Now, let's look carefully at
the last three verses that I read a moment ago. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 10, Wherefore the rather, brethren,
give diligence, be careful, and most diligent to make your calling
and election sure, to be certain that you've been called of God
to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Make that a matter of careful,
diligent examination. For he says, if you do this,
if you do these things, if you give diligent care careful attention
to this matter of saving faith, a subject we're going to consider
today, study, talk about. If you do this, you shall not
fall. You shall never be put to shame.
He that hath begun a good work in you shall finish it, complete
it in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, verse 11, there will be
richly, abundantly provided for you and for me an entrance into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Be careful. Give diligence. to make sure that you're called
of God, that you believe on Christ. If you do this, you won't fail.
You won't fall. And a glorious, rich, abundant
entrance will be provided for you into his kingdom. Now, being united to Christ in
saving faith, being in Christ our Redeemer, is a matter of the greatest importance.
Our Lord said in Mark chapter 8, if you'll turn there with
me, this is of the most serious importance,
being in Christ, the highest importance. The Master said in
Mark chapter 8, verse 34, listen, he called the people unto him
with his disciples. gather about me here," he called
the people and his disciples to himself. And he said to them,
whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
in this world, he'll lose it. And whosoever shall lose his
life for my sake in the gospel, the same shall save it. But what
shall it profit a man? What is of the greatest importance,
the highest importance? What shall it profit a man if
he gained the world, the approval, the popularity, the fame, possessions
of this world and lose his soul? This is what we're talking about.
Saving faith. The union with Christ. It's of
the highest importance. What shall it profit a man if
he gained the whole world? Lose his soul. Over in Deuteronomy
32, Moses was talking to Israel. I want you to turn over there.
I'm not going to read the entire Chapter 32 of Deuteronomy. This
is Moses song of God's mercy Moses song of God's mercy God's
grace. I Will read the opening part
in chapter 32 verse 1 Verse 30 of the chapter 31 the
last verse in chapter 31 Moses spake in the ears of of all the
congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were
ended. It's a song of the mercy of God. Let's read the first
four verses. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I'll
speak. Hear, O earth, the words of my
mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the
rain. My speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain
upon the tender herb, as the showers upon the grass. Because
I will publish the name of the Lord. Ascribe ye greatness to
our God. He's the rock. His work, His
redemptive work, is perfect. For all His ways of judgment,
a God of truth and without equity, just and right is He. And that
goes on throughout this whole chapter, 32. And then I want
you to see how he closes it. In verse 43, he's drawing near,
drawing to the close of this great song of God's mercy. And
he says in verse 43, in the ears of all the people, Rejoice, O
ye nations, with his people, for he shall avenge the blood
of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries,
and will be merciful. Oh, merciful. unto his land and
to his people. And Moses came and spake all
the words of this psalm in the ears of the people. He and Hoshena,
the son of Nun. And Moses made an end of speaking
all these words to all Israel. And he said, and watch his conclusion,
set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you
this day." Listen to those words he said. And you command your children
to do, to observe, to do all the words of this law. Boy, listen. It's not a vain thing. This is
not a sideline. This is not just a good thing. This is not something to add
to your other activities. This is your life. He said what I've just said to
you concerning the mercy of God. He's our rock, our salvation.
He said this is not a fad, a vain thing, a doctrine, another religious
promoter. This is your life. That's what
Peter is saying here about our calling and election. Give diligence to make these things sure. If
you do this, you'll never fall. You'll never fail. There's no
failure. There's no fall. There's no departure. for an entrance, a glorious,
abundant entrance. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory,
the Lord of hosts, the Church of the Master shall come in." Well, preacher, can a man really
know for sure his calling and election? Well, the Lord commands
us to. He says here by the pen of his
servant, The Apostle Peter, this is a commandment, give diligence
to make your calling and election sure. The Lord commands us to settle
this matter. Be sure. Be certain. Peter said that. He said, I know,
I'm sure you're the Christ, the Son of the living God. We're
sure. And over in 2 Corinthians, Paul
wrote this, 2 Corinthians 11. if you'd like to turn there and
read verse 5, chapter 13, verse 5, 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5. Examine yourselves. Whether you be in the faith,
there's just one faith, one Lord, one faith. Prove yourselves. Don't you know your own selves?
How that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobate, sure,
this is a commandment. Prove yourself, examine yourself,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. And Paul, when he gave instructions
to the church about the observance of the Lord's table, he says,
let a man examine himself, not the preacher's responsibility
to examine other people, but to examine himself. Not the elder's
responsibility to examine and determine who should take the
Lord's table. There's only one person in this world that can
determine whether or not you should eat the bread and drink
the wine. That's you. Let a man examine
himself. And so let him be. Examine himself
for what? Look for what? Search for what?
Faith in Christ. Do you believe? That's what Christ
said to the man with the troubled son. He said, if you can believe,
all things are possible to him that believes. Lord, he said,
I believe. Help thou my unbelief. The Ethiopian eunuch wanted to
be baptized, and Philip said, do you believe? I can't tell
you whether to be baptized or not. That's not my business.
Do you believe? If you believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God, you may, and nobody can stop you on this earth. Nobody should stop you. Nobody
ought to meet with a committee to determine whether or not they're
going to be saved, or be baptized, I mean, or eat the Lord's table.
Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. That's the commandment,
to make this thing, to settle this matter. And that's the theme of John's
epistle turned to 1 John. That's the theme of this epistle,
knowing, knowing, knowing, get your concordance sometime, look
up the word K-N-O-W, know. See how many times John uses
that word. He says in 1 John chapter 1,
he says, that which was from the beginning which we've heard
which we've seen with our eyes, which we've looked upon, our
hands have handled of the word of life, for the life was manifested. We've seen Him, bear witness,
show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and
was manifested unto us. That which we've seen and heard,
declare we unto you, that you may have, you also may have fellowship
with us. And truly, our fellowship's with
the Father and with His Son. And these things write we unto
you, that your joy may be full. Now turn to chapter 3 and listen
to it. First John chapter 3 verse 2.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It doth not yet appear
what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we'll
be like him. We'll see him as he is. Verse
5. And we know, you know, that he
was manifested to take away our sins. In him is no sin. Verse
14, we know that we pass from death unto life because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not his brother
abides in death. Verse 19, and hereby we know
that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before
him. Chapter 5, verse 20, and we know that the Son of God has
come. and given us an understanding
that we may know Him that's true. And we're in Him that's true,
even in His Son. This is the true God. This is
eternal life. Can a person know of his interest in Christ? We're
commanded to. John said, we know. And Paul showed no signs of doubt
In Romans 8, turn over there to Romans 8. Romans chapter 8,
listen to it. He didn't show any timidity,
hesitancy, or doubt at all. Verse 28, We know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow, he
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom He called,
them He also justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Now what shall we say to these
things? Well, I say, 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 with Christ also freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? God that justifies. Who is he
that condemns? Christ that died. Yea, he rather
has risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? I don't see any timidity there,
do you? Hesitance at all. He declares,
I know whom I have believed. I'm persuaded he's able to keep
that which I've committed to him against that day. And I'll
tell you, this assurance and confidence of our interest in
Christ is what makes a wise merchant sell all that he has to possess
that pearl. And Peter summed it up this way,
to whom shall we go? To whom shall we go? To whom
shall we turn? Tell me. I'm seeking forgiveness
of sin. To whom shall I turn? The law? Religion? Religious leaders? I'm seeking eternal life. Life,
the life of God. To whom shall I turn? Who has
the life of God? Scripture says Christ came and
in Him was life. I'm seeking resurrection after
this body dies and put in the ground. I'm seeking one who has
the power to raise me out of mortality into immortality,
out of corruption into glory, out of weakness into strength.
To whom shall I go? I want to be conformed one day
perfectly to the image of the Son of God and be received into
his glorious kingdom eternally to live with him in his presence
and share his glory and meet my friends. To whom shall I go?" Peter summed it up. To whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words, promises of life. And we believe and are
assured that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. But our state and our hope, and
here is where folks get in real trouble about this matter of
an interest in Christ and assurance and confidence in Christ. Our
state and our hope is not determined by feeling. You just cannot, you can't base
any hope or confidence on how you feel. Martin Luther summed that up
so beautifully. Feelings come and feelings go.
Feelings are high and feelings are low. Feelings are deceiving. You can't base it on experience.
Experiences come and go and experiences are forgotten and experiences
lose their luster through the years. You can't base it on works
because When we do all that we're commanded to do, we're still
unprofitable servants. And our righteousnesses are still
filthy rags. There's only one way to establish
any kind of confidence, assurance, or certainty of our interest
in Christ, and that's to base it on the Scriptures. Now let's turn to John chapter
1. John chapter 1. I want to read two or three verses
here in John chapter 1. It talks about our Lord. I preached
on this the other night. It says in verse 10, He, Christ
Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, incarnate Word was in the world.
And the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He
didn't know who he was or why he came or what he did. He came
to his own. He came to the religious Jews,
to Israel, to the tabernacle, and they didn't receive him.
They said, this man is not our Messiah. But, now listen, as
many as received him, received him. To them gave he the right,
the privilege to become sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name. I have received him and you have
received him in all the ways that the scripture presents him. I have believed him in all the
ways that I see him revealed in the scriptures. See, he died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and
rose again according to the Scriptures. And I have received this person,
this person whom the world did not know and whom the religious
world would not receive. We have received him. I have
received him and believe him as the covenant presents him,
the everlasting covenant. God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ who brought again, that great shepherd of the sheep,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the covenant surety, the grand, glorious elect,
the federal head, the representative of His people in all of His covenant
promises. That's the way I receive Him.
I believe Him. I do, honestly. Do you? I receive
Him. I believe Him as He's presented
in the covenant. I rejoice to receive him and
believe him as the Old Testament presents him. He's the seed of
woman. He's the root of Jesse. He's
the lion of the tribe of Judah. He's the serpent lifted up. He's
the Passover lamb slain. I receive him that way. I believe
him. There's not a doubt in this mind
that he is the Christ. picture in the Old Testament,
this man Jesus, the seed of woman, priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. I receive him. I receive him
and believe him as the Son of God, God incarnate, God was in
the world. Unto us a son is given, a child
is born, the government is on his shoulders, so be it. God
bless forever. I receive him as second Adam
from above. Reinstate us in thy love. I receive
him as my righteousness, my sin offering, my high priest, my
mercy savior. I receive him. I believe him.
To as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become
sons of God. I receive him as my prophet to
teach me. I have no other teacher but Christ. I receive him as
my priest to intercede, advocate, intercessor, mediator. I have no other. I don't rub
a cross or pray to a dead saint or look to an image. I receive him. I bundle up all my hopes, my
life, my soul, my being, my family, my friends, my hope, everything
into one bundle and put it in His hands. I've committed it
to Him. Have you? I receive it. I believe it. I cease from all
my labors and duties and works and I receive and believe and
rest in Him. Here it is, Lord. you take care of it, just like
I did my daddy when I was a four-year-old boy. I can't fight my enemies,
and I can't support myself, and I can't earn my keep, and I can't
clothe myself, and I can't furnish me a shelter. I just give it
up to you. And if my daddy didn't fail me,
I know my Lord won't. I receive Him, I rest in Him,
loving Him, laying out my heart toward Him. What else do you
want? Religious hucksters, what else
do you want? What is meant by receiving Christ
if that's not it? Tell me. What is meant by believing
Christ? If that's not it, what is meant?
I've got to run down the aisle and act a fool? I can't do that. Got to wave my hands and act
like I don't have good sense? Can't do that. I got to dress
like somebody else and try to act holier than thou? Can't do
that because I'm not. But I believe on Him and I receive
Him. And I conclude I'm a child of
God. I've reached that conclusion.
He died for my sins according to the scriptures. He's bared
and rose again according to the scriptures. I receive him according
to the scriptures. I believe him according to the
scriptures. And to them is given, not sold,
not loaned, not merited, To them gave He the right. To them gave He the privilege. To them gave He the glory to
become sons of God. I can't buy it, but I can receive
it. I can receive it as a gift. Now that's what it means to perceive
Christ and to believe on His name. I will give you six things
in closing that remove some mistakes concerning our saving interest
in Christ. I think this will be helpful
to you. It is helpful to me to go over these things. Six things
remove some mistakes concerning saving interest. The world will
do its best to base acceptance with God on what we do. and not
on what he does. See, the world preaches a religion
of works. The Bible preaches a salvation
by grace, not of works in any measure. So here's six things. Number one, it's a mistake to
think that a believer has constant assurance. Now, that's a mistake. We have assurance. We have confidence
in Christ. We know whom we have believed.
But it's a mistake to think that we live on that mountain all
the time. We have our valleys, and we have our fears, and we
have our doubts, don't we? David wrote that beautiful psalm,
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not walk. He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures, you know it. Surely goodness and mercy
will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever." But listen to him over here in
Psalm 31. Don't turn to it. Let's move
on. He said, I'll quote it for you. He said, I said in my haste,
I'm cut off from before thine eyes forever. That's the same fellow. Is God
clean gone? Will you never hear me again,
Lord? Is that the same? That's the same thing. So it's
a mistake to think that a believer has that constant mountaintop
assurance. Oh, you just don't have it. Secondly,
it's a mistake to think that we'll always live above the power
and presence of sin. We love God's law. We love God's
truth. We love holiness. We long to
walk before God and with God in perfection, but it just is
not so. Turn to Romans 7. Let's see what
Paul says here in Romans chapter 7. He says in verse 21, Romans 7,
I find then a law that when I would do good, and that's all the time,
I would do good all the time. Evil is present with me. I delight
in the law of God. I love the law of God after the
inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against
that law of my mind, that law of righteousness and holiness,
and bringing me into captivity to my thoughts, to my imaginations,
the law of sin, to that principle of sin that's in my members,
O wretched man that I am. So to think that When you're
saved, when you come to know Christ, the battles are all over
as far as sin is concerned. Don't believe that at all. That's a mistake. In fact, actually,
your battle will be waged even stronger because of your
hatred for sin, because of your knowledge of His holiness, because
of learning more about what sin is. because of seeing the evil of
sin more and more, and seeing in more things that you never
even saw sin in before. So don't expect to live always
above the power and presence and conflict of sin, because
it's just not so. Thirdly, it's a mistake to think
that because we know the gospel, and we do know the gospel, that
Christ is the gospel, The very things I've gone over this morning
as I went over to receive Christ and believe Christ, and you sat
there and said, I do, I believe Him in the covenant, I believe
Him in the Scriptures, I do, and you agreed with those. Now
then, quote it back to me. And so many
people say to me, Preacher, I can't say those things like you say
them, like Scripture says them, but I believe them. There's the
key. So listen to this. It's a mistake to think that
because we know the gospel and we're redeemed that we can answer
all the objections and questions the gainsayers present and the
opposers present and the charges they bring and the opposition
they bring and the questions they bring. When I sit here in
church and I hear the scriptures and I love them and believe them
and I hear you preach and I love and believe the truth, you're
preaching the gospel, I know it, but when I get out there
and people confront me with these objections and questions, I can't
handle them. Forget them. Leave them alone. The disciples came to our Lord
and said, the Pharisees are upset by what you said. He said, leave
them alone. Walk away. Don't cast your pearls
before swine. You don't have to answer all
the gainsayers and the objections. You don't have to be a theologian
to know God, to know Christ. Most theologians don't know Him.
The ones I've met, the intellectual theologians. Barnard said one
time to me when I first started in pastoring in the early days,
way back then, he said, always remember, always remember, you'll
never build a church by bringing together a bunch of theologians. You build a church by God calling
out, bringing together simple, humble seekers and learners who
are willing to listen. But the theologians won't sit
around and argue about the finer points, and the mysterious points,
and the unanswerable, and the inscrutable, and the unknown.
Forget them, I tell you. They'll just mess up your mind. Forget them. It's a mistake to
think you can handle all the gainsayers just because the Lord
revealed his grace to you. You can't handle them. Fourthly, it's a mistake to expect
the same degree of maturity and holiness in all believers. It's a mistake. Some people like
Job and Joseph almost look like they're perfect, walking uprightly, so correctly, and that's good.
Praise God for the Josephs and the Jobs, in whom there's no
guile, like Nathanael. But praise God for the Davids
and the Solomons, Simon Peter, folks who mess up
because they're so encouraging to us who mess up. That's right. Don't expect the same. It's a
mistake. God doesn't grade His children
on their perfection. He receives them on the perfection
of His beloved Son. Don't expect the same maturity
and holiness in all believers. God will use whom He will. I
tell you this. He'll use the person in whom
and from whom he can get the glory. Fifthly, it's a mistake to compare
gifts, to compare experiences, and to
expect all believers to have the same gifts and the same experiences. The children in a home differ.
They differ in mentality, they differ in Initiative, they differ
in so many ways. In physical appearance, they
differ in lots of ways. But they're still all children.
All love the same. Isn't that right? All love the
same. All receive the same. But they
have different gifts and different personalities and different experiences. But they're still all children.
We're not clones. of one another with clones of
him. They're going to be like him,
but not of one another. And thank God for that. I know
you're saying that. Thank God for that. But we need
each other just like we are. And then in the sixth place,
it's a mistake to base assurance or hope on anything, anything except the Word. He hath said, so that we may
boldly say. He hath said, I'll never leave
you. So we can say, the Lord is my light and my salvation.
Let me read you one scripture and I'll close. Isaiah 40. Isaiah chapter 40. This is the
sum and substance of what I'm saying right here. Isaiah 40,
verse 6. Isaiah 40, verse 6. The boy said,
crying. I said, well, what shall I cry?
What'll I tell him? Tell him all flesh is grass. Don't trust
it. All the goodliness, glory thereof
of the flesh is the flower of the field. Don't build on it.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, the Spirit of God bloweth
upon it. Surely the people is grass. The
grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of the Lord. I have His Word. for this, as
many as received him and believe on him, to them gave he the right
to become sons of God. And that shall stand forever. That's the rock. Make your calling
and election sure.