Sermon: Order of Salvation: Perseverance

Tonight we will be in the book of First Peter. So if you grab a copy of God's word and turn to First Peter, it's on page 1014 if you're using a Bible there in front of you.

Let me pray for us as we open the word tonight.

Father in heaven, we thank you that you have once again. Call us together to hear from you. And so we would pray that you would give us ears that would hear. Parts, that would be soft and would receive your word as it truly is the word of God. So as we read and listen tonight, we ask that you would do a work in our midst. We pray all this in Jesus name. amen We have been working our way through the Ordo salutes the order of Salvation in our evening

Series this fall and tonight. We come to the doctrine of perseverance the perseverance of the Saints. we see this Doctrine all over in scripture one of the the best places I think to see it is here in First Peter chapter So we will read from verse 3 through verse 5 follow along as I as I read. Peter writes blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great Mercy. He has caused us to be born again.

To a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a Salvation ready to be revealed. in the last time Peter begins here like a Psalm would begin he begins by praising God blessing God for his mercy and Grace Peter says it is by the mercy of God that we have been born again.

And this is what we have been thinking about in this Doctrine in this topic called the Ordo solutus born again. How is it that we are truly born again? What is it that God must do in us what benefits and what blessings does he give us when he redeems us. This is the order of Salvation and here Peter reminds us that salvation is from the Lord. He is the active agent in our Salvation. He has caused us to be born again. It's not something that we do in our own cells,

but God is the one who does it started all the way in eternity past when God predestined us. When he set his love upon us. He then calls us. That is he calls us into this love which he has already set upon us and in regeneration. He transforms Us by this love that we would then receive it. He enables us to receive his love with repentance and Faith. This is how the Lord acts in our Salvation. It's all based upon his great Mercy.

But this order continues from the acts that he does into the benefits of this salvation. What is it that we gain? How do we benefit from this salvation? Well, the the Westminster Confession tells us the first three benefits that we get. It says we are Justified. It's one of the benefits he gives us we're accepted by God and we are forgiven of our sin. We're Justified we're adopted that is we are welcomed into the family of God. We have all the rights and

privileges of the sons of God and we are Sanctified. This is an ongoing work that we are transformed into the likeness of God. We have been saved and we benefit from this salvation through our justification adoption and sanctification. This is the new birth that Peter is talking about he has caused us to be born again salvation is from something from our sin and misery and it's also to something he gives us these things

these gifts. And on top of the three benefits or privileges that I just outlined Peter tells us two more benefits to more gifts of this salvation. We see it in verse 3 we have been born again. He says to a Living Hope We have a hope a hope that is alive. He says it's through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead now, we could think of this. Hope in two different ways two different senses. Jesus himself is Our Hope because Jesus has

been raised from the dead but we are alive as well. We are united to him by faith in his death and also in his resurrection and because we have been raised to New Life our hope is alive as well. We have this Living Hope Edmund Clowney gives us a helpful description of this. Hope he says this our hope is anchored in the past Jesus rose Our Hope remains in the present Jesus lives and our hope is completed in the future. Jesus is coming.

What a wonderful peace granting Joy feeling hope that we have in Jesus. We have been given this Living Hope as a gift. Peter then goes on in verse 4 to tell us a second gift or a second benefit of this salvation. He says we have been born again to and inheritance. In our adoption, which we discussed a couple weeks ago and our adoption. We are counted as children of God Romans 8 and if we are children then we are Heirs of God. We have

an inheritance that surpasses anything this world can offer. And Peter here gives us descriptions of what this inheritance is, like for adjectives all contrasting with things that we find in this Earth for adjectives. He says it is imperishable. That is it cannot spoil or rot or Decay. He says it's undefiled it cannot be corrupted or tainted by sin. He says it's unfading that means the Wonder in the value in the Grandeur of this inheritance will

not diminish over time. Inflation does not mess with our Heavenly inheritance. Thank God for that. The fourth description he says is where this inheritance is located where it is makes all the difference. Peter says it is kept in heaven for you. It is kept in heaven for you in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy it and where thieves cannot break in and steal it. Think of how much time and money and effort we spend to protect our possessions from

wearing out from keeping our houses and our yards from looking like they are perishing. Here Peter reminds us that we have a better inheritance one that is not subject to the decay of this world one that is kept in heaven for us. Now there's a danger here as we think about this Living Hope and The Inheritance that we have the danger is imposing a materialistic view on Heaven itself thinking of Heaven as getting a lake house with all the toys and

a boat. But our inheritance is more comprehensive than simply material things in verse five. We see Peter calls it there a Salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Later on in verse 9. He says we will obtain the outcome of our faith the salvation of our souls. Our full and final salvation is bigger and more comprehensive than we realize it's more than simply getting things in heaven. The things in heaven will be even greater than we

can imagine because they will all be aimed at the greatest person in heaven the Lord himself. This inheritance is a complete salvation and Peter tells us that it's already been accomplished. It's final and it is been accomplished. It's finished. It's ready to go. We cannot add to it. We can't contribute or take away from it. It's complete and ready to be revealed when the time is right. So as we think of these gifts that we have been

given as a result of being born again these gifts of a Living Hope and a Heavenly inheritance. We see the true beauty and Glory of what is ours in the gospel. What a wonderful salvation we have been given this is why Peter starts this whole chapter with blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is his work and this is his gift that he has given to us. But if you're like me as you think about the Wonder of

this salvation, there's a lingering question that might begin to pop up in your mind. The question is is this really true. Is it really mine? Or another way to get at this question is okay. I've been given this gift, but what if I lose this gift like all of us as we experience life recognize that we've been given wonderful gifts, but how often these gifts seem to disappear. We think of our kids and the wonderful and joyful times

that we have with them and then suddenly the kids get older and these experiences go away. Or a relaxing vacation that we are on and suddenly it's over. Or we think of watching others. Grow older the gift that they've been given their thinking they're intellect. It suddenly begins to fade away. We begin to wonder with this great salvation will I lose it? Will I actually get it in the end. And here in verse 5 Peter gives us the answer

to that question by the mercy of God, those who are truly in Christ. He says are being guarded protected or shielded. They are being guarded by God's power for a final salvation that will be revealed in the last time. The same power that raised Christ from the dead the same power that is keeping our Heavenly inheritance. This same power is guarding us. It is protecting us until the last day when our Salvation will be revealed.

To reword Romans 8 if God's power is for us what can Prevail against us? The so-called powers of this world tribulations and distress and persecutions and famine danger or sword. None of these are a match against the almighty power of God. Edmund Clowney says this pilgrims we may be but the cloud of God's power that leads us in the way becomes a wall of fire of protection about us. And friends, this is the doctrine of the perseverance of

the Saints perseverance of the Saints. We can Define it like this. They whom God has accepted effectually called and Sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the estate of Grace, but sell certainly persevere in it to the end and be eternally saved. Or to use Peter's language here those who have been born again and who have received the benefits of redemption will persevere in Grace until they obtain

the outcome of their faith the salvation of their souls. This is the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints Thomas Watson appeared in says of this Doctrine. It's a Saint's stability and permanency and Grace was our good words stability and permanency in Grace. So what I want to do is we think about this Doctrine is is think about discuss six questions related to this doctrine of perseverance. Six questions. Here's

the first why is this an important Doctrine? Why is perseverance so important there's many answers we could say to this theologically speaking it deals with the doctrine of God himself truthfulness. Will God do what he said in our salvation. Or think about immutability does God change his mind. Or even the doctrine of omnipotence is God powerful enough to actually save us and see us through to the end. So there's a theological question here at the

doctrine of God. There's a mythological question here as the word goes out. How will it be received and when somebody receives it how do we know if they've truly received it? If they have a true Faith? There's the background here of the parable of the sower the word is scattered and it is received differently, but it's only the good soil that produces the fruit. There's a mythological question here. There's a practical question

here. When you and I wake up tomorrow morning will we still be Christians? That's the question. What about when I'm 65, or maybe when I'm 85? Will I still be a Christian? What about all the time and effort that we spend trying to live the Christian Life? Is it worth it in the end? The answer to these questions that this Doctrine gives us is a resounding. Yes, it is worth it. Why because being born again to a Living Hope and a Heavenly

inheritance is the best treasure we can possibly find in this life. It's the best gift we can ever receive and this is a gift that cannot be lost because God himself is guarding us and keeping us. So here's a second question. What is the foundation of our perseverance? What is the foundation of our perseverance? This was a debated doctor in the time of the Reformation is our foundation a pope or in a church Council or

in our own efforts. What what is the true foundation of our perseverance? Helpfully, we can look at the Westminster Confession where outlines here the answer to this question. We can summarize it with five pillars Five Pillars in this Foundation of perseverance. Why Five Pillars? Well just so happens. There's five of them, but I think it's helpful to think of these in contrast. We hear Five Pillars and you immediately think of the five pillars of Islam, right?

Those are all about our own efforts to do something but here the five pillars of perseverance are all about God's mercy and Grace. So here's the first the first the first pillar the foundation of our perseverance is the immutability of the decree of election and the unbreakable chain of salvation. What does this mean? It means when God calls someone to himself that we will respond to that call and God will see us to the end.

Second Timothy 2:19 says this God's Firm Foundation stands. And it Bears this seal. The Lord knows those who are his the Lord knows them and this is a foundation that stands it cannot be shaken. It cannot be uprooted. John 10 verse 27 my sheep. Jesus says, we'll hear my voice and I know them and I give to them eternal life. The Puritan Thomas Watson commented on this verse to show that chain of Salvation that's contained in those words think of

it my sheep. There's election. God calls his sheep. They hear his voice. There's the calling. I know them Jesus says there's our justification and I give them eternal life. There's glorification this chain of Salvation cannot be broken. So that's the first Foundation. Here's a second Foundation the free and unchangeable love of God the free and unchangeable love of God Romans 8:38 neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor

things present nor things to come nor power. No height. No depth anything else in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. Jesus. Our lord God's love for us is free and it is unchangeable. Here's the third Foundation the intercession of Jesus Christ the intercession of Jesus Christ as our faithful high priest Jesus ever lives to intercede for us and part of his intercession is that our faith would not

fail and that we would persevere to the end. This is exactly what he prayed for Peter Peter. He says I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And just as Jesus prayed for Peter in his hour of Temptation. So he prays for us John 17. Jesus says As he prays to the father keep them in your name keep them from the evil one. Jesus himself is praying for us. Here's a fourth pillar in this Foundation the word of God and the spirit of God that abides within

the word of God and the spirit of God, which abides within First Peter 1 verse 23. Peter says you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living an abiding word of God. First John one verse or chapter 3 verse 9. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning for God's seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. We've been born by the word of God the seed of God and it remains

in us just as God's spirit has there is in us and remains in us we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit and this seal cannot be removed. God's word and his Spirit abides within us here's the fifth pillar in this Foundation of perseverance the nature of the covenants of Grace. The nature of the Covenant of Grace the Covenant of Grace is the unfolding of God's plan of redemption in which each member of the Trinity father son

and spirit are working together in complete Unity to redeem a people for his own possession. In Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 there. There's a prophecy of the New Covenant which will come Ezekiel 36. We read this. Here's the Lord's promise to redeem his people. He says I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. The Covenant of Grace is not just that God will be faithful to save us he does

but it also goes on to promise and to guarantee that he will ensure our faithfulness to him. That's what Ezekiel tells us that he will put his Spirit within us and he will cause us to walk in his statutes and be careful to obey his rules. The Covenant of Grace is that God is faithful to save a people and that God ensures our faithfulness to him. That's why many people on this Doctrine prefer the word preservation over perseverance.

Both are good words. The former preservation gets at the idea that God is the one at work. He's doing the work of preserving his people delivering them from uncleanness and causing them to walk in his ways. So this leads to a third question do I need to do anything to persevere? If this is all of God, if God has promised to persevere us to the end do I need to actually do anything? Well, this is where Peter is helpful. Look back

at at First Peter. Peter tells us verse 5 That who by God's power. We are being guarded and then he tells us how we are being guarded. He says it is through faith. This is how God guards his people it is through faith. We live the Christian Life by faith. And as we live the Christian Life by faith God is guarding us and he is keeping us to the end. That's why this Doctrine is not a doctrine of easy believism. That's this idea that I just simply say a

prayer and then I'm assured of heaven and I can just live how I want. That is not what this Doctrine teaches rather this Doctrine teaches what we see in Philippians 2 work out your salvation with fear and trembling. There's a seriousness to this. There's a diligent Pursuit that is needed in this task. It's not something we just simply do light-heartedly. But as we are working out this salvation as we are living by faith Paul there

and Philippians promises that it is God who works in us both to Will and to work for his good pleasure. So I labor and I strive for Holiness and as I do so God is working in me. Not just the grace. I need for that moment. But he's working in me a Grace that is leading me to my ultimate home of Heaven. In the book of Jude Jude says this keep yourselves in the love of God. This is a command. Just like Jesus who said abide in me by keeping

my word. We are to keep ourselves in the love of God, but then Jude ends with this doxology now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless. God keeps us in his love as we use his means through the instrument of our faith. So to summarize this the grounds of our perseverance are in God the means are given to us. What are his means? Well, we often use the word ordinary to refer to these the ordinary means we use

that word not because they're powerless but because they are common to all Christians wherever you go. This is the way God works to preserve his people he uses his word and specifically it's what we encounter in his word the promises he gives us in his word the exhortations and the warnings He uses his word. He uses prayer. He uses the sacraments. He uses the fellowship and encouragement of the church without diligently

using these means our consciences get cloudy our hearts begin to harden Our Lives to come to Temptations of the world. So we keep ourselves in the love of God by using the means. He has given us to grow and Holiness and to persevere through all the trials and afflictions of this life to the end that we will obtain the salvation of our souls. Here's a fourth question related to this doctrine of perseverance. Can I be assured of my salvation?

Can I be assured can I know that I will persevere? to the end Now this is a sermon in itself, but just to answer this briefly the answer to this question is yes. Yes, we can have Assurance of our Salvation. We see it in Philippians 1 where Paul says there. I am sure of this. I have confidence of this that he who began a good work in you will complete it in the day of Christ. Or think of First John first John 5. John says this I write

these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God so that you may know you have eternal life. There's Assurance here that we find. A few things though to consider when we think about assurance. The reform tradition is careful to not Define Assurance as being of the essence of faith. Assurance is not of the essence of Faith. What is Faith? What is the essence of Faith? What's three things? It's knowledge. It's ascent

and its trust knowledge. We need to know something. We need to know our sin. We need to know the Salvation that is offered to us in Christ, but it's not enough just to know it. We need to Ascent to it. We need to believe it. And it's not just enough to know in a sense, but we need to trust it. We need to grab hold of it with our hearts. This is the essence of Faith but Assurance is not necessarily of the essence of faith.

Well, why is that it's because you can have a true faith and still wonder and doubt from from time to time. If you truly believe this is part of the Christian Life. Why is that? Well, there are several things that may contribute to a lack of assurance. There might be a certain temperament that makes Assurance cloudy for you. It's just hard for you to be certain of things. It's part of your your natural temperament. You might fall into a particular sin that may

wound your conscience or grieve the spirit. You might have sudden or intense temptations that cause you to question or to doubt. God May withdraw his Blessing for a time as he did with job certain afflictions in sufferings may come about in your life. But in all of these we have the promise that God is always with us and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. All of these are reasons our Assurance May waver and yet

it is possible as the Westminster Confession describes to have an infallible Assurance of faith. So how can we have this infallible Assurance? Well part of it is what we've already seen here in First Peter, it's Faith. It's faith in the truth of God's promises as we live by faith. We can grow in our Assurance of God's promises. It's also the inward testimony of the spirit Galatians 4 that the spirit is testifying to our spirits that we are children of

God. It's through using the means of Grace the more we use the means of Grace the more our Assurance can grow. And it's also seen the evidence of our own sanctification and growth in Grace. So all of these ways are ways we can grow in assurance of faith. It is possible to be assured of our salvation. What about here's a fifth question? What about perseverance and sin? What about Sin? Well, the perseverance of the Saints does not mean that Believers will

never experience seasons of Doubt. Like we've just said or never struggle with sin. But consistent testimony of scripture is that though we are redeemed and given all these wonderful gospel blessings. We still live in a sinful world and we still have indwelling sin within us. So it is possible through various Temptations and through our own indwelling sin that we might fall into sin. We may earn God's displeasure. We can grieve the Holy Spirit we can sin and

Harden our hearts and wound our consciences our sin often hurts others and scandalizes others. These are real real dangers. And as an act of discipline God May restrain his grace from his Saints and bring judgments upon them. What we need to remember is this this discipline is always temporary and for the means and aimed at restoration that in the end God is guarding his sheep. He's guarding us through these means of discipline.

And he is always leading us through dark valleys in times of trial. At the end of the book of Hosea where Hosea outlines all the ways that God's people have been unfaithful to the Lord. God says this through Hosea. I will heal their apostasy. The older English for that word is back sliding. I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from them. So we still sin and yet God is gracious to

discipline us and to heal our backsliding. So here's the last question end with this. How does this Doctrine help me in my Christian Life. How does this doctrine of perseverance help me in my Christian Life. There's three three main things that this doctor and gives to us one motivation to a comfort and three and encouragement. so first and quickly motivation This Doctrine motivates us to diligently use the means of Grace that God has given

us to pursue holiness. Hebrews 12 strive for peace with everyone and for the Holiness without without which no one will see the Lord we are to strive for it. We are to put in effort we are to use the means that God has given us that we might persevere. Appearance in Thomas Watson said it this way keep your faith and your faith will keep you. While the pilot keeps the ship his ship keeps him. So we diligently use the means of Grace we

keep our faith and as we keep our faith our faith will keep us. There's motivation. Here's a second Comfort be comforted by Our Living Hope. There is comfort in knowing that our Living Hope is fixed and secure and transcends all the worries and cares of this world though. We may fall into degrees of Grace. We can never completely fall from this state of grace. Again, Thomas Watson says Grace may be shaken with fears and doubts, but it cannot be plucked up

by its roots. What a comfort to know that God's omnipotence. His Almighty power is for us. He is guarding Us by his power. And with eyes of faith, we can see our Heavenly inheritance, which is being kept by our heavenly Father in heaven for us. What a comfort this can be during all of life's trials and afflictions. So be comforted with this Doctrine and here's the last one encouragement encouragement to finish well. Encouragement to finish. Well again Thomas Watson says

the glory and Excellency of a Christian is when he has finished the work of faith. The doctrine of perseverance is a spectator cheeriness on at the end of a marathon. It's saying to us keep going. You're almost there Finish Well, We see perseverance as the enduring testimony of all those who have finished the race before us Hebrews 12. We look at this great cloud of witnesses those who have already persevered before us.

And that the command there the encouragement there is that we would lay aside every weight that we would set aside the sin that is so close and we would run this race with endurance that we would look to Jesus the founder and Perfecter of our faith that we would finish. Well, there is a prize set at the end of the race. It's the salvation of our souls and so let us run this race with endurance knowing that we are being guarded by

the power of God until our final day comes First Peter 1 verse 8. Peter says this though you have not seen him you love him. Though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with the joy that is inexpressible and filled with Glory obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. And so by the mercy of God, may we all strive for it? May we know it's comfort and encouragement and may we press on toward our final inheritance?

Amen, let's let's finish in prayer. Lord we thank you that you not only save us but that you promise to work faith in us to guard us to keep us to protect us. That we would persevere and in the end that we would obtain the outcome of our faith the salvation of our souls I pray for each one of us in here tonight that we would be motivated to live by faith to pursue the means of Grace. That we would be comforted in whatever trials and afflictions that

we have in this life. That we would be encouraged to run this race and to finish it well. We ask Lord that you would do this work in this by your power and according to your spirit. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.