God's Unshakeable Purpose: Assurance of Salvation

The theme is that the ultimate and the final source of assurance of Salvation is that we are in this purpose of God. We've had many other arguments to give us Assurance in this chapter but here we arise to the topmost level. It is the purpose of God that we should be brought to a state of final and complete salvation and entire deliverance from sin and from Evil. [00:01:48]

The Apostle puts it like this that the glory of the son is shown in the fact that he is to be the first born among many Brethren. Now it's very important that we should look at our Salvation from that standpoint, not only think of it in terms of ourselves but we've got to see that God's ultimate object of all in ever planning and bringing in the whole scheme of Salvation is to glorify his son. [00:05:28]

The whole purpose of Salvation is to glorify the Son of God. He is the first born among many Brethren. Can you conceive of what the position would be if suddenly he had no Brethren at all, nobody to follow him? He's left Heaven, he's come on Earth, he's given his teaching, he's died on the cross, he's been buried, he's risen again, and there's nobody following him. [00:06:36]

The glory of the sun is involved in this and he is finally glorified when he and all his Brethren are there as it were on view to the whole Cosmos, the whole universe. Now that's the way in which the Apostle put it and of course it is a theme with which all who are familiar with the New Testament Epistles will be quite familiar. [00:07:38]

The steps of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification are part of a divine order that ensures the fulfillment of God's purpose. Each step is essential and reflects God's perfect plan. The Apostle undoubtedly deliberately put them in that order. Now I do want to emphasize that the order is not accidental, it's not halfhazard. [00:17:13]

The first two you notice have a reference to what God has determined and decided with respect to us. The last two, the second two, the justification and the glorification have a more practical immediate reference to what is done to us and what the calling does which is in the middle is to act as a kind of connecting link. [00:18:08]

The calling is the point at which all this as it were becomes actual in US, becomes practical and applied to us. Well now then let's have a look at these great steps as they're outlined here. I trust that nobody has forgotten all I was saying at the end of November and the beginning of December about the right way to approach this subject. [00:19:29]

The first is the term for no for whom he did for no. Here's the first and let me say it's not only the first, it is the crucial term. It is the most important term of all obviously. There is the purpose of God here are we in sin. Now then the question is how does the plan and purpose of God with regard to the glorification of his son in Redemption what is the first move in our Direction? [00:20:39]

The actual meaning of the word of course means to know beforehand for knowledge. That's it from the mere standpoint of uh Linguistics, language. There's a a popular method of biblical Exposition today which seems to turn to the dictionaries when reading the scripture. Well all right up to a point it's all right but if you stop at your dictionary, well all I can say is God help you. [00:21:31]

The teaching is that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was something that was planned by God before the foundation of the world. His death was not an accident. He came into the world in order to die. He came to taste death for every man. He came to be the Lamb of God and this is how the Bible says that that it has all happened according to the predetermined Council and for knowledge of God. [00:28:32]

The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any other people for ye were fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you. That's why you see we we are told that he set his love upon them or take it in Jeremiah 31:3, yeah I have loved thee with an Everlasting Love Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. [00:43:14]

For whom he did for know in his purpose he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son and so on. Well may God give us Grace to meditate seriously and solemnly and lovingly upon this great word. What it tells us is this that if you and I are lovers of God if we are the called according to his purpose he knew us before the foundation of the world. [00:45:14]