Checks to Unconditional Covenants 6

Checkmarks Supporting Conditional Covenants

Sound Doctrine Should Endure

• In the first session we saw that there would come a time

when Christians would not endure sound doctrine

Grace Is What Saves Lost Mankind

• Without grace not a single person could be saved.

• The grace of God is the complete plan of redemption secured for

all mankind by God’s only begotten son JESUS.

Grace Is Not For Granted

• The point cannot be missed.

• Christians are sons of God, but they do not hold the position in Heaven that

Jesus does.

Do Not Take God’s Grace for Granted

• The Bible warns Christians NOT to take God’s grace for granted.

• This session will look at the folly of taking God’s grace for granted and the scriptural warnings concerning grieving the Holy Spirit

Clear Scriptural Evidence

• Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

• How Indeed?• 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that

thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Do Not Abuse God’s Grace

• The Bible repeatedly warns Christians of the danger of abusing God’s grace.

• If God did not spare Israel, His chosen people, when they rebelled against Him, He will hardly spare backsliders who do the same things.

Clear Scriptural Reasoning

• Romans 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

• What does the term “take heed lest his spare not thee” mean if grace is unconditional?

An Old Testament Principle

• In the Old Testament, a son that was incurably “stubborn” and “rebellious” was stoned to death:

• while we are not in the old Testament now we do have more light and with the light comes accountability.

Is it Death that Saves Us?

• Does God Kill to Preserve the State of Grace?• When loving parents had done all they could to

correct their son, after they had chastened him many times:

• Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

if he still refused to be corrected,

• God commanded the parents to drag him to the gate of the city where he was to be stoned to death!

• These heartbroken parents did not do this to keep their son from falling from grace; they did it because he had gone too far.

Real Children Are Chastised

• The same principle concerning God’s children is given in the twelfth chapter of Hebrews.

• Hebrews 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

• If a backslider responds to God’s loving chastisement, he is restored to fellowship

Proves to Be Incurably Rebellious

• However, if he proves to be incurably rebellious he is “rejected”

• Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

That “evil servant” will be cast into hell

• Matthew 24:48-51 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You Can Sell Your Birthright

• Just as Esau sold his earthly birthright, it is possible for Christians to sell their heavenly birthright

• 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

• Hebrews 12:15-16 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Security in Christ

• Those who base their security in the Lord Jesus Christ, living faithfully to Him, following him and obeying him are completely secure.

• Backsliders who believe the LORD will tolerate rebellion and will wink at sin because they have been saved under an unconditional covenant are sailing under a false sense of security.

Sins Against Grace

• Let’s look at some of the sins that are listed that are against the grace of God.

• These scriptures would be meaningless if grace is absolutely secured regardless of our beliefs or behaviour.

1. Receive Grace in Vain• 2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as

workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.)

2. Frustrate the Grace• Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate

the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

3. Fail of the Grace• Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently

lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

4. Fall from Grace• Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of

no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5. Despise Grace• Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer

punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

6. Turn Grace Into Lust• Jude 1:4 For there are certain men

crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

These Scriptures Are the Record

• The scriptures above apply to the grace of God

• Whether this is directed to false teachers; or not, it applies to anyone saved or unsaved who try to use God’s grace for a cover for sin.

Christians Are Not Prevented

• To constantly claim that a Christian cannot commit these sins or to say God will not allow a saved person to backslide so far as to totally fall away is a stubborn refusal to believe the simple and clear language of the Word of God.

Why Be Concerned about Judgement?

• If the state of grace is permanent why be concerned with:

• 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Condemned with the World

• Just what do you think being “condemned with the world” actually means?

• Paul uses the term “we” that is to say those who have received the grace and the mercy of God through faith

• Those who salvation is secure BUT Could be condemned with the world!

Consider the Consequences

• Surely this will all will needs to be considered

• Unfortunately there are a lot of scriptures grossly misinterpreted simply because people do not understand the context of the English that is used.

Righteousness is a mystery

• unrighteousness is a mystery• The kingdom of God is a mystery• The word of God does not contradict itself

and if it appears to do so it is because we don’t understand the real meaning.

• Our perception of what its meaning is has become flawed

The Record of the Scriptures

• The new covenant and the grace of God is conditional.

• At any given moment we are either pleasing or displeasing God

• The consequences of unrepentant sin always remain the same.

The Next Session No 7

We will consider

The Lord’s Seal