Sermon #1534 Miscellaneous
Notes
Title: “They
Shall NEVER PERISH”
Text: John 10:27-30
Subject: The Infallible Security of God’s Elect
Date: Sunday Morning—
Tape # X-72a
Introduction:
Sheep are weak, helpless, defenseless creatures. They have no strength to
withstand their enemies. If they are
lost, they cannot find their way home again. If sick, they cannot fight off their disease. If threatened, they cannot run fast
enough to escape danger. If attacked,
they cannot defend themselves.
The only security sheep
have is in their shepherd. If their shepherd is wise, good, and strong, they
are secure. If the sheep survive, if they live and flourish, the honor belongs
to the shepherd. If the sheep perish, the blame belongs to the shepherd. It is
the shepherd’s responsibility to keep the sheep. With those things said, let’s
read our text together—John
John 10:27-30 "My sheep hear my voice, and
I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one."
The doctrine of our
Lord in this text is very plain and obvious: We who believe are
Christ’s sheep, weak, helpless, defenseless creatures. And the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, is our Shepherd, wise, good, and strong. Because Christ
is our Shepherd, we are secure in him.
This is what the Son of God, our dear Shepherd, says concerning
all his sheep: “They shall never perish!”
I want to take those words of our Lord for my subject, and preach to you,
as plainly as I possibly can by the power of the Holy Spirit, about the
absolute, infallible, unwavering security of God’s elect in Christ.
I realize that many pervert
the doctrine I preach, the doctrine of Holy Scripture, concerning the eternal
security and preservation of God’s elect in Christ. Many twist it into a lie to
the eternal ruin of their souls. They attempt to justify their ungodliness by
claiming to believe in God’s sovereignty to the exclusion of all
responsibility. And they try to soothe their consciences with the delusion that
they really are saved, though they live in utter, abhorrent ungodliness.
Others cry, “Such preaching as that promotes lawlessness and
antinomianism. Because they must be ruled by law, they presume that everyone
must. Because they are forced servants and mercenary soldiers, they presume
that there is no such thing as voluntary obedience to the Son of God.
I am sorry for that. But I will not hold back the truth of God
for fear that some godless wretch will pervert it or be offended by it. Our
Lord never hesitated to preach the truth, even when he knew that the people to
whom he was preaching would twist his words, pervert his doctrine, or be
offended by the gospel he preached.
·
Christ preached the fulfilment of the law; and his enemies said, “He is an enemy of the law.”
·
Our Lord preached election; and they took up stones to kill him.
·
The Son of God preached the free forgiveness of sin; and they said, “He is the friend of publicans and sinners,
a promoter of licentiousness.”
·
Christ preached the blessed freedom and liberty of grace, and his
enemies said, “He is a glutton and a wine
bibber.”
Following the example of
Christ, I intend to proclaim to you, in the clearest terms possible, the
absolute security and preservation of God’s elect in Christ. Some of you may be
confused by it. Some of you may twist and pervert my doctrine to the ruin of
your own souls. But, for you who believe, the doctrine that I now preach to you
will be full of comfort and assurance for your souls.
I recognize that the Word of God teaches the
perseverance of the saints. Those who are born of God must and shall
persevere. They will continue in the faith of Christ. We both believe and keep
on believing. The true believer begins in faith, lives in faith, and dies in
faith. True faith never quits (Matt.
(Mat
(John 8:31) "Then said
Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;"
(1 Cor 15:1) "Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also
ye have received, and wherein ye stand;"
(
(Heb 3:6) "But Christ as a
son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
(Heb 3:14) "For we are made
partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto
the end;"
The Word of God is very
clear in this matter: Only those who continue in the faith shall enter into
glory.
This is the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints.
However, the Bible also teaches the preservation of
God’s elect in Christ. Those who are truly born of God will most certainly persevere in
faith, because we are preserved in Christ by almighty grace. Not one of God’s
elect shall ever perish. The Word of God teaches the preservation of the saints
just as plainly, just as fully, just as forcibly as it teaches the perseverance
of the saints.
We believe and preach both. Perseverance
is the believer continuing in
faith. Preservation is God keeping his people in faith. Perseverance is the believer holding Christ by the hand of
faith. Preservation is Christ holding the believer by the hand of
grace.
Jesus is our God and Savior,
Guide, and Counselor, and
Friend:
He will never, never leave
us,
Nor will let us quite leave
Him.
Proposition: Having Christ as our
Shepherd, all of God’s sheep are absolutely secure in his hands. It is not
possible for any true believer to perish, because we are preserved by the grace
of God in Christ.
Divisions: Here are four things by
which our Lord assures us that every believer is safe and secure in his hands.
In the hands of Christ we are secure as the glorified spirits in heaven.
1. A Divine Distinction—“My sheep.”
2. A Divine Gift—“I give unto them eternal life.”
3. A Divine Promise—“They shall never perish.”
4. A Divine Security—“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hands.”
I. Here is a DIVINE DISTINCTION—“My sheep hear my voice, and I know the, and
they follow me.”
Let men denounce it as they
may and denounce me for preaching it if that gives them pleasure, but the God
of the Bible does distinguish between men. He chose some and passed by others.
He redeems some and leaves others under the curse. He calls some and rejects
others. He saves some and does not save others. Grace is God’s prerogative. He
has mercy on whom he will have mercy (Rom.
(Rom 9:15-18) "For he saith
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. {16} So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. {17} For
the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee
up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. {18} Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
Hebrews
Our Lord clearly teaches his sovereignty in salvation in this
chapter. He said to the unbelieving Jews, who refused to believe his word, “Ye are not of my sheep.” And he told
them that the evidence of that was fact that they did not believe him (v. 26).
The gift of faith and all other grace is reserved for God’s elect. And no one
has any reason to imagine that he is the object of God’s mercy, love, and grace
who does not trust Christ.
Catch these words and let them sink into your heart. God our Savior says of you and I who believe—These people are “My sheep.” In everlasting love, by sovereign grace, the Son of God has distinguished us from all other people, and made us to be his own sheep, his own peculiar possession. We who believe are Christ’s sheep by—
A. A Distinct Election.
We became his sheep by his
own eternal choice. In the covenant of grace God branded his sheep and set a
hedge about them, securing their eternal salvation (v. 16).
John
The Lord Jesus says, “I
know them.” And his knowledge is the peculiar knowledge of his own
elective, omniscient love.
·
I know who they are.
·
I know where they are.
·
I know what they are.
·
I know all that they have done and all that they have been.
·
I know what I will make of them.
·
I know when I will be gracious to them.
·
I know how to bring them home.
B. A
distinct purchase (vv. 11,15).
John
Christ Jesus laid down his life for his sheep, in the place of
his sheep, as our Substitute, in our room and stead.
1. Christ offered himself as a
voluntary sacrifice for sin.
2. Christ died as a vicarious
Substitute, suffering the penalty of the law for his sheep.
3. Christ accomplished
redemption for us as a victorious Savior.
C. A
distinct call—“He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” “My sheep
hear my voice, and they follow me.”
This is that special
irresistible call that Christ issues to his sheep alone. It is always
effectual. It always accomplishes salvation. It always brings the sheep to the
Shepherd.
1.
The good Shepherd calls his own sheep (v. 3).
2.
He calls his sheep by name.
3.
He leads them out—Out of darkness into light! Out of bondage into
liberty! Out of death into life!
4.
They follow him—“These are they
that follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth.” Do you hear the Shepherd’s
voice?
NOTE: God’s sheep will not follow
a stranger. They know truth from error (v. 5; 1 John
John 10:5 "And a stranger will they not
follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."
1 John 2:20, 27 "Ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and ye know all things…The anointing which ye have received of him
abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath
taught you, ye shall abide in him."
II. Here is A DIVINE GIFT—“I give
unto them eternal life.”
This is one reason why we
must believe in the eternal security of God’s elect.—Eternal life is the gift
of God! Eternal life comes to men as a matter of free grace! Man does not have
eternal life by nature. Eternal life does not evolve from man’s sinful heart by
some mysterious process of “spiritual evolution.” It is given to men graciously.
It is performed in the heart by the power of God’s sovereign grace. The very
word “give” forbids the idea that eternal life comes to men as a matter
of debt or reward. “The gift of God is
eternal life.”
·
There was nothing in our
hearts or conduct that caused God to bestow eternal life upon us (Jer. 31:3;
Rom.
·
And there is nothing in the believer’s heart or conduct that can cause
God to take away his gift of eternal life (Isa. 54:10; Psa. 89:30-36).
Psalms 89:30-36 "If his children forsake my
law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not
my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and
their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not
utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will
I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 Once have I
sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as
the sun before me."
R. L. Dabney wrote, “God was not induced
to bestow his renewing grace in the first instance by anything which he saw
meritorious and attractive in repenting sinners; and therefore the subsequent
absence of everything good in them would be no new motive to God for
withdrawing his grace.”
·
It is contrary to the nature and character of God to take away his
gifts so freely bestowed (Rom.
·
This gift of eternal life is a gift, freely bestowed, is in no way
dependent upon the contingencies of this present, mortal existence.
If we acknowledge that eternal life is entirely the gift of God,
in no way earned by or dependent upon the goodness of man, it must be concluded
that those to whom eternal life is given are eternally secure in Christ (Eccles.
3:14).
Ecclesiastes
A. Any child who has not been
blinded by religious error must recognize that eternal life must of necessity be eternal.
I realize that “eternal
life” refers more to the quality of the believer’s life union with Christ
than it does to the duration of his life. But it certainly implies a life of
eternal duration. When our Lord says, “eternal,” he means “eternal.”
How can life be eternal if it comes to an end? If I have received from God the
gift of eternal life, it is not possible for me, by any act of mine, or upon
any grounds, to lose it and perish. “The
gift of God is eternal life.”
NOTE: That which is born of God,
the new nature created in us by the power of God cannot sin and cannot die (1
John 3:5-9).
B. The believer’s life must be
eternal because it is a life in union with Christ.
We who believe are so really
and truly joined to Christ that we cannot possibly perish, unless he also
perishes. We are truly one with Christ. He says, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” This union between Christ and
his people is an immutable, indissolveable union.
1. We are married to Christ
(Hos. 2:19-20; Eph. 5:30).
2.
We are members of Christ’s
body, the church (Eph.
(Eph
1:23) "Which is
his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
Can you imagine Christ with a maimed body? Perish the though!
Yet, his body would not be complete if so much as one member were lost.
C. The believer’s life in Christ must be a life of
eternal duration, because we are
preserved in life by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit (Eph.
(Eph 1:13-14) "In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy
Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
(Eph
4:30) "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption."
The Holy Spirit was sent into the world both to call and to
preserve God’s elect. He is the Giver of life and the Preserver of life. The
Spirit of God is the seal of the new covenant.
1.
A seal is a mark of
ownership.
2.
A seal that which keeps
something legally secure.
3.
A seal suggests permanent
freshness.
4.
A seal means everything is
okay!
·
Here is a divine distinction—“My
sheep.”
·
Here is a divine gift—“I give
unto them eternal life.”
III. Here is A DIVINE PROMISE—“I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.”
Our Lord here makes a
blanket, unconditional promise. It takes into consideration all times, all
circumstances, all contingencies, all events, and all possibilities. Our Lord says, concerning
all his sheep, I give unto them eternal
life,” and because they are my sheep and I give eternal life to them, “they shall never perish.”
·
What if they are babes in Christ and their faith is weak? “They shall never perish.”
·
What if they are young men in Christ and their passions are strong? “They shall never perish.”
·
What if they are old men and their vision grows dim? “They shall never perish.”
·
What if they are tempted? “They
shall never perish.”
·
What if they are tried? “They
shall never perish.”
·
What if all hell breaks lose against them? “They shall never perish.”
·
What if they sin? “They shall
never perish.”
·
What if they sin again? “They
shall never perish.”
·
What if they fall? “They shall
never perish.”
·
What if they fall seven times a day? “They shall never perish.”
·
What if they fall seventy times in a day? “They shall never perish.”
This promise takes in all the flock. “They shall never perish.” Not one of
Christ’s sheep shall ever perish; no, not even one! This is not a distinctive
privilege reserved for a few. It is a common mercy to all the chosen flock. If
you are a believer, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have received
eternal life, you shall never perish! Christ himself has promised it. No, you
cannot even sin away the grace of God bestowed upon you in Christ.
Noah—Abraham—David—Lot—Peter—They all
tell us one thing: “Salvation is of the Lord!” Christ’s sheep shall never perish!
This doctrine of the believer’s security in Christ is in every
way consistent with all revealed truth. It is most surely believed among us.
Deny this promise and with it you deny every promise of God. If one word from
God cannot be believed, no word from God can be believed.
Here are seven reasons why the sheep of
Christ shall never perish:
A. The promise of God must be fulfilled—“They shall never perish” (2
Tim.
2 Timothy
1 John
B. The purpose of God cannot be
frustrated (John
John 6:37-40 "All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that
sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me,
that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
1. God’s covenant cannot be
disannulled.
2. God’s purpose in election
cannot be overturned.
3. The Suretyship engagements
of Christ cannot be defeated (Heb.
C. The redemptive work of
Christ cannot be nullified (Isa. 53:10-11).
We believe in actual,
literal, accomplished, substitutionary redemption. Since Christ died for his
sheep, in our room and in our place, we cannot and shall not die.
1. He paid all our debts—We have no debt to pay.
2. He bore all our punishment—There is no punishment left for us to bear.
3. Christ satisfied the
offended justice of God for us—There is nothing for us
to satisfy!
There
is nothing left for us to bear, and nothing for us to satisfy. Justice pleads
as strongly as mercy for the eternal salvation of those people for whom Christ
died at
Romans
Romans 8:31-34 "What shall we then say to
these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not
his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ
that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
4. If even one of those for
whom Christ died were to perish, then his purpose in dying for them would be
frustrated (Eph. 5:25-27; Gal. 1:4-5; Tit. 2:14).
5. If even one of those for
whom Christ died were to perish, then he could never see of the travail of his
soul and be satisfied.
D. The believer’s justification
in Christ is an irreversible act of grace.
The trial is over. The court of heaven has pronounced an irreversible verdict upon us—“Justified!”
1. God will not impute sin to a
believing soul (
2. God has put away our sins
forever by the sacrifice of his Son.
3. Our acceptance before God is
in Christ.
Our justification is free,
it is full, it is forever!
E. The work of God’s grace can never be defeated (Phil.
1:6).
That which God has begun he will carry on to perfection. Without the least presumption, every true believer may gladly sing—
“The work which God’s
goodness began,
The arm of His strength will
complete;
His promise is yea and amen,
And never was forfeited yet:
Things future, nor things
that are now,
Not all things below nor above,
Can make Him His purpose
forego,
Or sever my soul from His
love.
My name from the palms of
His hands,
Eternity will not erase:
Impressed on His heart it
remains
In marks of indelible grace:
Yes, I to the end shall
endure,
As sure as the Earnest is
given,
More happy, but not more
secure,
The
glorified spirits in heaven.”
1.
God is willing to complete his work in us.
2.
God is wise enough to complete his work in us.
3.
God is strong enough to complete his work in us.
F. The intercessory work of Christ must prevail (John
17:9-11, 15, 20; 1 John 2:1-2).
Our cause can never, never
fail,
For Jesus pleads and must
prevail.
(John 17:9-11) "I pray for
them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they
are thine. {10} And all mine are thine, and
thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. {11} And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
(John 17:15) "I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep
them from the evil."
(John 17:20) "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word;"
(1 John 2:1-2) "My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin
not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous: {2} And he is the propitiation for
our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world."
G. The seal of the Holy Spirit
cannot be broken (Eph.
Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of his glory."
·
Here is a divine distinction—“My
sheep.”
·
Here is a divine gift—“I give
unto them eternal life.”
·
Here is a divine promise—“They
shall never perish.”
IV. Here is A
DIVINE SECURITY—“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.”
We are preserved in the
heart of his love. And we are preserved in the hands of his power. “All thy saints are in thy hands.” We
are in the hands of Christ our God and Savior. We are always in his hands. What
a blessed place to be! This is the place of our security.
·
These are the hands that were pierced to
redeem us.
·
These are the hands of omnipotent power.
·
These are the hands that hold the reins of
universal dominion.
·
These are the hands that hold us in life.
·
These are the hands of God himself!
John 10:29-30 "My Father, which gave them
me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand. 30 I and my Father are one."
Application:
1. This blessed doctrine of the believer’s security in
Christ draws a strong response from men.
a.
The self-righteous religionist says, “That is a dangerous doctrine.
Such a doctrine will lead men into sin.”
b.
The presumptuous professor of religion will say, “Let us sin that grace
may abound.”
c.
The true believer will say, “Such marvelous grace compels me to give
myself to Christ with a heart of undivided love, praise, and devotion.” (See
Rom.
Romans 11:33-12:2 "O the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his
counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto
him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
12:1 I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Grace produces gratitude; and gratitude produces devotion!
2.
Here is A Divine
Distinction—“My sheep.” A Divine Gift—I give
unto them eternal life.” A Divine
Promise—“They shall never
perish.” A Divine Security—“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.” But how can I know that this word of
grace is for me?
This word of grace is for every self-confessed sinner who trusts Christ alone as Lord and Savior. If I trust him, it is for me. If you trust him, it is for you.
·
Do you hear the Shepherd’s voice?
·
Do you follow Christ?
·
If so you have eternal life; and you shall never perish!
AMEN.