And tonight, I'm going to be
preaching once again from First Corinthians, chapter one, and
we're going to look at calling. The scripture is God is faithful
by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord, we're going to consider calling what is the
calling of God. Another thing I wanted to announce
when we initially did the addition a couple of years ago, part of
the plans was new bathrooms. And we just waited until we had
the money to complete those bathrooms. And we have the money to complete
the bathrooms, but we're being held up right now because the
city is saying we need to do something to the septic tank.
Add 200 feet to it. I don't really know what all's
involved in that, but Joe does, and Doug, you can ask them about
it. We're going to wait to fix it when we get three thousand
dollars is what it will take to finish that. And so when that
we have that, we'll be able to finish those bathrooms. We obviously
need more bathrooms. Second Timothy, chapter two,
I'd like to read verses 11 through 13. Second Timothy, chapter two. It is a faithful saying. And here's what that faithful
saying is. For if we be dead with him. We shall also live
with him. If we suffer. We shall also reign
with him. If we deny him. He also will
deny us if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful. He cannot
deny himself. I've entitled this message four
ifs. You'll notice that word if four
times in that passage of scripture, four ifs. Let's pray together. Our merciful and gracious Heavenly
Father, we ask at this time that we might be allowed and privileged
and blessed to hear from you. Lord, if we hear from you, there's
nothing more else we can ask. We ask that we might hear from
thee, the living God, for Christ's sake. Bless all your people wherever
they meet together. Forgive us of our sins for Christ's
sake. In his name we pray, Amen. Now, the passage of scripture
that I just read is one of the four faithful sayings of the
Apostle Paul. These sayings were so important
and so often used that they had reached the status of sayings.
In the early church, things that were repeated over and over and
over again. Let's look at them together.
Turn to First Timothy, chapter one. Here's the first faithful
saying. This is something that was often
repeated in the early church. First Timothy, chapter one, verse
15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And then there is
1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 8. For bodily exercise profiteth
little, or for a little while, but godliness is profitable unto
all things. having a promise of the life
that now is and of that which is to come. Turn to Titus chapter
three. Verse five. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. that
being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying. And then the saying of our text
in Second Timothy, chapter two, I've already read it and it is
written in the form of a hymn. This was an actual hymn that
they sung in the early church. It was something that was sung
very often, and look what Paul says regarding this hymn. He
says in verse 14 of 2 Timothy chapter 2, of these things, and
he's talking about what was said in that hymn, put them in remembrance. They need to be reminded of this
over and over, and in doing that, you'll be charging them before
the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit. But
to the subverting of the hearers, it's only as I understand and
lay hold of and receive what's said in this hymn that I'm not
going to strive about words that are to no profit. Now, Paul in
this hymn, maybe he was the writer of it, I don't know, or maybe
it was just a hymn that was often sung and he quotes it and we
have it here in the pages of inspiration. But in this hymn,
Paul actually uses logic. If. Then this is a theorem in
logic. If this takes place, that will
take place. Now, I want you to understand
when I make that statement regarding this being logic, and it is logical. If this takes place, then that
will take place. That's a theorem of logic. If
you take a class in logic, that's one of the first things you learn.
But understand this. We do not believe something because
it's logical. We believe something because
it's declared in the Word of God. That's why we believe. The
Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, and if we don't
have that, what we're doing right now is a waste of time and foolishness,
to say the least. We don't believe something because
it's logical. We believe it because it's declared
in the Word of God. That being said, sometimes logic's
helpful. To enable us to understand something
if. Then. And he uses for if if this
takes place, that will take place, and I want us to consider them
one at a time. Now, the first thing he says
in verse 11 of Second Timothy Chapter 2, this is a faithful
saying. For if we be dead. With him. We shall also live
with him. There's the first stanza of this
hymn. If we be dead with him. We also shall live with him. Now, the way this is stated tells
us that it is possible to not be dead with him. If we be dead
with him, some are not dead with him. And it also tells us that
all that do die with Him shall, without any possibility of it
not happening, everybody who does die with Him shall live
with Him. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ did,
in fact, die on the cross. When they took Him down from
that cross, He was dead. And there's one reason and one
reason only for death. What is that reason? Sin. The wages of sin is death. Now the sins of God's elect became
his. You know that he had no sin of
his own. He never sinned. He's the only
holy man to ever live. He had no sin of his own, yet
he died and he died because of sin. The sins of his elect, the
sins of God's people were charged to him so much so that he said
from the cross, and this is a quotation from Psalm 40. He said, my iniquities
are gone over my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for
me. He didn't say Todd's iniquities. He said, my iniquities. My sin actually became His. You see, Christ Jesus was dying
as a substitute, as a representative. He was dying for somebody. The sins of His people were placed
upon Him. That's why He was dying. And
Paul the Apostle said this in Galatians chapter 2, verse 20.
He said, I am crucified with Christ. Now, Paul, you weren't even there.
How can you say you were crucified with Christ? He did say that,
didn't he? I am crucified with Christ. Was Paul really crucified with
Christ? Yes. Paul and every one of God's
elect, everybody who believes was actually, literally, truly
crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody he died for
was because of the union with Christ. And would you turn with
me in Romans six for just a moment? Now, remember, if we died with
him, we also shall live with him. That's the promise of this
passage of Scripture. Look in verse three of Romans chapter
six. Know ye not that so many of us
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with
him by baptism. That's what baptism signifies,
into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life. For if we've been planted together
in the likeness of his death, and that's what happened on the
cross with regard to everybody he died for, we shall be also
in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that we henceforth should not serve sin, for he that is dead
is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ.
We believe that we shall also live with him. If we do die with
him. We will live with him, and it's
important for us to understand this. I want you to hear me so
carefully right now. Everybody that he died for must
be saved. The teaching that he died for
all men destroys the foundation of the gospel. The teaching that
Jesus Christ died for all men to ever live. He died and paid
for the sins of all men. If that's so, and some of those
people end up in hell anyway, that takes away the only hope
I've got. You see, the only hope that I have, while I'm speaking
to you right now, the only hope that I have is that Jesus Christ
died for me. That's it. I've got no other
hope. Now, if you tell me he can die for somebody and that
person might end up in hell anyway if they don't do something to
make what he did work, you've stripped me of my hope. Because
my hope of glory is this, that Jesus Christ died for me and
put away my sin and my salvation is accomplished. The preaching
and the teaching that Jesus Christ died for all men, without exception,
is a denial of the gospel message. And that's how important this
is. If he died for me, then I shall live with him. Beloved, if Christ died for you,
you must be saved. It's an absolute necessity. Nothing can prevent it. Let me
show you that from the scripture. Turn with me to Romans 8. Verse 32. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all." Somebody says, now wait a minute,
who's that all? Isn't that everybody? Well, look at the context and
you'll see. Verse 29, for whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate. Verse 30, moreover, whom he did
predestinate, then he also called. Whom he called, then he also
justified. Whom he justified, then he also glorified. What
should we then say to these things? If God be for us, the ones he
foreknew and predestinated and called and justified. If God
be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not? What
can possibly prevent Him from freely giving us all things? He died for us. The salvation
of God's elect is a necessity because He died for them. If
we died with Him, We also shall live with him. But you know that
this him means more than that. It certainly means that and that's
the primary application. But this also means that the
only way I can live. Is by dying. The only way I can truly live. Is by dying. Would you turn with
me to Matthew chapter 16 for a moment? Verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples. If any man will come after me.
Let him deny himself. That's powerful language, isn't
it? Deny himself. Take up his cross, what's a cross
for? It's for death. It's for crucifixion. If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself. Take up his cross
and follow me, for whosoever will save his life, what's it say? He shall lose
it. And whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it. Now, what's it mean when you
lose your life? It means you die. You die. You can only lose your life by
death. To come after Christ, I must
deny myself. I must deny self-righteousness,
self-interest, self-preservation. I must deny myself. I must lose
my life, take up my cross, and the cross is for death. And you
know, Paul said, I die daily. Every day I'm called upon to
put to death. the flesh every single day. And there's no salvation apart
from this. This is just as much a part of salvation as what our
Lord accomplished. It's the result of what our Lord
accomplished. This is not optional, what I'm
talking about right now. This is not something that is only
attained by the higher life. This is the normal life. I'm
called upon to deny myself, to take up my cross daily and follow
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if I don't lose my life,
if I don't die in the sense I'm talking about, I will not be
saved. But in dying, I live with him. I go back to Galatians 220. I've already quoted this. Paul
said, I'm crucified with Christ. I am crucified with Christ. That
really I'm crucified with him. Nevertheless, I live. I died
with him, but I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life that I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. And I've got to say this, if
Christ could love you and give himself for you, and you wind
up in hell anyway, what good would it do you? It would be
meaningless, wouldn't it? But Paul said he loved me, and
he gave Himself for me. I'm crucified with Christ. If
we died with Him, this is an absolute necessity. We shall
live with Him. It's only in dying that we really
live. Everything else is just existence,
isn't it? It's only in dying that we truly live. And let's
look at the second statement in our text, 2 Timothy chapter
2, verse 12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. Here's the second, if then, if
we suffer, we also shall reign with Him. Now, this is not talking
about any old kind of suffering, because all sons of Adam suffer,
and all men will have some kind of suffering. You can just count
on that. Man is born of woman, is born of trouble, as the sparks
fly up when the Scripture says. And they're suffering involved. But is that what he's talking
about? If we suffer, that means we'll reign with him. Now, listen,
there's a lot of people who suffer and suffer horribly that end
up in hell. That's not talking about any kind of suffering.
Turn with me to Matthew, Chapter 10, and this will shed some light
on this passage of scripture. Matthew, Chapter 10, as a matter of fact,
we're going to look at Matthew, Chapter 10 a couple of times in this
message. Matthew, Chapter 10. Verse 21. And this is what happens when
somebody believes the gospel, it causes them trouble. Verse
21, and the brother shall deliver brother up to death. And the
father of the child and the children shall rise up against their parents
and cause them to be put to death. You see, it causes some conflict
when somebody really believes the gospel. It causes real conflict. He says in verse 22, and you
shall be hated. Of all men, for my name's sake,
you're not going to win any popularity contest, believe in the gospel.
It's not going to happen. But he that endureth to the end. Now, that word endure is the
same word that is translated suffer in our text, exact same
word. So you can look at this in this
light, he that endures. Now, he's going to have trouble
because of the gospel. He's going to be persecuted because
of the gospel. I think of the stony ground here.
Remember, he heard the gospel and it sounded good to him and
he gave agreement to it and said, I believe that. But when persecution
came because of the word, he left. It's only that one who
endures to the end in spite of the trouble, in spite of what
it costs you. It's only that one who endures to the end that
shall be saved. Now, remember, one of the Beatitudes
that our Lord gives in Matthew chapter five is blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness sake. Now, it's critical for
us to understand this. Is he talking about somebody
that's persecuted for righteous living? You know, you give a
big gift and they'll put you in the paper. You do something
and you'll win accolades over that. What this is a reference
to, and our Lord says this, is being persecuted for Christ's
righteousness sake. Really believing that salvation
is only his righteousness. Well, you'll be persecuted. People
say you're evil. Well, you're saying good works
don't count for anything. But our Lord says, blessed are they
that are persecuted for righteousness sake. Theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. The world hates our gospel. It
always has. It always will. But it's only
the one who endures to the end, in spite of the hatred that he
may provoke because of that, that shall be saved. If we endure
and don't quit, we will reign with him eternally. Be not weary,
the apostle said, in well-doing. For in due season, we shall reap
if we don't quit, if we faint not. We read in Hebrews 3, 14
that we're made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast to the end. So if I endure, big
if, if I do endure, if I don't quit, if I persevere all the
way to the end, I will reign with him eternally. OK, back to our text. Verse 12
of Second Timothy, Chapter two, here's the 30th. If we deny him. He will deny
us. This is promised. If we deny
him. He will deny us. Now turn back
to Matthew, Chapter 10, because there's a passage of scripture
that will explain this. Matthew, Chapter 10. Verse 32. These are the words of the Lord
Jesus, and he says, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in
heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also
deny before my Father which is in heaven. Now, what does it
mean to deny Christ, if we deny him, he'll also deny us. It is
the failure to confess Christ before men. He said, if you confess
me before men, I'll confess you before my father, which is in
heaven. But if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my
father, which is in heaven. Now, what we confess that to
confess something means to state publicly. It means to admit to
guilt, this I confess to thee, I confess after the way which
they call heresy, so worship I, the God of my fathers. It's
a public confession. It's what you do before men.
In Romans chapter 10, you don't need to turn there, but I want
to read this to you. Romans chapter 10, verse eight. What sayeth it, the word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of
faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess, With thy
mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation." Now that's very powerful language,
isn't it? With the mouth, confession is made. unto salvation. If I fail to confess Him, if
I deny Him before men, He'll deny me before His Father, which
is in heaven. To confess means to declare publicly.
It's to admit to guilt. Now, here's the big question.
How in the world do I go about confessing Christ before men?
What is this thing of confessing Christ? Well, here's the first
thing I do when I truly confess Christ. I confess Him in believers'
baptism. There is no confessing of Christ
if I do not confess him in believers' baptism. We read in Mark 1, 5
that they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing
their sins. Now, does that mean they got up in front of everybody
and aired out all the dirty laundry and told everybody all the bad
stuff they did? And after that, they were ready for baptism?
No, no. The act of baptism, going under
the water and coming back up, I'm confessing Christ Jesus,
His life, His death, His resurrection. That is my salvation. That's
my confession. The act of baptism is the actual confession of sin.
It's the actual confession of the gospel. My confession of
Christ is by baptism. Now, baptism doesn't save anybody. You can be baptized a million
times and it won't wash away one sin. Going under the water
doesn't wash away sin. It's ridiculous to think it does.
It's just a symbol. But it is my confession of Christ,
and if somebody refuses to be baptized, I don't believe they
really know the Lord. I really don't. That's how important
this is. Our Lord said, Whosoever believeth and is baptized, the
same shall be saved. Whosoever believeth not, he said,
shall be damned. But does baptism save anybody? Not on your life. But it is our
confession of Christ. And if somebody refuses to be
baptized, refuses to confess Christ in baptism, what's that
say about what's inside of their heart? So to confess Christ,
I confess him in believer's baptism. Secondly, we confess him with
our mouth, by what we say. With the mouth, confession is
made unto salvation. I confess what I believe. You
know, you don't believe any more than you confess, like a preacher.
A preacher. What does he believe? What he
preaches. Nothing less. If he won't preach
it publicly, he doesn't really believe it. If he is to sit around
a coffee table and talk about certain things that he won't
preach publicly, he doesn't really believe it. You only really believe
what you preach publicly. That's what you confess with
your mouth. So I confess with my mouth, the Lord Jesus. Thirdly,
I confess him by identification with his people. Paul said to
Timothy, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But you be a partaker of the
afflictions of the gospel. I cast my lot in with those people
who believe the gospel. That's who I want to be identified
with. Most people who believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And then we confess him by our life. Paul said in Titus
chapter one, verse 16, they profess that they know God, but in works
they deny him. Their conduct, the things they
do. They deny him. Being abominable
and disobedient and to every good work, reprobate. A disobedient life is a denial
of the gospel. Now, to fail to confess him is
to deny him. Now, how do I confess him? By
baptism. By my mouth. This is what I believe.
By identification with his people. And by my life. That proves whether
I really believe what I say I believe. Now, he says, Whosoever denieth
me, him shall I deny before my Father which is in heaven. So
you see, this is critical. If we deny him, he'll also deny
us. Now, let's look at the last one.
Back to our text in 2 Timothy 2. Verse 13. Here's the fourth if. If we believe not. Yet he abided faithful. He cannot
deny himself. Most commentators believe this
means that the unbelief of man does not nullify the truth and
purpose of God. And that's true. Your unbelief
or my unbelief is never going to prevent God from accomplishing
his purpose, is it? He doesn't need me. He doesn't
need you. His will shall be done. You can count on that. Man's
unbelief. is not going to nullify the purpose
and the decrees of God. Let God be true and every man
a liar is what the scripture says. And I say amen to that.
God's truth is not going to be nullified by man's unbelief. That's not what this verse is
teaching. If we believe not, well, this is also not saying
that a man doesn't have to believe. If we believe not, he abided
faithfully. He can't deny himself. This is not saying that the man
does not believe the gospel. As long as he's one of the elect,
he'll end up being saved anyway. That is a denial of the very
foundation of the gospel. He that believeth not, our Lord
said, shall be what? Damned. That's what the Lord
said. Either believe it or it shall be damned. So this is not
talking about that person who doesn't believe that he's one
of the elect, so he'll end up being saved anyway. I don't believe
that for a second. I know that's not what that's
being said. If we believe not. What's he talking about when
he says if we believe not, yet he abided faithfully, he cannot
deny himself. Would you turn with me to Mark chapter 9 and
this will tell you exactly what he's talking about. Mark chapter 9. Let's begin reading
verse 22. Now, this poor man is talking
about his son. Who was demon possessed. And he's telling our Lord about
his problem, and he says in verse 22, and oft times it hath cast
him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if
thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us. You know, that's a pretty bad
statement to give to the Lord. If you can do anything. Jesus said unto him. If thou
canst believe. All things are possible to him
that believeth. And straightway, immediately,
the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord,
I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Now here's what he's talking
about. If we believe not, do you understand
what that man was saying when he said, Help thou mine unbelief?
This man was tormented with doubt. He does believe. He says, Lord,
I believe, but help thou mine unbelief. How can I be saved? and think thoughts like I think. How can I be saved and do things
that I do? How can I be saved and have desires
like I have? How can it be possible? I'm so filled with doubts and
inconsistencies and contradictions. I'm a walking contradiction.
How can I be saved? That person feels so weak. So vulnerable. So isolated. So alone. Feels like there's nobody. Nobody
has the unbelief I have. Nobody has the problems I have. I'm so far away. How could I be a child of God?
How could I even know the Lord? If we believe not, he abides
faithful. He cannot deny himself. Now, this is the person Paul
speaks of when he says, if we believe not, just like David. David said, I'm ready to halt.
I'm ready to fall away is what he's saying as far as the way
I feel. I'm ready to hold my sorrows continually before me.
That's the person he's speaking of when he speaks of that person
who believes not. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful,
he cannot deny himself. You see, the Lord is utterly
faithful. He does not, he will not, and
he cannot change. He can't change his purpose to
save that person because that person is in union with him.
For him to deny that person who feels so weak and so by himself
and so cut off from everybody else and so all alone, for him
to deny that person would be for him to deny himself because
of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 2,11 says, both
he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one. They're not two joined together. They're one. The two shall be
one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. One, I'm one with
Christ if I'm a believer. You know, Paul said, I'm crucified
with Christ. Was he really? Yes, he was really.
He was crucified with Christ. So was all the rest of the elect.
Everybody he died for. They're one with Christ. They're
at union with Christ. Now, how real is this union? Is this just theological talk?
How real is this union with Christ? Well, here's how I want to answer
that question. How real was his suffering on the cross? Was it real? How real was that horrible suffering
he did on the cross? You see, my sin Really became
his. And his righteousness. Really
becomes mine. You know, I've heard preachers
talk. Maybe I've even done it. I don't know. They talk about
justification. They say that's a forensic term. It's more than
a forensic term. It's real. It's not academic. It's real. I am the righteousness
of God. in him and for him to deny me. Would be the same thing as him
to deny himself. That's where my security is.
Union with the Lord Jesus Christ, let me show you how vital this
union is, would you turn with me to Ephesians 2. You know, one of the things that
I think is so important in preaching, anything I say, I better have
a big scripture to back it up. And it's almost seems too good
to be true, doesn't it? I better have a big scripture
to back it up, to prove that what I'm saying is the truth.
So if you ever get tired of me turning to scripture all the
time to prove what I'm saying, well that's your problem, because
I'm going to keep doing it. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4. But God. Who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us. But don't stop there. Together with Christ. When Christ
was quickened, you know who else was? Every believer. Because of union with himself.
It doesn't just say we were quickened. It says we were quickened together
with Christ by grace, you say, verse six, and have raised us
up together. Notice it says he will raise
us up together. Is that what it says? It says
he hath. It's already done. It's already
accomplished. He hath raised us up together
and made us sit together, not will make us, but he's made us
sit together in heaven in Christ Jesus. Somebody says, I'm sure for heaven
as if I was already there. Not me, brother. I'm already
there. In the person of my Redeemer,
I'm already there. That's how secure the believer
is. For him to deny me and say no to me and my weakness and
my trembling helplessness would be for him to deny himself. And that is not going to happen. If we believe not, he abided
faithful, he cannot. He cannot deny Himself. Now, is this not a faithful saying
that we need to have continually brought to our remembrance? If we be dead with Him, we shall
also live with Him. If we suffer, if we endure, we
shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny
us. If we believe not, He abideth
faithfully. He cannot deny himself. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for our
Redeemer. Thy son. We're so grateful. for the salvation
that's in him. Lord, I ask that you would take
your word and cause it to root in our heart and bring forth
fruit for your glory. Thy will be done. In Christ's
name we pray. Amen.