A Grave Warning

Q: What does the Bible say about apostasy?

The Bible warns of apostasy as the abandonment of faith, leading to spiritual ruin. Apostasy is depicted in Scripture as a grave and serious matter. In Galatians 5:2-4, the Apostle Paul warns that if individuals rely on their works or any act of the law, like circumcision, they fall away from grace, rendering Christ of no profit to them. Furthermore, the New Testament teaches that apostates are those who have experienced a genuine understanding of the truth but turn away from it, exemplified in Hebrews 6:4-6, where it states that for those who have tasted the goodness of God and then fall away, it is impossible to be renewed to repentance. Such individuals abandon the preeminence of Christ's work in favor of their own deeds, which leads to spiritual judgment. In Luke 8:13, we see that those who initially receive the word with joy may also fall away in times of testing.

Q: How do we know that Christ is all we need for salvation?

Scripture teaches that salvation is found solely in Christ and His grace, not in human works or rites. The sufficiency of Christ for salvation is a fundamental doctrine in the New Testament. In Philippians 3:7-9, Paul recounts counting all things as loss in comparison to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, underlining that righteousness is found not through the law but through faith in Christ. This reflects the centrality of grace in salvation; any reliance on works, including physical acts like circumcision, undermines the gospel of grace, making Christ of no effect to the believer (Galatians 5:4). The emphasis is on the grace of God as the sole basis for salvation, as highlighted in Ephesians 2:8-9, where we learn that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, and this not from ourselves; it is the gift of God.

Q: Why is it dangerous to mix faith and works?

Mixing faith and works can lead to apostasy and diminish the grace of Christ in a believer's life. The danger of mixing faith and works is articulated by Paul in Galatians 5:2-4. By attempting to justify oneself through works, such as circumcision or adherence to the law, a believer effectively says that Christ's atonement is inadequate, thus falling from grace. This attitude leads to apostasy, where the individual turns away from the true foundation of faith in Christ and His finished work. The writer of Hebrews reinforces this by stating that reverting to the law after knowing the truth results in a severe loss (Hebrews 10:26-27), indicating that understanding and grasping the significance of Christ must not be treated lightly. A genuine faith, devoid of the need to supplement with works, reflects the true nature of belief in the gospel.

Q: What is the role of grace in the believer's life?

Grace is the foundation of a believer's salvation and ongoing spiritual life, ensuring Christ remains central. Grace is not only the means by which a believer is saved but is also integral to their spiritual growth and sustenance. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Paul states that God has chosen believers for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. This indicates that grace is both the starting point and the continual source of empowerment in the Christian life. By relying on God's grace, believers are called to stand firm and hold fast to the gospel teachings (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Any attempt to add works to grace compromises the gift of salvation, as highlighted in Galatians 5:4, where reliance on the law nullifies the benefits of Christ’s work. Therefore, understanding and adhering to grace is crucial for maintaining the integrity of one’s faith and assurance.

Alright if you wish to follow along Galatians chapter 5 I Have dealt two or three Sundays with verse 1, but now I want to read verse 2 and 3 Where Paul continuing writes these words Galatians 5 verse 2 and 3 Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised I want you to think about this statement Christ is shall profit you nothing. I ask this question, do I even read any further? Do we really believe that? Or do we immediately revert to trying to defend some doctrine that we know is true? I'll try to make this clearer here in a moment.

Behold I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law. Now, my title for this morning, actually my subject is a grave, or a serious you could say, a grave warning. Consider who it is that makes such a serious statement. And that's the serious statement. Behold, I Paul, saying to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. That is strong language.

Again, do I then take the language of scripture and then lessen its true effect and then turn away from that truth and say, and I'm gonna try to bring this to a head here, do I then start either defending once saved, always saved, or do I start defending once your Savior could be lost? This is not about either one. This is about what Paul says in Scripture. But our minds are so, and our flesh is so corrupt that it will even take the truth of God, one truth of God, and I hate to even put it that way, but A, let me put it that, it will take a truth of God to ignore or deny another truth of God.

So again, consider who it is that makes such a serious statement. Here is a man who, by God's grace, was made to know the difference, okay? He's been made to know the difference. The once, and this is my language, it's not the language of Scripture per se, he was once a champion for circumcision, was he not? Turn to Philippians 3, and I know this is familiar to you. He was a champion for circumcision. He was a champion for the obedience of humanity, the obedience of the flesh. He's a champion of it. This once champion for circumcision now becomes a champion for the grace of Christ. Now here, hear Paul and his legal pride.

And he's gonna tell it as it is. Philippians chapter three, for the sake of time, I'll begin in verse four. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. Notice what he says. He doesn't even refer to it as past tense or past tense. Gone. He said, right now, today, I know I'm capable of doing this, okay? Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. Now think about it. Think about the pride that he declares in this statement. And he is exposing his own flesh. He's not playing it up. He's just said previously, we're those who are in Christ Jesus.

We have no confidence in the flesh. But the flesh does. Do you see that? Do you think about it? Yes, I have no confidence in my flesh, but my flesh has confidence in itself. Now, if I don't care if that's contradictory or not, it's the facts, okay? It's the facts. So we say, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, think about this, if any man thinketh that he had whereof he might trust in the flesh, what's he say? I'm more, okay? What's the first thing he mentioned? What's the first thing he mentioned? Something he didn't even do. Now think about that for a moment. Something he didn't even do. Circumcised, what's it say? The eighth day. Little fella, you wanna be circumcised? Why? Why? And as Henry Mahan once said years ago about baptism in a baby, why means no. But think of it, this wasn't even something he conscientiously, knowingly, willingly engaged in, but he rested in it in the flesh. Do you see that?

Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of Hebrews, as touching the law of the highest order. I'm putting that in there. as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Why? Because under the Jewish economy they were considered heretics. That's why. Look, touching the righteousness which is in the law, what?

Blameless. Now, think about our text. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, the man that knows, Matt, that he could brag about his upbringing and who he was and what he came to be. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. In other words, I sum it up this way. That's strong language, either way you put it, right?

But now here, Paul once conquered by Christ in his grace. Back to Philippians three and verse seven. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss, for what reason? For a knowledge of grace? That's true, but that's not enough. Do you hear me? For a knowledge of the doctrines of Calvinism.

Of course, Paul didn't know nothing about the doctrines of Calvinism as we consider them today though. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Paul's whole change of attitude and belief and opinion was because of one person. It was not because of a set of doctrines.

And Ellen, I just can't, I don't have the words to express that in a way that would help an unregenerate person to all of a sudden, that to dawn on them. Look at what it says. We're, I counted lost for Christ, yea doubtless. Now his flesh says something else, right? Right now, he said, though I might have. You see the present tense?

His flesh says something else, but he, the new man, the new Paul, this Paul that had been conquered by the Christ of grace, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Tommy, there's one subject we need to be engaged in learning about, who Jesus Christ is. And if I ever get to a place where I think, well, I've got enough knowledge about Jesus Christ, I can go on to other things, I've went too far. Because we could study him forever, Mac, and never know what all he is.

Look, you ain't doubtless. And I count all things. Notice the change in language there. Look at it. But what things were gained, do you see the past tense? I wanna point this out. But what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. And many have this attitude. Well, I was saved back then. God saved me in the past. But look, yea, doubtless, and I count all. That's present tense. So he never grew penny above this. Do you see that? Even up to this point, he's not grown above this yet.

Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And there is no reason for us to interject any but in the subject. He is the subject worth spending your time on, if I can put it that way, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do count them but what?

Dung. Now he's talking about this list of things that he said he can brag about in the flesh. And do count them but dung that I might win what? Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith. So I wanna move on. Again, I have to say this.

Paul, in this short letter, short compared to other letters for sure, Paul in this short letter is relentless. Mackey just keeps hammering and hammering and hammering on the same subject. He never, I want to put it this way, don't get angry, he never went anywhere. He got on one string on his instrument and kept plucking that one string over and over and over again.

Why is that so important? Because of what he said. Behold I Paul saying to you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you how much? Very little. You'll reduce his effect? No, nothing. That's serious language, is it not? But let you and I, don't let our minds dim. But what about eternal security? That's not the question here. The question is, does God honor Christ and circumcision equal with his son? No. You didn't see it? No. Again, I say Paul is relentless. And his warnings are heightened as he goes through this. We read the first one. Look at the next one, verse four. And I'll deal with that, God willing, in a little more detail later.

Christ is become of no effect unto you. Now, Mack, was he denying effectual redemption? No, he's not denying effectual redemption, but he's saying that the redemption of Christ is of no value to you if you're circumcised. Do you see what this is? Now let the universal redemptionists deal with that. Look at it. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.

It's what he says. Here's the question, do I believe that or not? Even if it confounds some other issues that I can easily work out in my head. Again, some of you have already heard it here. Tommy and I were talking. Our flesh loves to have all its ducks in a row, and everything seem to have its natural logical order. The truth of God stands firm as it is, and one part does not fight against the other, but they're all equally valid.

Now, I'm sure even in our small group, and I'm sure it's gonna happen out there to someone who may listen to this later. I'm sure they're wondering this question. I wonder where he's going with this. I wonder where he's going with this. Consider the gravity of the warning, okay? And he gives it twice within just several words, right?

Here it is, again, behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Verse four, Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. Number one, it is, think about this warning in both verses, whether it's two or verse four.

This warning is not about the physical state of having been circumcised. Paul's not saying, well, if you've been circumcised, you're out of the picture. That's not what he's talking about, though you could force that into the language, but you gotta look at the whole context of the letter that he was writing. He's not saying, if you are actually circumcised, you're gone forever. Is that what he's saying? No, of course not. That's not what he's talking about. What he's talking about, think about this.

Babes, or some babes, especially in the Jewish economy, these young males were circumcised and had nothing to do with it. Later we find that there were instances in the Jewish economy when other people were circumcised at a later age. Okay? We also know, by experience, you can study and find it, there are heathen rituals in older adults and in babes, but that does not bar one from salvation by Jesus Christ. So don't take the language to say, if I am personally circumcised, I cannot be saved.

That's not what he's talking about. Now you say, well, nobody believes that. You go out there and get on Google and look it up for a while, you'll find somebody that believes something like that. Think about this. This is not about the physical act only. It does include that. This is not about the physical act only, that is this statement. If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. This is not about the physical act only.

It's about the attitude concerning it. It's about the intent concerning it. It's about the belief concerning it. It's about any confidence in it. It is about any reliance upon it, whether someone did it to you or whether you chose to do it yourself. If you do it with some kind of confidence, this will gain you something before God.

Paul calls it dung. You see the point? That's the point. Paul calls it dumb, but not everybody does. You have to be conquered by the Christ of grace before you'll ever consider that. So there is a change of attitude. There is a change of intent. There is a change of belief. There is a change of confidence. There is a change of reliance, even though you cannot change the physical act. Do you see that? And I'll talk about that more later. Secondly, secondly, here's where, and I'm not, I'm not, I'm gonna use this word. That's not what I got wrote down to try to say this morning.

Paul's language does not make this difficult. It doesn't make it difficult. It only makes it difficult if I find myself trying to defend certain doctrines of God over against another certain doctrine of God. That's the only time it becomes difficult.

It's like the people that say, well, I would believe in limited atonement if it were not for two or three verses in the Bible. They're lying through their teeth. I've been there. I know, because how many verses did you read in the Bible that maybe seem to contradict the doctrine of the Trinity? There are hundreds that seem to contradict the doctrine of the Trinity. Our God is how many? One. One, and then John comes along and says these three are one.

How does that fit? It ain't about trying to make it fit, it's believing the record God gave of his son. So again, to hear. Now here's number two. Remember, this is about a change of attitude. It's not about changing the act. You cannot change the act of circumcision. Once it happens to you, it's done.

Here's the second thought. To hear and profess Christ. and free grace only. I'm not talking about people who've never really heard the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are lost. It ain't about whether they've been saved. There may be millions of conversions, but unless you're converted by the gospel, you're not converted to God. You may be converted to a certain religion. You may be concerted to a certain denomination. Going down the line, you may be converted by their message, but you're not converted to Jesus Christ until you hear the truth preached about Jesus Christ.

And the quicker we come to realize that, the quicker we can more honestly deal with people out there we care about. To hear and profess Christ and free grace only Now listen to me, I'm telling you what Paul's saying. I'm putting it in my own words. To hear and profess Christ and free grace only.

I'm not talking about beginning with, well, I believe in Jesus and circumcision. Doesn't work that way, does it? I don't care if you are circumcised, you will count your circumcision but what? Done, that you may win what? Christ, you see it? So it's not to hear and profess Christ and free grace only, but here it is, but then actually include any act of law. And what's the danger of that?

Verse three, I'm only gonna read it, we've dealt with it. Paul's dealt with it over and over and over in this letter. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised. And I wanna add this, circumcised only. That's all you've got, circumcision. But what does he say? For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole law.

So we cannot pick and choose one, two, pan three or four of God's laws, 10 of God's laws, and put them on a pedestal with Christ. Christ is preeminent, that makes everything else to the born again gospel called person, D-U-N-G, right? Think about it, I said to hear and profess Christ and free grace only, but then actually include any act of law is to turn apostate.

Do you hear what I just said? It is to turn apostate. And you know that is, I'm not asking you, and God help me, I wouldn't challenge you to go out here and watch all these other preachers on TV and the internet. But if you do, you will rarely ever hear any of these preachers and all these denominations and sects and beliefs, you will rarely ever hear them talking about apostasy. Did you know that?

Now, they'll talk about whether you can be saved and lost, okay? They'll talk about whether you're saved forever or not, okay? They'll argue about those things, but they won't deal, won't deal with it, with the fact that there is apostasy. Okay? We'll deal with the fact that there is apostasy.

Again, to hear and profess Christ. I'm not talking about starting in a false, if you start in a false religion, you're still in a false religion. And if God has actually converted you by the truth, and you're still hanging on to that false religion, I beg God to make you throw it down as what? D-U-N-G. to hear and profess Christ in free grace only, but then actually include any act of law, even if it's one act of law, is to turn apostate.

Apostasy is mentioned, and I just challenge, I do challenge you to this, get your Bible and start looking up, not just the word, because you're not gonna find that word. Okay, that's an English word used to describe several words. It's in the Old Testament and the New Testament both. Again, apostasy is mentioned many times. I will give you just a few. But I'm gonna give you these few in a way that will show it's the increasing intensity of the gravity of apostasy.

And Paul states it here. For behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if ye be circumcised, he's not talking about to every Jew out there that happens to be circumcised, but to those who have professed the Christ of free reigning grace, and then they said, I'm gonna rest in my circumcision too. What does he say? Christ shall profit you, how much?

Nothing, now either we believe that or we don't. So it's not about arguing, once saved, always saved, or can you be saved to be lost? It ain't about that. It's can a man or a woman be an apostate? What's that say? If you're circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. He goes on, Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are fallen or justified by the law.

Now is anybody ever really justified by the law? Nobody's talking about, what did I say? Let me find my, find the words, pardon me. It's about attitude, it's about intent, it's about belief, it's about confidence, it's about reliance. Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, even if you're only using one point of the law, okay?

Ye are fallen from grace. Okay, as I told you, I will give you many of these apostasies mentioned. It actually amazed me when I got on Google, even yesterday, and Penny will testify that I sat there yesterday evening and had to redo all of my notes, and I just looked up apostasy in Google, and all of the references in the scripture to apostasy. Now, men will call it other words, But apostasy is what truly, they'll call it backsliding. But in the Old Testament, backsliding is never being saved or lost, but it is just rebellion against God. But let's look at what the scripture says. But as I give you these references to apostasy, we will see an increasing intensity of the gravity, the danger, the seriousness of apostasy.

Number one, here's four things, I've got four things to give you. The fact of apostasy. Turn to, well, if you get there, Jeremiah 17, I'm gonna read you one. If you get there before I do or with me, you can read it with me. Jeremiah chapter 17, verse five. And this is just a few. I just have this one right now out of the Old Testament. Jeremiah 17, verse five.

Thus saith the Lord. Yes, Jeremiah's writing this, but who's Jeremiah saying gave him this word? The Lord. Thus saith the Lord. Cursed. Do you see that word? That's serious language. Cursed be the man that trusteth in who? Man. Now notice it doesn't say wicked deeds and immorality. It's not even that deep. It don't have to be that bad.

It trusteth in man and who maketh what? Flesh, his arm, okay, whose heart departeth. If you never bid with him, you can't depart from him, can you? Right? Is that not the language? And departeth from the Lord. That's apostasy. That's the fact of it. And what's put alongside of apostasy?

C-U-R-S-E, right? Curse, right? Still looking at the fact of it. Look at Luke, Luke chapter eight. Now we're gonna look at, we'll talk about the fact of apostasy. You see, apostasy is not a hypothetical. Sadly and dangerously, it's a reality for some people, okay?

Luke chapter eight and verse 13. And remember, whose words are these? Now yes, Luke wrote them down, but this was Luke recording a parable of our Lord, and this is the one phrase. He describes one group of people, Luke eight, verse 13. Now it just describes the fact of it. It doesn't go into the details of what it is, but look at it. Luke eight, verse 13.

And verse 13 is actually the explanation of the parable of the rock and the seed, okay, the seed falling on the rock. Verse 13, they on the rock are they which when they hear, right, when they hear, receive the word with joy, so that can happen, right? Right?

Well, they must be saved forever. Hold on. And these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation, here is the word, and in the Greek, you can almost pronounce it, they go into apostasy. You see it? So there's another fact of it. Look at 1 Timothy chapter four. Now, I'm not going to rush through this, but I do want to kind of keep us moving along. I know we got a late start. 1 Timothy 4, verse 1. 1 Timothy 4, verse 1.

We're talking about right now the fact of apostasy. Remember, it is grave. It is serious. It is dangerous. Luke, sorry, 1 Timothy 4, just verse one. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly. Do you see that? So in other words, you can bank on it. Can you put it that way? Now say it that way, you can put your money on this one. This is right.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. Do you see that? Some shall depart from the faith. Now, and I won't, remember, I am just scratching the surface of passages that deal with apostasy. Just for the sake of time, I had to limit these last night. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. So thus far, the only thing we've seen about, we've seen apostasy as a fact, right? And we've seen one thing, God, the Lord, L-O-R-D, all capitalized, he pronounces a curse upon the apostate. Have we not read that?

Let me give you one more, Hebrews chapter three. And I'm giving several because this is not an isolated text. Somewhere in some unknown prophet, and I have to, Tommy kind of worked the words in the Hebrew and the Greek. Okay, no, look at Hebrews three and verse 12.

This is a warning to believers, but exhort one another. How often? Even daily. Daily, you know but exhort one another daily while it is called today Look at it lest in any of you lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin for we are made partakers of Christ if do you see that? Now, is that the truth or not?

If we hold the beginning of our confidence, and the whole context is, where is our confidence? In Christ. In Christ. Now, yes, there are doctrines, Ellen, that come along with that, but until I really see Him, I don't know nothing but doctrine. But once God gives me a glimpse of Jesus Christ, the doctrines will start falling in line. Now look, for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.

So you don't jump in and jump out, jump up and jump down. You're either in it from start to finish or you're never in it at all. I don't care if you made a great profession of it. You see that now? I don't care if we make a great profession of it. Somebody says, preacher, are you saying that a person can get all the way to the end and all of a sudden it be revealed that they're lost?

Yeah, it could. Pretty much old Judas Iscariot was pretty close to that. The only person that really knew it, I know of, was Jesus Christ. Judas may have suspected it, but he never let it out of the bag, did he? Huh? Mm, let's go on. That's the fact of apostasy. Now think about this. This is why, now let me get back to Galatians, but we're going to, this is why Christ taught this subject. Turn to Luke chapter 14. Now I want you to look at this. And I'll try to start bringing some of this together here now. Remember, we've looked at the fact of apostasy. And so far, all we've really seen is what? A curse of God goes along with it, right? Curse of God. This is why Christ taught these words.

Look at Luke 14, we'll begin in verse 25, and I'll preface what I'm about to read with this. the religion of our day, and I will put Christian religion, okay, put that in quotes, is not the Christian religion of our day, almost all of it, even some that is Calvinistic and some that is Arminian, some that is free will and some that is free grace, is all about just get people to make a profession. Just get them to confess, and the Calvinists will say the truth, right? It isn't just get them down the aisle. Something, get some kind of profession out of them, right? Isn't that kind of the crux of all of so-called Christianity today?

Listen to what our Lord taught, verse 25. And there went great multitudes with him. Now, do you see that language? This wasn't just a little handful like we got here today. And there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them, now's the time to strike, right? He's got great multitudes. They're following him, Tommy. They're right there. Isn't now the time to get them to make a profession?

Look at what he taught. If any man come to me, I want you to think about the gravity of what he's saying here. If any man come to me, did he not teach men to come to him? Yes, he did. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, it's like, Jesus, give me a break! Can't I just follow you? Still hold on to everything else? What's he saying? No! Everything else gotta be counted as, remember, the man who went with it, who went through it? D-U-N-G. Now it's even family and blood relationships, right? Look at it. Yea, his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Now religion, that Christian religion I was talking about, said, well that means you could be saved, you're just not really a follower. Hogwash. If you believe him, you follow him. If you follow him, you believe him. He said, my sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they do what? F-O-L-L-O-W, they follow me. Look, and he's not done yet with us. I know he's talking to that multitude, but this is for us too. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot, do you see that?

Cannot. It sounds like he's making this kind of difficult, right? No, he's making it impossible apart from the grace of God, although he doesn't even mention it. Although he doesn't even mention it. How are you gonna get to that place? Only by the grace of God. Where everything else is D-U-N-G, but one person, Jesus Christ. Somebody said that, but it's not that serious.

Look, look, for which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it, lest happily, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to maul him. You better make sure this thing is real with you before you follow me. And he doesn't say, well, come on and follow me and find out later. He says, you sit down now and count the cost. Is it worth it to you to let everything else go and follow me? That's what he's saying. Now, how many people, even good Calvinists, do you know that have really done that? Do you look at yourself in the mirror and wonder?

Now, let's go on. Let's go, saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish. Did not Hebrews already tell us we gotta have our confidence steadfast to the end? This thing's gotta be finished, okay? You don't get to just jump it in the beginning. Do whatever you want throughout, and then one day you just happily wake up in heaven. It does not work that way. Look.

Verse 31, or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000. Two to one odds here. Doesn't look good. Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage and desireth conditions of peace.

What's this man doing? The one that only had 10,000. He's bowing down. Do you see the implication here? Huh? He's bowing down. Let's go on. So likewise, you see that? So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good. Now there's some salt out there. It's salt. But it's not good if it's lost its savor, has it?

Now somebody says, was he arguing for saved and lost? That ain't the point here. But I'll tell you what, it is lost. Whatever they had, they even lose it. And did not our Lord teach in one place, he taught, whosoever hath from him shall be what? Taken away. Look. Salt is good, but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear better listen up. I paraphrase that part. Better listen up.

Is it any wonder that in Luke nine he taught this? Now look at it, Luke chapter nine, verse 57. And it came to pass that as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And I can see me now, especially in my younger days. Well, let's get him in the pool. Let's get him to be a confessed Calvinist right now, and let's baptize him, right? Look what our Lord did. Look, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. That's a pretty good confession, wouldn't you think?

Look, Jesus said unto him, foxes have hoes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. And notice it just stops with that man right there. And he said unto another, follow me. Now Christ is telling someone to follow him. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Does it sound like Jesus is just rushing to try to get him to make a decision? Is he rushing at it? He's not telling him to put it off. Okay, but he ain't rushing them into it, is he? Why? Because he knows you gotta count the cost.

It's either Jesus Christ only or it's no Christ at all. And that's what Paul was saying to us in Galatians chapter five. Either Christ is all or there is no Christ at all for you. Jesus said unto him, this is tough. Let the dead bury their dead. but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And notice, it just stops right there. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home and at my house.

And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Once you start, You cannot turn back. If you do, you are apostate. And Christ profits that person nothing. Have I tried to twist this around to prove a doctrine? Have I given you the fact of apostasy? And here our Lord warns about it, doesn't he? Here's the second part. Some actually go into apostasy. And I know you'll know, don't turn to this one. Just listen to this. And it is amazing. As soon as I mention this, some of you's gonna know it. It's found, I say you don't have to turn to it. You can if you want. I'm not giving you a law that you don't turn to this one.

John six verse 66, isn't that kinda uncanny? And I wonder if the people who put those verses together didn't say, I'm gonna make verse 66 be chapter six. But that's just a little food for thought. That's a little bit of sweet stuff. Look at it, what does 66 say of John six? That's John six, six, six, okay? If you didn't get what I was trying to. make fun of a moment ago. Look, from that, now notice time is put in there. That will confuse you if you're not careful. It's not from a time, but it's the time he said what he just previously said.

From that, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. That is apostasy. They deserted him. That's a fact of it. Listen to 2 Peter chapter two. This is a tough one. Now it's true. Just because it's tough doesn't mean it's true. Listen to 2 Peter chapter two and verse 24.

Now we're talking about, remember we looked at the fact of the apostasy. Now we're pointing out that some have actually gone into apostasy. It's not hypothetical just to kind of scare us so we don't. Now, some people preach it like that. No, it's not real, but it's just to scare you so you don't. Well, that's rules, that's laws, that's not salvation by grace. But it is real.

Look, verse 20, 2 Peter 2, for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and here's the kicker, and overcome. We all, to some degree, get entangled in certain things. You will. I do. I have. Ellen, I will. Paula, and we will. But look, and overcome. Look, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them. So it's not hypothetical, is it? It does happen. but it is happened unto them according to the true proverb. So this is gonna let us know this thing of apostasy is not a New Testament doctrine, it's a God doctrine. It was even in the Old Testament.

Listen, the true proverb, the dog that is turned to his own vomit, the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. What it says, does it not? Now one thing about it, the dog was still always nothing but what? A dog. And the hog still was always what? What was it? A hog. But it had some relief for a while. It made some profession for a while. It laid hold of something, some things of some honor concerning Jesus Christ, right? For a while. But what do they do from, do? They turn away from it. They turn away from it.

Now, it's starting to get pretty serious, ain't it? Now, do you not see the seriousness? That is the grave warning when Paul says, behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Pretty serious, ain't it? Pretty serious.

If you've been circumcised, but you had nothing to do with it, but then you profess Christ, and then you start to say, well, I really didn't do it anyway, so what's wrong with me trusting in that son? No, sir. Nothing, nothing shares the pedestal of preeminence with Jesus Christ. Nothing. Christ has become of no effect unto you. Whosoever you are justified by the law, you're fallen from grace. But now, now, turn to Hebrews chapter 10. We're not done yet. Now this may go a little long, but I wanna go through this.

I want us now, here's, remember we looked at the fact of apostasy, and we've seen why Jesus Christ taught certain things and taught certain ways. He didn't, he wasn't just, Ellen, trying to rush people into a decision for him, was he? Mm-mm. No, he had urgency in his preaching, but he didn't have nonchalantness in his preaching. We'll just make a decision, we'll figure it out later. No, sir, you better count the cost, because this is either Christ is all or Christ is nothing. Right, he's all or he's nothing, but now let's hear the finality of apostasy.

Now I'm sitting here preaching, I've done this for quite a while, and I've preached to most of you folks, and all of you for a good while now, some of you for a long time now, and I could see at times that gravity seemed to start on your face as I was reading some of these things. The smiles sometimes would turn to, And then the smile would come back, and then I'd read another one, and the smile would go away. I understand, I'm not criticizing you. I understand that.

But we're not done yet. Here are the finality of apostasy, Hebrews chapter 10, and I've just gotta read it, make a few comments, and move on. Hebrews 10, verse 25, for context, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. So some people were forsaking it, right? They were doing it. And in the context of Hebrews, they weren't necessarily forsaking just gathering together, but they were forsaking gathering together with gospel believers.

And so if Christ has done it all, what does it matter if we go do what we want, do the sacrifices? What does it really matter? Ellen, if I'm saved by free sovereign grace, my works don't matter, why can't I still be buddies with my old Jews and still offer the sacrifices and do all those things?

Mm-mm, don't work that way. Look, look. but exhorted one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, what's he talking about in this whole epistle? Do not go back to those old sacrifices. That's what the whole of this book, Hebrews, is about. There remaineth no more sacrifice, for Christ will profit you how much? Nothing. Look, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much more sorer punishment.

Suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot. Here's the problem with adding all this other stuff in, the son of God. It's like, Max Fleck said what? He said, well, it does matter that he's either all or he's nothing. He said, there is no middle ground.

We've done looked at all that passage after passage. of how much more, how much sorer punishment. Suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he, that is Christ, was sanctified an unholy thing and is done despot under the spirit of grace. Do you see that? Now we could go on. Hebrew six, here's one more. And we're looking at the finality of apostasy.

Hebrews 6 verse 4, for it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come. And Tommy, that's why you were saying sometimes they all look alike. Sometimes a lot of people look just like we do, but they don't really think just like we do. They don't really believe Him only like we do.

Now do you hear what I'm saying? Look, and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. Now I'll go back and say, it is impossible if they shall go into apostasy. That's the word fall away. If they shall fall away, it is impossible to what? To renew them again into repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame.

He died once for all time, and that's good enough for all time. and to add anything else to him is to what? You don't have to be a drunk and go back to drinking. Just be a drunk and quit drinking and start trying to give your tithes to gain God's favor. Yeah. And if you knew the truth of God to start with and you abandoned that, you are an apostate. I would be an apostate. Again, I look at your faces and I've seen some smiles and I've seen those smiles fade away. But now let's see the hope. Let's see the hope. Let's go on from where we're at. Verse seven of Hebrews six.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain and cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth what? Blessing from God. You see when God is doing the work and he's sowing the seed, what's going to happen? Fruit's gonna come up. And it's going to come up if God's doing the work. But look, but that which bear thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be what?

Burned. But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though we speak thus. The writer said, I don't think this has happened to you. but don't you ever suppose on God that I'll do what I want, I'll live how I want. No sir, either Christ is always all or Christ is never anything to you and to me, to me.

I gotta sum this up. Why would I insult God? by the dishonor of his blessed son to grasp after some act, even one, or acts of flesh obedience, even to the peril of my own soul. Why would I do it? The only reason I would is if I do not have the grace of God to start with. Mm-hmm, yeah.

Here's our hope, 2 Thessalonians 2. Second Thessalonians 2. Here's our hope. Now, and listen, I want this to end on a positive note because apostasy is not a positive, happy note, is it? To know there's some people out there that's made professions of faith, even under sound, true gospel preaching, that's experienced some of the joy. In some way, they've experienced much of what we've experienced.

And then yet, they can what? Turn their back on it. By doing what? Just abandon it all together? No, just by starting to add circumcision. Or tithing. Come on now, just by... 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, but we are bound. That's strong language too, ain't it? Bound. Tommy, there's a good bondage to be in, is to be bound with this bondage, okay?

But we are bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. So where does Paul say it starts with? Or who does it start with? With God, right? From the beginning, chosen you to salvation.

But there are means, there are things that take place through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. And which must come first? Sanctification of the Spirit first. That's why some people believe, but they believe apart from the Spirit of God, the Spirit that sets them apart, the Spirit that gives them life. They make a decision. They believe for a while, and in time of temptation, what happens? They go into apostasy.

Through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, but how do you get there? Whereunto he called you by our gospel, and I will go so far as to say, there is no other way. Listen, for unto we called you by our gospel to the obtaining, okay, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now that's how we got it. Okay, right? Isn't that what he said? That's how we got it. That's how it started. How does it continue? Isn't that a valid question in light of this? Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. And now all we have is what? The word. Huh? The epistles, rather. The words that they spoke, if they're not in this book, We don't, we have no idea where they were. If somebody said, well, this is what the apostle Paul said. If it ain't in this book, you and I don't know it.

Do you hear what I'm saying? Listen, therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you've been taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now listen to the language. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your souls. Hearts who's going to do the work then as it continues on who's got to do it is it for us to step up now? We're to stand fast Don't you abandon it? Don't you turn your back on God's means don't you start adding in other things that are not there? But who's got to do the work the Lord Jesus Christ is God the father Do you see what he said? Comfort your hearts and staff who's doing the stablishing you and every good word and work who's going to do it I? Is that not what that says?

So I never, ever dare turn to myself. I never, ever dare turn to something I can add to that. Somebody says, but it'll profit you. No, it may cost me everything. Why? Why? Gotta be careful here. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, here's how serious it is. Here's how grave it is. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you just be circumcised, that's all it takes, Christ shall profit you nothing. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you that really think, you really think that you're justified by the law, you have went into apostasy. You have abandoned the very thing that your only hope before God, his grace. You know what I can say? Oh God keep me. Oh God keep me.

A Grave Warning

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about apostasy?

How do we know that Christ is all we need for salvation?

Why is it dangerous to mix faith and works?

What is the role of grace in the believer's life?

Sermon Transcript

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A Grave Warning

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about apostasy?

How do we know that Christ is all we need for salvation?

Why is it dangerous to mix faith and works?

What is the role of grace in the believer's life?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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