Go with me, if you would, back
to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. Our text this morning is going
to be verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast
and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether
by word or our epistle. Stand fast and hold the traditions. You know, people love traditions. People love traditions. We have
holidays that come back around every year. We're in the middle
of some of them right now. And sometimes we celebrate them
the exact same way every year. And we love doing it that way.
I do. I do. It's our tradition. This is our tradition. We have certain mindsets about
certain things. We have opinions about certain
things. And the reason we have those
mindsets and those opinions is because they have been passed
down to us generation after generation. That was my daddy's mindset and
that was my granddaddy's mindset and it's my mindset too. It's
our tradition. These are our traditions. Aside from the fact that men
and women can only remain blind until God gives eyes to see the
truth of the word. Aside from that. And aside from
the fact that men and women can only remain deaf until God gives
ears to hear. Aside from that, I would say
the greatest hindrance to people bowing to the truth of God's
Word is traditions. I'd say that's the greatest hindrance.
They're hard to break. They're hard to break. I believe
one of the greatest holds on people that keeps them from leaving
and denying their false religion, even after they start seeing
it, Even after they don't really want to admit it to themselves,
but they're realizing. The thing that keeps them from
leaving and denying that false religion and clinging to the
truth, casting their all on the truth of the word. God has given
me eyes to see the truth of this word and ears to hear the truth
of this word. The greatest hindrance to that
is tradition. It's tradition. Probably the
number one thing that keeps men and women in false religion.
Tradition. Turn with me over to Mark chapter
7. Mark chapter 7. Verse 1, it says, Then came together unto
him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from
Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his
disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashing
hands, they found fault. The disciples of the Lord just
dug in. They didn't wash their hands
first. And so the Pharisees found fault.
Verse three says, for the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they
washed their hands oft. And if you have that center margin,
you see that that means diligently with the fist up to the elbow,
except that they scrub like a surgeon would before he goes to surgery.
Verse three, the Pharisees and the Jews, except they washed
their hands off, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders,
not the tradition of God, not the tradition of the word, the
tradition of the elders. People love to be in a congregation
that has elders and people love to be elders and an elder is
a scriptural term. Technically, I'm considered an
elder. It's a it's a preacher, someone who deals in spiritual
matters. But verse 4 says, When they come
from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many
other things there be which they have received to hold, as the
washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables. Then
the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk not thy disciples
according to the tradition of the elders? but eat bread with
unwashing hands? He answered and said unto them,
Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites? As it is written,
This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is
far from me. And that's where so many people
are. Isn't that a sad place to be? They honor Him with their
lips. They want it to be known to everybody.
They wash their pots and their cups, meaning the things that
pertain to themselves. They get the outside all shined
up and wash their hands and try to present themselves to be very
clean. But he said, here's the problem, your heart is far from
me. Far from me as I've declared
myself in the Word. Verse 7, Howbeit in vain they
do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. That's
the problem. For laying aside the commandment
of God. And if we're going to teach the
commandments of men, that's what we have to do. You have to lay
aside the commandment of God. You have to see that's what God
says and lay that aside in order to teach the commandments of
men. Because our ways are not His ways, not at all. Verse 8,
for laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition
of men as the washing of pots and cups and many other such
like things you do. And he said unto them, full well
ye reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own
tradition. The traditions of men will kill
men and women. They will ultimately kill men
and women. They will send men and women
into an eternal hell. They're traditions. They're traditions. Paul said, thank God that's what
He called me out of. Thank God that's what He called
me out of. Look with me at Galatians chapter
1. Galatians 1 verse 13, For you have heard of my conversation
in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the church of God and wasted it, and profited in the Jews'
religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more
exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. He said, but when
it pleased God, He separated me. The one who separated me
from my mother's womb called me by His grace. Called me out. He called me out. He brought
me out of their lying traditions. Brought me out of my own lying
traditions. And He revealed His Son in me. He revealed the truth to me.
Look with me at Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2 verse 8 says, Beware. And this is something that we
really ought to heed. We really ought to take note
of. Beware. lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ." God's Apostle said, beware. Beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after
the traditions of men. Not after the rudiments, after
the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. If a man is
telling you something that you cannot find in the word, beware. Beware. If the word reveals something
to you that contradicts the traditions that have been passed down to
you, beware. Be aware. Be aware. Go with me to 2 Thessalonians
3. Verse 6. and not after the tradition which
he received of us. Beware withdrawal." Withdrawal. He said now in our text. Chapter
2, verse 15. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 15. Stand fast. Therefore, brethren,
stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught whether
by word or our epistle." He said, there's a tradition that God
has passed down. There is a word, there is a way,
there is a mindset that God has passed down. And Paul said, stand
fast in it. Stand fast in it. He said, therefore,
brethren, because of what was just said, What was just said? He said, because of unbelief,
this world is going to perish. It's going to be deceived by
the lies and the traditions of false religion. Verse 10, with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they
received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.
And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that
they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who
believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. I love election. I love election
so much. I love election so much. I thank
God for His election. I thank God for His election.
Had He not chosen us, none of us would have been saved. None
of us. So I thank God for His loving
election. But this is so important to understand. Election is not salvation. This
is in, I love election. But we must understand that election
is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. God
ordained a means. God ordained a means of salvation. And we're about to look at it.
We're about to look at it. But God's people do not deny
His election to salvation and they don't deny His means. They
don't deny the means He's chosen. He said in verse 13, We're bound
to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit. The Spirit washing, the
Spirit immersing a sinner into the blood of Jesus Christ. And,
verse 13 says, belief of the truth, the Spirit bringing faith
and causing that sinner to believe on Christ. Verse 14, whereunto
He called you by our gospel, He quickened, He notified. through the preaching of the
one and only true gospel that there is, God's gospel, the word
of God's gospel that he gave to the apostles. Verse 14, whereunto
he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast
and hold the traditions. which you have been taught, whether
by word or our epistle, stand fast. Stand fast in the traditions,
the truths, the beliefs that God has passed down to us through
his word. Generation to generation, he
said, which you have been taught. Our Lord said in John six, they
shall all be taught of God. They'll all be taught. All of my people will be taught.
These true traditions. From God. All right, what have
we been taught? What do we stand fast in? I want
us to just look at five things. that God has passed down to us
in his word. Five things we stand fast in. Turn with me over to Psalm 89.
Here's the first one. Psalm 89, now this is speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said, These are they
which testify of Me. He expounded in all the Scripture
the things concerning Himself. And in verse 20, it says, I have
found David My servant. David representing Christ. The
Father said, Behold My servant. I have found David My servant.
With My holy oil have I anointed him. with whom my hand shall
be established. Mine arm also shall strengthen
him. The enemy shall not exact upon
him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat
down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him.
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and in my
name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the
sea and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me,
thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also
I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the
earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore. And my covenant
shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to
endure forever in His throne as the days of heaven. Now watch
this, verse 30. If His children forsake My law
and walk not in My judgments, if they break My statutes and
keep not My commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. Where were their
transgressions visited with the rod? Whose stripes? Where were those iniquities laid?
Verse 33, Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from
him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not
break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once
have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His
seed shall endure forever in his throne as the sun before
me. That's wonderful. In verse 28, He said, My mercy
will I keep for Him forevermore, and My covenant shall stand fast
with Him. God's mercy and His covenant
is with Christ. The covenant of His mercy is
in Christ. It's only found in Him. God's covenant has only been
made with Him and those that He put in Him. What have we been taught concerning
the truth of salvation? God made a covenant with Christ.
Where does salvation begin? Where do we start this whole
thing? God made a covenant with Christ. For this world ever started,
for he ever made man, God made a covenant with Christ that God
had made a covenant with themselves. or himself, I'm not sure how
to say it. Three persons, one God. God the
Father said, I'm going to choose some sinners to save. God the
Son said, I'm going to redeem every sinner you choose. God
the Spirit said, I'll notify all of them. I'll go around,
I'll notify every single one. I'll tell every single one of
them what you the Father have done and you the Son have done.
And I'll call them back to us. I'll bring them all back to us.
That's the covenant that God made. We stand fast in the covenant. We stand fast in the covenant.
All right, number two. Turn to Psalm 111. Psalm 111. Verse 1 says, Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my
whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great. Sought out are all of them that
have pleasure therein. His work is honorable and glorious,
and His righteousness endureth forever. He hath made His wonderful
works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and full
of compassion. He hath given meat unto them
that fear Him. He will ever be mindful of His
covenant. He hath showed His people the
power of His works. that he may give them the heritage
of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity
and judgment. All his commandments are sure.
They stand fast forever and ever and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people. He hath commanded his covenant
forever. Holy and reverent is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding
have all they that do His commandments. His praise endureth forever. Did you notice a common thread
through those verses? His works. His works. Not man's works. Not my works. Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto
us. God's people stand fast in the
works of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not what we're going to
do for Him. It's what He has done for us.
That's our message. That's our message. It's what
He has done for us. What has He done for us? Turn
with me to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 29, For whom He
did foreknow, for whom the Father chose every soul the covenant
was made for, whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He also called and whom He called, them He also justified,
and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Start to finish,
salvation was His work. He, He, He. We're just saying
one day when heaven was filled with His praises. You think about
this. Heaven was filled with His praises. That's what He left. A place
that was filled with his praises. We know what life was like for
him here. One day when heaven was filled with his praises,
one day when sin was as black as could be, the Lord Jesus came
forth to be born of a virgin, dwelt among men. My example is
he. One day they led Him up Calvary's
mountain. One day they nailed Him to die
on the tree, suffering anguish, despised and rejected, bearing
our sins. My Redeemer is He. One day they
left Him alone in the garden. One day He rested from suffering
free. Angels came down o'er His tomb
to keep vigil, hope of the hopeless. My Savior is He. Hope of the
hopeless. That's who He is. Hope of earth
and joy of heaven. One day the grave could conceal
Him no longer. One day the stone rolled away
from the door. Then he arose over death he had
conquered, now is ascended my Lord evermore. Living he loved
me, dying he saved me. Buried he carried my sins far
away. Rising he justified freely forever,
one day he's coming. Oh glorious day. That's the tradition
we stand fast in. That's our tradition. We stand
fast in His covenant. We stand fast in His work. Number
three, turn with me to 1 Corinthians 16. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 13. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men, be strong. What is faith? Faith is looking
to Christ, believing Him, trusting His word to be ordered, sure,
true. Where does faith come from? Faith
is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Faith comes from
God. The scripture calls it the faith
of Christ. He gives it to us. He performs
it in us. He causes us to look to Him,
believe Him, and trust His Word. That's where we stand. That's
where we stand on faith. We stand in His faith. It's His covenant, it's His work,
it's His faith. Faith in His blood. The Apostle
Paul told the Philippians, only let your conversation be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you
or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand
fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the
faith of the gospel. The faith. Number four. Turn
with me to Galatians 5. Galatians 5 verse 1 says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free. and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage. Christ has made us free. Free
from the law, oh happy condition. The Lord Jesus bled and there's
remission. Cursed by the law, bruised by
the fall, but Christ has redeemed us once for all. Our Lord said,
if God ever reveals the truth to you, which is a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who He is, what He's done, what He
truly accomplished in His death. He said, if God ever reveals
the truth to you, the truth Himself shall make you free. Make you
free. You'll be free from the do's
and the don'ts of the law. And here's why. You'll see Christ
has already satisfied them. In Him, the law is satisfied. In Him, we're free from the curse.
We're free from the demands. We're free from the bondage.
Christ has made us free. We stand fast in His liberty. There's no greater place to stand. In Him, there's liberty and justice
for all. This verse of scripture summarizes
every bit of it. Last one, number 5. Turn with me to Philippians chapter
4. Philippians 4 verse 1 says, Therefore,
my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, My joy and crown,
so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. We stand fast
in Him. What is our tradition, ultimately? What is our tradition? He is. He is. What have we been taught? What is our doctrine? He is. We honestly preach a person.
We truly preach a person. We have been taught Him by the
Spirit. We have been taught Him. Where
is our salvation? It's in His covenant that He
made concerning us. It's in His works that He has
performed for us. It's in His faith that He has
given to us. It's in His liberty wherewith
He has made us free. It's in Him. It's in Him. That's our tradition. That's
what we preach, that's what we hear, that's what we believe
over and over and over. Y'all gonna do the same thing
this time that you did last time? Yep, it's our tradition. What are y'all gonna preach on
this time? Christ. He's our tradition. And we love
it. We love it. That's where God's
people stand. They stand fast in Him. Therefore, brethren,
stand fast and hold the traditions which have been taught, whether
by word or our epistle. All right, let's all stand together.