if you'd like to open your Bibles
to 1 Peter chapter 3, preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, or what I thought was the gospel of Christ. I followed
basically the pattern of all fundamental and evangelical churches. That is, you bring a message
with one end and goal in view, and that is to get people to
make a decision for Christ, to, as we said, accept Jesus. That's
the goal of the entire service, from the Sunday school through
the morning service, through the special music, the message,
the illustrations, the points, the poems, and everything, was
to bring it to this final climax. when the choir would sing softly
and the preacher would stand before the congregation and plead
with people to come forward and accept Jesus and be saved, come
to the front and be saved. Well, one day about 31 years
ago, the Lord was pleased by his grace to teach me the gospel
of his glory, of his grace, that salvation, redemption, was not
something that men did for God, but something God, through Christ,
for his glory, did for men. It was not just the walking an
hour, or taking a man's hand, or making a profession, or giving
mental agreement, or assent to some facts, or even going through
certain religious motions and ceremonies, but it was a regenerating
work of the Holy Spirit. It was a new birth. It was a
new creation in Christ Jesus. It was just like God speaking
light out of darkness and God creating a world out of nothing.
That men who were saved were born of God. They were brought
forth from the grave by the voice of Christ. They were made new
creatures in Christ Jesus. They were eternally and gloriously
and finally saved. And so I quit using these methods. I know we have to have some sort
of methods, some sort of response, some sort of confession of Christ,
which is baptism I believe, but I quit using these methods. And
since that time, I've quit inviting people to go anywhere to be saved
except to Christ. not to come to me or to the front
of the church or to an altar or to an ordinance or to a law,
but to Christ the person. And then if God has done a work
of grace in their hearts and redeemed them and brought them
to know him and trust him, to confess him publicly, let people
know about him. Well, needless to say, most what
we call successful preachers and evangelists today are still
using these fundamentalist methods. They're getting people to make
professions. And just this past week, one of them wrote this
in his monthly paper. Now I want you to listen to this.
This is one of the nation, nationally known, internationally known,
world famous evangelists who uses these methods. And understand
what I'm saying, there was a day when you used them and I used
them. So we're pitiful and trying to
be courteous. I'm not censuring him. I'm simply
saying that he's in darkness, as we were in darkness. And he
confesses himself that he's in darkness, and they're in darkness.
Now listen to this statement. He said, 50% of our church members today could
die and be buried, and it'd take 6 months for the church to find
it out. Now what he's confessing there
is that 50% of the church members are lost, unsaved, and do not
know God. Actually, the percentage he was
being charitable, it could be a lot higher than that, and he
knows it. Whose fault is it, Jack? Who made them church members? Who brought them down the aisle?
Who gave them a hope? Who taught them in the profession? If I stood before this congregation
and said 50% of the members of this church are lost, well, Jay
Wimbley would look at me and say, you're false, you've been
here 30 years. They have a one came into the church under your
ministry. If they got a false profession, you gave it to them.
If they got a false hope, you gave it to them. If they're building
on a false foundation, you laid it. Isn't that right? So any
preacher who stands before you and confesses that 50, 60, 70%
of his converts are lost, then he's a false prophet. He's a false prophet. That's
not being uncharitable, that's just quoting their own words. 50% and the percentage he knows and
you know is higher than that. I picked up the telephone a few
weeks ago, two weeks ago, three weeks ago. A friend of mine in
another state talked to me on the phone about his attitude,
about his spirit, about his conduct. And he kept talking and I kept
listening. And finally he said this, well
maybe I don't have anything. And I paused just long enough
for a little effect and I said, that's possible. And there was
another long pause. See, the preacher, when the fellow
says that, the preacher says, oh, no, you saved. He's supposed
to say that. I don't say that anymore. I take me in at their
word. Maybe I don't have anything. That's possible. And he paused
a little while, and then he said, well, maybe I'm just not saved
at all. I said, that's possible. My friend, the Word of God tells
us this. The Apostle Peter, if you'll
turn over there to 2 Peter 1, just a page or two over, he says
in 2 Peter 1 verse 10 and 11, wherefore the rather brethren
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. If you do
these things, you'll never, you'll never fall. For so an infant
shall be ministered unto you abundantly unto the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Don't take your
relationship with God for granted. That's the most dangerous thing
you could do. I tell you, every one of us,
every once in a while, pick up our bank book, our checking book,
especially when our wives have been working on it a week or
two, check and see if we've got anything in there. We take inventory. You men in business, you don't
just take for granted that the supply room's full. You check
it out. You don't take for granted that
your business is in the black. You hire an auditor. You keep
account of these physical things, and yet you sit carelessly and
presumptuously by and say, well, I'm saved. I was fixed up when
I was 10 years old. I joined the church, I'm saved,
I'm on my road to heaven. The most important factor and
part and area of your life, you neglect the most. Peter says
you give diligence. I'd give more concern to the
storehouse of my soul than I would the storehouse of my factory
if I did. Because it won't cost you too much if that business
bankrupts, but if your soul is bankrupt, you're in trouble.
It won't cost you too much, that checkbook's in the red, but if
your soul's in the red, you're in trouble. It won't cost you
too much if you're, if you, you, most of you ladies hadn't gone
a year without a physical checkup. You go to the doctor every year.
You care more for your bodies than you do your souls. That's
dangerous. It'd be a whole lot better for them to discover you
had cancer than to discover you don't know Christ Jesus. I'd
heap where they have cancer from the top of my head to the bottom
of my feet and have a leprosy of soul that does not know God. Hadn't you? Well, that's what
he's saying here. And then over in 2 Corinthians
11, let's look at 2 Corinthians 13. Listen to this. 2 Corinthians
13. It says this in 2 Corinthians 13.5. Examine yourself. Now we don't go to a physician
or even to a preacher for this, we go to the Word of God. We're
our own examiners. Now here's where we, so often
we mess up. We're sitting around trying to
discover whether somebody else is saved or not. We're trying
to figure out whether somebody else is lost or not. You don't go to the preacher
and say, Preacher, you think I'm saved? It's not like going to
a doctor and saying, now doctor, you examine me and see if I'm
healthy. And he examines you and he says,
you're alright, you're alright, pat you on the head, you're alright,
you're in good shape. Fit as a fiddle. We love to hear that.
We love for the doctor to say, you got the body of a 30 year
old, you know, that, whoo, that feels good. You got the heart
of a 25 year old. But you don't go, and a lot of
preachers are doing that. People come to him with their
symptoms and they say, now this, that, and the other, and he says,
well you're saved. You're all right. But we're our own position
in this case. We examine ourselves. And we
use the word of God to examine ourselves. That's where it is.
See, examine yourselves, verse 5, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, that
is, unless you are a reprobate? Now look at our text in 1 Peter
chapter 3. This is something that needs
to go on all the time. And I'm not exempting the pastor. He, of all people, had better
example. I'm not exempting the assistant
pastor. I'm not exempting you Sunday school teachers. And you
deacons and elders. We, of all people, are in most
danger. Do you know that? Because the
doctor can operate. And this happens. They get heart A new nurse, one girl told me
the first time they were teaching her, she went to nursing school
and they were teaching her to give a shot and when they put the
needle in an orange, she fainted. They're so squeamish, you know,
about blood at first. They have to run out of the operating
room holding their mouths and stomachs. But that old doctor's
been in there 40 years, he can slice them open, you know, No problem to him, just zip him
open, you know, let the blood flow, heart. Seen preachers that
way. Sunday school, you fellas have
been around a long time. Better be careful. Better be
careful. You can become gospel heartened. And I'll tell you that the good
news of Christ better be as sweet to you as the first time you
heard it, maybe more so. Now that's dangerous. That's
dangerous. I've been around preachers that
about the only time they mention the gospel and the word of God
is some kind of levity and lightness and frivolity and foolishness. Joke about everything having
to do with the kingdom of God. They've become gospel hardened.
Gospel hardened. That's dangerous. In verse 15
he says, sanctify, 1 Peter 3, 15, sanctify the Lord God in
your heart. Give God the glory. Magnify and
exalt His glory in your heart. Where? In your heart. Not with
your mouth only, in your heart. Sanctify the Lord, give God the
glory. He's holy, sovereign, omniscient,
omnipotent, just. We don't make Him so, we regard
Him as so. The Lord's in his holy temple,
let all the earth keep silence. Sanctify the Lord God in your
heart and be ready! Be ready! It doesn't say walk
around having a sign on your lapel, I am a Christian. Be ready
to give an answer. I'm always worried about the
fellow making the most noise, you know. He may be unsure of
his position, but the fellow knows where he stands whom he
believes, upon whom he's building, he's quiet and confident. He
doesn't have to have a bumper stick to remind him of Jesus.
He doesn't have to have a cross in his pocket when he gets in
trouble to feel it. He's ready to give an answer. He doesn't
walk around with an answer blowing it like a horn all the time or
written across his forehead or on his lapel or on his bumper.
He's ready to give an answer. He's ready. And what's he ready
for? He's ready to give to any man
an answer that asks him a reason for his hope. Are you a Christian? Yes, sir. How do you know? Are you a child
of God? Yes, sir. Give me a reason. Do you have, is your name in
the book of life? Or do you have hope of eternal
life? Do you have a hope of the resurrection? Do you have a hope
of reigning with Christ? Yes, sir. Tell me why. Tell me why. And I'll tell you
the way he gives it. He doesn't give that old, I despise
this present day religion with a passion. That cocky, cocksure, One door and only one, I'm on
the inside, which side are you? I know I'm saying a shit for
heaven as if I was already there, really now. Oh, I tell you, how do you give
this answer? With that cocky, presumptuous
attitude of pride, you made the decision, you know you're saved,
know so you do it with meekness and fear. with meekness and fear. Be ready. Sanctify God in your
heart and be ready to give an answer. How? With meekness and
fear and trembling. Are you saved? By the grace of
God, I am. Are you a child of God? Yes, sir. You don't deserve to
be, but I am. Are you born again? Yes, sir.
But it's by His grace And I'll tell you this, if one sheep of
Christ could fall away, I'd fall a thousand times a day. That's meekness and faith. And
I'll tell you this, I'll tell you this, yes sir, I have a hope
of eternal life. But it's all in Christ and through
Christ and by Christ and for the glory of Christ and if God
Almighty is not merciful to me, I'll fail even yet. Huh? You believe that? I do. Now that's
that meekness and trembling and fear. I didn't deserve it, it's
not what I did for him, it's what he did for me. All right,
let me give you something here. He says, be ready to give an
answer to any man that asks you a reason for the hope that's
in you with meekness and fear. All right. What kind of answer
do we get from the average person? I like to preach to present-day
people. I know I can talk about Job, and Hosea, and Micah, and
Nehemiah, and all these fellas, and David killed a giant with
the slingshot and all of that, you know. We go over there saying,
well, glad David did it, you know. Let's come down to 1981,
June the 7th. Ask the average person in the
congregation on the street, are you a Christian? Yes, sir. Give
me a reason. Well, I believe in God. I believe in God. I believe the Bible is the word
of God. Well, the devil does too. That's
not a good enough reason. James says, you believe in one
God, you do well. The devil believes in one God
and trembles. Well, you come to another man,
you say, the first man says, well, I'm a Christian, I'm not
a heathen. I believe in God. I believe God created the world.
I believe the Bible is God's word. I believe in heaven and
hell. The devil does too. Well, he comes to another man.
Are you a Christian? What's your reason for hope? Well, he says,
I was raised in the church. I was raised in the church. My
parents were church-going people. Maybe, and we got different denominations. Now, the little Methodist or
Presbyterian or Episcopalian boy would say, I was raised in
the church, and I sprinkle. when I was a child. I sprinkled.
My mother and daddy were faithful church, had me sprinkled when
I was a certain age, they had me confirmed or whatever they
do, catechized. The little Baptist boy would
say, well, I was raised in the church, went to cradle roll,
nursery, primaries, juniors, and then we had a revival meeting
and all the juniors met the evangelist that Sunday morning and I made
a profession. And I was baptized. I was eight,
nine, ten years old. And I joined the church. And
I've been in church all my life. I've attended, I've been faithful
to the church. Okay, that's your reason. You
want to hold it right there? Saul of Tarsus could say every
one of those things. He said, my mama and daddy were
Hebrews. I was raised in the church. I
went to school, to a Christian school, a religious school, Gamaliel. I was a nice boy. I was moral. Concerning the law, I was blameless,
but lost as lost could be. All right, another man. Are you
a Christian? Yes, sir. Give me a reason. Well, I made a profession of
faith, and I was baptized. I made a profession of faith.
One night I was listening to a man preach, and I got disturbed
and convicted about my sins, and I went down there, and I
shook the preacher's hand, accepted Jesus, and I was baptized. So
was Simon Magnus. He did the same thing. He heard
the apostle preach, He got disturbed and convicted, he made a profession
of faith, and a little while later we find him trying to buy
the Holy Ghost. And this is what you run into
so often. These people accept, they say
they accept Jesus, that's their term. They make a profession
of faith, they get religion. And you know nine times out of
ten, the acid test that comes to them later on, has something
to do with hard, cold cash. That's usually what it boils
down to. And they prove to be hypocrites.
They prove to be reprobates. That little old profession just
wouldn't stand. It just wouldn't endure the trial.
It has something to do with this world, with materialism or something
like that. Here's another man. He says,
I'm a Christian. I'm a teacher, a Bible teacher. I've gone to
Bible school. I've studied to be a teacher,
a preacher. I'm an officer in the Church."
Well, so was Judas. Boy, that makes you tremble,
doesn't it? So was Judas. He held the highest
office that the Church has ever given, apostle. He was treasurer
of the Church, an honest man. So was Demas. He held an office
in the Church. Well, preacher, I believe the
Bible, and I study the Bible, and I tithe, and I live a moral
life. So did the Pharisees. They were soul winners, too.
Yes, they were soul winners. Christ leveled his finger in
their face, and he said, You come for sea and land to make
proselytes to your religion. Sea and land. They didn't just
drive buses up and down the street. They caught boats. They come
for sea and land. Winning souls, winning souls.
Well, I tell you this, now wait a minute. I've done some good
works. I've done some good works. We built a church. I know people
that don't attend church anywhere. They'll tell you they're Christians
and they'll say, I helped a preacher build a church. We built a church. We built an educational building. We built an orphanage. We did
this, that, and everything. That's the very thing people
said at judgment in Matthew 7. Lord, we did many wonderful works
in your name. I never knew you. I never knew
you. That's not a good enough reason.
Well, here's another one people give. Well, I'm not afraid to
die. I'm not afraid to die. I'm not going to hell. I'm not
going to hell. I'm not afraid to die. I'm not
afraid of the judgment. Read Isaiah 28. Our Lord said,
Ye scornful rulers of this people, hear the word of God. You say
we are not afraid to die. We are in agreement with hell.
When the overflowing scourge of God's wrath passes through,
it won't come down to us. He said, I say unto you, you
have a false refuge, and your hiding place is a hiding place
of lies. The bed is too short and the
cover is too narrow. Well, brethren, give us some
scripture. reasons for hope. Glad you asked. Turn to John chapter 6. John
chapter 6. And when I prepared this message,
I prepared it for myself, not for you. You can listen in. I
prepared it honestly for myself. What's my reason? What's my reason? And I said be able to give a
scriptural reason. Alright, John chapter 6. Verse
66, you got it? John 6, 66. From that time, many
of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Now these are the 50%, Jay, here's
the 60%, they quit. And you folks that have been
around a while, you've seen a lot of folks quit, haven't you? They
quit. These folks quit. They left. They left. All right, there were 12 disciples
remaining with Christ, and he turned to them, verse 67, and
said to the 12, Will you also go away? Will you? Will you? Will you go away? Henry Mahan,
will you go away? Charlie Miller, will you go away?
Will you go away, Ralph Redl? Will you go away? What's your
answer? Well, if I don't have my way,
I'll go away. No, here's their answer, listen
to it. Then Simon Peter answered and said, Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of life,
and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son
of the living God. That's my reason, Cecil. And
that's the reason I'm not leaving. There's no place to go. No place to go. I came to Jesus as I was weary
and worn and sad. I found in Him a resting place. It made me glad. I believe He's that Christ. That's
what Peter said. I have no reason to leave. I
found, I found what I've been looking for. I found in Him the
ransom. I don't have any confidence in
my flesh or your flesh. I haven't found my refuge in
the church, I found it in Christ. This church may fold up, it may
fail, it may pass away. Spurgeon's church is gone, Calvin's
church is gone, Luther's church is gone, Wester's church is gone,
Boehner's church is gone, MacShane's church is gone, but the Lord's
church still stands. He's the Christ. They all began
to leave for one reason or another. They got their bellies full and
left. They saw the miracles and left. They got their socializing
done and left, and all these things. And he turned to the
twelve and said, You going too? Peter said, To whom? To whom? Thou hast the words of life,
and we believe and assure that thou art that Christ. When our
Lord pinned down the Samaritan woman And he said, you worship,
you know not what, and so forth. And when she broke down all her
alibis and excuses and reasons were used up, she finally said,
and I believe with tears, when the Christ comes, the Messiah,
he'll tell us. And Christ said, I'm here. And
she went running down to the village and she said, come, come
see a man that told me everything I've ever said, done, and thought.
Is not this the Christ? The Christ, that's what the scriptures
are all about. The Christ, that's the message
of the ceremonies and sacrifice. The Christ, that's the message
of the apostles. Peter stood at Pentecost and
said, God hath made the same Jesus whom you crucified, Lord
and Christ! If thou shalt believe in thine
heart that Jesus is the Christ, do ye? That's my reason. That's my reason. The Son of
God has come. and given us an understanding
that we may know him, the true and living God. All right, secondly,
turn to 2 Timothy. You with me now? I think I can
help both of us if you are, because I'm preaching to me and you,
and I'm interested in not building a congregation or building a
name. I'm interested in your coming to know Christ, and I'm
interested in knowing him myself. for that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection." Or at 2 Timothy 1.12, Paul says,
for this cause also I suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm
not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. For I know whom
I have believed. I know whom I have believed.
And I am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've
committed unto him against that day. There's a second reason
for my hope. The first one is I believe and
I'm sure that Jesus Christ is the Christ of whom the scriptures
speak, of whom the ceremonies and types of the Old Testament
speak, of whom the prophets and apostles speak. He is that Christ,
that Messiah, that Redeemer. Second, I've committed all things
to Christ. That's what Paul said. I'm not
ashamed. I haven't committed my soul to the Baptist Church
or the Catholic Church or to Mary or the Pope. Like Brother
Joe Wilson said last night when he heard on the radio the Holy
Father had been shot. He turned to some friends and
said, no, he hasn't either. That imposter over there had
been shot, but the one of whom Christ spoke in John 17, Holy
Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me, he hadn't been shot. I've committed everything to
him. Everything. Let me tell you something. My grandson will come over to
the house. He's eight, be eight this month. And I give him a
little allowance. And he, little boy's kind of
careless with money. You know, you keep your money
in your bill phone, you pull out there four or five dollars
and hand it to them, and they'll wind up sticking their baby in
a suit or something, you know. Ooh, makes you crazy. Or else
they'll take it and lay it down on the table. You know, give
them their four dollars there, just lay it down on the table. And
you'll say to them, this is what I'd say. I'd say, son, give that
to your grandmother and let her keep it for you. What I'm saying
is I don't trust you with it. Let her hold it. I do trust her
with it. She'll protect it. She won't
lose it. She'll keep it. And when you
want to use it, she'll have it. This is what Paul's saying. I've
committed my soul to Christ. Everything of any value to me,
I put in His hands. I can't be trusted with it. Don't
commit it to me. Don't commit it to the church.
Don't commit it to anybody else. Take all your valuables. If you
love that boy, commit him to Christ. If you love your soul,
commit it to Christ. If you love your immortal, eternal
life, give it to Christ. Put it all in Him. Barney, you
say put all your eggs in one basket, but be sure it's the
right basket. That's Christ. That's Christ. That's what Paul is saying here.
I've committed my soul to Christ as my prophet to teach me God.
I've committed my soul to Christ as my mediator to plead for me,
as my high priest to sacrifice for me, as my king to reign over
me, as my shepherd, provider, physician, redeemer, sovereign! It's the Lord, let him do what
he will. Huh? That's pretty good reason to
hope. That's pretty good reason. My money's safe. That little
boy says, it's not in my bathing suit, it's in the hands of my
grandmother. Huh? Well, I say it's pretty
safe. Huh? He says, my money's safe,
where is it? I don't know, stuck it under
my bicycle seat in the office. My grandma's got it. And she
wouldn't let nothing happen to it for the world. It's safe.
Huh? But you say, give me a reason
for your hope that your soul's safe. My Lord's got it. Gave
it to Him. Put it in His hands. Vested it
in His keeping. And it's safe. It's safe. That's so. All right, the third.
The third thing. Look at John 8. I'll give you
another reason for my hope. John chapter 8. And I believe
yours too. John chapter 8. Now notice I
haven't said anything about a profession or joining up or anything like
that. Well, you're not going to get any members that way.
Good. And that's right, isn't it? Good.
Oh, I'll tell you, some folks just lie with a meek Christ though.
Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't
that be something? Oh, I just can't... I can't hardly
contain myself when I think that somebody is liable to hear me
and believe what I'm saying and lay hold on Christ. Wouldn't
that be something? Wouldn't that be a thrill if somebody laid
hold on Christ and you got to glory and met them and didn't
know they was going to be there? John 8, 46, look at this. Which
of you convinces me of sin? Now if I'm telling the truth,
this is our Lord speaking to the religious people. If I'm
telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Aren't you lazy? Look at the next verse. He that
is of God, heareth God's word. That's a good reason. He that
is of God, heareth God's word. You don't hear them. You hear
them not because you are not of God. You know one reason,
you know one answer that I give for the reason for the hope that's
in me? I believe that book. I really believe that book. I
really, really do believe that book, Jay. I really believe that
book. I don't understand everything
that's in that, but I believe it. And I know that's something I
didn't get, the flesh and blood didn't teach me that. It's a
miracle of God's grace, but my friend, I believe this book.
I'm as confident that what God says here is true As I see that
hand in front of my face right now, I know it. I just believe
it. I don't have any trouble with young people. I don't have
any trouble with evolution. I believe that book. It says God created
the heavens and the earth. I believe that. Well, preach
to explain it. I can't explain it, Jay. I believe
it. I believe that man fell, Adam and Eve fell, and God cast
them out of the garden, and they died spiritually. I believe that.
That's sufficient for me. I believe that God told Adam
he's going to send a man into this world to redeem sinners.
I believe God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on that mountain.
God wrote them with his finger in the stone. I believe that.
I believe the Red Sea parted. I don't have trouble with that.
I believe the sun touched ten. I believe the great fish swallowed
Jonah. I believe he was delivered by
the power of God. I believe David reigned in Jerusalem.
I believe Jesus Christ was born of Mary. I believe that. I believe
Him. I believe He suffered and died
on that cross as the Savior of sinners. I believe He died, was
buried and rose again. I believe He ascended to the
right hand of God, and that's where He is. I believe that!
There's not a doubt in my mind that God's Word is as sure as
the throne of God. I don't have any doubt about
the Word of God. Like Abraham said, He is able
to perform everything He promised. I believe the head of every man's
Christ. I believe the head of man's woman is the man. I believe
that. I believe whosoever believeth
on the Son of God and confesses him in baptism will be saved. Bob, I believe that. I don't
have any struggles with it, to be honest with you. I believe
that a woman is not to teach or to use of authority in a church.
I just believe that. That's what God says. I believe
children obey their parents. I believe that what the Bible
says about a man doing a good day's work. If a man pays you,
you're supposed to work. Heard some fellas talking last
week about some folks bragging how little work they did and
how much they got paid for doing nothing. Shame on them. God have
mercy, but he won't. I believe a man that doesn't
work ought not eat. That's what that book says. I just believe
that with all my heart. You're against welfare. No, I'm
not. No, sir, I just believe what that book says. Either if
the band doesn't work, Cesar said, don't let him in. Don't
give him a handout. I believe the Bible. And that's the reason. He that is of God will hear God's
Word. Some little old fasty, smart-aleck,
fundamentalist comes in and you preach election and sovereignty
and predestination. I don't need that. You're lost,
man. Because God said that. I didn't say it. Well, I sure don't believe in
election. Well, you've missed Christ. You're not of God. Because
this book teaches that. I can't explain that God in eternity
past picked out a people in Christ and made them his own, but that's
what this book says. And he that is of God heareth
God's word. He doesn't try to explain it
away or make excuses for it for a bunch of compromising liberals.
He believes it. Well, you're getting worked up.
That's something to get worked up over. Christ said, My word
hath no place in you. Look back at John 8, 37. Right
up above there, you got it open with John 8. Look back at 8,
37. I know, I know you, He said. I know you Abraham's seed. I
know you're religious. I know you're brought up in the
church. I know you have your ancestors, preachers and deacons.
I know that, but you seek to kill me. Why? My word hath no
place in you. No place. No dwelling place.
no place of honor, no place of respect. That's what he's saying
right there. If you're saved, this Word has
a place of respect in your heart. You don't worship the Word, you
worship the incarnate Word. But I'll tell you this, my father,
I respected my father. My father was pretty rough sometimes
and all that, but his, you could take him at his I know some men
who are good as their word. They tell you something, you
can bank on it. You can respect. And I tell you
this, I respect my Father's Word. I don't want to hear anybody
casting any reproach upon it or putting any question marks
on it. My Word. Alright, look at this, 1 John
5.10. Let's go to another fourth reason, 1 John 5.10. Now here's
another reason. He says in 1 John 5.10, He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. Now brethren, a man's not saved
because he feels saved. I'm not emphasizing experience.
I'm not saying that, but neither am I discounting it. There are
times when I don't feel saved. There are times when I have a
good relationship with Christ. There are times when I'm in the
valley in despair and doubt, and you are too. Many of you
have told me that. But there are times when you
are just on the mountaintop of fellowship with the Lord. And
like right now, you're just rejoicing in His Word, aren't you? When
I was talking about believing the Word, you said, boy, I do
too. I'm sick of it. I do too. I do too. But boy,
sometimes you get out there and the world gets before your eyes
and thoughts get in your heart and these feelings arise and
you say, I'm just not saved. Oh, I hate myself. I wish I wouldn't
do that. I wish I hadn't said that. Don't
you feel that way, son? Here we are, you know. Here we
are. But he never moves. He's on the
right hand of the Father. He's my surety, my righteousness,
my wisdom, my sanctification, By everything, he never moves.
And in him, I never move. I never move. But let me tell
you this. A man who's saved, I'm not saying to the... I worry
about folks that always say, and I never doubt. Don't you
worry about them? I never doubt. I'm safe. You
doubt, you're damned. I don't believe that. I'm more
worried about you than that man you're talking to. If you run
around saying, if you doubt your damn, I'm more concerned about
you than I am the fellow you're shooting at. I'd heap rather
be in his place. The fellow that feels the most
secure is the man in the false profession usually. Did you know
that? That's so. But I'm saying this. A man who's
saved has the witness. What witness? There's three witnesses.
Number one, he has the witness of the word of God. That's what
this is talking about here. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he hath not believed the record God gave
of his Son." Let's talk about the Word here, Bob. The witness
of the Word. That's where assurance is born,
and that's where it's raised, on the Word. That's the witness
of the Word. You've got the Word. And when
you're doubting and fearful, where do you go? Well, the man
that's foolish goes to the preacher. The man that's even more foolish
goes back to his experience. The man who's wise goes to the
Word. That's the witness, all right? Here's another witness,
the Holy Spirit. The very fact that you hate sin
indicates the Holy Spirit dwells in you, because the Holy Spirit
is the one who hates sin, not you. It's not you. You don't hate
sin. Your old nature loves sin. Isn't
that right, Jerry? Am I telling the truth? You don't
hate sin. Just like Paul said, when I sin, it's not I that,
but sin that dwelleth in me. There's a nature, every believer
has a divine nature that cannot sin, and an old nature can't
do right. Your old nature would choke him,
your new nature will forgive him. That's right. And the Holy Spirit who dwells
within you, every man who is saved has the Holy Spirit. If
any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. I
tell you, another witness is not only the Word of God and
the Spirit of God who dwells in us, but the grace of God that's
operative in us. Now, you know, you see some signs
of life, don't you? Some signs of grace? Turn to
1 John 3. Let me show you something here.
I don't see as many signs as I'd like to see. I like what
John Newton said. He said, I'm not what I'm going
to be. I'm not what I want to be. You're not either. I'm not what I ought to be. But
I know I'm not what I used to be. I know that. The man who
was given sight said, I was blind and now I see. And I believe
every saved person here not only has the witness of the Word and
the Holy Spirit, but he has the witness, something's happened
to him. You know what you told me, David?
Something's happened to me. I know it has. I know it has. I'm not the same person. I'm
not what I want to be. I'm not what I'm going to be.
I'm not what I ought to be. I'm not even what you expect
me to be. But I'm not what I used to be. And 1 John 3, 14, we know,
John says, we've passed from death unto life because we do
love the brethren. Now we do. And nobody can deny
that. God's no stranger to me. And
I do love the brethren. I do. You do too, if you say.
Here's the last one. Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
I think these are good reasons. They helped me. They gave me
a little comfort. and gave me a little confidence
and a little strength in my assurance, and I believe they'll help you.
But here's the fifth one. You want to reason? He says, verse 23, so he's been
talking here about verse 19, it pleased the Father that in
Christ should all fullness dwell, and Christ made peace through
the blood of his cross, and reconciled all things to himself, and you,
verse 21, that were alienated enemies, He's reconciled in the
body of His flesh. He's going to present you, look
at verse 22, holy, unblameable, unapprovable in His sight, if
you continue in the faith. Now this is what I'm saying,
folks. I'm not saying that you have to come to the 13th Street
Baptist Church and you have to be on the ministry of this preacher. But I'm saying if this is your
family, And if this preacher is your pastor, and if this is
your place in the kingdom of God, you'll continue in it till
death do you part. I believe that. By God's grace, we persevere
all the way through life. By God's grace, we persevere.
And a pretty good indication that a man is not of God and
does not have a valid reason for hope is if he can leave that
which is supposed to be most precious. If he can just lay
aside that which is supposed to be most valuable and which
is to a believer. If he can just walk on and be
happy. If he can just walk on and be
content. If he can just walk on and depart Please missed it. Yeah, I believe
he's as Paul said in Hebrews like the the sour that it returns
to the waller and the dog that returns to his vomit My soul hath no pleasure God
said in them that draw back So my friend I'm saying Some of
you all been around a long time and anybody asked you the reason
for your hope you can tell him I believe he's the Christ I've
committed my soul to him. I've committed my soul to him.
He's changed my life. I have the witness in my heart.
I believe God's word. I love God's word. I hear God's
word. And old buddy, I've been around 31 years. And by God's
grace, I'm gonna stay around. I believe those are good reasons.
I believe those, and they're pretty hard to imitate. Satan
is an imposter. And I know that the greatest
trials sometimes come in the sunset years of life. It may
be. I may yet depart. May. Hope not. But I'll tell you an evidence
of salvation if you continue in the faith. And be not moved
away, but grounded and settled in the things of Christ. Young
people, set your heart on Christ. Look to Christ. Cling to Christ. I've seen young men who make
such loud professions and such rapid growth and such bold statements
about their faith and their salvation and all. And then some business
opportunity come along and they say, I just couldn't pass it
up. And then they hold on it and they're gone. Hey, where's
that faith you're talking about? I'll see you later. I'm still
saved, you know. Here's a young girl. Boy, she's
just out and out for Jesus, you know, just sold out for Christ. Some old handsome broad-shouldered
grinning, eye-pan of toothpaste. That boy comes along, winks at
her, you know, and, hey, where's that faith you was talking about?
See you later. See you in heaven. I'm saved. I just got no time for you right
now, preacher. I'm having too much fun. Okay.
That's all right. Old Joshua said, choose you this
day whom you'll serve. It's all right, but it's for
me and my house. Serve the Lord. That's pretty
good reason for hope. Pretty good reason. It's not
easy. Who said it was? But that's a good reason. Perseverance. Our Father in heaven, how refreshing,
how reviving is thy word. how we love thy truth. Enable us this morning to lay
whole with our hearts upon thy word, thy promise in Christ Jesus,
the truth. Lord, deliver me from Satan's
subtlety and deception. He's a crafty enemy. I'm no match
for his subtlety or power. I flee to Christ. Hide me, O
rock of ages. Hide me. Cover me. Protect me. Keep me in the hollow
of thy hand for eternity. Let my hope and trust be in Christ
alone. Don't let me be deceived. I pray,
Lord, we pray together, every one of us. This is our prayer.
unanimously in a unity of spirit and heart, oh, that we may win
Christ and be found in Him, that we may know Him and the power
of His resurrection, that we may attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. We have not already attained,
we're not already perfect, we have not laid hold upon that
for which we've been laid hold of by Christ. With forgetting
those swinging things which are behind, we press forward toward
the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ our Lord. Blessed of service tonight, the
message may it be for thy glory, for Christ's sake. Amen.