Assurance of Perseverance: United in Christ's Grace
Summary
In Romans 8:28-30, we find a profound assurance that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This passage underscores the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, affirming that those who are truly born again will never fall away from grace. This assurance is rooted in God's omniscience and foreknowledge, as He would not call us if He knew we would ultimately fall away. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that believers are saved in the life of Christ, dead to sin, and united with Him, already seated in heavenly places. This union with Christ makes it inconceivable that we could end in perdition.
Jesus Himself affirms this in John 5:24, where He declares that those who hear His word and believe have everlasting life and will not face condemnation. This assurance is not just for individuals but for the church as a whole. The church is the body of Christ, and we are members of this body, not isolated individuals. Christ died for the church, and His sacrifice ensures that the church will be presented to Him as a glorious, unblemished bride.
The doctrine of chastisement further supports this assurance. God disciplines His children to prepare them for eternal glory, proving their status as His children. This discipline is a means by which God ensures the perseverance of His saints. The distinction between Judas and Peter illustrates this: while Judas was left to his own devices, Peter was restored because he belonged to Christ.
Finally, the doctrine of the remnant highlights God's sovereign preservation of His people. Throughout history, God has always preserved a remnant according to His grace, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. This remnant is not preserved by their own strength but by God's election and grace.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Assurance of Perseverance: The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints assures us that those truly born again will never fall away from grace. This is rooted in God's omniscience and foreknowledge, as He would not call us if He knew we would ultimately fall away. Our union with Christ guarantees our eternal security. [01:45]
2. Union with Christ: Believers are united with Christ, already seated in heavenly places. This union makes it inconceivable that we could end in perdition. Our identity is not just as individuals but as members of the body of Christ, the church. [09:35]
3. Christ's Sacrifice for the Church: Christ died for the church, ensuring that it will be presented to Him as a glorious, unblemished bride. Our salvation is not just individual but corporate, as part of the church. [22:51]
4. The Role of Chastisement: God's discipline of His children is a means of ensuring their perseverance. This chastisement proves our status as His children and prepares us for eternal glory. The distinction between Judas and Peter illustrates God's care for His own. [30:05]
5. The Doctrine of the Remnant: God has always preserved a remnant according to His grace, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. This remnant is not preserved by their own strength but by God's election and grace. [42:09]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Introduction to Romans 8:28-30
- [00:52] - Doctrine of Final Perseverance
- [02:19] - Union with Christ
- [03:14] - Assurance from John 5:24
- [04:36] - Translation Insights
- [06:33] - Further Arguments for Perseverance
- [07:26] - Individual vs. Corporate Salvation
- [08:40] - The Church as the Body of Christ
- [10:09] - Misleading Individual Emphasis
- [11:28] - Scriptural Support for the Church
- [13:15] - Christ's Sacrifice for His People
- [14:42] - Unity in John 17
- [19:57] - Christ's Love for the Church
- [25:05] - The Role of Chastisement
- [37:19] - Doctrine of the Remnant
- [45:45] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 8:28-30
2. John 5:24
3. Ephesians 5:25-27
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Romans 8:28-30, what is the assurance given to those who love God and are called according to His purpose? How does this relate to the concept of being "predestined" and "glorified"? [00:36]
2. In John 5:24, what does Jesus promise to those who hear His word and believe in Him? How does this verse support the idea of eternal security? [04:12]
3. How does Ephesians 5:25-27 describe Christ's relationship with the church? What imagery is used to convey the nature of this relationship? [19:57]
4. What distinction does the sermon make between Judas and Peter in terms of God's care and discipline? How does this illustrate the doctrine of chastisement? [31:03]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints provide comfort to believers, according to the sermon? What role does God's omniscience play in this assurance? [01:45]
2. The sermon emphasizes the corporate nature of salvation. How does understanding oneself as part of the body of Christ, rather than as an isolated individual, change one's perspective on faith and community? [09:35]
3. In what ways does the doctrine of chastisement demonstrate God's love and commitment to His children? How does this differ from punishment? [30:05]
4. How does the concept of the remnant, as discussed in the sermon, highlight God's sovereignty and grace in preserving His people throughout history? [42:09]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt uncertain about your faith. How does the assurance of perseverance in Romans 8:28-30 provide you with comfort and confidence in your spiritual journey? [00:36]
2. Consider your role within the church. How can you actively contribute to the unity and growth of the body of Christ, recognizing that you are part of a larger community? [09:35]
3. Think about a recent challenge or hardship you faced. How might viewing it as a form of God's loving discipline change your perspective and response to it? [30:05]
4. The sermon highlights the importance of Christ's sacrifice for the church. How can you live out this truth in your daily life, both individually and as part of the church community? [19:57]
5. Identify an area in your life where you struggle to trust in God's sovereignty. How can the doctrine of the remnant encourage you to rely more on God's grace and less on your own efforts? [42:09]
6. How can you support and encourage fellow believers who may be struggling with doubts about their salvation or God's faithfulness? What practical steps can you take to be a source of strength and reassurance for them? [01:45]
7. Reflect on the distinction between Judas and Peter. How can you ensure that you remain open to God's correction and restoration in your own life, rather than resisting His guidance? [31:03]
Devotional
Day 1: Assurance of Eternal Security
The assurance of the final perseverance of the saints is a profound comfort for believers. It is rooted in the understanding that those who are truly born again will never fall away from grace. This assurance is based on God's omniscience and foreknowledge, as He would not call us if He knew we would ultimately fall away. Our union with Christ guarantees our eternal security, as we are already seated in heavenly places with Him. This union makes it inconceivable that we could end in perdition, as our identity is not just as individuals but as members of the body of Christ, the church. [01:45]
Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV): "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
Reflection: Consider a time when you doubted your salvation. How does understanding God's foreknowledge and your union with Christ provide you with assurance today?
Day 2: Unity with Christ and the Church
Believers are united with Christ, and this union is not just an individual experience but a corporate one as part of the church. We are already seated in heavenly places with Christ, and this union makes it inconceivable that we could end in perdition. Our identity is deeply connected to the body of Christ, the church, which Christ died for to present as a glorious, unblemished bride. This understanding shifts our focus from individual salvation to a collective identity as members of the church. [09:35]
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and health of your local church community this week?
Day 3: Christ's Sacrifice and the Church's Glory
Christ's sacrifice was not just for individual salvation but for the church as a whole. He died to ensure that the church would be presented to Him as a glorious, unblemished bride. This corporate aspect of salvation emphasizes the importance of the church as the body of Christ. Our salvation is intertwined with the church's destiny, and we are called to live in a way that reflects this reality. [22:51]
Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV): "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in the life of the church to reflect the glory of Christ's sacrifice?
Day 4: The Purpose of Divine Chastisement
God's discipline of His children is a means of ensuring their perseverance. This chastisement proves our status as His children and prepares us for eternal glory. The distinction between Judas and Peter illustrates God's care for His own, as Peter was restored because he belonged to Christ. This discipline is a loving act from God to refine and strengthen us in our faith journey. [30:05]
Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV): "And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.'"
Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge or correction you have faced. How might God be using this to prepare you for greater spiritual maturity?
Day 5: The Remnant Preserved by Grace
Throughout history, God has always preserved a remnant according to His grace, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. This remnant is not preserved by their own strength but by God's election and grace. The doctrine of the remnant highlights God's sovereign preservation of His people, reminding us that His plans are never thwarted. We are part of this remnant, called to live by His grace and for His glory. [42:09]
Romans 11:5-6 (ESV): "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."
Reflection: How can you rely more on God's grace rather than your own efforts in your spiritual journey today?
Quotes
Now we are at the moment looking at this great argument displayed the forest here by the Apostle it's a statement perhaps the greatest of all of them concerning the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, which means that those once are born again can never finally fall away from grace or out of that position of relationship to God as his dear children. [00:45:41]
I try to show again how every single term that the Apostle uses in this statement carries with it this necessary implication that this doctrine must be true otherwise somehow or another God has been mistaken he should never have pulled us if he knew that finally we were going to fall away and so on with all the other terms they involve a contradiction of the doctrine concerning God's omniscience and God's foreknowledge. [00:16:06]
We are told that we are saved in the life of Christ that we are dead to sin that we are dead to the law the new birth in the same way puts it positively and still more the grave doctrine of our union with Christ and particularly their statement on which we ended lusts and last Friday night when we reminded one another that the Apostle tells the Ephesians that as Christians we are already seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. [00:24:47]
Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath not the shall have has or hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life I have thought that that one verse should rarely be sufficient in and of itself we are told that he hath everlasting life that he shall not come and to condemn nation because he's got everlasting life. [00:36:49]
Our great danger most of us is to think of this great salvation that we enjoy too much and to exclusively in individual terms the whole emphasis today is upon this individual aspect now what they're concerned about is of course that we should be certain that we are saved that we are not content merely with believing about salvation in general but that we should know that we ourselves are saved. [00:47:14]
We are as members of the church we are not a loose collection about individuals all of whom as this solely individual relationship to the Lord that's quite wrong we must think of ourselves as being members in particular of a body which is a whole and it's very wrong of us to think of ourselves as Christians except in terms of our belonging to this home. [00:51:49]
The Lord Jesus Christ has not so much died for us as individuals but as died for his people, that's where all is so important of course you've deduced that he has died for you as an individual yes but he only dies for you as an individual because you belong to the people for whom he has died as a whole. [00:55:03]
Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it he died for the church and he only died for us individually as we are a part of the church so you see if the Apostle goes on to say things like this he gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. [01:01:26]
The very employment of chastisement is a proof of the final perseverance of the saints because it is the way in which God does enabled them to persevere if you like compels them to persevere he doesn't leave us alone because we are his children because we are his children he's going to do this that and the other to us until he brings us to that place which he has originally designed for which is the conformity again to the image of his dear son. [01:30:08]
The argument from chastisement is this that because we are just eyes it is proof positive that we are children because we wouldn't be just as if we were bastards it's a proof therefore that we are children and God just ices his children because he's preparing them for that sharing of his eternal holiness with him. [01:29:41]
The teaching there in 1 Corinthians 11 beyond any question is that there were some Christian people who were died because of their lack of faithfulness but though they are dead they are not lost that's the distinction they are dead they've gone out of this life but they're not lost even their definitions is a part of the chastisement that ultimately saves the soul. [01:36:53]
The teaching concerning the remnant is is always that it is a remnant that God Himself reserves and preserves it is a remnant according to the election of grace I don't know what you feel like saying what I feel like saying is this and God that it is so if I thought my eternal future depended upon me I would be of all men most miserable God calls and God keeps and God reserves and God will never leave and never forsake. [01:47:10]
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