Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers: We must endure in times of trials so that our faith will not fail. Jesus answered them, "Have I not chosen you 12 and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he that should betray him, being one of the 12.

Jesus chose Judas with his eyes wide open. Jesus knew that Judas never believed in him. Nothing got out of hand. The point is Peter endured, Judas didn't. Why? Why did Peter endure to the end and why did Judas not endure?

Guest (Male): Welcome to Love Worth Finding. Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers said those who live by truth get more and more freedom, those who live by lies experience more and more bondage. Our eternal security is vital to our Christian walk. Our spiritual health and productivity depend on it.

And because we live by the promises of God in scripture, we can build a scriptural defense for our eternal security. You'll definitely want to have your Bible for today's lesson. So, if you have one handy, go ahead and turn to John chapter 10. We'll begin in verse 27 as Adrian Rogers concludes a powerful message, Eternal Security: a Scriptural Defense.

Adrian Rogers: Turn with me to Matthew chapter 24 here. Here's another scripture that people will frequently use to try to prove that once we are saved that we can lose our salvation. Matthew chapter 24 and verse 11: "And many false prophets shall rise and deceive many, and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Someone will put that verse under your nose and say, "Don't you see it? That in order for you to be saved, you have to endure to the end." It's amazing how people get things 180 degrees out of focus. They say in order for you to be saved you have to endure to the end, but God teaches here that in order for you to endure to the end, you have to be saved.

That's all he's saying. You want to know who is saved? Those who endure are the ones who are saved. They're not saved because they endure, they endure because they are saved. You see, endurance is the mark of reality in the life of a human soul.

Now, you can see that so wonderfully if you'll turn to Luke chapter 22. Turn with me to Luke chapter 22 and verse 31: "And the Lord said to Simon, Simon, behold Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But notice verse 32, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."

But there's another person in this same chapter, and that other person is Judas. Notice in chapter 22 verse 47: "And while he yet spoke, behold a multitude and he that was called Judas, one of the 12, went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?"

And here's Judas in this same chapter, Peter and Judas. Now folks, honestly, if you and I had been there that day and we had not known the background and we didn't know anything about anybody, and before Peter denied Christ and before Judas betrayed Christ, if you'd put Simon Peter up there and put Judas up there, which one would you say is saved?

I dare say almost every one of us would say it was Judas and not Peter. Almost every one of us. We just look at him and say, well, bound to be Judas, certainly not Peter. I mean, Peter was a mess. The only time Peter ever opened his mouth was just to change feet.

He's always putting his foot in his mouth. He's always impetuous. He's always blustery. He's always this and that. But now Judas, why do you think we would say that Judas was saved? Who do you make the treasurer? The person you trust the most. Isn't that right?

The person you trust the most. Judas was the one who had the bag, the money bag. Why, they trusted him. When Jesus said one of you is going to betray me, none of them said, well, it must be Judas. Well, did Judas endure? Of course he didn't endure. He fell away. He betrayed the Lord Jesus, committed suicide, died and went to hell.

But now look, if you will, in John chapter 6 and verse 64. Jesus said, "But there are some of you that believe not." He's talking to those who are standing around him. "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him."

Do you think it took Jesus by surprise? Do you think he said, "What a revolting development this is? Oh no! How could I have chosen Judas? Wow! Look, here's a man that I was trusting and now he's betrayed me." Oh no, friend.

Jesus chose Judas with his eyes wide open. Jesus knew that Judas never believed in him. Look in verses 70 and 71. This is John 6:70 and 71. Jesus answered them, "Have I not chosen you 12 and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he that should betray him, being one of the 12.

Nothing got out of hand. Jesus said in another place, "I've chosen Judas that the scripture might be fulfilled." What's the point? The point is Peter endured, Judas didn't. Why? Why did Peter endure to the end and why did Judas not endure? It's very simple. Peter had faith.

"Peter, I prayed for you that your faith fail not." Judas didn't have any. Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not. Judas never believed, Simon Peter did. And he that endures to the end, those are they that are saved.

Let's turn to John 15 while we're in the book of John and look at another passage here that some people would use to try to say that once you're saved that you can lose your salvation. John chapter 15, and I'm going to read beginning in verse 5: "Jesus said, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me, ye can do nothing."

You say, well, I think I can do a little bit. May I say that's your opinion. Jesus said you can't do anything without me. You know what that is? That's a zero with the edges trimmed off. Nothing without me. And then Jesus said, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them, not him, them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples." And so somebody says, well, here's a picture of somebody who was in Christ, they're cut away from Christ, they're thrown into the fire and they are burned.

May I tell you that the Lord Jesus here is not talking about salvation at all. He's talking about fruit bearing. Our Lord is using an illustration, he's using a metaphor that we are to abide in the Lord Jesus if we bear much fruit. Now in a grapevine, the husbandman, the vinedresser trims the grapevine.

He takes the suckers, the limbs, the branches that don't bear fruit. He takes his pruning knife, he cuts them away. Well, what do you do with a branch that's been cut off from a vine? Well, it's the wood is not good. You can't carve it, you can't warm a house with it. It's just you just make a brush pile and you throw it in the brush pile and you burn it.

What our Lord is saying is this: if you don't abide in me, you're just good for nothing. You're a good for nothing Christian. He's not talking about heaven, he's not talking about hell, he's not talking about salvation. He's talking here about fruit bearing.

It's the same thing that the Apostle Paul said, "I don't want to become a castaway. I don't want to become a useless good for nothing person." Never ever try to get theology from a metaphor. That's an illustration. You get your theology from the epistles, not from some illustration, some parable or some metaphor.

There's a truth that's taught there, and the truth that's taught there is a very wonderful truth, that if we're going to bear fruit, we need to abide in the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let's look in Hebrews chapter 6. I saved this one for the last because this is the one I think that so many people really want to go to to try to prove somehow that we can lose our salvation.

Hebrews chapter 6. I'm going to read beginning in verse 4. The writer of Hebrews is talking about an impossibility. He says something is impossible. Now let's find out what is impossible. "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 unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame."

And then he gives an illustration: "For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. But beloved, we're persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though we speak thus."

All right, go back to verse 4. Something is impossible. He says it is impossible for a certain class of people if they do a certain thing to be renewed to repentance. It is impossible if they fall away, the Bible says, it is impossible to renew them to repentance.

May I say this, that if you use Hebrews 6 beginning in verse 4 and following, if you use that to prove that a person can lose his or her salvation, for you it proves too much. It proves too much because what does it prove? It proves that if you were ever once saved and lost it, if that's the way you're using this verse, it also proves that you could never be saved again.

If they fall away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance. So, if you don't believe in once saved always saved, you have to believe in twice lost always lost. Do you understand what I'm saying? If you use this verse this way, if you try to make this verse prove that a person can be saved and lose his salvation, if that's what you're trying to prove with it, then go ahead and be honest and say and once they do lose that salvation, they can never ever be saved again, for it is impossible to renew them to repentance.

So, what's he talking about? He's not talking about people who have been saved. You say, Pastor, how do you know he's not talking about people who have been saved? Well, look in verse 9: "But beloved, we're persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation."

Do you see it? He's not talking about saved people here. He's talking about people who come to the very threshold of salvation and turn away. It's impossible for these people who have done business with God, these people who know the truth and they turn from the truth with their eyes wide open.

It's impossible to bring them to repentance. They have committed the unpardonable sin. Look at them. They were once enlightened. The entrance of God's word gives light. Many people have sat in a service like this and been enlightened. They have tasted of the heavenly gift.

As we have preached and we have sung, and they have heard about Jesus, they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit of God has gripped their hearts. They've tasted the good word of God. They've heard the word expounded and the powers of the world to come. They've tasted all of that.

But then they turn away, if they shall fall away. Not a person who sins in ignorance, not a person who sins without understanding, but a person with his or her eyes wide open says no, I don't want Jesus. Here's an individual who has tasted it.

He has sniffed it, he knows what it is, he's rolled it around on his tongue. He is aware of exactly what he is doing, but he says I will not pay that price. And he walks out. He refuses with his eyes wide open. And that's his privilege. Now, the writer of Hebrews gives an illustration, and I love the illustrations in the Bible that make it clear.

Look, if you will, in verse 7: "For the earth which drinketh the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh to cursing, whose end is to be burned."

All right, now here's a plot of ground. This side of the rug we're going to say is ground that has one kind of seed. Over here, away from the rug, we'll just say is another piece of ground and it has another kind of seed. Here's ground and here's ground, and let's say there's a fence that goes between these two plots.

All right, both of these get rain. God makes it to rain upon the just and the unjust. The rain falls here and the rain falls there. Both of them get sunshine. The sun shines here and the sun shines there. Both of them have the breezes that blow. The wind blows here and the wind blows there.

Over here on this side, there comes wonderful fruit. Over here on this side, there are thorns and briers. Same sun, same ground, same rain, same atmosphere, but there is a difference in what's on this side and what's on this side. What is the difference? The seed.

The seed. Over here, thorns and briers. Over here is wheat or good fruit or whatever. Now that's what he's talking about. There are individuals who can sit in an auditorium like this and hear the same sermon. They can hear, they can taste the good word of God.

The Holy Spirit of God works on both sides and some hear and say yes to Jesus, and some hear and say no to Jesus. Some bring forth fruit and herbs, vegetables, others bring forth thorns and briers. And it all depends not on the sun, not on the rain, not on the breezes, not even on the ground, but it depends upon the seed that's in the heart.

Now, this book is called what? The book of Hebrews. And it's talking about Jews who were coming out of the old way, and now they're coming to the new way. They're coming out of the old dispensation, the Old Testament laws, they're coming to the new way.

But many of these Jews and many of these early disciples who came to the new way, they had to turn their back on the old way, and when they turned their back on the old way, they were persecuted, and many of them were put to death. And very frankly, they didn't want to pay the price.

And so they turned their back on the Lord Jesus Christ. They have tasted, they have ingested, they know, they've gone along with the Holy Ghost, they were in the synagogue, they heard the scriptures read, they've heard the apostles testify, they've seen the changed lives, they've seen it all.

But the book of Hebrews is written to those who had a tendency to want to turn and go back into Judaism, back into the old way. And so here are two Jews. One who is a true believer, that's this side of the fence. One who is not a true believer.

He's never truly been saved, he's had all of the influences but he has never been saved. And someone comes along in authority and says, "I see you two are followers of this Jesus of Nazareth. Is that true?" This man says, "Yes, it is true." And this man says, "Yes, it is true. We're followers of Jesus."

"Well," he says, "I just want you to know that if you persist in following this Jesus, you're going to be put to death. Do you understand that?" This man over here who is a true believer says, "I'll just have to die." You read Hebrews chapter 11 and many of them did die, the last part of Hebrews chapter 11. "If I have to die, I'll die, but I cannot deny the Lord Jesus Christ."

This man over here says, "Hey, it's just religion. I mean, after all, there's nothing that keeps me from going back to the old way. The old way was pretty good. I will go back to the old way, but don't kill me." And they say, "Well, how do we know you really mean it? We have a way to find out."

They would take this man out to an unclean place and there they would sacrifice a sow, a pig, and the blood of that pig would be on the ground. And they would say, "Spit on that blood and say I equate that with the blood of Jesus, the Nazarene. Spit on it! Trample it under your feet and say that's what I think of the blood of Jesus, and you can come back to the old way."

And he says, "Spit! That's what I think of the blood of Jesus." And he goes back to the old way. But he knows what he's doing. He's just trying to save his skin. He has tasted, his eyes have been opened, he's been enlightened, he's rolled it around on his tongue, but he will not pay the price.

Do you know what he did when he did that, friend? He committed the unpardonable sin. He's damned and on his way to hell, and it is impossible to renew him to repentance. Look at the word of God, verse 6: "And if they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the son of God afresh and put him to an open shame."

And in another place it says they count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing and they have done despite unto the spirit of grace. Now, he's not talking about a person who was saved who does that. A saved person couldn't do that. I couldn't do that, you couldn't do that.

A saved person couldn't do that. He's talking about an unsaved person, a person who's never been born again. You say, Pastor, how do you know? Verse 9: he says, "But beloved, we're persuaded better things of you, things that accompany salvation."

Hebrews chapter 6 is not talking in my estimation about a saved person who was lost. If you don't believe in once saved always saved, according to this verse, you'd have to believe in twice lost always lost because he says it is impossible to renew such a person to repentance.

Now, these are certainly not all of the verses. They're just some of the verses. Well, you say, Pastor Rogers, if that is true, then what about sin in the life of a child of God? God may carry him to the woodshed, but not to prove that he's lost, but to prove that he's saved.

And if you were to take this same book of Hebrews and read chapter 12, you'd find out that it says, "Whom the Father loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives." My dad used to give me whippings. Not because he didn't love me, but because he did love me.

Not because I was not his child, but because I was his child. And if you receive chastisement whereof all are partakers, all true sons are partakers, then are ye sons and not illegitimate. What does all of this mean to you? Well, if you're a child of God, if you know you're saved, rejoice.

Rest in his love. And out of gratitude serve him and serve him and serve him because of such a wonderful salvation. I cannot work my soul to save, that work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear son. And if you are saved, just sing it over and over again, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

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