Hedged In By the Promises and Warnings of God

Q: What does the Bible say about the promises of God?

The Bible reveals that God's promises are great and precious, providing hope and assurance to believers. The Scripture emphasizes that the promises of God are essential for the believer's hope and assurance. In 2 Peter 3:17-18, believers are reminded of the richness of these promises, which keep them from despair and encourage them to remain steadfast. The Apostle Peter calls these promises 'exceeding great and precious,' showcasing their invaluable nature in the life of a Christian. Such promises, like those found in Hebrews 13:5, where God assures believers of His continual presence, fortify their faith and generate confidence in His faithfulness, underscoring that our hope is anchored not in our feelings or merits but in His unchanging word.

Q: How do we know that God's warnings are important?

God's warnings are crucial as they remind believers to remain vigilant against spiritual dangers and temptations. The necessity of God's warnings is outlined throughout Scripture, serving as essential guidance for believers who must navigate a world filled with temptation and potential fallibility. In the sermon, various warnings from Paul highlight the dangers that could lead believers away from their steadfastness. For instance, Romans 11 cautions that if God did not spare the natural branches, believers should take heed, while Hebrews 3:12 warns against the evil heart of unbelief. These warnings reflect God's love and concern for His people, and they emphasize the importance of maintaining vigilance. By acknowledging these warnings, believers can adhere to sound doctrine and steer clear of presumption and apostasy, reinforcing the doctrines of grace and our need for humility.

Q: Why is it necessary for believers to grow in grace?

Growing in grace is necessary for believers to resist falling and to develop a deeper relationship with Christ. Believers are encouraged to 'grow in grace' as a vital part of their spiritual journey. This growth is not merely about acquiring knowledge but involves cultivating the fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, and peace, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. The sermon stresses that spiritual maturity allows believers to withstand the various temptations and trials in life while becoming a more significant influence for Christ in the world. Just as physical growth requires nourishment and care, spiritual growth necessitates continued engagement in the Word and fellowship within the body of Christ. Furthermore, growing in grace ensures that one does not become complacent or fall into a false sense of security regarding their standing with God, thus avoiding the pitfalls of spiritual stagnation and misuse of God's grace.

to the book of 2 Peter, the third
chapter. 2 Peter 3. J. C. Philpott once said, The
believer walks a path, hedged in on one side by the
promises of God which keep the believer from despair. The believer walks a path hedged
in on the other side by the warnings of God to keep him from presumption. I thank God for his promises. The Apostle Peter called them
exceeding great and precious promises. And these promises
keep me from total despair. Promises like this, come let
us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as the snow. Promises like this, He
that believeth on the Son hath eternal life. Promises like this,
I'll never leave thee, I'll never forsake thee. Promises like this,
if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The
promises of God are as rich as the throne of God. They are as
sure as the kingdom of God. And all our hope and our confidence
and our assurance is built on His promises. Not on our feeling,
not on our experience, not on our personal merit, but on His
promises. Everything I've got is built
on his word. I have his word. He is faithful.
He shall not fail. He cannot lie. His promises are
sure. Over the book of Hebrews, let's
turn over there just a moment to Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6. Way back in 1952, we had a preacher come to Ashland
to preach for us. 23 years ago, he's dead now,
his name was Estep, D.B. Estep. He pastored in Latonia,
or Covington, Kentucky, and he brought a message I shall never
forget. I remember the message, I remember
the text, Hebrews 13, verse 5, and this is what he said. He
was talking about what I'm talking about this evening. I hope and
confidence resting upon God's promise. And he read these verses,
Hebrews 13, 5, Let your conversation be without covetousness, and
be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, and
he told us that night, he said, Underscore these four words,
For he hath said, for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say," and he said,
underscore those words, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is
my helper. Now he said, go back and read
the words you've underscored. For he hath said, so that we
may boldly say. You can't say anything till he
says it first. You can't believe anything unless
he's written it. Our hope and confidence and faith
is built on his word. And the promises of God hedge
me about and keep me from despair. If he has not first said it,
let no man say it." John said, don't go beyond what is revealed
in the word. Don't add anything to it, and
don't take anything from it. So the believer is hedged about
on one side by the promises of God that keep us from despair,
that keep us from throwing up our hands and quitting. that
keep us from looking into our hearts and seeing all the evil
that's there, and looking about us and seeing all the flesh that's
there, and saying, let's just quit. It's not worth it. There's
no hope for anyone. But the promises of God keep
us from that attitude. Now, the second thing, though,
thank God not only for His promises, but thank God for His warnings. We're hedged about on the other
side by the warnings of God And the Bible is as full of warnings
as it is promises. Now that's so. Warnings, you
say, to the wicked, yes. To the unbeliever, yes. Warnings
to the believer. Now here are a few of them. Listen to them. We're not going
to take the time to look them up. Just listen to them. You'll
recognize them. Paul wrote in Romans 11, If God spared not
the natural branches, take heed, lest he also spare not thee."
If God spared not the Jewish nation, the Jewish nation which
He loved, He called them His own. He defended them against
the whole world, but then He cut them off and placed them
under judicial blindness. And Paul wrote to the Gentiles
and said, lest he spare not thee. And then he said in 1 Corinthians
10, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall. And then in Galatians 6, another
warning, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness,
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Then in Hebrews 2, verse 1, Paul
wrote, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to
the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip away. Hebrews 3, verse 12, Take heed,
brethren, brethren, believers, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. If there were no danger, would
God warn us? If there was no possibility,
would all these warnings be there? Hebrews 12, listen, looking diligently,
lest any man fail of the grace of God. You talk about, you talk
about failure, total failure, ultimate failure, looking diligently
lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." And
then our text tonight in 2 Peter 3, look at it, verse 17, "...ye
therefore Seeing you know these things, seeing that you know
them before, beware lest you also, lest you also being led
away with the error of the wicked. We're going to see what the error
of the wicked is. Fall from your own steadfastness. Do you have
enough grace to listen to this message tonight? Do you have
enough spiritual sense to know that the pulpit does not protect
you from falling? Do you have enough spiritual
wisdom to know that the office of an elder, or a deacon, or
an instrumentalist, or a song leader, or a regular attender,
or 25 years in the faith is no protection against your falling?
Huh? You, beloved, you. You, Charlie. You, Aaron. You. You, Henry. You, John. You, beloved. You know these things. Beware
lest you fall. That's what he's saying, isn't
it? You know what he's saying, Jack? You. Huh? Beware lest you fall, mate. Oh,
not me. Not me. I'm a believer. I'm a
solid believer. I'm a deacon, I'm an elder, I'm
a preacher. I don't see where any of those
people are exempt from this. Do you read that in here? I don't
read it. I hear him saying, Let's look
at the first of the four things here. First of all, a title and
a concession. The apostle Peter gives a title
and a concession. He calls these people beloved.
The warning comes to the beloved. That's who it comes to. Who are
these beloved? Well, turn to 2 Thessalonians
2.13. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Let's see who the beloved are.
First of all, they're beloved of the Lord. That's who they
are. But you beloved, beloved of the Lord. 2 Thessalonians
2.13. Here the word is again. We're
bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord. my beloved." Isn't that a precious
title, my beloved? They are loved of God with an
everlasting love. These people are loved by God
with an infinite love, for God so loved them he gave his only
begotten Son. These people are loved with God,
loved by God with a continual love, having loved his own, he
loved them to the end. That's who we're talking to.
I said the way of the believer is hedged in by the promises
of God, and that's about all we want to do business with,
is the promises of God. But we're hedged in by the warnings
of God, lest we give way to presumption, lest we fall. And this is the
Beloved, Beloved of God, with an everlasting love, with an
infinite love, with a continual love. They're not only beloved of the
Lord, they're beloved of the Apostle. Peter calls them. Did
you notice how many times he used that word in this third
chapter? Verse 8, I remember he used it.
But beloved, be not ignorant of this thing. And then again
in another verse, I saw that he used it, the word beloved.
And then here again in verse 17, he uses it. You therefore,
beloved. He who leads people must love
people. He who rebukes people must love
them. He must rebuke them in love.
He who warns people must warn them with affectionate terms.
The Apostle Peter doesn't stand and cry like Moses did when he
smoked the rock. He revels! He says, Beloved,
God loves you and I love you. Beloved. And they're beloved
for Christ's sake. Turn to John 13. Now here's something
that John chapter 13, that I weep and I grieve that so few of us
have learned this. It's hard, I know that. It's
difficult. It must be God-given. We can't by natural strength and power produce what
it takes the Holy Spirit alone to produce. But Christ said in
John 13, 34, a new commandment I give unto you, that you love
one another as I have loved you. Now, this is greater than family
love. You love one another as I have
loved you. This is greater than friendship
love. This is greater than what we call fleshly infatuation. This is the love of Christ in
you. This is that love which loves
him and loves his. And that can't be taught. That's
God-given. And if few there be that learn
it. But that's who he's talking to here. He's talking to those
who are beloved of the Lord Those who are beloved are the apostles
and those who are beloved for Christ's sake. For Christ's sake. And he makes a concession. He
says, you therefore, beloved, I know that you know these things
that I've been writing about. I'm not talking to spiritually
ignorant people. I'm not talking to blind sheep.
I'm talking to folks that got eyes. I'm talking to people that
got ears. I'm talking to people who know the way of God. You
know these things. You know the guilt of man. You
know the fall of man. You know the grace of God in
redemption. You know the gospel of His dear
Son. You know stranger to the gospel.
You know the glory of God that is to follow. You know the effectual
work of the Holy Spirit. You know the atonement of Christ
Jesus, how He loved us and gave Himself for us. You know the
Word of God. You're not ignorant. Not talking
to ignorant people, he says, I'm talking to people who are
beloved of God, who are beloved of the Apostle, who are beloved
for Christ's sake, and I'm talking to people who know these things. That's who we're talking to.
We're talking to this preacher standing right here that's been
preaching for almost 30 years. You know these things, as Ralph
used to say, And I'm talking to people who know these things.
You're not babes in Christ. You're supposed to be elders
in Christ. And you know these things. That's
what he told me. Here's the second thing. He sounds a warning. He
says, Beloved, you know these things. You've known them a good
while. But I'm telling you something. B-E-W-A-R-E. Beware. Lest you also. Now, brethren, This warning must
be sounded to the young convert. We know that. We'll acknowledge
that. from his own flesh, temptation
from the world, temptation from poverty and plenty, temptation
from failure and success, temptation from the powers of pride and
presumption, doubts and fears, all out there wait like monsters. They're there. You may not have
encountered them yet, but I promise you, they that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It's a promise. God promises you that, you're
sure as he promises you heaven. If you be without chastisement,
you're a bastard, you're not a son, that's what God says.
I promise you chastisement, God says. I promise you persecution. I promise you trial. I promise
you trouble. You count it not strange when
you go through fiery trials. Why did the Lord permit this?
He told you right after you saved, He's going to send that to you.
He just didn't tell you when. So this is a warning, beware,
that must be sounded to every new believer. And then this is
a warning that needs to be sounded to every middle-aged believer.
This is the time when most believers fall. I've been around long enough
to know what I'm talking about. Most so-called Christian leaders
meet their water load between 45 and 60 years away. That's when David met his, that's
when Solomon met his, and I could keep on naming them. That's when
it comes. This is the time when they fall. This is the time when they slip
from their steadfastness. This is a time when Satan wins
the victory. This is the time. And then this
warning needs to be sounded to the believer standing on the
bank of Jordan, getting ready to cross over. I have read some of the old believers
who have on their deathbed suffered their greatest time of doubt.
and had to wrestle with the forces of evil even on their last sickbed. Wrestle with self-righteousness
and all these things. So I don't care what the time
of life. Peter says, you beloved, you
know those things. You better beware. Beware of
what, preacher? Well, beware of false teachers,
the Word of God says. false preachers come to you in
sheep's clothing, but within they're wolves. Beware of deceitful
talk, deceitful deeds that lead you away from Christ. Beware
of leaning on your own understanding. Beware of giving the reins to
your own flesh. and your own will, turning the
wild horse loose and letting our will be the guide. Beware
of trusting in your own strength. Beware of believing that you
are beyond falling. Beware of thinking you know all
things. Beware of ritualism, legalism,
materialism. Beware of a love for the world.
Beware of lip service to Christ. Beware of an evil heart of unbelief. Beware of doing your deeds to
be seen of men. Beware of familiarity with holy
things. Beware of cleaning up the outside
of the cup and ignoring the inside. But Charles Spurgeon once wrote,
Beware mostly of yourself. The heart is desperately wicked. and deceitful above all things,
and my heart can convince me I'm right even when I'm dead
wrong. My heart can justify me in the
grossest of iniquity, and pull beyond a shadow of doubt, convincing
my flesh that I'm as right as rain. That's so. Beware of what? He says, beware
of being led away with the error of the wicked. Now, what he's
talking about here are spiritual errors, not physical errors. I believe that our eyes have
been taken off the main issues and focused on side issues, and
I believe it's been done by Satan. This error of the wicked is an
error of spirit. That's what it is, spirit. Listen
to these scriptures. You call me, Lord, with your
lips, but your hearts, your hearts, that's where a man does business,
in his heart. Your hearts are far from me. That's an error of spirit. He that loveth not knoweth not
God." Not he that rises not at 4 a.m. to pray. He that loveth
not. Not he that titheth not. He that
loveth not. Not he that readeth not a chapter
a day in the Bible. He that loveth not knoweth not
God. That's an erral spirit. Man looks
on the outward countenance. God looks on the heart, the heart,
the heart. Christ in you, Paul said. I prevail to Christ be formed
in you. Christ in you, that's the hope
of glory. Not you walking so many steps
and bowing so many times and saying so many prayers and abstaining
from so many deeds. Christ in you, that's the hope
of glory. The elders of the wicked. A man
can be wicked and be the most moral man in town. A man can
be wicked. The men who crucified Christ
passed off as moral men. They were religious leaders and
Bible scholars and teachers of theology. They were so exact
in their behavior that the disciples said when Christ condemned them,
well, who can be saved? They were the wicked, and their
error was spiritual error. Their error was errors of heart. And when people were convicted
of sin and brought to Christ, the Scripture says they were
pricked in their hearts. And our Lord said, with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness. So our warning here to the beloved. Beloved, You know these things. Beware lest you also being led
away, led away by your own heart, led away by your own flesh, led
away by your own wife, led away by your own friend, led away.
Let you be led. It doesn't matter who does it.
Our Lord was standing one day and talking about going to the
cross. the very essence of redemption,
going to the cross to fulfill the atonement, going to the cross
to do what his Father sent him to do, going to the cross to
redeem his people. And Peter took him by the arm
and said, Not so. That's just not going to be that
way. And our Lord turned and said, Get thee behind me, Satan,
to his beloved apostle. I know who you are. Peter, you're
being led away by a power. You're being led away by an influence. You're being led away, and you
don't realize it. You don't realize it. Thou savorest
not the things that be of God. Oh, I hope that's never said
about me. Thou savorest not your taste
Your taste is not oriented to the things of God. You're interested
in your flesh. You're interested in a material
kingdom. You're interested in a natural
kingdom. You're interested in the progress
and success of yourself in this whole outfit. You don't have
a spiritual taste, Peter. Could not allow. You're being
led away because your taste is for the natural thing. You, beloved,
you're not beyond the apostle Peter, are you? You, beloved,
you're not immune if he's not, are you? Satan can take that one nearest
to Christ and use him, and use him, being led away Beware lest
you being led away with the error of the wicked." And if you're
sitting here thinking right now, that's not me. You're the very
one I'm talking to. If there's in your mind even
a thought that that's not possible, that you know where you're going
and you know when you're going to get there and you know the
road you're walking, you're the very one I'm talking to. Because
that's the one that Satan uses, that cocky, presumptuous, arrogant,
haughty spirit of pride. You're already gone. That's right. Pride goeth before destruction,
the haughty spirit before the fall. God gives grace to the
humble. He resisteth the proud. You're
already gone. All right, watch a tragedy here.
Look at it. lest you also," you also, Peter
says, just like I was, being led away with the arrow of the
wicked one, fall from your steadfastness. First of all, there is a danger
of falling from the steadfastness as to the belief in the word
of God. This is our only rule of faith
and practice. Don't let anyone, don't let any
power ever put a question mark on this book for you. Isaiah said, to the law and to
the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it's
because there's no light in them. I'm not afraid of what we call
intellectualism today, the seminaries and higher learning and all of
these different books by these different influential writers. But I'm
saying this, and you may think, and I am, uneducated country
preacher, that's all right. But I'm saying this, I hope I
never, under God, by his grace, put a doubt on what the Bible
teaches about creation. I hope I never put a question
mark on what the Bible teaches about sin. I hope when I'm old
and gray, I hope I'm still able to say, I believe God's infallible,
inerrant, verbally inspired word. I believe what the Bible says
about the deity of Christ, about his virgin birth, about his atoning
sacrifice. I believe what the word of God
teaches about the mediatorial work of my Lord and his blessed
return. I believe every word of it. I
believe in an everlasting hell and an eternal heaven. I believe
in God's sovereignty, I believe in his elective grace, I believe
in the effectual work of his Holy Spirit, and I believe in
the particular effectual atonement which he brought out on that
cross. And I hope Satan never gets such a grip on my mind or
intellect or heart or soul or wherever it goes on. It makes
me put a question mark on that word. I hope I'm able to say
with Job, down there in the deepest valley of trial, with everything
gone, though he slay me, I trust him. I trust him. Don't be led away from your steadfastness
in the belief of scriptures. I don't care if you stand before
Parliament or before prisoners, stand for the Word of God. Don't
be ashamed of it. And now, here's another danger. lest you be led away from your
steadfastness in walking with Christ. I've seen this happen
so many times. Oh, it's tragic. It breaks your
heart. It'd break the devil's heart
if he had one, but a man professes to the same. He hears the gospel. I've seen this happen repeatedly,
repeatedly. he professes to be saved, or
a woman, or a young person, they can't get enough of the gospel.
They study, they read, they're in every service, they seek fellowship
with God's people, they walk and talk with Christ, they delight
in the things of the Lord, and then something happens. I don't
know what it is, but whatever But then they begin finding a
reason for not worshiping the Lord on His day. They find a
reason for not studying. They find a reason for notâ€”they
always have a reason. A man's never without a reason. When our Lord told those men
to come to Him, one of them said, Well, I've married a wife and
I can't come. He had a reason. Another one said, Well, I bought
a farm and I've got to go look at it. He had a reason. said,
I've got to go home and bury my father. They all had legitimate
reasons. But men who hunger and thirst
for righteousness don't look for reasons. And there's not time for worship.
Other activities unrelated to Christ and unrelated to spiritual
things become important, and then they get their feelings
hurt. And then there's some misunderstanding, and then they have responsibilities. Well, when they were first saved,
these things existed, but they didn't enter into the picture.
When this individual was first born again, when he first came
to know Christ, he had to make a living, he had the same family,
he lived in the same world, he had to have food, clothing, and
shelter, but somehow he managed to be interested in God's kingdom.
and in Christ Jesus. But now all these other things,
and you know what's happened? I'll tell you what's happened.
The fulfilling of this verse right here has happened. It's
exactly what's happened. Our Lord gave an illustration
of it. He said a sower went forth to sow, and he sowed the seed.
John mentioned it this morning. Some of it fell on fallow ground,
some of it fell on stony ground, but some of it fell among the
thorns. And the seed grew and the plant
grew. And then the thorns grew too.
And they began to choke the plant and choke the life out of it.
And after a while all you saw was thorns. You couldn't even
see the plant. It was gone. And our Lord said
those things that choked it out was the cares of this world. the cares of this world. What
are some of the cares of this world? Well, my job, my family,
my business, my kinfolks, my friends. These are all cares
of this world. There's no, absolutely no legitimate
reason for a man not walking with Christ if he loves Him.
And when a man begins to look for justification in his unspiritual
attitude and walk, he has slipped from his steadfastness. He's
fighting a losing battle. That's what Peter says here.
And he's talking to the Beloved. You know what's happened? You know, we're supposed to grow. Look at this next line. But grow
in grace. How can I escape the dangers
of falling? If I go into the business world,
worldliness is there. If I retire to my home, trouble
is there. Even in the fellowship of believers,
there are dangers and temptations. How can I escape from the danger
of falling? Here are two instructions. But
grow in grace. Through all the mechanics of
religion, through all the responsibilities of religion, through all of the
efforts to study, grow in grace. What is grace? Here they are. The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. We're to grow in these. Little
children are to become young men. Young men are to become
fathers in Christ. The pastor's not supposed to
be a babysitter. Hmm? Isn't that right? He's supposed to be a companion
of fathers, brothers. This is not a nursery. Those
who have been babes in Christ are to become young men in Christ,
and those who are young men in Christ are to become fathers
in Christ. And they're supposed to be constantly
in operation. A spirit of love, and a spirit
of meekness, and a spirit of joy, and a spirit of peace, and
a spirit of patience, and a spirit of gentleness, and be ye kind
one to another. That's the way to avoid falling,
grow in grace. And what's the second instruction?
And grow in the knowledge of Christ as you study doctrine,
as you study history, as you study theology. See that you
grow in the knowledge of Christ, not just in the knowledge of
these things. You know these things, beware
lest you also being led away. There's just one way back, and
that's the way of confession and the way of humility. And
the way Peter came back, he went out and wept bitterly. And then
the Lord said, you go tell my disciples, and be sure you tell
Peter, and Peter, that I go before you. It's just one way back into
the grace of God, into the mercy of God. It's just one way back.
And that's in the dust, the dust of humility, the dust of submission. I don't care how wrong you are,
how right you are. It's just one way back. If we
confess, he forgives. And there's just one way to keep
from falling from our steadfastness, and that's just keep on growing
in grace. Keep on growing in love and joy and meekness and
all these things. A. B. Simpson wrote something
that I cut out years ago, and I think it's the experience of
every adult, mature believer. Listen to it. Once it was the
blessing, now it is the Lord. Once it was the feeling, now
it's his word. Once his gifts I wanted, now
the giver I own. Once I sought for healing, now
for Christ alone. Once was always trying, now simply
trust. Once a half salvation, now the
uttermost. Once ceaseless holding, now he
holds me fast. Once was constant drifting, now
my anchor's cast. Once I was busy planning, now
it's trusting prayer. Once it was anxious caring, now
He has the care. Once it was what I wanted, now
it's what Jesus said. Once it was constant asking,
now it's constant praise. Once it was my working, His it
hence shall be. Once I tried to use Him, now
He uses me. Once the power I wanted, now
the mighty one. Once for self I labored, now
for Him alone. Once I hoped in Jesus, now I
know He's mine. Once my lamp was dying, and now
by His grace it brightly shines. Once for death I waited, now
his coming I hail, and all my hopes are anchored in him within
the veil." That's the difference. Brethren, we're not here trying
to prove anything to anybody. We're not here trying to make
Baptists out of anybody. We're not here trying to make
Calvinists out of anybody. We're not here preaching a creed,
we're not here preaching a doctrine. We're here by God's grace to
worship and call upon and seek the face of the living God. We're
here to preach the gospel of his dear son to fallen men and
women. We're here to preach that Christ
loved sinners, and for sinners he suffered and died, and for
sinners he was buried and rose again, and for sinners he sits
at the right hand of God and pleads. We're here to fellowship
together and to forgive one another of every slip and of every slide
and of every fall. We're here to sympathize and
bear one another's burden and encourage the weak and carry
the burdens of the fallen. We're here to worship God. You
see what I'm saying? We're here to call on His name.
To call on His name. We're here to exhort one another
and edify and strengthen one another. We met together in His
name, for His glory, for His praise. And we're here to warn and rebuke. And we're here to call out a
people for His name. And we're nothing but messengers,
ambassadors of Christ. We don't have a message of our
own. We have a message He gave us
to deliver. And I speak to you and I call
you beloved of the Lord, beloved of the Apostle. I call you beloved
of one another. And I say to all of us, I hope
we can finish our course with joy. I hope the next thirty years,
if I'm not there, if I'm not there, you can say of me what
John said of those his friends, if they had been of us, they
no doubt would have continued with us. He that endureth to
the end, the same shall be saved. It's not the one who starts the
race or runs well for three quarters of the way, it's the one who
crosses the finish line. He's crowned. That's right. Christ is a son over his house,
whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence of our faith
from unto the end. And I know we want to justify
people that they run around and they sit on the sideline and
watch everybody else run, but that ain't what the Word of God
says. Our Father in heaven, we thank
thee for thy promises. We feel that Thou hast enabled
us to lay hold upon them, and to hold them firmly to our hearts.
We're candidates for Thy grace, because we're sinners. We're
objects of Thy love, because we're sinners. But we also thank
Thee for every warning in this book, and Lord, help me not to
not to think that I've arrived. Help me and all who are spiritual
enough to hear the word tonight, help every one of us not to think
that these words were not written to us because they are written
to us. I don't want to fall from the
way. I don't want to slip from my
steadfastness. I don't want to lose my position
in Christ. I don't want to be among those
who return to the hog waller and draw back. I want to finish
my course with joy, by thy grace, by thy grace. In the name of
Christ we pray, humbly and sincerely. Amen.

Hedged In By the Promises and Warnings of God

What does the Bible say about the promises of God?

How do we know that God's warnings are important?

Why is it necessary for believers to grow in grace?

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Hedged In By the Promises and Warnings of God

What does the Bible say about the promises of God?

How do we know that God's warnings are important?

Why is it necessary for believers to grow in grace?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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