Lesson 23

If You Continue

John 8:30-31

This message is primarily doctrinal and theological in nature. It is important that sermons from this pulpit delivered to this church have a strong doctrinal content so that we will all understand what the Bible teaches on various subjects and what we believe. I make no apology for doctrinal sermons. Some complain about doctrine, that it has no practicality to it. However, I agree with the statement "Tell me what a man believes and I will tell you what that man will do." All the practical aspects of our life are an outgrowth of what we believe. Doctrine is not a thing to be feared.

Listen to what the Bible says about the importance of doctrine. Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk. Mark 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them his doctrine. 1 Tim 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Tim 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Tim 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

This is a doctrinal message that comes from John 8:30-31. It answers a very common question about something that is often observed. How do you explain those who "believe", those who "make a profession of faith", those who make a commitment to Christ, who walk the aisle but then soon are AWOL - missing from the ranks of Christianity? How do you explain this?

Some would say, "If you ever say that you believe in Christ, that profession is good enough to take you to heaven, no matter what you do or don't do thereafter." Others would say, "Such a person just became backslidden to the point of losing their salvation. They need to be saved again."

What does the Bible say? Can we settle this question from the word of God? Did Jesus every address this issue. The answer is that the Bible does clarify this for us. We can find the answer to this question from Scripture. Jesus did address this very issue, actually, on more than one occasion. In a ver y simple statement, Jesus addressed this question in John 8.

Jesus has actually very simple, yet very complete and thorough explanation of the gospel. He has spoken of the sinfulness and doom of mankind - "Ye shall die in your sins" (three times). He has explained about who He is - "I am He", His perfection - "I do always those things that please the Father", His impending death on the cross - "lifted up". He has called the people to believe in Him. According to verse 30, "many believed". To those who professed their faith in him, Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." You are indeed, you are truly a disciple if you continue in Christ's word! Jesus is saying that the proof of one's faith is his perseverance in the word of God.

This is actually the second time this idea has come up in the gospel of John. Remember 2;23-25? They "believed" in him but he didn't believe (commit himself) in them. He had no faith in their faith. Once again, we find Jesus pointing out that there is a difference between professing Christ and possessing Christ. Remember what James said (2:19-26)? There is more than one kind of faith. There is dead faith and there is dynamic saving faith. Some faith is superficial and some is sincere.

Jesus commented on this subject on another occasion, though it is not recorded in the John. This comment came in the form of a parable, see Matthew 13. Only one kind of soil represents genuine salvation - the good soil that produced fruit. The other three are all unsaved hearts though one seems to respond for a moment to the word. If you are indeed a disciple, you will produce fruit and you will continue in Christ's word. That is what Jesus said. One of the tests of true salvation is perseverance - this idea of continuing.

Now, from the words of Jesus, immediately one question comes up. Are salvation and discipleship synonymous? Some want to make a distinction between salvation and discipleship. But did Jesus? Do you get saved and then later on become a disciple of Jesus? Does Christ call you to salvation and then at some later time call you to discipleship? Now, admittedly, discipleship may not be manifest in a person's life at the moment of salvation. It may take some time and some growth for our discipleship to be evident. But I contend to you that, although we often make a distinction between salvation and discipleship, Jesus did not. Jesus' call to salvation was a call to following Christ, to being his disciple. Two passages, illustrate this clearly. See Luke 14:25-27,33. Please notice that this call of discipleship was delivered to the multitude. See also Matthew 19:16-21. Please observe that when Jesus was asked about how to have eternal life, his answer included discipleship, following Christ.

And so when Jesus says in John 8:31, "Ye are my disciple indeed" he is speaking of salvation. We sometimes say, Susie got saved, she really got saved, meaning that her salvation was evident by the transformation of her life. Jesus says that one of the tests, the evidences that a person really got saved is his "continuing in Christ's word." This is the doctrine of perseverance.

This is related to but not identical to the doctrine of preservation. These two - preservation and perseverance - are Siamese twin doctrines, joined together and inseparable. To separate one from the other is to move into grave unsound doctrine. Preservation without perseverance leads to what theologians refer to as antinominism (lit. without law). This is the error of easy-believism. That eternal security is a license to live in sin. Paul addressed this error in Romans 6:1 - "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid." But if. you believe that one must persevere without being preserved by the power of God, you have slipped into the error of Armenianism, that we can lose our salvation if we fail to persevere. These two doctrines, preservation and perseverance are connected and inseparable.

The Bible teaches that our salvation is secure and safe in Christ, see John 10:28, I Peter 1:3-5, I Timothy 2:13. But the Bible also teaches the doctrine of perseverance, that is, that a person who has experienced genuine salvation will have steadfast persistence in obedience to Christ in spite of difficulties, obstacles and discouragement. This does not mean that there will be sinless perfection once a person is saved. "If we say we have not sinned, we lie and do not the truth." The doctrine of perseverance is not about the perfection of our life but about the direction of our life. And this doctrine is not saying that you must persevere in order to be saved. It is teaching that if you are saved you will persevere. The cause/effect relationship is not that perseverance causes genuine salvation but that genuine salvation causes perseverance. No verse expresses it better than our text. When someone does not persevere look at the explanation that the Bible gives in I John 2:19.

This idea of perseverance, of continuing, is expressed repeated in the scriptures as it relates to salvation.

John 15:4, 6, 9b Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ...continue ye in my love.

Acts 11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 11:19-22 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

1 Cor 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Col 1:21-23 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

How do we persevere? How do we continue in Christ's word, in his love? How do we abide in him? How do we cleave to the Lord, continuing in the faith, continuing in his goodness? How do we keep in memory the gospel? How do we overcome? Is it up to us? Is perseverance accomplished by self-effort, by willpower? "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." What God requires, God supplies. "Work out your own salvation, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Perseverance is the outworking of God's in-working. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, it is the power of the Word of God, it is the power of faith that enables those who are truly saved to persevere.

The proof of your salvation, the proof that you are indeed a disciple, a follower of Christ, is not just that you say that you have believed in Christ, but that you continue in Christ's word.