The Perseverance of the Saints
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsPaul reminds Chrisians that God will complete the work that he has begun.
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I. The Perseverance of the Saints
A. First, let us Expound The Apostle’s Own Words
I. First, let us Expound The Apostle’s Own Words
* . good work: The Sense: to begin (start); good (moral) work (product
God does not forsake the work which his own hands have begun, as the Prophet bears witness,
(
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.
Calvin
we are the work of his hands; therefore he will complete what he has begun in us. When I say that we are the work of his hands, I do not refer to mere creation, but to the calling by which we are adopted into the number of his sons. For it is a token to us of our election, that the Lord has called us effectually to himself by his Spirit.
B. He who began
Black Commentary
This Christian confidence is rooted not in some assessment of intrinsic likelihood, but in the character of God who unfailingly accomplishes what he sets out to do. Fee rightly stresses that ‘this confidence has very little to do with them and everything to do with God’, the author and perfecter of the good work of redemption at Philippi.
Nevertheless, from everything Paul has said it is also clear that this good work is at the same time being carried on and advanced by the Philippians themselves.
C. will perfect it
Spurgeon wrote: Every good thing that is in a Christian, not merely begins, but progresses and is consummated by the fostering grace, through Jesus Christ…salvation is God’s work, not man’s. This is the theology Jonah learned in the great fish college, in the university of the great deep.” It is here where one learns of the vileness of his own heart and thus the lie of self-sufficiency.
D. until the day of Christ Jesus
Calvin
Until the day of Jesus Christ. The chief thing, indeed, to be understood here is—until the termination of the conflict. Now the conflict is terminated by death. As, however, the Spirit is accustomed to speak in this manner in reference to the last coming of Christ, it were better to extend the advancement of the grace of Christ to the resurrection of the flesh. For although those who have been freed from the mortal body do no longer contend with the lusts of the flesh, and are, as the expression is, beyond the reach of a single dart,1 yet there will be no absurdity in speaking of them as in the way of advancement,2 inasmuch as they have not yet reached the point at which they aspire,—they do not yet enjoy the felicity and glory which they have hoped for; and in fine, the day has not yet shone which is to discover the treasures which lie hid in hope. And in truth, when hope is treated of, our eyes must always be directed forward to a blessed resurrection, as the grand object in view.
II. Secondly, we shall Show Further Ground For Our Belief In The Doctrine Of The Final Perseverance Of the Saints
A. Jonathan Edwards’s Religious Affections’
Another great and very distinguishing difference between gracious affections and others is, that gracious affections, the higher they are raised, the more is a spiritual appetite and longing of soul after spiritual attainments, increased. On the contrary, false affections rest satisfied in themselves.
The more a true saint loves God with a gracious love, the more he desires to love him, and the more uneasy is he at his want of love to him: the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it, and laments that he has so much remaining love to it: the more he mourns for sin, the more he longs to mourn for sin: the more his heart is broke, the more he desires it should be broke: the more he thirsts and longs after God and holiness, the more he longs to long, and breathe out his very soul in longings after God: the kindling and raising of gracious affections is like kindling a flame; the higher it is raised, the more ardent it is; and the more it burns, the more vehemently does it tend and seek to burn. So that the spiritual appetite after holiness, and an increase of holy affections, is much more lively and keen in those that are eminent in holiness, than others; and more when grace and holy affections are in their most lively exercise, than at other times. ’Tis as much the nature of one that is spiritually new born, to thirst after growth in holiness, as ’tis the nature of a newborn babe, to thirst after the mother’s breast; who has the sharpest appetite, when best in health; “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (). The most that the saints have in this world, is but a taste, a prelibation of that future glory which is their proper fulness; ’tis only an earnest of their future inheritance in their hearts ( and 5:5 and ). The most eminent saints in this state are but children, compared with their future, which is their proper state of maturity and perfection, as the Apostle observes (). The greatest eminency and perfection, that the saints arrive to in this world, has no tendency to satiety, or to abate their desires after more; but on the contrary, makes ’em more eager to press forwards; as is evident by the Apostle’s words, “Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark.… Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded” ().
The reasons of it are, that the more persons have of holy affections, the more they have of that spiritual taste which I have spoken of elsewhere; whereby they perceive the excellency, and relish the divine sweetness of holiness. And the more grace they have, while in this state of imperfection, the more they see their imperfction and emptiness, and distance from what ought to be; and so the more do they see their need of grace; as I shewed at large before, when speaking of the nature of evangelical humiliation. And besides grace, as long as it is imperfect, is of a growing nature, and in a growing state. And we see it to be so with all living things, that while they are in a state of imperfection, and in their growing state, their nature seeks after growth; and so much the more, as they are more healthy and prosperous. Therefore the cry of every true grace, is like that cry of true faith, “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief” (). And the greater spiritual discoveries and affections the true Christian has, the more does he become of an earnest beggar for grace, and spiritual food, that he may grow; and the more earnestly does he pursue after it, in the use of proper means and endeavors: for true and gracious longings after holiness, are no idle ineffectual desires.
B. 1689
CHAPTER 17
Of the Perseverance of the Saints
1. Those whom God has accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence He still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet He is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of His hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.
2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercessions of Jesus Christ and union with Him, the oath of God, the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
3. And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein; whereby they incur God’s displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet they shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.
Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (pp. 2486–2487). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.
III. The Application
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7 “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9 “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. 11 “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.” ’
A. Related to the Faithfulness of God
By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.’ ”
“In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.
Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
14 “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,