Join us as Adrian Rogers delves into the critical theme of eternal security in this enlightening episode. He explains the importance of salvation certainty and how believers can rest assured in their faith. With a focus on relevant Biblical passages, Adrian Rogers tackles common misunderstandings and provides clarity on what it truly means to be saved and secure in Jesus Christ.
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here’s Adrian Rogers.
SPEAKER 02 :
If you’re not saved and certain, then you need to get saved and certain. But if you are saved and certain, then also you’re saved, certain, and secure. And just by way of review, do you remember the eight reasons I gave you in order to help you remember why a child of God who has been twice born, that’s the only kind of child of God there is who’s been twice born, who has been regenerated, who has become a partaker of the divine nature, I gave you eight reasons why someone like this can never ever again be a lost soul. And I told you it’s so very important to your spiritual equilibrium, that you know, thank God, you are saved and no matter if you do fail and stumble, you’re still in the family, That’s good for your spiritual health. We told you also it’s good for your productivity. When your future is secure, you can concentrate on the present. And then I told you also that it is necessary that we tell people about eternal security because that helps us in evangelism. So many people, FAIL TO GIVE THEIR HEART TO CHRIST BECAUSE THEY JUST DON’T THINK THEY CAN STICK IT OUT. THEY DON’T THINK THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANG ON AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY JUST FAIL TO GIVE THEIR HEARTS AND LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST. AFRAID THEY’LL MAKE A FALSE PROFESSION AND THEN FALL AWAY. And I gave you those eight reasons. Remember what they were? First of all, the promise of God. God clearly promises neither height nor depth, nor angels or principalities. Nothing can separate us from God. In Romans 8, verses 38 and 39. First of all, the promise. And then we talked about the perseverance. Philippians 1, 6, he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it. That God completes what he started. If God started with you, he’s going to finish with you. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. And then we talked about predestination. That we are predestined, according to Romans 8, to be like the Lord Jesus. And if we’re predestined, nothing can stop it. Then we talked to you about perfection. For by one offering, forever, we’re made perfect in the sight of God. And then we talked about our position. And we said that we are in Christ Jesus, just as Noah was in that ark. Whatever happens to Christ happens to us. We are part of His body. For us to ever die eternally, a part of the body of Christ would have to be amputated and severed from Him. We talked about our possession, that we now have eternal life. It’s not something we’re going to get. It’s something we already have. When did you get eternal life? YOU GOT ETERNAL LIFE WHEN YOU BELIEVED ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JOHN 5, 24, HE THAT HAS THE SON HAS LIFE. IT’S NOT SOMETHING I’M GOING TO GET. I GOT IT THE MINUTE I RECEIVED JESUS. AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE OF PRAYER. JESUS IS PRAYING FOR US. HE’S INTERCEDING FOR US. AND HEBREWS 7, 25, HE’S ABLE TO SAVE UNTO THE UTTERMOST THOSE WHO COME UNTO GOD BY HIM, SEEING HE EVER LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM. HE HAS PRAYED THAT WE WOULD BE KEPT FROM THE EVIL ONE. IN JOHN CHAPTER 17, HIS PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS ANSWERED. AND THEN THE LAST REASON WAS POWER, THE POWER OF GOD. PETER SAYS WE’RE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF OUR HOLDING ON TO GOD, IT’S A MATTER OF GOD HOLDING ON TO US. SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, YES, PASTOR, THAT IS TRUE, BUT What about this scripture, or what about that scripture? Now obviously we can’t deal with all of the scriptures that might tend to indicate otherwise, but may I say that we’ll deal with a few of them, and perhaps they’ll be illustrative of the rest. When you look at a supposed contradiction in the Bible, then you have to find out that the contradiction is only in your mind. Maybe you’ve taken a text out of context. Maybe you’ve not examined it carefully. And so we want to look at some of these texts and find out what they really say that seemed to indicate to some that we might be able to fall away. For example, TURN TO SECOND PETER, IF YOU WILL. LET ME GIVE YOU A CLASSIC ILLUSTRATION THAT SOMEONE WILL BRING UP TO YOU IF YOU SAY THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER. SECOND PETER CHAPTER 2 IN GOD’S WORD. AND I’M GOING TO BEGIN READING IN VERSE 20. PETER SAYS, FOR IF AFTER THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, THEY ARE AGAIN ENTANGLED THEREIN AND OVERCOME, The latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. BUT IT HAPPENED UNTO THEM ACCORDING TO THE TRUE PROVERB, THE DOG IS TURNED TO HIS OWN VOMIT AGAIN, AND THE SOW THAT WAS WASHED TO HER WALLOWING IN THE MIRE.” SOMEONE SAYS, THERE PASTOR, YOU SEE THAT IT TEACHES THAT A PERSON CAN BE SAVED AND BE LOST AGAIN. LOOK IF YOU WILL HERE AT THIS SCRIPTURE WITH ME A LITTLE MORE CAREFULLY AND I THINK YOU’LL UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOES NOT TEACH THAT A SAVED PERSON CAN EVER BE LOST AGAIN BUT IT TEACHES REALLY JUST THE OPPOSITE IN VERSE 20 IT SAYS THIS FOR AFTER THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST THAT IS HERE’S A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN LIVING IN SIN AND THEY FREE THEMSELVES THEY HEAR ABOUT JESUS They turn over a new leaf. BUT THEY NEVER RECEIVE, AS WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU, A NEW LIFE. THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD. IT DOESN’T SAY THEY’RE SAVED. IT DOESN’T SAY THEY’RE ON THEIR WAY TO HEAVEN. THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. THAT IS, THEY HAVE HEARD THE GOSPEL. THEY KNOW ABOUT OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, BUT THEY ARE AGAIN ENTANGLED THEREIN. NOW LOOK AT THE WORD ENTANGLED. THE WORD ENTANGLED LITERALLY MEANS TO WEAVE SOMETHING INTO A PATTERN. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THIS, THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE WEAVING THEMSELVES DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO BONDAGE BY FOLLOWING CERTAIN FALSE TEACHERS. AND ALL THAT PETER’S TALKING ABOUT HERE IN SECOND PETER HINGES ON THE AREA AND IN THE ARENA OF FALSE TEACHERS. THEY NEVER REALLY LEARN WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED, TO BE BORN AGAIN. and they get themselves enmeshed. They weave into their hearts and minds certain philosophies, certain false truths. They never know the gospel of grace. They get themselves deeper and deeper into bondage through false teachers. And when they do, THEY’RE WORSE OFF THAN THEY WERE BEFORE THEY EVER EVEN HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT JESUS. LOOK IN VERSE 21, FOR IT HAD BEEN BETTER FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE KNOWN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAN AFTER THEY HAD KNOWN IT, TO TURN FROM THE HOLY COMMANDMENT DELIVERED UNTO THEM. NOW HERE’S A PRINCIPLE, LISTEN TO IT. Those who live by truth get more and more freedom. Those who do not live by truth, those who live by lies, experience more and more bondage. Now, here’s the statement. Reformation without transformation leads to greater degradation and final condemnation. REFORMATION WITHOUT TRANSFORMATION LEADS TO GREATER DEGRADATION AND FINAL CONDEMNATION. IT’S BETTER FOR YOU NOT TO HAVE KNOWN THE WAY OF TRUTH THAN TO REFORM YOUR LIFE WITHOUT MEETING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THAT IS JUDAS. JESUS SAID OF JUDAS, IT HAD BEEN BETTER FOR HIM THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN BORN. JUDAS HEARD THE TRUTH. JUDAS REFORMED HIS LIFE. Judas was a disciple of the Lord Jesus. He escaped the pollutions of the world for a while, but his latter end was worse than his first. Jesus said it had been better for him that he had never been born. Sinful desires do not disappear by reformation. They only hibernate and wake up stronger. That’s what Peter is saying. It had been better for them not to have known the way of truth than after they’ve heard the Holy Commandment to turn from it. Salvation, on the other hand, GIVES YOU A NEW NATURE. REFORMATION DOESN’T GIVE YOU A NEW NATURE. IT DOESN’T CHANGE ANYTHING. AND IN A MOMENT WHEN WE GET TO THE ILLUSTRATION ABOUT THE DOG AND THE HOG, IT’LL BE VERY, VERY CLEAR TO YOU. NOW, SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, PASTOR ROGERS, IF I BELIEVED IN ETERNAL SECURITY, I’d get saved and I’d sin all I want to after that because I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I’d have a ticket to heaven. I could never lose my salvation, so I’d just get saved and then I’d have a blast. I’d just sin all I want to. I’d sin all I want to. Did you know that? I’d sin all I want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to sin. Nothing would make me happier than to know I would never sin again. IF THERE’S SOME SORT OF A CONTRACT THAT I COULD SIGN TO SAY IT’D BE IMPOSSIBLE FROM NOW ON FOR YOU TO SIN, I BELIEVE I’D SIGN IT. I DON’T WANT TO SIN. AND IF YOU HAVE THE IDEA THAT SOMEHOW ETERNAL SECURITY IS A LICENSE TO SIN, DO YOU KNOW YOUR PROBLEM? YOU PROBABLY NEED TO BE SAVED. YOU SEE, YOU NEED TO GET YOUR WANTER FIXED. NO, YOU NEED A BRAND NEW WANTER. You need to be born again. These people that Peter is talking about had reformation, but they never had regeneration. And then he gives two classic examples in case somebody thinks that he is talking about somebody who has saved and lost their salvation. He gives the example and the example makes it so very, very clear. Example number one is the example of a dog EXAMPLE NUMBER TWO IS THE EXAMPLE OF A HOG. NOW PUT THIS DOWN BIG AND PLAIN AND STRAIGHT, GOD NEVER CALLED ANY OF HIS CHILDREN EITHER A DOG OR A HOG. ISN’T THAT RIGHT? A SHEEP. BUT NEVER A DOG OR A HOG. AND THEN HE GIVES THE EXAMPLE OF A DOG WHO VOMITS AND THEN HATES TO LEAVE A WARM MEAL ON THE GROUND. And so he goes back to the scene of the crime and he laps it up. You say, pastor, that’s disgusting. Peter wanted it to be disgusting. I mean, that’s the reason Peter used. I mean, that’s Peter’s illustration, not mine. I’m too cultured to use an illustration like that. That’s Peter’s illustration. Here’s this dog who goes back to his vomit and eats it again. Now he has regurgitation, but he doesn’t have regeneration. There’s something that upset his stomach and he got rid of it. And when he regurgitated, he felt better, but he was still a dog. He was not changed. Why did he go back to his vomit? Friend, that’s a dog trick. Dogs are noted for that. And it’s happened to him according to the true proverb, the dog is returned to his vomit. And then the pig. Let’s look at it again. Here Peter illustrates it. The dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Now you can take a pig, a sow, scrub it till it’s pink. But I’m going to tell you this about a pig. A pig will only stay clean so long. Now Peter is a classic teacher here. The dog feels better. The pig looks better. THE DOG IS CLEANED OUT, THE PIG IS CLEANED UP, BUT NEITHER ARE CHANGED. GOD NEVER CALLS ONE OF HIS CHILDREN A HOG NOR A DOG. NEITHER HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY OR ETERNALLY CHANGED. YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON? Well, have you ever heard the story of the prodigal pig? Now, the story of the prodigal son is in the Bible, but the story of the prodigal pig is not, but I’m going to tell it to you. Now, remember, this is a little Adrianology here. But when the prodigal son was down in the hog pen, the prodigal son said to himself, I’m sick and tired of this hog pen. I wasn’t made to live here with these hogs. I will arise and go to my father. And one of the pigs said, what is that? He said, I’m going to go to my father. He said, what is your father? Oh, he said, my father’s house is beautiful. He said, we’ve got servants and my mother’s a wonderful cook and we live in a big house. I’ve got a place to bathe. I’ve got a bed. I’m going to arise and go to my father. And the pig said, hey, that sounds good. Mind if I go with you? Prodigal son says, come on, let’s go. And so the prodigal son and the prodigal pig began to go home together. Now you understand this is not in the Bible. Okay. It’s just Adrianology. And so the prodigal pig and the prodigal son, they go there back to the father’s house. And the father sees his son coming home and he says, son, welcome home. Here, son, here’s a robe. Here’s a ring. Here’s shoes. Here’s the fatted calf. We’re going to have a wonderful time. Well, dad, I brought a friend of mine with me. Here’s a pig. He wants to come and live in our house. My dad says, okay. Bring him in. And the prodigal son’s mother says, but wait a minute. He can’t come in like that. We’ve got to scrub you up. And so this pig is scrubbed. And then it says, now we’ve got to teach you manners. You can’t eat out of a trough anymore. You’re going to have to tuck a napkin under your chin. You’re going to have to sit at the table. You’re going to have to use a knife and a fork. A what? A knife and a fork. We have manners here. You just can’t stick your snout down and begin to eat. And by the way, you can’t go outside in the mire anymore and in the mud. You can’t lie down with the stench and the flies. You’re going to sleep on a clean bed, but you’re not going to sleep on my bed unless you take a bath every night. How long do you think that pig will do that? Well, for a while. And then you know what the pig will say? Pig says, I just believe I will arise and go to my father. I’m going to return home. I don’t like it over there. Of course he doesn’t. He doesn’t belong there. He belongs in the hog pen. The child of God doesn’t belong in the hog pen. He belongs over there in the father’s house. It’s just that plain. It’s just that simple. The sow that is washed is returned to the mire. Well, that’s one scripture that someone would use, but just remember here that he’s talking about reformation without regeneration and reformation without regeneration makes a person worse off than they were before. ALL RIGHT, LET’S TURN TO ANOTHER SCRIPTURE. TURN WITH ME TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 24 HERE. HERE’S ANOTHER SCRIPTURE THAT PEOPLE WILL FREQUENTLY USE TO TRY TO PROVE THAT ONCE WE ARE SAVED, THAT WE CAN LOSE OUR SALVATION. MATTHEW CHAPTER 24 AND VERSE 11, AND MANY FALSE PROPHETS SHALL RISE AND DECEIVE MANY, AND BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD. BUT He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And someone will put that verse under your nose and say, don’t you see it? That in order for you to be saved, you have to endure to the end. But God teaches here that in order for you to endure to the end, you have to be saved. That’s all he’s saying. You want to know who’s saved? Those who endure are the ones who are saved. They’re not saved because they endure. They endure because they are saved. You see, endurance is the mark of reality in the life of a human soul. I’ve been saved now for over four decades and I’m so grateful that I’m saved. I HAVE ENDURED. DO YOU THINK I’M SAVED BECAUSE I ENDURED? OF COURSE NOT. DO YOU KNOW WHY I HAVE ENDURED? BECAUSE GOD PUT SOMETHING IN MY HEART. BECAUSE GOD WORKED A MIRACLE IN MY LIFE. AND IT’S NOT THAT I’VE HELD ON TO HIM, IT’S THAT HE HELD ON TO ME. THERE’S A CLASSIC STORY ABOUT A FATHER WAS CROSSING THE ROAD WITH A SON AND THE TRAFFIC WAS PRETTY HEAVY. AND SO THE FATHER SAID TO THE LITTLE BOY, son hold on to daddy’s hand as they started to cross and he gave his daddy his big index finger, which is a handful for a little boy’s chubby fist. The little boy got his daddy by the finger and they started across the road. The dad saw the light change and he saw the oncoming traffic coming faster than he had anticipated. He took his finger out of the little boy’s fist AND PUT THAT LITTLE BOY’S HAND IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS HAND AND DRUGGED THE LITTLE BOY ACROSS THE STREET WITH HIS TOES JUST TURNED OVER BEING DRUGGED ACROSS THAT WAY. WHEN THEY GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE, THE LITTLE FELLOW SAID, I HELD ON, DADDY. NOW, ACTUALLY, IT WAS THE DAD HOLDING ON TO HIM. HE THAT ENDURES TO THE END, THOSE ARE THEY THAT ARE SAVED. NOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT SO WONDERFULLY IF YOU’LL TURN TO LUKE CHAPTER 22. Luke 22 and verse 31. And the Lord said to Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But notice verse 32. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, it doesn’t mean when he’s saved. The word converted means when you’re turned, strengthen thy brethren. That is, Peter, I am praying for you. And because I’m praying for you, your faith will not fail. FAIL, YOU’RE GOING TO ENDURE. PETER WHO DID TREMBLE, PETER WHO WAS FRIGHTENED, PETER WHO DID CURSE AND SWEAR AND DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NEVER ULTIMATELY FORESOOK THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ETERNAL SECURITY IS LIKE A STRONG RUBBER BAND THAT GOD PUTS AROUND YOU WHEN YOU GET SAVED. YOU MAY STRAY AWAY, BUT HE JUST KEEPS DRAWING YOU BACK. THAT’S THE LOVE OF GOD BECAUSE HE’S PRAYED FOR PETER THAT HIS FAITH WILL NOT FAIL. Before Judas betrayed Christ, if you’d put Simon Peter up there and put Judas up there, which one would you say is saved? I dare say almost every one of us would say it was Judas and not Peter. Almost every one of us. We just look at him and we say, well, bound to be Judas. Certainly not Peter. I mean, Peter was a mess. About the only time Peter ever opened his mouth was just to change feet. He’s always putting his foot in his mouth. He’s always impetuous. He’s always bluster. He’s always this and that. We would have said, Peter, he’s not saved. Probably not, that big old fisherman. But now Judas, we’d say he’s saved. Why do you think we would say that Judas was saved? Who do you make the treasurer? The person you trust the most. Isn’t that right? The person you trust the most. Judas was the one who had the bag, the money bag. Why? They trusted him. When Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me, none of them said, well, it must be Judas. None of them suspected Judas. Well, did Judas endure? Of course he didn’t endure. He fell away, he cursed. I mean, he betrayed the Lord Jesus, committed suicide, died and went to hell. But now look, if you will, in John chapter six and verse 64. Jesus said, but there are some of you that believe not. He’s talking to those who are standing around him. But there are some of you that believe not. FOR JESUS KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING WHO THEY WERE THAT BELIEVED NOT, AND WHO SHOULD BETRAY HIM.” DO YOU THINK IT TOOK JESUS BY SURPRISE? DO YOU THINK HE SAID, WHAT A REVOLTING DEVELOPMENT THIS IS? OH NO! HOW COULD I HAVE CHOSEN JUDAS? WOW! LOOK, HERE’S A MAN THAT I WAS TRUSTING, AND NOW HE’S BETRAYED ME. OH NO, FRIEND. JESUS CHOSE JUDAS WITH HIS EYES WIDE OPEN. JESUS KNEW THAT JUDAS NEVER BELIEVED IN HIM. LOOK IN THIS SAME SIXTH CHAPTER TO VERSES 70 AND 71. JESUS ANSWERED THEM, HAVE I NOT CHOSEN YOU TWELVE, AND ONE OF YOU IS A DEVIL? HE SPAKE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, THE SON OF SIMON. FOR HE IT WAS THAT SHOULD BETRAY HIM, BEING ONE OF THE TWELVE. NOTHING GOT OUT OF HAND. JESUS SAID IN ANOTHER PLACE, I’VE CHOSEN JUDAS THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED. WHAT’S THE POINT? THE POINT IS, PETER ENDURED, JUDAS DIDN’T. WHY? WHY DID PETER ENDURE TO THE END? AND WHY DID JUDAS NOT ENDURE? VERY SIMPLE. PETER HAD FAITH. PETER, I PRAYED FOR YOU THAT YOUR FAITH FAIL NOT. JUDAS DIDN’T HAVE ANY. JESUS KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING WHO THEY WERE THAT BELIEVED NOT. Judas never believed. Simon Peter did. And he that endures to the end, those are they that are saved. And so those who go away don’t lose their salvation. Those who don’t endure don’t lose their salvation because they failed to endure. They never had salvation. Well, Let’s turn to John 15 while we’re in the book of John and look at another passage here that some people would use to try to say that once you’re saved that you can lose your salvation. John chapter 15, and I’m going to read beginning in verse 5. Jesus said, I am the vine, YE ARE THE BRANCHES. HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME, AND I IN HIM, THE SAME BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT. FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” YOU SAY, WELL, I THINK I CAN DO A LITTLE BIT. MAY I SAY, THAT’S YOUR OPINION. JESUS SAID, YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? THAT’S A ZERO WITH THE EDGES TRIMMED OFF. NOTHING WITHOUT ME. AND THEN JESUS SAID, IF A MAN ABIDE NOT IN ME, HE IS CAST FORTH AS A BRANCH, AND IS WITHERED, AND MEN GATHER THEM NOT HIM, THEM, AND CAST THEM INTO THE FIRE, AND THEY ARE BURNED. IF A MAN ABIDE IN ME, IF HE ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU SHALL ASK WHAT YOU WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU. HEREIN IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, SO SHALL YOU BE MY DISCIPLES. AND SO SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, HERE’S A PICTURE OF SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN CHRIST, THEY’RE CUT AWAY FROM CHRIST, THEY’RE THROWN INTO THE FIRE, AND THEY ARE BURNED. May I tell you that the Lord Jesus here is not talking about salvation at all. He’s talking about fruit bearing. Our Lord is using an illustration. He’s using a metaphor that we are to abide in the Lord Jesus if we bear much fruit. Now in a grapevine, The husbandman, the vine dresser, trims the grapevine. He takes the suckers, the limbs, the branches that don’t bear fruit, he takes his pruning knife, he cuts them away. Well, what do you do with a branch that’s been cut off from a vine? Well, the wood is not good, you can’t carve it, you can’t warm a house with it, you throw it in the brush pile and you burn it. What our Lord is saying is this, if you don’t abide in me, YOU’RE GOOD FOR NOTHING. YOU’RE JUST GOOD FOR NOTHING. YOU’RE A GOOD FOR NOTHING CHRISTIAN. HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT HEAVEN. HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT HELL. HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT SALVATION. HE’S TALKING HERE ABOUT FRUIT BEARING. IT’S THE SAME THING THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID, I DON’T WANT TO BECOME A CAST AWAY. I DON’T WANT TO BECOME A USELESS, GOOD FOR NOTHING PERSON. NEVER EVER TRY TO GET THEOLOGY FROM A METAPHOR. THAT’S AN ILLUSTRATION. YOU GET YOUR THEOLOGY FROM THE EPISTLES, NOT FROM SOME ILLUSTRATION, SOME PARABLE, OR SOME METAPHOR. THERE’S A TRUTH THAT’S TAUGHT THERE, AND THE TRUTH THAT’S TAUGHT THERE IS A VERY WONDERFUL TRUTH, THAT IF WE’RE GOING TO BEAR FRUIT, WE NEED TO ABIDE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WELL, LET’S LOOK IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 6. I SAVED THIS ONE FOR THE LAST BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONE I THINK THAT SO MANY PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO GO TO, TO TRY TO PROVE SOMEHOW THAT WE CAN LOSE OUR SALVATION. HEBREWS CHAPTER 6. I’M GOING TO READ BEGINNING IN VERSE FOUR. THE WRITER OF HEBREWS IS TALKING ABOUT AN IMPOSSIBILITY. HE SAYS, SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. NOW LET’S FIND OUT WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. FOR IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO WERE ONCE ENLIGHTENED AND HAVE TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT AND WERE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST AND HAVE TASTED THE GOOD WORD OF GOD, AND THE POWERS OF THE WORLD TO COME, IF THEY SHALL FALL AWAY, TO RENEW THEM UNTO REPENTANCE, SEEING THEY CRUCIFY TO THEMSELVES THE SON OF GOD AFRESH, AND PUT HIM TO AN OPEN SHAME.” AND THEN HE GIVES AN ILLUSTRATION. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which bear thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned, BUT, BELOVED, WE ARE PERSUADED BETTER THINGS OF YOU, AND THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION, THOUGH WE SPEAK THUS.” ALL RIGHT, GO BACK TO VERSE FOUR, SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. HE SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A CERTAIN CLASS OF PEOPLE, IF THEY DO A CERTAIN THING, TO BE RENEWED TO REPENTANCE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IF THEY FALL AWAY, THE BIBLE SAYS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RENEW THEM TO REPENTANCE. Now I say this, that if you use Hebrews 6, beginning in verse 4 and following, if you use that to prove that a person can lose his or her salvation, for you it proves too much. Because what does it prove? It proves that if you were ever once saved and lost it, if that’s the way you’re using this verse, it also proves that you can never be saved again. Isn’t that right? If they fall away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance. So, if you don’t believe in once saved, always saved, you have to believe in twice lost, always lost. You understand what I’m saying? He’s saying, if you use this verse this way, if you try to make this verse prove that a person can be saved, loses salvation, if that’s what you’re trying to prove with it, then go ahead and be honest and say, and once they do lose that salvation, they can never ever be saved again for it is impossible to renew them to repentance. So what’s he talking about? HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED. YOU SAY, PASTOR, HOW DO YOU KNOW HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED? WELL, LOOK IN VERSE 9, BUT BELOVED, WE’RE PERSUADED BETTER THINGS OF YOU AND THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION. DO YOU SEE IT? HE’S NOT TALKING ABOUT SAVED PEOPLE HERE. HE’S TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE VERY THRESHOLD OF SALVATION AND TURN AWAY. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE BUSINESS WITH GOD THESE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH AND THEY TURN FROM THE TRUTH WITH THEIR EYES WIDE OPEN IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING THEM TO REPENTANCE THEY HAVE COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN LOOK AT THEM THEY WERE ONCE ENLIGHTENED THE ENTRANCE OF GOD’S WORD GIVES LIGHT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SET IN A SERVICE LIKE THIS AND BEEN ENLIGHTENED THEY HAVE TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT We have preached and we have sung and they have heard about Jesus. They made partakers of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit of God has gripped their hearts. They’ve tasted the good word of God. They’ve heard the word expounded and the powers of the world to come. They’ve tasted all of that. But then they turn away if they shall fall away. NOT A PERSON WHO SINS IN IGNORANCE, NOT A PERSON WHO SINS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, BUT A PERSON WITH HIS OR HER EYES WIDE OPEN SAYS, NO, I DON’T WANT JESUS. NOW, THE WRITER OF HEBREWS GIVES AN ILLUSTRATION. YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE BIBLE THAT MAKE IT CLEAR. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE 7, FOR THE EARTH which drinketh the rain that cometh off upon it, and bringeth forth herbs, meat for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. All right, now here’s a plot of ground. Look up here if you can. This side of the rug, we’re going to say is ground that has one kind of seed. Over here, away from the rug, we’ll just say is another piece of ground and it has another kind of seed. Here’s ground and here’s ground. And let’s say there’s a fence that goes between these two plots. Alright, both of these get rain. God makes it to rain upon the just and the unjust. The rain falls here and the rain falls there. Both of them get sunshine. The sun shines here and the sun shines there. Both of them have the breezes that blow. The wind blows here and the wind blows there. Over here on this side, there comes wonderful fruit. Over here on this side, there are thorns and briars. Same sun, same ground, same rain, same atmosphere, but there is a difference in what’s on this side and what’s on this side. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? THE SEED. THE SEED. OVER HERE, THORNS AND BRIARS. OVER HERE IS WHEAT OR GOOD FRUIT OR WHATEVER. NOW THAT’S WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN SIT IN AN AUDITORIUM LIKE THIS AND HEAR THE SAME SERMON. THEY CAN HEAR, THEY CAN TASTE THE GOOD WORD OF GOD. THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD WORKS ON BOTH SIDES. AND SOME HEAR AND SAY YES TO JESUS, AND SOME HEAR AND SAY NO TO JESUS. SOME BRING FORTH FRUIT AND HERBS, VEGETABLES, OTHERS BRING FORTH THORNS AND BRIARS. AND IT ALL DEPENDS NOT ON THE SUN, NOT ON THE RAIN, NOT ON THE BREEZES, NOT EVEN ON THE GROUND, BUT IT DEPENDS UPON THE SEED THAT’S IN THE HEART. NOW, LET’S GIVE THE ILLUSTRATION WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. THIS BOOK IS CALLED WHAT? THE BOOK OF HEBREWS. HEBREWS IS WRITTEN TO JEWS. AND IT’S TALKING ABOUT JEWS WHO WERE COMING OUT OF THE OLD WAY, AND NOW THEY’RE COMING TO THE NEW WAY. THEY’RE COMING OUT OF THE OLD DISPENSATION, THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS, THEY’RE COMING TO THE NEW WAY. BUT MANY OF THESE JEWS AND MANY OF THESE EARLY DISCIPLES WHO CAME TO THE NEW WAY, THEY HAD TO TURN THEIR BACK ON THE OLD WAY. AND WHEN THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON THE OLD WAY, THEY WERE PERSECUTED AND MANY OF THEM WERE PUT TO DEATH. AND VERY FRANKLY, LIKE THE MAN AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER, THEY DIDN’T WANT TO PAY THE PRICE. AND SO THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEY HAVE TASTED, THEY HAVE INGESTED, THEY KNOW THEY’VE GONE ALONG WITH THE HOLY GHOST, THEY WERE IN THE SYNAGOGUE, THEY HEARD THE SCRIPTURES READ, THEY’VE HEARD THE APOSTLES TESTIFY, THEY’VE SEEN THE CHANGED LIVES, THEY’VE SEEN IT ALL. But the book of Hebrews is written to those who had a tendency to want to turn and go back into Judaism. Back into the old way. And so here are two Jews. One who is a true believer. That’s this side of the fence. One… who is not a true believer. He’s never truly been saved. He’s had all of the influences, but he has never been saved. And someone comes along in authority and says, I see you two are followers of this Jesus of Nazareth. Is that true? This man says, yes, it is true. And this man says, yes, it is true. We’re followers of Jesus. Well, he says, I just want you to know that if you persist in following this Jesus, you’re going to be put to death. Do you understand that? This man over here who’s a true believer says, well, if I die, I’ll just have to die. You read Hebrews chapter 11 and many of them did die. The last part of Hebrews chapter 11. If I have to die, I’ll die. But I cannot deny the Lord Jesus Christ. This man over here says, hey, it’s just religion. I mean, after all, THERE’S NOTHING THAT KEEPS ME FROM GOING BACK TO THE OLD WAY. THE OLD WAY WAS PRETTY GOOD. I WILL GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY, BUT DON’T KILL ME. AND THEY SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW YOU REALLY MEAN IT? WE HAVE A WAY TO FIND OUT. THEY WOULD TAKE THIS MAN OUT TO AN UNCLEAN PLACE, AND THERE THEY WOULD SACRIFICE A SOW, A PIG, AND THE BLOOD OF THAT PIG WOULD BE ON THE GROUND. And they would say, spit on that blood and say, I equate that with the blood of Jesus, the Nazarene. Spit on it, trample it under your feet and say, that’s what I think of the blood of Jesus. And you can come back to the old way. And he says, that’s what I think of the blood of Jesus. And he goes back to the old way. But he knows what he’s doing. He’s just trying to save his skin. He has tasted. His eyes have been opened. He’s been enlightened. He’s rolled it around on his tongue. But he will not pay the price. Do you know what he did when he did that, friend? He committed the unpardonable sin. He’s damned it on his way to hell. And it is impossible to renew him to repentance. Look at the Word of God. Verse 6, And if they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. And in another place it says, They count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing, and they have done despite unto the Spirit of grace. Now, he’s not talking about a person who was saved who does that. A saved person couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that. You couldn’t do that. A saved person couldn’t do that. He’s talking about an unsaved person, a person who’s never been born again. You say, pastor, how do you know? Verse nine, he says, but beloved, we’re persuaded better things of you. Things that accompany salvation. Hebrews chapter six is not talking, in my estimation, about a saved person. who was lost because he says it is impossible to renew such a person to repentance. Now, these are certainly not all of the verses. They’re just some of the verses. Well, you say, Pastor Rogers, if that is true, then what about sin in the life of a child of God? God may carry him to the woodshed, but not to prove that he’s lost. BUT TO PROVE THAT HE’S SAVED. AND IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THIS SAME BOOK OF HEBREWS AND READ CHAPTER 12, YOU’D FIND OUT THAT IT SAYS, WHOM THE FATHER LOVES, HE CHASTENS AND SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES. MY DAD USED TO GIVE ME WHIPPINGS, NOT BECAUSE HE DIDN’T LOVE ME, BUT BECAUSE HE DID LOVE ME. NOT BECAUSE I WAS NOT HIS CHILD, BUT BECAUSE I WAS HIS CHILD. AND IF YOU RECEIVE CHASTISEMENT WHERE OF ALL ARE PARTAKERS, ALL TRUE SONS ARE PARTAKERS, THEN ARE YOU SONS AND NOT ILLEGITIMATE. WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN TO YOU? WELL, IF YOU’RE A CHILD OF GOD, IF YOU KNOW YOU’RE SAVED, REJOICE. Rest in His love. And out of gratitude, serve Him and serve Him and serve Him because of such a wonderful salvation. I cannot work my soul to save. That work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God’s dear Son. And if you are saved, just sing it over and over again. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
