why? Because of Peter? Absolutely not. Because Jesus had just told him, I, your Lord, have prayed for you, have interceded for you, and because of that, you will return.
When you have returned, it was a guarantee that it was going to happen, not because of Peter again, but because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fourthly, what do we see here? Not only the prowling of Satan, the prayer of Jesus, and because of the prayer of Jesus, the perseverance of Peter, but fourthly, we see the purpose of Jesus, the purpose of Jesus.
Verse 32, but I prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Jesus is saying, my purpose for you is, you will return, and when you do, what I want you to do is strengthen your brothers.
Did he not do that? For sure, he did that. We know as we read further on in the book of Acts, how God mightily used the apostle Peter in the early church, how he proclaimed the good news on the day of Pentecost, and God, through his sovereign power, redeemed 3 ,000 souls, and used Peter as his instrument.
And lastly, we see here in this text, despite all of what Jesus had told him, despite the fact that he said, look, Satan has asked permission to seize all of you like weed, but not because of you, Peter, but because of me, the Lord Jesus, my intercessory work on your behalf, your faith will not fail.
And because of that, when you return, I want you to strengthen your brothers. And what does Peter turn around and say to him? This is point number five, the pride of Peter. But he said to him, Lord, with you, I am ready to go both to prison and to death.
Now, before we jump all over Peter like pastors are accustomed to doing, of course, at this point in time, Peter had done a few things. Peter had started walking on water and he started to sink. Peter was the one that Jesus earlier in the gospel accounts addressed Peter as, get behind me, Satan.
But let's not forget it was the same Peter who, when Jesus spoke some hard teaching to the crowds in John chapter six, he said to the crowds, does this teaching offend you? And from that time on, a number of disciples had stopped walking with Jesus and following him.
So Christ turns to the 12, gives them a chance to exit the door and said, well, you also leave. Peter turns to him and says, what to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Was it not Peter also who in the Lord had the interaction and conversation with the rich young ruler who came to Christ and asked, what must I do to be saved?
He was a wealthy young man. You know the story, how Jesus told him, gave him the law, said, oh, I've kept all these things since I was a kid. Well, then give up all your wealth and come follow me. And the man left sad because he was a rich man.
Jesus said, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle and for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Peter's response to that was what Lord, we have left everything to follow you. And was it not this same Peter who, when the Lord came to the disciples and asked them this question, who do people say that I am?
And they gave him their answer. Then he turned to them and personalized and said, well, how about you? Who do you say that I am? And Peter said, what? You are the Christ, the son of the living God. So I want you to remember it's this Peter who said all those things, who's saying what he's saying here in this text.
But, but meaning I know what you said, Lord, I think I heard it. It went in one ear out the other, but Lord, with you, I'm ready to go both to prison and to death. No need to pray for me. Just intercede for the others.
Verse 34. And he, the Lord said, I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied me three times that you know me. Jump back with me to Matthew 26, if you will, the account from the Olivet discourse, same similar situation, Matthew 26, verse 33.
This is after verse 31, where Jesus addresses all the 12, as we said, you will all fall away. Peter in verse 33, but Peter said to him, even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away.
Look, Lord, the other, they might fall away, but not me. This is Peter's spiritual chest pounding. Not me, Lord. Never prison and death. It's no wonder when Peter learned his lesson in his first epistle in first Peter chapter five, he says the following, all of you clothed yourselves with humility because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Peter learned his lesson. As we know the story, he denied the Lord three times. And as a text, according to Luke in verse 62 of the same chapter says, and he, Peter went out and wet bitterly, bitterly.
So what does he do as recorded by the apostle John? He goes back to his old trade. Does he not? Christ called him to be a fisher of men. And he goes back to fishing. The risen Lord Jesus appears to him on the seashore each with them.
And he asked him three times, Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me? You know that I do Lord three times feed my sheep, tend my lambs. Peter had learned his lesson when he addressed the dispersion, the exiles, the elect in his letter to them in first Peter.
These were Christians who were suffering under Nero. And so what does he do there in his letter to them in first Peter? And I'm sure he's pending these words. He must be thinking back to this interaction he had with his savior.
He doesn't say to him, I understand what you're going through. I understand your suffering. I've been through it too. I can identify. No, he doesn't even say to them. Like the apostle Paul says at the beginning of many of his epistles, I am praying for you.
He doesn't say that to them. But what does he do in his first epistle there to encourage suffering Christians, Christians who were under persecution, whom Satan was attacking? What does he do? He talks to them about the doctrine of election, elect exiles, first Peter one, one, according to the foreknowledge of God, because Peter knew when he was writing to them that look, if God is sovereign, not only to save somebody, because salvation, as we heard again, this morning is all a work of God from beginning to end to perseverance.
Then if he is sovereign over that for sure, he is sovereign over your suffering and over your difficult circumstances. Remember talking with somebody one time and asking about a pastor, this person knew who didn't believe that God was sovereign in salvation.
So I asked this person, go to the pastor. He was a conservative pastor from my understanding. And I said, ask the pastor, these three questions. First of all, ask him, do you believe that God is sovereign?
And more than likely, the pastor is going to say, of course. Second, ask him this question. Do you believe that God's sovereignty is total or partial? In other words, is he sovereign overall or is he's just sovereign over certain things, but not all things, but more than likely the pastor is going to say, of course he is sovereign over all the things that's by definition, what sovereignty means.
Third question. Here's the clincher. Is he sovereign over salvation? Hmm. If he's not sovereign over salvation, he's not sovereign overall. He is not sovereign. Peter understood that turn with me as we close to see this mighty work of our Lord Jesus Christ to the book of Hebrews chapter seven, Hebrews chapter seven.
When we talk about the Lord Jesus Christ, if we were to do an ideas class on Christology, as I'm doing on pneumatology, usually when you study doctrines like this, you typically break it down in two overall headings, the person of Jesus Christ and the work of Christ.
And a lot of times when we talk about the work of Christ, we talk about his work here on earth. Of course, his perfect life in obedience to the law and how we receive his perfect righteousness through imputation, his perfect obedience unto the cross, his resurrection, his ascension.
We talk about his return, of course, but many of these, sometimes we forget, or we talk about it as an add on his present ministry of intercession. And that's what Peter learned. Notice what the writer of Hebrews says here, beginning in verse 23, the former priests on the one hand existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing.
But Jesus, on the other hand, because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently. Therefore, therefore he is able watch this also to save forever those who draw near to God through him. Why?
Since he always lives to make intercession for them. The reason anyone perseveres in the faith, despite any trials that come your way is because of the intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ who saved you.
May you never, ever think like Peter. I don't need it, Father. I'm okay without you. I don't need it, Lord. I don't need your intercessory work. I will follow you to the end. Listen to how Spurgeon, as only Spurgeon can put it, said it, and it's from a sermon that he gave on discussing the covenant of redemption, the role of each of the members of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
But here I highlight for you the work of the Son, his total work, but especially towards the end as you will listen, his particular work of intercession for the perseverance of the saints. And this is Jesus speaking.
My Father, on my part, I covenant that in the fullness of time will become man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people I will keep the law perfectly.
I will work out a spotless righteousness which will be acceptable to the demands of thy just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Thou shalt exact their debts on me, the chastisement of their peace I will endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed.
My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify thy law and make it honorable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of thy law, and all the vials of thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head.
I will then rise again. I will ascend into heaven. I will intercede for them at thy right hand, and I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom thou has given me shall ever be lost.
But I will bring all my sheep of whom by thy blood thou has constituted me the shepherd. I will bring everyone safe to thee at last.". End quote. The reason true saints will persevere in the faith is because of the preservation of the Savior to intercede on their behalf.
Let's pray. Father, thank you for the truths of your word. Thank you, Father, that your word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, piercing to dividing soul and spirit.
Your word is breathed out by you, Holy Spirit, and profitable for teaching, reproof, correcting, and training in righteousness, that we may be equipped for every good work. And Lord, we thank you for these truths that we saw briefly tonight, and we see from the lips of our own Lord Jesus Christ how the devil, Satan, our adversary, was seeking to sift all of the disciples, the ones who, while they were celebrating the Passover with the Lord, who were confused as to who was going to betray him, who were disputing and arguing and quarreling as to who was the greatest.
And the Lord Jesus said, but I have prayed for you. Lord, may our view of Jesus as a result tonight be greater and greater as we see his full ministry in our lives currently. We saw his ministry, and we see it in the Gospels, through his life while he was here and in his carnate state, through his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his future ministry, reigning in the new heavens and new earth as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
But may we never forget that our perseverance in the faith is because of his preservation of us through his marvelous intercessory work, because as our high priest, he lives to always make intercession for us.
And for that, we give him all the glory. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.