Perseverance of the Saints - Part 1 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou thorns of my God and King, thou triumphs of his grace!

This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. When thou, my righteous Judge, shall come to fetch thy ransomed people home, to fetch thy ransomed people home, shall I among them stand? Shall such a worthless firm as I, who sometimes am afraid to die, who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand? Prevent, prevented by thy grace, be thou, dear Lord, our hiding place! Be thou, dear Lord, our hiding place in this accepted day! Thy pardoning voice, O let me hear, to still my unbelieving fear, to still my unbelieving fear, and grant me faith our grave! Let me among thy saints be found, when e'er your angels strong shall sound, when e'er your angels strong shall sound, to see thy smiling face! Then loud among the proudest be what heaven's resounding mansions bring, what heaven's resounding mansions bring, which shouts the sovereign grace! Today we come to the last message in our series on what we have referred to as the Tulip Doctrine.

So we're talking about perseverance. I hope that these messages have been a help to you in your study of the Scriptures, that you've been able to rejoice with me in the truth of God's sovereign grace. Now, as I mentioned last week, if you request it, I will be glad to send you our little booklet, Grace Really Is Amazing, and it deals with these issues that we've been talking about in this series. So address your letter to Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217.

And if you want the booklet, just request that and we'll send it your way. We certainly will appreciate it if you can help with the support of the program. The need continues to be very great at present.

We don't want to have to cancel any other stations. Pray for us and let us hear from you. Today we come to the fifth and final segment of our series on the doctrines of grace. Our subject is final perseverance.

For text, we use Job chapter 17 verse 9. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. The righteous shall hold on his way.

We talk about the final perseverance of the saints. There are some questions that come to mind. Number one, can a Christian fall from grace and lose his salvation? Number two, does the doctrine of perseverance suggest that works contribute to the basis for salvation? Number three, how can you have assurance of your salvation? First of all, we look at some definitions of this doctrine. The first one, the perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God's power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives and that only those who persevere until the end have truly been born again.

A second definition from the dictionary, continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory. A third one is from the London Confession of Faith, which was also adopted as the Fulton Confession of Faith in Fulton, Kentucky in 1900 by primitive Baptists. Believe it or not, what I'm going to read you is all one sentence. They wrote longer sentences back in 1689 when the London Confession was adopted.

And this is not the whole segment, but the first part of it is as follows. Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit and given the precious faith of His elect unto can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence He still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality. And though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off the foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon, notwithstanding through unbelief and temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palms of His hands and their name having been written in the Book of Life from all eternity." This doctrine is obviously the doctrine of the Bible.

It is a doctrine that Baptists then have embraced since the year 1689 and have confirmed in several other confessions since then. So first of all, we want to think about preservation. By definition, those whom God has chosen, redeemed, and effectually called cannot finally fall but shall be eternally saved. These who are the chosen of God, these who are redeemed by Christ are secure.

They are kept. We go back to a passage we've looked at previously in this series to Romans chapter 8 verse 29. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified. It is evident when you look at that passage that there is no place for one single soul to fall out of God's everlasting purpose in the saving of a people. All of those who are foreknown are predestinated. All of the predestinated are called, effectually called, drawn by irresistible grace. All of those who are called are justified, and the justified are glorified.

None of them can be or would be lost. Then we turn to the words of Jesus as recorded in the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John reading in the 27th verse. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Here is an evidence that a person is a part of the flock of God, one of His sheep.

What about them? They hear His voice, not the audible voice, but they hear His voice in that He effectually draws them to Himself. I know them, they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life. Now some argue that that refers only to the quality of life, but language means what it says. It is talking about eternal life, life that does not end. And the definition follows, and they shall never perish.

So that is obviously the subject matter. Eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I and my Father are one. Now you can see the response, then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. But the words of Jesus are explicit.

All of those given to Him by the Father are in His hand, they are secure. Secondly, though at times the child of grace may walk in the dark and not have a sensible sight of God's love, the Lord never forsakes His child. If you are a child of God, you no doubt have had difficult times along the way when you felt to be walking in darkness. You were greatly troubled. You had doubts, fears, anxieties.

But though those troubles come and are part of the Christian experience, the Lord will never forsake His own. If you go to Psalm 31 verse 22, For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes. Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee.

Have you ever been that low, that far into the dark to say, I'm cut off? God has forgotten me. He's not hearing my prayer. I have no comfort. I have no peace. But David admits, I said that in my haste. Because the fact is that in spite of my weakness and my doubt at the moment, God heard the voice of my supplication when I cried unto Him. Go to the book of Isaiah chapter 49 verse 14, But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

Here's another instance. The Lord's people saying, He's forsaken me. The way is so rough.

The troubles are so great. My heart is so cold. I feel so empty and so desolate. The Lord has forsaken me. My Lord has forgotten me.

But the question is then posed. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. We would imagine that ordinarily a mother would not forget, forsake, turn away from her nursing child. Yet he admits that that could occur.

And we've read in the newspaper of incidents in recent time where that has been the case. But while we read that a mother would not ordinarily leave her nursing child, she would have compassion on the son of her womb. God says, They may forget, but I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me. So no matter what may occur as far as the failure of human beings, God's love is without end.

His people being embraced in that love are secured. Isaiah chapter 54 verse 10. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee. The time will come that the mountains shall depart, the hills be removed. But it's telling us no matter what catastrophic event might occur, no matter how many dark times there may be and what may surround us in the corruption and evil times of this world, the Lord will not forsake his people.

My kindness shall not depart from you. My covenant will not be broken. Thirdly, with regard to a definition concerning perseverance, through sin and disobedience the child of God may lose the joy of salvation and be chastened by the Heavenly Father, but the relationship with the Father cannot be broken. Look at Psalm 51. David had sinned terribly. When you think about him being the sweet singer of Israel, when you think about his victory over Goliath when he was but a very young man, when you think about what a noble king he was in many respects, it's hard to believe that this man would sink to such depths as to commit adultery and then arrange for the woman's husband to be killed in the line of battle in an effort to cover his tracks. But does it not clearly reveal how weak, frail and basically still corrupt in human nature We all are apart from the restraining grace of God. So Psalm 51 contains the prayer that David prays following, being confronted with his great sin. The prophet comes and tells him the stories he recalls and ultimately points the finger saying, Thou art the man.

Oh my. David may have thought for a time that he had everything covered up, but now it's exposed. David, you're the man who has sinned against God. In Psalm 51 verse 11, he says, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me, restoring to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Have you been there in your experience? You've sinned. You fell into a sin and were so deeply grieved. You said, I can't believe that I was so far from the Lord that I allowed this temptation to overtake me.

Can't believe I've done it. And you may have felt for a time, maybe this just proves I'm not really a child of God. But you knew there was nowhere else to turn. And so you turned to the Lord as David did and said, Against thee, thee only have I sinned and of this evil in thy sight. Certainly other people were affected by David's sin. Uriah's life was taken. Bathsheba's life was changed.

His family was impacted. His kingdom was troubled because of his sin. Many other people deeply affected by it, but he knew the place where he had to go for forgiveness was to his God. So he said, Against thee, thee only have I sinned and of this evil in thy sight. One of the things we hear frequently in this day, a person will say, Well, the big problem I have is forgiving myself. That reasoning comes from human psychology, not from the Word of God. There's not a line in the Bible that admonishes you to forgive yourself. The place you go for forgiveness is to the God that you have offended.

And that's what we see David doing. I've sinned. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Not only do we find that David, on one hand being a great man of God, fell terribly into dark sin. But Abraham, described in Hebrews chapter 11 as being a man of faith, lied about his wife when he went down to Egypt.

Moses struck the rock in anger and therefore he was not able to enter into the promised land. Peter, who had been with Jesus throughout his ministry, who had been close to the Savior, who had said, Lord, I'll be with you no matter what, denies him three times with an oath saying, I don't know this man. So how could it be a man who had been so favored, so enlightened, enjoying the personal communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ during his ministry would then deny him three times? Peter fell, but Jesus had prayed that although Satan desires to sift you, I pray that your faith will not fail, and it did not. Peter sinned and came short, but his faith did not fail, and later Jesus restored him.

Not only restored him again to the joy of his salvation, but to a position of usefulness, so that he was blessed mightily to preach on the day of Pentecost. Hebrews chapter 12 speaks of the subject of chastisement. If a person is truly a child of God, when they sin, when they go astray, they will be chastened.

Hebrews chapter 12, reading in the sixth verse. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If he endure chastening, God dealeth with you with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if he be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. Chastisement is to bring about a change. Somebody may say, well, I feel like I'm under the judgment of God. But when you're a child of God, you're not under judgment, because judgment for your sin was taken care of at the cross. But as a child of God, you will be chastened, and it's for your benefit. Verse 11, Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless, after that yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

It's to bring about a change. And chastisement is to humble you, to bring you to true confession, to true repentance, a term that you might walk in a pathway of godliness to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ. And then we think about perseverance. Perseverance or continuance in grace, continuance in grace is expected and required of true believers. Return to John chapter 8. These are the words of Jesus. Verse 31, John chapter 8 verse 31, He said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Here are people then who profess at least to believe on Him. It says, If you continue in My word, then you're My disciples indeed. The proof and evidence that you are My disciples is that you not just make a profession today but that you continue. Often a person in relating their experience would say, Well yes, I remember back years ago I was just a small child. Many other children were making a confession of faith and I went forward.

I profess to know the Lord. And then they admit that since that time there has been very little if any communion with the Lord. That their life took a turn in the wrong direction. But they still go back to that experience and say, Yes, I am a Christian. The doctrine of perseverance reveals that the proof that a person is a Christian is that they continue on the path of godliness. Matthew chapter 10 verse 22, And ye shall be hated of all, of all men for My name sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. The one that endures to the end shall be saved.

Not one that just makes a profession and soon forgets about walking with the Lord. Then we go to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Reading in the 21st verse, And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now have ye reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. This is the purpose of God in the lives of those who are chosen, called and redeemed.

And in the body of His flesh through death by His sacrifice the purpose was to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister. If you continue. So we're talking about perseverance. We're talking about the fact that those who are preserved continue. They persevere. Perseverance is the evidence of being preserved. Those who are being kept, those who are being preserved, those who are being sustained by the power and grace of God continue. And their continuance and their walk in godly paths holding to the truth of the gospel is evidence of their preservation. We go to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 14. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. While it is said, today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.

Now we see what makes all this possible. How is it that the believer facing all kinds of obstacles in his path, going through trials and difficulties, facing temptations. How is it that he is able to continue on course? Philippians chapter 1 verse 6, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.

Isn't that good news? Our Lord does not initiate a work and then back away from it. He doesn't start that work of salvation and find it too difficult to complete. Turn aside, change his mind, he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. So perseverance distinguishes true believers from false professors.

That's what makes the difference. We go to the book of 1 John. 1 John chapter 2 reading in the 19th verse. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.

But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not of us. John is saying that there were those who had been with us. They had been a part of our fellowship. They had been a part of the church.

They had given some outward evidences that they were genuine and sincere. But the time came, they departed. They left.

They went back to the world. They denied the faith. Did that mean that somebody who had salvation lost it? Somebody who had been justified was unjustified? Somebody that had been redeemed was no longer redeemed?

Obviously not. But it was proof of the fact that they did not have genuine salvation. Somebody has phrased it like this. If you have it, you never lose it. If you lose it, you never had it. And that's what John is saying here. That the person who turns aside never had it.

They went out that it might be demonstrated and proven that they were not of us. He leadeth me, O blessed God! O words with heavy comfort cross! The scriptures reveal that a child of God may wander, may slide back for a time, but the evidence that he truly belongs to the Lord is that he continues on course. He comes back in humility, acknowledging his waywardness.

We are preserved by the grace of God, and the evidence that we are preserved is that we persevere. I hope that you will write us, and until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. O Lord, I would be, for by his hands he leadeth me. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Sometimes it seems the deepest loo, sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom. By watershed or tumbled sea, Stilt his wings and that he leadeth me.