I invite you to open your Bible with me to the
book of Hebrews and the sixth chapter. As you're
turning there, let me ask you a question, and
this sounds like a come on for a joke, but it's
not. What do Jenny Craig, David Durenberger,
and Miracle Ear have in common? I told you it
sounds like a joke. It's not really. The fact
is that all three of them either had claimed
something or had claims made against them which
were found not to be accurate. The same can be
said with milk that supposedly cures cancer that
we've heard about in recent days. When a claim
is made we expect that there will be grounds
for that claim. We assume that it can be authenticated,
that it's genuine. If a person claims to be a
citizen of the United States, there ought to
be proof of that, either in papers of naturalization
or in a birth certificate. If one claims to have
made a discovery in science, there should be
some evidence of that. You may recall that a
few years ago there was a claim of cold fission,
which was found to be false. in the University,
I think, of Utah, if I remember correctly. If
one claims to be successful, there ought to be
some evidence of success. I was watching a little
league game this last weekend as one of the opposing
team's runners came by. The opposing team, by
the way, was ahead about 15 to 1. One of the
fathers on our side was watching his son struggle
as well under the load of 15 to 3. He said to
the opposing player on first base, hey, you've
got a pretty terrific team. He says, yeah. He
said, what's your record? He said, 10 and 1.
Well, you see, there was evidence they had a
good team. The twins also claim to be a good
team. If there is relationship and a claim to
that, then there ought to be some kind of likeness
to it. Sometimes we fathers look at our children
and we say, too much like the old man. The same
can be said regarding salvation. If one claims
to be saved, claims to be a Christian, there
ought to be some signs that that's genuine. In
Hebrews chapter 6, beginning in verse 9, we read
these words. Even though we speak like this,
dear friends, we are confident of better things
in your case. Things that accompany salvation.
That's the phrase I want you to note. Things
that accompany salvation. God is not unjust.
He will not forget your work and the love you
have shown him as you have helped his people
and continue to help them. We want each of you
to show this same diligence to the very end in
order to make your hope sure. We do not want
you to become lazy, but to imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit what has been
promised. There are signs that accompany salvation.
It is the presence of those signs which authenticate
the claim that a person may make to being a Christian.
We should expect that genuine salvation will
be accompanied by signs giving testimony to that
truth. The absence of those signs caused Paul
to challenge the Corinthians. He said to them,
examine yourselves whether you be in the faith.
It is not enough to have been raised in a Christian
family or a Christian nation or to go to a Christian
church. We are challenged by the Word of God
to examine ourselves to see if in fact we are
in the faith. It's not our job to examine others,
though we're often more proficient at that. It
is our job to examine ourselves. Hebrews 6 verse
9 speaks of those things that accompany salvation.
He compares them in the previous verse or two
to a crop from land that is good. He says, land
that drinks in the rain, how we know much about
that. Often falling, there's Minnesota. on it,
and that produces a crop useful to those for
whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
But land that produces thorns and thistles is
worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In
the end, it will be burned." Here we see an agricultural
illustration. And he says, good land is going
to produce good crops. Bad land is going to produce
thorns and thistles. Genuine salvation produces
good fruit in the life of the person who is a
Christian. If the claim is false, there will
not be good fruit there but only thorns and thistles
of character. He tells us that the presence of
these signs makes our hope sure in verse 11.
That doesn't mean that we become more Christians
because they're there, but that hope that we
profess becomes more sure to ourselves and to
those around us when the presence of these signs
can be pointed to. The claim to salvation will
surely be proven by signs that accompany it if
it is genuine. There are three signs that accompany
salvation. as pointed out in our text. The first
one is suggested in verse 12. It is a faith that
matures. A person who is a genuine Christian
will have a faith that matures. In verse 12,
he speaks about imitating those who through faith
and patience inherit what has been promised.
The writer of the book of Hebrews was concerned
that those who were professing faith in Jesus
as the Messiah were lacking the signs that accompany
that faith. Now he wants to think the best of
them, and does, and yet through this book he
gives strong warnings to them. lest it be found
that their faith is not genuine, that it only
be superficial and not deeply rooted in their
hearts. There is a severe warning that precedes
the verses that we've read this morning in chapter
6. The text really goes back to verse 11 of chapter
5, and that's where I want to pick up a reading
for a moment. The writer is unfolding some of
the deep things of God regarding the person and
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ And then he
interrupts himself so to speak by saying in verse
11 We have much to say about this, but it is
hard to explain Because you are slow to learn
in fact Though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you the elementary
truths of God's Word all over again. You need
milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk
being still an infant is not acquainted with
the teaching about righteousness. Solid food
is for the mature. who by constant use have trained
themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore,
let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ
and go on to maturity." Now the language that
he uses here is strong and severe language. What
he is underscoring is this. The first sign That
a person is genuinely a Christian is a faith
that goes on to maturity Faith grows in a genuine
Christian now it may grow with varying rates
But there is growth that is certain it is expected
There's another strong warning back in chapter
3 in verse 14 When he says we have come to share
in Christ if We hold firmly till the end the
confidence we had at first You notice the if
clause there What is the sign that a person has
genuinely become a partaker of Christ? It is
that he holds firmly till the end the confidence
that he had at first There is a perseverance
about his faith All of us sadly can point to
people that we know Who have at some point in
their lives professed faith in Christ and Then
have fallen away and beyond that there has been
no evidence at all of salvation Are they saved?
Are they genuine Christians? Well, only God knows
the answer to that. We're not called to be judges
of others in this ultimate sense. But the indications
are that that faith was not genuine. Because
a faith that is genuine, a faith that brings
salvation, is a faith that perseveres and matures.
It goes on to grow beyond the elementary things.
A genuine believer will keep on believing. Now
that is an act of grace in the part of that believer.
It's nothing that he can brag about in himself.
It is a work of grace that we continue to persevere
in our faith. We cannot boast of it as though
we did it. But the fact is that when one is genuinely
a partaker of that grace it will enable one to
believe on to maturity. So the first sign that
accompanies salvation is a faith that matures.
There was a young book salesman who a number
of years ago was assigned to a rural area to
sell his books during the summer period. Some
of you have worked those kinds of jobs. They're
tough. This young man saw a farmer sitting on
a rocking chair on his porch and approaching
this farmer with all the zeal of a newly trained
salesman He said, sir, I have a book here that
will tell you how to farm ten times better than
you're doing now. The farmer just kept rocking.
Then in a few seconds he said, son, I don't need
your book. I already know how to farm ten times
better than I am right now. See, he knew he just
wasn't practicing it. There are a lot of people
like that in the world. They know about Christ,
they know about how to become a Christian, they
know the story of faith, that when we trust Christ,
we're born into God's family, they know that
they just haven't practiced it. Because if they
have, they'll be farming. If they have, Their
faith will be growing. Their faith will be maturing.
It will persevere. They will not fall away, ultimately.
Now there may be periods in their lives when
they will not believe God as they should. Or
when they will stumble in their faith. But they
will not fall away from their faith. There's
a second sign that we see in our text that accompanies
salvation. Turning back again to chapter 6 in
verse 10. He says God is not unjust He will not
forget your work The second sign that I want
to point to this morning that accompanies genuine
salvation is this works that prove Genuine salvation
will inevitably be accompanied by works of righteousness
in the life of the believer Not that he cannot
still sin and won't sin. Because as long as we
are in this world, in this body, we still struggle
with the reality of sin's power. But the fact
is that a genuine child of God will produce in
his life, God's grace working in him, good works
of righteousness. Why is that? Because he's a
new person. Turn back with me to Acts chapter
26. The book of Acts chapter 26. Here we have
the testimony of the Apostle Paul. In Acts 26,
he is speaking to King Agrippa and in verse 20,
He says this. Let's back up to verse 19 to catch
the flow. So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient
to the vision from heaven, first to those in
Damascus and then to those in Jerusalem and in
all Judea, and to the Gentiles also. I preached
that they should repent and turn to God and prove
their repentance by their deeds. This is not
John the Baptist preaching. This is the Apostle
Paul. This is not the Old Testament. This is
the New Testament message of grace Paul says
I preach that they should repent and they should
prove their repentance by their works of righteousness
And so he writes to the Philippians Continually
work out your salvation. Paul isn't saying work
for your salvation. He makes it clear that salvation
is apart from works. It's a gift of God given
by grace. We receive it by faith. But he says
that when God has put that salvation in us, we
are to work it out in our lives. The second evidence
that one is a genuine Christian is works. that
prove it. James says, faith without works is
dead. It doesn't have any reality, any life to
it. He says, can that faith save anyone? And
the answer that he expects is the correct one,
no, it cannot. Faith that saves is accompanied
by works that prove its reality. Salvation demonstrates
its presence by the works of the life. When one
trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, he becomes a new
creation. God puts in the heart new desires.
He gives us the Holy Spirit so there is a new
power. And all of that newness creates new good
works of righteousness. The second evidence that
one is a genuine Christian. The second sign that
accompanies salvation is works that honor God.
Good works that prove the reality of salvation
being within. Again, I refer to the Apostle Paul
who wrote to the Ephesians, for we are his workmanship,
God's workmanship. created in Christ Jesus to
do good works. Now remember just before he wrote
that he said by grace you're saved not by works
lest any man should boast. But then he says you
are created in Christ Jesus to do good works
and the good works surely do follow in the life
of the genuine child of God. Now there's a third
sign that accompanies salvation in Hebrews chapter
6. Again back to verse 10 where he says, God
is not unjust. He will not forget your work and
the love you have shown him as you have helped
his people and continue to help them. The third
evidence of salvation, which is genuine, is a
love that serves. Notice that it is first directed
toward God, supremely toward God. We love Him
because He first loved us. The genuine Christian
will love God. That will then become his highest
motivation for all of his service in life. It
will be his passion for serving others because
he loves God. Many years ago, a well -to -do
Christian went into a slave market and there
paid a high price for a particular slave that
he chose. This man abhorred the practice of slavery,
and his sole purpose in buying the slave was
so that he might set the man free. So when the
two men met for the first time, this wealthy
Christian said to him, It is true that I bought
you, but I did it only to free you from the terrible
bondage that you have known." And then he handed
to the other man his papers that guaranteed his
freedom. The slave looked at the papers in his
hands, and then his eyes went to the man who
had paid the price for him. And he said, Am I
truly free? Am I on my own? May I do whatever
I wish?" His benefactor said, yes, that's why
I bought you so that you could be loosed from
those chains forever. With tears coming down
his cheeks, that slave fell at the feet of the
man who had purchased him. And with heartfelt
devotion he said, then my greatest joy and freedom
will be to stay with you and to serve you. What
a wonderful illustration that is of those of
us who have been purchased out of sin by Christ.
How our hearts love Him and worship Him because
He has paid the price for us. that we might be
loose from the terrible bondage of sin. That
love for Him now becomes the highest motivation
in our lives for whatever we do. Paul said, the
love of Christ constrains me. It does, the genuine
child of God. Because the evidence that He is
a child of God is that He has love. A new and
different kind of love. is a love for God that
serves others. It is directed toward His people
in helping them, as this verse says. Jesus said
by this, all men will know you are My disciples
if you have love one for another. Evidence, proof,
documentation. For the child of God is love.
John MacArthur's written, Keeping God as our
focus and first love not only gives us the desire
and power to love others and to serve them, but
it also sustains us in our love and service.
Only God's love has such staying power. Well,
these are the signs of salvation. They are not
the only signs of salvation, by the way, but
they are the ones in the immediate context of
this verse where the apostle writes, We are confident
of better things in your case, things that accompany
salvation. I do not preach this message this
morning to shake the assurance of any child of
God who is here. I could not do that anyway.
But if there be someone who has come this morning,
even someone who may come regularly, and the
signs that accompany salvation are not present
in your life, then there is reason to follow
the admonition of the Apostle Paul when he said,
examine yourself to see if you're in the faith.
Because you see where the lightning of faith
strikes the thunder of evidence will follow.
I've heard sermons and I've probably even preached
some that said you ought to be able to name a
date or have a date in your Bible as to when
you trusted Christ and there are those who can
do that and I'm glad for them. But we ought not
to depend upon a date in our Bibles for the assurance
of our salvation. Nor are we to depend upon a
memory of some event or someone else's comments
about the time when we trusted Christ. Because
ultimately the only assurance of our salvation
that really matters is that assurance that the
Spirit of God gives within our hearts. That witness
from Him that we are truly God's children. And
that witness of the Holy Spirit can be found
in what we've talked about this morning. It is
that faith that He nurtures and causes to grow
in our lives. It is the good works that he stimulates
and empowers through our lives. It is the love
for God that he produces which then reaches out
to our fellow man to embrace them and to serve
them. That is the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Let me tell you the parable of the misguided
goat. A goat wanted more than anything else in
the world to be a lion. He told himself if he
could learn to walk like a lion, talk like a
lion, and go where lions go, he would be a lion.
So he practiced stalking through the jungle and
tried to swish his stubby little tail majestically.
Then he sought to turn his pitiful little bleat
into the deep awesome roar of the king of the
beasts. He worked and worked on it. Finally,
he convinced himself that he really looked and
sounded like a lion. Now he said, all I have
to do to be a lion is to go where lions go. And
so he marched into the lion's territory one day
about lunchtime and was never seen again. You
know there are some people who think that they
can just talk like Christians talk and walk like
Christians walk and they sing Christian hymns
and if they go to church, if they get baptized
and go through all those outward things, somehow
they'll become a Christian. It doesn't work that
way. We become a Christian on the inside by the
new birth. The Spirit of God giving us new life
which trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior. And then
eternal life becomes real and one becomes a genuine
child of God and there's evidence in the life
of it. I preach this S .O .S. message this morning.
Lest there be someone here who has a faith. without
a foundation. I mean the faith itself is strong,
but it's not rightly placed. You may honestly
believe that what you've done is going to get
you to heaven, but though you honestly believe
it, you believe the wrong thing. A few years
ago a Midwestern hospital came to such a startling
discovery. They had a marvelous water system
in their building to extinguish fires. It was
the up -to -the -moment state -of -the -art kind
of firefighting equipment. Beautiful polished
valves in the hospital. well -placed outlets
that were adequate to take care of any problem
that should ever come up in that building. And
for 35 years, they felt secure because they had
faith that that system would help them to conquer
any fire. But after 35 years, it was discovered
that the water main had never been connected
to that system. that it went four feet down to
the ground and that was it. There was no water.
The danger of unfounded faith. Genuine faith
is accompanied by signs of salvation. There's
evidence there to document the fact that we are
children of God. Is there that evidence in your
life this morning that you genuinely belong to
him? I'm persuaded says the writer. I'm confident
of better things of you things that accompany
salvation Let's pray It may be that as you hear
this message from God's word that your heart
is troubled And you wonder, is my faith genuine?
Has it been founded correctly? The fact is that
I can't look into your heart and know the answer
to that. Only you and God, as God enables you,
can see whether that faith is genuine. Do you
have the witness of the Holy Spirit in your heart?
Is there documentation that you're a child of
God? Can you prove that citizenship? You say
you've discovered eternal life. What evidence
is there of your discovery? Is there documentation
for the claim? Well, friend, if there's not,
this morning the safest thing you can do is to
be sure. And today, place your faith in Jesus
Christ alone for your salvation. To stop trusting
in things that you may have trusted in wrongly.
Your church, the sacraments, your past. And to
trust in the living Savior, Jesus Christ, who
died and rose again. Will you right now say something
like this in your heart, Lord Jesus Christ? I
believe that you died for my sins and I turn
from everything else I've trusted in in my life.
I come to you alone and I receive you into my
life and I ask you to give me the gift of eternal
life and to produce through me. the evidence
that I'm genuinely your child. My friend, there's
no prayer that he delights more to answer than
one like that. And now Father, I pray that you
will bring to a focus your work in every heart.
And may that act that is in response to it be
according to your will and purpose. In Jesus'
name, Amen.