Hebrews Quality very good

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the epistle to the Hebrews chapter 6 and the 9th verse.

[0:27] But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

[0:46] The epistle to the Hebrews chapter 6 and the 9th verse.

[0:59] The Apostle Paul, in this epistle to the Hebrews, throughout the epistle, he shows such a deep-down concern that they should, as grace was given, seek divine aid to endure in their profession.

[1:33] And in the context, in this chapter, he calls attention to those who are found, apparently, linked up with the Church of Christ, but they have only a name to live and they do not possess the grace of God and their religion is not that which a man cannot receive except it be given him from heaven.

[2:16] And yet, they had great gifts and seemed for a while to fill a niche in the Church of Christ professing.

[2:29] And then, they gave it all up and turned their backs on Jesus Christ.

[2:40] And as I have read it down, I will not take up time in going too much in the details of it. As I read it down, I thought how many of the godly Hebrews would feel as this epistle was being read to them.

[3:03] For the Apostle Paul is describing those who become apostates, who, as I have said, turn their backs on Jesus Christ, go back into the world and live again as worldlings do, and as worldlings die and are lost.

[3:31] Yet, for a while, things seem to look well regarding them. And when the matter is weighed up, the great distinction is this.

[3:46] You will find in the account which is given, that which seems very striking to contemplate as to what those who became apostates were allowed to be and do in the Church of Christ.

[4:05] And yet, when you examine it carefully, you find there is no mention made at all in the record of the grace of God.

[4:20] And it means this. There is a great distinction ever to be drawn. And you and I must ponder it in our own hearts.

[4:36] There is a great distinction between gifts and grace. And there you find, regarding apostasy, as these godly Hebrews heard this epistle read, many of them would have found it very searching and solemn to listen to, and many fears would pervade their hearts as to whether that might be the outcome of what their profession would be.

[5:24] But those who felt like that would never be allowed to do it because those who feel the searching nature of the truth of God are alive unto God and they will endure in their profession by His grace unto the end.

[5:49] But it often happens that when the truth of God is very searching in its nature and Satan is always ready to emphasize this and that aspect of the truth and he might have suggested to some of these godly Hebrews and that is what your end will be.

[6:19] Sooner or later, what religion you have, you will give it up and go back into the world and you will be lost for all you have is just gifts and a name to live in the Church of Christ professing.

[6:41] And now this is a very Solomon searching context but what must these godly Hebrews have felt like who had heard the searching words in the context read as to how far a man might go with gifts and make a profession of the name of Jesus and then give it up turn his back upon Jesus Christ and go back into the world and as a world live and die.

[7:23] When the Apostle Paul said but beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation although though we thus speak.

[7:44] Those who are alive in the things of God often lay to heart what they hear and they have many fears as to whether they may be the character that the Apostle Paul has defined.

[8:06] Apostasy what is it? It means that one who has had to do with the things of God and had a measure of gifts to engage therein deliberately makes up his mind to have no more to do with Jesus Christ and he turns his back upon him and his truth and walks no more with him.

[8:45] The very solemn character is that of an apostate and these things are recorded in the word of God that they might be as beacon lights to warn us of rocks that you might make shipwreck on and the word of God says he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God and now you find there are instances in the word of God the outstanding one is Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ said have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil and he knew who that one was yet you and I must take our shoes from off our feet in a spiritual interpretation of it for the place whereon we stand is holy ground in Matthew's gospel you read these twelve

[10:08] Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as ye go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out devils freely ye have received and freely give and now we must understand that Judas was enabled to do this but he had not the grace of God in doing it and in preaching the gospel as he preached it whenever he attempted to do so it was never out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking and as you read in this

[11:18] Solomon searching context that it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and now when you read that you may be very much perplexed as to that and what a solemn consideration it is but it means that they were partakers of the Holy Ghost in the special gifts of which I have read to you the apostles were given the special gifts to heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out devils and it may well be that Judas was enabled to do that too but he never did it as his lord and master did when he in the love of his heart wrote these things on behalf of poor sinners as he went about doing good and there is another case which is very sad and solemn and the apostle Paul would have that in mind and there you will find in two or three of his epistles to different churches he refers to

[12:54] Demas and in one or two instances he speaks of Demas sending his greetings to the church the apostle Paul was writing to and then toward the end of his long wonderful life the apostle Paul records Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present evil world oh it must have been a sorrow to the apostle Paul because he had accompanied for a while with the apostle Paul and then he in his turn like others became an apostate Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present evil world so that the apostle

[13:57] Paul had to conclude that he had become an apostate of which he is warning the godly Hebrews in this epistle you see to become an apostate you do it deliberately willfully you make up your mind to have no more to do with religion and with the things of God and being where they gather together in the attitude of the worship of God you make up your mind you will have no more of it you will go back into the world and live as you were born and now how glad the Hebrews were when at length it was read in the epistle but beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation and then there is a distinction always to be made of the difference between what is apostasy

[15:17] I have just said it is that which is done willfully deliberately your mind is made up and your wicked heart enables you to do what is in your mind to turn your back on Jesus Christ in whom alone is salvation to be found and known and now to be a backslider is a different thing because the word of God tells us about some of the most godly who at times were left to be in a backsliding state and God in his great mercy has made provision in the gospel I will heal all their backslidings

[16:20] I will love them freely a man may be in a backsliding state like the psalmist was when he was in such a state for about two years regarding the matter of Uriah and Uriah's wife we read also of other notable saints who at times were found in a backsliding state but they had to realize God in his mercy would not leave them in that state but he dealt with them and sometimes by severe chastening he brought them back again to where they should be at Jesus feet clothed and in a right frame of mind whom the

[17:25] Lord loveth he chasteneth and when he chasteneth there is a need to be for it there is some specific purpose in the Lord's mind which he purposes to do with you and to do it for you but remember that word I will heal all their backslidings I will love them freely you may look on a man who is taught of God a man who has a religion that God is the author of and see him in a backsliding state and sometimes so far in a backsliding state that you may wonder whether he might prove eventually to be an apostate but no the good work begun may be halted for a while but the good work begun the Lord will put his hand again to the work and restore the backslider and bring him back to be a fruitful branch in the living vine and you see also about these who are apostates and how you may be tried as to whether you are an apostate but it says in John's epistle they went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us they did it on their own initiative their minds were made up to do it and they were allowed to do it and they became apostates and you see the same thing is made manifest in

[19:59] John's gospel where you read concerning the Savior many therefore of his disciples when they had heard this said this is a hard saying who can hear it when Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it he said unto them doth this offend you it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life and now these were those who purported to be some of his disciples who had been with him for a while and had heard what he had to say and had seen the wonderful works which he had done and yet it says having heard that saying from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him then said

[21:17] Jesus unto the twelve will ye also go away then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and assure that thou art that Christ the son of the living God but beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation salvation in this account which you may read when you get home prayerfully there is no mention of those things which always accompany salvation

[22:19] I said earlier on it is only gifts there is no mention of grace whatever there is no mention of living faith there is no mention of hope good hope through grace there is no mention of love whereby we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren and the apostle Paul makes that plain but beloved we are persuaded better things of you I warn you that there are these characters in the church of Christ says Paul they do alas give up their profession and become apostates and turn their backs upon the things of

[23:25] God to have no more to do with those all important things as long as they live they are just apostates making up their minds to be such a character though at the end of such a life it is to be lost but beloved we do not think these things about you you may have found it very searching and solemn to listen to the reading of what I have told you in the context but I only do this to warn you that it may be as a beacon light as a lighthouse which warns you where it is possible you may make shipwreck of your profession what I am concerned about is that you should be earnest and never leave off giving diligence to make your calling and your election sure and that you should use every opportunity to show whose you are and whom you serve we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation it is rather striking how this is worded where there is an interest in the salvation of God there will be some things known and felt by the one who possesses that all important interest and now if you go back

[25:25] I would like to say something to encourage you to hope in God for beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak if you go back to the time as near as you can when you hope you were born again and the things of God were made manifest to you as realities you will find as long as you have lived since then salvation has been an all important subject for you to contemplate it has been as it were the undercurrent of your life while you live your everyday life in the sphere where God has placed you again and again it wells up in your breast

[26:32] I am a poor sinner with a never dying soul I want to be remembered with the favour God bears unto his people I want to be visited with his salvation I want to be like godly Simeon at the end of his long life when he said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace from mine eyes have seen thy salvation according to thy word what I mean is that salvation the fact of it the reality of it that it is to be known as being the background of your life since the time God began to deal with you and whenever you come up to worship

[27:37] God it is to do with the salvation of your soul and the last thing you would ever think of doing is to become an apostate to turn your back upon Jesus Christ on whom your hope of heaven depends you can indeed say we believe and are sure thou art the Christ the son of the living God Lord to whom can we go thou hast the words of eternal life so that to you from the time you hope you were born again salvation has been a matter of great importance and it comes to you again and again as you journey on I am born for an eternal state either to be lost or saved and when you have that feeling what do you do then say unto my soul

[28:47] I am thy salvation oh how many many petitions have you put up some of them not put into words but felt within and interpreted by God that you might have a part and a lot in his great salvation as you journey on through life and you get older nearing your journey's end it becomes more than ever a matter of unspeakable importance to have matters to be right between your soul and God and if you remember when you were born again what you felt after that there was a change wrought you felt an aching void which the world could not fill and what is more you have never lost that you still possess it you still realize it and you want something from

[30:00] God to help you to feel that matters are right between your soul and God and then another thing that accompanies salvation is a very painful solemn realization of our undone state in the Adam fall which has made the necessity for the salvation of God to be made manifest when he the spirit of truth is come and that is a mercy when he does come he will make known to you how sad your state by nature is he will convince you of sin and righteousness and judgment to come that accompanies salvation and as you journey on and go deeper down in knowing how sad our state by nature is more and more do you realize the salvation of

[31:17] God in its all importance as it shines in your soul's esteem and sinner if thou art taught to see how great thy guilt thy misery in every thought and act impure the blood of Christ thy soul can cure and you feel at times this matter wells up that you have to put the things of everyday life into the background and seek to do business in heaven's marketplace and now it was said of Saul behold he prayeth Saul of Tarsus had that indubitable evidence that he was born again and that can be said of many of you if not every one of you in the house of prayer behold he behold she prayeth and what is more it is to do with the salvation of

[32:33] God I know you also try to pray about other matters in everyday life to do with you and yours and the things of God in a providential viewpoint thereof but you desire these things to be overruled and sanctified and that you might see the salvation of God made known thereby but beloved how he addresses them how their hearts must have been comforted to hear it but beloved we are persuaded better things of you I do not feel that you any of you will be left to become apostates but I warn you he put a warning in the opening of the epistle take heed therefore brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living

[33:51] God and he is simply amplifying that warning in the Solomon searching context before us we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation and now not only is there no mention of grace in the context as I said but a little lower down the apostle Paul says this God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love he names that as the warrant for his persuasion but beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though I have spoken very searchingly and solemnly to you in what

[35:03] I have said before for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which he have showed toward his name in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister God has given you love and he that loveth is born of God love is the golden chain that binds the favored souls above and he is a hair of heaven who finds his bosom glow with love how often you have felt that glow you may feel sometimes you would like to feel it more often than you do but you are not a stranger to it and godly john says he that loveth is born of

[36:05] God for love is one of the things that accompany salvation and all who are interested in the salvation of God as they meet one with another and speak one to each other about the things of God and his great salvation they know what it is to flow together in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and feel they are one with each other and one with God and salvation is the theme which makes them to be one with each other and one with God and we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren there is nothing whatever of this concerning those who became apostates nothing whatever they never felt that wondrous glow love for they were only what they were by nature and had a name to live and were dead before

[37:36] God very solemn consideration and then another thing that does accompany salvation is at times like you sang in the hymn before the sermon began a very solemn concern about how you will reach your end how many times you have prayed prepare me gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit must the work perform for it is all of grace and now that comes up at times especially when you hear of people who die in the Lord and you may go and see all that is mortal of them well laid in the grave ensuring certain hope of a joyful resurrection to the life everlasting and as you hear it proclaimed by the preacher you feel oh how important is the salvation of God and to have an interest therein and you say be this religion mine oh Lord

[39:08] I would be found amongst thy people living and dying with them numbered I would be now and in eternity then there is also hope and here you see what was the aim of the apostle as I said earlier on we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end as though he said I am persuaded that God has indeed begun his good work in you and that good work he will carry on but I want you to be urgent and earnest that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our

[40:10] Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but beloved we are persuaded better things of you we believe you have hope good hope through grace and that God will maintain it while you live and when you come down to die and as though Paul said I want you to live like this all through the wilderness below good hope expects more good to know and thus is kept alive the soul then another thing that accompanies salvation is that when trouble comes into your life God will grant you as you see his salvation manifested therein sweet submission to his will in that trouble coming and it will not leave you as it may have found you but you will see the salvation of

[41:35] God therein call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify me wonderful it is to feel submission to the will of God it can only be known by those who have the better things which accompany salvation whatever sanctified trouble God has given you along life's way and there are some troubles that we look back on that came into our lives when we hope God did grant us his blessing his divine aid and appeared for us and we set up a way mark therein for our own encouragement and we hope also to his honor and glory and now these way marks these

[42:43] Ebenezers and these eye heaps can only be raised along the way wherein God is leading you forth by the right way and making known to you the salvation of God it is a thing that accompanies salvation to be delivered to see the salvation of God in the things of everyday life and remember you and I need to see the salvation of God in the things of everyday life for we have to learn what it means in Psalm 107 he brought down their heart with labor they fell down and there was none to help then are they brought to their witch end margin reading all their wisdom is swallowed up then they cried unto the

[43:57] Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses he showed them the salvation of God in that particular time of testing and trial whatever its nature may be and these are the things that accompany salvation it is also known when in the worship of God you are lifted out of yourself and you can feel that you are not just going through the routine of the service whatever that routine may be but you feel all at once a sweet feeling pervade your very being and you feel this is none other than the house of God it is even the gate of heaven

[45:00] Lord it is good for us to be here and that is especially known when you realize the power of God in the preaching of the gospel being made a reality in your own soul's experience knowing brethren beloved your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and now that power is one of the things that accompany salvation and what a divine harmonious sound the gospel trumpet gives no music can with it compare and the soul that knows it lives he lives with the life of

[46:02] God within he lives unto God he lives for God his religion has come from heaven and it will take him to heaven in God's own time much might be said along that line of thought God but beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak and when we think of those who alas become apostates may we be more and more concerned that we may endure in our profession unto the end and that the end may be to the honour and glory of

[47:04] God when we shall reach it and may we not let that prayer grow rusty for want of using Lord hast thou made me know thy ways conduct me in thy fear and grant me such supplies of grace that I may persevere Amen