David Burson - January 29, 2023

Family Bible Hour featuring David Burson

Transcript

Morning. Please turn to Romans chapter three. Romans chapter three to start with here, while you're turning there, Romans chapter three.

Consider this if God is so holy that my very best earns me eternity in hell excuse me. Can it truly be possible that my very worst is freely be forgiven forever? Is there a catch? Is there some way that my absolute and abject unworthiness, my ficklehearted unreliability, my innate evil unfaithful, unbelieving, sinful nature may somehow catch up with me and doom me as I really deserve? Is that possible? Well, when I was in UCF, I was a freshman there and I happened to be in the rec room. I think I was playing ping pong or pool or something and a couple of guys came up and invited me to a Bible talk.

I thought oh, okay. And it turns out it was in my dorm. I thought, sure, why not? I'll try this out.

What's about? And I went for a few weeks and these were some very excited guys who are about my age or slightly older and we were having a good time there. And then came one week where there was a discussion going on and you know how somebody says something and especially when they're really excited they say it wrong? You know they don't mean precisely what they said. You know what they mean.

Well, these guys were college kids doing that and after five of them in a row said the same kind of thing that made it sound like you could lose your salvation. Just to clarify, I said, but not lose your salvation. And they all turned and looked at me, absolutely.

Lose your salvation. What do you think we're talking about? That's what this is saying. And so I thought, oh, no, what have I got myself into? It would have been comical if it weren't so sad.

Let's see. I would have been 19, I guess, at that time. And I had been a good Sunday school student.

Could answer all the questions and that sort of thing. But it turns out it's a whole lot easier to answer questions when people are asking them. When they agree with you, when somebody is disagreeing with you it's a lot harder to know how to respond and how to really defend what you believe.

So I bumped into that and so did they. So it was pretty sad. Both of us sat there looking at each other and said well, that's not right.

That's not right. But we couldn't for the life of us really do too much to prove it from scripture either side of us. The best I could come up with on the spur of the moment there was John 316 does it mean what it says or doesn't it? You know, in any case so that was an eye opener to me.

And in conjunction with that the Lord blessed me with a very badly sprained ankle. So what happened is I had to do an English paper and I was permitted through another set of circumstances that was really the Lord's work to do. My English paper on what does the Bible really teach about Eternal Security? Supposed to be a research paper.

I did that and due to my sprained ankle, instead of spending all spring break playing basketball and football and stuff like I was planning to do, I had nothing to do but sit inside and work on my paper. So I was and that turned out to be an extremely helpful and profitable time for me. So that's a little bit of my background with this doctrine.

Here is the first one that I really had to defend and try to study out myself. Eternal Security. Eternal Security, sometimes called, once saved, always saved.

Well, I know that I am secure in the love of God and that John and I react differently. He shouts and whoops and I cry. But it's the same heart.

It means everything to me. I am secure in the love of God, that's foundational to my relationship with God. So I've studied this doctrine out further over the years.

Real joy to help someone understand the truth of that. When they have placed their faith in Christ, to save them from their sin, that assurance means everything. So in that regard, I'd like to do a more thorough study of some Scripture passages that are often used to attack or try to refute eternal Security.

Often when I have looked at these passages in the past, I have gotten about as far as saying, okay, I see some possibilities here and I can see why it does not teach against eternal security. And then I've kind of left it. But that's not why Scripture is given to us, right? All scripture is inspired by God.

It's profitable. And we're not just trying to get around Scripture. We want to know what Scripture says and to live by it, to grow by it.

So if anyone would like to join me in that study, please just let me know. Or if you have any requests for a specific passage you would like covered, please let me know that. Also, if you have any resources either for or against eternal security, I'd be very interested in seeing that as well, just as I continue this study.

So for today, with that lengthy introduction, we're not going to get into those hard passages today. I thought it would be good to begin with a review of some passages that clearly teach security. Now, a real exposition of what the New Testament says about this would take many, many weeks.

Just going to hopefully give you a brief selection here from the book of Romans. And my hope is this will accomplish two goals today. First, just to remind us of a few why we believe what we believe, and secondly, to encourage us in our growth of the joy, the hope, the loving relationship that we have that the assurance of our security in Christ brings.

So that's my thought for this morning. And we'll begin with Romans, chapter three. Eternal security is a component of the good news about God's desire.

God's desire and his plan to bring rebellious sinners into a perfect everlasting relationship of fellowship with himself. General security is a part of that. So to begin with, let's ask the question how can I be justified before God in the first place? How can the omniscient Holy God declare me not guilty when he knows far better than I do how guilty I am? How can the holy, holy, holy God be satisfied with regard to my sin? Let's take a look at verse 20 here, romans 320 by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

So really, this is the first thing we need to understand. There's nothing we can do, we can't do a thing about it, nothing we can do to get into the relationship that God wants to enjoy with us. Reading in verse 21 but now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in His Christ.

For all those who believe catch that even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith. The position we've been put into, the moment a person trusts Christ, god places them into a new position.

I think it's important to notice here that everything about that position suggests permanent righteousness of God is counted as our righteous. God justified. He declares us righteous, or once separated Him from declaring us righteous.

God is 100% satisfied with regard to our sin has been propositioned. God has redeemed us. He has bought us back.

We now belong to God. Look at the purchase price, the blood of Christ Son, purchase price for all of these to move us into this new position. It sounds like God is pretty serious about this eternal relationship between Himself and us that he wants.

So what's the stipulation? What do we have to do? What's our part in this whole thing through faith? We simply have to believe. It's a free gift that we simply accept by faith, right? There's no stipulation placed on us for maintaining this. Nor by the way, is there any hint that the believer is instantly and perpetually going to function perfectly according to that position, not a description of our behavior or attitude.

It truly is a position we've been put into. Now, it's very hard for us humans to accept that God is truly offering such a marvelous gift to us for free, instinctively feel that we must somehow earn something here, right? Well, God knew that we've that way, and so he had the Apostle Paul write the rest of Romans three in Romans four to help beat that out of our heads. Okay, the point in that section is that God credits us to be righteous when we believe in Him according to God's promise and not our works.

Or it's absolutely essential that our salvation is based 100% on what God has done. 0% the entire chapter four is devoted to proving that. So the next chapter in Romans five begins this way.

Begins with a conclusion about our position before God since we believed in Jesus Christ that he died for our sins. Romans Five one therefore, having been justified by faith, we have God through our Lord Jesus. A lot more good stuff here, but let's skip down to verse.

For while we were still helpless at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly, for one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us, his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, christ died for us much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Or if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, we were enemies.

We were reconciled at that point to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only this, but we also exalt in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. You see what God is saying here? His point is that if he sent his son to die for us when we are in the position of being his enemies undeserving sinners, now that he has gone to such an extreme sacrifice to place us in a new position of having been justified and reconciled to him.

Is there any chance any chance that we may yet somehow experience any of his wrath? Not on your life. Or be more precise and more emphatic, not on Christ's life, saying here have now been justified, we shall be saved. Much more so if you've believed in Jesus Christ.

It's something you can know. You have been justified. And because you've been justified, therefore you know you shall be saved from the wrath of God through our Savior.

Reconciled to God, therefore you shall be saved by Jesus life. In other words, I think it's important to see this here. It's absolutely certain that the person who places their faith in Jesus Christ is justified by God and reconciled to God.

Yet God in this passage, is saying that he is much more committed to the eternal security of that person than he was to justify and reconcile them in the first place. So we have something absolutely certain with God's word behind it and then something much more certain, god's saying, okay, that is our eternal security. It's my opinion that if this passage were the only place in the New Testament that commented on eternal security, it would be totally sufficient to establish that doctrine, not complicated.

The point is very clear, and this is the kind of clear and simple passage that we use to establish doctrine, and we interpret other passages that are difficult to understand in light of these clear passages. So let's continue a bit with Paul's line of reasoning here in Romans. After contrasting our condemnation and death through Adam, here in chapter five, the rest of chapter five, contrasting that with the triumphant grace of God through Christ, which results in our justification in life, paul concludes here in Romans 518.

So then, as through one transgression, there resulted condemnation to all men. Even so, through one act of righteousness, there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners.

You understand, right? The one man, on the other hand, the disobedience, this is Adam, and then he's contrasting this with Christ. So as through the one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners. Even so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous.

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased in grace abounded all the more so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. How emphatic the Holy Spirit is being here through Paul, God's grace has conquered sin, resulting in our eternal life. Very emphatic about what security there is in knowing that oursalvation is God's work.

Now, it's sometimes asserted that if eternal security were true, then it would mean that saved people would have no reason to fight against their old nature. The argument goes that if we know we're going to be saved from the wrath of God no matter what, then we're free to indulge our sinful nature with no inhibitions. Well, that's an argument that's commonly put forward.

The apostle Paul actually takes that argument and moves it even a step beyond that, saying that the greater our sin, the more grace abounds. Take a look at verse 20 and 21. Again, the Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So does that mean we are morally obligated to be as immoral as possible so that grace will be as great as possible? Is that what the point is here? Well, that's the very question Paul raises next. Take a look at Romans six one.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase. By the way, if this is not a natural question at this point to you, then you're not tracking with the apostle Paul and with the Holy Spirit. This is the natural question after what Paul has just said, right? So what's the answer to the question? Does Paul say, yeah, that's a great idea.

That's exactly what logically follows so we're eternally secure. Go for it. Well, verse six two begins may it never be.

May it never be is a translation of a Greek phrase that is a very emphatic negation. The JB phillips translation renders it what a ghastly thought. So that's kind of capturing the idea here.

This is a very strong negation. Okay, so from Paul's strong reaction against continuing in sin makes it clear that our eternal security, as emphasized in chapters three through five, does not lead us to indulge the flesh. So what is Paul's reasoning as to why we should not continue? Does Paul say, forget all that eternal security stuff, actually turns out there is something that you have to do to keep your own salvation? Well, no, that's not what he says at all.

Let's keep tracking with what Paul is saying here. Romans six 2 may it never be. How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Paul's point is that we have been saved from sin, so it's nonsensical to continue in it.

He goes on to illustrate use the illustration of baptism to very graphically emphasize that death we died, been raised to new life, so that those who have been declared righteous by God can understand that separated from sin like this, we have a new position and we've been raised to this new life of fellowship with God. He concludes that section in verse eleven here with how we should think about ourselves in regard to sin and God. Romans 611 even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God inChrist Jesus.

So, as we think correctly, he exhorts us in regard to our behavior as well, not in order to gain or maintain our position in Christ, but because of our position, we naturally want to put the cart before the horse here. Paul is very clear to make sure we keep things in the right order here because of our position. Therefore, this is how to act, not a matter of this is how you need to act in order to gain.

Okay, so versus verse twelve. So we're thinking correctly about consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Romans 612 therefore, do not let sin reign in your immortal body so that you obey its lust.

And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you. For you are not under law, but under theexhortation.

Because of who we are, because of the position we're in. Behave like it. And Paul is very thorough here when it comes to whether there's any reason why we should sin.

Look at his next question here in verse 15, Romans 615. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? A, it never be. What a ghastly thought.

Paul goes on to argue that we've been rescued from slavery to sin, and in human terms we have a new master, his God, any longer, so he exhorts us to live according to this. Jump down to verse 20. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification. And the outcome, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. I think Paul here is giving us the normative pattern of the Christian. I like to think of normative what ought to be normal.

This is the way what ought to be normal for every Christian. We've been set free from sins. That's a fact that is part of our position.

So therefore we should choose to obey God, our new Mass, as we do that, at least to our sanctification, as we are offering the members of our body for righteousness, our ongoing growth, Christ. And the resul tis that we enjoy that eternal life, that fellowship with God that Christ died to bring us. So the exhortation here in Romans six is for us to think and live like who we are in Christ and to enjoy that life will flow through eternity nonsensical.

It is counterproductive, it is a denial of who we actually are for us who have received God's free gift of eternal life in Christ to commit acts of death. So I think that's the point here in Romans that we cannot go back and death being our lot, we are eternally secure in the position of life that Christ bought for us with his own blood, according to God's desire and plan. So since those things are true, that's the point ofRomans six.

The last passage I'd like to look at today is Romans eight. And we have in Romans 828 to 39 what is probably the most emphatic presentation of eternal security imaginable, and it's given within the clear context of God's plan. Romans eight concludes the main discussion of God's plan of personal salvation that Paul has been going through in the book of Romans.

Chapters one to three lay out the problem and then beginning part way through chapter three, through chapter eight, explain God's solution to the problem. And all of chapter eight really emphasizes execurity, right, from verse one which says therefore there is now no condemnation, is no condemnation. So we're going to jump to the conclusion of the chapter where God is being as emphatic as possible that a savedperson is.

I believe God sees eternal security as the treasure of salvation. Certainly he's presented it that way in Romans, the major treatise. And really, to me, it only makes sense, really, without security, the rest of the package isn't worth much.

To me, it's like a lottery ticket. If you have salvation without security, then it's like being given a lottery ticket. Sure, there's potential for great things to happen, but there's no guarantees.

Salvation with security, on the other hand, is like being handed the jackpot with no taxes. You've got it? Okay, so that's the difference. You get the idea.

This is a big deal to me. It really means a lot for understanding our relationship. So the prominence that God gives in it all.

Okay. Verse 28, Romans 828 and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Notice that those who love God is equated with those who are called, explained in the following verses in verse 29 for those whom he forknew let's pause there, just for we actually have some differing views as to what this foreknowledge refers to.

What does it mean right here in our local assembly, that's perfectly fine iron sharpens iron, and it's good to think about these things and discuss them, but I'm not going to get into those views. Now, my point here is that we do all agree in this group, everybody that I've talked to, that this group, those whom he forensic is identical with, precisely the same group with those who have believed in Jesus. That's who we're talking about.

I think that is clear. Continuing, for those whom he fornew, he also predestined, become conformed to the image of His Son so that he would be the first born among many brethren. Well, that's a pretty strong wording, right? Predestined.

That means it's going to happen, right? Ian's one six says, he who began a good work in you will complete it. And we see God's heart here. This is what I really want to look at.

God has predestined. It means it's going to happen, but we see his heart behind it. Salvation from sin is not merely a mechanical transaction by a disinterested deity.

All this is for God's purpose, fulfill God's grief. God is not merely our benevolent benefact, truly wants a close family relationship with us that destined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the first born among many brethren. A family relationship 130 and these whom he predestined, he also called, and these whom he called, he also justified and these whom he justified, he also glorified.

God is clearly emphasizing that saving those who believe is his work from start to finish. That's his point. None are lost along the way.

None can lose themselves. You can't get lost here. Once you're in, you're in for the long haul.

Right? Because God's the one doing it. God is the one doing the act, ultimately bring us to glory. Are we glorified already? Certainly not in any ultimate sense, right? We're just talking about my mind is going, my back is going, my knees are going.

Some of you are a little more advanced than I am even in that regard. I'm not your minds, I'm sure, but perhaps in your backs, but certainly we're not ultimately glorified right now. So why is glorified in the English past tense here? In a quick search I did, I found several possibilities and different views on this.

But strikingly, all of them agreed that we can see here a reason to be certain of our ultimate glorification. Not going to get into all those views either for the time. But just briefly, what I think is the most common view and the one that I subscribe to is that this is what would be called a rare use of the aorist tense.

The meaning of that is that it refers to something that's going to take place in the future, even though the Greek aorist tense usually used for a past action. That's my thought on it. So one thing that is helpful and I found when I was studying Greek really eye opening, is that whereas in English, when we think of tenses, present tense, well, Greek has tenses as well, but in their tenses, time is not the most significant thing by far.

That's a little confusing. English wrap our minds around because we think of a verb tense as time. Well, that's really not the main point.

So any case, I think the point here is that it's not a matter of time. The sense of that's not really the point he's trying to get at. His point is the fact of the action.

These actions are not, when they take place, will or have taken place. And so the repeated use of the same tense is a literary device, I think, that portrays this context, the certainty maintain that consistency. There are some views that then we don't need to get into that.

But I guess the big point is it's not a matter of time. The point is every action emphasis well, so moving onto verse 31, what then should we say to these things? Think of what we just read. He wants us as hisfamily first born.

Christ is the first born of many brethren and he has predestined us for this purpose. Christ would be the first predestined us. He's called us and he's justified us.

And we know we will be glorified. So what should we say to this? We're talking this morning about Covenants, one of the great and significant covenants is the dividend covenant. And when God gave David the dividend covenant, it's an unconditional covenant, just like this.

Is there's nothing we can do? Nothing David could do about that covenant? God just said, it's a promise that I'm making to you. And so David's response, if you guys remember, was much the same. He goes into the temple and says, what can I say your servants say in response to that? That's really where we're left.

We're overwhelmed by God's goodness for us. But it goes on. If God is for us, against us.

Now this is a rhetorical question, another device. That's an emphatic. It's meant for emphasis.

So let's rejoice in the point God is making, right? God has emphatically stated for us, who can defeat Him? To think about that and say what an absurd thought that anybody could. God is for us. Who can be against perfect love, our eternal but wait, there's even more.

We'll keep going. Verse 32 he who did not spare his own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things? Well, this is a very similar argument to what we looked at in Romans five. Then our future, if it weren't secure, it wouldn't necessarily be wonderful.

But just to be super abundantly clear, what about our sin? 33 who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justified, one who condemns Christ Jesus as he who died. Yes, rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. There's a lock right in there.

Look at this care. God wants us to understand that if anything can ever result in our condemnation, there's ever any way we can be condemned for anything, then Christ's intercession. His death is notsufficient.

His resurrection is inconsequential, and God's justification is a joke. That's what he wants us to understand. That's what he said, my friends, that security.

When we consider what God has done in giving us eternally, secure salvation, we're overwhelmed by hisinvincible, immeasurable love. For no matter how terrible our circumstance, no matter how much it might look like somehow we've been separated from God's blessing. Look at verse 35 who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword? Just as it is written for your sake, we are being put to death.

All day long we were considered as sheep. It may look like somehow we're separated from God's blessing. Verse 37 but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor thingsto come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing. Did he forget anything? Trying to. He did, right? This is supposed to be all encompassing.

Do you get that idea? None. Of this will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in ChristJesus, our Lord, our God. Could he be any more clear, any more plain, any more emphatic? So let's neverquestion his power or in any sense his ability to bring us safely into his heavenly King, to rejoice imperfectfellowship.

Really pay attention to the tone of this. Would you say that the tone of the passage is intended to producequestions? You need to read it again if you do it's. I think we see here that God passionately wants us to understand and have the assurance of our eternal security, not a passage of ourselves, and obviously to give us assurance by laying bare the mind, heart and the sovereign will of the omnipotent God.

So let's revisit the concerns that we expressed at the beginning here. If God is so holy that my very bestearns me eternity in Hell, can it truly be that even my very worst? Is there a catch? Is there any way thatour absolute unworthiness, our ficklehearted unreliability, our innate evil unfaithful and unbelieving sinfulnature can catch up with us and doom us, after all, as we deserve, after the scripture we've just read, those very questions sound blasphemous. Our security is not in any sense dependent on ourselves.

Now, in this life, we are well aware that some decisions are irrevocable. That's why it terrifies us when we see a little kid chase a ball, decide, okay, I'm going to chase that ball into a busy street. Right? Terrifying.

Because that is an irrevocable decision that can have consequences that can never be. The decision toplace your faith in Christ is irrevocable. Once you've done it, there are eternal consequences that you cando nothing.

These are glorious consequences. Not like chasing a ball into the street, right? Glorious consequences.They're not conferred on us by some altruistic, benevolent deity, but by a loving, deeply invested Godwhose desire for perfect eternal, deeply personal fellowship to you will be sad.

Our Lord. We thank you. We feel like David and like the Apostle Paul expressed, what can we say? Justgive you thanks.

We love you, we want to know you more and are just amazed at your desire to know and love us and for us to know and love you, sent to which you have gone. Rejoice, Lord, and the certainty of what you will do for the future.