Confirmation In Christ

Q: What does the Bible say about confirmation in Christ?

The Bible teaches that true confirmation comes from God, establishing believers in Christ Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Paul emphasizes that believers are confirmed by God, not by man. The term 'confirmed' means to be established or made firm. This confirmation is critical as it is God's word and grace that support us, ensuring we remain blameless until the end. Unlike human affirmation, which can often be superficial, God's confirmation secures our position in Him as we await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q: Why is God's confirmation important for Christians?

God's confirmation assures believers of their salvation and establishes them in faith until the end. God’s confirmation is foundational for Christians as it asserts that our faith and salvation are secure solely because of His grace. According to Romans 15:5, God is described as the 'God of patience' who grants us the ability to endure. The establishment of believers is not dependent on human efforts or merits but solely on God's promise, which assures that we will be maintained in faith and blameless through Jesus Christ until the day of His return. This confidence allows Christians to live in hope and peace, resting in the work of Christ.

Q: How do we know that we are confirmed by God?

Believers are confirmed by God through their faith in Christ, as detailed in Scripture. The confirmation by God is realized through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:13 indicates that after believing the gospel, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, a sign of being confirmed and established by God. This divine confirmation contrasts the empty ceremonies of human institutions; true confirmation is a work of God that solidifies our identity as His children. No one can instigate this process; it is God's action upon us graciously communicated through His word, ensuring our eternal security.

Q: What does it mean to be established in Christ?

To be established in Christ means to be firmly rooted in the faith and secured by His grace. Being established in Christ signifies a believer's firm foundation in the gospel of grace. This establishment is a work of God, wherein He not only affirms our faith but also shapes our character and ensures our perseverance. In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, the apostle Paul describes how God anoints and seals believers, marking them as His. This assurance means that believers can rest in their status before God, knowing that their standing is not based on their merit but on Christ's righteousness. The work of establishment involves growth in faith that leads to a life reflective of Christ's love and character, empowering believers to endure till the end.

Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you'd like to follow along, we're gonna be in 1 Corinthians chapter one. Chapter one, I wanna read from verses four through nine. 1 Corinthians chapter one, verse four.

I thank my God always on your behalf. for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ, that in everything ye are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. who shall also confirm you unto the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful. By whom you were called unto the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now, Charles Spurgeon wrote this, and I really like this. God's children are God's children. That's pretty good. Anywhere and everywhere. And shall be even unto the end. Nothing can sever that sacred tie or divide us from his heart. I like that saying, I do. God's children are God's children, anywhere and everywhere.

Paul's writing this letter to the Corinthians, and as Walter preached so ably last week, Paul has a message. Paul has a message, and it's a message for every believer. Now it's written here to what the church at Corinth, God at Corinth, but it's also addressed, what? This is verse one. Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and with all that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. That's verse two, sorry.

This is a message for every believer. This is a message for every believer. These are the words of the apostle to the Gentiles, and we are Gentiles, but it's just as good for the Jew if they believe Christ. Doesn't matter. This is the word of God for believers.

I'm gonna look at verse seven. My title, though, for this message is Confirmation in Christ. Confirmation in Christ. But starting in verse seven, it says, so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a message for every believer. Paul's writing this stuff so you know what's going on. And it's important for us to know what's going on. Christ is coming. Christ is coming. Oh my, it says Jesus Christ has given the grace of God to every one of his people. It's in verse four. I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you, and he does say it this way, by Jesus Christ.

Oh. I am the way, the life, and the truth, and. No man cometh to God but by me. And you know what he meant by that? No man comes to God but by Jesus Christ. That's the deeper meaning. And that's the truth of it. It is by Jesus Christ. There are a lot of people who want to use Jesus Christ or go through Jesus Christ, but no, no, no. Grace came. by Jesus Christ. Grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. Oh my. And God's people are the recipients of his gifts. And his blessings are his gifts unto us. And we have all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, but wait, in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus.

And I'm gonna tell you something folks, looking at the next one, next part of this verse, we need the gift of patience. Because patience is not natural to man. What does it say? That you come behind in no gift, waiting. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm gonna tell you something folks, people are not good at waiting. And I'm gonna tell you this, the people of God, believers, are not good at waiting.

What's that old saying? Instant gratification takes too long. That's the society we live in now. Everybody wants it now, now, now, now. No, no, God has his own timetable. And I'm as bad about it as anybody else, I'll tell you. I'll confess, I shouldn't be, but sometimes I am. But this is one thing I have to wait upon the Lord.

He's working. He's working. You may not see it, you may not know it, you may not understand it, but he's working. And he has his, when his hour is come, he is coming. And I like that, I do. We not wait, we wait, but we're not good at it. But we thank God for his gifts. Now I understand tribulation worketh patience. And I don't like tribulation. But tribulation does work patience. Experience and hope. And in this world you're gonna have tribulation.

But here's the thing, folks, I also know the God of patience. This is in Romans 15 and verse five. Now the God of patience, and here it is, and consolation, consolation, grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. Thank God we have a God of patience. The God of patience grants, gives to believers to be like-minded. Why? So we can get along with each other. That's important. The gathering of the people of God should be in one accord. Sometimes it's not. But it should be in one accord.

And we have the God of patience and consolation. Oh, I like that part. Thank the God of patience for the fruit of the spirit. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. And I'll tell you this, that word long-suffering right there, that's the word patience. Patience. It's not natural to man, but it is the gift of God. It is the fruit of the Spirit.

How can we wait? From the gift of patience, from the God of patience and consolation to our hearts. But we're waiting, wait a minute, in earnest expectation of the coming of our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ. That's what we're waiting for. Oh my. But what's it say next? This is verse eight, it's where I want it to get. Because of the God of patience, because of the God of consolation, and because of waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says, who also, shall also, confirm you unto the end. Unto the end. Folks, that's where I need to be confirmed unto. But first, let's make this point.

True confirmation does not come from man. Now, y'all know my history. I was born and raised Catholic, okay? So at the age of 12, I think it was, or 14, whatever, I was confirmed by the Catholic Church. They didn't know what they was doing. That's okay, I didn't know either. I didn't know either.

But what happens is you have to take a little class and you have to answer, I don't know if I had a test or not, but I gotta ask questions, I'm sure. Then the bishop shows up, not your priest, the bishop shows up, he's the boss of the priest. And he comes by and he confirms, you have a confirmation class. And he comes by and confirms these people. And what he does is he shakes your hand, supposed to slap you in the face, I don't know why, and you are confirmed into the Catholic Church.

That was worth absolutely every dollar I paid, which was nothing. Okay? I paid nothing for that, and I'm gonna tell you this, folks, I received absolutely nothing from it. But I'm gonna tell you something, true confirmation doesn't come from a man. This is what we're talking about. True confirmation doesn't come from a man. Matter of fact, I'm not gonna mention that.

The word confirmed, and I looked it up in the Greek, it means this. Establish. Establish. What? Wait a minute. Or, to make firm. You understand? I have to be made first. You have to be made first. You have to be established, not by me, not by any other man, by God, by Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ. Because I'm gonna tell you something, being confirmed by a man, bishop of otherwise, is of absolutely no value. Because listen, There's nothing firm in man. We are the definition of infirm.

But the God of patience and the God of consolation, the God, the God, almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, I'm gonna tell you something, folks, he can confirm you. His confirmation is what counts. Oh my. Hmm, a lot of people though, now let's be clear about this, a lot of people confuse being established and being firm with being stubborn. Stubborn is a natural condition of man. But I'm gonna tell you something, when he makes you firm, when he confirms you, when he establishes you, he's establishing you in his word, in himself. Now, being firm, being established in God, I like the way Paul put it, being grounded and settled. Grounded and settled. That's not being stubborn. That's being firm. That's being established. What does it tell you? It tells you that the who that confirms is not you. You're the who that is confirmed. We need to be established. We don't establish. Oh. I, uh, I looked at some commentators, just a couple about this. And I'm about to the point, sometimes I agree with Walter, where it does you better not to look.

But there seemed to be some discussion of whether it is Christ that establishes you, or whether it's God the Father that establishes you, and I don't understand the point of that. Because these three are one. Or answer my favorite answer, yes. God establishes you, Christ establishes you, and the Holy Spirit establishes you. These three are one. Oh my. But in verse four, Paul states, the grace of God given you by Christ Jesus. Oh my. God makes you firm. I'm gonna tell you something, folks, it is. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit make you firm. They establish you. Oh my.

Paul put it this way in Ephesians. Ephesians one and verse 13. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth. the gospel of your salvation. I like that. There. In whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

Now there's fellows that went around, and a fellow I respect, his name's Martin Lloyd Jones, His commentary and his preaching on the whole epistle of Ephesians is great. He gets to this place and he stumbles. And I don't know why and I don't really care why, but he's wrong. If he was still alive, I'd tell him to his face. Because you understand, he went through the whole first 12 verses of Ephesians and went in and told you, this is what God says in his word and this is what it means. It means what it says and it says what it means.

And then he gets up to this verse and he says, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed. And he says, I understand Paul wrote that all you needed there was after you believed, but then he wanted to go on to say that there was something else before you were sealed. And I looked at it and it says this, in whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed. And what am I saying here?

You were confirmed. You were established by God. You are made to be firm by God after you believe. After you believe, what? And you believe by Christ. By Christ, what? Believers are sealed by Christ, confirmed, made firm, and established by God. 2 Corinthians 1 verses 21 and 22 says this. Now he which established us with you in Christ hath anointed us and hath anointed us is God. Is God. Who also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. After you believe, you've been established and you've been sealed. You've been confirmed by God.

And it's not of your words, it's of his. It's not because I believe, no, no. I believe because of him and he establishes me. Understand folks, no matter what you preach, no matter where you preach, no matter where you are, faith, you're saved by grace, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's still the gift of God. Now I won't throw that in there just for the people out there that haven't heard that before. That's that old Baptist doctrine. Yes it is, but it's still here. You're saved by grace through faith and it's not of yourselves. And that actually means it's not of you.

It's a gift. Why? For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. It says that. You know why? Because it means that. But he establishes his people. He confirms his people. Established and sealed, sealed by God and sealed by the Holy Spirit. And it says, after you believe. After you believe. By grace, through faith, believers are confirmed and sealed in Christ Jesus.

But let's not forget this last little part. unto the end. Unto the end. You understand, I realize why people think they can lose their salvation. Because they think it's their salvation. That's what it is. I'm gonna tell you something, folks. You can't lose God's salvation. You can't lose Christ's salvation. Because the only reason you got it is because he gave it to you. And what?

He confirms you unto the end. Unto the end. Oh my. Oh, I like that. Matthew 10 and 22 put it this way. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Ain't that true? Yes, it's true. How can a believer endure? Well, you can't. Unless God confirms you to the end.

And he does. Every one of his people. Well, I can't, I can't go anywhere without reading this. Where is it? John six verse 44, no man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me draw him. And I will raise him up at the last day. That's the end. That's the end every believer has been confirmed by God unto. Oh, I like that, I do. This is my Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. You are confirmed by God unto the end. You are established. You understand? In Psalms, I think it's David, I'm pretty sure it's David. But even if it's not, it's still in Psalms.

He digs you out of the pit, the deep miry clay. But not only that, he sets your feet on a rock. And not only that, there's more. He establishes your goings. Why? Because he establishes you. He confirms you unto the end. You understand, he put your feet on the rock, they're never coming off that rock. You know why? Because God put you on that rock. I hold not the rock, but the rock holds me.

I do like that part. Oh my. Matter of fact, the Holy Spirit keeps you by faith. We are kept by the power of God through, Faith unto the end. Salvation ready to be revealed. Oh my, I like that. I'm looking forward to that day. You understand? And we're waiting. That's what he's talking about. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end. Why? It says that ye may be, and that's in italics there. in that verse, so you can leave that out. And I like this. What'd he say?

Who also shall confirm you unto the end, blameless. Blameless. Oh my, didn't say sinless, but blameless. Blameless, I like that. In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, there's not gonna be one person be able to point at you and say, well, you did this. You did that. You sinned. Me too. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. You sin, I sin, but you've been established, confirmed by God. Oh my. Unto the end. Unto the end. Oh my. What shall we say then to these things?

If God be for us, who can be against us? I'm gonna tell you something, if God confirms you unto the end, that means God's for you. That's what it means, God's for you. Oh my, he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Oh, that's him, gifts, Paul was writing about. Oh, I like that. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

He's blameless. He's blameless. He's blameless in God's sight. You may see me do a lot of things I shouldn't do. I'm gonna try and hide them, but you probably will see some of it. But in God's sight, we're blameless. We're blameless, why? He's confirmed us unto the end. He's established us. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Here's the reason why it got nothing to do with me, nothing to do with you. It's God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? Tell you what, it doesn't matter. It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also, here we go, folks. What? Who's gonna lay anything to my charge? Who's gonna be that Cadabith? Who also maketh intercession for us.

Christ died, yes, and he rose, yes, and he rose. and he is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, and he ever lives to make intercession. He's our advocate. He's our advocate. He's our sacrifice, our offering. He's our substitute. He's our savior. He's the giver of faith, the giver of life. He's the keeper of us in his heart. and yet he makes intercession for us. And that's why, folks, blessed is the man to whom God will not impute sin, because Christ makes intercession for him. Oh, my. Oh, who's gonna separate us from the love of God, the love of Christ? No one, no one.

Confirmation In Christ

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about confirmation in Christ?

Why is God's confirmation important for Christians?

How do we know that we are confirmed by God?

What does it mean to be established in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

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Confirmation In Christ

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about confirmation in Christ?

Why is God's confirmation important for Christians?

How do we know that we are confirmed by God?

What does it mean to be established in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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