The title of this message, Apostasy or Faith that Endures. Apostasy or Faith that Endures. I want us to look back in Hebrews,
this epistle here, and see how many times the writer, the apostle
here and the writer of Hebrews gives us warnings. You know,
the book of Hebrews is, as someone said, it's a summary of the book
of Exodus. The tabernacle, the high priesthood,
the sacrifice, it's a summary. I mean, it's a revelation of
Christ and those types and it just brings them all together.
But it's also a book of warnings. The Hebrews, you know, as we've
been reading through Hebrews here, it's evident some of them
are going back, some through persecution were struggling.
And so he gives not only them warning, but us. These warnings
are for us also. Look back in chapter 2. Let's take a look at some of
these warnings here. In Hebrews 2, the first four
verses, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to
the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. For if the word spoken by angels
was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward, how shall we escape? And you'll notice
he uses that word, we. He didn't say you, he concludes
himself here. He just says, he's such a, there's
just so much graciousness here. He's not pointing the finger
and saying, you, you. No, he says, we, you know, we're
brethren and I, and he's talking to them as brethren. HOW SHALL
WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION WHICH AT THE FIRST
BEGAN TO BE SPOKEN BY THE LORD AND WAS CONFIRMED UNTO US BY
THEM THAT HEARD HIM? Now look in chapter 3, look in
verse 12. TAKE HEED, BRETHREN, LEST THERE
BE IN ANY OF YOU AN EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF, AND DEPARTING FROM
THE LIVING GOD. Now look in chapter 4, in chapter
4, look in verse 11. 11-13 LET US LABOR, THEREFORE,
TO ENTER INTO THAT REST, LEST ANY MAN FALL AFTER THE SAME EXAMPLE
OF UNBELIEF. For the word of God is quick
and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow AND IS A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF
THE HEART, NEITHER IS THERE ANY CREATURE THAT IS NOT MANIFEST
IN HIS SIGHT, BUT ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPEN UNTO THE EYES
OF HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO. Now look in chapter 6, look in
verse 4, 4 through 8. impossible for those who were
once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were
made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word
of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall
fall away, to renew them again into repentance, seeing they
crucify to themselves the son of god afresh and put him to
an open shame for the earth which drinketh in the rain that comes
oft upon it and bringeth forth earth meet for them by whom it
is dressed receives blessing from god but that which it but
that which bears thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh into
cursing whose end is to be burned and now we come to chapter 10
In verse 26, let's go back to chapter 10. In verse 26, For IF WE, IF WE, and I'm going to deal with this
matter of apostasy and the believer. IF WE SIN WILLFULLY, after that
we have received the knowledge of the truth, There remains no
more sacrifice for sins. Has this verse ever troubled
you? It has me, especially in my younger years as a believer. When I would read this verse,
it would trouble me. It troubled me. But I've learned
over the years and grown up I believe in Christ and I understand what
He's saying. But it troubled me. This verse
has caused many of God's people some anxiety. It's been misunderstood
and it's been misapplied by some preachers. But what we must understand here
is what is IF WE SIN WILLFULLY, WILLFUL
SIN, that's what he's talking about. Well, first of all, let
me tell you what it's not. It's not sin or sinning. It's
not adultery, as bad as that is. A murder, that's not it. You just name a sin, that's not
it. That's not it. Paul said this in Romans 7, 19.
For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would
not, that I do. It's not, as someone called,
and I don't know if this is a good way to put it, it's not ordinary
sinning. But I do know this, and this
is what would scare me when I was very young in the faith. There's
a measure of willfulness in all sin. There is. The devil made me do
it. No, he did not. You might be
tempted, but he didn't twist your arm and make you do it.
There's a measure of willfulness. and every sin we do every sin
we commit there's a measure of willfulness in it and that's
sad it's sad but it's so it's so but that's not what it is
it's not willful sinning it's not committing this sin or that
sin here's what it is it is deliberate this sin that's being spoken
of here IT IS DELIBERATE, PERSISTENT REJECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. That doesn't mean the person
quit being religious and has become an atheist. No, they're
just as religious as ever. But they say, I don't believe
that. I don't believe that. And I know one particular case
where a person who believed the gospel claimed to. And I'm telling you a person
can claim to for a good while and fool you. Because I was fooled. And this person finally said,
I don't believe that's the way it is anymore. And this person
went to Arminianism. I believe everybody has a chance.
I believe Jesus Christ died to save everybody and completely
left this gospel here, deliberately. Jonathan Edwards says it's with
conviction. You leave it with conviction.
I don't believe that. I don't believe Jesus Christ
is the only way. Billy Graham said before he died,
I don't believe Jesus Christ is the only way to God anymore.
He said that. I don't believe He's the only
way. I believe there's people who live out there in the darkest
parts of the world, that there's other ways for them to come to
God. No, there isn't. No, there isn't. It is deliberate, persistent
rejection of Christ AFTER KNOWING THE TRUTH. After KNOWING the
truth, and you're convinced that's the truth, that you're telling
the truth, but no, I don't believe that. The Pharisees KNEW, they
KNEW Jesus Christ that what He did was divine. They knew no
other man could do this except God be with Him, and yet they turned on Him. In
the face of what they saw, in the face of the messages they
heard, they purposely, deliberately rejected Him KNOWING that no
man can do this except God be with Him. A DELIBERATE REJECTION
OF THE TRUTH is what it is. Apostasy is willfully turning
away from the gospel, and it's willfully turning away from the
gospel with conviction. It's like someone refusing the
only medicine that can cure their disease and says, No, I know
many have been cured by it, it's the only medicine there is, but
no, I'm not taking it, I don't want it. I don't want it. It's to COMPLETELY TURN AWAY
FROM CHRIST. After the truth being preached,
and here it says, after KNOWING, having the KNOWLEDGE, RECEIVING
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, there remains no more sacrifice
for sin. Now what happens when someone
apostatizes? Well, first of all, I thought
of this scripture, THEY FORSAKE THEIR OWN MERCY. Jonah said this
in Jonah 2.8, this is when he's talking about, Out of the belly
of the whale cried I, out of the belly of hell is what he
said, out of the belly of hell cried I. He said, THEY THAT OBSERVE
LYING VANITIES, what's a lying vanity? That's another gospel. It's another
gospel. That's a lying vanity. It's a
reference to idols, but I'm telling you this. Any gospel that's another
gospel than the only gospel there is, is a lying vanity. It's idolatry. That's all it is. Here's what happens when someone
apostatizes. There's no more sacrifice for
sins. It's over with. It's over with. Unlike the Jew who could come
back, remember here we read in Hebrew where they can come back
year after year and offer another sacrifice, there ain't no coming
back. Christ is the end. Christ is
the end. He's the sacrifice. There is
no other sacrifice than the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm the way, the
truth, and the life. No man comes to God but by Me. and to just reject Him and turn
your back on Him DELIBERATELY and PERSISTENTLY is apostasy
and there is no more sacrifice for sin. Reject Christ, deliberately turn on Him, ends in no salvation. All hope is now forfeited. And here's what's going to happen
to that person. And I think of this one particular case, here's
what's going to happen to that person. In verse 27, but there's
a certain, it's coming, it's going to happen, this is going
to happen. BUT A CERTAIN FEARFUL LOOKING
FOR OF JUDGMENT AND FIERY INDIGNATION WHICH SHALL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES."
This is not chastening, God's not going to chasten this person. God's going to consume this person
with the fire of His justice. That's what it's called here,
fiery indignation. It's divine wrath And God calls
them His ADVERSARIES! His ADVERSARIES! Brethren, there's only ONE GOSPEL!
You know that! You know that! There's only ONE
GOSPEL! It's the GOSPEL OF GOD'S GLORY!
It's the GOSPEL OF THE FINISHED WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
HIS PERSON AS GOD, AND WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED IN HIS REDEMPTIVE
WORK! He redeemed everyone that He died for, everyone He shed
His blood for, He redeemed. He's not waiting to see who's
gonna show up and accept Him. That's another gospel, that's
another Jesus. And they're adversaries. They
are adversaries to the truth. They are adversaries to the glory
of God. You know, the gospel is the gospel
of what? God's glory. Now to turn on that or to add
to it or take away from it, that's to be an adversary of God. And
he says here he's going to consume them with fiery indignation. Now you and I can be indignant
against somebody, somebody can be indignant against me, but that's nothing compared to
God's fiery indignation that's not even conceivable not conceivable
remember the scripture that says to whom much is given much is
required someone said greater light greater punishment that's what it is look in verse uh 28 29 he that
despised moses's law died he was put to death without
mercy they stoned him under two or three witnesses and now if
that being so how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he
be thought worthy who has trodden underfoot the son of god and
hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified
an unholy thing and and had done despite unto the spirit of grace UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES THERE WAS DEATH FOR REBELLION
BY TWO OR THREE WITNESSES THEY WERE PUT TO DEATH. BUT THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO
WHAT THE PERSON DESERVES WHO DESPISES AND TRODDEN UNDER FOOT
THE SON OF GOD. and does insult to the Spirit
of grace. Here's the three marks, this is important. Here are the
three marks of apostasy. Here it is, it's given right
in this verse 29. Of how much sore punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy of, who hath, here's the
first mark, here's the first mark of apostasy, trodden underfoot
the Son of God. You know, if you walk on something,
if you trod something under your foot, it means nothing to you. Jesus Christ means nothing to
that person. The Son of God, the apple of
His eye, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, and
you trod upon Him, you walk upon Him as if He's dirt. He's no
more to you than dirt. That's the first mark, is your
attitude toward the Son of God. What does the Lord say to Peter? Well, thank you, Christ. Whose
son is he? Well, some say you're a prophet,
some say you're that prophet, some say you're this, that. Well,
who do you say I am? Thou art to Christ, the Son of
the Living God. But the first mark of apostasy,
IS JESUS CHRIST HIS PERSON MEANS NOTHING TO YOU. You take His
name in vain, just like that. Here's a second mark. You counted
the blood of the covenant wherewith He was sanctified an unholy thing. He claimed to be saved. These
people claim to be saved. But you have counted the blood
of the covenant wherewith You sanctified it. You know what
that word there, unholy thing, you counted it as a common thing. It's just common. It's just a
common thing to you. Now, what does the scripture
say you've been redeemed by? Is it not the precious blood
of Christ? Now, is His blood precious to you or common? It's precious. Precious? I've been redeemed, you've been
redeemed by the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD! But the second
mark of apostasy is his blood means nothing. It's just common. It doesn't mean any more than
the blood of a goat. And here's the third mark of
apostasy. You've done to spy unto the Spirit
of Grace, the Holy Spirit, YOU HAVE DESPISED THE WORK OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT. What did the Pharisees do? They
took the work of Christ and attributed it to the devil. They took the
work of the Holy Spirit which was working through the Lord
Jesus Christ as a man and they attributed that to the devil. And the Lord said, you know what?
He said, I'm gonna paraphrase, you can say whatever you want
against the Son of Man, it can be forgiven you. But you do that
against the Holy Spirit, it can never be forgiven you. You take
the work of the Holy Spirit and you say that's of the devil?
I've heard it said before. That gospel, that's the devil's
gospel. I heard a preacher on television.
He preached against five damnable doctrines. I listened to it.
He called them five damnable doctrines. He took each point
of Calvinism and called them damnable doctrines. They were
straight out of hell. And not too long after that he
got caught with a prostitute. I'm sure you probably know who
he was. But he called it the doctrine
of devils. That's apostasy. You trample the Son of God underfoot,
you profane His blood or the blood of the covenant, and you've
insulted, you've despised the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Spirit who brings the Gospel to us. DOES NOTHING BUT GRACIOUS THINGS
FOR GOD'S PEOPLE. BUT YOU CAN BE SURE OF THIS,
GOD WILL AVENGE, GOD WILL AVENGE, HE WILL AVENGE THESE PEOPLE.
HE SAYS IN VERSE 30 THROUGH 31, FOR WE KNOW HIM THAT HAS SAID,
VENGEANCE BELONGETH UNTO ME, I WILL RECOMPENSE, SAITH THE
LORD, AND AGAIN THE LORD SHALL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. IT IS A FEARFUL
THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD. GOD IS STILL GOD, YOU KNOW. You know
God's still a consuming fire, He still is, He hasn't changed. Gospel hasn't changed God, God's still God. God's justice is real and He's going to execute it
on some people. FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE
LIVING GOD This is the warning against apostasy. We know a believer is not going
to apostatize. We know a believer can't. We
know he can't. I wrote down here at the end
of this, I'm going to go ahead and read it to you. We know that
we are kept by the power of God through faith. He keeps us. Now we would if He didn't keep
us. We would leave if He let us. Philippians 1, He which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ. Now I don't know all the applications,
there have been several applications of this, but I do know this,
He is saying this, first of all, there are those, there are those
who claim to be saved, but then they turn away from the Lord
Jesus Christ to another gospel. Remember the Galatians started
to do that? Paul warned them, The Galatians started to turn
to another gospel, and Paul wrote that letter to them in Galatians.
He said, I'm warning you now, don't you turn back to the law.
Don't you turn back to the law. Look over in, and I'm gonna see
if I'm right. Galatians chapter five. Let's
see if I can. In Galatians. 5 Stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, free from the works
of the law. Liberty, we're set up free in
Christ, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage,
the law. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing, if
you be circumcised for the purpose of being saved. If that's the reason why Christ
profits you nothing. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole
law. If you do it according to the law and for that purpose,
you're a debtor to keep the whole law. You better study it. It doesn't matter if you do it
anyway, you ain't going to keep it, but you're not going to keep it.
Here's verse 4, Christ has become of no effect to you. Whosoever
of you are justified by the law, you've fallen from grace. You've
left the gospel of grace. You've left it. You've left the
gospel of grace. Look in chapter 3. I don't have
these written down, but they come to my mind as I'm talking
about this subject. O FOOLISH GALATIANS, WHO HATH
BEWISHED YOU THAT YOU SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTH, BEFORE WHOSE
EYES JESUS CHRIST HATH BEEN EVIDENTLY SET FORTH, CRUCIFIED AMONG YOU?
THIS IS ONLY WHAT I LEARNED OF YOU. RECEIVE YE THE SPIRIT BY
THE WORKS OF THE LAW, OR BY THE HEARING OF FAITH." When God saved
you, when God saved you, was the Law being read or the Gospel
being preached? Which one was it? Well, there's
gospel if God saved you. Are you so foolish? Have you
begun in the Spirit and are you now made perfect in the flesh?
Has God saved you by His Spirit and now you're going to perfect
your salvation by your works, by adding it to Jesus Christ?
Have you suffered so many things in vain if He be yet in vain? Now, that's why He says over
here in Hebrews, And you get back to there, if we sin willfully,
if we turn our backs willfully, and there's, first of all, I
think I can say it like this, if, if this could happen, if
this could happen, you're a gaunter, and here's
why, there's no more sacrifice for sin. You turned your back
on the only sacrifice there is. You turned your back on the only
sacrifice for sin. So now you're a goner. But, we'll see here that the believer
is not going to do that. Not a true believer, not a true
believer. So now he turns here to ENCOURAGEMENT, 32 and 34. But CALL TO REMEMBRANCE, and
I'm sure by now, I have no doubt that he has struck a fear in
their hearts. This scripture has troubled me
when I was younger especially, but call to remembrance the former
days in which after you were illuminated and you endured a
great fight of afflictions partly while you were made a gazing
stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst
you became companions of them that were so used. where ye had compassion of me
and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye
have in heaven a better and enduring substance." He now turns to encourage
the believer, he's warned them, he's warned us. He's warned us. I don't think there's a believer
in here that just said, he's not talking to me. Oh, Lord,
don't let that be me. That's, I'm serious. That's my
prayer. Lord, don't let that be me because it could be me. I mean, I could easily do it
just like you can. We've got so much sin in us.
We could be fooled. You know, scripture says that
they'll be so close to the gospel, preaching the gospel, that if
it was possible, they'd fool the very elect. that you can't
be fooled, think again. Think again. But he says here,
and he does, he gives this for encouragement to endure. The
first thing he does, he says, call to remembrance. You know,
it's good to sit down and meditate upon the mercy of God to you. It's good to sit down and think
upon the Lord And what He's done for you in days gone by and what
He's brought you through, the hardships He's brought you through,
the trials He's brought you through, and you're still here. I said
that to my pastor a few years ago before Henry passed away.
I said, Henry, one of the most encouraging things that I find
now is that after 40 some years,
I'm still here. I still have an interest in the
gospel, still preaching the gospel. And I said to him, I said, we
are still here. We are still here. We're still love. We love
the gospel. You know, there's some evidence
to that of the grace of God and the work of God. That's not me.
And that's not you. That's not you. That's God. That's a work of God in the soul. He said here you endured suffering
for the gospel, that's why He said you endured suffering for
the gospel, and you stood firm under fiery trials for Christ's
sake. You were tried HARD, HARD for
Christ's sake. Your faith wasn't show, it was
real. That's why He's saying look back
what the Lord's done for you, look where He's brought you from.
Look where He's brought you from. Remember how you were compassionate
and joyful? Verse 34, you had compassion
of me and my bonds? You were sent to my help, but
you weren't afraid to be identified with me? And here's something
here, this is HE SAYS HERE, YOU SHARED IN THE
SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS, YOU WEREN'T AFRAID TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH
THEM, YOU WERE NOT AFRAID TO BECOME COMPANIONS OF THOSE BEING
PERSECUTED, YOU WEREN'T AFRAID, YOU STOOD WITH THEM. YOU WERE NOT AFRAID, NOW LISTEN,
YOU WERE NOT AFRAID TO BE MADE A GAZING STOCK, YOU KNOW WHAT
THAT WORD MEANS? It has the meaning of theater.
You ever see a play? You've gone to theaters and seen
a play on stage. That's exactly what he's saying.
You were put on stage and mocked and made fun of. You become a
show to them and they mocked and made fun of you. But here's something that if
you don't really understand the interpretation of it, you'll
miss this. FOR YOU HAD COMPASSION OF ME AND MY BONDS, AND TOOK
JOYFULLY THE SPOILING OF YOUR GOODS." That doesn't mean you took joyfully
the spoiling of your goods and gave them to me. That's not what
that means. Let me read that to you in the
Amplified. FOR YOU SHOWED SYMPATHY AND DEEP CONCERN FOR THOSE WHO
WERE IN PRISON, AND YOU JOYFULLY ACCEPTED THE UNJUST SEIZURE OF
YOUR BELONGINGS. They confiscated your property,
your belongings, they took everything you had away from you. And he
said, you took it joyfully. You weren't complaining and said,
why me? And he said, you actually took
it joyfully. What if the government, because
of the gospel you believe, what if the government came in tomorrow
and took your land? Could you rejoice? Could you
take it joyfully? Well, you could by God's grace,
you could by God's grace. But listen here, it says, You
joyfully accepted the unjust seizure of your belongings and
the confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact, now listen,
conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and
a lasting one prepared for you in heaven, as they took your
stuff out the door and they took your home. You stood there smiling
and said, You can't take what I have in heaven. You can't take
what I have in Christ. God said to Satan, you can touch
what Job has, but you can't do what? You can't touch his life
because your life is hid with Christ in God. See how that early
church suffered? I mean, we may, it may come to
that someday for us. I don't know. The church has
had it really easy, I think. Zion's been a comfortable for
a long time. She's been comfortable for a
long time. Knowing, here's the key phrase,
knowing you have before yourselves a better and enduring possession. You can't have or you can't take
away what I have in Christ. I'm rich in Christ. I'm just,
I'm as rich as he is. How rich is God? I'm as rich
as he is because everything he has he says all things are yours
in Christ you might be well you're not if you were living in a shack
but if you were living in a shack you're still rich as anybody
living in a palace or more more so if it's just a palace on earth
but then he's he listen here He points out the REAL CONDUCT
OF FAITH and the NEED FOR ENDURANCE. 35, 36, cast not away therefore
your CONFIDENCE. Don't start saying, well, I thought
I was a child of God, I believe God, and look, I've lost everything.
DON'T LOSE YOUR CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST! DON'T LET THEM, because
Satan has a loud voice, and he has many voices. He has many
voices. And don't let them cause you
to lose your confidence in Christ and what you have in Christ,
which has great recompense of reward. That boldness in Christ brings
great reward. And what is that? What is that? What is that great reward? What
did God say to Abraham? I AM THY EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD. ETERNAL LIFE. ETERNAL LIFE. Don't lose, don't lose your confidence
under pressure and trials and fear and especially complacency. Neglect not. Keep on keeping
on. Keep on believing. Keep on enduring.
Keep on running. There's an end to the race. You
know, we have a great cloud of witnesses that's already run
the race. They're in heaven already. They're
in heaven. Nobody that does not finish the
race gets a crown. And I'm not preaching works.
I'm just telling you, the Bible holds no hope out for quitters. Here's an old saying. Let's see
how's it go. QUITTERS NEVER WIN AND WINNERS
NEVER QUIT. QUITTERS NEVER WIN AND WINNERS
NEVER QUIT. AND THOSE WHO BELIEVE GOD NEVER
QUIT. OH, THEY MAY BE ON THEIR KNEES AT TIMES. WHEN JOE WAS
CRAWLING, CAN'T YOU JUST SEE HIM WALLOWING ON THE GROUND LIKE
A WORM? BUT HE DIDN'T QUIT BELIEVING GOD. HE DID NOT QUIT BELIEVING
GOD. So don't lose your confidence
through these trials. And I think complacency is more
dangerous than a trial. Complacency is more dangerous
than any hard trial. And what we need here though
in verse 36 is endurance. For ye have need of patience. That's endurance. You can just
put endurance there. That after ye have done the will
of God, What's the will of God? Whatever's going on with you
right now. Give thanks and all thanks for this is the will of
God concerning you, whatever it is. You might receive the
promise, that's the promise of eternal life. Only those who endure will receive
the promise. And there's two kinds of people
here. that we've had in this chapter. We have those, we have
the shrinkers and the believers, those who shrink back and turn
on Christ and those who believe to the saving of the soul. Look
here in verse 37, 39, I'll try to wind this up. Yet a little
while, yet a little while, and he's
comforting them with this statement. and he that shall come will come,
and he will not tarry." You know, for 4,000 years, the Old Testament
said what? Someone's coming. And then one
day, He came. Not many knew about it, but He
came. And here it's been 2,000 years. I don't know when He's
coming back, but you know what? One day, one day, He'll return. You can stake your life on it.
He'll return. He's going to return in a little
while. We ought to live looking for
Christ at any time. It doesn't matter if He's going
to return and put an end to the world. You say, when's that going
to happen? I don't know. I'm 70 years old. I'm not going
to live to... I'm not going to say 100, but
Doris will be 101 in August. I mean, I possibly could do that,
but it's unlikely. I'm not going to let it be 200.
I can say that. I believe I can say that. I'm
not going to let it be 150 or 200. The Lord's coming for me. He's coming for me. We ought
to look for Him. We ought to be looking for Him.
I've said this so many times lately, who said we're going
to wake up in the morning? The Lord's coming for us! He's coming! And God promises those who endure
are His. That's the evidence of faith.
It's enduring. God doesn't give faith that doesn't
endure. he doesn't give faith doesn't
do it but now listen what does the life of the believer look
like we we we looked at the life of the apostate what does the
life of one who believes god look like it's just this the just shall
live by faith that's how they live you live by faith day by
day step by step Step-by-step, especially as you get older and
you learn something. Step-by-step, we live by faith.
We don't live by the news or we don't live by anything else
other than faith. The Lord said it. The Lord said
it. Take him at his word. Believers
do not shrink back and quit. They don't quit. God won't let
them quit. To shrink back, it is to draw
back in fear and unbelief. Rebellion is not faith, and that's
not the conduct of God's elect. It's not the conduct of God's
elect. And God takes no pleasure in
such a soul who draws back. But he says in verse 39, and
I close, and here's what identifies us as true believers. Here it
is. But we are not of them. See,
he started out. IF WE SIN WILLFULLY, AFTER THAT
WE'VE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, BUT HE SAYS HERE,
BUT WE'RE NOT OF THEM. WE'RE NOT OF THEM. Because I
imagine some of them have scared Him to death. I have no doubt
it scared Him to death. You know, the only ones that
seem to scare are the ones who believe. The apostate doesn't care, he's
like, it doesn't bother him. WE ARE NOT OF THEM WHO DRAW BACK
UNTO PERDITION, BUT OF THEM THAT BELIEVE TO THE SAVING OF THE
SOUL. NOT OF THOSE WHO SHRINK BACK
AND ARE DESTROYED, WE ARE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE TO THE SAVING
OF THE SOUL. You see, the writer here, he gives better things of the
Lord s church. She will press on in faith, she
will. What's the application of this?
What's the application of it? Here it is. We were told over
in 2 Corinthians 13.5, Examine yourself whether you be in the
faith. It doesn't mean stand in doubt, but be sober minded
about this. Don't take the gospel for granted. Don't take the eternal destiny
of your soul for granted. Never. Never. A whole lot of Jews did. We'd
be Abraham's seed and they were in hell. We either draw near to Christ,
grow up in Christ, or we drift away. And then this, treasure
the gospel. What is it to treasure the gospel?
It is to treasure the Lord Jesus Christ. Where your treasure is,
your heart is. and then PRESS ON TOGETHER, NOT
JUST YOURSELF, BUT TOGETHER, ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, LOOK AFTER
ONE ANOTHER, PRIDE ONE ANOTHER ALONG, PRIDE ONE ANOTHER. We are called to ENDURE AS THE
BODY OF CHRIST, NOT JUST INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS A BODY HERE and then the application of it
is this live for Christ's sake for me to live as Christ who
dies gay that ought to be our motto there's a better possession coming
our way or I should say we're going to it we're going to it
someone said this keep your eyes on the promise not the trial
that's a good statement THIS IS A SOBERING MORNING, BUT
IT ENDS WITH A GOOD HOPE. WILLFUL APOSTASY LEADS TO DESTRUCTION,
BUT ENDURING FAITH LEADS TO LIFE. GOD'S NOT JUST GIVING US A WARNING,
BUT HE'S CALLING US TO BE FAITHFUL AND TO PERSEVERE TO THE END AND
LET US NOT SHRINK BACK, BUT BELIEVE TO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL. I hope that's clear. Apostasy is a real thing. But those who believe God, and
those who truly believe God, they believe God all the way
to the end. All the way.