HOW I KNOW I’M GONNA GO
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16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Intro: We Baptists are among a select group in the community of Christianity. The reason is, we belief that we are eternally secure in our salvation. It has been said that we are “as sure for heaven as if we had already been there for 10,000 years.” This is a true statement, because the Bible clearly tells us that we were “chosen in him before the foundation of the world.”, Eph. 1:4. Therefore, we have been in Heaven for quite some time now! In fact, the Bible teaches us that He, “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”, Eph. 2:6. Those are comforting truths!
Now, I find it ironic that it is in this very chapter that is used by some groups to try and teach that it is possible to lose one’s salvation, we can find one of the strongest statements anywhere in the Bible concerning the eternal security of the believer. Instead of being a passage of doom and gloom, it is a passage of delight and glory! For if there is one theme that permeates this chapter, it is the theme of “hope.”
Now, the word “Hope” meant something very different when it was placed in the Bible than it means today in everyday conversation. When we use the word in conversation, we might say, “Well, I hope she gets well.” This statement contains a note of fear. We say, “I hope it will work out.” This rings the bell of uncertainty.
However, when the Bible uses the word hope, it does not speak of fear and uncertainty. The word hope refers to something that has been determined and settled by the decree of God. When we speak of biblical hope, we are talking about a divine certainty! Something that has been decreed by God and which will be done!
As believers, we live our lives in three realms. We live in the past, the present and in the future. Since we are saved, and all of our lives are under the control of the Lord, He has seen fit to take care of all three realms for us. Each of these realms of live can be summed up by one word. The past is taken care of by faith. We know that we have sinned, but by faith in Christ, we also know that our past has been cleansed away and is no longer an issue.
The present is secured by love. As the Lord lives in us, He enables us to love Him and to love others, thus fulfilling the Law and enjoying His blessings as we travel through this world. The future, however, is secured for us by hope! That is, as children of God, we are the priceless knowledge that our futures are secure by the divine decree of God Almighty. By the way, I didn’t make that up, it is made clear by the Word of God, 1 Cor. 13:13. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity”.
Today, I would like to take these verses that we have read together, and I would like to show you that we are secure in our faith. Since knowing that you are saved and will forever stay saved is priceless, this is a topic worthy of our time. Since the devil loves to hold saints back by telling them that they are lost, this is a topic worth our time. Therefore, let us take the time to look at these verses as I preach about the theme, How I Know I’m Gonna Go.
I. V. 16–18a THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE A COVENANT
I. V. 16–18a THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE A COVENANT
A. It Is Confirmed By God’s Promise—God has given us His word in the matter and these verses make it clear that we have His promise. Just as God made and kept his promises to Abraham, v. 13–15, He will keep the promises that He has made to us! You can take God at His word, He has placed His very integrity on the line.
When He gives us the great promises of:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house,
we can count on the fact that God will do just as He has promised to do. He will honor His Word! How can we be sure? The word “immutable”, v. 17–18, confirms it for us! This word means “unchangeable”. God does not change! Because this is true, what He promised in the past will be good for ever.
Romans 6:23 tells us that salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift from God. If God ever took it back, He would be an Indian giver! Now, that will never be! What God has promised, He will do!
Therefore, if you have trusted Him for your soul’s salvation, rejoice! If you have taken Him at His word, then you can shout! If you have received the promises related to the salvation of your soul, then you need never fear that anything will happen to take that away from you.
How I Know I’m gonna go!
B. It Is Certified By God’s Pledge—If that weren’t enough, when God made this promise, He swore by Himself, v. 17! In other words, God placed His Name on the line! If a born again child of God ever loses his or her salvation, did you know that God loses more than they lose? That’s right, they lose their soul, but God loses His holy character. He loses His right to be God. He loses everything, because if a child of God goes to Hell, God has told a lie and He will have to go to Hell too!
After all, what is eternal life? Is it conditional life, based on the kind of life I live, or is it really eternal? If it is eternal, then it can never end, nor can it be taken away. Eternal means just what it says, John 10:28! And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
II. V. 18b–19 THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE COMFORT
II. V. 18b–19 THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE COMFORT
While it is a wonderful thing to have the Lord’s personal promise and pledge for our salvation, there are also two figures used in verses 18–19 that give us a strong consolation, or encouragement concerning the eternal nature of our salvation.
A. V. 18 We Have Found Asylum In Heaven—The writer says that we who have come to Christ have “fled to take refuge”. The picture is of the ancient Cities of Refuge from the Old Testament. These were 6 cities in ancient Israel that served as havens of safety for someone who had accidentally taken the life of another person.
When a person was slain in those days, the next of kin was allowed to exact revenge against the slayer. So, to protect those who accidentally killed another person, God gave them these six, easily accessible, easily seen cities. All six of these cities were on well maintained roads so that there would be no obstructions. The way to each of these cities was clearly marked. They could flee to one of these cities and find safety from the avenger of blood. They were safe in that city for as long as the High Priest lived. After that, they were free to leave.
God compares our salvation to those cities. When we came to Jesus, most of us were fleeing the wrath of God, and the sentence of death that was upon us. When we ran to Jesus and entered into Him, we came on a prepared way that was well marked. When we entered Him by faith, we were accepted into the Beloved and are safe in our refuge as long as the High Priest lives. And, since He isn’t going to die, we are safe forever, Heb. 7:25. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”.
How I Know I’m gonna go!
B. V. 19 We Have Fixed An Anchor In Heaven—Another illustration of our security is found in verse 19. We are told that we have an anchor. We all know that an anchor serves to secure a ship on the ocean. The anchor extends down to the floor of the sea and the hooks of the anchor dig deep into the sea bed, holding firmly to the rocks that are found there. The anchor provides safety and prevent the ship from being blown about by adverse winds and destroyed upon the shore.
Spiritually speaking, when you got saved, you threw the anchor of faith toward Jesus Christ. That anchor lodged deep with the Rock of Ages, that which is within the veil, and it will never slip nor be dislodged. The storms of life may batter you, but you are still anchored. The adverse winds of affliction may blow against you, but you are still anchored. The waves of adversity may crash into your vessel, but you are anchored in the Lord and that anchor will hold. There are times when the raging seas of sin and temptation will rock our vessels, even then we are held fast by the securing power of that anchor of the soul that is both sure and can be relied upon and is steadfast , and unmoveable.
By the way, we are not, like a ship, anchored down. We have not set our anchor in the shifting sands of this world. Instead, we are anchored up! We have set our anchors above. We may still drift from time to time, but we can only drift against that anchor point. As a matter of fact, we are not anchored at a standstill. We are taking in cable everyday. Every foot of the journey brings us closer to our goal of a home in glory. We are headed in!
III. V. 20 THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE A CONTACT
III. V. 20 THE SAINTS OF GOD HAVE A CONTACT
If all we had was either God’s Covenant with the saints or the Comfort of our refuge and our anchor, that would be enough to give us assurance of our eternal salvation, but there is one more element revealed here that gives us even more reason to rejoice in the security we enjoy in Jesus. We have a contact in Heaven!
How I Know I’m gonna go!
A. The Performance Of Our Contact—In this verse, Jesus is called a “forerunner”. This word was used in ancient times to refer to “a scout, or one who went ahead of the main group to prepare for their arrival.” it literally means, “One who comes in advance to a place where the rest are to follow.” Sometimes sailors would launch a small boat to carry the anchor to less treacherous waters. There the anchor would be dropped and the ship would be safe. That boat was the forerunner. We see that same thing today. Mountain climbers will often sent the best climber ahead of the group. He will attach a lifeline to the summit so that the others will be able to make the climb.
Jesus Christ is our Forerunner! He has already made the ascent to the summit of glory and has affixed the lifeline for the rest of us. He has announced our coming and is making preparations for our arrival. They are expecting us in that city, and they are preparing for us over there, John 14:1–3. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”.
How I Know I’m gonna go!
B. The Position Of Our Contact—Jesus is called a “High Priest.” This means He is One Who acts as a mediator between God and man, 1 Tim. 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
In the Old Testament period, the high priest would take the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and with much ritual and preparation, he would go into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle that blood seven times upon the mercy seat, making atonement for the sins of the people. He was not allowed to stay in that place, but he went in, performed his task swiftly and departed.
The next year, he returned and did it again. Always going in with the blood of another and leaving immediately after the blood was applied. Even the high priest couldn’t go in anytime he wanted to. He could only enter on that one day and he could only enter wearing the robes of the High Priest. That is why the Old Testament sacrificial system could never save the soul. It was never finished and never completed.
With Jesus Christ, all that is different! After He died on the cross and rose from the dead, He took His own precious, perfect blood and entered the presence of God making eternal atonement for everyone who will receive Him by faith. When He died on the cross, He cried, “It is finished.” This signified that the price of redemption had been met. When he entered the presence of God with His blood, He did something an Old Testament priest could never do:
He sat down, Heb. 10:12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.
There were no chairs in the Temple or the Tabernacle. The work of those priests was never finished. Jesus, however, perfectly and eternally finished His work on our behalf and there is nothing for us to do, not to add to what He has done! That is security! He sits at the right hand of the Father today, making intercession for the saints,
Heb. 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Jesus is the ever present proof in Heaven that your price and mine has been forever paid. If we are trusting Him, He has carried our anchor to heaven and has secured us there forever. How could you ever lose anything that secure?
Conc: How do I know that I’m gonna go? I have God’s Word on! I also have Christ’s work on it! “Saved to the uttermost and I know that I am! Washed in the blood of the precious Lamb. Through the Father, through the Son, through the Holy Ghost, I’m saved to the uttermost!”
But, what if I stumble? My anchor still holds! What if the devil attacks me and gets me off course? My anchor still holds! Regardless of what this life may bring into view, the anchor still holds and grips the solid rock! One day the tide will come in and we will go to glory!
I am kind of like the little boy who was flying his kite and it had gotten so high that it could no longer be seen. A man walked up to him and said, “Son, what are you doing?” The boy answered, “Why, I’m flying my kite!” The man said, “Well, I don’t see any kite up there, how do you know it’s still there?” The boy said, “Well sir, even though I can’t see that kite up there, I still feel a tug ever now and then.”
That’s how it is for the saints of God! We may not can always see things as clearly as we would desire to, but we can feel the tug of the anchor rope every now and then! I know where I am anchored and that’s how I know I’m gonna go! Do you know? Are you sure?