This morning for our Bible study I would invite you to turn to 2 Timothy 2 Timothy chapter 2 and let's read verse 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure. Having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his. Now this second epistle written to the young pastor Timothy, Paul was about to leave the battlefield and enter into glory, where a crown of righteousness was laid up for him. He said this in 2 Timothy chapter 4, he said, I'm ready to be offered.

The time of my departure is at hand. I've fought a good fight. I've finished my course. I've kept the faith." He had seen and experienced many things in his life which caused him grief and concern. False prophets and false brethren seemed to abound on every side. was being commonly received as the truth of God. The faith of some who professed to be believers were overthrown. But the Apostle Paul was about to leave, when he was about to leave the care of these churches, he found a source of great comfort and encouragement in his soul.

And he writes this promise to Timothy, the young preacher, and he says, the foundation of God standeth sure. There's nothing more comforting to the hearts of God's servants. and God's people than the fact that the church of God is safe, the work of God is certain and secure. Though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried in the midst of the sea, the believer says we will not fear. The foundation of God standeth sure.

Our Lord gave this promise again In Matthew 16, he said, I'll build my church upon this rock, upon Christ himself. I'll build my church in the gates of hell. Even death itself will not prevail against my purpose. You see, my friend, And here's the point that I hope I can sound the note on clearly this morning.

The foundation of God standeth sure. Now we know, let me give you these three or four things, we know the foundation of God's eternal purpose, God's eternal purpose stands sure. God works everything he works according to his eternal purpose, and we know The foundation of God's eternal purpose stands sure. God's purpose, God's decree will be carried out exactly as He intends. He works all things after the counsel of His own will.

We may be defeated, We even may be discouraged, but God can never be frustrated. God can never be defeated. God's design in creation, God's design in redemption, in providence shall be perfectly accomplished. Everything in God's vast universe will glorify himself.

Everything he does, we read this in Romans 11, verse 36, we read, Of him, and through him, and to him are all things to whom be glory. Our God is in the heavens, David said, and he has done whatsoever he has pleased. The foundation of God's eternal purpose will be done, it is certain, and it is sure, and we find great comfort and hope in the fact of God's eternal purpose.

Secondly, the foundation of God's everlasting covenant, this is a covenant of salvation, the covenant of grace, it stands sure. Listen to this scripture in Isaiah 54, verse 10, the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. My covenant, God said, I will not break, nor alter the thing that's gone out of my lips. The covenant of grace is ordered in all things and is sure."

The covenant that was ratified with the blood atonement of Christ, that eternal covenant of grace whereby God chose a people in eternity, gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ. He came in time and secured their righteousness, secured their salvation with his obedience and his death. And my friend, that covenant of salvation in Christ stands absolutely certain and sure. Thirdly, we know this.

The foundation of God's gospel. The foundation of God's gospel. You see why Paul wrote with such confidence, the foundation of God stands sure. The foundation of the gospel. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The good news of salvation to the guilty. Salvation to sinners.

The foundation of the gospel stands sure. The word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is a word whereby the gospel is preached to you. For two thousand years or more, the word of God has withstood the attacks of infidels, both secular and religious. Though the mockers come and go, the word of God is not changed. The gospel of God stands sure. It has passed through many fires, but it's unaltered.

The truth of this blessed book, Jesus Christ and Him crucified, is the only way of salvation remains unchanged and unchangeable. Salvation has always been, by the purpose of God, by the grace of God. Jesus Christ is God and He as God is the same yesterday and today and forever.

He shall not fail to secure righteousness. He shall not fail to secure redemption for all His people. This is our only hope. The only hope for a perishing sinner is the foundation of the gospel stands sure, based upon the merit, righteousness, and blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord, and being so was always dependent and determined and accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. That's why the gospel is sure, certain. It's not conditioned upon the sinner. It's conditioned upon the sinner's substitute, Jesus Christ.

His blood is the blood not of bulls and goats, but His blood is the blood of God Himself. His blood was given to wash away and cleanse all the sin of God's people, and by that he obtained eternal redemption for them. We read this promise in 1 John 1, verse 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

And because he is the effectual, anointed mediator and savior of sinners, he's able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him. We have no ability to save ourselves, but my friend, as God our mediator, God our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ has all power and all ability. He said in his prayer in John 17, all power is given unto me in heaven. and in earth. God hath given me power over all flesh that I should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given me. You see, my friend, the foundation of the gospel stands sure because it's based upon the performance of the mediator, the messenger of the covenant, Jesus Christ, not my puny work. That gives me hope.

The foundation of the gospel stands sure. Here's the fourth thing we know. The foundation of God standeth sure. The promise of God. Now you think of all the promises of God. Peter said, we have the exceeding great and precious promises. The foundation of God's promise stands sure. We can say with Abraham, who was fully persuaded, who believed God that all that God had promised, God is able to perform.

The Lord our God will graciously, wondrously perform the word of His promise to us. We've tried them. We've proved them. Not one of them is broken. My friend, God's word is certain and sure. Let God be true in every man, a liar. The Lord will do what He has promised. God is unchanging. God is faithful to His word. He will be true to his word. Listen to this promise in Isaiah 46. Remember the former things of old?

I am God. There is none else. I am God. There is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, from ancient times to things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand. I'll do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that would execute my counsel from a far country. Yea, I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it.

You see, my friend, the foundation of God's Word, His promise, His gospel, His covenant, His purpose, it stands sure. Doesn't that give you comfort in your heart? That God Almighty, who is everlasting, His word, His covenant, His promise is certain, absolute, eternal, and sure. That's our hope of salvation. A good hope through the grace of God. Now here's the second part of this verse. Nevertheless, he said, the foundation of God standeth sure. This is 2 Timothy 2, verse 19. Having this seal, having this seal upon it, the Lord knoweth them that are His. Having this seal, we know the foundation of God is sure because it has his seal, his approval, his grace, his love, his mercy, his grace engraved upon it. The Lord knoweth them that are his. The old preacher from England, Charles Spurgeon, said, those that are his, he is always known to be his, for they were his from before the foundation of the world. They are His known ones.

When He deals with them in grace and comes into their hearts by His powerful operation, He watches over them by His special providence, knowing the way they take, never losing sight of them. The Lord loves His own. The Lord knows His people by discriminating love, by discriminating sovereign, electing merciful love. God knows his own in a way that he does not know the rest of mankind. He chose them in eternity and distinguished them sovereignly to be the object of his grace, to be the object of his special love before the world began.

Knowledge here, as in many other places in scripture, is put for love, and in this sense it is represented as a seal of the covenant. Love is stamped upon every part of the covenant of God's grace. He says in John 13, having loved his own, he loved them to the end. We read the promise in Jeremiah 31, verse 3, the Lord says, I've loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness will I draw thee to myself. Every blessing of grace flows to the guilty sinner from the great fountain of love in the heart of God. Here in his love, John said, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the sacrifice for our sin.

The Lord knows his people by an intimate communion, not only by a discriminating, sovereign, electing love, but by an intimate communion, a union of faith. He makes himself known to them, and they make himself known to him. They receive him, embrace him, and confess him publicly as Lord, God, and Savior. Our Lord says this in John chapter 6. He said, There is that intimate union of faith. God gives faith in a sinner willingly, openly. confesses Christ and receives Him by faith. David said, Thy people shall be willing in the day of God's power.

You see, the Lord knows His people. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this sign, this seal upon it. The Lord knows them that are His by discriminating love, by intimate communion with them. He knows them, and the sheep, as Paul said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him in that day. Lastly, the Lord's special, loving knowledge of his people will preserve them.

We're kept by the power of God. The Lord knows who they are, where they are, and what they need, and how to preserve them, how to keep them. and bring them safely home, all those for whom God Almighty gave to the Lord Jesus Christ in that covenant. He stood as surety, mediator, and savior, and sacrificed for them, and none of them will perish.

All the elect of God shall be saved. We're kept by the power of God. through faith. You see the promise of this scripture? The foundation of God stands sure, having a seal. The Lord knows His people. He will save them, call them, justify them, and glorify them in Christ Jesus.