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That blue basket, and we'll continue 
with chapter 17 of the Perseverance of the Saints. Chapter 17, we 
looked at paragraphs 1 and 2 last week. We'll finish paragraph 
3 this evening. And essentially, paragraph 1 
acknowledges the difficulties involved in perseverance. And then paragraph 3 basically 
reiterates that and underscores the challenges associated with 
perseverance. So I just want to read the chapter 
again, and then as I said, our focus will be on paragraph 3. 
So in paragraph 1, you've got the doctrines stated. You've 
got the subjects, those we've seen previously addressed in 
the Confession of Faith, and then the security of the doctrine. 
So beginning in paragraph 1, And though many storms and floods 
arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able 
to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they 
are fastened upon. Notwithstanding, through unbelief 
in the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light 
and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from 
them. Yet He 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 names having 
been written in the Book of Life from all eternity." So that's 
the doctrine of perseverance stated. Paragraph 2 is the foundation 
of perseverance highlighted. There's a negative assertion 
and then a positive statement. So notice in paragraph 2, this 
perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will. 
So it is not us that keeps us in the state of grace, but it 
is God. And remember, this is the perseverance 
of the saints. but we need to make sure we understand 
this is in the context of preservation by God. It's not that the perseverance 
of the saints is all that is going on, but they are preserved 
by God and given the graces necessary to persevere to the very end. 
So negatively, this perseverance of the saints depends not upon 
their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree 
of election. Flowing from the free and unchangeable love of 
God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession 
of Jesus Christ and union with him, the oath of God, the abiding 
of his spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature 
of the covenant of grace, from all which ariseth also the certainty 
and infallibility thereof. So, it is not our free will, 
but rather it is the triune God, and it is the covenant of grace 
established by that God for us and our salvation. And then that 
brings us finally to the challenges to perseverance addressed. So, 
notice in paragraph 3, And though they may, through the temptation 
of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining 
in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, 
fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein. 
whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit, come 
to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened 
and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and 
bring temporal judgments upon themselves. Yet they shall renew 
their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus 
to the end. Amen. So basically here we have 
the assaults on the believer's security. Second, we have the 
effects of these particular assaults. And then finally, the powerful 
grace of God. So that last statement, yet they 
shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith 
in Christ Jesus to the end. Again, it's a statement owing 
to the preserving power of God. So we need to understand that 
though this is our response to God's gospel, God's grace, God's 
mercy in our life, it's not something we do on our own. It's something 
that God enables us to do in terms of making it to the end. 
The one who begins a good work in us will complete it unto the 
day of Jesus Christ. He doesn't save us for a time 
and then let us go. He doesn't save us for a time 
and then leave us to ourselves. But rather, He is our God, and 
once He has begun that work, He does give us grace to press 
on. So let's look first at the assaults 
on the believer's security. Notice in the first place, the 
devil. and though they may through the temptation of Satan." If 
you look specifically at the book of Luke, you see where the 
devil is a real foe to the people of God. Luke's gospel in chapter 
22. Now, there's certainly lots of 
places we could look at in Scripture, but Luke chapter 22 we see specifically 
with reference to Peter. And I think that Peter and David 
probably come to mind in paragraph 3 here. When we consider the 
sins that these men committed, we understand that God's grace 
and his provision in the gospel kept them even in the midst of 
those particular sins. So notice in Luke 22 at verse 
31, and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed Satan has asked 
for you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for 
you that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned 
to me, strengthen your brethren. But he said to him, Lord, I am 
ready to go with you both to prison and to death. Then he 
said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day, 
before you will deny it three times that you know me." And 
then over in 1 Peter 5, we get a description of the devil in 
terms of his present assaults or effect upon the people of 
God. Notice in 1 Peter 5. specifically at verse 6, walks about like a roaring lion, 
seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the 
faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by 
your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, 
who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after 
you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle 
you. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. 
Amen. So the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking 
whom he may devour. Notice the emphasis, though, 
with reference to the devil's assault upon the people of God. 
Notice in verse 9, it says, resist him. James says the exact same 
thing with reference to the temptations presented by the devil. Resist 
him. We don't need to learn spells 
and incantations. We don't need to engage in, you 
know, 40 nights of fasting and prayer and all those sorts. We 
need to resist the devil. There are those instances in 
those times where we don't always resist the devil, and that presents 
an assault upon the believer's security. And that's what we 
find here, and though they may, through the temptation of Satan 
and of the world. So not only the devil, but also 
the world. If you look at Romans chapter 
12, the Apostle Paul, when he comes to deal practically after 
having explained the gospel, in chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, 
he says, And do not be conformed to this 
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will 
of God." And then over in 1 John 2, we see a similar emphasis 
with reference to the world. In 1 John 2.15 we read, "...do 
not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves 
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is 
in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 
and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the 
world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but 
he who does the will of God abides forever." So the confession underscores 
or highlights that we have these two external enemies. It's called 
the devil or Satan and the world. We have those things outside 
of ourselves that present a challenge to our perseverance, that prevent 
a challenge to our assurance, that prevent a challenge to our 
comfortable status in the Lord Jesus Christ. But then the confession 
treats that internal enemy, the flesh, Notice, after referring 
to Satan and of the world, it says, "...the prevalency of corruption 
remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation. They fall into grievous sins 
and for a time continue therein." Again, it's hard not to think 
of Peter, for one, but as well for David. David continued in 
a time in particular patterns of sin and rebellion against 
God Almighty. So when it comes to this particular 
one, we may have it such that the devil leaves us alone for 
a day. We may, you know, be withdrawn from all of the negative impacts 
of the world for a day, but we don't get away from our flesh. 
You say, well, I want to stop sinning, so I'm going to fly 
to the moon. Well, the problem is, is that 
you bring yourself to the moon. So it's the prevalency of the 
corruption remaining in them that at times presents one of 
the most difficult challenges to perseverance in the grace 
of God. Turn to the book of Romans, Romans 
chapter 7. Now, there are competing views 
on what's going on here with reference to Paul. I take the 
position that Paul is describing remaining corruption. Some suggest 
it's Paul prior to conversion. I think it's Paul as a converted 
man struggling with that reality that there remains in his flesh 
corruption. And notice in Romans 7, 13, has 
then what is good become death to me? Certainly not. But sin, 
that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through 
what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become 
exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, 
but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing I do not 
understand. For what I will to do, that I 
do not practice. But what I hate, that I do. If 
then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that 
it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that 
dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is 
in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For the will is present with 
me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good 
that I will to do, I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, 
that I practice. Now, if I do what I will not 
to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in 
me." Now, I'm not going to lie to you. This is a densely packed 
piece of theology that isn't absolutely positively clear at 
a cursory reading of it. I think it certainly demands 
a further investigation exegetically, but I think the overarching theme 
is that Paul, as a believer, still has within him this principle 
of remaining corruption. And then notice in verse 21, 
I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who 
wills to do good. When does he find that law? When 
he wills to do good. When he's not willing to do good, 
it doesn't suggest itself, but it's at those times when he wills 
to do good that he finds this law that evil is present with 
him. He says, I delight in the law of God according to the inward 
man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the 
law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of 
sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who 
will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve 
the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. And then 
you can turn to the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 5. Again, the 
same principle is highlighted, the remaining corruption that 
we have. So we've got the devil, we've 
got the world, and we've got our flesh. Notice in Galatians 
5, 16, I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill 
the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the 
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary 
to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 
So there is this struggle. There is this enmity inside. 
There is the flesh against the spirit, and the spirit against 
the flesh. These are contrary to one another. So back to the 
confession, it highlights the external threat of the devil 
and the world, but then that internal threat of the remaining 
corruption within the people of God. And then notice as well, 
after stating the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, 
and the neglect of the means of their preservation. which 
is a sin, neglecting the means of one's preservation, that's 
not a good thing. When we ask the question, what 
are the means of their preservation? We call these the means of grace. The confession speaks to various 
means of grace. Just look at chapter 14, for 
instance, in paragraph 1. It says, The grace of faith, 
whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their 
souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and 
here are the means, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the 
Word, by which also, and by the administration of baptism, and 
the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, 
it is increased and strengthened. And then 22.5, with reference 
to religious worship and the Sabbath day. Notice, it specifically 
addresses those things we do in terms of religious worship 
in chapter 22, paragraph 5. So these are means. The reading 
of the Scriptures, preaching and hearing the Word of God, 
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and 
spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, 
as also the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper, 
are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience 
to Him with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear. Moreover, 
solemn humiliation with fastings and thanksgivings upon special 
occasions ought to be used in a holy and religious manner." 
So back to our paragraph. It says, the prevalency of corruption 
remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation. 
In other words, the preservation of the saints is largely dependent 
upon the means that God has given for the preservation of the saints. 
In other words, if we don't eat properly and we don't exercise, 
we're not going to be physically well. If we don't use the means 
that God's ordained with reference to spiritual exercise, we're 
not going to be well. Very often, persons find themselves 
in great straits or difficulty because they neglect the use 
of the means. Now, these aren't difficult things. It's not like God is saying, 
okay, I need you to go sit up on top of Mount Shaman and there, 
give up food for 40 nights, and that'll really further your perseverance 
in grace. No, show up at church. Read your 
Bible. Pray. Come to the Bible study 
on a Wednesday night. Those things that are calculated 
by God to promote health and strength in our souls. Again, 
it's pretty easy. It's not really difficult that 
if we want to be spiritually healthy, we have to use the means 
that God has given for spiritual health. And so one of the assaults 
upon the people of God in terms of their perseverance after the 
external threat of Satan in the world is their own prevalency 
of corruption remaining in them in the neglect of the means of 
their preservation. And more often than not, that 
provides the context for these false, indegrevious sins. When David is up on that roof 
and he's spying on Bathsheba, it's not the case that he's singing 
psalms, it's not the case that he's hearing preaching, it's 
not the case that he's availing himself of the means that God's 
ordained for his spiritual benefit. No, the prevalency of his own 
corruption that remains in him, the neglect of the means of his 
preservation, he fell into grievous sins. And I would imagine if, 
and I don't want you to do this, you know, don't share, this isn't 
share time, but if you look back in your own history, at times 
you were in a spiritual slump, or at times where it seemed like 
you weren't doing that well, it's probably not magic in terms 
of being able to identify what the problems were. Well, I wasn't 
going to church, I wasn't reading my Bible, I was a lot less careful 
in terms of how I lived. And as a result of that, I fell 
into serious and grievous sin. Again, it's usually not a surprise. It's not something like, I can't 
believe that that would have ever happened in light of the 
context that I created for myself. So the confession underscores 
these particular assaults that can occur against the people 
of God with reference to their perseverance, with reference 
to their going through in the fear of God to the very end. 
And then it tells us the effects of these particular assaults. 
Notice, after they, for a time, continue therein, about the middle 
of the paragraph, we see whereby they incur God's displeasure 
and grieve His Holy Spirit. Turn to Ephesians 4, Ephesians 
chapter 4. We see that specifically as Paul 
instructs the church there in Ephesus. In Ephesians Well, let's 
see 429. I always find it intriguing that 
this particular statement, verse 30, is not surrounded by the 
sins that we think are more commonly calculated to grieve the Spirit. If I asked you, what grieves 
the Spirit? Well, if I went out and committed adultery. If I, 
like David, committed adultery and then murder to hide it or 
to cover it up. Or I, like Peter, denied my Lord. You know, there's these sort 
of big sins that we think are absolutely calculated to grieve 
the Spirit. But note the context. Verse 31, 
let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be 
put away from you. with all malice, and be kind 
to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as 
God in Christ forgave you." So in other words, what is connected 
to verse 30 in terms of the grieving of the spirit are sins of the 
tongue, sins of the heart. the bitterness that oftentimes 
floods our hearts, the clamor, the anger, the evil speaking. 
It's those things that grieve the Spirit of God. Those are 
grievous sins, just like committing adultery and then murder to cover 
it up. So we need to appreciate that 
the Spirit of God is grieved by our conduct when it comes 
to our horizontal relationships. If we speak ill to one another, 
if we engage in the kinds of things that Paul condemns in 
this passage of Scripture, we are setting ourselves up to grieve 
the Holy Spirit of God. So it says, "...whereby they 
incur God's displeasure." Remember this. This is, you know, something 
that we need to take into consideration. Sin has its consequences, even 
for the believer. And we're going to see that in 
just a moment. Not that the believer stops being a believer. Not that 
God cuts off his blood-bought children. Not that God stops 
loving them, or God disenfranchises them. If they are truly His, 
Though they commit grievous sin, there will nevertheless be consequences 
associated with that particular sin. And we can see that through, 
you know, not just Scripture, but experience teaches us that. 
And then notice it says, come to have their graces and comforts 
impaired. Same sort of a situation. If 
you're not taking care of your body physically, you're not gonna 
feel well physically. If you're not taking care of 
your soul, if you're not using the means calculated to promote 
your health, you're not gonna have that comfort and that joy, 
and you're gonna have your graces and your comforts impaired. Notice 
it goes on to say, have their hearts hearted. How else do you 
describe David? I mean, David, he writes about 
it in the Psalms. When I kept silent about my sin, 
my bones groaned, they ached. I was physically suffering as 
a result of the sin I had engaged in. And then notice, hurt and 
scandalize others and bring temporal judgments upon themselves. So this is the fruit of allowing 
the prevalency of our corruption that remains in us to get the 
upper hand. And we allow it to get the upper 
hand by the neglect of the means of our preservation. And when 
we do that, it's a recipe for disaster and we fall into grievous 
sins. Now, turn back to 2 Samuel 12, 
where I think you see on full display everything in this particular 
paragraph in terms of the effects or the consequences of sin against 
God. So notice, let's just review, 
whereby they incur God's displeasure, they grieve His Holy Spirit, 
they come to have their graces and comforts impaired, they have 
their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded. They hurt 
and scandalize others and bring temporal judgments upon themselves. Well, you remember 2 Samuel 11, 
it's the time when kings went out to battle. David sent Joab. David should have went. Had David 
gone, this is a great argument for doing what you're supposed 
to do. I know I don't want to moralize this passage of Scripture, 
but if you think about it, had David just gone into battle, 
he wouldn't have put himself up on that roof, he wouldn't 
have seen Bathsheba, and then those dominoes wouldn't have 
fallen. But, of course, David did go up on that roof, he looked 
upon Bathsheba, he lost it after her, he took her, he lay with 
her, and he impregnated her. So then, what does he do to cover 
up his adultery? He calls Uriah the Hittite in 
from the field of battle and wants to have him lay with his 
wife, so when she's found out to be pregnant, everybody will 
assume that it was Uriah and not David. Problem with his plan 
is that Uriah had integrity. Uriah wasn't going to lie with 
his wife while the Ark of the Covenant was out in the field 
of battle, while Joab and the other Israelites were fighting. 
So Uriah was an honorable man. So what does David do? He plies 
him with alcohol. He still doesn't lie with his 
wife. So what happens then? He has him sent to the hottest 
part of the battle, and there he's dead. There he has him killed. 
And so when we see this, we know that she's pregnant, we know 
that the period of gestation has passed in terms of 2 Samuel 
11 and 12. This is where I think you find 
some of those statements where he speaks about keeping silent 
about his sin. There was a period of time for 
David when he was not acting like the man after God's own 
heart. He was acting like a thug. He was using his position, and 
he used it to exploit weak people. He used it to exploit Bathsheba, 
and obviously, Uriah. So, of course, 2 Samuel 12, verse 
1, then the Lord sent Nathan to David. Because David was a 
true believer, because David was, in fact, a man of God, verse 
1 is in chapter 12. Then the Lord sent Nathan to 
David. The Lord hadn't been mentioned 
in chapter 11 except at the end of verse 27. But the thing that 
David had done displeased the Lord. It was evil in Yahweh's 
eyes. So 12.1 is an act of God's grace. When you're found out in your 
sin, the typical response is defensiveness. The typical response 
is to attack those who find you out, but a moment's reflection 
ought to show you that the fact that God is going after you in 
your sin to recover you illustrates His grace, illustrates His preservation 
with reference to our perseverance. So the Lord sent Nathan to David, 
and of course Nathan gave him the story. And he gets David's, 
you know, anger at a fever pitch. And then Nathan says, Thou art 
the man. Notice in verse 7, Then Nathan 
said to David, You are the man. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 
I anointed you king over Israel. I delivered you from the hand 
of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives 
into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. 
And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much 
more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord to do 
evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite 
with the sword. You have taken his wife to be 
your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people 
of Ammon. Now listen, Now therefore the sword shall never depart 
from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken 
the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the 
Lord, Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your 
own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give 
them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in 
the sight of the sun. For you did it secretly, but 
I will do this thing before all Israel before the sun. So David 
said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan 
said to David, the Lord also has put away your sin, you shall 
not die. However, because by this deed 
you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to 
blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die. 
Then Nathan departed to his house. So there's a lot going on here 
and in the subsequent chapters to illustrate that what God promises 
here in terms of consequences for David's sin as a believer 
would nevertheless have an impact upon him. But first, notice verse 
14, "...however, because by this deed you have given great occasion 
to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who 
is born to you shall surely die." When we fall into grievous sins 
because we haven't used the means and we've let the prevalency 
of our corruption remaining in us gain the upper hand, We are 
giving cause to the enemies of God Most High to blaspheme His 
great and awesome name. That ought to be an impetus for 
us to not do that. But then in terms of verse 10, 
the sword shall never depart from your house because you have 
despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to 
be your wife. Chapter 13, Amnon and Tamar. Amnon rapes Tamar. What happens 
then? Absalom murders Amnon. This is all happening in David's 
house. The sword doesn't depart from his house. There's temporal 
consequences for what David did. And then not only does Absalom 
kill or murder Amnon, what does Absalom ultimately do? He usurps 
the kingdom. He plays the people, he stands 
at the gates, and he's shocking and jiving, and he wins Israel 
over to himself. He usurps, he takes the kingdom 
away from his own father. And if you look specifically 
at that statement in verse 12, or chapter 12, verse 11, thus 
says the Lord, behold, I will raise up adversity against you 
from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, 
and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives 
in the sight of this son, for you did it secretly, but I will 
do this thing before all Israel, before the sun. This happens 
specifically in chapter 16. Remember the situation. So Absalom 
launches this usurpation of the crown and basically collects 
a bunch of Israelites to come and follow him. Well, what if 
he says, you know, I was just kidding everybody. I'm actually, 
you know, submissive to my father. You'd had a bunch of traitors 
identifiable amongst the ranks in Israel. You get the point? If I'm Absalom and I get you 
to follow me, and then I say, ah, I'm not really disloyal to 
my father. I've identified you as disloyal 
to my father. So note the counsel that is given 
by Ahithophel in chapter 16, specifically at verse 20. Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, 
give advice as to what we should do. And Ahithophel said to Absalom, 
go into your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the 
house, and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your 
father. So if Absalom does this, it's obvious he's disloyal to 
David. Right? This will convey to the 
Israelites that follow Absalom that this isn't a sham, this 
isn't a fake, this is a real breach in the kingdom, and we 
should go ahead and follow Absalom. Then the hands of all who are 
with you will be strong. So they pitched a tent for Absalom 
on the top of the house, and Absalom went into his father's 
concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now the advice of Ahithophel, 
which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at 
the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel, 
both with David and with Absalom. The point is, is that all that 
our confession says happens when a godly man falls. It says they 
incur God's displeasure, grieve His Holy Spirit, come to have 
their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened and 
their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring 
temporal judgments upon themselves. That's precisely David's life 
when he has that sinful escapade that involves Bathsheba and then 
covers it up by murdering Uriah the Hittite. And then, of course, 
with Peter. I mentioned David and Peter. 
Again, there's others in our Bible. There's others in our 
history that we can speak to. Do you think that Peter was feeling 
those comforts of grace after he denies his Lord? No, when 
Jesus looks at him, we see that Peter goes out and he weeps bitterly. 
He's affected. He's hurt. He does what Jesus 
had told him that he was going to do, and he denied that he 
was going to do it. And then he denies Jesus in the 
exact manner that the Lord had warned him about. So the effects 
of sin, the consequences of sin, are real for believers. Now, I'm not suggesting, again, 
that God cuts off a genuine believer. That cannot be. He who begins 
a good work and you will complete it unto the day of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. But the sins that believers commit 
are oftentimes riddled with the sorts of things that we find 
here in chapter 17 at paragraph 3. So I guess the point is that 
we need to resist the devil. That's the instruction with reference 
to the devil. Resist him and he will flee from 
you. And then we need to resist the 
world. Now we're in the world, but we're not supposed to be 
of the world. And it's hard at times to know what's worldly 
and what isn't. I think the old fundamentalist 
sort of a thing, don't drink, don't chew, and don't run with 
girls who do, kind of gives you an overarching approach, but 
it's not always that simple. When Paul says, do not be conformed 
to this world, I'm not sure that he's got necessarily dancing 
and smoking and drinking and those sorts of things that we 
typically associate as worldliness. It's thinking contrary to God. It's adopting a mindset that 
is the antithesis to God. Do not be conformed to the world. 
In other words, don't think like the world, think rather the way 
God commands you in His Word. In other words, make much of 
Scripture and get it in you, be transformed by the renewing 
of your mind. So we need to resist the devil, 
we need to resist the various enticements of this world, and 
we need to deal with our remaining corruption, the prevalency of 
corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means 
of their preservation. These two go hand-in-hand. The 
prevalency of corruption seizes upon the neglect of the means. It is the means, again, not always 
employed, do they always provide an absolute bulwark against the 
prevalency of the flesh or the corruption of the flesh, but 
it certainly helps You're not doing yourself any favor by missing 
church. You're not doing yourself any 
favor by missing your Bible reading. You're not doing yourself any 
favor by not praying. These are means of preservation 
for God's blessing so that we may indeed arrive happily and 
joyfully and comfortably at the end. And then the chapter ends 
on a high note. Notice, yet they shall renew 
their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus 
to the end. Now the language, yet they shall 
renew their repentance, God does this. I cannot stress this enough. that it's God who is at work 
in us, both to will and to do, according to his good pleasure. 
That's Philippians 2, 12 and 13, by the way. I think that's 
a very helpful passage to internalize or to meditate upon. Philippians 
2, 12, therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not 
as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work 
out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work out, not 
work for. You can only work out what God 
has conveyed to you graciously. So work out your own salvation, 
notice, with fear and trembling, and then the reason for it is 
God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. So this renewal of repentance 
is by God's grace. In fact, look back at chapter 
15. Chapter 15 in the Confession of Faith. Specifically at paragraph 3, 
notice this saving repentance is an evangelical grace. That 
means it's given to us by God. Where does the Bible teach that 
repentance is a gift? Turn to Acts 5. Excuse me, Acts 
chapter 5. I just want to make sure we're 
clear on this because that last statement where it says, yet 
shall they renew their repentance. We need to make sure we see this 
as an act of God's grace in our lives. Notice in Acts 5.31, him 
God has exalted to his right hand to be prince and savior, 
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. You 
can turn to chapter 11. Acts chapter 11, Peter's report 
concerning the conversion of Cornelius and his household. 
He gives this in Jerusalem to tell them what's going on in 
terms of Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God. 
Notice in 11-18, when they heard these things, they became silent 
and they glorified God, saying, then God has also granted to 
the Gentiles repentance to life. And then turn to 2 Timothy chapter 
2. 2 Timothy 2, I just want us to 
see and appreciate that repentance itself is an evangelical grace. It's a gift given by God. So notice in 2 Timothy 2, beginning 
in verse 22, flee also youthful lusts. That's great encouragement 
in terms of perseverance. That's not the point that I'm 
looking at specifically, but that is relative to our situation. Flee also youthful lusts. Perseverance means to flee from 
those things which are pitfalls in our Christian life. Pursue 
righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord 
out of a pure heart, but avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, 
knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must 
not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 
in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God 
perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 
and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of 
the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." 
Just so we're clear on that, repentance is an evangelical 
grace. So when our confession at chapter 
17 says, yet shall they renew their repentance, that's because 
God is at work in them both to will and to do according to his 
good pleasure. So chapter 15, paragraph 3, this 
saving repentance is in evangelical grace. And then drop down to 
paragraph 5. Such is the provision which God 
hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace for the preservation 
of believers unto salvation, that although there is no sin 
so small but it deserves damnation, Yet there is no sin so great 
that it shall bring damnation on them that repent, which makes 
the constant preaching of repentance necessary. In other words, there 
is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. If you 
think or you ask somebody, go down the street and say to somebody, 
are you a sinner? They'll probably say, yeah, I'm 
not as good as I ought to be, but I've never killed anybody 
and I've never committed adultery. I remember as a papist, as a 
young papist, that was my response to why I didn't think I should 
go to hell. I've never killed anybody and 
I've never committed adultery. Well, isn't it intriguing that 
David killed somebody and committed adultery? What do you think the 
David narrative, at least partly, is designed to show? What he 
says in Psalm 130, verse 4, "...there is forgiveness with thee, that 
thou mayest be feared." The reality is, is that God's grace is bountiful. God's grace is sufficient, and 
God's grace is present for those whom He's justified. So the end 
of paragraph 3, yet they shall renew their repentance and be 
preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end, attaches us 
back to paragraph 2. This perseverance of the saints 
depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability 
of the decree of election. flowing from the free and unchangeable 
love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and 
intercession of Jesus Christ, and union with Him, the oath 
of God, the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them, 
and the nature of the covenant of grace, from all which ariseth 
also the certainty and infallibility thereof." So with reference to 
the doctrine The reality is that those whom God affectionately 
calls, those whom He justifies, those whom He sanctifies, those 
whom He has, by grace, preserved, they will persevere to the very 
end. It's built in to the plan of 
salvation. As well, the believer does not 
persevere because of his free will. Now, we certainly have 
to trust in the Lord Jesus, we have to use the means that God's 
ordained, but ultimately it's preservation by God's grace that 
is foundational for the perseverance of the saints. But then the last 
thing that I want to observe with reference to this chapter, 
it's something that I've said over and over again in our studies 
through the Confession of Faith. It is a genuinely practical document. It highlights the challenges. 
It doesn't just throw doctrine out there as some sort of a doctrine 
machine. Okay, here's all the theory, 
here's all the doctrine, now just go do with it what you will. 
It underscores the challenges faced by the people of God. And 
it does so with language that I think is far more honest, and 
far more real, and far more brutal than you'll find in a lot of 
Christian authors in our own generation. It underscores the 
devil, the world, and our own flesh are real foes, and they 
try to mount up against us to stop us from persevering. They 
don't want us to make it to the very end. And yet God, in His 
grace, will grant us that grace to persevere to the end. So the 
doctrine does teach that though this world with devils filled 
should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed 
His truth to triumph through us. So perseverance of the saints 
is a most wonderful statement in terms of our confession of 
faith, and it is the natural outflow of the one who has begun 
a good work in us. He will complete it unto the 
day of Jesus Christ. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for that Word that 
is so beautifully summarized in our confession of faith here 
with reference to perseverance. Give us wisdom and grace as we 
navigate in this present evil age. Help us to resist the devil. Help us to not be conformed to 
this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, 
and give us grace to resist that remaining corruption. God, help 
us to put to death the deeds of the body by the spirit that 
we may live, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to make no 
provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Help us to work out 
our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is 
you who is at work in us, both to will and to do according to 
your good pleasure. We thank you for your gospel. 
We thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for that 
communion that we have with you and with one another in the means 
or in the context of the local church. Help us to prize and 
to use these means that you've ordained for our good. And we 
pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, any questions or 
comments on chapter 17? So I just noticed the Westminster 
Confession doesn't include that last phrase. Can a believer die 
and see no repentance of sin? Well, that's an interesting question. The fact is that a believer if he dies in a state of unrepentance? God, in His grace and in His 
wisdom, has orchestrated it in such a way that a David will 
repent, a Peter will repent, the people of God will repent. 
For those occasions where somebody is cut off in the midst of a 
sin and they die, we trust in God's grace, we trust in His 
provision. I would argue at times God kills 
people to deliver them from very difficult struggles and battles 
with sin. Oh, I thought you had your hand 
up over there. They could have been following 
Savoy, but I'd have to look. So there are times where the 
2nd London leads on Savoy. For the most part Savoy and 2nd 
London follow Westminster, but a few places along the way Savoy 
will add something, or sometimes the Baptists will just add something. 
And I think that's a good addition there. I think that it ends the 
chapter on a positive note versus this temporal judgment upon myself. It's nice to know and to be reminded. 
And again, I think that that last statement there, yet they 
shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith 
in Christ Jesus to the end. It's a biblical statement. It's 
certainly a confessional statement. So I think it's a good place 
to end. I would suggest that's a helpful addition there. Okay, all right, so the Baptists 
are flying solo there. All right, all good.