The Extent of the Believer's Security

God causes all things to work together for good. No statement made to a believer could contribute more hope and more joy in the heart than that statement because what it says is that no matter what pain matter what failures no matter what suffering all work together in your salvation even possible can you know for sure that you are truly and permanently saved John MacArthur answers those crucial questions in the study. He starts today. It's titled the grip of God will John last week we finished what is the most requested, most listen to of all your series, the fulfilled family this week we start a new series on a subject that deals with the question, our listeners ask us most often and it's about the security of the believer, the extent of the believer security is a question that comes up again and again and there are people who are plagued by it for years. Why is that why do you think so many people wrestle with this issue.

Well, I've always felt that people wrestle with the whole notion of eternal security for two reasons.

Reason number one is disobedience to Christians who are sinful, disobedient, expressing themselves carnally not doing what the Lord wants them to do inevitably forfeit assurance they don't forfeit salvation, but they do forfeit assurance assurance of your salvation is a gift that comes from the Holy Spirit to an obedient believer, so there are people who question the security of salvation simply because they personally struggle with it because they are not obedient believers.

Secondly, people struggle with this truth because their poorly taught luck.

There is a whole segment of the evangelical church that denies the doctrine of eternal security that thinks you're only saved as long as you can keep yourself saved. They want to say you're saved by grace but at the same time, they think you keep your salvation by your works and your faithfulness in your effort.

Bad theology leads to doubting the security of the believer. We want to help eliminate these reasons and we going to start by looking at the theology of security in Romans chapter 8 calling this series. The grip of God.

The grip of God in Jesus even uses that kind of language in John 10, when he says that he holds us in his hand and in the father's hand and it's impossible to remove us. Romans eight is a study of the eternal security of the believer. It is a powerful really.

It is a dead-end argument from which there is no exit. It is so comprehensive were going to explore how suffering and struggling in sin literally cannot overpower eternal salvation. Working to build some momentum as we go and buy the final crescendo Juergen have a deep appreciation for the E terminology of your salvation. Don't miss the day of the grip of God.

That's right, and friend. Knowing that you are safely in God's hands and that he will never let you go is one of the most encouraging truth in all of Scripture is something we cannot be reminded of too much. With that said, here's John MacArthur beginning his study called the grip of God. Romans 828 29 and 30th. Let me read those three verses for you.

Romans eight starting at verse 28 and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, in whom he predestined, these he also called, in whom he called these he also justified, in whom he justified, these he also glorified nothing.

Just take verse 28, which is I say this part of this summary of the security of the believer.

We could divided into four sections. Verse 28 talks about the extent of our security. It talks about the recipients of security. The source of security and the certainty of security comes in versus 29 and 30. The extent of security. It covers all things. The recipients of this security.

Those who love God, the source of their security. They are called the certainty of their security, but whoever he foreknew, and whoever he predestined, and whoever he called and whoever he justified the glorified.

So we see the extent the recipients, the source and the certainty of security. Anybody ever asked you where in the Bible. It tells them about being eternally secure. This is where you go first and foremost must take that first point and let's just talk about the extent of our security.

How really secure are we well here is the extent of our security in one simple statement and we know that God causes all things to work together for good. That is the extent of our security that is a tremendously comforting and reassuring statement there could not be a more reassuring statement than that no statement made to a believer could contribute more hope, more happiness, more freedom and more joy in the heart than that statement because what it says is that no matter what pain, no matter what problems no matter what failures no matter what difficulties no matter what disasters no matter what sins no matter what suffering no matter what temptation all things work together for good. The extent is emphasized in the work plan top in the Greek meaning all things is a comprehensive promise in the context has no limits. The context puts no limits on it.

There's nothing that qualifies the all things. Nothing.

It means absolutely what it says all things work together for good.

God takes anything and everything that occurs in a believer's life and rather than it potentiating the believer's loss of salvation rather than it potentiating the believer's condemnation. God makes it work together for the believer's ultimate good.

This is the greatest promise that we can have in this life. There are absolutely no limits on this statement. In this context it is limitless. Verse 32.

I think again reiterates the limitless nature of this security when it says if God didn't spare his own son on it.

If God would give his greatest gift. His son for us while we were yet sinners, how will he not also with him freely give us all things. In other words, if God would give us the best gift which is a son to save us when we were sinners won't God do whatever is necessary to keep us now. There were his. That's the point.

He will freely without restraint. Give us all things. Whatever the extent whatever the amount, whatever the intensity, whatever the overwhelming character and nature of our trouble in all is woven together by God for our good. Look back at the verse again. The content does the verse starts with this confidence and we know this isn't something that is ambiguous this is and something that is a possibility. This is something that is a potential. This is something that is reality and we know that God causes all things to work together. Take that verb work together.

It's the Greek verb soon arrogate from which we get synergism which means work together. Everything is synergistic everything blends together. Everything operates cooperatively now all things then are synergize by God woven together brought together in order to produce good listen carefully, all things are not necessarily good in themselves right.

But God takes all things and weaves them into what is good the word good here needs our attention. It's obvious on and I get on means good E in the purest and truest sense.

What is morally good. What is practically good and that is the reason you could never lose your salvation because no matter what happens.

It turns out what good that is a gilt edge promise nothing can happen in the life of a believer that can end up in ultimate bad it's another way of saying nothing can separate you from the love of Christ down in verse 35 is another way of saying what is in verse 31. If God is for us, who is against us. Another way of saying what is in verse 34 who is going to condemn us if everything works together for good, then nothing could possibly cause us to lose our salvation. That's his point is absolutely potent argument.

God calls justifies and glorifies and nobody falls through the cracks. Everything is causing ultimately their eternal good in Deuteronomy 816 in the wilderness. It says he fed Umana which your fathers didn't know that he might humble you and that he might test you to do good for you in the end, all that is really consistent with God's nature, we read that in Psalm 145, the God expresses himself in great goodness. God is good Bible says Jeremiah the prophet extolled the goodness of God in Jeremiah chapter 24 thus says the Lord God of Israel.

Verse five like these good things so I will regard as good. The captives of Judah, whom I sent out of this place in the land of the Chaldeans. I'll set my eyes on them for good. I'll bring them again to this land and build them up and not overthrow them and plant them and not pluck them up I'll give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord, and they will be my people and I will be there, God, for they will return to me with their whole heart and he's talking about that the Israelites taken into captivity will come back and he says in spite of their sin in spite of having to be taken away. I will do good to them. It is the character. It is the nature of God to express himself in goodness toward those upon whom he sets his love is a God of goodness. Genesis 5020 that wonderful statement you meant it for evil but God meant it for what for good, for good God makes things turn out good.

It's not automatic. It is by the working of the Holy Spirit that it happens in verse 26 we don't know how to pray. So the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words we don't know how to hold onto our salvation. We don't know how to do that we don't Navajo know how to hold onto our faith. We don't know how to confront the issues of life and how to battle the kingdom of darkness and how to avoid the temptations.

It would absolutely overwhelm us. So the spirit of God is there constantly interceding for us in this groaning before the throne of God and God, who searches the hearts knows what the mind, the spirit is because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. So the Holy Spirit is always interceding for us.

Always praying for us. Always coming before the throne of God in perfect harmony with God's will and what is God's will that we go all the way from being predestined called justified to being glorified.

That's God's will. Nobody get lost in the process. That's the will of Jesus as well, who said he wanted to keep all that the father gave him and so the spirit is the one who works out that will of God and that desire of Christ by holding onto us interceding for us.

Incessantly is the great priest who dwells within us. The yearning of the Holy Spirit. The groaning remember is that we would come to final glory.

He is interceding always with these inexpressible communions between the Trinity that we might be brought to glory. It is because of that the verse 28 is true.

All things are working together for good, because the Holy Spirit is interceding for us because the sun at the right hand of God is interceding for us as our lawyer of defense in our advocate against any who would come to condemn us, and because the purposes of God are being carried out. This all ties together.

This is really a monumentally important passage. We are secure.

We are secure forever. No condemnation status because of the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit and because of that intercessory work of the Holy Spirit and because of the ongoing intercessory work of Christ at the right hand of God and because it is the plan of God in the whole of the Trinity is in harmony that all who have been predestined before the foundation of the world will be brought to glory.

That plan is unfolding. Not just because it was said because it was said, and it is being done due to the, the consummate cooperative work of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. Everyone who truly comes to faith in Christ will be brought to glory. Now we have been in verse 28 is the fact that everything due to this plan of God. Due to the will of God, and due to the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit, particularly in verse 26 and 27 he can actually say in verse 28 that everything that happens in your life will will work out for good and the good here, let me say that you clearly the good here is eternal glory K.

The good here is eternal glory not doesn't mean that the only good is going to be realized in eternity. The good here is going to sustain you into eternity. It involves your eternal glory and it involves getting you to that you say what what what you mean by all things here. Well, there are no limits. So let's let's talk about.

Let's see how how far we can go with the same first of all, and I'll give you two points because there are only two points to make here there only two kinds of things it can happen to you. What are the good things and bad things resembling it didn't take me long to figure out the outline here.

The only things I can happen to your good things are bad things. In either case, they work together for what for good was talk about the good things work together for good. That's obvious, but maybe so. Obviously, if I asked you one of the good things work together for good.

You might not. You might not know what to say what good things work together for good was start with God's nature. That's the best thing in existence in the universe because God is perfect and perfectly holy. He is pure goodness and his nature works for our good. What you mean by that. Well take some of his attributes is great power works for our good.

How does it do that well his great power supports us, doesn't in trouble. Second Corinthians 12 nine my strength is made perfect in weakness is God's power that provides all that we need is God's power that conquers our great enemy, Satan, and all other enemies.

It is God's power that carries us to victory.

It is God's power by which we overcome the flesh and sin is the goodness of God's power than that works for our good.

We could secondly say his great wisdom works for our good, because it is his wisdom that instructs us and he has given us the guidance through his word, thy word is a lamp under my feet and a light on the my path the wisdom of God is revealed in the pages of Scripture and as we expose ourselves to the truth of God, that great wisdom instructs us and leads us in the path of obedience and therefore leads us in the path of blessing in the path of joy.

Happy is the man who hears my word and does it.

Jesus said in his kindness is great kindness leads us to repentance.

It says in Romans chapter 2 God is kind and is kindness works for our good. We could also say beyond God's nature we could go on with that endlessly everything in God's nature works for our goodness, his grace, his mercy is compassion. Even his law, which calls us to the obedience of produces blessing let's take.

Secondly, God's promises not only God's nature but just talk for a minute about God's promises God's promises work for our good. The precious promises of God are the supply for the troubled soul when guilt comes and we read in the Scripture that he keeps mercy for thousands, he promises to be gracious to the humble. James for when disobedience is our experience only disobey his word and disobey his law have the promise of Hosea 14 for I will heal their backsliding's the promise of Micah 718, who is a pardoning God like the there is grace with him. There is mercy with him. There is forgiveness with him. There is pardon with him when trouble comes we have the promise of Psalm 9115. I will be with him in trouble.

Psalm 37, 39, I will give them strength in the time of trouble when deprive patient comes in.

We are out of human resources. Philippians 419 says my God shall supply all your needs.

Psalm 3725 says I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.

Jacob said, Lord, that has said that will do me good. Genesis 3212 God's promises secure the goodness of God to us. So God's nature is good and brings us goodness. God's promises are good and produce for us.

Goodness and I just need to add not only does the very character of God, the very nature of God, the very promises of God work for our good. But all of Scripture works for our good. I have to add that because I don't want to just leave it with the promises all of Scripture works for our good says in the 20th chapter of acts in verse 32. The word of his grace is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified and everything that the word calls for produces good everything worship, obedience to all the commands of Scripture. All of the means of grace that are there applied singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making millage and heart to the Lord submitting obeying all the Scripture works for good buzz of the good things the character of God promises of God the Word of God enemy had fourthly. Prayer works for our good.

This is a means of grace. The kind of single out prayer works for our good. It is really the key that unlocks the treasury of God's mercy prayer keeps the heart open to God and shut to sin. Prayer mitigates the intemperate hearts in the swellings of lust.

It was Luther's counsel long ago to a friend when he perceived the temptation began to arise to immediately go to prayer is the dispel her of sorrow because it prevents the grief. It eases the heart says in first Samuel one, that when Hannah had prayed in her sorrow she went away and was no more sad.

These are good things all the Bible calls for prayer, worship the Lord's table any form of obedience any form of submission to the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, anything in the Scripture anything that it calls for any means of grace becomes a source of good was go beyond. Let's go beyond the character nature of God. The promises of God, Scripture, in all its fullness in all the calls for must talk about Angels Angels are good, good angels, holy angels, and you know they work for our good. They work for our good. Hebrews 114 says angels are ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation. We don't even know what's going on. Folks, but it is all the time. Angels are assisting in bringing us to glory their sent out to render service to us so that we will inherit our salvation. They protect us from those things. It would destroy us.

Matthew 18 verse 10 one of the really remarkable statements of Jesus. He said this see that you do not despise one of these little ones talk about believers these little ones who believe in me meeting believers were childlike in which we all are. Don't look down or belittle or think little of these little ones. For I say to you that their angels in heaven. Continually behold the face of my father who is in heaven. In the picture here is God's in heaven. God is watching his children, and if you despise them, or belittle any believer, it shows up as concern the God and the angels are always watching God's face as it were, to pick up that concern to be dispatched by him to the eight of those believers tremendous concept God and his nature works for our good God and his promises works for our good God and his word has produced all kinds of means spiritually to produce our good God has even given to holy angels. The assignment of working for our good and they're always beholding his face so that there and ready contact with him to be dispatched to the aid of those for whom he shows concern and then I would add another category is only one left.

That's people other believers work for our good stroke other believers work for our good. I think there would be a lot of places in the Scripture where you could see this. None better than second Corinthians 124 Paul says we are workers with you for your joy. We are workers with you for your joy.

You know that the Lord has distributed through the entire body of Christ. Spiritual gifts I have of the gifts in the area of teaching and preaching. You have gifts in various areas and those gifts are to be used for the strengthening of believers and I would hope that the expression of my gift, and expression of my life an expression of my ministry works for your good for you spiritual edification for your greater knowledge of Scripture. Your greater love for Christ. Greater love for God, your your greater service to the Lord greater grasp of truth so that you can honor him in his word.

Hebrews 1024 says when you come together stimulate one another to love and good works so we come together to worship with the purpose of stimulating each other to goodness so saints work together to produce good in each other's lives.

That's what's such an atrocity.

When a believer leads another believer into sin. And that's why Jesus said in Matthew 18. Also, if you need another believer into sin you be better off to drive to be drowned with a millstone hang around her neck and thrown in the deep sea.

You never want to leave another believer into sin. You always want to do good to them. James five talks about spiritually strong, helping the spiritually weak in praying for the so good can be brought about by good things are good. God is doing good for us constantly is an expression of the goodness of his character's nature are good. God has made to us great and precious promises God has given us his good word which ministers good to us, as we learned and apply it and obey it. God is called the good and holy angels to our aid to do good for us and God has designed that saints within the church minister mutually goodness to each other. These are the good things that John MacArthur looking at the lasting peace.

You can have when you know your salvation can't be taken away.

It's part of John's current study on grace to you title the grip of God.

Now this entire series is available to download free of charge at our website. You can also purchase this study in a seven CD album. It's an ideal addition to your church library to get the series titled the grip of God. Contact us today.

The seven CD album is available for a reasonable price and shipping is free to order, call 855 grace or you can visit our website Jide TY.org. This study explains why God saves sinners in the first place. The reason God will never revoke salvation that is already granted and how you can be sure that you're a genuine follower of Christ again to order the grip of God. CD album call us at 855 grace or you can order from our website Jide TY.org and remember, you can download all seven messages free of charge in MP3 or transcript format at the website be address there again Jide TY.org and while you're at our website. Make sure you download the grace to you Gives you access to our current study past programming and John's entire sermon archive. That's more than 3500 sermons in all and the app is free to download for your smart phone or tablet@jidety.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson.

Thanks for starting your week off with Grace to you and join us tomorrow when John looks at why you can know peace even when you're facing the greatest tragedies.

It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on Tuesdays. Grace the