Philippians (Lesson 7)

All right, now a very pleasant good day to each and every one of you.

I'm Brother James, and I greet you once again in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, and I welcome you one more time to the preaching of the cross radio broadcast.

We are doing our best to exalt and magnify the only one who is worthy of such adoration, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all sin, save us from a devil's hell, give us everlasting life and life more abundant in the meantime.

The time between the moment we trust Jesus as our Savior and the moment we enter into his glorious presence in that place the Bible calls heaven.

We've been studying together the book of Philippians, six broadcasts in the rear view mirror, starting in on number seven today.

Hope you can stay with us for the full half an hour.

We left off in the middle of a discussion of the security of the believer in Philippians chapter one and verse number six.

In that verse the Bible says, being confident of this very thing, that he, that's Jesus, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it.

It that good work that he began will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

My friend, there is one good work that gets a person to heaven, and only one good work.

It's not a collection of your good works, it's not a long list of my good works.

It is the one good work done by God Himself, when He saves the man, the woman, the boy, the girl that puts their trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the last broadcast and the one before, we saw from the Bible that if a person is saved, the Lord Jesus Christ saved them.

They were saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and not by their works.

And we saw that the same Lord who saves makes it his responsibility to keep the one that he has saved.

In fact, you can't find anywhere in the New Testament scriptures where the Lord gives temporary life or conditional life or trial life or partial life, he gives eternal life.

He gives everlasting life.

That's the only kind of life he can give because that's the life that he possesses.

Jesus Christ, according to 1 John, is life eternal.

And so we have seen in prior lessons in Philippians that we can be confident, Philippians 1, we can be bold, Hebrews 13, we can be persuaded, Romans chapter 8, we can be certain, absolutely certain, that if we have been saved by the grace of God, and that's the only way we can be saved, that the same grace that saved us will keep us until the day of the Lord comes to take us unto Himself.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

That's what the verse says.

Philippians 1 6, being confident of this very thing, this very thing.

Not some religious thing, but this very thing that he, God, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it.

Now what confidence could we have if the Bible said he began a good work in you, and now you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ?

I couldn't have any confidence, because I know what I'm capable of doing.

I have proven that over and over again.

But he, the very same one who began the work of my salvation, said that he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Now look at that word.

He will, he will perform it.

Not he could, not he might, not in some cases he does, not if you do your part.

The Bible says he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

And that's why the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith.

He doesn't author it and leave it for you to finish.

He authors it and he finishes it.

That's a wonderful thing.

That's a tremendous, tremendous thing.

That Jesus Christ has made it his responsibility to get me home to heaven.

In fact, take a look at Romans chapter eight again.

Romans chapter eight once again.

Or I'm sorry, five.

Let's go to five.

Five eight, Romans five, eight, but God, here's the verse, Romans five, eight, but God commendeth his love toward us.

Not our love toward him, his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When did Jesus Christ prove his love for me for you?

When he laid down his life and died for us.

That's what the Bible says.

Romans 5 8.

When you were yet a sinner, when you were still in your sins, Jesus Christ loved you enough to die for you.

Now look at verse nine.

Much more than how about that?

God loves you more now than he did when he sent his son to die for you.

God loves me more now than when Jesus hung on the cross to pay for my sins.

Isn't that amazing?

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Do you know what he said?

He said if when you didn't even know him, when you weren't even his child, when you belonged to the devil, he loved you enough to die for you so he could save you and make you his own.

How much more now that you are his own child, a member of his own family, how much more will he now keep you since you have been saved?

Think about it.

Somebody comes along and says, All these sins that you've ever committed, if Jesus loves you enough, and he does.

If you ask him to be your Savior, believing the gospel, if you can trust him with all your heart, he'll forgive you of all your sins and make you his child.

Now that's true, it's right, it's correct.

Then that same man says, But after he forgives all your sins and makes you his child, if you commit a sin, he'll throw you away.

Now wait a minute.

If he loved us enough to forgive all our sins, and he loves us now more than he did then, it doesn't even make sense to try and teach that if you commit one sin or twenty sins or two hundred sins or two months worth of sins, he'll throw you away.

If when he loved us, he forgave us all our sins.

Now that he loves us much more, surely he is going to forgive us.

And so the Bible says, For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Now hear me carefully, hear me carefully, please.

Let me read these verses as some men teach them, sincere men, many of them, well meaning men, I trust the majority of them.

But the Bible says in ver uh in Romans eight five nine, let me read it the way men teach it.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through us.

Now they wouldn't read it that way.

They'd read the verse as it's written, but then they would say, Your good works determine whether or not you end up in heaven.

That's not what verse 9 says.

It says, We shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Verse 10, let me read it, let me read it as many men teach it, though they wouldn't read it this way.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more.

Being reconciled, we shall be saved by our life.

Now, again, they wouldn't read the verse that way, but that as soon as they've read the verse, they would say, If you don't do this, if you don't do that, if you ever do this, or if you ever do that, you will not end up in heaven.

Because Jesus saved you, but you stay saved by your life.

But Romans 5 10 says, We shall be saved by His life.

You see, my friend, Jesus Christ is my Savior.

I'm trusting Him, I'm not trusting me.

On my best day, I don't trust me.

On my very best day, I know the only way, the only way that I'm going to make heaven is through the merits of Jesus Christ.

That's my only hope.

That's the only hope I've got.

And you know what?

That's the only hope I need.

How about that?

Now there are passages placed in our Bible which deal with men who are said by God to know God, men who are said by the Holy Spirit to belong to the Lord.

And in these passages we find such men doing terrible, terrible things.

And these are not set forth to encourage us to do terrible things, but to warn us about the consequences and to to admonish us to not do such terrible things.

And yet these passages prove the point that the author of one's faith is also the finisher of one's faith, and that salvation is not by works, but by grace.

Now, let me show you some extreme cases God put in his word.

First Corinthians chapter five.

Men say, rather than rejoice in the salvation of the Lord, men say, Well, but what if, but what if I do this, what if I do that, what if you do this, what if you do that?

What if a person does the following?

Okay, okay.

I understand.

First Corinthians five, verse one.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, sexual immorality, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife.

Now you talk about a mess.

That's that's pretty raunchy.

That's that's very nasty.

Sin of the highest magnitude.

Now I would suggest to you that a man who believes you could lose your salvation for sinning would have to point to such an act as one that would most certainly cost you your soul.

Hebrews 13 4 says marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

So there's the judgment of God promised to those that commit adultery.

It's right there in plain language.

Now, first Corinthians 5, verse 2, and ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:2

A person who commits this immorality and does not turn therefrom is supposed to be dismissed from fellowship in the church.

The church of Corinth is being rebuked not because this man and this woman committed this deed, but because the church allowed them to stay in fellowship and to keep coming to church once they found out about this ongoing relationship.

Verse three.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together in my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

The Holy Spirit said, When you assemble, they are not supposed to be in the assembly.

When the church comes together, they are not supposed to be there.

If they want to live like Satan, you're supposed to put them out where Satan is.

God will judge them, he said he would.

Verse 5, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, for the destruction of the flesh, that's the body, that's the human body, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

You know what you have in first in Philippians 1 6?

The day of the Lord Jesus.

Do you know what you have in the first Corinthians five?

The day of the Lord Jesus.

These believers have fallen into horrific sin.

God is going to judge them in their bodies.

Satan is going to destroy them in their bodies.

Somewhere or another, their rotten flesh is going to suffer for their sin.

God will not allow that sin to go unrewarded in this life, but the scripture plainly says if they are saved, they are still saved.

Why?

Because you're not saved by not committing adultery.

You're saved by trusting Jesus Christ who paid for all your sins.

I'm not saying live however you want and it won't cost you anything.

That's not what the passage said.

It'll cost you dearly to sin, but it won't cost you your salvation because your salvation is not based upon your works.

It is based upon God's promise to a believer.

Well, that quiet the crowd, the wheels start turning.

Well, what about well what if, well, I don't think none of that matters.

What does the Bible say?

Come to 2 Peter 2.

2 Peter chapter 2.

2 Peter 2 · chapter mention

And Genesis chapter 19.

Genesis 19 · chapter mention

2 Peter 2 and Genesis 19.

2 Peter chapter 2, Genesis chapter 19.

2 Peter 2 · chapter mention Genesis 19 · chapter mention

The Genesis chapter 1, verse 1.

Genesis 1:1

And there came two angels to Sodom and Eden.

And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom.

In verse 2, he invites these men to come into his house.

They said no, they'd rather live in the street, spend the night in the street than go into Lot's house.

That's how sorry that man's life is going.

And so they attempt to do so.

And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house.

But before they lay down the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compass the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter.

And they called unto Lot and said unto him, Where are the men which came into thee this night?

Bring them out unto us that we may know them.

And you know what that is?

Know them, that's the Bible term for sexual relations.

This is a parade of men marching through the streets of Sodom, looking to have sexual relations with random men.

Incredible.

Hard to believe a thing like that could ever happen.

I'm glad we don't live in a day that degraded and perverted, aren't you?

So verse six says, And Lot went out at the door unto them and shut the door after him, and said, I pray you brethren Brethren.

He's calling this roving band of perverts who can't restrain their behavior Brethren.

What a terrible thing.

He just tried to fit in with the with the world in which he lives.

Verse eight, what a dreadful passage.

Behold, now I have two daughters which have not known man.

Let me, I pray you bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes.

Only to these men do nothing.

You know that's about as messed up as a man can possibly be.

Now somebody suggested that Lot knew his daughters would be safe with these men, but however you read it, it's a pretty disgusting, pretty sick statement for a man to make.

It's offensive.

If you're a half decent human being, it's offensive.

So that's Lot.

That's the mess this man got himself into by trying to fit in with the world and the society in which he in which he was uh residing.

All right, 2 Peter 2, verse 6.

2 Peter 2:6

The Bible says God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes and condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot.

Now that can't mean only Lot, because Genesis 19 said his wife and two daughters got out with him.

The Bible says in Genesis 12, Abraham believed God.

It was counted unto him for righteousness.

God said when Abraham believed God, he was justified.

That made him just.

Do you know who was with him in Genesis 12?

When he first believed God?

Lot was with him.

You know what the Bible calls Lot?

Just.

He wasn't just in the eyes of angels.

He wasn't just in the eyes of his family.

He wasn't just in the eyes of the people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah.

He wasn't just in the eyes of that band of men roaming the street.

But God declared Lot righteous somewhere in the past.

And whatever Lot did from that day forth was not going to make a liar out of God.

Second Peter continues, and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

Lot allowed the fellowship and the conversation and the interaction that he had with wicked people to twist him and pervert him and to make him into what they were.

Verse 8.

For that righteous man, learning among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

Look, his deeds are wrong, his soul is right.

That's what the Bible says.

Verse 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under the day of judgment to be punished.

God sent punishment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, not because they were perverts, but because they were unjust.

They had never been justified.

But before he burned the city, he had to get Lot out of town, not because he was living right, but because he had been justified, and though nobody but God could see that he was righteous, God had given him a righteousness that could not be voided, could not be nullified, because it stood on the sure foundation of God's promise.

Lot lost his house, Lot lost his wife, Lot lost his children, Lot lost his reputation, Lot went down in history as one of the most good for nothing men that ever lived.

But that is not going to make a liar out of God.

If God said Lot was justified, then he's justified, not by works, but by the grace of God.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe that?

I believe that.

With all my heart I believe that my only hope of heaven is the merit of Jesus Christ, not my own, not my own.

First Corinthians one thirty says, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.

The Bible doesn't say what is your righteousness.

The Bible says who is your righteousness?

My righteousness is not what I do for God, my righteousness is Jesus Christ.

My righteousness is not hanging in, hanging on, holding out, giving up.

My righteousness is Jesus Christ.

I am trusting him.

I am trusting nothing else.

I am trusting no one else.

I am sealed of the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit.

I am loved with an endless love by the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am kept with an unbreakable power by the power of God almighty.

I have right now everlasting life through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am saved by grace through faith, that not of myself it is a gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast, and God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't know why this doctrine is controversial.

I suppose men just don't want to admit that Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ only can save them.

But I'm quite happy to confess that, to trust in that, and to glory in that forever.

And I hope and pray that you are too.

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