Delivered from Wrath, Finished by Christ

Welcome to the Preaching the Cross Radio Podcast, featuring the radio ministry of Pastor James W.

Knox of the Bible Baptist Church of Delaney, Florida.

Our prayer is that these half-hour Bible study programs will bring the lost to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and enable the saved to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior.

Now here's your host, Pastor James W.

Knox.

Thanks to each and every one of you for tuning in today.

I'm Brother James.

I greet you one more time in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

This is the Preaching of the Cross, radio broadcast, heard by the grace of God on this radio station and many others around the world since 1981.

That's a long time ago.

God's been very, very good to us.

You know, in all those years, all those years, we have prayed and you have prayed, and we've trusted God, and you have uh have responded to God, and we have never spent 10 seconds of radio time asking for money in all those years.

Isn't that a blessing?

God has provided everything we have ever needed, decade after decade, as we seek to proclaim his word and get out the good news.

Thank you for helping us.

We are in the middle of a study, well, I say the middle, we're well into a study on the doctrine of the eternal security of the born-again believer.

Now, if you've been with us, we have shown from 11 different places in the Bible.

We started in Romans chapter 8, verse 38 and 39, and then given 10 other passages in support of the truth stated by God no less than 26 times, without stretching, twisting, uh, adding to, taking away from any verses.

Romans 8:38

God has stated that if you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are in possession of everlasting life, not temporary, not conditional.

Now, last time I got caught, we saw from John 10, Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.

They follow me, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.

And I was pointing out to you that the Lord says to everyone who he has saved, I know you.

And then I mentioned and tried to kind of halfway quote the warning that he gave to those who trusted their good works, not trusted, trusted the Savior, that he would one day say to them, I never knew you.

And I want to start there today.

The passage is in Matthew chapter 7, Matthew chapter number seven, and this is a warning from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

He says in verse number 21, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Watch carefully.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works.

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.

Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This is an amazing thing.

These men addressing the Lord in the day of their judgment.

Think about that.

If you live 2,000 years ago, Jesus, Jesus, God manifests in the flesh, he's walking the earth, he's working as a carpenter, he's grown up in Nazareth just like thousands of other young men have grown up in Nazareth.

He doesn't have a halo, he's not glowing, he's a man.

And he begins to speak with authority because he is God manifest in the flesh.

You can understand people contending with him.

How dare you say you're God?

How could you possibly claim to be the Lord?

You, Joseph's your father, you work as a carpenter, marries your mother.

We've heard all about those stories about your birth, we don't believe them.

You can understand mortal men disrespecting someone who looks to be whom they think to be another mortal man.

But Jesus is talking about the day when he is seated in glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and these men who have died are standing before him in the day of their judgment, and they're arguing with him.

They have no more respect for him on his throne, in his glory, than they had when he walked the streets, the dusty streets of this old world.

That's that's striking.

They're respectful.

They twice call him Lord Lord.

That's a good thing, not in not insulting, but they disagree with him.

You cannot possibly bar us from entering heaven.

We have done works.

Wait, we have done wonderful works.

Oh, it's even better.

We have done many wonderful works, and and and better than that, we have done them in your name.

And we have worked in opposition to the devil.

Surely that must count for something.

In fact, it's got to be enough.

You need here's what they're saying, they're saying to the Lord, you need to step aside and let us enter into heaven on the basis of our good works.

You know who believes that?

You who believes that's how you get into heaven?

Mormons, Jove's Witnesses, Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Lutherans, Church of God, Church of Christ, Assembly of God.

Every group of religious people in the world, not just these Jews, who believes that your good works enable you to bypass Jesus Christ and enter heaven because you have been good or very good, because you've done good works or wonderful works, because you have done some things in God's name and in opposition to the devil.

Every religion that teaches that, and most of them do, is wrong.

They're just wrong.

You say, preacher, who do you think you are to say you're right and everybody else is wrong?

I didn't say I was right.

I said the Bible's right, Jesus Christ is right, and he says, Depart.

Now, he didn't say you didn't prophesy in my name because they did.

He didn't say you never cast out devils because they did.

He didn't say you didn't do many wonderful works.

He just said, I never knew you.

We never had a personal relationship, so you are out.

That's what you've just read in your Bible.

Now, my friend, if you've done any witnessing at all, and I hope you have, if you talk to lost people about their soul, and I hope you do, you know that almost every one of them believes in their heart of hearts and defends with their religion their persuasion that God owes them a place in heaven because they're a good person and they have done good things.

That's what people believe, and they're just wrong.

They're just absolutely wrong, according to Jesus Christ.

He didn't say come in, he said depart.

He didn't say you've been bad.

He didn't disagree with them when they said they'd been good.

But good isn't the way to heaven, and bad isn't the way to hell.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father, but by me, and every soul of every man who thought they could enter heaven by passing Jesus Christ is going to find themselves in the lake of fire.

Now, what does that have to do with eternal security?

You can't be saved by your works.

The works you do before you meet Christ and the works you do after you meet Christ.

You will enter heaven if he knows you, and you will be kept out of heaven if he doesn't know you.

That's just how God set it up.

Why contend with that?

Why not just believe that?

Why not just receive that?

Why not just be persuaded and rejoice in that?

Hallelujah.

Number 12, in our series of verses, supporting this doctrine of eternal security is, well, it's it's it's really a collection of verses.

Come to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, and let me read to you verses 6 and 10.

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention 1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 6, and verse 10.

1 Thessalonians 1:6

And when I find it, I will read it.

There we go.

Thessalonians.

All right, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 6.

1 Thessalonians 1:6

And ye became, no, verse 5, verse 5.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost.

Once again, how does this matter of salvation begin?

You hear the gospel, you hear the word of God.

When you respond to it believingly.

Power, Holy Ghost, and a watch, and much in and much assurance.

Gospel belief and assurance go hand in hand.

If you believe the gospel and you don't have assurance, someone has not taught you properly.

As you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word of God in much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost.

So what did they do?

They received the word of God.

They received the gospel.

Verse 10, what's their future?

And to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Praise the Lord.

Everyone who has heard and believed the gospel, has been already delivered from any wrath in the future.

Look what he says.

Look what he says.

Even Jesus, which delivered us past tense from the wrath to come future tense.

Right now where you stand, if you are saved, because of the salvation that you received yesterday, you will never experience the wrath that is coming tomorrow.

Praise the Lord.

You and your Bible, Revelation 6 talks about the wrath of the Lamb.

Revelation 12 talks about the wrath of Satan.

Revelation 15 and 16 talk about the wrath of God.

There is wrath, the wrath of the Lamb.

No one who is saved will ever experience that wrath.

There is the wrath of the Father.

No one who is saved will ever experience that wrath.

There is the wrath of Satan.

No one who is saved will ever experience that wrath.

In your life, in your death, after your death, in hell, in heaven, in the lake of fire, in the New Jerusalem, there is no wrath awaiting anyone who is saved.

Look in chapter 5, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and verse number nine.

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

Save people now, save people.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

How about that?

So go back in your mind, if you were with us maybe last time, maybe the time before, time before, I think.

We saw that our souls have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, but our bodies have not.

These bodies, because they were born of a corruptible seed, will eventually know corruption.

This body's going to die.

My soul, because it's been born again of an incorruptible seed, it will never die.

Praise God.

Now, what do we have here?

Hebrews tells us, it is appointed unto man once to die.

Everybody didn't say save men, lost men, man.

If you've been born, you have an appointment with physical death that's going to happen.

But 1 Thessalonians 5 says, if you've been reborn, you have no appointment with wrath.

Praise God.

So here we go.

You take out your calendar, and you're going to write something down, and you notice, wow, God's already filled in two appointments on my calendar.

I have an appointment with death, and I have an appointment with wrath.

Oh no, this is terrible.

What do I do?

I think I'll go to God about it.

God, is there any way out of this appointment with death?

Please tell me.

No, no, it's appointed unto men once to die.

And after this, the judgment.

Oh, but God, is there any way out of this appointment with wrath?

Please tell me.

Oh, now that I can help you with.

My son Jesus Christ suffered and bled and died to my satisfaction in your place.

If you'll receive him as your savior, I will cancel your appointment with wrath.

Praise be to the Lord.

So I have a future day in which I am going to die, barring the rapture.

I'm going to die, but I do not have a future day in which I will face or experience the wrath of God, the wrath of the Father or the Son, or the wrath of Satan.

I am saved from wrath already.

Therefore, my salvation can't be conditioned upon what I do tomorrow or a week from now or a month from now.

Nothing that happens between now and the time I keep my appointment with death can possibly separate me from the love of God, or I would be living in fear of an appointment with wrath.

But I've already been delivered from that.

Praise the Lord.

All right, now side by side, Philippians chapter one and Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Side by side, Philippians chapter 1, and Hebrews chapter 12, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, there it is, and Hebrews chapter number 12, and there that is.

Philippians 1 · chapter mention Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

All right.

Philippians 1, verse number 6.

Being confident.

What do we want you to be?

Confident, not self-confident, confident, 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.

Hebrews 12, too, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our salvation.

Are you saved?

I'm saved.

Are you saved?

Okay.

Our salvation began with the grace of God.

It was secured by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was granted when the Father justified us on the merits of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was secured by the certainty of his word and sealed by the gift of his spirit.

Praise God.

Jesus paid it all.

God did it all.

We simply received this great gift of salvation.

The giver has assured us that what he has begun, he will finish.

I started it, you see it through.

Oh no, oh no.

God does not write the first chapter and leave us to finish the book.

Our salvation begins and ends with the Lord.

That Hebrews verse, read it again.

Looking unto Jesus, are you, or are you looking to yourself?

Are you looking to what the Lord has done for you, or are you looking to what you are doing for the Lord?

Two very, very different viewpoints.

Looking into Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I've got to say, I've got to say this.

The largest religions in the world that call themselves Christians, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox churches, they they call themselves Christians, and this is what they teach.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for sins.

And if you'll come to Jesus Christ and receive him, he will forgive your sins up to that point.

And if you commit sins after that point, you have to come and make him die again for the subsequent sin.

And now you're covered.

And then if you sin some more, you have to come and make him die again for those sins.

It's called called the perpetual, the ongoing, oft-repeated sacrifice of the Mass.

We're going to kill Jesus again and again and again and again, as many times we have to kill Jesus to take care of all your sins.

It is, let me use a very uh deeply spiritual theological term.

Nonsense.

He endured the cross, he despised the shame, and then he sat down, resurrected, and ascended at the Father's right hand because it was finished.

That's what he said.

That's what we believe.

We don't keep killing him, we don't keep crucifying him.

We don't make him die over and over again for this one and then that one and then the other one.

He paid for all sins of all men for all time when he died upon the cross.

Therefore, when he begins in you the good work of salvation, it is certain that he will finish it.

Because the only thing that could keep a saved person out of heaven would be sins not paid for, sins not forgiven, and all of them were paid for on the cross.

And all of them were forgiven when you trusted Christ as Savior.

Philippians 1, 6, listen, listen.

He which hath begun a good work in you, every branch, brand of Christianity would in some way or another admit that salvation was started by Jesus.

But only those who believe the Bible take God at his word and say, as I'm saying to you, he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it.

You won't, he will.

You can't, he does, will perform it until the day that Jesus Christ comes for you in death or in the rapture.

I have assurance of salvation because it's not up to me to see it through.

I have assurance of salvation because it's not up to me to finish it.

The one who started my salvation has taken upon himself the responsibility of finishing my salvation.

The one who started your salvation has taken upon himself the responsibility of finishing your salvation.

Believe what God said.

Stop believing in yourself.

No wonder you're nervous, scared, agitated, concerned.

Put your faith and your trust in your Savior to do what he said he would do.

Save your soul.

Hallelujah.

It's so simple.

It's so simple.

I don't want the devil to rob you of the simplicity that is ours in Jesus Christ.

We are at number 13, we have 25 of these proof texts for eternal security.

I hope you'll be with us for every program or every video broadcast that you can get the entirety of this lesson and the Lord can fill your heart, fill your soul with great confidence.

It's one thing to be saved, and many people are.

It's another thing to enjoy it.

And not enough people do.

Not enough people do.

We got a couple of minutes left.

Don't leave us just yet.

Don't leave us just yet.

This is a, look how short this is.

This is a very short little booklet here.

It only runs, I gotta get my glasses.

It only runs 49, 50 pages.

50 pages.

It is called Biblical Evangelism.

The first half of this little booklet is about the Great Commission.

My responsibility, your responsibility to tell individuals one-on-one about salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

The second half, the second half of this book is on public evangelism.

That is declaring God's way of salvation to groups of people or multitudes of people.

If you are listening to the radio broadcast and you will write to us and give us the call letters and your mailing address and say, would you please send me the biblical evangelism booklet?

We will mail this out to you free of charge.

You said, Why don't you offer that to those of us watching online?

Because there are more thousands of you than we have copies of this book, and I would get myself in all kinds of trouble.

I would, I would offer something I might not be able to follow up on, but you can find this in all of our books at our website, jameswnox.org.

Just go to jameswnox.org.

All kinds of helpful materials there.

Up at the top, there'd be a little button that says store, and you can find the biblical evangelism book there.

It's cheaper than a happy meal at McDonald's.

Come on.

Don't get upset with me.

Now, if you if you're listening on the radio, how do I get my book?

Uh write to us, Preaching of the Cross, 872 Glenwood Road, 872 Glenwood Road.

That's in D-Land, D-E-L-A-N-D, D-Land, Florida, the zip code number 32720.

And that mailing address is in the United States of America.

The announcer will be on in just a moment to let you know when this program will be heard again over this radio station.

And we hope that at that time you and a friend that you invite to listen with you will join us.

Those of you watching online, you can do, you can do four things that'll help us reach others.

Comment, they're a blessing.

Your comments are a blessing.

Like, just that's real easy.

Subscribe, and then tell your friends.

Tell your friends, you ought to listen to this preaching.

It's a blessing.

It helped my heart.

So thank you for doing that.

Okay, we're all out of time.

Uh, thank you.

See you next time on the Preaching of the Cross Radio Broadcast.

I'm Brother James.

May the Lord richly bless you and good day.

Join us every weekday for another episode of the Preaching of the Cross Radio Podcast.

For hundreds of hours of in-depth expository Bible teaching, please visit our YouTube channel, James W.

Knox Sermons, our sermon audio page, Bible Baptist Land, or our website, Bible Baptistoland.com.

Until next time and throughout eternity, may Jesus Christ be praised.