Salvation, what the bible says it is READING :- JOHN 10:7-30 Message title :- ETERNAL SALVATION FOR THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS TODAY WE WILL BE LOOKING AT SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS FROM WHICH THERE CAN BE NO LOSS OF SALVATION, DESPITE THE FALSE ARMINIAN TEACHING, THAT A PERSON CAN RESIST THE GRACE OF GOD AND BE LOST. ARMINIANISM IS THE THEOLOGICAL STANCE OF JAMES ARMINIUS, ALSO KNOWN AS JACOBUS ARMINIUS, AND THE MOVEMENT WHICH STEMMED FROM HIM. ARMINIUS DIED IN 1609. SEVERAL YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, THE FOLLOWERS OF ARMINIUS FORMULATED HIS DOCTRINES INTO FIVE MAIN POINTS KNOWN AS THE FIVE POINTS OF ARMINIANISM. A NATIONAL CHURCH SYNOD WAS CONVENED TO EXAMINE HIS DOCTRINES. THEIR FINDING WAS THAT HIS DOCTRINES WERE CONTRARY TO SCRIPTURE AND DECLARED TO BE HERETICAL. THE CHURCH REAFFIRMED THE POSITION HELD BY THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS, AND IN RESPONSE, THEY FORMULATED WHAT ARE KNOWN TODAY AS THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM OR THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE. ALTHOUGH ARMINIUS DIED IN 1609 HIS DOCTRINES REMAIN WITH US TODAY AND HAVE PERMEATED MANY CHURCHES. JOHN WESLEY REGARDED BY MANY AS A GREAT PREACHER CARRIED ON THE ARMINIAN TRADITION. TODAY WE HAVE A CHURCH USING WESLEY’S NAME AND CARRYING ON THE ARMINIAN DOCTRINE. THEY ARE CALLED WESLEYAN METHODISTS. OTHER CHURCHES CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DOCTRINE ARE THE SALVATION ARMY AND THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE. MANY IN MAINSTREAM CHURCHES HAVE ALSO BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD LOSE THEIR SALVATION. A PUBLICATION USING THE TITLE “CONTENDING EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH”, HAS RECENTLY COMMENCED A SERIES OF ARTICLES CLAIMING THAT CALVINISTS HAVE MISREPRESENTED ARMINIUS. IN THE PROCESS THEY HAVE ATTACKED THE INTEGRITY OF CHARLES SPURGEON. IN VIEW OF THESE ARTICLES , IT IS TIMELY THAT WE LOOK AT THE QUESTION “CAN YOU BE LOST IF THE LORD JESUS HAS SAVED YOU”. ? SOME STREAMS OF ARMINIANISM MAY NOT HOLD TO THE WIDER VIEW OF A POSSIBLE LOSS OF SALVATION, BUT WOULD SAY THAT AFTER REGENERATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THEY CANNOT BE LOST. THE GENERAL VIEW OF ARMINIANISM IS THAT A SINNER DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REGENERATED BEFORE HE CAN BELIEVE. ARMINIANS WRONGLY CONCLUDE THAT SINCE MAN IS SAVED BY HIS OWN FREE WILL IN ACCEPTING CHRIST, THAT HE CAN BE LOST BY THIS SAME FREE WILL, IF HE REJECTS CHRIST AFTER HAVING BEEN SAVED. IF HE COMES TO REPENTANCE AND TURNS TO CHRIST AGAIN, HE COULD GET SAVED “AGAIN”. ACCORDING TO THEIR DOCTRINE IT WILL DEPEND ON MAN’S EFFORTS TO REMAIN “SAVED” UNTIL HE DIES. THEY SAY THAT SALVATION IS BY THE GRACE OF GOD BUT THAT IT REQUIRES MAN TO MAKE THAT SALVATION COMPLETE. THE GRACE OF GOD ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO KEEP THEM SAVED, MAN HAS TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO AVOID BEING LOST. IN RESPECT OF ARMINIAN DOCTRINE IT HAS BEEN SAID, “A CHILD OF GOD” TODAY, MAY BE A “CHILD OF THE DEVIL” TOMORROW. THEY RELY ON A FEW “SO CALLED” PROOF TEXTS TO TRY AND JUSTIFY THEIR REASONING DESPITE AN OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE WHICH PROVES THEIR REASONING IS NOT SUPPORTED BY SCRIPTURE. WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES. ? EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 VERSES 8 AND 9, “FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST”. WHEN SCRIPTURE CLEARLY STATES IT IS NOT OF YOURSELVES, HOW CAN ARMINIAN DOCTRINE SAY THAT IT IS OF YOURSELVES. WHEN SCRIPTURE CLEARLY STATES THAT IT IS NOT OF WORKS, HOW CAN ARMINIAN DOCTRINE SAY THEY MUST CONTRIBUTE THEIR EFFORTS TO REMAIN SAVED. ? IT IS NOT OF WORKS LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. WORKS HAVE NO PLACE IN GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION, IF IT WERE SO, IT WOULD SURELY ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL TO ASSERT HIS INDEPENDENCE OVER AN ALMIGHTY GOD. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR BOASTING BECAUSE SALVATION IS A FREE UNCONDITIONAL GIFT OF GRACE. WE ARE DEPENDANT UPON GRACE ALONE. AS A REFORMED CHURCH WE HAVE EMBRACED THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE AND BELIEVE FROM THE WORD OF GOD THAT SALVATION IS ENTIRELY THE WORK OF THE LORD GOD FROM START TO FINISH. LET US REFUTE ARMINIAN DOCTRINE FROM THE WORD OF GOD STARTING WITH VERSES FROM OUR READING IN JOHN CHAPTER 10. READING AGAIN VERSES 25 TO 30. I DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THESE WORDS ARE THE VERY WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. LET US EXAMINE THE WORDS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD WHO HAS DIED FOR HIS SHEEP. VERSE 27 - THE LORD JESUS SAYS, “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE”. THE LORD CALLS THEM “MY” SHEEP. THE WORD “MY” IS POSSESSIVE. IT MEANS, “BELONGING TO”. THE LORD JESUS CALLS THEM “MY SHEEP”. THEY ARE HIS SHEEP BY ETERNAL ELECTION. THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FATHER. JOHN CHAPTER 6 VERSE 37, “ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT”. GIVEN BY THE FATHER TO THE LORD JESUS WHO HAS REDEEMED THEM WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. THEY ARE HIS PURCHASED POSSESSION AND HE WILL NOT LET THEM GO. JOHN CHAPTER 10 VERSE 27. THE LORD JESUS SAYS, “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE”. HIS SHEEP HAVE A SENSITIVITY TO THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. THEY RECOGNISE HIS VOICE. HIS SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE WHEN THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST SHINES INTO THEIR SOULS. JOHN CHAPTER 5 VERSE 25, “THE DEAD SHALL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD AND THEY THAT HEAR SHALL LIVE”. THOSE THAT THE LORD JESUS CALLS “MY SHEEP” SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE AND THEY WILL LIVE. IN CONTRAST TO THE SHEEP WHO RECOGNISE THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS,WHO WILL NEVER RESPOND TO HIS VOICE. THEY HAVE HEARTS OF STONE. SOME ARE STONY GROUND HEARERS WHO HAVE NO ROOT IN THEMSELVES. SOME ARE CHOKED WITH THE CARES OF THIS WORLD. SOME SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES WHICH TESTIFY OF JESUS, BUT THEY WILL NOT COME TO HIM. (John 5:39-40) IN ANSWER TO THE JEWS, THE LORD JESUS TOLD THEM THEY BELIEVED NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT OF HIS SHEEP. THOSE WHOM THE LORD JESUS CALLS “MY SHEEP” ARE HIS SHEEP BECAUSE AT SOME POINT THEY WILL BELIEVE BECAUSE THEY ARE PREDESTINATED TO DO SO. THEY ARE CHOSEN IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. EPHESIANS 1 VERSE 4. THEY WILL HEAR HIS VOICE AND WILL RESPOND TO HIS CALL. THOSE WHO ARE PREDESTINATED AS THE ELECT. ARE THOSE OF WHOM HE SAYS, “I KNOW THEM”. THE OMNISCIENT LORD JESUS IS ALL KNOWING BUT TO SAY “I KNOW THEM” IS TO SEPARATE HIS SHEEP FROM THOSE WHO ARE IN SATAN’S DOMAIN. IF YOU LOOK BACK TO VERSE 14 YOU WILL FIND THESE WORDS, “I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD, AND KNOW MY SHEEP, AND AM KNOWN OF MINE”. AT MATTHEW CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 23 YOU CAN READ THE RESPONSE OF THE LORD JESUS TO THOSE WHO SAID, WE HAVE PROPHESIED IN THY NAME, AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS, AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS. HIS RESPONSE, “I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY”. AT MATTHEW CHAPTER 25 VERSE 12 THE RESPONSE OF THE BRIDEGROOM TO THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS WHO ARRIVED AFTER THE DOOR HAD BEEN SHUT. “I KNOW YOU NOT”. BACK TO THE LAST PART OF JOHN CHAPTER 10 VERSE 27, THE LORD , THE GOOD SHEPHERD SAYS, “THEY FOLLOW ME”. HIS SHEEP FOLLOW IN OBEDIENCE. THOSE WHO ARE NOT HIS SHEEP WILL NOT FOLLOW HIM IN OBEDIENCE BUT THEY WILL REMAIN IN THEIR REBELLIOUS STATE. IT IS RECORDED IN JOHN’S GOSPEL THAT THERE WAS A TIME THAT MANY OF THE LORD’S DISCIPLES WENT BACK AND WALKED NO MORE WITH HIM. WHEN JESUS SAID TO THE TWELVE, “WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY” ? PETER’S RESPONSE WAS, “LORD, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO ? THOU HAST THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE”. HIS SHEEP WILL FOLLOW HIM. PETER KNEW THAT THE LORD JESUS HAD THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. THIS LEADS US NOW TO VERSE 28 WHERE THE LORD JESUS SAYS, “AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE”. “AND I GIVE”. WHAT THE LORD JESUS GIVES IS A “GIFT”. IT IS A FREE GIFT OF GRACE. THERE ARE NO STRINGS ATTACHED. THERE ARE NO CONDITIONS IMPOSED. IT CANNOT BE EARNED. IT IS FREE. HIS SHEEP FREELY RECEIVE. IT IS A FREE GIFT OF SPIRITUAL LIFE THAT HE GIVES TO HIS SHEEP. BEFORE THEY WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD. EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 1, “AND YOU HATH HE QUICKENED, WHO WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS” “I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE. WHEN THE LORD JESUS SAYS THAT HE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE, IT IS A LIFE THAT CANNOT BE LOST OR TAKEN AWAY, AND WILL LAST FOR ALL ETERNITY. THE WORD ETERNAL MEANS “WITHOUT END”. THE LORD JESUS HAVING GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP BY HIS GRACE WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO FALL FROM GRACE. HIS SHEEP HAVE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IMPUTED TO THEM OR RECKONED TO THEIR ACCOUNT. THEY ARE CALLED RIGHTEOUS. THEY ARE NOW HIS SHEEP. WHEN THE SEPARATION TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS THEY WILL BE ON HIS RIGHT HAND. WHO DOES THE SEPARATION. ? IS IT NOT THE LORD JESUS. ? THOSE HE CALLS “MY SHEEP” WILL BE ON HIS RIGHT HAND THE UNRIGHTEOUS DO NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE BUT THEY HAVE ETERNAL DEATH DESCRIBED AS ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. HEAR THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS AT MATTHEW CHAPTER 10 VERSE 46, “AND THESE SHALL GO AWAY INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT: BUT THE RIGHTEOUS INTO LIFE ETERNAL. HOW CAN IT BE EXPLAINED MORE CLEARLY THAN THE LORD JESUS HAS DONE. ? HOW CAN YOU BE GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE AT SOME POINT AND THEN FIND THAT YOU ARE FACING ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. ? TRUTH IS EMBODIED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ARMINIAN DOCTRINE MAKES THE WORD OF TRUTH TO BE UNTRUTHFUL. KEEPING YOUR PLACE IN JOHN CHAPTER 10 WOULD YOU TURN WITH ME TO 1ST JOHN CHAPTER 5. READ VERSES 9 TO 13. WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO STAND. ? WITH THE LORD JESUS AND HIS WORD OR WITH ARMINIAN DOCTRINE ANDTHE WITNESS OF MEN. PLEASE RETURN NOW TO JOHN CHAPTER 10 AND VERSE 28. AS THE LORD JESUS CONTINUES HIS DISCOURSE HE SAYS, “THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH”. HE HAS GIVEN A WONDERFUL ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE AND SECURITY. THE WORD “NEVER” MEANS NOT EVER. COUPLED WITH THE PROMISE OF LIFE WHICH IS ETERNAL THERE IS THEN THE PROMISE THAT HIS SHEEP SHALL NEVER PERISH. ONCE SAVED – ALWAYS SAVED. HOW CAN ANYONE WHO PROFESSES TO BELIEVE THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS POSSIBLY COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT SALVATION ONCE GIVEN BY THE LORD JESUS CAN THEN BE LOST. ? IN THE LAST PART OF VERSE 28 THE LORD JESUS SAYS, “NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND”. NO MAN, NO DEVIL, NO SIN, NO CIRCUMSTANCES, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN TAKE THEM FROM THE SAVIOUR’S HAND. THE ARMINIAN MAY ARGUE THAT THIS ONLY APPLIES TO SOMEONE TRYING TO SNATCH OR PLUCK SOMEONE ELSE FROM THE HAND OF JESUS BUT THAT AN INDIVIDUAL COULD TAKE HIMSELF FROM THAT SAVING HAND. WHAT A WEAK INTERPRETATION THEY PLACE UPON THIS PASSAGE. THEY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT THE POWER OF GOD IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO KEEP HIS SHEEP IN HIS HANDS. LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF THE LORD GOD AS RECORDED AT ISAIAH CHAPTER 50 VERSE 2, “IS MY HAND SHORTENED AT ALL, THAT IT CANNOT REDEEM” ? OR HAVE I NO POWER TO DELIVER” ? LET ME READ TO YOU THE WORDS RECORDED AT HEBREWS CHAPTER 7 VERSE 25, “WHEREFORE HE IS ABLE ALSO TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM, SEEING HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM” YES ! THE LORD JESUS SAVES TO THE UTTERMOST. HAVING DIED AS A SUBSTITUTE IN PLACE OF HIS SHEEP, HE WILL HOLD THEM IN A VICE LIKE GRIP. HIS HANDS STILL BEAR THOSE SCARS RECEIVED AT CALVARY. NOT ONLY THE HAND OF THE LORD JESUS IS INVOLVED IN THE SECURITY OF BELIEVERS BUT ALSO THE HAND OF GOD THE FATHER, AS WE CAN SEE FROM VERSE 29 OF JOHN CHAPTER 10. THE HAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALSO INVOLVED. A BELIEVER IS SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE WHICH, IS THE EARNEST OF THEIR INHERITANCE UNTO THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION, UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 VERSES 13 AND 14. WHAT GLORY WOULD THERE BE FOR THE TRIUNE GOD IF THIS SEAL COULD SOMEHOW BE BROKEN AND A BELIEVER NOT BE ETERNALLY SAVED. THE LORD GOD WILL NOT FORGET HIS PEOPLE. ISAIAH CHAPTER 49 VERSE 16, “BEHOLD I HAVE GRAVEN THEE UPON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS; THY WALLS ARE CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME”. WHO CAN POSSIBLY DISREGARD THE PROMISE ENDORSED AT HEBREWS CHAPER 13 VERSE 5, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE”. DO YOU HAVE SOME DOUBT IN THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY LOSE YOUR SALVATION. ? CONSIDER 1ST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 8, “WHO SHALL CONFIRM YOU UNTO THE END, THAT YE MAY BE BLAMELESS IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST”. CONSIDER HEBREWS CHAPTER 10 VERSE 14, “FOR BY ONE OFFERING HE HATH PERFECTED FOR EVER THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED”. IF YOU HAVE BEEN SET APART, IF YOU HAVE BEEN SANCTIFIED, A PERFECT WORK HAS TAKEN PLACE IN YOU BECAUSE OF THE ONE OFFERING MADE BY THE LORD JESUS AT CALVARY. FOR BY ONE OFFERING HE HATH PERFECTED FOR EVER THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED. DID YOU NOTICE THE WORDS “FOR EVER”. NO INDICATION HERE THAT IN CHRIST JESUS THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST AND BISHOP OF OUR SOULS THAT SOMEHOW THE WORK WAS NOT PERFECT AND IT CAN ALL BE UNDONE. CONSIDER PSALM 37 VERSE 28, “FOR THE LORD LOVETH JUDGMENT, AND FORSAKETH NOT HIS SAINTS; THEY ARE PRESERVED FOREVER; BUT THE SEED OF THE WICKED SHALL BE CUT OFF”. HIS SAINTS ARE PRESERVED FOREVER. WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS CHAPTER 8. READ VERSES 28 TO THE END. THE APOSTLE PAUL HAS ASKED SOME VERY PERTINENT QUESTIONS IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE. AMONG THE QUESTIONS :- “WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST.” ? THE ANSWER TO HIS QUESTION - NOTHING WILL. THIS IS EVEN DESPITE THE STRONGEST EFFORTS OF THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL. HEBREWS CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 2 TELLS US THAT JESUS IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. THE LORD JESUS TOOK THE INIATIVE IN SAVING FAITH AND HE WILL CERTAINLY FINISH HIS SAVING WORK. THE APOSTLE PAUL EXPRESSED HIS CONFIDENCEIN WRITING TO THE PHILLIPIANS. PHILLIPIANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 6, “BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST”. SOME PERSONS MAY FALL AWAY FROM THEIR “SO CALLED” PROFESSION OF FAITH, BUT NO ONE CAN FALL AWAY FROM THE SAVING GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. TO CONCLUDE THIS MESSAGE PLEASE TURN TO THE BOOK OF JUDE. READING FIRSTLY VERSE 24. “NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, AND TO PRESENT YOU FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCEOF HIS GLORY WITH EXCEEDING JOY”. HE IS WELL ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING FROM HIS GRACE AND ENSURE YOU ARE PRESENTED FAULTLESS BEFORE HIS GLORY. VERSE 25- “TO THE ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOUR, BE GLORY AND MAJESTY, DOMINION AND POWER, BOTH NOW AND EVER. AMEN. .
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 22:07:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015