Endurance as the Ultimate Pr..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. The Apostle is going to be addressing in this a couple of verses now the topic of endurance. Last week, we spoke about the topic of assurance or certainty of salvation.

I think it was more than last week. But now we're going to be speaking about the topic of endurance of salvation or endurance until the end. So let's pay attention, brothers and sisters, carefully reading the Word of God, chapter 1 from verse 1, and let's read until verse 11, which is the context for the section that we have in verses 10 and 11. So this is the Word of God, with Reverend Hart paying attention to each one of the words. Let's read the powerful, almighty, life-giving, spirit-giving Word of God.

This is 2 Peter 1. Simeon, Peter, I servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in this world because of sinful desire. For these very reasons, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, They keep you from being effective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is the word of the Lord. Now, brothers and sisters, I'm going to need much of your attention. The apostle is here now speaking about a very important topic. That topic is the topic of endurance, of salvation, endurance until the end. And last week, whenever I had the opportunity to speak to you, I wanted to address, I wanted to bring to your attention the topic of assurance of salvation.

And I said that there's no more important question that a human being would answer of that where this person is going to spend eternity. It was not only about the eternal destination of the soul, but also about certainty, having assurance that one is either going to make it into heaven by the grace of the Spirit that is given through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, or that a person is under the judgment and condemnation because that person is outside of Jesus Christ. I said to you that for the believer, for the Christian, it is vital and it's very important that we may have certainty, assurance, full confirmation in our hearts of our eternal destination. Not only because in the last day or in the last time there will be many people that will come before the Lord to say, Lord, Lord, didn't we do so many things in your name? Didn't we prophesy?

Didn't we cast out demons? Didn't we do mighty works in your name? And those people will receive from the divine mouth, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of inequity. It is not only that it's important for a believer to have certainty about their eternal destination because that is a reality, that is a scriptural reality, that there will be many deceived in the end, that there will be many people who thought they were in Christ and they were not in Christ. Not only for that, but also, brothers and sisters, because there is much power in having certainty that we are in Jesus Christ.

There is power in knowing that we are attached, that we are united to Jesus Christ. There is certainty. There is power of the Spirit in us working through the full assurance that whatever happens today, and even after I speak these words, that the person, that the soul is going to be taken up in glory by the grace, by the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is very important. So I said to you that this assurance of salvation in the language of Peter, that if we were going to define this assurance, certainty of being in Christ in the language of Peter here in this portion of text or this scripture was that fruitfulness or effectiveness in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is equivalent to assurance of salvation.

That is that if a person has all the qualities that the Apostle has described, faith and virtue and knowledge and self-control and steadfastness and godliness, brotherly affection and love, that if a person has those qualities in them, they are going to be prevented from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, that they are going to have certainty of the knowledge, they're going to be fruitful and growing continually in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The opposite, the opposite to lacking or not having better those qualities, takes a person to be nearsighted or blind and that person will soon forget that he or she was cleansed from their sins. That it is that if the person does not have those qualities, if those qualities are not inside of the person, in the spiritual framework of that person, then it is a matter of time that that person will forget. In an experiential way, that person will forget that she or he has been cleansed from their former sins.

Namely, they will lack assurance of their standing before the Lord. I want you to see this is very important, brothers and sisters, before even we move on to the text of Scripture that we have before us, verses 10 and 11. That when there is sin in you, that when there is sin in your life, when unrighteousness and wickedness is in your mind, in your heart, in your soul, then you will not have the qualities that the apostle speaks of. You will not have virtue. You will have knowledge.

You will not have self-control and bodily affection and all of the virtues that he speaks of. And therefore, You will enter into a state of blindness. You will be nearsighted and then you will forget that you had been cleansed from your former sins. Namely, you will lack assurance. You will not have certainty of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for you.

A person who is living in sin cannot try to claim certainty of his or her salvation. There is sin that needs to be dealt with first, because the presence of sin will naturally bring uncertainty to the soul. Why? Because certainty or knowledge of the Savior appears or exists when there is the abundance of these qualities. I hope that you understand and that you see the connection between those two things.

That is the experiential life of the Christian, that it is the result of this golden chain of the Christian life that the Apostle has here. But now the important thing here, brothers and sisters, is this concept of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps my explanation is quite limited. I don't want you to think that the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is equal or equivalent to assurance of salvation. And perhaps I've said those words, but that is not exactly what I mean.

I mean that when you are increasing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, You will have assurance of salvation. But the knowledge of the Savior, the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than assurance of salvation. Assurance of salvation is only one aspect of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So if we were going to think about aspects of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we could start by just simply defining our salvation as the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is eternal life, right?

That we know Him, God, and the one whom He sent, the Lord Jesus Christ. And not that we know Him, but that He knew us first. So my salvation and your salvation can be summarized in knowledge of God. You see, that is one aspect of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So my salvation can be defined in that first aspect.

Eternal life is knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the argument that the Apostle, the reasoning that the Apostle Peter is going to give us here is deeper than that. He's going to argue that not only he has not mentioned this, but not only that we are saved by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, but also that everything that we need for our Christian life is given to us through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So he says in verse three, his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through what? the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence."

So, brothers and sisters, this knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is, first of all, your salvation. So a person who is in Jesus Christ knows the Lord Jesus Christ, so better that person has been known by God. There is an intimate spiritual knowledge between the person and God. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 that we have been united in one spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ. So, knowledge of the Savior is, first of all, our salvation, eternal life.

But not only that, knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is everything that we need for living that Christian life. So everything that pertains to life and godliness is given to us from the divine power or from the source of the divine power through the knowledge of the Savior, Jesus Christ. So it is the source of eternal life, but also the source of our life, our practical life. And then the apostle is going to make the other argument or the other point is that this knowledge, this knowledge is also the source of our assurance, which is what we cover whenever I had the opportunity to address you last time. I want you to see that, that it is this union, this connection, this in Christ and knowing him, that is that what makes us safe.

That is eternal life. That is that provides everything that we need to live our Christian life. Everything that pertains to life and godliness has been given to us through the knowledge. Therefore, supplement your faith with all of the virtues. And third, that our assurance of salvation is increasing and fruitfulness, effectiveness in that knowledge.

I want you to see those three things there, because then the apostle is going to add another element or another layer to this union, this relationship that we have with Christ or this knowledge of Christ. And that four element of this knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be endurance. I hope that that is clear and I hope that those are phases that I know what you're talking about the fourth element is endurance okay now how do I know that this is the fourth element because there is a connecting word with what he has said before right he says therefore Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election in verse 10. For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now be with me, brothers and sisters. I think this is going to be a great blessing if we see this in a scripture for our practical and Christian life. So we have that the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the source of our eternal life. Then we have that the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the means by which everything is given to us for everything that we need in our Christian life. It is the knowledge of Jesus Christ also that which assures us, or perhaps that's not even a word, but makes us sure or gives us certainty of our belonging to the Savior with the fruitfulness in that knowledge.

Otherwise, we will be blinded. And then he says, therefore, Therefore, he says, therefore, so if you have these qualities abounding in you and increasing in you, and if you are fruitful and then you're increasing and then you are growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, The byproduct of that is that you're not going to be lacking assurance. But therefore, he says, he's going to call us now to action. He says, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling. He is going to call us to endure.

OK, we're going to break the text to understand what he says. But basically, a simple word, those two verses is calling us to endurance. Now, this is what I want to communicate to you, dear soul, is this. that biblical endurance has particular or specific characteristics. Okay?

Endurance has two components. Endurance, biblical endurance, has two components. And by endurance, I mean going until the end. Right? You understand the word endurance, persevering, going until the end.

Endurance, my beloved of Christ, has two components. Biblically speaking, the first one is that you have to do, that you have to act, that you have to move, that you have to operate. Endurance, biblically speaking, is not passive, it's not lazy, it's not a slothful, it's not being Christian in the mind and you don't do anything about it. Endurance, Christian biblical endurance, requires action, doing, operation, activity. And that is how far my vocabulary goes for that type of concept.

But you understand what I mean? Doing, that is the first aspect of endurance. Now, the second important aspect of biblical endurance is that doing those operations, those actions are continuous and they go until the end. And in the end, there is a result, an outcome or a reward. So when you endure, you do, you continue to operate things in your life, and then you go until the end.

Those two things are crucial and vital for us to understand the text that we have in front of us. This is biblical endurance. A person who is not doing, a person who is not working, a person who is lazy, passive, and slothful, and it is simply only Christian in the mind, is not enduring until the end. Biblical endurance requires, first of all, action, and that action through time will take to an eternal reward or an eternal, if you want, retribution or eternal result or outcome. Now, we have to understand those two things to understand the clauses of the text, because here the apostle Peter is going to give us three characteristics, three characteristics of biblical endurance, beloved of Christ.

Peter is going to give us three biblical characteristics of endurance, OK? Now, two of those characteristics are going to fall into the category of doing, action, moving, and doing things, working. And the third category is going to fall into the aspect of reward, or making it until the end. Remember, this doing, reward, and then you have these three biblical characteristics. Now, the three biblical characteristics are given in the text.

They're just simply the sentences that you have there. But I've just given them names so that I will be able to remember what the text says. The first one, I'd call it the legal aspect of endurance. And then you will understand why I call it legal. The legal aspect of endurance.

The second one, it is the practical aspect of endurance. And those two will fall into the category of doing. That which the Christian is supposed to do on a daily basis. Not daily basis, on every second basis. That which we are called to do, act, move, think, process in our minds, have in our hearts, have in our soul.

The first two are going to fall in that category of doing. The first one is the legal aspect of endurance, and the second one is the practical aspect of endurance. And then the third category that we have in the text is just simply the reward, or the outcome, or the payment, whatever word you have in your mind for what I'm trying to say. The reward, the outcome, the result of endurance falls into this other aspect of endurance. Now, have that in your mind.

And now let's see the biblical characteristics of genuine endurance. Have your mind with me, please. Try, try to keep your mind with me, because I think this is going to be a blessing if we see it in Scripture. Now, the first one that I have given you, how I said, is this legal aspect of endurance. And that is given to us in the text in the first clause that says, brothers and of course, brothers and sisters or brethren.

Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election. You see, that falls into the category of doing. Right. It requires action. Right.

It requires that you do something. It says, be the more diligent. It is very similar words to what in verse five the apostle had said. For this very reason, make every effort. So this first clause is calling to action to do.

But the reason why I call it legal and this is the glory of this first clause. The reason why I call it legal is because of this word there, CONFIRM. CONFIRM. Now, this word CONFIRM, it is actually a word of legal terms. It is a word that always speaks of legal terms.

Oh, that is judicial terms, forensic terms, legal terms. Now, let me just give you a couple of examples of this word so we understand the meaning and then we try to see what the apostle says. Go to Romans chapter four, please. Romans chapter four. We have that word confirm, confirm.

Verse 16, chapter four, verse 16. It says the Apostle Paul is making the argument about salvation be by grace established upon the promise given to Abraham and not by works, not by works of the law. Then he says in verse 16. That is why it depends, salvation, that is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Now, you may not see the word there, but the word confirmed that the Apostle Paul uses in 2 Peter is the word be guaranteed.

So he says, the Apostle says, that is why it depends on faith in order that the promise may rest in grace and be confirmed, if the Bible would be translated with exactly the same word, or be guaranteed to all his offspring. So now, the word is legal here in nature because the apostle is saying that because the promise of eternal life was given to Abraham not according to the law, but according to faith, Now, that fact guarantees that all of those who are of faith will receive the promise of eternal life. That it is that faith, the fact that it's a faith, guarantees that we are recipients of the promise given to Abraham and not the keeping of the law. It is a legal word. Confirm something that is legal.

Go to Hebrews chapter 19. I just want you to see the nuances of this word. Hebrews 9. Hebrews chapter 9. Let's read from verse 15.

OK, let's just read from verse 15. Remember, keep in your mind that what I'm trying to do is just show you that this word confirm is legal in nature so that then we will go back to the text and understand what the puzzle is saying when we call us, when he's calling us to make every effort to confirm our election and calling. So verse 15 in chapter 9, it says, speaking of the blood of Christ and the new covenant, he says, Therefore He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the mediator of a new covenant, praise God, so that those who are called may receive the promise, eternal inheritance, since a debt has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Continue. For where I will, or some other translation will have covenant, For where I will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

For I will takes effect only at death. Okay? That is the word takes effect. It is the word confirm. That is that this legal instrument, which is a testament, perhaps your Bible might say, or a covenant, or a will, only enters in legal action when there is a death.

That is what it's saying. Takes effect only when there is a death. Or it is confirmed when there is death. It is a legal word. It is a legal word.

Now go back to, say, computer. And now let's just read the text. This is very important, brothers and sisters, because now give me your mind, please, here. The apostle is calling sinful believers, you and I and those who are in Christ, sinful because we still have the presence of sin. He's calling us to be the more diligent to confirm, like a judicial statement or a legal statement, our election and our calling.

And who is the one that calls us and elects us? Who? God has chosen us and elected us before the foundation of the world. He predestined us in the Son that we will be not only chosen, but also that we will be called, justified and glorified. The Father blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenly places so that as He chose us before the foundation of the world, brothers and sisters, I don't know if you can see it now, but the apostle is telling us that we can make every effort to legally confirm that you have been chosen and called by the eternal God of heaven before the foundation of the world.

That it is that you have through making every effort and giving all diligence to confirm that you are innocent. And this is glorious, at least for me, this is glorious, because how can a human being who is sinful in light of the holiness and righteousness of God have absolute certainty that they are innocent? It is impossible in the flesh, but yet the divine power that has been given and provided to us not only points us to truth, but the workings of the Spirit take us to confirm our calling and our election." Faces of doubt. Go to 1 Peter, please.

1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 3. This is exactly the same point that the apostle makes with baptism. I hope that you remember that sermon. 1st Peter chapter 3, okay?

When he's speaking about baptism in verse 21. 1st Peter chapter 3, this is the same apostle, this is the same human being, this is the same way of language, this is the same spirit working through him. It says, baptism, which corresponds to this, to the flood, right? You remember the passage to the flood? Speaking of the flood.

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you. And then he clarifies, unless someone may think that a person can be saved just by being baptized. Not as a removal of dirt from the body, but now pay attention to what he's going to say. Saves you in which way? But as an appeal to God for a good conscience.

appeal to God for a good conscience. That is another legal word. And what it means is that when the person goes into the water and when the person comes outside of the water or out of the water in the waters of baptism, that person is confirming that he or she is innocent. And because she or he is innocent before divine court, he can make an appeal before God, not before men only, but before God and the angels and men, that I'm innocent. I'm innocent and not because of what I've done, but because I'm united to Jesus Christ, buried with Him, resurrected in the newness of life, resurrected with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that is an appeal of obedience. Because baptism does not save, but it's a legal confirmation that the person is getting into the water, coming out of the water, I'm innocent. When I die, the moment that I come out of this water, when I die, I'm going to make it to heaven. He's going to receive me as innocent and I'm appealing to him. as a good conscience.

Then the Apostle speaks, 1 Corinthians chapter 4, of having a clean conscience, not being myself the one that justifies, but the Lord justifies me. 1 Thessalonians and in Colossians, he speaks of having God as a witness. This is my prayer, Lord, that I can do everything having you as a witness. that He will be the one to search my conscience, search my heart and everything that I do, so that I can say to you, having God as my witness, I can say that everything that is happening in me, that is doing or that I'm working or doing, it is in the Lord. And He is the one that justifies.

Brothers and sisters, you did not exist in eternity past. You did not exist the day before that you were born. Yet, yet, God can say that you are able by giving all diligence to confirm, to give certainty of your calling and your election. And this for me is glorious. Now, this is a touch, this is derived from abounding, being fruitful, increasing in all of these qualities in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How could a person that is not partaking of the glorious presence of Christ come with a good conscience to say these words or to confirm the calling in that particular way? When sin is present in you, doubt is present in your mind. When wickedness or wicked thoughts or wicked things or hypocrisy or lies are in you, then everything but certainty and confirmation is in your mind and your soul, because there's something that is pointing you as guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. When Satan tempts me to despair, we sing, right? When he comes and he says, you are guilty, you are guilty.

Condemnation is pointing you through your sin. You are unable to confirm your calling. You are unable to give all diligence, all effort to confirm your calling. And therefore you are powerless in your personal life and in your life of a servant to those who are around you. So the Lord or the Apostle best here calls us to do, confirm our calling with all diligence, our election.

We can do it in the knowledge and the fruitfulness of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Second thing, that was the legal aspect and I hope that you can see it the way that I saw it. Second aspect, not only this legal aspect of endurance, But also this practical aspect of endurance that is given to us, put your eyes in, takes place in the second clause. It's not only that you're able or diligent to confirm your call in an election, but rather also it says, for if you practice. So it says, in addition.

So furthermore, And I think those are the words they use. For if you practice, if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. Where again, in the category of endurance, but in the do, in the operate, the first one was the legal aspect. Second one now takes it to the practical aspect. You are able to confirm your calling and your election in the Lord, but you are also called to practice these things.

And this word practice is that your life is one of practicing and living all of these qualities. Not that you do them from time to time and that you remember that once you were loving, that once you had knowledge, that once you had, you know, love for your brothers and sisters, but rather that you are practicing these things at something that constitutes who you are. It speaks of completeness. Remember that verse in James that says that if you break one of the commandments you have broken all the law. Now, the language that is used is very similar to that verse in the sense that you are to practice these things in the same way that you are supposed to keep all the commandments.

And if you fail once, you have broken the entirety of the law. So when it comes to this verse here, you're supposed to practice these qualities in such a way that if you don't do it, then it's like if you have broken completeness of actually doing it. That is the intensity of what the apostle is trying to communicate. That it is that if you practice ongoingly and continually these things as if they were in you, he says actually that they're in you, then he gives the qualifier. You will never what?

You will never fall. Now, brothers and sisters, he's calling us to do to do, to confirm our calling and election, and also to practice very diligently those things. And now he's going to move into the third aspect of it, which is the reward of endurance. You will never fall. Some people have said that the Apostle is trying just simply to say that you will not stumble.

And perhaps some of your translations may have the word stumble. Like, you know, like you fall and then you go up again and then you continue. But actually the apostle, I'm going to argue, that the apostle is actually using the concept of actually falling from the faith. That if you do not practice those things, that you're going to fall from the faith. That you're going to fall from the Christian faith.

Not that you're just simply have a bad day, a bad week, and then you recover and then you continue in your path. But rather he's saying you will fall. Now, the reason why I think it is that is because the puzzle uses the same concept in the end of the book. Go to the end of the book in chapter 3. In verse 17, he says, you therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you're not carried away with the error of lawless people, and then he uses very similar language here, and lose your own stability.

Or the translation might say, and you may fall. But see how he equates Losing your own stability with being carried away by the apostates, being taken by the apostates. So losing your own stability or falling, he is connecting it with being taken or carried away by the apostates. Not only that, but brothers and sisters, we see very clear, I think, in the next verse that the qualifier is one of endurance until the end. So if you go to verse 11, in verse 11 says, Well, in the end of verse 10, it says, if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.

For in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into eternal life. So if the result of doing all of these things is entrance into the eternal kingdom of God, then when the apostle speaks of falling, if you don't do those things, is that you are prevented from entering into the eternal kingdom of God. The only thing that I want you to see here before I lose your attention. First, the Apostle is calling us to endure. Endurance in the mind of the Apostle is action first, do, and this doing has a reward that comes in the future.

This doing, according to the Apostle, is first of all legal and practical. It is that we have the ability to confirm our profession of faith and who we are. That is to confirm our calling and our election. If we give all diligence, we have the ability and obedience with the qualities that are within us to confirm that we are innocent, that we are chosen, that we are elected, that we are in Him. just as we come out of the waters of baptism and we say innocent.

And that legal aspect is connected to the practical aspect of if you practice these things, you will never fall. You will never fall. Now, this connection between the legal and the practical is very interesting, but perhaps not the time to address that. Now, brothers and sisters, The other aspect of endurance that the apostle is going to give us now here in verse 11, it is the reward. And I want you to see it carefully.

The reward. He's going to say that the reward or the outcome of this Christian biblical endurance, he's going to define it as an entrance. You see it there? As an entrance. He defines that as an entrance.

So what I'm saying to you, what I'm arguing or presenting better to you here is that biblical endurance requires this doing and the prize or the reward of this endurance is entrance. And that entrance, it is into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this word entrance here, brothers and sisters, actually speaks of something very interesting. Because it's not just only that you actually enter into one place, but rather that you arrive to one place, that you knock and the doors are open and then you are gladly accepted into that particular place.

That you are arriving, you knock, doors are open and then you gladly enter into that presence. just like the Lord Jesus Christ turning or opening the curtains of the Holy of Holies, and then He enters as the forerunner of the new covenant members, and only covenant members can enter with certainty into the Holy of Holies, because they are in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have that type of entrance into the Holy of Holies, into the eternal kingdom. But the glorious thing that I think that... not Pedro...

But Peter, that Peter is doing, that is Spanish, that Peter is doing here is with this word, is with this word, brothers and sisters. He says that that entrance into that eternal kingdom, what is the adjectives that are given to that entrance? Ritually provided for you an entrance. Ritually provided for you an entrance. Okay?

So that when you come and knock, you are not only accepted gladly, but this entrance that is given to you is rich, that is abundant and it is provided to you. Now, the very interesting thing there is that this provided word is exactly the same word that the apostle used when he was calling us to supplement our faith with all of those virtues. To supplement or to provide our faith with all of those virtues. So he says, if you provide or if you supplement your faith with all of these virtues, and these virtues are increasing and abounding in you in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not be nearsighted nor blind, forgetting the cleansing or the purification of your former sins. Therefore, be all more diligent to confirm your calling and election.

But then he says that if we do and practice these things, we will never fall. and there will be an entrance that is richly provided by God. You supplement your faith with all of these qualities by the power of the Spirit, I will provide an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom of God. Brothers and sisters, the reward of endurance is to reach heaven or reach death and the point in which we're going to be face to face with the Lord. And not only that we're going to be accepted in that presence, but also brothers and sisters, that this entrance is richly provided for us, abundant expectation, heavenly expectation to receive a sinner that was lost and was redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the glory of endurance. It is not that, wow, one more day that I have to be a Christian, but rather one more day that I have to be a Christian, that I have to be in Jesus Christ. Because every day is one day closer to the day in which the gates of heaven are richly opened, provided an entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that saved us, the one that redeemed us. And that should make your heart jump or whatever word you use for your heart jumping inside of you. Brothers and sisters, now, why is this important?

Four elements of knowledge, four elements of genuine knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, it is your eternal salvation. You're saved when you know the Lord Jesus Christ. Second thing is that the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is the means through which everything that is needed for you is provided. Right?

This is the first thing that Peter says here. So knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is your eternal salvation. Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is also everything that is needed for you provided by his divine power. Knowledge of fruitfulness and effectiveness in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is assurance and certainty that we have been redeemed. Acknowledge and assure or knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is the means that which works in us biblical endurance until the end.

Now, endurance is not that you remain a Christian until the end. I hope that you can see that, right? It's not that you simply remain with the label of Christian until you die. Endurance, biblical endurance is that you are abounding in these qualities. You see that, right?

That you have to have those qualities, virtue and knowledge and self-control and brotherly affection and love. Endurance requires the presence in the life of the soul, all of those characteristics and attributes. And then some of you will walk faster, some of you will walk slower. But every single Christian will walk towards eternity, abounding and increasing in these qualities. And then when they arrive to the doors of heaven, then they will be allowed in.

with abundance and a smile coming from heaven. Why is this important? Have those four things in your mind. Why is this important? This is important because, first of all, we know of people that are going to receive from the lips of God, from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ, I never knew you, depart from me, right?

But this is important because the ultimate proof, and this is the only way that I have to describe it, so please try to understand this, the ultimate proof of genuine saving faith is endurance. The ultimate proof of genuine saving faith is endurance. Why? Because endurance is the fourth category and requires eternal salvation, living your Christian life, being assured of your salvation and endure until the end. So the ultimate proof of your salvation is not that you're seated in church, is not that you do Christian things, is not that you profess to be a Christian, but it is endurance until the end.

I have to show you some verses so that I will back up that with a scripture. Matthew chapter 24, please. Matthew chapter 24 the passage that we've read a few times but it's... excuse me They just read it from verse nine. It says.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake, and then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many, many Christians, the love of many Christians will grow cold. But then he says, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. The one that endures until the end will be saved.

It is the same argument that the Apostle John makes in Revelation. The one that endures until the end will be saved. It is the same argument that the Apostle Paul makes in Romans chapter 2, that those who persevere or endure in seeking glory and honor will be saved. And it is the same argument that the same Apostle Peter makes in 1 Peter 1, verse 9. It says, "...

obtaining the outcome of your faith." That is, obtaining the result of your faith. What is that? The salvation of your souls. Obtaining the final outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

So, brothers and sisters, please keep this in your mind. The knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, with at least those four elements that I have given you, eternal life, everything that we need for us provided in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, certainty and assurance and biblical endurance, they are vital and important because endurance, which is the last one, the pinnacle of them, it is the ultimate proof of genuine saving faith. Now, if endurance, and when I say endurance, I mean a purpose that is abounding and increasing in fruits, right? That's what I mean by endurance. Not only that you remain being increasing until the end, but having all of these qualities, having all of these manifestations or operation of sanctification in you until the end is the proof of genuine saving faith, one can conclude that the proof of apostasy is that you don't endure until the end in the way that biblical Christians will endure until the end.

Go to chapter 2 in 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 2. Now, pay attention to this. Now, the apostle is speaking about apostates. Now, are apostates are going to make it into heaven?

No. Now, he's speaking about apostates, right? Those who have fallen from the faith. It says, verse 20 in chapter 2. For if...

Now, he's speaking of apostates. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Okay? Now, when you read that, what we understand is that these people were not only people that profess to be Christians, but in a sense, they had escaped from the defilements, the practical corruptions of the world. Right? They had been sanctified in a certain sense.

And the complication that we have is that they've done it through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But now continue. They are, he says, for if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome the last state that is before knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, the last state has become worse for them than the first, or better, this fallen state worse than the state before they had known the Lord Jesus Christ. Now pay attention to 21. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness, that after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

These are people that practically turned to wickedness and unrighteousness. That it is that they have been entangled and overcome by the passions of the former ignorance, the apostle will say in 1st Peter chapter 1. So then the last day becomes worse than the first. Now, these people had knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. These people had certain workings of the Spirit in them that had removed them from the defilements and the corruptions of the world.

But these people turned from their way of righteousness. They did not endure until the end with the abundance of the qualities that can only be worked in a person by the Holy Spirit. Now, fruitfulness, my beloved of Christ. Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, fruitfulness in Christianity, it is not something that a Christian cannot have. It's not a negotiable, right?

It is not a negotiable. There cannot be a genuine Christian who has been eternally saved by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been provided everything that is required for life and godliness, who can be assured, who can have certainty and fruitfulness in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, who will not endure until the end the way that the Bible says it. If the seed of the Spirit of Christ is in a soul, then that which is going to be produced and the fruit of it is going to be the fruit of the Spirit. If we take a Christian and there's the fruit of unrighteousness and wickedness and of the flesh, and we give that I attribute that to the Spirit. This is blasphemy.

The work of the Spirit in a person will conform that person to the image of the Son, Jesus Christ, and He will do it not one week into my salvation, not two weeks into my salvation, not the first three years of my salvation, but He will do it until The end. And then there's going to be some that will fall, that will be turned to unrighteousness and corruption. And that will be the sign that they were not partakers of eternal salvation. That they did not receive everything that is required for life and godliness. That they did not have fruitfulness in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

and therefore the doors of heaven will be shut to those people. Depart from me, ye workers of inequity." You can see the seriousness of this, brothers and sisters, fruitfulness in your life, ultimate endurance is the proof of genuine faith. This is the whole argument that the author of Hebrews does in Hebrews chapter 6. Right?

Hebrews chapter 6. Go to Hebrews chapter 6 and you can see how apostasy is compared with fruitfulness. Fruitfulness until the end. Hebrews chapter 6. Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to see here the argument of the author of Hebrews, how he progresses from child to maturity, and maturity being fruit, giving bearing fruit to those who do not bear fruit, and then the consequences of those who do not bear fruit, and then speaking into endurance until the end.

Chapter 5, verse 11. Chapter 5, verse 11. Pay attention to the argument of the author of Hebrews. About these we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God."

So is he saying to them that they are mature? No, he's saying the opposite, right? That they are not mature. You need milk, not solid food. So they are not mature.

They have no birth or bore fruit. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. Couldn't be more clear there. But solid food, that is those who bear fruit, those who are mature, but solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Now, just one point.

Can you grow in your discernment of good and evil by just simply studying a book and understanding a systematic theology? No, it is by continuous practice of righteousness. The more that you understand righteousness, the more that you have righteousness and the more that you practice righteousness, the more able that you are to distinguish between righteousness and unrighteousness. And the more that people can see your life and say he's a mature man or woman in Christ, therefore worthy to be imitated. Chapter six, therefore, chapters were not in the Bible.

Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go unto maturity..." You see the continuation of the argument? "...unto maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God, and of instruction about washings, the laying of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and the eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits."

Okay, growing. Why? "...for it is impossible in the case of those who have once..." Okay, now he's going to speak about those who have fallen.

"...for it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened..." This is a work of the Spirit. "...who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm, and holding Him up to contempt.

Verse 7, and I'm sorry that I'm just reading this long portion, but please bear with me. For land, now this is the analogy of fruitfulness and something that is not fruitful, maturity and immaturity, someone that has not practiced righteousness. It says, for land that has drank the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. In other words, the land that bears or produces fruit, it is a blessing. The land that produces fruit.

Verse 8, Comparison. But if the land bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed. And its end is to be burned. Speaking of the ones for whom there is no sacrifice anymore. Speaking for the immature.

Speaking for the one that is not growing in righteousness, in the practice of righteousness. And then he continues. Though we speak in this way, the apostle says, or whoever wrote Hebrews, Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, Beloved, we feel sure of better things. that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints as you still do.

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of the hope until the end. Verse 12, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit what? The promise, the promise. But you who are in Christ, you who by faith, saving faith, have been united in Him. You, you are not a land that is not producing fruit.

You are a land that is going to increase in love and good works and is going to have the full assurance until the end. And you're going to be recipients, so you're going to receive the promises. The promise, the author is going to explain there, that was given to Abraham. But now, brothers and sisters, endurance until the end, in the midst of tribulation, in the midst of difficulty, in the midst of temptation, in the midst of the flesh, in the midst of many difficulties, endurance until the end, just like the endurance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me just take your mind.

Just remember the night before he died. Just the day before he was going to be crucified. He was taken, he took three of his disciples to the garden, right? The garden of Gethsemane. And he was with the three disciples there and he knew the things that were coming.

He knew the wrath that was going to be poured upon him for the payment and the salvation of your soul. Yet when he was there, he knew of the cup that was coming and he asked, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. But then he says, not my will, but your will be done. The will of the father was that he was going to die, that he was going to be crucified. He was going through suffering, tribulation, difficulties there, much suffering.

He knew what was coming. The wrath of his father was coming upon him on behalf of the people. Yet he said, not my will, but your will be done. teaching us that the Christian life is one of doing the will of the Father. That it is in that day many will say, Lord, Lord, didn't we do all of these things?

It's not those who enter into the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of the Father. That night, not only the Lord endured through tribulation and difficulty and the understanding and the full divine knowledge that the wrath of God was coming upon Him on behalf of the church, But when he actually followed the will of the Father, your salvation was purchased. Pay attention to what the apostle or the author of Hebrews does before he speaks of apostasy. Chapter 5, verse 7. I had read this hundreds of times.

I had never seen this there up until two days ago. Chapter 5, verse 7. Is your money in Gethsemane? with the difficulties that the Lord was going through. It says, verse 7, In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death.

And he was hurt because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. He learned obedience through what he suffered, that it is not my will, your will be done. He learned to obey the father through the things that were coming ahead, the suffering. And the result of that is, and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Brothers and sisters, the endurance of the Savior, not only that night before He was crucified, but the endurance of the Savior being born under the law and being born in this world in the likeness of our flesh, the endurance until the end, is the means by which He was made perfect in terms of obedience, so that by dying upon the cross and His blood being applied to us by grace, we would be made perfect. That is the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The blood of the animals under the Old Covenant did not have the power to purify the worshipper. But the blood of the Lamb, who was the High Priest, has the power to make perfect those who received the blood.

Why? Because he is not a priest according to the order of Aaron, but he's a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. A priesthood that was established before the law was given, and it was given in terms of the promise given to Abraham before even circumcision was given. It was established upon the promise of eternal life. And then when the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is applied to us, the life of Christ is genuinely given to the soul.

So the life that we have is not my life anymore, but it's Jesus Christ who lives in me. And because he loved me and gave himself for me, I'm not only saved and have everything that I need to live my Christian life, and I can be completely assured of it. but He will take me to the end. His endurance is my endurance. His covenant, now it is my covenant.

I'm a member of the new covenant by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if Jesus Christ entered into the Holy of Holies and He was provided with an abundant and rich entry, so then we can have certainty that in Jesus Christ we do have entrance into the Holy of Holies, not with Fear that we're going to be destroyed by the holiness and righteousness of God, but with boldness. In times of need, we can approach the throne of grace. In times of desperation and in times of difficulty, we can approach the throne of grace because of Jesus Christ. And He is gracious and loving to provide everything that we need in order to make it until the end.

What a Savior! What a Savior! Amen.