The Believers Benefit_2
The Believer’s Benefit Package—Stability
1 Peter 2:6
We are looking at some of the different benefits that just come to our lives as a result of being saved by grace. Tonight I want to speak on the subject of stability or security. When I first started at Motorola, my supervisor was a Pentecostal preacher. When he found out that I was a Baptist, he said, “You are one of those once saved always saved people.” Yes I am. The eternal security we have in Jesus Christ is one of the most precious possessions we have as believers. Eternal security is not an earned benefit, but it simply comes as a benefit when you call upon Jesus for salvation. Tonight’s verse deals with a stone. We talked about the stone a little bit last week, and here it is again. I wonder if God is trying to get our attention through repetition. We talked about that living stone, but we did not come close to fully considering all that this entails. We really cannot discuss Christ the Rock without mentioning the foundation of this church.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I believe that this church, and every other Bible believing church is built on the rock Jesus Christ. The RC church teaches that Peter is the rock, and we already know they have a serious problem because their foundation is fallible. It is not just the RC, the JW rock is the watchtower society. The LDS has its foundation in the revelation of Joseph Smith. The 7th Day Adventists are founded on the works of the law. Without getting specific, there are many congregations that have exchanged Christ for baptism, or membership, or vain babblings. I really want to encourage tonight about what you already have in Christ.
1. I love how the Bible will prove itself true over and over again. It is funny how people will search for contradictions to fit their agenda, but overlook the numerous times that the Bible falls into perfect harmony with itself. This truth we are about to expound, is already contained in Scripture. In other words, the Holy Spirit is telling us that we are not being introduced to new material, and this might be something we already know about.
It is written in
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. The timing of this prophecy is interesting because Israel is learning how the Northern kingdom is about to come under the oppression of the Assyrians. We know that they were idolatrous apostates who had become ignorant of God’s Word. That is where we have the verse that tells us how to learn God’s Word.
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: The world as they knew it was about to fly apart into chaos, but there was a promise awaiting them, a rock would be laid down in Zion. Their promise of stability was yet future in the coming of Messiah, but ours is in the present tense because Jesus has already come.
Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
He is a cornerstone. That stone is so important because it determines both the vertical and horizontal angles, and establishes the plumb line for the rest of the building.
2. Those that believe on Him cannot be confounded. I like the meaning of this word. We often will put it up next to being confused, but it is more significant than that. It means putting hope in someone, and then having that hope dashed. That is the definition of eternal insecurity. Are you saved? I hope so. Why don’t you know so? Well, I have done this and this… How would you close out a message? I pray you all get home safely. I hope if you are in an accident you get right with God. There is nothing beautiful or edifying in words like those. We cannot be confounded. Once we place our faith in Christ, we will not lose faith or lose hope because of His inability to keep us. Everlasting vs. neverlasting.
John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. And then there is my personal favorite passage on the matter:
Rom 8:35-39.
Understand that we are being asked what can separate us from the love of Christ, His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us. Tribulation or distress. How about when I am going through the roughest times of my life, and I am fearful and faithless, then can I lose my salvation? Nay. How about famine, nakedness, or peril? Nope. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. We do not simply endure all that life can bring our way, we come out better than when we went in. We talk about the lessons learned in the storms or the darkness. We are more than conquerors because our eternal reward far outweighs any earthly loss we could suffer.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For I am persuaded. This isn’t just hearsay, or warm and fuzzy words, the Apostle believes what he is writing.
Death cannot separate us. That is the finality of life. That is the most extreme, and often our greatest fear. The resurrection of Jesus Christ has taken the sting out of death and has given us the victory.
How about life? Life is the time in your space of eternity when you will face the most difficulty and spiritual struggles.
How about an angel? There really is not a more powerful created being? Principalities and powers? The demonic realm cannot touch what you have in Christ.
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Present and to come.
Height and depth from the highest heaven to the lowest hell.