Of course, you know that this
is written personally to Timothy, a young preacher under the subservience
of Paul, his helper and his co-laborer in the gospel. And he's exhorting
Timothy here. We begin our reading in verse
6 as he exhorts the young man, wherefore I put thee in remembrance. that thou stir up the gift of
God which is in thee by the putting on of my hand. For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and
of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be
thou partaker of the affliction of the gospel according to the
power of God. And watch verse 9, who has saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. who hath abolished death and
hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Now one more time, look in the
middle of verse 9. According to his own purpose
and grace. Now we'll be looking at it, as
I said, from the standpoint of the purpose of God as it works
out the perseverance of the saints of God. We come now to see and
to declare that salvation that is in Jesus Christ that from
start to finish it is a work of the Almighty God. That it is God that works in
us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians
chapter 2 verse 13, but that this so great salvation that
we speak of is also in accordance and by and falls out according
to the purpose of God. Now here's a word, purpose, yea,
here is a doctrine, the purpose of God in the scripture and But
it is little preached and is little known in our day and in
our time, hardly heard from the modern pulpits of the land. And the mass of churchgoers is
not well acquainted with what the Bible has to say about the
purpose of God. that the purpose of God is at
the very heart of the saving and the salvation of sinners. So look what our text has told
us, particularly in verse 9, that God has saved us and has
called us. He has called us and has saved
us. Note it, in accordance with his
own purpose and grace. Now there are two things, this
grace and this purpose is set and is given. Number one, in
Christ Jesus. All of this is in Christ Jesus. None of it is apart from the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But notice the second thing that
he said, and that is that it was given before the world began. His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Now,
first of all, we will attempt to define the word that is used
here, that is prominent in our study today, and that is the
word purpose. It is from the word that means
a setting forth, a setting forth an intention. God had a definite
intention. He did not create without an
intention. He did not create without or
apart from a purpose. And it comes from a word that
means to propose, or to determine. Therefore, it also has the meaning
of to place forward or to place before. And so it means to put
on exhibit or to set forth the purpose of God. And this might
come as a surprise to us as we study the scripture But the first
time that we hear of this, it might sound a strange thing unto
our ear. And that is that the word that
is used here and translated, I think it might be the word
prothethis, is summed four times translated in the New Testament
by the word shew, S-H-E-W, or shew, and in connection with
bread, the shew bread, and that is also the word, the shew bread. Literally, it is the bread of
setting before or the bread of setting forth, and the places
where you find that would be in Matthew 12 and 4, Mark 2 and
26, Luke 6 and verse 4, all of them are the same, are reference
to the same words and event in the life of our Lord. But the
word also appears again in that magnificent book of Hebrews,
chapter 9 and verse 2. And it is from the root word
that you have that saying of Paul in Romans chapter 3 and
verse 25 concerning Christ. Paul writes there, whom God hath
set forth. And there is that word that we
emphasize. God had exhibited him. God had set him forth. God had
set forth the Lord Jesus Christ and that publicly. And Paul writes,
he has set him forth a propitiation. A propitiation for the sin of
his people. By the way, that setting forth
there, in that particular passage in Romans 3 and verse 25 does
not refer, first and foremost, to his being set forth in the
preaching and the declaration of the gospel or the death of
Christ upon a cross. He is set forth in that way,
of course, in our preaching. But it might bear repeating for
our clear understanding that the word translated propitiation
in Romans chapter 3 and verse 25 is the same word that is translated
in Hebrews 9 and verse 5 as mercy seat. So you have propitiation
and the mercy seat, and that's how it's translated in Hebrews
9 and verse 5. But back to the purpose of God,
now we want to add other places where Paul uses that same word
purpose, the purpose of God. Twice in Romans and twice in
Ephesians, the Apostle Paul uses that word. And all of them he
uses in connection with salvation of the elect. though it includes
the work of the providence of God also working out that purpose. Now, for example, consider Romans
8 and verse 28. You've quoted this passage a
lot of time, no doubt, but you probably quoted part of it and
not the whole of it. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called, according to His purpose. We know that all things are working
together and working for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according unto His purpose. Now, those who love
God and those called in accordance with the divine purpose are one
and the same people, and they're called in accordance with the
purpose of God the cause of their coming being converted and is
the cause of their loving God. They love God because they are
called according to his purpose. So we notice that there is much
agreement that can be found between Romans 8 28 and 2nd Timothy 1
and verse 9 that is our text this morning. The call according
to purpose, Romans 8 28. We need to get that because Paul
runs on in the next two verses to explain and expand upon that
great statement. Then in our text according to
to His own purpose and grace. He has saved us in accordance
with His purpose and with His grace. So that we can say that
the purpose of God lies behind every aspect of the saving work
of God toward sinners. That all of them who are saved
are saved in accordance with a purpose of God. But then, Let's
jump a little further in Romans chapter 9 and verse 11. Here
Paul, we're here in this particular place and chapter, he is discussing
and explaining really why it is that so many Jews, children
of Abraham, Jews after the flesh, perishing. Why is it that so
many of them are not believing on Christ and they are perishing? Paul cites the case of Jacob
and Esau in Romans 9 and 11. And it reads this way, quote,
the children, that is Jacob and Esau, the twin sons, the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but
of him that called. The purpose of God and they that
are called according to that purpose. So you see again that
purpose and calling are linked together in that verse Romans
8 and verse 28. Now, coming to that grand and
glorious Ephesian epistle, where Paul uses the word purpose two
more times, and we'll take note of them. In chapter one, verse
11 of Ephesians, he sums up the matter using key words and phrases,
each one of them so relevant and outstanding. Here it is.
whom also that is in Christ we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works
all things after the counsel of his own will. Now I said what
an array of words and thoughts and doctrine are found here in
in this one verse, such as, let's look at them again. The word
inheritance. Some render that made an inheritance. Chosen as his inheritance. Given unto Christ as an inheritance. Then there's that word predestinated
or the word foreordained. It literally means marked out.
It's kind of like our word horizon set apart. Boundaries fixed is
the meaning of that word. And then there's that word purpose
again. The intention of God that is
set forth. And then there's the word counsel
here in this verse of scripture. I think the word boule, and it's
from a word that means to will or to be minded to do this or
that or the other. including to have volition, will,
this counsel, will, volition of God. And notice, his own will,
the counsel of his own will, the volition, the setting forth
of his own will. One more time, in Ephesians 3
and verse 11, you have that word. We read that the calling of the
Gentiles, which in former ages was not as clearly revealed as
it was in the day of the apostles. In Ephesians 3, 6, the mystery
or the purpose was that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of
the same body and partakers of the promise by Christ in the
gospel. Then look at verse 11, Ephesians
3, that this was according to the eternal purpose which he
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. All of this was not willy-nilly,
was not an accident, nothing spiraling out of control. It
was all according to the purpose of God. In the end of verse 10,
all of this is said to be according or by the manifold wisdom of
God. Look at that statement. the manifold
wisdom of God, which is made known by or through the church. Now the word manifold here in
our English, it has been understood by many to mean multi or many
colored, a variation, a variated variegated, as it were, a cloth
and a robe, and the much variegated wisdom of our God. If we could say many-sided, the
many-sided wisdom of our God. John Eady had a good commentary
on the book of Ephesians, and he wrote, wisdom illustrate for
its numerous forms and for the strange diversity yet perfect
harmony of its myriad and aspects of method and operation." And
that is the word manifold, many-sided, multifaceted wisdom of our great
God. So that what Paul is saying here
is that the initiation of the Gentile into the full privileges
of the gospel after being so long and for so many ages excluded
from a saving revelation of God was according to the purpose
of God. It fell out according to the
purpose of God. Another expositor wrote, I liked
it, and I quote, a purpose which was formed before the world,
unquote. And a study by us of the scripture
will show, as one of my favorite writers and authors, Gordon Clark,
wrote on Ephesians, Chapter 3 and verse 10 here are the words of
garden Clark that God controls the universe purposely God acts
with a purpose in all things he went on to say he has an end
in view and He sees and he knows the end from the beginning or
vice versa This means that God, while acting in accordance with
what He has purpose, then brings to pass what He has purpose. Now, let's hear that from Isaiah. Isaiah will confirm that in chapter
46, verse 9 through 11. I'm just quoting now a portion
of that passage from Isaiah 46, 9 through 11. Here's what the
prophet wrote. declaring the end from the beginning. My counsel shall stand. I will do all of my pleasure. I have spoken. I will also bring
it to pass. I have purposed it. I also will
do it. The words of Isaiah chapter 46. Now, we are aware concerning
that passage and the person or the people that are in view. We are aware that there are those
who will and who have made the objection that this is not a
passage concerning the certainty of final salvation. But they
say this is a passage foretelling the invading of Babylon by Cyrus. That this is a prophecy of him
coming and overcoming all armies that come against him and the
deliverance of the Jew. We know Cyrus is called in Isaiah
46 and verse 11. Listen. Calling a ravenous bird
from the east. the man that executes my counsel
from a far country," unquote. The margin in Isaiah 46 and verse
11, the Hebrew had it, the man of my counsel. Compare again
from Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 5 where the Assyrian is called
the robbed mine anger yet unaware that they are being used of God
and that they are the Assyrian the rod of my anger God used
him against the people of Israel now none of these involved a
in putting the Lord to death. None of those involved in putting
the Lord to death intended to fulfill the purpose of God or
the scripture, but in everything that they did, it fulfilled the
purpose of God and the scripture. In Acts 4, 27 and 28, they did
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done,
because Christ, Acts 2 and 23, was delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, so that even the unbelief
of the Jew and their rejection of Christ served the purpose
of God in bringing in the Gentiles to the grace of God and salvation. Discussed at length by Paul in
Romans chapter 11 and particularly verse 11 through 15 of that chapter
now we learn from scripture that Salvation is by the purpose of
God According to the purpose of God that his purpose is number
one eternal Ephesians 3 and verse 11, according to the eternal
purpose. That don't mean it'll just last
forever, but that it was formed before the world and therefore
is an eternal purpose. And number two, which was purposed
in Jesus Christ. Not out of Christ, but in, by,
and through Christ. It was made, it was formed, it
was wrought, it was founded in the Lord. Jesus Christ. And the text there declares that
Christ Jesus is the realm or the sphere in which the purpose
of God was first made and is also executed as to the carrying
out of it. Clark again contends that the
verb purpose made is in the eroist tense. That is, it is past tense. And in such Greek verbs, the
action took place in time that is past. So that's what we mean
by the aorist tense in part. And if so, it would express a
single and an eternal act or decree of Almighty God. I was reading the very learned
Puritan Thomas Goodwin this week, who wrote about a purpose of
God purposed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He too, that is Goodwin,
noted that the original in which purpose he, that is God, made,
contrived, framed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore this
purpose of God hath both everlasting and is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It has its firmness, it has its
sustenance in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. In his person,
his office and his work. But Goodwin also took note that
in this purpose of God came the first bubbling up of the saving
grace of God. The bubbling up of the eternal
purpose of God was literally the bubbling up of grace. What
Paul say to Timothy The purpose and grace given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. I like how Goodwin described
it, quote, the matrix, the womb, the mother of everything from
calling to perseverance, quote, is this purpose of the eternal
God. But then, let's say more about
Christ and this purpose of God. That though it is God's purpose,
the purpose of God might stand. Romans 9 and 11, who saved us
and called us according to his purpose. 2nd Timothy 1 and verse
9 who are the called according to purpose Romans 8 and verse
28 and so forth. So let's take an up-close look
at the purpose of God using Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 9 if you
are interested in turning there and following along. According
to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself. Now let those words sink in according
to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself. And so the election and the ordination
and the adoption of some by Jesus Christ and the acceptance of
some in the beloved Ephesians 1 and 6 is all in accordance
with the good pleasure and purpose of God which he has purposed
in himself and his good pleasure and purpose. was to the elect
and foreordained to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. It is also the purpose of God
that such be kept. Not only are they chosen and
ordained and redeemed and regenerated, but it is also the purpose of
God that they be kept. that they be preserved to the
inheritance, reserved in heaven, as we saw in the first chapter
of 2 Peter in an earlier study. And this inheritance fades not
away. it remain. For to repeat for
emphasis the purpose of God, God's intention, which he has
set forth as the saving of his people covers all aspects of
their salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. From their first conscious
awakening and calling by the Spirit of God to their final
glorification in heaven, in the presence of God, the world to
come, every aspect Every stage, if you will, of the saving process,
we may have a study on that later, is carried by the purpose, the
providence, and the sovereignty of God. What he has purpose,
says Isaiah, he will do. The work will not miscarry at
any point in that saving process, but will consummate according
to the will of God in glorification. Them he glorified, it said in
Romans 8 and verse 30. Now the purpose is what God has
purposed in himself and has formulated in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
in forming that purpose, God took no counsel with any outside
of himself. There were no extraneous circumstances
or condition that influenced God in the forming of his purpose. He took counsel with none outside
of the Godhead. Neither men nor angels were consulted
in this purpose. And this purpose, I think the
best way to say it, is centered in and around Lord Jesus Christ
founded in the glorious God-man and the purpose of God is achieved
and brought to its fruition by and through the death of the
Lord Jesus Christ who in loving obedience became obedient that
is we read he obeyed and even to the death of the cross, Philippians
chapter 2 and verse 8. Becoming being found in fashion
as a man, he became obedient even to the death of the cross.
Not just any death, but to the horrible, awful, shameful death
of the cross. Now one thing we must declare
about the purpose of God is that it is immutable. The purpose
of God is immutable. That is simply mean that it is
unchangeable. And the purpose of God is immutable. Why? It is immutable because
God himself is immutable. God declared way back in Malachi
chapter 3 and verse 6, I am the Lord, I change not. I am the Lord, I change not. Now it's interesting that the
name Lord there in that particular verse of the scripture is that
great name Jehovah. I am Jehovah, I change not. And this is the covenant name
by which God was known unto the Jew and unto Israel. And that text makes it very clear.
The Lord does not speak of personal change in himself, not of his
character or of his attribute, but of his covenant, of his purpose,
and of his promises. That because he changes not,
the last part of the verse said, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. I'm true to my covenant. I'm
true to my purpose. I'm true to my promises. I change not. Therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed. There's a passage in Psalm chapter
89, 33 through 35. A word unto David. My loving kindness 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." Psalm chapter 89. And notice
what he swears by. Not his love, not his power,
not his providence, but by my holiness. The dearest attribute
of Almighty God swearing by my holiness, I will not lie unto
David. We read in Hebrews 13 in verse
8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. And whatever
view you had of Christ as he dwelt in the world you ought
to have of him now. Jesus the same yesterday and
today and forever. In James chapter 1 verse 17 we
read, with whom that is God there is no variableness neither shadow
of turning. not enough turning, not enough
altering to even make a shadow. There is no variables, neither
shadow of turning. Now concerning perseverance and
the purpose of God, it means that the call The converted,
those that are in Christ Jesus and redeemed, will continue in
the way of truth and of faith. Job said, chapter 17, verse 9,
I believe, the righteous shall hold on his way. There's another aspect of this,
a perseverance, and that is preservation. We look at them together. the
preservation and the perseverance of the saints of God. In Jude
verse 1, that little short book, so powerful and pithy, in first
verse it said, preserved in Christ Jesus. Not persevere, but preserved
in Christ Jesus. Now there are three things here
in the Ordo Salutis, or the order of salvation in this one verse,
Jude verse 1. And those three things are, as
we look at them, sanctification and preservation and calling. Those three in that verse. The
order of experience is calling, sanctification, and preservation. And see this, if you might. Number
one, the privilege or the blessing described, preserved. preserved
in Christ Jesus. William Jenkins wrote probably
the best commentary on the book of Jude of all the great men
of God. And in his commentary on Jude,
he wrote this, I quote, the word used by the apostle signifies
to be kept so as not to be lost or taken away, end quote. It means to watch. It means to
keep the eye upon. They are preserved. The word
is often translated in the New Testament by the word keep or
kept. And that's the most common way
that it is translated in the New Testament. In fact, the same
word is four more times in the epistle of Jude. Look at you
would at verse six if you're there, which kept not their first
estate. They kept not their first estate,
verse 6, hath reserved. There's that word again. Verse
13, is reserved, and verse 21, keep yourselves in the love of
God. Now secondly, we notice in Jude
here, the source of the blessing preserved in Jesus Christ. Preserved in Christ, kept, kept. in Christ Jesus, the eye upon,
kept in him. A Puritan once wrote, I thought
it was kind of pithy, Jesus Christ, he said, is the cabinet in which
God's jewels are kept, unquote. Jesus Christ is that cabinet
where they are stored up and safely enclosed around about. Now the doctrine in these few
words is that of the preservation of the keeping of the saints
of God in a state of grace by Jesus Christ and that according
to the purpose or the will of God. Again, Jeacon, in his commentary
on Jude, thought that this preservation or this keeping of the called
and the sanctified has a three-fold reach unto it that we might acknowledge. Number one, of course, God temporally
or physically keeps us. He keeps life in us according
to his goodwill, though it's not insisted upon in this particular
place in the scripture. Number two, God spiritually preserves
us in Jesus Christ by keeping the soul in a state of grace
and salvation and keeping alive in them the spiritual Eternal
life which is bestowed by God as a gift and then number three
he included eternal life in heaven preserved forever in the Lord
Jesus Christ now I know I think it is predominantly the second
that Jude intends to as he writes of the many instances of apostasy
following in this little book. He warns them against apostasy,
and he gives them one example after another of apostates and
of their bad end. So, I think it is the second.
Preserved in Christ Jesus, so as not to fall away and embrace
error and cast away and trample underfoot the truth of God. I want to take you through the
little epistle quickly. Look at some verses and some
statements. Examples of apostasy they are
and fearful they are when we think about them and read them.
Verse four, he writes, of certain ones who crept in secretly ungodly
men, turning the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ into lasciviousness
and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They deny not their existence
necessarily, but their character, their purpose, and all of that.
Denying the very work of the Father and the Son. Look at verse
5. He speaks of those destroyed
in the desert for their unbelief. after they had been delivered
by the mighty hand and power of God out of the bondage of
Egypt. Verse number six, of the apostate
angels who left their first estate and habitation. And where are
they? Now bound under darkness, awaiting
the judgment of God in that awful day. And seventh, verse seven,
he comes, brings to mind, Sodom and Gomorrah and their great
immorality and the vengeance of God that fell upon them. And then in verse 11, the last
ones we'll mention, such wicked individual apostates as Cain
and Balaam and Korah, all of them written up in the Old Testament,
apostates from God and met an awful judgment of God. The point
is made, the end of such apostates is not good. They are destroyed
without remedy. And I say to you that of all
the states of men, the apostate is probably the worst. He's worse
than the unbeliever, he's worse than the infidel, and he's worse
than the atheist. the apostate, is the worst, in
the worst case of all. Why? Because for them there is
no remedy. I think I'll have a sermon on
that somewhere in this series. Now, notice something about Jude
in verse 1. Preserved in Christ Jesus, and
then down in verse 20 through verse 25, there is a closing
exhortation in this little epistle, especially verse 24. Now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Him that is able to keep you
from falling and to present you faultless. Notice the two things
again. Number one, able to keep you
from falling. Number two, to present you faultless
in the presence of God's glory. Now see those words, keep you
from falling. That is, from falling away, from
falling back under the dominion of sin and unbelief. For there
is yet indwelling sin in all of us that fights a daily battle
against our perseverance. But God in Christ, able to keep
up faith, able to keep up grace in those in whom he has given
it. He keeps up that principle of
grace in them. The seed of God remains in them. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 9. How does God in part keep his
people in Departing from him. Well, we have it in Jeremiah
chapter 32 and verse 40 by putting his fear in their hearts that
they not Depart from him the fear of God is so vital in our
relationship unto him not to be afraid of God that's not it
but to have a reverence for God and to fear God as we ought. So Jeremiah said, I will put
my fear in their heart that they will not depart from me. Fear, grace, love, and These
and faith are main components of the perseverance of the saints
of God. They are parts of that great
work of God in final perseverance. While the divine purpose, the
eternal will, decree, the promise, and the grounds of our preservation
and of our perseverance that none be lost, who are called
according to the purpose of God, that none perish, for whom Christ
is a surety, as we read in Hebrews 7 and verse 22, and true faith
and true grace never fully and finally miscarry in them. What did Christ say in one of
our studies? I have kept them, Father, now
you keep them in thy holy name. Not to keep them from falling,
but also notice something else. To present you faultless before
the presence of his glory. And I think there are two words
that stand out prominently here. Number one, the word present.
Number two, the presence. Present you in the present. To present, literally, is to
bring. It is to stand, to place, or
set. To dispose to an end, or a thing, or a station. then the
present in the presence of his glory and the concordance in
the dictionary give the meaning of this word as Directly in front
of to present you directly in front of to present you in the
presence in the sight of the glory of Almighty God now as
to condition notice faultless to present you faultless. This
is the word unblemished, to present you without blemish. And it agrees
with other texts like Ephesians 1 and verse 4, as he has chosen
us in him that we should be holy and without blame before him. He's chosen us to that end, that
we be holy and without blame. Listen again to Paul in Ephesians
5 and verse 27, that he might present it, that is the church,
to himself, a glorious church, listen, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing. but holy and without blemish. This is the purpose, this is
the work of Almighty God, to present a people holy, unblemished,
before God Almighty. And so it is that the purpose
of God carries the preservation and the perseverance of the saints
of God. They are preserved in Christ
Jesus and they persevere because of the work of God in them. For it is, it was his purpose
to bring a special people to glory and set them before the
very eyes of the glory of almighty God. And so the purpose of God,
the purpose of God in the perseverance of the saints. Thank you for
your attention. May this bless our heart and
be comfort and assurance to us in days of temptation, trial,
and trouble.