In today’s episode, we tackle one of the most profound questions in Christianity: is the believer’s salvation secure? Dive into the intricacies of Hebrews 6 alongside Dr. J. Vernon McGee, who provides a thoughtful interpretation, reassuring listeners of the steadfast promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. As letters from around the globe pour in, celebrate the stories of individuals whose lives have been changed forever by faith. This episode is a testament to the enduring power of God’s love and the vital ministry of delivering His Word to the furthest corners of the earth.
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
SPEAKER 04 :
Is it possible for a saved person ever to be lost? Well, that’s our Sunday sermon today on Through the Bible, so welcome. It’s a vital question, really, and it demands a clear answer. Yet many teachers, they tend to shy away from it, and some even avoid teaching Hebrews 6 altogether. Well, thankfully, Dr. J. Vernon McGee wasn’t one of them. He tackles this profound question head on. I’m Steve Schwartz, and as you settle in, Through the Bible’s president, Greg Harris, and I have got some great letters to share with you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, we certainly do, as always, Steve. And I do want to add, if we weren’t committed to teaching the whole Word, we would skip over controversial, difficult passages like Hebrews 6. But we praise God that Dr. McGee was courageous. He had the faith to teach the whole Word because he honestly believed the whole Word is the Word of God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, absolutely. Yep. Let’s get to these letters. Here’s one from a partner in Kazakhstan. A few years ago, thanks to your support, we had the opportunity to distribute radio receivers with Bible programs to people who did not have access to church and spiritual counseling. I gave one of these radios to a man living in the city. He had many questions about faith and God that he could not find answers to. He was hesitant to accept Christ for a long time, and when he received the radio, he began to listen to your programs regularly. Over a period of four years, he studied the Word of God with great interest and diligence, listening to the sermons and programs. They helped him understand many of the issues troubling him. Every day, his faith grew stronger and he began to feel God’s presence in his life. Recently, this man accepted Christ into his heart. Hallelujah! He told me that through these programs, he found answers to his questions and true faith. His testimony was a great encouragement to me. This incident reminded me again how important it is to continue this ministry and to spread God’s word in every possible way. I thank you for your support in helping and providing radios. Because of you, we can reach the hearts of people in the most remote corners of our country and the world. May God bless each of you and give you strength to continue this important work. Together, we are bringing people to God.
SPEAKER 05 :
And Steve, that letter is wonderful. I mean, I’ve been to Kazakhstan and it’s a tough place, you know, very predominantly Muslim, but just there are passionate teams of partners that we have around the world that take our great teaching and give it kind of hands and feet like this lady did. So it’s really, really tremendous. So here is one from Mrs. Boonsong in Thailand. My bedridden husband received your listening device. While listening to the program, he rejoices and his face changes from unhappy to peaceful. One day I asked him if I could take the device to listen at my workplace. When I returned home, he was depressed, saying he’d slept all day. That is when you gave us a second device. I’m very grateful for your kindness and concern. Now we both listen during the day and talk about it at night. It has brought us closer to one another and to God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow, such an encouragement. And I’m assuming those are radio players, those are media players.
SPEAKER 05 :
Probably media players. They could be radios. This is the beauty of what we do. Our partners know what to give to people. So sometimes it’s a media player, sometimes it’s a radio.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Greg, why don’t you pray for us as we begin our study?
SPEAKER 05 :
Father, we’re excited about the many ways that you allow us to fling the seed of your word, whether it’s radios or radio players. And we’re thankful for our partners who have such a passion to get your word into the hearts and minds and lives of people. And we pray you do that now as we study your word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SPEAKER 04 :
Here now is the Sunday Sermon on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 01 :
This morning we have a text for you and it’s found in the sixth chapter and the very heart of this difficult passage here. Verses 4 through 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Our subject this morning is, is it possible for a person who is once saved ever to be lost? And this passage of scripture that we’re dealing with is probably The answer that we can give to the question, because this is by all odds the most difficult passage in the Bible for any interpreter to handle regardless of his theological position. It was Dr. R. W. Dale who wrote years ago, He says, I know how this passage has made the heart of many a good man tremble. And certainly that’s been true. And then he wrote this in addition. It rises up in the New Testament with a gloomy grandeur, stern, pretentious, awful, sublime, as Mount Sinai when the Lord descended upon it in fire and threatening storm clouds were around him and thunderings and lightnings and unearthly voices told that he was there. Every reverent person has come to this particular passage of Scripture with awe and with wonder. And every sincere Christian has come to this passage with a sense of inadequacy. And certainly that’s the way we come today. May I add to that that it would be possible to be pastor of the church of the open door for 100 years and never to preach on this passage of scripture. I could avoid it very easily. In fact, the matter is we’ve been here six years and we’ve stayed pretty far away from it, as you will admit. But this morning we are coming to it. And even if we consider it, it would be possible to treat it lightly, to slur it. to give a garbled and a confused view of the passage and pass over it that way. I think of a story that a friend of mine in the ministry in Texas told me years ago. He said it actually happened to him. I’ve heard it of other preachers, and so I’m not quite clear whether it really happened to my friend or not. But he said he was waiting for a train early one Sunday morning in Temple, Texas. He’s making a change there, going out to a little country church to preach. And he was walking up and down the platform in that early morning, going over the notes of his sermon and getting it well fixed in his mind. And as he did, he noticed a fellow standing over at the side, eyeing him, and he was sure that he was a preacher because he had a long frock-tail coat. And after a few minutes, the curiosity of this fellow got the best of him, and he came over to my friend and said to him, he says, are you a preacher? He said, yes. He says, well, what are you doing? Well, he says, I’m going over my sermon. I’m going to preach out here at a certain place today, and I’m going over it. And the fellow says, well, I’m preaching today also. But says, I never do that sort of a thing. He says, I don’t think you ought to prepare your sermon. I think you just ought to get up and let the Spirit of God speak to you. And then just say whatever the Spirit tells you to say. And my friend said to him, is that the way you do? He says, yes, that’s the way I do. Well, he says, suppose when you get up, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to you immediately, what do you do? Well, he says, I just messes around until he does. And I’m afraid, my beloved, that there’s been a great deal of messing around with this text that’s before us today in this particular passage of Scripture. I’ve been amazed in reading Dr. G. Campbell Morgan’s very excellent book on Hebrews to discover that he avoids the sixth chapter altogether and doesn’t even mention it. And it’s amazing because to me, Dr. G. Campbell Morgan is the prince of expositors. What a privilege people had of hearing that matchless expositor of the word. I never heard him speak. But I tell you, I’ve read everything I could get my hands on that that man has written. And I was indeed surprised to find that he absolutely avoided the sixth chapter altogether. And when you begin to consider the many interpretations of this passage and you see the confusion that’s come in upon it, you can well understand why men have stayed away from it. May I mention this morning several of these interpretations? The first one, and the one that I think is more unsatisfactory than any other, is that the Christians that are mentioned here, they are Christians who are lost. That is, they were once saved and they lost their salvation. And those who hold that position, and there are a great many people who do, and I think many of them, most of them, for the most part, are real born-again Christians themselves. They’re just like I am when I take a trip by plane. I’m just as safe on that plane as anybody there. But I don’t enjoy it like the pilot does. And there are a lot of people today that are not sure about their salvation, and they’re not enjoying it. but they’re saved if they’ve trusted Christ as their Savior. And these folk turn to this passage of Scripture more than any other. In fact, it’s one of the few doubtful passages that we have in the Word of God that’s used by those who deny we have a sure salvation and that the believer is safe in Jesus Christ. In fact, this passage is the most conspicuous example and it’s the favorite passage of those who deny that the believer is safe in Christ. It comes to me on our question and answer program more than any other question that comes in. I trust that after the message of the morning that nobody again will have a question on the sixth chapter of Hebrews, my beloved. But I’m not optimistic to believe that. But may I say to you this morning that you and I have a salvation that’s sure, and Scripture’s very clear on that point. Paul says in Romans 8, 1, there is therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. And my beloved, he expands that great truth. And when it comes to the end of the eighth chapter, he makes a bold statement like this. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It’s God that justifies. The throne of God is back on the weakest, umblest sinner that’s trusted Christ so that today there is nothing or no created intelligence in God’s universe that can bring a charge against a sinner that Jesus Christ died for and is justified by faith in his blood. He goes on. He says, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It’s God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It’s Christ that died. Yea, rather, that’s risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Now, my friend, clench it. Listen to this language. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it’s written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We’re counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Listen to him, for I’m persuaded. that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He says this morning, I didn’t say it. If it depended on me, I’d be lost in the next five minutes. But this morning, He says it, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing that’s seen, nothing that’s unseen, nothing that’s natural, nothing that’s supernatural, nothing can separate us from the love of God that’s in Christ Jesus. For the Lord Jesus Himself made this tremendous statement. 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. The Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no created thing can pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” It’s not a question of whether I can hang on, it’s a question of whether he can hang on. And my friend, he says he can, and they’ll never perish, those that trust him. Now listen, my friend. Those are clear-cut statements, and I’ve only given a fragment of those this morning. There are many this morning that are clear. And here is a rule that these people need to learn, and it’s this. Never use a doubtful passage of Scripture to contradict a clear-cut passage of Scripture. You can’t do that, my beloved. And this, to say the best, has been a doubtful passage because of the different interpretations that have been given. Now, there is another interpretation, and it has a great deal of merit in it. There are those that say today that this is a hypothetical case that’s mentioned here. That those here that they’re speaking of, if they shall fall away to renew them again under repentance, that it’s impossible to do that. That it’s a hypothetical case. That this if here is just the if of possibility. That is, The writer here doesn’t say it happens, but he says if it were possible. It’s not possible, but if it were possible. And these people say this is the biggest if there is in the Bible. Well, we can say a hearty amen to that. But the interesting thing is that in the Greek, there’s no if there, really. It’s a participle, and it can be translated having fallen away. But there is merit to that interpretation. There are those today that say that those that are spoken of here are professors. They’re not really genuine believers at all. And what he’s talking about, those who profess to be Christian. May I say to you that This passage of Scripture here, I do not believe, refers to professors. But if you take that position, you’ll be in lots better company than if you go along with me, I’ll tell you that. Matthew Henry, one of the great commentators, took that position. May I say to you, Dr. Scofield, in his excellent reference Bible, takes that position. And those people today who think I think the Scofield Bible is inspired, that is the notes. I hope they’re listening right now. May I say I think it’s the greatest Bible there is, and every Christian ought to have one. But none of us believe that the notes of it are inspired. And I don’t believe that this is the final interpretation of the passage, though it does have wonderful meaning. a wonderful background and wonderful merit to it. Dr. Grant, Dr. Darby, both took this position. Now, my beloved, there are passages that refer to professors who are not genuine believers. I think Peter, for instance, is referring to professors when he says, it’s happened unto them according to the true proverb. The dog is turned to his own vomit again, the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Those are professors, not genuine believers. But here, my beloved, these are genuine believers because they’re identified in too many ways that would indicate they are believers. And you move back into chapter 5 to get the entire passage, and I want you to notice that. These people are, it’s said of them, they’re dull of hearing. And it doesn’t say they’re dead in trespasses and sins. Because if they were unsaved, they would be dead in trespasses and sins and not just dull of hearing. It also says in verse 12 here of chapter 5, that when for the time ye ought to be teachers. Here are people that ought to be teachers of the word. And that they also are those that need milk. And my beloved, an unsaved person doesn’t need milk. What he needs is life. And it’s only after you’re born that you need milk, you see. And he’s talking about these people here needing milk. Also, they’re called in verse 13, for everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he’s obeyed. These people are called babes here, you see. And then in chapter 6, verse 1, we are told here they’re urged to leave the first principles. And it’s the picture of putting up a building on a foundation. And you’re to leave the first principles, the foundation, and build on it. And may I say to you this morning, my beloved, that foundation is Christ. No other foundation can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. And this is the Christian life that’s built on the foundation that he’s talking about here. And the unbeliever has never begun to begin with, and he’s certainly not on the foundation at all. These people here, we are told in verse 4, for it’s impossible for those who were once enlightened, they were enlightened, and they’ve tasted of the heavenly gift, and they’ve been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, my beloved. So that you can see here, the language that’s used is the language of those that are born again folks. Now, there have been those today that have taken the position that the ones referred to here are Jewish folk, the Jewish nation, for instance, and that the verse 6 here, “…if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, put him to an open shame,” that he’s writing to Jewish folks, Christians and Jewish unbelievers, for that matter, and warning them about returning to the sacrificial system, that when they do return to the sacrificial system, they are returning back to that which will crucify afresh the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ll see that in a moment. Then there’s another. group today that take the position that the emphasis should be put on the word impossible. It’s impossible to renew them and that the thought there is this, it’s impossible for man But it’s not with God. The Lord Jesus, you remember, said concerning a certain man that it was just as difficult for that rich man to enter the kingdom as it is for a camel to go through the eye of the needle. Now that’s physically impossible. And it’s physically impossible and certainly humanly impossible for a man to be saved, any man for that matter, but it’s not divinely impossible. And they put the emphasis there. So, my beloved, you see there are many interpretations of this passage. Now may I say we are coming now to the true interpretation of this passage here. At least it’s my interpretation this morning, and I trust that now you will hear me patiently and that you’ll hear me thoughtfully and without bias because we believe this can be a blessing to your heart. It’s not original with me. I don’t want you to get that position at all. I’m not the one who thought of this. In fact, Dr. Rowell, yonder in Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, is the man who made the study of this, and this actually is his interpretation, but it blessed my heart so, because none of these other was ever satisfactory to me. And as a result, this one has blessed my heart, and it’s the reason I pass it on to you. I had the privilege… of giving on the Biola Network several years ago before I became pastor here of the church, a series on Hebrews. And at that time, I dealt with the sixth chapter. I had letters from all over the West Coast. This was one from San Bernardino. Just a word of appreciation and thanks to you for your fine exposition of the Bible. I think your explanation of Hebrews 6 is the finest I’ve ever heard and only wish it were available in print. And then there was one that came to me from Portland, Oregon, and the listener up there said, I especially appreciated your explanation this morning of the sixth chapter of Hebrews. And they went on to say it was the only interpretation that had ever satisfied the mind and heart of this particular listener. Now, it may be this morning we’re speaking to folk like that, and for that reason I want you to notice something that’s amazing about this passage. May I say to you first of all that the writer here is not discussing the question of salvation at all, and the whole tenor of the text reveals that. He is speaking of rewards that are the result of salvation. He’s talking about the fruit of salvation and not about salvation at all, my beloved. Now, the key verse, therefore, is verse 9. Will you listen to this? But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” Now he’s talking about the things that accompany or follow salvation. That is the Christian’s life, the fruit of a Christian’s life, the reward that comes to him. And he’s discussing with them the possibility that because of their lives there was a danger of them. losing their reward. And that’s the whole tenor of this passage here. Now let’s see if the passage will confirm that at all, because we know that Scripture deals with these two great subjects. The epistle we looked at last Wednesday evening, Titus. Paul, in writing to this young preacher, he says to him very carefully in Titus 3, 5, not by works of righteousness which we’ve done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Now, you’d think that Paul’s not going to have very much use for good works. And yet, down in the eighth verse, will you notice, in that same chapter, from verse 5 to verse 8, Paul says, be careful to maintain good works. You see, for salvation, good works do not enter any talk. But for a Christian, good works become the most important thing in the world. It’s like a psychology professor I had when this argument several years ago was raging, which was the most important in a man’s life. Heredity or environment? And he gave this very pungent answer. He says, before you’re born, heredity is the most important. After you’re born, environment is the most important. Before you’re born again, my friends, works do not enter in. You can’t bring them to God. But after you’ve been saved, works become all important. in a Christian’s life, my beloved, and that’s the thing that he’s talking about here. He’s emphasizing the fruit of salvation. Peter, you remember, went along on that. Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that ye might show forth Now, he’s talking about those that have been saved, that you might show forth by your good works before the world that you are redeemed of God, my beloved. And therefore, Christian has something to show forth. And that’s the thing. That’s to be judged, my beloved, not his salvation at all. Now, let me read verses 4 and 5 and 6 again. Will you listen very carefully as we come immediately to our text? For it’s impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift. and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Now here is the contrast. For it is impossible, if they shall fall away, Now, this word for fall away is an interesting word. It’s not the word apostasiaton. It’s parapypto. And it means just simply this, to fall down, to stumble, or to err. It’s all in the world. It means you could not run apostasy in here to save your life. And it says, if they shall fall, not away, this is not apostasy, but this means to stumble and fall. Listen, my friend, Peter fell down, even got his clothes dirty. But he wasn’t lost. Never was lost. The Lord Jesus said, I prayed that your faith wouldn’t fail you. And he suffered loss. But my beloved, he was not lost. Simon Peter is an example of this. May I give you another? John Mark. John Mark failed on the first missionary journey. He showed a yellow feather. And this man was chickened. And when his uncle, generous, big-hearted Barnabas, blood relation, had something to do with it, he said, I want to take John Mark on the second missionary journey. Paul said, not on your life. I don’t want anybody going with me on a missionary journey that’s got a yellow streak up and down his back. That fellow failed, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s through. But thank God, God wasn’t through with him. God’s not through with any man that stumbles and falls. God will never throw him overboard. And he didn’t throw John Mark overboard. And even my beloved, the great apostle Paul, before he died, acknowledged he was wrong about John Mark. The very last epistle he wrote, he says, bring John Mark with you. He’s profitable to me for the gospel. This man made good. And my beloved, this word that’s used here speaks of the fact of just falling down. It has nothing in the world to do with anybody losing their salvation. If they fall away, now will you notice the next statement, “…to renew them again unto repentance.” And if these folk would only go back to the first verse, they’d find out he talked there about the foundation of repentance from dead works. And you remember John had preached that to these people, bring forth the fruit worthy of repentance. He’s talking here about that, my beloved, which is the evidence of repentance. And I say to you this morning, it’s still true today. It’s not just shedding a few tears. Repentance means turning right about face toward Jesus Christ, and it means a change of life, my beloved. And that’s the thing he’s talking about, that which is the evidence of your salvation, that if they shall fall down to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. Now, the Jewish believers, many of them were returning to the temple sacrifices at this time. That’s well known today. And the writer to the Hebrews was warning them of the danger of that. Before Christ came, every sacrifice pointed to his coming. Every sacrifice spoke of his coming and was a picture of his coming. But my friend, after Christ came and died on the cross, that which God commanded now becomes sin. Because the man now that brings a sacrifice, and none of you brought a little lamb to church this morning, did you? Nobody today brings the little lamb today because Christ has already come. And that which spoke of him It’s been done away with. And today we don’t offer a bloody sacrifice. But if this morning you said because the Old Testament says we’re to offer a sacrifice and you went out somewhere today and offered a bloody sacrifice, my friend, you in turn would be crucifying afresh the Lord Jesus, because you’d be saying, when He died 1900 years ago, it didn’t avail. I’m still looking for Him. I still need a sacrifice. I still need something to take care of my sin. You would not be coming in faith. You would be, by your life, my beloved, you’d be crucifying Him afresh. And as someone has said, our lives today as believers either crucify or crown Jesus Christ. And I think that’s true today, that you and I, by our lives, whether we are living in faith in Him and exhibiting that faith in Him, today is telling to the world we’re crowning Him, or whether we are crucifying Him today, my beloved. And that’s the thing that He’s speaking of here, the fruit of salvation. I’m not through, but I’m almost through. Will you notice what he says here now? And this is the thing I think that clinches it if we just only continue to read this passage. Never lift a verse out of the Bible by itself. Listen to this. Verse 7, For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it’s dressed. receiveth blessing of God. He’s talking about fruit there, isn’t he? But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. He’s talking here, my beloved, about the same kind of ground, and in one particular case it brings forth herbs. Fruit, if you please, receives blessing of God. On another occasion, the same kind of ground. Christians, if you please, are bringing forth thorns, and that fruit is to be cursed of God. May I say the great Dr. Vinson, when he read this passage and studied it, one of the greatest Greek scholars the world has ever seen, he says the contrast is between two classes of Christians under equally favorable conditions out of which they develop opposite results. And my beloved, that’s what the Lord Jesus himself said to his own yonder in the upper room. I am the vine, you’re the branches. And my desire and my father’s desire is that you might bring forth fruit. In fact, I want you to bring forth much fruit. And then he went on to say that if you will not bring forth fruit, he will come in and prune that vine. And in some cases, absolutely cut it. Take that individual to heaven and you’ll not have any works to present to God at all, my beloved. That’s the thing he’s talking about there. Paul discussed it in the fifth of Galatians when he spoke of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. He’s talking about that which is the result of the Christian life, that which comes because we’ve trusted Christ as Savior. And what we have here are the two ends in view. of those who live for God and those who do not live for God. Those whose lives crown him and those whose lives crucify him. Salvation is not being discussed at all. And he speaks here of being rejected. And the word reject is in the Greek disapproved. that Paul said in his life. Paul said that he kept his body under control in order that he might not be disapproved. Paul never thought he’d lose his salvation. That never was in question. But Paul felt he might lose his reward. But when he got to the end of his life, He says, I finished my course. I’ve been everywhere God wanted me to go. I’ve done everything He wanted me to do. I’ve been in the will of God. Oh, my beloved, today how important it is for a Christian to stay in the will of God. And that’s the thing that he’s discussing here with all solemnity and all seriousness today. A Christian, my beloved, right here and now is in possession of eternal life. The Lord Jesus says, He that heareth my word believeth on him that sent me half. Everlasting life, present tense, right now. Hath everlasting life, shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life. We’ve been made a partaker of the divine nature, become a member of the body of Christ. He’ll not have a mutilated body. Somebody said to a dear lady one time, you talk about your salvation as if it’s sure. Aren’t you afraid that you might slip through the fingers of Jesus? And she says, no, I’m one of his fingers. You can’t slip through his finger when you’re one of his fingers, my beloved. It was Dwight L. Moody who made this statement. A man comes to me and asks if I’m married. I tell him I hope so. At times I feel like I’m not. Sometimes I think I am. Do you not see that this is a reflection on my marriage vows? Someone asks me if I’m an American. And I tell him, I hope so. Don’t I know that I was born an American on American soil of American parents? It was Spurgeon that said he did not want anyone to tell him how honey tasted. He said, I know how it tastes. My friend, this morning, have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? And if you have, You have a sure salvation, not because of who you are, but because of who he is, what he’s done, and what he said about that. My beloved, Michael Faraday, that great scientist was dying, and reporters were permitted to come into his deathbed. And one of them said, Mr. Faraday, what are your speculations now? And Michael Faraday looked up. became alert for a moment and said, speculations? I have none, I thank God. I’m not resting my dying head on guesswork. I know whom I have believed. And I’m persuaded that he’s able to guard my deposit against that day. My beloved, what are you thankful for today? We have many material blessings to be thankful for. I thank God this morning I was born in America. I thank God today that I live in Southern California in spite of the smog and traffic. I’m thankful today, my beloved, that I’m a child of God. I’m thankful this morning that And pastor the church of the open door and have so many faithful and loyal folk. I’m thankful today for many, many things. I’m thankful for my home. I’m thankful for many material things. But may I say to you this morning, the thing I’m most thankful for above everything else, that in the shifting scenes of this life and the sinking sands, failure of friends, change of the complexion of circumstances constantly, change about me, I thank God this morning for a Savior. who saves to the uttermost those who come unto God through him. We have a sure salvation today, my beloved.
SPEAKER 04 :
Dr. McGee made it clear, if you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you can be assured of your salvation. Learn more about knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior by clicking on How Can I Know God in our app or at ttb.org. There you’ll find several free resources written and recorded by Dr. McGee that’ll help you understand how much God loves you and how He’s waiting to welcome you as His child today. You can also call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE or write to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C, 6B1. And we’ll be happy to send you a few of these resources by mail. Now, hopefully today’s sermon convinced you that your salvation is assured. But maybe you still have some questions or doubts. Well, a listener wrote to Dr. McGee sharing that they struggled with understanding passages on works, like those in Matthew 25 and Luke 12. Well, to close today’s program, here’s Dr. McGee’s thoughtful response to these concerns.
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Well, may I say that the verses that you have picked out are verses that have to do with the works of the believer and do not have to do with his salvation at all. The first one that comes from Matthew 25, 30, and let me read it. and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now this has to do with those that enter the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country. And this hasn’t anything in the world to do, if you please, with salvation by grace as we know it today. But it does have to do with the kingdom and a person’s salvation then is tested by his works. And that parable there has to do with that. And it has to do with entering the kingdom, and it hasn’t anything at all to do with our salvation today under grace. Now, the next passage is Luke 12, 46, and it reads, The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he’s not aware, and will cut him in sundry, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Now here is a servant that his works demonstrate that he’s an unbeliever and he’s classed with the unbelievers because of his works. And again, we’re on kingdom ground altogether. It certainly doesn’t have to do with salvation, but it does have to do with the works. And the works of this man demonstrate that he is an unbeliever, you see. Now, the passage that you refer to in Hebrews 6, 6, it’s that very familiar passage that we take up here periodically and deal with. It seems to be the most troublesome passage in the Bible. If they shall fall away to renew them again under repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, put him to an open shame. And verse 4, as the one should go with, it’s impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and so on. These are Save people. And the point is, again, the matter of works for reward here, because he talks about fruit down here, about the briars, the thorns and briars is rejected. That is burn up. He’s talking, you see, about fruit. And he’s not talking about salvation. Salvation is by grace and by faith. And he’s talking here about our rewards.
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Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
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