Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Can the righteous
draw back to perdition?
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Can an apostate be restored?
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Join us now on
"The Grace Pipeline"
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to see what the Bible
has to say about this.
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Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
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This series is based
on a Bible study book
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by the same title which
I was privileged to write.
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And today if you're following
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along in this
series companion book,
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we are beginning in Chapter 11,
to talk about guarding grace.
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If we look back to the
beginning in Genesis 3:1,
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the Bible
declares, "Now the serpent
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was more cunning and
he said to the woman,
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'Has God indeed said.'"
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Here we see that
from the beginning
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in the Garden of Eden,
the devil has distorted
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the word of God for
the purpose of creating
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doubt in the mind of humanity.
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The serpent entrapped
Eve by twisting God's words,
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resulting in the fall of
the first created couple.
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Do you doubt that
Satan continues to use
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the same deceitful tactic today?
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You know, I grew up
attending a New Testing--
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New Testament denominational
church where I never heard
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the grace of God
mentioned in a sermon.
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As we sang "Amazing Grace,"
I would get a glimpse of it
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and a heart felt
hint of its meaning,
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but any appreciation of
its glory was rested from my
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awareness by the teachings
of my church and my family.
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I was taught, God could not
love me unless I was perfect.
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And trying
earnestly to win His love,
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I became frustrated
at my failures to achieve
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perfection which was
beyond my natural grasp.
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I was caught in
the devil's snare
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and the teeth of
that demonic trap of works
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based salvation dug
deep, wounding my soul
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and creating within me
a staggering insecurity.
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And what happened is I dragged
that steel tooth lie around.
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My spiritual progression
inched along in a slow crawl.
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Although I loved Jesus
Christ, I mistakenly believed
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it was impossible
to please the Father.
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And as a young
adult I felt doomed.
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Actually, there were
times when I just gave up,
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abandoning my dismal
efforts to save myself
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and then I would walk
in the ways of the world.
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But God in His mercy
would not let go off me.
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When I heard of
grace for the first time,
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God sprung that trap open
for me and shaking the devil--
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the devilish
device from my foot.
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I began a new journey with
the Lord by changing churches.
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You know, the
services were different
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than I was accustomed to,
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and they seemed like
a constant celebration.
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It was exacting and it
appealed to my emotions.
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I read my Bible
regularly and I felt satisfied
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that I was
fulfilling God's will.
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Although I still had
questions about grace.
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I made no serious
effort to search the scriptures
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for greater
understanding and I was walking
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on dangerous ground unaware.
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I thought that I had
found God's true path of grace,
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but I overstepped His boundaries
that serve as our safeguard.
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And when I did, it happened.
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Snap the jaws of
the devil's snare
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clamped down on my other foot,
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again slowing my
spiritual progress.
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This occurred over 30 years ago
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when I was speaking with
the new friend from the church
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and I was shocked at something
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that she was doing in a
defense of her behavior.
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She quoted her
favorite scripture,
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interpreting it
according to the understanding
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which had been delivered to her.
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She said, "Shelley,
2 Timothy 2:13 says,
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'If we are
faithless, He remains faithful.'
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We're God's children.
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So no matter what we do, we
can't fall from God's grace.
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He loves us too
much to lose us."
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And unfortunately I
allowed her single reference
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to a single
scripture taken out of context
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to influence my
immature concept of grace.
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It was soothing to
think that I could do no wrong
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in the eyes of my Lord
and I walked in that delusion
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for nearly 2 years,
dubbing anyone who focused
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on obedience as legalistic
and unlearned in grace.
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One morning while I was reading
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Paul's first
letter to the Corinthians,
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a verse lit up like
a flashing neon sign
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and Paul just had
provided a brief history
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of the wanderings of
the nation of Israel,
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telling of their transgressions
and how they finally
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exhausted the Lord's patience.
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After explaining
that God's judgment
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against Israel was a
warning to Christians,
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he issued a
warning and shared words
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of encouragement in 1
Corinthians 10:12, 13.
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Where he says,
"Therefore let him
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who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.
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No temptation has overtaken you
except such as is common to man.
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But God is faithful,
who will not allow you
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to be tempted
beyond what you are able,
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but with the temptation will
also make the way of escape,
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that you may be
able to bear it."
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What? "Let him
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who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall."
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Suddenly I began to
have second thoughts
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about the
security of my salvation.
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Was it possible
to fall from grace?
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Was I ignoring
God's way of escape
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from temptation and
danger of falling away?
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I began studying in
earnest and Scripture exposed
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the error I had
been lead to believe.
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I studied my friend's
favorite verse this time
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within context found
in 2 Timothy 2:11-13.
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And it reads, "This
is a faithful saying.
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For if we died with Him,
we shall also live with Him.
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If we endure, we
shall also reign with Him.
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If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
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If we are
faithless, He remains faithful.
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He cannot deny Himself."
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What happened as I probe
the meanings of these verses?
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Truth appealed to
solid reasoning and helped me
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escape the snare of
distorting God's word.
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The Lord reversed my thinking,
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graciously granting me
the gift of repentance.
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So what I'd like to do
now is take this passage
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and consider it within context
of New Testament teaching.
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In verse 11 of 2
Timothy 2, he says,
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"For if we died with Him,
we shall also live with Him."
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Paul frequently taught
that Christians are to be
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dead to self and
sin, but alive to God
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in His gift of recreated
life through the regeneration
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and the renewal
of the Holy Sprit
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born again
believers are alive in Christ.
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Now verse 12, "If we endure,
we shall also reign with Him."
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You know, Jesus promised
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if we endure to the
end we will be saved.
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And Hebrews explains
our need of endurance saying
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that it is after we
have done the will of God
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as faithful followers of
Christ then we will receive
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the promise of
reigning with Him.
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Now verse 12 reads, if we--
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this is a second
half of verse 12.
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"If we deny Him,
He will also deny us."
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Denying Christ does not
demand a verbal rejection.
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Habitual disregard
for His commandments
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and deliberate sin
are a denial of Christ.
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We are rejecting His authority,
refusing to abide in Him
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and the power of His grace.
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And consequently,
we are disowning Him.
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Paul identifies
people of this mindset of--
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as pretenders
saying in Titus 1:16,
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"They profess to know God,
but in works they deny Him."
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And Christ warns
in Matthew 10:33,
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"Whoever denies Me
before men, him I will also deny
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before My Father
who is in heaven."
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And another stern
warning is found in Jude 1:3-5.
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Where he says,
"Contend earnestly for the faith
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which was once for all
delivered to the saints.
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For certain men have
crept in unnoticed, ungodly men,
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who turn the grace
of our God into lewdness
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and deny the only Lord
God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
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But I want to
remind you that the Lord,
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having saved the people
out of the land of Egypt,
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afterward destroyed
those who did not believe."
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Let me ask. Do our
actions deny our loyalty to God?
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Through the great commission
Christ called His followers
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to be ambassadors for Him.
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And in 2009, I
better understood this title
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"Ambassador" and the
position after hearing
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Ambassador Bienvenido
Tejano, who--he was here
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speaking at 3ABN's
corporate morning worship.
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And he explained his role
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as the Philippines
ambassador to New Zealand.
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It was his responsibility
to know the exact will
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of the nation's President
and the code of regulations
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for the
government he represented.
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He was
accountable to speak and act
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in perfect agreement with
the Philippines leader and laws.
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To violate either would
be a denial of the authority
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vested in him and no
doubt grounds for dismissal.
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Is this principle any
less binding on Christians?
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We are to be a living memorial
of God's power for salvation,
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a letter written on the
heart by the Holy Sprit.
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Now let's continue
looking in 2 Timothy 2:13,
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he--Paul writes,
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"If we are
faithless, He remains faithful.
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He cannot deny Himself."
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Ah, this was the verse
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that I had twisted
with unstable reasoning.
00:10:58.02\00:11:01.99
But considering the
context of the entire passage
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and the balance
of Bible teaching,
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the veil of deception
was lifted from my eyes.
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Paul's intent in
verse 13 is to forewarn us.
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If we do not believe in
God's power to save us from sin
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and we become unfaithful to Him,
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God cannot help
but to remain faithful
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to His righteous
character and His sure word.
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His promises are trustworthy.
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He will faithfully reward
all who live by His divine grace
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never forsaking the
one who trust in Him.
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But He will be equally faithful
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to His promises of
punishment for the wicked.
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God anguishes over
a lost relationship,
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but he cannot deny His word
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for that would
be to deny Himself.
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Christ promises
that no one can snatch us
00:11:57.88\00:12:01.35
from our Heavenly
Father's protective hand.
00:12:01.35\00:12:04.22
And Paul further
promises that absolutely nothing
00:12:04.22\00:12:07.06
can separate us from God's love.
00:12:07.06\00:12:09.92
The unfailing love and concern
of our protective and patient
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.86
Heavenly Father
is our safeguard.
00:12:13.86\00:12:17.07
Peter assures us
that through our faith
00:12:17.07\00:12:19.77
and the
provision of God's grace,
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we are kept by
God's power for salvation,
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but even so, grace does
not eliminate free will.
00:12:25.84\00:12:29.71
It is possible to have
00:12:29.71\00:12:31.45
a form of
godliness, but deny its power.
00:12:31.45\00:12:35.28
It is possible to choose
to cast off Christ's yoke
00:12:35.28\00:12:39.79
and walk away breaking the heart
of our loving Heavenly Father.
00:12:39.79\00:12:45.96
Hebrews 3:12
warns, "Beware, brethren,
00:12:45.96\00:12:50.03
lest there be in
any of you an evil heart
00:12:50.03\00:12:53.34
of unbelieving in
departing from the living God."
00:12:53.34\00:12:59.11
This warning to
Christians clearly demonstrates
00:12:59.11\00:13:02.14
the possibility of
taking a detour from God's
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.55
narrow path of life and walking
away from His source of grace.
00:13:05.55\00:13:10.52
If we draw back from following
in the footsteps of Christ,
00:13:10.52\00:13:14.79
we depart from the Father.
00:13:14.79\00:13:18.29
In Ephesians 5, Paul explains
that children of God must
00:13:18.29\00:13:23.73
imitate their Father and
walk in the power of His love.
00:13:23.73\00:13:28.77
We should always remain
mindful of the cost of grace.
00:13:28.77\00:13:33.11
In His great love God
sent Christ to die for us
00:13:33.11\00:13:37.61
and in consideration
of Christ's sacrifice,
00:13:37.61\00:13:40.82
Paul counsels
us that fornication
00:13:40.82\00:13:43.89
and covetousness and all
uncleanness and filthiness
00:13:43.89\00:13:47.59
including foolish
talking and coarse jesting
00:13:47.59\00:13:51.26
are not fitting
for a child of God.
00:13:51.26\00:13:54.23
He ends with this stern
warning in Ephesians 5:5-7.
00:13:54.23\00:14:01.00
"For this you
know, that no fornicator,
00:14:01.00\00:14:03.97
unclean person,
nor covetous man,
00:14:03.97\00:14:06.41
who is an
idolater, has any inheritance
00:14:06.41\00:14:09.71
in the kingdom
of Christ and God.
00:14:09.71\00:14:12.35
Let no one deceive
you with empty words,
00:14:12.35\00:14:15.35
for because of these
things the wrath of God
00:14:15.35\00:14:18.52
comes upon the
sons of disobedience.
00:14:18.52\00:14:21.22
Therefore do not be
partakers with them."
00:14:21.22\00:14:25.86
I have a friend of
30 years who once took
00:14:25.86\00:14:28.16
ministerial studies
and lived for the Lord.
00:14:28.16\00:14:30.77
He understood and lived
by righteousness by faith.
00:14:30.77\00:14:34.10
But sadly for the last 12 years,
00:14:34.10\00:14:36.20
he no longer
practices righteousness.
00:14:36.20\00:14:38.71
He has drawn back from the Lord
00:14:38.71\00:14:40.78
and joined with the
sons of disobedience.
00:14:40.78\00:14:43.38
He totally
disregards God's commandments
00:14:43.38\00:14:46.08
and his life is a wreck.
00:14:46.08\00:14:47.88
What does God think about
00:14:47.88\00:14:49.72
the habitual
pattern of sin in his life?
00:14:49.72\00:14:53.09
Listen to the Lord's
warning in Ezekiel 33:18 and 19.
00:14:53.09\00:14:58.69
He says, "When the righteous
turns from his righteousness
00:14:58.69\00:15:02.06
and commits iniquity,
he shall die because of it.
00:15:02.06\00:15:05.43
But when the wicked turns
from his wickedness and does
00:15:05.43\00:15:09.57
what is lawful and right,
he shall live because of it."
00:15:09.57\00:15:14.68
And the New Testament repeats
00:15:14.68\00:15:16.71
God's warning in
Hebrews 10:36-39.
00:15:16.71\00:15:21.42
It says, "For you
have need of endurance,
00:15:21.42\00:15:24.75
so that after you
have done the will of God,
00:15:24.75\00:15:28.19
you may receive the promise.
00:15:28.19\00:15:30.49
'For yet a little
while, and He who is coming
00:15:30.49\00:15:32.73
will come and will not tarry.
00:15:32.73\00:15:34.76
Now the just
shall live by faith.
00:15:34.76\00:15:37.33
But if anyone draws back, My
soul has no pleasure in him.'
00:15:37.33\00:15:42.40
But we are not of those
who draw back to perdition,
00:15:42.40\00:15:45.47
but of those who believe
to the saving of the soul."
00:15:45.47\00:15:51.21
When we understand and receive
the power of divine grace,
00:15:51.21\00:15:55.55
we will walk by faith.
00:15:55.55\00:15:57.59
No trial or
tribulation can cause us
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.62
to draw away from
God's protective hand.
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.93
We will not turn
away from the truth
00:16:03.93\00:16:06.16
and seek teachings
that tickle our itching ears
00:16:06.16\00:16:09.50
or be counted among
those who twist scripture
00:16:09.50\00:16:12.43
to their own
destruction and fall away
00:16:12.43\00:16:14.67
from grace as
described in 2 Peter 3:16-18.
00:16:14.67\00:16:20.61
He says, "Some
things hard to understand,
00:16:20.61\00:16:23.28
which untaught
and unstable people
00:16:23.28\00:16:26.31
twist to their own destruction,
00:16:26.31\00:16:31.89
as they do also the
rest of the Scriptures.
00:16:31.89\00:16:33.29
You therefore,
beloved, beware lest you also
00:16:33.29\00:16:35.79
fall from your
own steadfastness,
00:16:35.79\00:16:38.36
being led away with
the error of the wicked,
00:16:38.36\00:16:41.46
but grow in
grace and the knowledge
00:16:41.46\00:16:44.00
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ."
00:16:44.00\00:16:47.97
You know, in the previous
Chapter the apostle issued
00:16:47.97\00:16:52.01
a strong alert against the
potential danger of apostasy
00:16:52.01\00:16:57.35
which simply means to
fall away from the Lord.
00:16:57.35\00:16:59.81
He warned of the
seduction of false teachers
00:16:59.81\00:17:02.58
who corrupt good morals
00:17:02.58\00:17:04.69
by speaking great
swelling words of emptiness.
00:17:04.69\00:17:09.42
Their allure is
lofty expression of liberty
00:17:09.42\00:17:13.53
from the
restrictions of God's word.
00:17:13.53\00:17:15.96
Teaching people to
walk after the flesh,
00:17:15.96\00:17:18.90
they delude
Christians who had at one time
00:17:18.90\00:17:22.14
adhered to the
truth, turning them aside
00:17:22.14\00:17:25.54
from the way of righteousness
and from the Holy commandments.
00:17:25.54\00:17:29.24
This reversal of
right doing by casting off
00:17:29.24\00:17:32.28
the restraining
power of grace is compared
00:17:32.28\00:17:36.32
by Peter to a dog
returning to his own vomit.
00:17:36.32\00:17:40.06
And he concludes in
2 Peter 2:20 saying,
00:17:40.06\00:17:43.79
"For if, after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world
00:17:43.79\00:17:48.36
through the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:17:48.36\00:17:51.83
they are again
entangled in them and overcome,
00:17:51.83\00:17:56.10
the latter end is worse
for them than the beginning."
00:17:56.10\00:18:01.41
You know, apostasy is a
worse condition than ignorance.
00:18:01.41\00:18:06.25
For it is more difficult,
although not impossible
00:18:06.25\00:18:09.78
to reach the heart of
those who have turned away
00:18:09.78\00:18:13.02
from divine grace
than to reach those
00:18:13.02\00:18:15.66
who've never heard
God's precious truths.
00:18:15.66\00:18:19.49
God's mercy and
divine grace are witnessed
00:18:19.49\00:18:23.23
in the Old
Testament through His dealing
00:18:23.23\00:18:25.47
with the apostate
king, wicked king Manasseh.
00:18:25.47\00:18:29.70
This selfish idolater and
cruel murderer condemned by God
00:18:29.70\00:18:34.88
was later accepted
and restored by God.
00:18:34.88\00:18:39.38
His history is found
partially in 2 Kings 21
00:18:39.38\00:18:43.05
which abruptly breaks off to
be resumed in 2 Chronicles 33.
00:18:43.05\00:18:48.86
Manasseh was the
only son of King Hezekiah.
00:18:48.86\00:18:52.73
And he became his
father's successor
00:18:52.73\00:18:54.93
to the throne
at 12 years of age.
00:18:54.93\00:18:58.40
He was the longest
reigning King of Judah,
00:18:58.40\00:19:01.24
but all the good
that his father Hezekiah
00:19:01.24\00:19:04.04
had accomplished was
undone by this wicked son.
00:19:04.04\00:19:08.24
The immature King fell
under heathen influence
00:19:08.24\00:19:12.15
and treacherously
turned his back on God
00:19:12.15\00:19:15.02
abolishing Israel's
religious faith in the Lord
00:19:15.02\00:19:18.75
and leading Judah into a
relapse of wide spread idolatry.
00:19:18.75\00:19:24.73
2 Chronicles 33:9
says, "Manasseh seduced Judah
00:19:24.73\00:19:29.73
and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem to do more evil
00:19:29.73\00:19:33.37
than the natious--
nations whom the Lord
00:19:33.37\00:19:35.80
had destroyed before
the children of Israel."
00:19:35.80\00:19:40.61
He introduced the
horrifying custom of sacrificing
00:19:40.61\00:19:45.05
children to Moloch,
causing his own son to pass
00:19:45.05\00:19:49.08
through the fire in the
honor of the heathen idol.
00:19:49.08\00:19:52.59
He used witchcraft.
He consulted spiritists.
00:19:52.59\00:19:56.29
He consulted mediums and
he shed much innocent blood.
00:19:56.29\00:20:01.60
Manasseh practiced great
evils on the side of the Lord.
00:20:01.60\00:20:05.77
And he provoked God to anger.
00:20:05.77\00:20:08.57
The Lord sent His prophets
to warn and reprove him,
00:20:08.57\00:20:12.37
but Manasseh would not listen.
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.41
Rather, he responded
with cruel persecution
00:20:14.41\00:20:17.95
of the prophets
and though the time
00:20:17.95\00:20:20.32
and manner of Isaiah's death
are unknown from Scripture,
00:20:20.32\00:20:23.92
rabbinical tradition holds
00:20:23.92\00:20:26.05
that when Isaiah
was 90 years old,
00:20:26.05\00:20:28.59
he sought refuge in a cedar
tree to hide from Manasseh.
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.86
And there he was sawn asunder,
00:20:32.86\00:20:35.70
sawn in two by
command of the heathen king.
00:20:35.70\00:20:39.40
In about the 21st or
22nd year of Manasseh's reign,
00:20:39.40\00:20:43.47
his unfaithfulness to God
00:20:43.47\00:20:46.27
brought the Lord's
judgment against him,
00:20:46.27\00:20:48.68
which led to Judah's
ultimate destruction and exile.
00:20:48.68\00:20:53.28
Manasseh was
captured by the captains
00:20:53.28\00:20:55.52
of the King of
Babylon and he lost all of his
00:20:55.52\00:20:58.72
royal dignity
when he was carried off
00:20:58.72\00:21:01.22
by his conquerors in iron
bonds and fetters led by a rope
00:21:01.22\00:21:06.49
that was attached
to a hook in his nose.
00:21:06.49\00:21:10.27
But, you know,
in severe distress
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.13
at the cruel
hands of his captors,
00:21:12.13\00:21:14.37
Manasseh's eyes were opened
and he came to his senses.
00:21:14.37\00:21:18.87
The idols he served
were unable to save him.
00:21:18.87\00:21:22.48
He became convinced
God was the only true God,
00:21:22.48\00:21:26.11
Creator of the world.
00:21:26.11\00:21:27.98
And ashamed of
his sin he repented
00:21:27.98\00:21:30.72
humbled himself and
cried out to the Lord.
00:21:30.72\00:21:34.19
God listened and
answered his prayers.
00:21:34.19\00:21:37.23
Manasseh entered
into covenant with God
00:21:37.23\00:21:39.59
who graciously delivered him
00:21:39.59\00:21:41.83
and even restored the
kingdom of Judah to him.
00:21:41.83\00:21:46.84
Manasseh abandoned
his idolatrous ways
00:21:46.84\00:21:50.01
and tried to reverse
the evil he had done.
00:21:50.01\00:21:52.84
He restored the
altar of the Lord,
00:21:52.84\00:21:55.41
sacrificing to God only,
00:21:55.41\00:21:57.48
and commanded the people
of Judah to worship Jehovah.
00:21:57.48\00:22:01.38
So it was that
Manasseh died in peace with God.
00:22:01.38\00:22:05.99
As we consider Manasseh's
rebellion against God,
00:22:05.99\00:22:09.76
his captivity by cruel
enemies, his repentance,
00:22:09.76\00:22:13.63
his restoration to the kingdom,
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.76
and the
transformation of his character,
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.50
we see God's long
suffering patience
00:22:18.50\00:22:22.27
and the renewing
power of His grace
00:22:22.27\00:22:25.57
to subdue even the
most offensive forms of sin.
00:22:25.57\00:22:30.58
Manasseh's history parallels
the New Testament parable
00:22:30.58\00:22:35.08
of the prodigal son
who recognized his own
00:22:35.08\00:22:38.35
wretched condition and
returned to his father.
00:22:38.35\00:22:41.59
Like the father of the parable,
00:22:41.59\00:22:43.96
our Heavenly Father's
love is inexhaustible.
00:22:43.96\00:22:47.83
And He waits for His returning
children with outstretched arms.
00:22:47.83\00:22:52.97
The hand of grace is never
closed to the repentant sinner.
00:22:52.97\00:22:58.77
God delights in
mercy and restoration.
00:22:58.77\00:23:02.48
What an encouragement
this is to trembling hearts.
00:23:02.48\00:23:06.78
So you see there
is hope for my friend.
00:23:06.78\00:23:10.22
The apostate can be
reached if after suffering
00:23:10.22\00:23:13.66
the consequences of
his faithless actions
00:23:13.66\00:23:16.29
his heart has not
become so hardened
00:23:16.29\00:23:19.56
that he continues to
resist the Holy Spirit.
00:23:19.56\00:23:23.00
Unfortunately, there
are far more examples
00:23:23.00\00:23:25.83
of stony hearted apostates
who do not sense a need
00:23:25.83\00:23:30.07
to humble
themselves in return to God.
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.84
These will be recipients of His
wrath on the Day of Judgment.
00:23:32.84\00:23:37.31
Hebrews 10:31 says,
"It is a fearful thing
00:23:37.31\00:23:41.55
to fall into the
hands of the Living God."
00:23:41.55\00:23:44.35
Why? Look at
Hebrews 10:28 and 30--
00:23:44.35\00:23:48.26
Excuse me, 28 and 29.
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.36
"Anyone who has rejected
Moses' law dies without mercy
00:23:50.36\00:23:54.56
on the testimony of
two or three witnesses.
00:23:54.56\00:23:57.33
Of how much worse
punishment, do you suppose,
00:23:57.33\00:24:00.30
will he be thought
worthy who has trampled
00:24:00.30\00:24:03.24
the Son of God
underfoot, counted the blood
00:24:03.24\00:24:06.37
of the covenant by which he
was sanctified a common thing,
00:24:06.37\00:24:11.48
and insulted the
Spirit of grace?"
00:24:11.48\00:24:18.09
You know, the Christian
should not insult Christ
00:24:18.09\00:24:22.22
and the Sprit of grace by
walking in the darkness of sin.
00:24:22.22\00:24:27.00
Ephesians 5:8-11 says this,
00:24:27.00\00:24:30.87
"For you were once darkness,
00:24:30.87\00:24:34.37
but now you are
light in the Lord.
00:24:34.37\00:24:38.21
Walk as children of light
for the fruit of the Spirit
00:24:38.21\00:24:42.61
is in all
goodness, righteousness,
00:24:42.61\00:24:46.08
and truth, finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord.
00:24:46.08\00:24:51.35
And have no fellowship
00:24:51.35\00:24:53.02
with the
unfruitful works of darkness."
00:24:53.02\00:24:57.63
If we walk in the
light of God's word
00:24:57.63\00:25:00.83
with a heart that is
renewed by the quickening grace
00:25:00.83\00:25:05.00
of Christ's righteousness,
we will remain faithful
00:25:05.00\00:25:08.74
to our Lord and He will
remain faithful to--to us.
00:25:08.74\00:25:13.58
We will not be
counted among those
00:25:13.58\00:25:16.11
who insult the Holy Sprit
and draw back to perdition.
00:25:16.11\00:25:20.32
We will be numbered among those
00:25:20.32\00:25:23.25
who believe unto the
salvation of our souls.
00:25:23.25\00:25:26.86
We will guard the
precious gift of grace.
00:25:26.86\00:25:30.59
Now I want to take just a moment
00:25:30.59\00:25:32.89
to stop and to pray
for you because I know
00:25:32.89\00:25:38.30
that there are many
people who are watching,
00:25:38.30\00:25:40.90
many people who
are hearing my voice,
00:25:40.90\00:25:43.61
who grew up as I did
thinking you can't please God,
00:25:43.61\00:25:49.21
who grew up
thinking, "I give up, I've--
00:25:49.21\00:25:53.62
I've gone to church all my life,
but there is no pleasing Him."
00:25:53.62\00:25:58.29
Let me tell you something.
00:25:58.29\00:25:59.69
God is in the
business of salvation.
00:25:59.69\00:26:03.26
Salvation belongs to God.
00:26:03.26\00:26:05.39
And He wants more than anything
00:26:05.39\00:26:08.50
as He touched
the life of Manasseh,
00:26:08.50\00:26:12.20
when Manasseh turned back to Him
00:26:12.20\00:26:14.04
and He restored
all things to Manasseh.
00:26:14.04\00:26:16.77
As the prodigal son was
welcomed with open arms,
00:26:16.77\00:26:22.84
God wants to touch your life.
00:26:22.84\00:26:26.65
We need to remember that
grace is the divine gifts
00:26:26.65\00:26:33.82
bestowed by a God of
infinite love and these gifts
00:26:33.82\00:26:38.86
have supernatural
power for salvation.
00:26:38.86\00:26:42.26
It's His divine assistance.
00:26:42.26\00:26:44.87
It is God who has
given us Jesus Christ,
00:26:44.87\00:26:49.34
the Holy Sprit, and the Word
to work in us to willing to act.
00:26:49.34\00:26:54.21
So let's pray.
00:26:54.21\00:26:55.61
Heavenly Father, I
ask in the name of Jesus
00:26:55.61\00:26:58.68
on behalf of myself and
my brothers and sisters.
00:26:58.68\00:27:01.92
Oh, Lord, we come to
You. We want more of You.
00:27:01.92\00:27:04.89
I pray in Jesus name.
Forgive us of our sins, Lord.
00:27:04.89\00:27:08.82
Grant us the gift of repentance
and turn us back to You.
00:27:08.82\00:27:14.46
Turn us full
faced to You, Father.
00:27:14.46\00:27:17.30
Let us understand
Your love and Your grace
00:27:17.30\00:27:21.40
as it operates in our heart
and helps us to guard grace.
00:27:21.40\00:27:25.51
In Jesus name we ask and in
Jesus name we receive, amen.
00:27:25.51\00:27:30.41
Please join us on our
next program where we will
00:27:30.41\00:27:33.15
continue this study and
learn how we can stand firm,
00:27:33.15\00:27:38.82
positioned in the light of God.
00:27:38.82\00:27:43.19
So now our prayer is
that you will grow in grace.
00:27:43.19\00:27:47.23
And in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
00:27:47.23\00:27:51.63
to Him be the glory and forever.
00:27:51.63\00:27:55.70
Now and for ever, amen.
Thank you for joining us.
00:27:55.70\00:28:00.31