Prayer Service 11-6-24

I want to begin with a word of encouragement...

And, then a needful reminder:

Nehemiah 9:16–17 (ESV)

16 ...our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.

17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

This isn’t talking about America or the Church

But the principle is applicable:

God has extended to us a great mercy

One that we DID NOT deserve!

(Think about the Republican position...

…on issues of Sexuality)

(Think of all the people that...

…voted to ratify abortion!)

We’re not seeing national repentance, per se...

We’re seeing God’s mercy.

He has been merciful to us...

…to slow down the slide into political destruction.

But, we need to take the time...

…that He has afforded to us...

…and seek repentance!

-That brings up our second passage:

Psalm 146:3–6 (ESV)

3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

6 ...who keeps faith forever;

Let’s Pray for these things:

Thanking Him for His Mercy upon us

An outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the U.S.

Repentance

Faith

Fear of the Lord

Love of Neighbor

Righteousness and Justice

Humble Piety

Holiness

Our Existing and Newly Elected Leaders

A Peaceful Transition of Power

The COMPLETE abolition of Abortion

The SPIRITUAL Subjugation of the Sexual Revolution

What Else?

Pray

Other Needs:

Cayce and Layce’s Parents: (Hugh and Susan)

Selah Werner’s friend, Braden: Heart Defects

Junior Garland: Brain Tumor

Madison Webster: Imminent Delivery

Sandra Ritz: Heart Problems

Leuna Anell: Hospice Care

The Sanders Family (Jason, Hope, Grandma)

Hurricane Helene Victims and Rescue/Restoration Workers

Malakai and Gracie in their Courtship

Allen, Iva Lee, Case, Ty, Andrew and Children.

Others?

IV. THE EFFICACIOUS CALL OF THE SPIRIT OR IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented (IV. The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace)

Simply stated, this doctrine asserts that the Holy Spirit never fails to bring to salvation those sinners whom He personally calls to Christ.

He inevitably applies salvation to every sinner whom He intends to save...

An important qualifier:

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented (IV. The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace)

The gospel invitation extends a call to salvation to every one who hears its message. It invites all men without distinction to drink freely of the water of life and live. It promises salvation to all who repent and believe.

But:

...Because men are by nature dead in sin and are under its power. They are of themselves unable and unwilling to forsake their evil ways and to turn to Christ for mercy.

Consequently, the unregenerate will not respond to the gospel call to repentance and faith . . . Such an act of faith and submission is contrary to the lost man’s nature.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit, in order to bring God’s elect to salvation, extends to them a special inward call in addition to the outward call contained in the gospel message.

Through this special call the Holy Spirit performs a work of grace within the sinner which inevitably brings him to faith in Christ.

The inward change wrought in the elect sinner enables him to understand and believe spiritual truth…

The Spirit creates within him a new heart or a new nature.

This is accomplished through regeneration or the new birth by which the sinner is made a child of God and is given spiritual life.

His will is renewed through this process so that the sinner spontaneously comes to Christ of his own free choice.

One Final Category:

6.) The application of salvation is all of grace and is accomplished solely through the almighty power of God.

The General Principle:

Isaiah 55:10–11 ESV

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10–11 (ESV)

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Applied to Ministerial Success:

John 3:26–27 (ESV)

26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)

7 ...What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Applied Salvifically:

John 17:1–2 ESV

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

John 17:1–2 (ESV)

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Romans 9:15–16 (ESV)

15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 (ESV)

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

James 1:17–18 (ESV)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1 John 5:19–21 ESV

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

1 John 5:19–21 (ESV)

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

V. THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS OR THE SECURITY OF BELIEVERS

(More Lectoral than Sermonic)

A Simple Definition:

The Lexham Glossary of Theology (Perseverance of the Saints)

Perseverance of the Saints — The view that people who are truly part of God's elect will remain faithful to Christ and will not fall away from the faith.

Not Necessarily the Same Ideas:

“Once saved, always saved”

Eternal Security

Perseverance of the Saints

See if we can Spot the Difference?

Dictionary of Christianity in America (Eternal Security)

Eternal Security:

The belief that a person who has been truly justified by faith in Christ has eternal salvation and cannot lose it.

What’s the Difference?

Anthony Hoekema says this:

Saved by Grace (The Doctrine of Perseverance Leads to Complacency and Moral Laxity)

The Scriptures constantly warn us against such complacency. “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12, RSV).

As we have noted, the Bible teaches that God does not preserve us apart from our watchfulness, prayer, and persevering faith.

The expression “once saved, always saved” is therefore not an accurate way of stating the doctrine of the perseverance of true believers.

Such an expression could easily be understood to mean “once saved, always saved” regardless of how we live, and such a notion is clearly contrary to Scripture.

On this point I quite agree with Robert Shank when he says,

“There is no warrant in the New Testament for that strange at-ease-in-Zion definition of perseverance which assures Christians that perseverance is inevitable and relieves them of the necessity of deliberately persevering in faith, encouraging them to place confidence in some past act or experience.”

The Book we’ve been following, says this:

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented (V. The Perseverance of the Saints or the Security of Believers)

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does not maintain that all who profess the Christian faith are certain of heaven.

It is saints—those who are set apart by the Spirit—who persevere to the end. It is believers—those who are given true, living faith in Christ—who are secure and safe in Him.

Many who profess to believe fall away, but they do not fall from grace for they were never in grace.

True believers do fall into temptations, and they do commit grievous sins, but these sins do not cause them to lose their salvation or separate them from Christ.

Here is the most common, historic formulation...

...of the doctrine of The Perseverance of the Saints:

The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter XVII—Of the Perseverance of the Saints)

CHAPTER XVII—Of the Perseverance of the Saints

1. They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

-Even though there are basic similarities..

…there’s a big difference in those two understandings.

However, we need to reach further back into history...

…to really understand the issue.

There were two much older ideas...

…that caused our Reformed Forebearers...

…to draft that statement:

1.) The Catholic View of Sin and Grace

2.) The Fifth Article of Remonstrance

We’ll look at number 1 first:

Catechism of the Catholic Church (U.S. Edition with Glossary and Index) (IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin)

1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace.

If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back.

However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God. (1742; 1033)

See why Luther would have...

...struggled so hard to find assurance?

Their Solution:

Catechism of the Catholic Church (U.S. Edition with Glossary and Index) (The Sacrament of Forgiveness)

1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion.

It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification.

The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as “the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.”47 (979; 1856; 1990)

Bear that in mind for now.

The language will be important...

…when we look at our Confession.

For now… Consider Number 2:

The Fifth Article of Remonstrance:

Remember the History:

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented (A. The Protest of the Arminian Party)

In 1610, just one year after the death of James Arminius (a Dutch seminary professor) five articles of faith based on his teachings were drawn up by his followers.

The Arminians, as his followers came to be called, presented these five doctrines to the State of Holland in the form of a “Remonstrance” (i.e., a protest).

The Arminian party insisted that the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism (the official expression of the doctrinal position of the Churches of Holland) be changed to conform to the doctrinal views contained in the Remonstrance.

The Arminians objected to those doctrines upheld in both the Catechism and the Confession relating to divine sovereignty, human inability, unconditional election or predestination, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints.

It was in connection with these matters that they wanted the official standards of the Church of Holland revised.

The Five Articles are quite long...

…but here is a succinct summary:

God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief.

Christ died for all men and for every man, although only believers are saved.

Man is so depraved that divine grace is necessary unto faith or any good deed.

This grace may be resisted.

Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the faith is a point which needs further investigation.

That last one’s not that definitive, is it?

Well, like most things...

…it eventually matured into this idea:

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented (II. The Five Points of Arminianism Contrasted with the Five Points of Calvinism)

Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc

-Now, with that backdrop in mind...

…let’s look at the language of our Confession:

The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith 1689

XVII PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

17:1 Those God has accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect can neither totally nor finally fall from a state of grace.

They will certainly persevere in grace to the end and be eternally saved, because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable.

Therefore, He still brings about and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope and all the graces of the Spirit that lead to immortality.

John 10:27–29 (ESV)

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

2 Timothy 2:16–19 (ESV)

16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:19 (ESV)

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Even though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet these things will never be able to move the elect from the foundation and rock to which they are anchored by faith. The felt sight of the light and love of God may be clouded and obscured from them for a time through their unbelief and the temptations of Satan.2 Yet God is still the same; they will certainly be kept by the power of God for salvation, where they will enjoy their purchased possession. For they are engraved on the palms of His hands, and their names have been written in the book of life from all eternity.3

17:2 This perseverance of the saints does not depend on their own free will but on the unchangeableness of the decree of election,4 which flows from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father. It is based on the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with Him,5 the oath of God,6 the abiding of His Spirit, the seed of God within them,7 and the nature of the covenant of grace.8 The certainty and infallibility of their perseverance is based on all these things.

17:3 They may fall into grievous sins and continue in them for a time, due to the temptation of Satan and the world, the strength of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation.9 In so doing, they incur God’s displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit;10 their graces and comforts become impaired;11 their hearts are hardened and their consciences wounded;12 they hurt and scandalize others and bring temporary judgments on themselves.13 Nevertheless, they will renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.14