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Well, good evening to all of 
you. Concerning your Bibles to Romans chapter 8, please. Romans 
chapter 8. And you can direct your finger 
to verse 28. That's where we will start and 
we'll read to the end of the chapter. We're going to use, 
not in the sense of ungratefully using God's word, but use this 
text as a launching pad to speak about the doctrine of perseverance. Romans 8, 28, beginning at verse 
28, And we know that all things work together for good to those 
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to 
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among 
many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, 
these he also called. Whom he called, these he also 
justified. And whom he justified, these 
he also glorified. What then shall we say to these 
things? If God is for us, who can be 
against us? He who spared, excuse me, he 
who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, 
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who 
shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is He who condemns? It is 
Christ who died and furthermore is also risen. Who is even at 
the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us? Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation 
or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril 
or sword? As it is written, for your sake 
we are killed all day long we are accounted as sheep for the 
slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through 
him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither 
death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor 
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, 
nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the 
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Well, let's pray. Father, we 
thank you that we can gather again for a reading and a hearing 
of your holy word. We pray, Father, that you would 
be with us, that you would send yet again the ministry of your 
Holy Spirit. You'd help the preacher, that 
you'd help the hearer, God. We just pray that we would glorify 
you in the preaching and in the hearing of your word tonight. 
And Lord God, again, that we would act in accordance with 
it. And we thank you for this text, for what it speaks regarding 
your love, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. and for our safe 
protection, not because of us, but because of your perfect plan 
and your perfect salvation, which is unto your glory. We pray that 
you'd be with us now in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Amen. Well, a wonderful portion 
of Holy Scripture, one that we've certainly considered before, 
but we're going to look at it again because it's always good 
to glory in those precious doctrines that we hold dear. That's the 
one tonight being that we will consider the doctrine of perseverance, 
which, believe it or not, is a doctrine that is attacked by 
those within the walls of Christendom, so-called. Now, I was reminded 
as I was preparing a sermon tonight, and I'm going to try and tie 
it in because I was reminded while I was preparing the sermon, 
but I was putting I was putting my daughter Marissa to bed a 
number of months ago. It might be over a year now. 
And she wasn't able to sleep. And fathers try and comfort their 
daughters with things to get them to sleep. Sometimes we'll 
tell them to do particular things we had already prayed. And I 
asked her one time, because she came out and said, I can't sleep. 
Well, I tried to pull the old trick of getting her to count 
sheep jumping over the fence. And I said, well, sweetie, why 
don't you try and count sheep jumping over a fence? And she 
said, well, I've tried that before, daddy, but they never make it. 
In other words, they keep hitting the fence in her imaginations. 
They weren't able to make it because they kept hitting the 
fence. No sheep making it over. And I thought, as I was preparing 
a sermon on perseverance, it's a blessed reality that God's 
sheep, His people, actually do make it over the fence. Not because 
of their own power, not because of their own leaping strength, 
but because the Great Shepherd carries them over the fence to 
the Promised Land. It is a blessed reality that 
God's sheep don't hit the fence. Well, again, children will often 
ask or often need their father's comfort, their father's words 
of safety or their words of kindness in order to give them nocturnal 
safety, that all things are well when they rest their pillow at 
night. We'll pray to them. We'll read them perhaps a psalm. I know one of Hannah's favorite 
psalms when she was young was Psalm 4, verse 8, I will both 
lie down in peace and sleep. For you alone, O Lord, make me 
to dwell in safety." So we'll try and help them and we'll try 
and direct them or mount up things as evidences as to why things 
are safe for them. The doors are locked. The windows 
are shut and locked. Your mummy and daddy are here. 
God is watching over his people. So we'll mount up evidences. 
And with regards to perseverance, if we were to have a conversation 
with our Holy Father, If we were to have a conversation with our 
Heavenly Father and we were to ask Him, how, Father, are we 
eternally safe? Where does our eternal safety 
lie? Perhaps He would point to his 
word, Romans 8.30, Moreover, whom I predestined, these I also 
called. Whom I called, these I also justified. And whom I justified, these I 
also glorified." To change the language for a point. Perhaps 
he would direct us to that wonderful language of love in verses 38 
to 39. For I am persuaded that neither 
death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers nor 
things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor 
any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the 
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is a safe 
place to go for the Christian to rest his head upon a pillow 
of perseverance, of assurance, of hope. directing his attention 
away from looking inwardly at the workings of the Holy Spirit 
upon his heart, but rather looking objectively at the working of 
God in salvation, the objective realities of predestination, 
calling, justification and glorification, and all those blessed things 
that lie in between that skeletal matrix of salvation. Well, we're 
going to look at what is perseverance and what does our perseverance 
depend upon tonight? First off, what is perseverance? Well, our confession speaks of 
perseverance similar to these words. Those that God affectionately 
calls, justifies and sanctifies by his spirit do not totally 
or finally fall away, but shall certainly persevere to the end 
and be eternally saved. That's a paraphrase of our confession, 
speaking in chapter 17. True Christians are kept by the 
power of God unto salvation, unto that great day of salvation. We're written on the palm of 
his hands. We're engraven on the palm of 
his hands. And we are written in the book of life, the book 
of life from all eternity. So, what is perseverance again? 
It is that Christians do not totally, or finally, true Christians 
do not totally, or finally, fall away from the faith, but will 
be eternally saved. Now, unfortunately, this doctrine 
is attacked by those who would call themselves Christian, those 
who profess faith in Christ, attack this doctrine of the perseverance 
of the saints. And I'm convinced that for some 
of them it's because of a misunderstanding of what perseverance actually 
means. They'll often say, well, you 
Christians who believe in that doctrine, you're puffed up in 
your own Christianity. You think by your own strength 
that you can walk yourself into everlasting life and keep yourself 
preserved. Of course, that's not what we're 
arguing. We don't point the finger at us and say perseverance of 
the saints. we point our fingers to God in 
an honorable way, in a respectful way, and say, Perseverance of 
the Saints. It is God who keeps us, it is 
God who preserves, it is God who protects. But just briefly, 
before we get to what our perseverance depends upon, a couple things 
that they'll use to attack the doctrine. They'll say, what about 
biblical admonition, asking or exhorting, commanding Christians 
to persevere unto the end. Why, if perseverance is certain, 
must it be the case that the apostles have to admonish Christians 
to persevere? That's a valid question. What 
are the apostles doing when they are exhorting Christians to persevere? 
Well, just like God has an end And with regards to salvation, 
just like our Lord has an end, the salvation of His people unto 
the praise of His glory, He has a means to bring about that particular 
end. One of the means unto salvation 
is the preaching of the Word. People are saved by the Word 
that is preached, by the Spirit attending in His power to it. But also with regards to the 
perseverance of those who are saved, the means unto the end 
of that perseverance is throughout their life they are exhorted 
by the Word of God and by God unto that particular end. And 
a perfect example of this, if you can turn there quickly, is 
in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 27. It's a wonderful 
example, and it's a picture of perseverance of the saints, and 
that there is a particular end in view, but nevertheless, a 
preaching of a means that needs to be participated in by the 
people the situation touches. This is the storm on the sea. that Paul and all of his compatriots 
and fellow travelers are caught up in. Look at verse 22. Just 
think in context, the tempest, the storm, things are chaotic. Verse 22 of Acts chapter 27. 
And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of 
life among you, but only of the ship. Verse 24, Do not be afraid, 
Paul, you must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted 
you all those who sail with you. Verse 34, Therefore I urge you 
to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not 
a hair will fall from the head of any of you. So there is a 
declaration of the certainty of salvation, in quotes, of the 
fact that none of these would lose their lives. Well, look 
at verse 31. Paul said to the centurion and 
the soldiers, unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot 
be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the 
ropes and the skiff and let it fall off. Do you get what's going 
on here? Paul has already been promised 
by God that none of these would be lost, that no loss of life 
would be among you. But nevertheless, Paul goes about 
the means of exhortation. He says, unless these men stay 
in the ship, you cannot be saved. This is a picture of why or of 
apostolic admonition. The apostles, the Christian knows 
the perseverance of the saints. They know that God, that Jesus 
Christ keeps us unto that day of salvation with sovereign and 
with high protection. Nevertheless, we will say, ensure 
that you walk and you conduct yourselves in a manner worthy 
of the gospel of Christ. we will ensure that the admonition 
goes forth that unless you persevere unto the end, you will not be 
saved, knowing that God preserves his people, but nevertheless 
requires an active preaching of the means that work out unto 
that particular end. So biblical admonition is perfectly 
consistent with the perseverance of the saints, but also there 
are those texts that seem to affirm that Christians can or 
have fallen away from the faith. Turn to Hebrews 6 for a moment 
and then we'll move on to a brief survey of the grounds of our 
perseverance. Hebrews chapter 6 at verse 4. For it is impossible for those 
who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift 
and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted 
the good word of God and the powers of the age to come if 
they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they 
crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to 
an open shame. For the earth, which drinks in 
the rain that often comes upon it and bears herbs useful for 
those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God. But 
if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being 
cursed, whose end is to be burned." So, we would come to a passage 
like this, or those who would oppose our sacred doctrine of 
the perseverance of the saints will come to a passage like this, 
already neglecting, of course, John chapter 10, 25 to 29, already 
neglecting all of those benedictory addresses by the apostles that 
say God keeps us. All those greetings that say 
that God keeps us unto the day of salvation, that we're sealed 
by the Holy Spirit, etc. They'll come here and they'll 
say, well, here you go. Here is a proof text of the fact 
that Christians have or can fall away from saving grace. But it's 
very interesting the language that we have right after that. 
But beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you. 
We are confident of better things concerning you, the brethren. 
those who are actual Christians. Yes, things that accompany salvation, 
though we speak in this manner. Now, what's going on here is 
that, of course, the apostle here is dealing with those who 
we're rolling with, who we're in the company of, the actual 
New Covenant believers. They were those who perhaps came 
to church, they came to the gatherings of the Christians, they were 
under the preaching of the Word, they tasted the heavenly gift, 
they were partakers of the Holy Spirit, not insofar as that salvific 
sealing, but rather in the context of of that, you know, a common 
grace environment where they're gathered together with the people 
of God, where they can hear the preaching of the minister, where 
they are the recipients of the hospitality of the saints and 
of good conversation and all of those sorts of godly things 
that come along with the Christian life. But nevertheless, they 
would be of those that John speaks of in his first epistle. Remember, 
John drives something of a of a nail into the coffin of any 
doctrine that would say that Christians do not persevere. 
1 John 2.19 They went out from us, but they were not of us. 
For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. 
But they went out, that they might be made manifest, that 
none of them were of us. God, by the Apostle, couldn't 
have been more clear that those who are apostate were never Christians 
to begin with. And so Hebrews chapter 6 verses 
4 to 8 cannot be teaching that Christians can fall away because 
of the rest of Hebrews, but also because, of course, of the immediate 
context. But beloved, we are confident 
of better things concerning you, those who are believed, those 
who do not go out from us because you are of us. Moving on, then, 
to what our perseverance depends upon. First off, a negative statement, 
what it does not depend upon. Our Confession says, chapter 
17, paragraph 2, our perseverance does not depend upon our own 
free will. So our perseverance, any tax 
against us, are very often based upon that, that we keep ourselves, 
by our strength, in in perseverance, or in salvation, or in the walk 
of everlasting life. Well, no, perseverance does not 
depend upon our own free will. It is not of him who wills, nor 
of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. That's where the 
plan comes from, that's where the strength comes from, that's 
where the sustaining power comes from. John 6.44, of course, no 
man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." 
So not only does our entering into, our coming to salvation, 
our coming to Christ not depend upon our own free will, neither 
does our keeping in the faith, our keeping in Christ Jesus. Now, of course, just a very brief 
distinction is always good with regards to free will. We're not 
attacking the notion of free agency that man doesn't choose. 
Man does go through the actions of actually choosing particular 
things. I might choose Wheaties over 
life for my cereal in the morning. We're not denying that man has 
an agency whereby he can go about cognitive actions of learning 
and choosing particular things. We deny a free will that says 
that man's actions are not in bondage to a particular nature. 
Martin Luther wrote a wonderful work called The Bondage of the 
Will. Oh, we have a will, but it is 
in bondage to our ethical disposition. It's in bondage to our nature. That's what we read in the Holy 
Scriptures when we read such passages, like in Jeremiah, where 
he says, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its 
fox? Well, then let you who are accustomed 
to doing evil do good. The hearts of men are wicked. 
They do evil continually. Madness is in them, and they 
are mad until they die. There is that perpetuity of our 
nature. Unless amazing grace touches 
us, unless victorious grace touches us, unless God removes that heart 
of stone and puts in it a heart of flesh that beats and wills 
rightly, then we will not ever choose for God. We will not ever 
choose for Christ. A wonderful picture, and I'm 
modifying a little bit, but a wonderful picture is if you think about 
this idea of bondage to our nature. You take a carnivorous animal 
like a mountain lion. You won't find many mountain 
lions prancing in cabbage fields or hunting lettuce. or going 
to pray after carrots. Why? Because their fancies, their 
will is dictated by their nature. They're meat eaters. You throw 
a cabbage at a mountain lion, it's going to bat it out of the 
way and it's going to come and pounce on you. It wants meat. Sorry to scare the children here, 
but always run away from a mountain lion or don't go near them. But 
mountain lions, if you went to feed it a cabbage, no. It's not 
going to take it. It's going to wait for the meat. 
It's going to go after the meat. Well, so the sinner, the sinner 
is like the puma and the cabbage is. I don't want to compare Christ 
to cabbage, but the sinner is like the mountain lion. He will 
not. He will not take Christ because 
Christ is opposed to his nature, to his disposition. He hates 
the things of Christ. The one who is dead in his trespasses 
and sins hates Christ, wants nothing to do with his people, 
wants nothing to do with this church. But the one redeemed 
by grace, the one redeemed by amazing grace, works after his 
nature also. It is his nature that he is in 
bondage to Christ. He is a slave to righteousness. He is a slave to his master, 
the Lord Jesus, and he acts according to his nature. He chooses Christ. He's not going to take the pig 
slop and the nastiness of sin he works in accordance or he 
operates in accordance with his new will that is aligned to the 
wishes and the commands of our Savior, his Savior, in his glorious 
gospel. It does not, of course, depend 
upon our own free will, nor does staying in, getting in, or staying 
in depend upon works of righteousness which we have done. We don't 
stay in based on good deeds performed. We don't stay in based on works 
wrought in holiness of heart. It is not works that keep us 
in, although the saved and the persevering will do works that 
befit repentance. We will do works that are conducive 
with our profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
what does it then depend upon? First off, perseverance depends 
upon the certainty and immutability of God's loving and eternal plan. Our Confession says it this way, 
perseverance depends not upon our own free will, but upon the 
immutability of the decree of God flowing from the unchangeable 
love of God the Father. The immutability of the decree 
of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of 
God the Father. That's what our perseverance 
depends upon. You don't need to turn there, 
but I'm just going to read from Romans 9 for a moment, just to 
see something more of this language of God's eternal plan and what 
salvation depends upon. Romans chapter 9, certainly familiar 
to most Calvinists, one of our go-to passages in our arguments 
with the Arminian, and rightfully so, but not the only one. Romans 
9, beginning in verse 10. And not only this, but when Rebecca 
also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac, for 
the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, 
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not 
of works, but of him who calls, it was said to her, the older 
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I have loved, 
but Esau I have hated. verse 16, so then it is not of 
him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. And we read, and Pastor Butler 
referred to it last time as that golden chain of redemption, Romans 
8.30. Moreover, whom he predestined, 
these he also called, whom he called, these he also justified, 
and whom he justified, these he also glorified. Why is it 
called a golden chain of redemption? Because it's impenetrable. From 
first to last, the golden chain is impenetrable, and none are 
lost along the way. Notice from beginning to end, 
none of the people who are being saved in this glorious chain 
of redemption are lost. Moreover, whom he predestined, 
those who are predestined, these he also called. Those who were 
predestined and also called, these he also justified. Those who were predestined, called 
and justified, these he also glorified. It's not as if a body 
was started that were predestined, a few dropped off, before the 
calling, or at the point of calling, then more dropped off and were 
left with a handful at the point of glorification. No. All of 
those whom God purposed to save, will be saved, are saved, have 
been saved. It's interesting, the language 
of salvation in our Bibles is used past tense, present tense, 
and future tense. Not because the writers of Holy 
Scripture are confused, but they'll use the language of you have 
been saved, you are being saved, and you will be saved. And it's 
all part of the glorious economy of salvation, that from first 
to last, we are saved, being saved, and will be saved. And 
non-purpose to be so will be lost. So, first off, we have 
the fact that our perseverance depends upon the immutability 
of God's decree of election. And one thing, just before we 
move on to our next point, if you want to turn there, great. 
If not, that's okay, too. 2 Thessalonians 2, and it speaks 
wonderfully to this point, and very amazingly, after it sets 
forth the certainty of salvation, it gives an admonition to persevere. 
That's what's so wonderful about our Bibles. In the context of 
establishing certain perseverance, sometimes the Apostle will immediately 
say, you need to persevere. 2 Thessalonians 2.13, But we 
are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved 
by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation 
through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 
to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the 
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, Therefore, brethren, stand fast 
and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word 
or our epistle." So notice the certainty of election. From the 
beginning, God chose you for salvation through sanctification 
by the Spirit and belief in the truth. And the certainty of it 
wrapped up in the glory of Christ, to which he called you by our 
gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The perseverance of the saints, 
the fact that from beginning to end we are protected by a 
sovereign God, is unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So 
it is certain and it depends upon the immutability of God's 
decree of election. Secondly, perseverance depends 
upon the perfection of Christ's work. Our perseverance is tied 
to Christ. It's not as if the people who 
are incensed against our doctrine of perseverance are attacking 
us. That's not the issue. And Pastor 
Butler said that before from the pulpit. The issue isn't us. 
Who are they really attacking? They're attacking Christ. They're 
weakening the work of the Savior. They're diminishing, they're 
offering a defective view of Christ's saving work. That's 
what they're doing. They ought to be indicted. They 
ought to be reviewed because it's not men who are the issue. It's Christ in that case. You're 
attacking His perfect and His saving work. Hebrews chapter 
9. Hebrews chapter 9. If you want, 
you can turn there. There will be a lot of turning, 
so you don't need to. You can listen. Hebrews 9, beginning 
at verse 11, speaking about the perfection of Christ's work as 
being a foundation for perseverance. But Christ came as High Priest, 
this is verse 11 of Hebrews 9, of the good things to come, with 
the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, 
that is not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and 
calves, but with his own blood he entered the most holy place, 
once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the 
blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling 
the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, How much 
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit 
offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason 
he is the mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, 
for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that 
those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." 
Not that maybe they might receive, but the language is that they 
will receive. the eternal inheritance. And 
notice that Christ, at the end of verse 12, has obtained eternal 
redemption, not the possibility of it, not a maybe, a perhaps, 
or if all goes well, redemption. No, He has obtained eternal redemption 
for His people by the shedding of His precious blood. The saving 
work of Christ in His cross work was fully efficacious. That means 
fully powerful, or it did accomplish all that it was intended. accomplish. Christ didn't fail at the cross. 
Christ didn't make men savable at the cross. Christ died for 
them that they might perfectly inherit eternal life. He died 
perfectly so that all those whom God had given him would enter 
into eternal life on the last day. None are lost. by the saving 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only would it be an attack 
upon Christ's cross work to say that Christians can be lost, 
that those whom Christ died can be lost, but it would be an attack 
on his intercessory work. On his intercessory work. This 
is Hebrews 7 beginning at verse 20. And inasmuch as he was not 
made priest without an oath, for they have become priests 
without an oath, but he with an oath by him who said to him, 
the Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever 
according to the order of Melchizedek. By so much more, Jesus has become 
a surety of a better covenant. Also, there were many priests 
because they were prevented by death from continuing. But he, 
because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 
Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who 
come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession 
for them. That's massive. For someone who 
opposes the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints to come to that 
text and to still affirm that opposition to such a doctrine 
is to defy reason. It's to actually manifest evidence 
that they are in rebellion against the living and true God. or they're 
just in lack of understanding because you can't come to our 
Savior, the Savior of Golgotha, the Savior of having ascended 
to the right hand of the majesty on high, interceding for us and 
say that he loses his people. Christ died a perfect death for 
them, fully efficacious. And now the one who lives forever, 
the one who, as the text said, is able to save them to the uttermost, 
now always lives to make intercession for them. The sinless, perfect, 
spotless Lamb of God, who is God manifested in the flesh, 
now ascended to the right hand of the Father, does things perfectly, 
and one of those things is interceding for his people. He doesn't lose 
them. In fact, that's what he says 
in John chapter 10. My sheep hear my voice, and they follow 
me, and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them 
out of my hands. I and my Father are one. That's 
another text that it just defies reason. It baffles my mind that 
you can come to that text and then just sort of brush it off 
and say, yeah, but Christians can lose their salvation. You 
Calvinists are horrible. Boggles the mind. Christ's perfect 
salvation. Thirdly, perseverance depends 
upon the oath of God. Perseverance depends upon the 
oath of God. In fact, we sang that tonight. 
We sang that tonight. That hymn was very rich with 
the doctrine of perseverance. 582, the oath of God. His covenant, 
his blood, support me in the whelming flood. When all around 
my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. The hymn 
writer didn't just pull that out of thin air. He pulled that 
out of Hebrews chapter 6. And it's interesting, right after 
the passage that those who hate perseverance will go to, to defend 
their wretched doctrine, we have the oath of God as the grounds 
of our hope of perseverance right after it. Verse 13 of Hebrews 
6, For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could 
swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, Surely blessing 
I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you. And so after 
he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men 
indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation 
is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show 
more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of 
His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable 
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have 
strong consolation. who have fled for refuge to lay 
hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor 
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence 
behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, 
having become High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Shame on you for saying that 
Christians can lose their salvation. Shame on you. It flies in the 
face of an oath-making, promise-taking God. It flies in the face of 
our precious God, who not only promised, but not even needing 
to do so, because He's God making the promise, swears by an oath 
that He would keep that promise. It's absolutely amazing. And 
notice the hope. This hope we have as an anchor 
of the soul, both sure and steadfast. That's Christian hope. That's 
biblical Christian hope. Again, not that hope, oh, I really 
hope the Canucks will win tonight, although that's more realistic 
lately. But that's not a hope that's 
grounded in sure and steadfastness or assurity. That's not biblical 
and Christian hope. No, biblical and Christian hope 
is certain expectation that something will be brought to pass, that 
something will take place. In this case, We rest upon the 
oath of God who says that he will never lose his covenant 
people. Fifthly, or excuse me, fourthly, 
perseverance depends upon the abiding of the Holy Spirit within 
us. Just one more after this perseverance 
depends upon the abiding of the Holy Spirit within us. And you 
can turn to Second Corinthians chapter two, please. Second Corinthians, 
chapter two. Perseverance depends upon the 
abiding of the Holy Spirit within us, and I hope you notice that 
perseverance is Trinitarian. Perseverance is Trinitarian, 
Father, Son and Holy Spirit working to bring about the redemptive 
purpose perfectly unto the praise of his glory. Paul, in writing 
to the Corinthians, was speaking about the surety of the sealing 
of the Holy Spirit and tying it to the work of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. The sealing of the Holy Spirit 
is something that is, or serves rather, as the foundation of 
the Holy Spirit, as the foundation of our perseverance. And Paul 
uses the same language in Ephesians chapter 1 at verse 13. In him, 
this is still speaking of Christ, in him you also trusted, after 
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, 
in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise. Who is, Paul continues, who is 
the guarantee of our inheritance. Who is the guarantee of our inheritance. Now, notice the language here. 
It's striking. First of all, we are sealed with 
the Holy Spirit of promise. That's a certain sealing. This 
is a sealing that is done by or with the third person of the 
Blessed Trinity. This isn't just some loosey-goosey 
sealing. This is the sealing by the Holy 
Spirit, the Holy Spirit of promise, who not only we are sealed by, 
but who is also the guarantee of our inheritance. He is the 
guarantor of the fact that we will enter into everlasting life, 
that we will obtain the redemption, the purchased possession, or 
that we will have that guaranteed for us. Now, that is impenetrable. And not just before that, he 
has already written about the eternal love of God in predestination, 
in election. He has already written about 
perfect redemption by the blood of Christ. And he ends the discourse, 
or he ends the benediction, or the doxology rather, with the 
Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit's work is 
perfect. First, the Father's is sure and 
perfect. Secondly, the Son's is sure and 
perfect. And thirdly, the Holy Spirit's. is sure, and it is perfect. Just in the Bible, one of the 
things that Waldron notes in his exposition on the doctrine 
of perseverance is that in the Greek language, sealing carries 
with it three striking meanings, and they touch upon the doctrine 
of perseverance. It touches upon authenticity, 
John 6, 27, the authenticity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
Father, giving or sealing Christ Jesus and His authentic ministry. among them. Protection, Matthew 
27, 66, the language being used of the stone rolled across the 
tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was sealed, protected, and 
then possession and ownership in Revelation chapter 9 at verse 
4. So the sealing of the Holy Spirit, 
it is sure, it is perfect. It indicates authenticity, protection, 
and possession. We are God's prized possession. We are God's possession. We are 
owned by the Great King, the High King of Heaven. And fifthly, 
perseverance depends upon the nature of the covenant of grace. Perseverance depends upon the 
nature of the covenant of grace. In this case, the fullest revelation 
of the covenant of grace is the New Covenant. The New Covenant 
should never be equated directly with the covenant of grace. It 
is that point in redemptive history, or it is at a part at a particular 
point in redemptive history, that the New Covenant is ratified 
by the Lord Jesus Christ, it being a part of the Covenant 
of Grace, God's plan to save a people perfectly by Christ 
Jesus. And the nature of the Covenant 
of Grace serves as the grounds of perseverance. Jeremiah 31, 
you don't need to turn there, but the Old Covenant had a fault. That's what the writer of Hebrews 
says in Hebrews 8.7. that the first covenant wasn't 
faultless by the design of God. It's not as if God was imperfect. He established a covenant not 
knowing that it would somehow have a fault. But the first covenant 
was not faultless The new covenant is different from the old covenant. 
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make 
a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house 
of Judah. Notice the difference, not according 
to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that 
I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. 
This covenant would be different than the old one in that everyone 
in the covenant, the new covenant, would know the Lord. They would 
have the forgiveness of sins. They would have the law written 
upon their hearts and upon their minds. They would all be saved 
if we can use that language. And we can use that language. 
All in the New Covenant are saved by God. They're sealed, having 
been won, having been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ. And 
then Jeremiah 32, 40 strengthens the fact that the nature of the 
New Covenant is the grounds of our perseverance or serves as 
the grounds of our perseverance. Sorry, Jeremiah 32, 40. And I 
will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn 
away from doing them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts 
so that they will not depart from me." An old covenant, an 
Old Testament announcement that God's covenant people, His new 
covenant people, would not fall away, would not depart from Him. 
They cannot, because of the nature of the new covenant that was 
preached by Jeremiah, that was ratified by the blood of our 
precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I will make an everlasting 
covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them 
good, but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they 
will not depart from me. Blessed truth. Blessed truth. God will not depart from us. 
And by his grace, we will not depart from him. So perseverance, 
again, depends upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing 
from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father It flows 
from the perfection of Christ's perfect work, or from the perfection 
of Christ's cross work, his intercessory work. Perseverance depends upon 
the oath of God, upon the abiding of the Holy Spirit within us, 
and upon the nature of the covenant of grace. And in closing, brethren, 
a Christianity that denies perseverance is grossly defective. A Christianity 
that denies perseverance is grossly defective. Oh, that's mean. No, 
it's not. No, it's not. A preacher of such 
an abhorrent doctrine basically takes his audience by the hand 
and he takes them on a tour of the things that we just toured. 
And he said, God does not actually have an effective eternal purpose. 
That God's election is actually constrained by the will of man, 
not the other way around. That it is God who is bound by 
the decision of man and elects based upon that foreseen decision. He grabs them by the hand and 
he takes them to Golgotha and he says, that wasn't perfect. 
That wasn't perfect. Oh yeah, we love the Lord Jesus 
Christ. He died upon the cross for sinners, but it is up to 
the sinner to make it efficacious. Christ is knocking wimply on 
the door of the hearts of sinners. They need to grab, grip, turn 
with their strength and he can hobble in. They take their audience 
to Golgotha and they say Christ failed at the cross. Of course, 
they don't say that, but brethren, that is the striking and obvious 
implication. They go to Hebrew 6 and they 
say that God lies. Oh, he made a promise and he 
made an oath. We're reading that language. But what about our hope? What 
about our hope that sure and steadfast, that's the anchor 
of our soul, that was won for us by the forerunner who entered 
before us, our mediator, even Jesus Christ, the surety of a 
better covenant? They take them by the hand and 
they say, God's a liar. They take them by the hand to 
the third person of the Blessed Trinity and they say, yeah, he's 
seals, but not really. not an efficacious sealing, it's 
just some sort of contingent sealing and man by his own free 
will and works wrought by holiness of heart will somehow keep him 
in. Yeah, he's sealed, but not really. He goes to the covenant, he goes 
to the new covenant or the covenant of grace and actually most of 
those who believe against our particular doctrine They really 
don't have a proper understanding of the covenant of grace and 
of the new covenant anyway. And I don't want to be seen as 
someone, oh, you know, I've got doctrine down. I've got all my 
theological ducks in a row and I just know doctrine to a T. 
No, I'm not trying to be arrogant. But they don't have a proper 
understanding of the nature of the new covenant that God says, 
I will not depart from you, nor will you depart from me. Why? 
Because I'll put my spirit within you. I'll put my spirit within 
you. they take their audience to the 
God of the Covenant and they say he's not strong to keep it. 
And he was lying when he said that his people would persevere 
in it and that they would not depart from it. Now we ought 
to pray We ought to pray that God would give us the grace, 
that would give us the humility, even, to rebuke such preachers, 
such Christians, who would even consider such an abhorrent doctrine, 
that Christ cannot keep those who are his. We take them by 
the hand to the God of eternal decree, who eternally decrees 
based on a strong love. We take those preachers and those 
Christians, so-called, who had subscribed to such a doctrine, 
we take them to Golgotha, we take them to Calvary, to a battered 
and bloodied and beaten Savior. And we say, look upon that Christ 
and tell me if you now want to affirm a doctrine that says, 
that wasn't perfect, that failed. Tell me that now. Look upon the 
Christ who's battered and beaten and walk away reviling the doctrine 
of perseverance. It's idiocy. Jude chapter three will close 
with this doxology. Jude chapter three. There is 
only one chapter in Jude. Jude 1.24. By the way, Jude opens up this 
particular epistle by saying to those who are called sanctified 
by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. preserved in 
Jesus Christ. He ends his epistle with this 
blessed doxology. Now to him who is able to keep 
you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence 
of his glory with exceeding joy. To God, our Savior, who alone 
is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and forever. Amen. Now to him who is able 
to keep you from stumbling. Our Christ is fully able to keep 
us from stumbling. Fully able. And the passage that 
we opened up our night with, brethren, is impenetrable. Any 
Christian who comes to that, who somehow affirms in misunderstanding 
a doctrine that you can fall away from the faith, that you 
can ultimately and finally be lost, ought to fall to their 
knees and repent when they read what we closed with in the opening 
of our scripture reading. Yet in all things we are more 
than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded 
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, 
nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate 
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen and amen. If you know Christ, 
glory in the doctrine of perseverance. Don't look inwardly. Don't look 
at yourself. Remember what Pastor Butler instructed 
us not to do is look for the grounds of our perseverance on 
ourselves, on our good deeds, on our functioning in the way 
everlasting. But to look to Christ, to look 
to that one who is the surety of a better covenant. And if 
you're not Christ's, believe in him. Yeah, it's the simple 
message of the preacher kids that you've heard time and time 
again, but it's what God says in his word. and you are instructed, 
along with kings and those who are in authority, to kiss the 
Son, to kiss Christ, to obey Christ, lest He be angry and 
you perish in the way. There is that tender-hearted 
Christ who will welcome you as His own, if you believe in Him, 
if you're His. If you believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, you shall be saved and He won't be that one with heavy 
feet who will grind you to powder. Believe in Him, walk in His ways, 
love His people, and look forward to that blessed day when we will 
inherit that purchased redemption, that purchased possession, that's 
sure and steadfast. Right now, as Christians, we 
are just as saved as those who are singing the praises in Emmanuel's 
land. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 
If you're not saved, own Christ and His perseverance. If you 
are, let's pray. Let's bless the name of our Holy 
Father. God, we thank You so much for the fact of perseverance. 
We thank You, Lord God, knowing what it means that it does not 
mean or it does not depend upon our own free will or upon our 
works or upon our obedience, Lord God. Though, of course, 
we should seek and we ought to seek to do Your will, to follow 
after You, to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, But God, knowing 
that it depends upon your eternal love, your unchanging plan, the 
immutability of the decree of election, that it flows father, 
that it depends upon the perfect work of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that perfect sacrifice for sinners and that one who perfectly intercedes 
for us. We thank you, Lord God, for your 
oath, for your covenant, for your grace and for the sealing 
of the Holy Spirit. We pray, Lord God, because it 
is possible with you, Holy Father, that you would save even every 
single one in this room, that those having entered in not knowing 
you would leave singing the praises of Jesus Christ, that each and 
every one would bend a knee right now to the King of kings and 
to the Lord of lords, and that we would love him, that we would 
serve him, that we would seek to be kind and hospitable to 
his people, that we would love coming to this church where we 
get to hear of such a glorious Christ. We pray that you'd go 
with every one of us now, help us to conduct ourselves in a 
manner worthy of our glorious Christ. And it's in His name 
that we pray. Amen.