Assurance and Warning

Series: The Journey of Faith 
Message: Assurance And Warning 
Scripture: Hebrews 6:4-12

Once saved, always saved?

“The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again.”  Wayne Grudem

Two observations from this statement:

1. Assurance – It is God’s power at work within us keeping us secure in Him

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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.” (John 10:27–29, ESV)

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” (John 6:37–39, ESV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, ESV)

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39, ESV)

2. Encouragement/Challenge to continue on in our faith giving evidence of the genuineness of our salvation

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:10–11, ESV)

“he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:22–23, ESV)

“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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV)

God does not preserve us Apart from our faith, but Through our active faith

A Troubling Passage: Hebrews 6:4-12

Remember The Context: Hebrews 5:11-6:3

• Calling out spiritual immaturity
• Challenge to strive for spiritual growth

Note: The author is not trying to make a definitive statement about any one person’s salvation.  He is giving a general, pastoral warning to a congregation made up of both genuine believers and superficial believers.

There is a huge difference between Saving faith and Superficial faith

In every congregation there are people who get caught up in the Movement but have never fully Embraced Jesus Christ

“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.” (1 John 2:19, ESV)

Biblical Example: Judas

“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12, ESV)

“And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”” (Mark 4:15–20, ESV)

Saving faith is not so much about the Emotion in the beginning, but the Duration over time

Faith that Falters before the finish was Flawed from the first

Once saved, always saved is true but it is Incomplete

Once saved, Forever Following

Perseverance is not about Perfection, it is about Direction

“Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.” (Proverbs 24:16, CSB)

Biblical Example: John Mark

“Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11, ESV)

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)

As I reflect on my relationship with Christ I ask:

• Am I presently in a Posture of surrender and trust toward Jesus Christ?
• Am I Persevering in that posture? This is not about perfection but it is about direction.
• Am I Exhibiting signs of a new life in Christ?

Making it Personal

• Take some time to reflect on the questions above.
• What is your next step in response to these truths?
• Who can you share these truths with?