He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not?

When Christians talk about the love of God, most will agree that he is very loving to His children--however, there are dear brothers and sisters in Christ that, when reading Hebrews 6, Christians can fall so far as to fall out of the love of God and out of His saving grace.

Our Wesleyan/Arminian brethren would read Hebrews 6 as stating that one who is in the faith can in fact lose their salvation. A simple illustration of humor might sum it up best:

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Like plucking the daisy here, so goes our faith and our standing in Christ (and the differing viewpoints between Arminians and Reformed folks on justification and sanctification has much to bear on this discussion but I will not expand it here--I have written on it before). Some might laugh this off, but in reality it is no laughing matter--this viewpoint may paralyze Christians from realizing assurance of faith in this life. So you have to ask yourself: does God provide a permanent and lasting salvation which is not able to be lost, and is guaranteed? Or can one truly come to Christ and then wholly lose that salvation?

Pastor David explored the first 12 verses of Hebrews 6, which are as follows:

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, [1] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Now, there's a lot in there, and a lot which can be taken to mean different things if it is not read together and in context. Pastor David made a great point in focusing on the pronouns of verses 1-3 and then 4-8. Notice this! It's quite important as to the audience who he is speaking to, and the group he is speaking of--in verse 1 and 3, he says, "let us leave the elementary doctrine..." then verse 3, "and this we will do..." What does he do in verse 4 when speaking of the impossibility of coming back to the faith and the group that is falling away? He says those who have been enlightened, have tasted, etc. He's not talking about his audience, but another group of people. This is evidenced by his switch in verse 9 back to "in your case..."--the writer-preacher knows he is not speaking about them, he expects better for them, "things which belong to salvation."

Now, either he's talking out of two sides of his mouth and trying very hard to confuse his listeners, or he's warning his audience of another group.

Pastor David then made some observations about the writer's discussion of the group that had fallen away: the enlightenment that the writer spoke of could be the common grace that they had experienced being among Christians or even a common grace that is allowed by God on the earth. The word "enlighten" is the same word used in John 1:9-10 in describing Jesus being the light that came into the world and yet did not know him. The writer goes on to say that these people tasted in the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit, which Pastor David indicated could very well be allusions to their participation in Communion and even baptism. Further, they may have sat under the preaching of the Word, tasting the goodness of it.

What do we take from all of this? If we conclude that the writer is speaking of one group of people, who are faithful on one side yet able to take in all the benefits and yet fall, then we would all need to be a bit more worried about our salvation than we are. But other texts argue against that:

John 10:28-29: 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.

There is definite purpose in what Jesus said, in that there is nothing that can happen which would snatch us out of the Father's hand, let alone us ourselves! Romans 8:38-40 has Paul exclaiming that there is NO POWER or anything else in all creation which can separate us from the love of God!

Pastor David concluded by saying that this passage is ultimately an encouragement to those who are true believers in Christ and yet it is a warning to anyone who would want to "play church" or trifle with such spiritual matters. Jesus is not something you "try" or be apart of like you would the rotary club--this is spiritual life or death. Today is the day of salvation and do not delay, or you may be spoke of in this way:

"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. (John 2:19)

God through His Son Christ will lose NONE in the end, and there is nothing, for those who truly believe, that will change that fact, even our own will. Would so great a God provide so amazing a grace that He would save us from drowning only to allow us to jump back in the water and drown ourselves? Some would say yes because God is so loving that he would allow us the choice to turn our backs on Him and do just that. But that's a whole other post.

His Works, Not Our Works

Our pastor finished out the passage on Hebrews 5 this week dealing with Christ as our mediator, with this last segment dealing with the perfect nature of Christ.

The sermon focused on verses 8-10:

8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Pastor David first pointed out in earlier verses in how Christ was heard in His prayers to God because of His reverence--and this is not a manner of prayer so much as it is His status before God as co-equal since the beginning. Jesus was, is and is to come. We cannot have such a status before God or even a manner of reverence as Christ had--we must rely on His reverence.

Moving on to verse 8, some readers may be struck by the fact that Christ learned through obedience. Some may say, "hey, I thought Christ was perfect!" This learning may imply that he made "mistakes" or fell short somehow so that he had to learn, but we have to remember that Christ was sent to suffer and die for us--that was His calling, to proclaim His Gospel and die for our sins. He "learned" obedience by submitting His will to the Father in His suffering--in the Garden of Gethsemene, what does He say? And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (see Matt. 26:39)

He learned obedience in His suffering, learning submission through the experience--Pastor David rightly pointed out that there are even instances that we as Christians learn in a similar way in our suffering which does not result from sin but is the bitter providence that God has ordained for us. And this suffering that Christ endured, in his full humanity, was necessary for Him to be our "sympathetic" high priest.

In all this, verse 9 emphasizes the consequence of this--that Christ being made perfect, without blemish, is the source for eternal salvation for all who believe. Why? Because He is sacrificed on the Cross once and for all for the sins of those who would believe--His righteousness is imputed, credited to us; while all of our sin was bore by him. He hung on the Cross and endured the wrath of God that was poured out for the sins that believers committed and ever will commit.

The Cross signifies the last sacrifice needed--because Christ was both the priest offering the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself! He is prophet, priest, King and Savior!

He lowered Himself in coming to Earth and dying for us, denying Himself, His glory, His crown and power, to give us life and life everlasting. And in the end, the Father glorified Him, with Christ victorious over death.

And this is why it is not improper to say we are saved by works--but it is Christ's works, not our works. It is the same to say that God in no way lessened His demand for perfection under His law--but in sending His Son, He provided a way to uphold His holiness and power and yet guarantee salvation for His elect. Praise God!

I will close with an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon that was my daily reading this morning:

Jesus, the Redeemer, is altogether ours and ours for ever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us appropriate him as ours under that name as much as under any other. The shepherd's staff, the father's rod, the captain's sword, the priest's mitre, the prince's sceptre, the prophet's mantle, all are ours. Jesus hath no dignity which he will not employ for our exaltation, and no prerogative which he will not exercise for our defence. His fulness of Godhead is our unfailing, inexhaustible treasure-house.

His manhood also, which he took upon him for us, is ours in all its perfection.
To us our gracious Lord communicates the spotless virtue of a stainless character; to us he gives the meritorious efficacy of a devoted life; on us he bestows the reward procured by obedient submission and incessant service. He makes the unsullied garment of his life our covering beauty; the glittering virtues of his character our ornaments and jewels; and the superhuman meekness of his death our boast and glory. He bequeaths us his manger, from which to learn how God came down to man; and his Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. All his thoughts, emotions, actions, utterances, miracles, and intercessions, were for us. He trod the road of sorrow on our behalf, and hath made over to us as his heavenly legacy the full results of all the labours of his life. He is now as much ours as heretofore; and he blushes not to acknowledge himself "our Lord Jesus Christ," though he is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Christ everywhere and every way is our Christ, for ever and ever most richly to enjoy. O my soul, by the power of the Holy Spirit! call him this morning, "thy Redeemer. "

Glory today in your Redeemer!

A Great Weekend Ahead!

According to the weather, it's supposed to be sunny all weekend, which always helps with the rest and relaxation. I don't really know if I have much planned other than putting up a clothesline for my wife, which shouldn't take too long--although some spring "cleaning" might take place.

We went to small group last night, and we are continuing our study on the sacraments. We are studying baptism, and it will be interesting to hear the Presby perspective on it since I hail from a more Baptistic (and thus credo or believer's baptism) background. I'm trying to keep an open mind, and I'm sure both sides realize that this difference in doctrine certainly doesn't prevent fellowship in any way (since we agree on the core of the Gospel).

Anyway, this week at work was not so bad--I didn't have any big mistakes, which is always good. And next week will be one of my lightest court weeks in a while (I only have court once because of a state-wide judicial conference that shuts down the entire court system for two to three days).

Enjoy His creation today!