WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.480 ...interrupted it to protect our president. Have 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.459 you ever wondered what it would be like to go 00:00:06.459 --> 00:00:08.900 through life with a Secret Service agent beside 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:12.119 you? Some of you are shaking your heads over 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:15.179 here. You don't think you would like that? Well, 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:18.100 I suppose it might be limiting in some respects, 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:21.899 but just suppose you had a cauldron of people 00:00:21.899 --> 00:00:25.000 around you whose purpose was to keep you safe. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.019 That no one would be able to come to you unless 00:00:29.019 --> 00:00:32.240 you agreed to it and if anyone plotted against 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:35.039 your life You would be absolutely secure in their 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:39.179 care Well, actually as children of God we have 00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:42.859 something far better than that I invite you to 00:00:42.859 --> 00:00:45.520 open your Bibles with me to first Peter chapter 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:51.399 1 and verse 3 First Peter chapter 1 verse 3 is 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:55.479 our study this morning Praise be to the God and 00:00:55.479 --> 00:01:00.780 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great 00:01:00.780 --> 00:01:06.420 mercy He has given us new birth into a living 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:10.519 hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:14.879 from the dead and into an inheritance that can 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:19.659 never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:24.780 for you who through faith are shielded by God's 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:28.280 power until the coming of the salvation that 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:33.319 is ready to be revealed in the last time. What 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:36.359 we learn in our text this morning is that a genuine 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:41.859 child of God is preserved for his heavenly inheritance. 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:44.819 Believe me, that's far better than the secret 00:01:44.819 --> 00:01:48.319 service tailing you everywhere you go. Because 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:55.969 they can fail. This doesn't fail. As we think 00:01:55.969 --> 00:01:59.269 about our security as believers in Jesus Christ, 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:01.909 I'd like you to think with me first about the 00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:06.989 meaning of that security. The term that is used 00:02:06.989 --> 00:02:12.389 here is shielded, as is translated in the NIV. 00:02:14.449 --> 00:02:17.509 Some translations put it watched over, others 00:02:17.509 --> 00:02:22.949 kept. This term is a military term that indicates 00:02:22.949 --> 00:02:29.530 a guard that is done by soldiers It is a garrison 00:02:29.530 --> 00:02:32.810 It is the same word that is used in Philippians 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:37.469 chapter 4 verse 7 Where the Apostle says and 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:41.150 the peace of God which passes all understanding 00:02:41.150 --> 00:02:45.849 Shall guard shall keep shall shield your heart 00:02:45.849 --> 00:02:51.360 and mind through Christ Jesus God tells us that 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.960 we have a garrison about us that is protecting 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:00.020 and shielding us for that coming day of redemption. 00:03:02.259 --> 00:03:05.840 Thus, I'm talking this morning in this SOS series 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:10.840 about the security of salvation. When we talk 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.560 about the security of the believer, we are not 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:18.580 saying that a believer will never sin. We are 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:22.099 not saying that a believer will never backslide. 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:25.599 The security of salvation does not mean that 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:29.699 a believer will never stumble and fall. It does 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:33.979 not mean those things. But what it does mean 00:03:33.979 --> 00:03:41.280 is that a believer is secured in his position 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:49.000 as an heir of God by the power of God. A believer 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:54.180 is secured by God Himself as one who is an heir 00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:58.719 with Jesus Christ. You and I are given by God 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:02.860 the gift of eternal life. And there is nothing 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:06.199 in heaven or in hell or on the earth that can 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:10.080 keep us or prevent us from inheriting what God 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.599 has promised to us in eternal life. The fact 00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:20.529 is that as believers we can and do fall. But 00:04:20.529 --> 00:04:26.509 we fall into the arms of God. Dr. W .B. Henson 00:04:26.509 --> 00:04:31.170 was a leader of the Christian church in the early 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:34.009 part of this century. In fact, there's a church 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:36.410 in Portland named in his memory called Henson 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:41.569 Memorial Baptist Church. On one occasion, he 00:04:41.569 --> 00:04:45.410 said, in a sermon that the believer is secure. 00:04:45.610 --> 00:04:47.769 And the lady came to him after the service with 00:04:47.769 --> 00:04:51.430 this remark, I'm very much afraid I might fall. 00:04:52.910 --> 00:04:55.350 And he said to her, well, then why don't you 00:04:55.350 --> 00:05:00.550 do it? She was alarmed by that response and protested 00:05:00.550 --> 00:05:04.610 and said, where would I fall to? He said, you 00:05:04.610 --> 00:05:08.009 would fall down into the everlasting arms of 00:05:08.009 --> 00:05:12.160 God. And he went on to say to her, I have read 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.339 in the Bible that His everlasting arms are underneath 00:05:15.339 --> 00:05:19.300 His children. And you know, I believe that if 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:23.439 you fall down upon those everlasting arms, it 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:26.040 is sure and certain you will never fall through 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:31.980 them. We are secure in the arms of God. More 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:35.720 secure is no one ever than the children of the 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:40.120 Savior. When we talk about the security of salvation, 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.000 we are saying that a genuine believer in Jesus 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.699 Christ is shielded, he is protected, he is kept 00:05:47.699 --> 00:05:50.899 by the power of God for that salvation that has 00:05:50.899 --> 00:05:54.360 been promised to him. And there is nothing that 00:05:54.360 --> 00:06:01.560 can interrupt that plan and program of God. What 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:04.199 are the means of the believer's security? If 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:06.699 that's the meaning, how does God do this? What 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:10.620 is the means of the security of the believer 00:06:10.620 --> 00:06:14.819 in Christ? Well, there is both a human and a 00:06:14.819 --> 00:06:19.040 divine dimension to this. Finally and ultimately, 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:23.420 it depends upon God. But Peter points out to 00:06:23.420 --> 00:06:27.920 us both a human and a divine element. in the 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:30.120 means of the believer's security. Notice how 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:35.740 he puts it in verse 5. You who through faith 00:06:35.740 --> 00:06:39.860 are shielded by God's power. That's the human 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:46.540 side. Through faith, you are shielded. By God's 00:06:46.540 --> 00:06:51.079 power, that's the divine side. The human side 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:55.300 is that you and I are kept by God for our salvation 00:06:55.300 --> 00:07:01.220 through faith. The fact is that God does not 00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:09.680 keep unbelievers. He only keeps believers. But 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.959 that may shake up somebody here who would say, 00:07:13.100 --> 00:07:17.139 but what if I fail in my faith? I've got good 00:07:17.139 --> 00:07:21.579 news for you. If you have trusted Jesus Christ 00:07:21.579 --> 00:07:24.459 as your Savior, you will not fail in your faith. 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:31.319 You may fall, you will never fail. You may stumble, 00:07:32.579 --> 00:07:35.720 but your faith will never catastrophically collapse. 00:07:36.180 --> 00:07:40.000 It will not. That is the grace of God working 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.240 in your life so that you will continue to believe. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.819 That's what I was talking about last week. And 00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:49.800 that one of the signs of a believer is a faith 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:56.829 that matures, a faith that perseveres. You and 00:07:56.829 --> 00:08:00.089 I are kept for our salvation in the future through 00:08:00.089 --> 00:08:06.110 our faith. And that faith will never fail because 00:08:06.110 --> 00:08:11.610 God is working in us to preserve it and us. But 00:08:11.610 --> 00:08:17.709 then we are kept also by God's power. We are 00:08:17.709 --> 00:08:20.529 kept by faith and through God's power. This is 00:08:20.529 --> 00:08:23.829 the divine side. And the wonderful truth is that 00:08:23.829 --> 00:08:27.699 each person in the Trinity has a part to play 00:08:27.699 --> 00:08:34.000 in our being guarded by God. In this very context 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.379 we have what God the Father does. Look back in 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:42.200 verse 1 where Peter introduces himself as an 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:47.700 apostle of Jesus Christ and then gives his salutation, 00:08:47.820 --> 00:08:53.850 his greeting. He says to God's elect Strangers 00:08:53.850 --> 00:08:56.629 in the world scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, 00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:01.029 Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia who have been 00:09:01.029 --> 00:09:03.649 chosen according to the foreknowledge of God 00:09:03.649 --> 00:09:07.330 the Father. What is the role of God the Father 00:09:07.330 --> 00:09:14.730 in keeping me? It is the Father's purpose. God 00:09:14.730 --> 00:09:19.600 the Father has purposed. That one day I will 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.720 be with Jesus Christ in heaven and will inherit 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:28.879 with him the fullness of salvation He has chosen 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:34.340 me in Jesus Christ according to his foreknowledge 00:09:34.340 --> 00:09:37.179 Now that foreknowledge means more than that God 00:09:37.179 --> 00:09:39.019 knows something ahead of time. It means that 00:09:39.019 --> 00:09:45.049 God purposes it in advance We have been chosen 00:09:45.049 --> 00:09:47.690 in Jesus Christ, we who are believers, we have 00:09:47.690 --> 00:09:51.269 been chosen in Jesus Christ according to what 00:09:51.269 --> 00:09:54.690 God has purposed ahead of time will take place. 00:09:56.570 --> 00:10:01.029 How do I know that I will be kept? Because God's 00:10:01.029 --> 00:10:03.730 power is working according to the Father's purpose. 00:10:05.009 --> 00:10:08.049 And His purpose is that one day I will be with 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:11.509 Christ. Let me take just a moment to turn us 00:10:11.509 --> 00:10:14.009 back to Romans chapter 8, where we find this 00:10:14.009 --> 00:10:18.830 same truth, beginning in this familiar 28th verse. 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:23.769 What was it that gave Paul such assurance about 00:10:23.769 --> 00:10:29.009 life and its circumstances? He says, we know 00:10:29.009 --> 00:10:35.990 that in all things, God works for the good of 00:10:35.990 --> 00:10:41.700 those who love Him. All things. Now what gave 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:45.000 him such assurance to say that? He says, we who 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:49.659 have been called according to his purpose. For 00:10:49.659 --> 00:10:54.639 those God foreknew, he also predestined to be 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:57.899 conformed to the likeness of his son that he 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:01.360 might be the firstborn among many brothers. And 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.159 those He predestined, He also called. And those 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:07.379 He called, He justified. And those He justified, 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:12.259 He also glorified. To be glorified refers to 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:15.000 that final element of our salvation, that final 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.320 point when we will be with Christ and be like 00:11:17.320 --> 00:11:22.539 Him. Paul says God's purpose is so secure that 00:11:22.539 --> 00:11:25.820 it is as though you were already glorified in 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:29.909 His presence. That being true, we know that all 00:11:29.909 --> 00:11:35.350 things work together for our good. How do I know 00:11:35.350 --> 00:11:39.710 that I will be kept and preserved? I know because 00:11:39.710 --> 00:11:45.250 of God the Father's purpose for me. What about 00:11:45.250 --> 00:11:47.629 God the Son? What part does He play? Well, it 00:11:47.629 --> 00:11:52.409 mentions in verse 2 obedience to Jesus Christ, 00:11:52.529 --> 00:11:55.779 the sprinkling of His blood, but In order for 00:11:55.779 --> 00:11:58.019 me to make this message work, I had to find a 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:01.200 P to go along with the Father's purpose. So I'm 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.720 choosing something else, and that's the Son's 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:07.820 prayer. How do I know that I will be kept secure? 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:11.259 Because of the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:13.779 Go back with me to the Gospel of John, to the 00:12:13.779 --> 00:12:19.159 17th chapter. And notice what he prays. Father? 00:12:20.420 --> 00:12:24.799 I want those you have given me. There's the Father's 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.500 purpose, you see. Choosing us to belong to Christ. 00:12:29.820 --> 00:12:33.460 He says, I want those you have given me to be 00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:39.059 with me where I am and to see my glory. The glory 00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:41.460 you have given me because you love me before 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:48.360 the creation of the world. I am confident of 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:51.080 my security in Jesus Christ not only because 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:54.120 God the Father has purposed it and by His power 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:57.679 is going to bring about His purpose, but I am 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:00.159 confident because of the prayer of God the Son 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:03.399 who said, Father, I want all of those that you 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:06.019 have given to me to be with me one day in glory. 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:12.320 God the Father, by His power, is going to answer 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:18.139 the prayer of His Son. I think this point has 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:25.179 special meaning to Peter. You remember that Peter 00:13:25.179 --> 00:13:32.440 failed our Lord. His faith failed. But Jesus 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:36.480 had said to him in advance, Satan has desired 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:40.460 to sift you, but he says, Peter, I have prayed 00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:48.120 for you that your faith not fail. Now, Peter's 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:52.580 faith failed in the moment of test. But the answer 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:56.360 to Jesus' prayer came in the fact that Peter 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:00.960 repented of his disobedience and came back to 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:06.500 loving devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. How 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:09.100 do I know that my faith is not going to fail 00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:15.799 because Jesus has prayed for me? And one day 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:17.679 God the Father is going to answer that prayer. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:21.220 What about the Holy Spirit? Well, a third P in 00:14:21.220 --> 00:14:27.580 our P -patch. The Holy Spirit's pledge. Turn 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:35.279 with me to Ephesians chapter 1. And you also 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.799 were included, verse 13 of Ephesians 1. You also 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:42.799 were included in Christ. when you heard the word 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:45.659 of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:51.039 believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, 00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:57.519 the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.659 our inheritance until the redemption of those 00:15:00.659 --> 00:15:04.799 who are God's possession to the praise of His 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:09.460 glory. The Holy Spirit's pledge guarantees to 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:13.120 me that I am secure in my salvation. I have been 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:18.100 marked with a seal. A seal denoting ownership. 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:29.139 A seal denoting genuineness. You can go to Washington 00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:35.860 DC on vacation and go to a souvenir shop. And 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:43.169 here you've got a beautiful little piece of ceramic 00:15:43.169 --> 00:15:46.769 that is in the shape of the Capitol building. 00:15:48.889 --> 00:15:50.970 And you think to yourself, boy, I want to have 00:15:50.970 --> 00:15:53.789 this. This is something from Washington, D .C. 00:15:53.789 --> 00:15:57.049 It's going to remind me of this vacation. And 00:15:57.049 --> 00:16:00.129 so you plop your money down, probably too much, 00:16:01.090 --> 00:16:02.970 and you put it in your sack and you take it to 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:05.129 your hotel room and you get it out and you look 00:16:05.129 --> 00:16:06.909 at it, you admire it, and on the bottom you see, 00:16:07.129 --> 00:16:14.970 made in Japan. Genuinely Japanese. God has put 00:16:14.970 --> 00:16:18.889 a seal on you that says you are genuinely heavenly 00:16:18.889 --> 00:16:24.669 made. You are genuinely born again into His family. 00:16:24.730 --> 00:16:29.190 You belong to Him. We have the pledge of the 00:16:29.190 --> 00:16:34.429 Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing that the 00:16:34.429 --> 00:16:36.950 full amount is going to be received in the future. 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:41.159 God has given to us the Holy Spirit as a down 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.399 payment of our salvation. God is not going to 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:48.639 lose his down payment, believe me. So what is 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:53.480 the means of my security? Well, the human side 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:58.480 is that it's my faith. I keep believing, and 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:02.179 I do because I'm a genuine believer. But the 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:06.460 greater truth is the divine side. where each 00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:09.819 person of the Godhead is involved in powerfully 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:14.140 preserving me for my heavenly destiny. Isn't 00:17:14.140 --> 00:17:16.259 that a wonderful thing for we who are the children 00:17:16.259 --> 00:17:21.380 of God to enjoy? Finally, I want you to think 00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:23.539 with me about the magnitude of the believer's 00:17:23.539 --> 00:17:26.700 security, its meaning, its means, its magnitude. 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:33.839 He says that we are shielded by God's power until 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:37.250 the coming of the salvation that is ready to 00:17:37.250 --> 00:17:43.549 be revealed in the last time. We have our salvation 00:17:43.549 --> 00:17:46.150 now of course in one sense but there is another 00:17:46.150 --> 00:17:49.509 sense in which its fullness has not yet been 00:17:49.509 --> 00:17:55.410 experienced. There is yet an aspect of redemption 00:17:55.410 --> 00:17:58.609 that we who are here have not experienced and 00:17:58.609 --> 00:18:02.369 that is that culminating aspect when our bodies 00:18:02.369 --> 00:18:05.859 will be changed and we will be caught up to be 00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:10.259 with the Lord. That was what Ephesians 1 .14 00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:13.779 says that we are guaranteed one day to experience 00:18:13.779 --> 00:18:17.480 by the Holy Spirit's down payment. It is that 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:19.900 fullness of redemption that will come when our 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:23.980 bodies, these earthly tents in which we live, 00:18:24.099 --> 00:18:28.440 are changed to be like Christ's. The magnitude 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.579 of the believer's security is this. It is a security 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:35.819 that is not limited to our lifetime. it reaches 00:18:35.819 --> 00:18:38.819 into the future. There are people who are dead 00:18:38.819 --> 00:18:41.799 today, who are buried, who are with the Lord, 00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:45.039 but their bodies are buried, who are still nonetheless 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:47.720 guaranteed that their bodies will be raised from 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:51.519 the grave. The magnitude of the security of their 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:55.460 salvation involves a preservation that is beyond 00:18:55.460 --> 00:18:58.019 their lifetime, which lasted for however many 00:18:58.019 --> 00:19:02.240 years. And the same is true for you and me. If 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:04.480 the Lord does not come in our lifetime and we 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:09.160 die, the security of our salvation is not affected. 00:19:11.700 --> 00:19:15.480 It goes beyond our lifetime to embrace things 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:19.160 yet in the future in the return of our Lord Jesus 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:23.220 Christ. This security is not limited to our lifetime. 00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:26.259 Secondly, this security is not limited to the 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:33.119 good times. It's not limited to just the good 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:35.480 times of life. In fact, Peter is writing to people 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:38.380 who are suffering. That's why he talks about 00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:42.539 the trials that they're in in the next few verses. 00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:47.799 It's tough to be a Christian in those days. It's 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:53.039 tough today, too, if you're a Christian. Peter 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:55.740 says that the security of our salvation is not 00:19:55.740 --> 00:20:00.289 resting upon good times. Indeed, our salvation 00:20:00.289 --> 00:20:03.910 embraces the trials of life. In the midst of 00:20:03.910 --> 00:20:06.250 its troubles, in the midst of its anxieties, 00:20:06.369 --> 00:20:08.730 in the midst of its disappointments, you and 00:20:08.730 --> 00:20:14.869 I can rejoice that our salvation is secure. Our 00:20:14.869 --> 00:20:17.410 salvation is not limited by lifetime, it is not 00:20:17.410 --> 00:20:21.410 limited by good times. The magnitude of it is 00:20:21.410 --> 00:20:28.000 that it stretches into eternity. Dr. Paul Inns 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:30.240 writes, the eternal security of the believer 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.700 by the grace of God is the completion and crowning 00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:40.220 glory of God's plan of salvation. Peter says 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:44.099 that we have been born again to a living hope 00:20:44.099 --> 00:20:46.279 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:51.000 the dead and into an inheritance. An inheritance 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:55.539 that is being guarded by God in heaven. for we 00:20:55.539 --> 00:21:05.140 who are being guarded by God on earth." There 00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:09.779 was a man by the name of Jack Wurm, W -U -R -M, 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:14.900 who in 1949 was out of a job and broke. He was 00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:17.839 penniless and walking along a beach in San Francisco. 00:21:19.789 --> 00:21:22.609 As he walked, he came across a bottle that had 00:21:22.609 --> 00:21:24.630 washed up on the shore with a piece of paper 00:21:24.630 --> 00:21:29.170 in it. And so he opened the bottle and read the 00:21:29.170 --> 00:21:32.009 piece of paper, and it was, in fact, the last 00:21:32.009 --> 00:21:35.789 will and testament of a woman by the name of 00:21:35.789 --> 00:21:39.390 Daisy Singer Alexander, who was heir to the Singer 00:21:39.390 --> 00:21:43.970 sewing machine fortune. The note read this, to 00:21:43.970 --> 00:21:47.430 avoid confusion I leave my entire estate to the 00:21:47.430 --> 00:21:50.490 lucky person who finds this bottle and to my 00:21:50.490 --> 00:21:55.970 attorney Barry Cohen share and share alike. Well 00:21:55.970 --> 00:21:58.230 the courts investigated this and they found out 00:21:58.230 --> 00:22:02.589 that apparently 12 years earlier this woman had 00:22:02.589 --> 00:22:05.930 written out this last will and testament placed 00:22:05.930 --> 00:22:08.329 in the bottle and had thrown that bottle into 00:22:08.329 --> 00:22:12.519 the Thames River in London. It had drifted around 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:15.180 the world until finally it came upon that beach 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:19.440 in San Francisco. And the discovery of Jack Worm 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:25.019 led him to inherit six million dollars and a 00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:29.319 great deal of singer stock. Can you imagine that? 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:31.960 Here you are penniless and all of a sudden you 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:34.500 are heir to a fortune. And my friend, if there 00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:36.559 isn't a better picture of salvation, I don't 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:40.500 know of one than that. except it's not by chance. 00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:45.720 We who are penniless and bankrupt in our sin, 00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:48.579 who have nothing but damnation to look forward 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:54.519 to, suddenly, suddenly, by the great mercy of 00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:59.339 God, are born into His family and given an inheritance 00:22:59.339 --> 00:23:03.700 that reaches into eternity. And God gives us 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:06.460 a secret service to watch over us all the days 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:09.529 of our lives and keeps us so that there's nothing 00:23:09.529 --> 00:23:12.130 that can prevent us from one day being there 00:23:12.130 --> 00:23:17.250 and inheriting with Christ all things. What a 00:23:17.250 --> 00:23:19.450 marvelous thing. God has prepared for those who 00:23:19.450 --> 00:23:23.950 love Him. Now, is that an inheritance that you 00:23:23.950 --> 00:23:29.589 have? I hope it is. Have you experienced the 00:23:29.589 --> 00:23:31.609 new birth? You say, well, I don't know if I have 00:23:31.609 --> 00:23:36.089 or not. I don't know if I can believe. Well, 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:39.519 If you will to believe, you can. There's nothing 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:42.319 keeping you from it. You say, well, I don't know 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:44.339 if I'm one of the elect. Well, you can, though, 00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:46.880 believe on Jesus Christ, and you are. It's that 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:52.779 simple. Nothing mysterious about that. And if 00:23:52.779 --> 00:23:55.339 you have believed on Jesus Christ, and this morning 00:23:55.339 --> 00:24:01.099 your heart percolates with the joy of security 00:24:01.099 --> 00:24:05.000 that belongs to us, what does it mean? We'll 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:07.480 just look down the chapter a few verses to verses 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.539 13 and 14. Because there are some ramifications 00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:15.599 of this for your life and mine. It is not merely 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:19.980 enough that we rejoice in this truth. There's 00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:24.619 something that comes along with it. He says, 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.359 Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be self 00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:33.740 -controlled. Set your hope. fully on the grace 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:37.059 to be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:40.859 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil 00:24:40.859 --> 00:24:43.500 desires you had when you lived in ignorance, 00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:47.839 but just as he who called you is holy, so be 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:53.720 holy in all you do." I see four commands given 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:56.940 to those of us who are secure in our salvation. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.180 The first one is, prepare our minds for action. 00:25:02.250 --> 00:25:06.170 There is to be a deliberate alertness in the 00:25:06.170 --> 00:25:09.490 Christian's outlook of life. What does it mean 00:25:09.490 --> 00:25:12.829 to gird up the loins of your mind as the King 00:25:12.829 --> 00:25:17.750 James Version puts it? Gird up the loins is an 00:25:17.750 --> 00:25:22.130 idiomatic expression from that early New Testament 00:25:22.130 --> 00:25:25.599 age. oriental people when they were going about 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.579 a duty or they're going for a walk would take 00:25:27.579 --> 00:25:31.200 their long robes and would put them inside the 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:34.059 belt that was around their loins to free their 00:25:34.059 --> 00:25:39.019 legs so that they could move. It might be brought 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:41.460 across into the English with the idiom, pull 00:25:41.460 --> 00:25:45.759 yourselves together. He's saying that you and 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:48.500 I ought to have a deliberate alertness in our 00:25:48.500 --> 00:25:53.140 Christian outlook about life. Be vigilant. ready 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:57.140 for action as believers because we're secure. 00:25:57.339 --> 00:26:00.740 Secondly, be self -controlled. There's to be 00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:03.599 a definite control in the Christians' decisions. 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:08.299 Self -controlled. We're not to allow ourselves 00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:15.039 to be presumptuous because we are secure. We're 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:18.180 not to forbid ourselves to become lazy in our 00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:21.819 Christian experience because God is keeping us. 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:26.240 There is to be a definite control about us in 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:29.599 our decisions. We're to have sound judgment in 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:33.299 all areas of life because we are God's guarded 00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:38.579 children. Thirdly, he says set or fix your hope 00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:41.200 fully on the grace that's coming when Christ 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:45.619 returns. A Christian is to have a distant look 00:26:45.619 --> 00:26:51.180 in his eyes. As we see things that are close 00:26:51.180 --> 00:26:56.339 up around us, the issues of life, and the events 00:26:56.339 --> 00:27:01.019 that take place in our world, as we look at those 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:05.640 things, we are to have a distant focus. We're 00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:08.019 to be looking for the return of our Lord Jesus 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:11.839 Christ. We're not to set our hope on things in 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:17.079 this world. We're not to set our hope on retirement. 00:27:18.569 --> 00:27:21.869 We can look forward to those days and trust that 00:27:21.869 --> 00:27:24.849 by God's grace we may enjoy some special things 00:27:24.849 --> 00:27:28.029 in life, but let's not set our hope on that. 00:27:29.210 --> 00:27:32.210 We're not to set our hope on gaining that position 00:27:32.210 --> 00:27:38.190 that we're longing for in the company. We may 00:27:38.190 --> 00:27:40.470 be able to use that for the glory of God, but 00:27:40.470 --> 00:27:44.829 let's not set our hope on it. We're not to set 00:27:44.829 --> 00:27:49.440 our hope on getting married. or having children. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.359 If God wills, those are wonderful experiences 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:57.799 in life. But we are to fix our hope on one thing, 00:27:58.339 --> 00:28:01.460 and that is the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:28:01.460 --> 00:28:07.400 and the grace that we will receive when we see 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:11.619 Him face to face. The change that will take place 00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:17.119 in us. The glory that we will inherit. We are 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:23.259 to fix our hope on that. There's to be a distant 00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:27.420 look in the eyes of the Christian. And then he 00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:33.500 says, do not conform, but be holy. There's to 00:28:33.500 --> 00:28:36.000 be a distinct difference in the Christian's walk. 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.019 The old way of life will continue to haunt us. 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:46.099 It will seek to bring us into conformity to its 00:28:46.099 --> 00:28:49.220 evil desires. As long as we're in this world, 00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:52.299 we all experience that. But he says, be holy. 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:58.279 Be holy. Be different. Choose to set yourself 00:28:58.279 --> 00:29:02.740 apart from those things. Choose to live a life 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:05.539 that is distinctively different in the midst 00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:11.559 of a pagan culture. And as we do that, we will 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:19.539 be clearly the children. of a holy God. And so 00:29:19.539 --> 00:29:22.140 as we rejoice in the security of our salvation, 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:25.119 let's just push ourselves beyond the comfort 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:29.720 zone to understand that with that blessed comfort 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:34.799 comes some responsibility that God calls us to 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:40.380 in this world. I'd like for you to take your 00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:45.380 hymnal with me and turn to the hymn that I alluded 00:29:45.380 --> 00:29:51.099 to earlier. It's number 44. I'd like for us to 00:29:51.099 --> 00:29:55.059 sing. And we're going to sing just two or three 00:29:55.059 --> 00:29:59.019 verses of this wonderful hymn that speaks about 00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:01.420 the inheritance that we have. And oh, today, 00:30:02.700 --> 00:30:05.200 if you don't have the assurance in your heart 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:07.960 that you are born into God's family as one of 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:12.559 His children, there's not the security about 00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:15.539 your life. that we've been talking about. You 00:30:15.539 --> 00:30:18.900 can experience that today if you will choose 00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:23.339 to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:26.380 Savior. Open your heart to Him in faith this 00:30:26.380 --> 00:30:29.859 morning. And if you belong to Him, if you've 00:30:29.859 --> 00:30:33.119 done that and you're His child, and there is 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:36.220 this living hope in you, and you know that this 00:30:36.220 --> 00:30:39.059 inheritance is being reserved for you and that 00:30:39.059 --> 00:30:41.660 God is guarding you, then let your heart swell 00:30:41.660 --> 00:30:44.869 with these words. And let the commitment that 00:30:44.869 --> 00:30:47.490 He calls us to and the responsible living that 00:30:47.490 --> 00:30:51.509 accompanies security be the determination of 00:30:51.509 --> 00:30:54.029 your heart. Let's stand together as we sing. 00:30:58.430 --> 00:31:10.809 Hymn 44. Children of the Heavenly Father, safely 00:31:28.749 --> 00:31:32.250 Does your life seem to be tossed back and forth 00:31:32.250 --> 00:31:35.369 this morning in storms and trials? Listen to 00:31:35.369 --> 00:31:44.019 verse 3. Neither life nor death shall ever From 00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:54.240 the Lord his children sever. Unto them his grace 00:31:54.240 --> 00:32:04.900 he showeth, And their sorrows all he knoweth. 00:32:06.329 --> 00:32:14.130 Praise the Lord in joyful numbers, Your protector 00:32:14.130 --> 00:32:23.410 never slumbers. At the will of your defender, 00:32:24.730 --> 00:32:36.299 Every foeman must serve. Let me share with you 00:32:36.299 --> 00:32:38.980 the thought of G. Alan Fleece who said, we are 00:32:38.980 --> 00:32:43.000 not in the world bearing witness to Christ. We 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:48.859 are in Christ bearing witness to the world. Father, 00:32:48.900 --> 00:32:51.859 may the joy of that position of being in Christ 00:32:51.859 --> 00:32:54.259 be our motivation for bearing witness to the 00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:58.119 world this week. And as we walk about the course 00:32:58.119 --> 00:33:01.559 of our lives, your Spirit directing us, your 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:06.160 power defending us, May we walk as responsible, 00:33:06.339 --> 00:33:10.339 obedient children of God with a distant look 00:33:10.339 --> 00:33:13.579 in our eyes. Amen.