Sermon Tone Analysis

Let’s pray.

In Bunyan’s book, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’, we read about a Christian, who appropriately is named Christian.

Throughout the book, Christian is faced with various trials on his journey to the Celestial city.

Demons, giants, despair, lions, distractions and mountains, are but a few of the trials that Christian faced.

Though his trials varied, they all had one thing in common; they all threatened to make Christian turn from his journey only to return to the City of Destruction.

Each trial sought to end the pilgrim’s progress.

Bunyan’s allegory of the Christian life captures the various a Christian will likely face in their lifetime.

But more important to the the kinds of trials, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ demonstrates the importance of the Christian’s perseverance in the faith despite whatever temptation might come their way.

The perseverance in the Christian life is what we have in our view this morning.

Those who are familiar with the doctrines of grace, which are usually associated with Calvinism, will be familiar with this doctrine.

If you know the acronym, T.U.L.I.P., then you know that the P at the end represents the perseverance of the saints.

I am a five point Calvinist, and I love the doctrines of grace.

But perhaps the the most precious of these doctrines the perseverance of the saints.

But to be clear, I am not a Calvinist, because I feel I owe it to Calvin.

And I am not preaching on the the Perseverance of the saints because I am a Calvinist.

I am a Calvinist, because the doctrines of grace are thoroughly biblical, and I am preaching on the perseverance of the saints because Paul turns his attention to this point in his letter to the Colossians.

You’ll should remember what Tait preached on last week.

Paul outlined the reconciling work that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Those who were once far from God, have now been brought near to him because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Last week, Tait reminded us that we are reconciled to God, right now.

This isn’t something we are looking forward to in the future, but it is a reality that exists today.

And because of this work, we can rest.

We don’t have to perform to earn God’s favor, and we don’t have to pretend to be something that we are not.

But it’s important that we understand the work of reconciliation in relationship to our perseverance in the faith.

We often relish in the work of reconciliation, while it is all too easy for us to overlook our perseverance.

Some of us ignore the perseverance of the saints - we do this when we overlook our sin and the sins of others.

Others of us misunderstand the perseverance of the saints - we turn perseverance into a work that we must do to earn salvation

Others still forget about the perseverance of the saints - and so we give into fear and worry about the coming judgment of God

So that the Colossians and so we don’t wander off from this doctrine and from the faith, Paul wrote…

Lest we, like many others forget our need to continue in the faith, Paul shows us the necessity of our perseverance in the faith.

1.

The Necessity of perseverance

Some might think that since we are now reconciled to God, we no longer need to obey God’s word.

But this is far from what Paul is describing here.

Yes we are reconciled to God.

Our sins have been forgiven, and we have been given the perfect righteous record of Jesus.

But that’s not all that happened in the work of reconciliation.

Notice how the you once were Christian… you were not just alienated(separated from God)… but you were once hostile in mind.

That is to say, your thoughts were opposed to the thoughts of God.

Your desires were opposed to the will of God.

You thought your sin was good, and that God’s righteous requirements were bad.

And so what follows the thoughts of the mind, but the work of the hands.

You deeds were evil.

Your thoughts were carried out into the members of your body.

That’s who you were in the past.

In the future, you will be presented to God as holy, blameless, and above reproach.

But what of the present?…

You are reconciled… and in v 23

Your continuing in the faith, is opposed to the hostility in mind and evil deeds.

Christian, if you are not persevering in the faith, then you have a good reason to question if you are in fact a Christian, because if you have been reconciled to God, then you will continue in the faith.

What is meant by, ‘the faith’?

- it is the Christian life - from A to Z.

It is believing in the work that Jesus has done on the cross.

It is the ongoing need of repentance for the sins separate you from God.

It is increasing in holiness.

And it is trusting in the promise of the glory that is to be revealed.

Continue in the faith… stable and steadfast.

These adjectives describe the quality of our perseverance.

And you might picture the house that has been built on the rock.

It is stable and steadfast, because it is fixed on a foundation that cannot and will not move no matter how hard winds blow.

And just so the image is fully developed, Paul tells us what this perseverance is not to look like.

Not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.

Again, here you can picture the house that was built on the sand.

With just the slightest breeze, the sand shifts, and as the sand shifts, the house becomes less and less steady until it is destroyed.

Understand then what it means to continue in the faith.

It means, not to be destroyed by the trials and temptations that come your way.

But it means to keep the faith, no matter what comes your way.

Let’s understand what this means in light of the it’s context.

It is true that the Christian’s sins all been forgiven… All your sins, past, present, and future have been paid for by Christ.

As such, we are now reconciled to God.

God has a new disposition to sinners.

But God’s disposition to sin has never changed.

But here’s the problem.

There are many who find out that to be saved, all they need to do is believe in Jesus.

And so they do just that.

They believe in Jesus and don’t look to their works as a means of justification.

But in that, they often miss an important detail.

They begin to view grace as nothing more than what many call sloppy grace.

These immature believers and and nominal Christians don’t like it when their sins are exposed, and they don’t like to be called to repentance because they think that looking at the works of a person is some sort of legalism.

But good works are a part of the Christian life!

The nominal Christian, when they are called to repentance love to quote scripture to defend their sin.

Okay, so if this means that we are not to judge… and by that, you understand that we are to not call a sinner to repentance, then what are we supposed to do if you find out that a friend is being unfaithful to his wife?

What you supposed to do if a kid is not honoring their parent… or if an adult isn’t honoring their parent?

What are we supposed to do if we know that a fellow Christian is cutting corners at work, or if they are committing tax fraud?…

Are we really supposed to not judge them?

Well what do the Scriptures say?

If you think Jesus was calling for us to not make judgments about one another… just keep reading a little past his judge not statement.

As I’ve said, though you have been reconciled to God, God’s disposition towards your sin has not changed

Well, that’s the God of the Old Testament.

But my God, Jesus, he is love.

This is true.

Jesus is love… but Jesus also never changes.

This means that the God of the OT… who is also love.

And Jesus, who is the same God of the OT, will destroy the wicked.

Jesus himself said so.

Listen, those who wish to ignore the need for persevering in the faith, and instead insist on turning grace into a permission for sin know nothing of the saving and transforming power of grace that causes a sinner to be raised from the dead.

So, Christian, let me ask you this question.

Are you continuing in the faith?

Are you persevering day by day to remain stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel?

Are you walking in ongoing repentance?

Are you increasing in holiness?