That Which Comforts God's People

Q: What does the Bible say about the assurance of salvation?

The Bible emphasizes that believers can have assurance of salvation through Christ's finished work and intercession. The assurance of salvation is deeply rooted in the promises of God as outlined in Scripture. Hebrews 6:17-20 highlights the immutability of God's counsel, confirmed by an oath, which provides believers strong consolation. This means that God has made promises that cannot change, ensuring that those who have fled to Christ for refuge hold onto the hope set before them. Additionally, John 17:6-9 reinforces that Jesus intercedes for those given to Him by the Father, affirming that He does not pray for the world but for His elect, providing further assurance of their secure standing in Him. Thus, the assurance of salvation comes from understanding that Christ has fully paid the debt for our sins and is now in heaven, advocating for us. This forms the foundation of our hope; it's not based on our merits or feelings but solely on the objective work of Christ in the Gospel. Believers can rest in the fact that their salvation is anchored in the unchanging nature of God's promises and Christ’s eternal intercession.

Q: How do we know Christ's work is sufficient for salvation?

Christ's work is sufficient for salvation because He has fully satisfied the demands of God’s law and intercedes for believers. The sufficiency of Christ's work for salvation is affirmed through the dual aspects of His actions: His propitiation for sin and His ongoing intercession. In Hebrews 6, the text presents two immutable things that assure us: Christ has died for His people, satisfying all righteous demands of God’s law, and He is currently interceding on our behalf in heaven. This means that every transgression and shortcoming is covered by His sacrifice, which cannot be undone or changed. Moreover, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, securing our position before God. This substitutionary atonement states that Christ bore our sin and judgment, allowing for His righteousness to be imputed to us. The assurance rests on the truth that Christ's righteousness is the basis for our acceptance with God, ensuring that we have everything needed for our salvation. Therefore, believers can trust fully in the sufficiency of Christ's work.

Q: Why is intercession by Christ important for Christians?

Intercession by Christ is crucial because He represents believers before God, ensuring their steadfast hope and assurance. The intercession of Christ plays a fundamental role in the life of a believer, as presented in Hebrews 6:19-20. It serves as an anchor for the soul, providing a steadfast hope that transcends our circumstances. Christ, who has entered into the holy of holies, continually intercedes for us—a vital act that upholds our relationship with God. His intercession affirms that He represents us before the Father, assuring us of grace and mercy. In John 17:9, Jesus explicitly states that He prays not for the world, but for those whom the Father has given Him. This illustrates His unique role as our advocate, showing that He is actively engaged in ensuring our spiritual well-being. Thus, the importance of Christ's intercession cannot be overstated; it is the guarantee of our acceptance, the assurance of forgiveness, and the foundation of our hope in the face of trials and doubts. Without His intercession, we would face the wrath of God due to our sins, but with Him, we are secure and justified.

Q: What does it mean that Christ is our anchor?

Christ as our anchor signifies stability and hope for believers, holding fast in the midst of life's storms. The metaphor of Christ as our anchor reflects His unwavering support and security amidst the trials of life. In Hebrews 6:19, it describes that hope in Christ acts as an anchor for the soul, which is both sure and steadfast. This imagery reinforces the idea that, just as an anchor holds a ship stable in tumultuous waters, Christ secures believers even when faced with uncertainty or pressure. Anchoring ourselves in Christ means relying on the unchanging truth of His promises and His ongoing work of intercession, as He has entered into the heavenly presence of God. This divine support allows Christians to navigate through life's challenges with confidence, knowing that their salvation is safe—nothing can separate them from the love of God. Thus, when Christians feel tossed by doubts or fears, they can return to Jesus, their anchor, resting in the assurance that He is in control and will never forsake them.

Well, it's good to see everybody this morning and I. I pray. That the Lord be pleased. To bless his word to our hearts. Today I know that that sounds like. Something that's just expected. To be said. But I truly mean it. I pray that God be pleased. to cause these words to be alive to us. I've told you before, Brother Henry, I heard him say one time, he said, if the Lord doesn't bless these words to our hearts, they're just words. They're words that are good words, but if he takes these words and causes us to truly enter in to the truth of them, then they're a blessing. Then they are.

I want to do something today that I've thought about every time I stand to preach. I want to tell you what I'm going to preach first. I'm going to preach Lord willing out of Hebrews chapter 6. And then I want to preach it. And then afterwards, I want to tell you what I preached.

And I pray that the Lord calls us to truly hear. I want to stress something that I know every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ thinks. Every believer thinks what I'm about to say. And here's what it is. Do I truly know the Lord? Do I? Do I? Everybody and their brother has got some thoughts on what it is to know God. Everybody has a feeling in their heart. Well, this is what I think. This is what I think. This is what I want to know. What does God say? I want to know what the Lord says. I'll read this to you.

It's in John 17, 3. The Lord Jesus Christ said this in his high priestly prayer. John 17, 3. This is life eternal. Now, let me ask you something. You that know him, have you not read that passage before and thought to myself, now, okay, I want to hear this. I really want to know this. This is life eternal. Everybody talks about eternal life. I'm a Christian. I'm saved.

The Lord said, this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Every believer longs after that song, poem, whatever it was John Newton wrote, "'Tis a point I long to know. Oft it causes anxious thought. Do I love the Lord or no? Am I his or am I not? If I love, why am I thus? Why this dull and lifeless frame? Surely, could they be worse who've never heard his name? I want to know, am I his or am I not?

Let me share something. Turn to Hebrews chapter 6. I want to read something. And then, like I said a few minutes ago, I want to tell you what I read by God's grace, expound it, and then afterwards tell you what we just read and what we just heard. And I pray that God seal our hearts with it and teach us something. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want to read verses 17 to 20. Hebrews 6, verse 17, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.

Whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made an high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Now, as we read that blessed passage of scripture, I'd like for us to rest in this thought that the Lord who has promised I will never leave you.

I need to hear that again. I will never leave you. He's promised not only to never leave his people, forsake his people. He's promised, I will comfort my people. He said, preacher, He told Jeremiah, he said, you go tell my people. Comfort you, comfort you, my people. Comfort the people of God. We all need some comfort.

And I want to know that the Lord has been gracious to me. I want to know that. I read it in the word of God that the Lord has promised he's not going to leave his people. Lord, would you not leave me? That's what I want to know. Don't leave me. Lord, don't leave me to myself. Don't leave me to my foolish thoughts. I've told you so many times, I came up in false religion.

I know what it feels like, Brian, to know something that is not so. I want to know the Lord. Now, the scripture we just read, it says this, verse 18, that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, a strong settleness of heart. How many times have you read that passage of scripture? By two immutable things. I'll tell you what I want to know. I want you to tell me one more time what those two immutable things are. Now, I've read it. I've read it. I've heard people preach on it and stuff. Okay. But tell me again.

Tell me again what those two immutable things. I'm going to tell you what the two immutable things are, and then I'm going to prove it by the scriptures. Here's two immutable things. These are two unchanging, established things. said by God who cannot lie.

Here's the two things right here. For those given him in electing, redeeming, and regenerating grace, here's the first of the two things. He has died for them, answering every demand for justice to God's law, and I'll prove it in just a minute. We'll read it. This is two immutable things. He's died for them, answered every demand for justice, righteousness before God. That can't change. He's done it.

And secondly, he is now in heaven within the holy veil interceding for them, pleading his own merit, his own blood before God Almighty, before the throne of God. Two immutable things. He died for his people and he's established their righteousness, robed them in his own righteousness. And right now, he ever liveth to make intercession for them. pleading his merit before God's throne.

I've answered for him. That frail thought we just had, you just had, I just had, forgetting it, he's already pled his own blood for forgiveness. He's answered every demand, everything that we have ever done, thought, every infraction, failure, he's answered for it. And that can't change. He's paid our debt, and now he pleads his merit for us. Now, that's some hope. Lord, you've paid my debt in your blood, and now you're pleading, interceding, answering. for every shortcoming that I have in this world. Now that's some hope, that's some hope.

I want you to hold your place right there, but turn with me to John 17, six to nine. Let me just, here's, you know, told you I said I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna preach, then I'm gonna preach it and prove it, and then I'm gonna tell you how I proved it. Look at John 17, six to nine. And you know, the only thing we've got, the only hope we've got is what the Lord says, what the Lord says.

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what this world says. It doesn't matter. Somebody can tell me they can say, well, you know, God loves everybody. Show me that in scriptures. Christ died for everybody died. Christ died for everybody, they say. Show me that in the scriptures. God wants everybody to be saved.

All you have to do is just accept what he said and give him your heart and pray the sinner's prayer. Show me that in scripture. I want to know what God has to say. Now here's what the Lord has to say. This is the Lord's word in his high priestly prayer. to the Father on behalf of His people. Now you listen to what the Lord has to say and just here's what we're going to have to come to the conclusion. Told you last week. Either God has given us a heart to believe Him or the Lord is going to judge us based on our lack of faith in what He said.

Now here's what the Lord says. So write this down. John 17 verse 6. He said, I've manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Now let me ask you this. Who has the Lord manifested the name, the character of Almighty God? To whom has the Lord manifested that? Well, according to the word of God, unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. You know what that tells me?

God's got an elect. He's got a people that were given unto him out of the world, out of all mankind. And it's not up for debate. It's not up for debate. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now, they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. They have received them. They have known surely that I came out from thee. They have believed that thou didst send me.

And you know when it comes to somebody saying that the Lord is praying for, He prays for everybody. He prays that they come to Him. What does the Lord say? Verse 9, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Now, let me tell you where you can settle down. What does the Lord have to say? And whatever else men say that is not established by the Word of God is worthless. It's worthless. What does God have to say?

I need some comfort. I need some assurance. Now, turn back with me to Hebrews chapter 6, and let's just see what the Lord has to say. Verse 17, Hebrews 6, 17, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath. Now, you know what that just said? It pleases the Lord to tell His people heart. It pleases God. It pleases God. Now, read it again. Wherein, verse 17, wherein God willing more abundantly, I read that this morning and I thought, more abundantly than I'll ever be able to realize in this world.

To show unto the heirs of promise The immutability, the unchangingness of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. Now this whole passage that I'm getting ready to read is concerning the rest, that people of God, the elect of God, the chosen of the Father, the redeemed by the Son, the regenerated by the Holy Spirit, those who, according to God's eternal love and counsel. It pleased the Father. It pleased Him to show unto the heirs of promise the unchangingness of His counsel. I'm so thankful. Sometimes I enjoy reading some of the old writers, you know. This was written in the, you know, the 1400s. This was the, you know, this was written by, you know, Spurgeon. This was written by this one. These old writers.

And you know what they preach? The same thing over, over, and over again, according to the scriptures. It doesn't change. There's no There's no new message. Tell me what the Lord has said everlastingly, purpose to say, unto his people. Tell me what God said.

And I can rest in that. The Lord is willing, more abundantly than we'll ever know, to show the believers the unchangingness of his purpose. He's pleased to tell us something. And he confirmed what he purposed to do with an oath. That's what it says. Wherein God willing more abundantly show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. Look at verse 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible For God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that's set before us.

I need something, you that believe, you need something that you can hang on to. I've told you before, the older I get, the more that the Lord has been pleased to allow me the privilege, the privilege to go through physically. the more I realize I need that which the Lord has said something I can hang on to. Because when I take, by God's good pleasure, my last breath, and I leave this world, it's over. It's over. I need something that I can hang on to.

And I listen to what people say all over this religious world. And I'm going to look in my, this Bible, these words right here, that the Lord has providentially been pleased to keep. Somebody said, well, those are, those are just, those are words. Oh, men wrote those words. Ah, no, men penned these words. This is the word of God. Somebody said, well, are you going to base your eternal salvation on that? What have you got? What have you got? Where else are you going to go?

Do I believe that these words were penned by men moved upon by the Spirit of God? That's what God said. Holy men of God moved as the Spirit gave them utterance. I believe by God's grace with all my heart that these are God's words that the Lord was pleased to allow men to write down. And therein, according to God's word, I've got some hope. By two immutable things, which is impossible for God to lie. These two things I just told you. I'm gonna tell you again, he hears these two things.

The Lord, according to his word, has borne in himself, 2 Corinthians 5.21, the Lord has borne in himself all the guilt, the sin.

He, the Father, hath made him the Son, And if you look at 2 Corinthians 5.21, look at it. The words to be are in italics. He hath made him sin. I've told you before. I don't know the depth of that. I don't know the depth of Christ being made sin. But I know just enough to know this. Whatever He was made was what I am by nature.

And according to God's Word, God the Father, for all chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, He, the Father, hath made Christ sin. That which Almighty God is going to judge this world because of But God the Father, according to his word, made Christ for his own. He hath made him sin. And before God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ being made sin according to the scriptures.

And the Lord Jesus said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And one might say, well, do you believe, really believe, that God the Father forsook the Son? Yes, sir. Why do you believe that? Because the Lord said He did. The Lord, my God, my God, why have you turned your back upon me? Here's the reason. He was made sin. Now, if the Lord doesn't do something for me or for you. And I have to come to face God with sin being laid to my account. I can tell you what God's going to do. He gonna cast me out. And this is my prayer. Lord, don't leave me to myself. Lord, have mercy on this center. Lord, I pray.

Lord Jesus, when you died, you died with me being on your heart. And you put away the judgment by your own blood. That's the only hope I got. He hath made him sin, who knew no sin. He had no sin personally. He was bearing the sins of his people in his own body. And God forsook him, because that's what sin deserves. He knew no sin, but was made sin. Here again, I've told you this. I don't understand the depth of that. But I believe it. Whatever these scriptures say happened, happened.

That we might be made the righteousness of God. Boy, there's another one. plumb the depth, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. This is a strong consolation, verse 18, by these two immutable things which God, which is impossible for God to lie. We might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge, lay hold upon the hope the hope, the assurance, which is set before us.

These two constellations, these two precious promises, when Christ died, that he died for me. How do I know he died for me? He's given me faith to believe it. He's given me the assurance to not look to myself. I cannot, I have nothing in myself to offer. I am what God says I am. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner before God, by birth, by practice, by desire. When he died, this is my hope, Lord, that you died for me. Oh, Don Fortner, I hear again, I've told you this so many times, talking to Don one day, he told me, he said, this is the truth. He said, do everything in the world you can for the glory of God. Do everything you possibly can and put no confidence in what you've done. Put all of your confidence in what he's done, what he's declared that he's done.

And then the apostle was moved to say in Hebrews 619, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. We've got a hope. We've got a hope. Let me tell you what the hope, the assurance, of every believer. This is the hope of every believer. That Christ himself. Has answered. Every demand. For me, that's the only hope I've got. That he is put away. Believers possess right now. This hope Christ in you. the hope of glory.

Now that's, according to the scriptures, that's an anchor. Now you know what an anchor is. An anchor is a big old piece of steel and it's got some prongs on it and it's lowered down into the water and it grasps hold of something, something down deep. And it buries itself in that which will hold it. Well, hold that ship. You know, you drop an anchor, and it's tied to that long chain.

And you know that ship can move around. It can move around all over the place, be all tossed and turned. But you know what, wherever that anchor is, it's not going anywhere else but right there. It's going to stay there. It may flounder. It may rock up and down with the waves, But I'm telling you, that anchor's going to hold it. We have an anchor. I am so thankful when I see myself floundering, and I do.

I'm just like anybody else. I just, I'm so ashamed of what I see, what I think, what I, it just, it grieves me to see what I am by nature. I still got an old man in me. that just is so disrespectful. I'm sitting here preaching to you right now, and I'd be ashamed if you knew the thoughts that just enter my mind. I don't even know where they came from. I know the source of them is just that old nature.

But I am so thankful that I have assurance in the word of God. If I've laid hold of eternal life by grace by the power and mercy of almighty God to look away from myself. A believer doesn't want to look at himself anymore because what he sees is so disappointing to him. But I'll tell you what he wants to do. He wants to look and trust in the anchor of his soul.

We have a strong consolation. We have a hope. Verse 19, we have a hope. We have an anchor, an anchor of the soul, of my soul, my being, my very being. We have an anchor of the soul, which is steadfast. You that know him, you think he's ever going to fail? A believer says, no. I believe that he alone is steadfast. Not me, but he is steadfast.

And he's entered into the veil. He's entered into that place that, again, we can't perceive. I don't know where the veil is. I know there is a veil. But I do know this, that wherever it is, He's there. And he's entering into that holy place, that holy of holies. We can read in the Old Testament about the tabernacle in the wilderness and how the high priest would enter in to that holy place. But one time a year, one day a year, he would enter into the veil, into that holy of holies. And that which pictures That place where in the very presence of God, Christ Jesus has entered in and the application of his blood on that mercy seat. Where's that mercy seat? All I can think of right now is what I've seen in pictures and I've seen drawings of the mercy seat described in the scriptures. But wherever that place is, that's where he's found.

And he is ever living to make intercession for us, his beloved. Knowing that right now, even as I told you a moment ago with the failings that I've had while I've been preaching, he paid the debt that I incurred. And he's covered it with his blood. The comfort that I've got is that God Almighty, for His sake, for His sake, not me, for His sake, forgives me. Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. For His sake. Verse 20, whether the forerunner is for us. Now this is another enclosure, this is another great comfort for me.

That the Lord would enter in to that heavenly veil for this sinner and answer for me. The forerunner is for us, entered in even Jesus, made a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. No beginning of days, no ending of days. the great heavenly Melchizedek. The reason that we've got any hope is because we have an anchor, Christ Jesus the Lord, who has, bearing the guilt of his people, has put it away, put away that debt, and has already entered into the very place of God's glory. And there intercedes for us, represents us.

I love the thought of having the assurance of the scriptures that says that he's answered for me. I'm so thankful that the Lord didn't leave the responsibility for me to answer for me. I'm so thankful that he has been pleased to have himself be a mediator for me. Lord, you, you talk, you talk for me. Lord, you intercede for me. You, you, you be my advocate. Lord, show mercy to me for Christ's sake. Amen.

That Which Comforts God's People

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the assurance of salvation?

How do we know Christ's work is sufficient for salvation?

Why is intercession by Christ important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ is our anchor?

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That Which Comforts God's People

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the assurance of salvation?

How do we know Christ's work is sufficient for salvation?

Why is intercession by Christ important for Christians?

What does it mean that Christ is our anchor?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

Comments

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