Teaching Resources International

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress provides a wonderful contrast between true and false faith.  Christian, possessing true faith, flees to the cross of Jesus where the burden on his back rolls away.  His great joy at the occasion reveals that Christian has trusted in Christ alone as payment for his sins:

Thus far did I come laden with my sin;

Nor could ought ease the grief I was in,

Till I came hither: what a place is this!

Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the Burden fall from off my back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

Blest Cross!  Blest Sepulchre!  Blest rather be

The Man that there was put to Shame for me!

As he comes to the bottom of the hill, Christian sees three men asleep with fetters on their feet.  One was called Simple, another Sloth, and the third, Presumption.  Out of his love and concern for them, Christian tries to awaken them and warns them of the danger that awaits them.  Each of these men portray many in our age.  They have a belief of sorts, but their belief does not stir them to go to the cross—each delays for different reasons.

Many today are like Simple.  When Christian warns him, he responds, “I see no danger.”  Simple may depict those who take a simple approach to life and eternity.  They believe what they can see and what they have experienced.  What could be simplier than that?  To them, there might be a God or there might not be.  In either case, they have a simple view of God—He is love and He forgives, so no matter what they do, everything will be okay.  They don’t want their life confused by theologies that tell them about God’s wrath or God’s holiness.  It’s easier to believe in a God of love.  It’s just that simple.  Their simple view holds them like chains on their feet from coming to Christ.

Others are like Sloth.  When Christina warns him, he replies, “Yet a little more sleep.”  These people believe, they really do.  They know there is a God, they know that Jesus died for sins, they know they need to repent and put their trust in Jesus to be saved.  And they will—some day—but not now.  They prefer to rest awhile.  They prefe

r to enjoy the pleasures of this world a little longer.  But one day (yawn), they intend to trust Christ—but not now.  Their desire to delay until another day shackles them and keeps them from the cross which liberates for eternity.

Still others are like Presumption.  He responds to Christian’s pleadings with a common proverb: “Every tub must stand on his own bottom.”  Rather than trusting Christ, Presumption is being lured to sleep because he believes that each man should help himself.  He is the self-made-man.  He certainly intends to get to heaven, but he will do so through his own good deeds and good life.  He will stand on his own bottom—he does not need to rely on anyone else.

Many are kept from heaven through such presumptions.  Jonathan Edwards once surmised: “Every man flatters himself, thinking that he shall escape hell, by what he has done, or is doing, or one day intends to do.”  That is an apt description of Presumption and his kin.  Those who are presumptuous flatter themselves.  They think they are better than God declares then to be.  They think they have no need of a Savior.

Oh, they will quickly agree that others might need one.  “If believing in Jesus helps you, that’s fine,” they say.  But in reality, they pity you that you are not strong as they are.  They will pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.  Since they boast on earth about their own deeds, there will be no place for them in heaven because “no one will boast before the Lord.”  The presumptuous are kept from the cross by their exalted views of themselves.  They will not come to Christ because they do not see the depths of their sin.

As the three returned to their slumbers, Christian walked on, puzzled by their harshness to him and his desire to help.  Bunyan records:

Yet he was troubled to think, that men in danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by the awakening of them, counseling of them, and offering to help them off with their Irons.

So it is with those who are simple, slothful, and presumptuous.  Even when believers seek to share the truth with them, they become angry and upset for having their sleep disturbed.

Are you in one of these conditions?  Is your view of God and eternity simple or is it based on biblical truth?  Do you plan to repent “one day,” but now you see no hurry?  Do you think that each person has to do the best he can and God will accept that?  Then your faith is not true faith.  True faith sees the seriousness of the danger of eternal destruction of which God warns, sees the death of Jesus as sufficient to pay for all sins, and clings to Him alone for salvation.  Don’t be chained away from the cross through simple beliefs, slothful attitudes, or presumption.  Jesus says, “He that cometh to me I will never turn away.”

Read Full Post »

Fear has the power to paralyze.  If you have ever been alone on a dark night and heard an unusual sound, you know how paralyzing fear can be.  One pastor remarked: “Fear is the devil’s scarecrow to keep us out of God’s corn.”

Israel knew that kind of fear as they came to the edge of the Promised Land.  They sent spies into the land who returned with a fearful report.  Rather than move forward into a land of milk and honey, fear paralyzed the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea.

Nothing should be more fearful than the possible loss of one’s salvation.  Yet many believers live in constant fear that, one day, they might lose their salvation through some act or lifestyle of disobedience.  The writer of Hebrews believed that Jesus’ death removed any such fear for believers: “He shared likewise in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).  In other words, Jesus’ death on the cross should lead to assurance in His completed work, not to continued fear.

But whenever the issue of assurance is raised, someone always retorts, “Yes, but what about Hebrews 6?”  Many see in Hebrews 6:4-6 a passage providing air-tight proof that one can lose his salvation.  I once believed that.  In fact, my whole theology of the loss of salvation revolved, in particular, around that one passage.  However, while preaching through the Book of Hebrews, I came to realize that the context did not support my interpretation.  Hebrews 6 is not about the loss of salvation; it is about the security of true believers.

The Context of Hebrews 6

First, let’s consider the context of the Book of Hebrews.  The first thing we notice is that it is written to Jewish believers considering returning to their Jewish rituals to find their security.  Their situation is similar to that of the Galatians who wanted to add their Jewish rituals to the work of Jesus on the cross.  Paul reminded the Galatians that those who take such an approach are “fallen from grace.”

Here the writer of Hebrews reminds the Jews of the foolishness of returning to something inferior (the old law and Jewish rituals).  In Chapter 3, he reminds them that Jesus the Son is greater than Moses the Servant.  In Hebrews 7-9, he shows them the particular ways in which this new covenant is “a better covenant” than the old covenant.  “Why seek assurance of salvation through something that is inferior to what you have in Jesus?” is the idea that the writer sets forth.

Second, we notice that the warnings are about “not entering into God’s rest.”  Here the writer uses the experience of the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea to illustrate the results of “drawing back.”  Their punishment was that they wandered in the wilderness instead of entering into the Promised Land.  Many have interpreted this to mean that believers who do not press on lose their salvation: the Israelites did not enter the Promised Land — these believers will not enter Heaven.

But such an interpretation hangs on the fact that the typology is correct.  Is the Promised Land synonymous with Heaven?  We know it is in Negro spirituals, but is it here in Hebrews?  The typology is this: all who did not enter the Promised Land are types of all who do not enter heaven.  While most today might not see any problem with that reasoning, any Jew would consider your conclusion ridiculous.  After all, one very important person who left Egypt with these Israelites also failed to make it to the Promised Land: Moses.  If these are examples of unbelievers who did not gain heaven (the Promised Land), then what about Moses?  Is he also lost, shut out from heaven?

Surely you see the problem.  Surely there must be another typology present in the writer’s mind.  There is.  Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Red Sea is seen as the picture of passing from death into life.  Indeed, in 1 Corinthians 10:2, Paul reminds the Corinthians that “all [who] passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses.”  If you asked an Israelite, “When was Israel saved?” they would respond, “When we passed through the Sea.”  Not, when they entered the Promised Land.

What, then, does the Promised Land portray?  Jesus promised believers that they would not only have life, but “have it more abundantly.”  In other words, the Christian life is designed to be a life overflowing with “milk and honey.”  Many through fear, disobedience, and unbelief fail to enter into that life.  Instead of enjoying the blessings of their relationship with the Lord in this life, they wander aimlessly just as Israel did in the wilderness.

The third observation from the context of Hebrews supports this interpretation.  Be careful to notice what these believers are in danger of losing.  Is it their salvation?  In Hebrews 6:9, the writer says they could lose “things that accompany salvation.”  In other places (Hebrews 6:12 and 10:34-36, for example), he tells them that they will lose “rewards” and “promises,” not salvation.

Finally, let’s consider the context of Hebrews 6 itself.  In the preceding passage (Hebrews 5:12-6:3), the issue is a failure to grow as a believer.  If Hebrews 6:4-6 is about losing salvation, then we would need to warn people who fail to grow and become teachers that they will lose their salvation!  (That may be great for Sunday School recruitment, but it is terrible theology!)  In the section that follows (Hebrews 6:7-20), the focus is on assurance.  In verse 10, the writer notes that God will not forget to reward us for the things we have done in ministry.  In verse 11, he desires that every reader come to a “full assurance” of salvation (which would not be possible in the theologies that teach that you can lose your salvation).  In verses 13-20, the writer concludes this section by pointing to the basis for assurance – not our deeds, but God’s promise and Jesus’ finished work.

Issues in Hebrews 6

Three initial questions arise as we consider Hebrews 6.  First, are those who “fall away” believers or non-believers? Many evangelicals have attempted to ignore this warning by claiming it was written about non-believers.  Someone has said that it referred to “professors of eternal life, not possessors of eternal life.”  Puritan John Owen and Baptist preacher John Gill interpreted it to refer to those who were “externally” believers, not internally believers.

However, neither the context nor the passage will allow such an interpretation.  Note the use of “we” in verse 3.  The writer seems to include himself in these categories.  When we read the list of descriptions given in verses 4-5, we would naturally conclude that the writer is referring to believers.  Indeed, Charles Spurgeon notes about these verses: “If the Holy Spirit intended to describe Christians, I do not see that he could have used more explicit terms than these are here.”

The second question relates to the issue of losing salvation. To begin with, the passage does not mention salvation.  It states that it is “impossible to renew them to repentance.”  While repentance is clearly required for salvation, it would be wrong to equate every use of the word as being salvation.  Indeed, the New Testament makes it clear that even believers need to repent continually.  Beyond that, the language of verse 6 could be translated in one of two ways: “It is impossible to renew them to repentance since they crucify…” or “while they crucify….”  Hence, the writer could be indicating not a permanent condition (since), but rather a condition that will not change as long as the believer remains in this state (while).

If interpreted as the loss of salvation, these verses present a number of theological problems. In verse 4, the writer of Hebrews mentions the “gift,” but, if it is not truly free, then is it truly a gift?  Secondly, there is the question of the role of God in salvation.  Again, the writer of Hebrews alludes to his understanding that the issue of security lies with God.  In verse 3, he notes that we can press on “if God permits.”  In other words, we have a part to play in our growth, but ultimately it all rests in God’s hands.  In Philippians 2:12-13, we see the same tension: “Work out [not work for] your own salvation, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do, for His good pleasure.”

To interpret this passage as losing salvation, one must also question what God has said regarding His “keeping power.”  In verses like Philippians 1:6 and 1 Peter 1:5, God indicates His power and willingness to keep those who are His.  The writer of Hebrews also taught that the security of our salvation rested not on us, but on the prayers of Jesus for us (see Hebrews 7:25).  If one who is saved becomes lost, then Jesus is shown to be ineffective in His praying for us.

The final question to be raised relates to the issue of apostasy or falling away.  What is it that the passage indicates they fall away from?  Salvation is not mentioned in the passage.  The context suggests that the writer is warning about the failure of believers to press on in Christian growth and service.  They have fallen away, not from salvation, but from pressing on to be what they have been called to be.

Evidences of Falling Away

Before we leave this passage, we must ask what is the warning given so that we may heed it ourselves today.

Three evidences of one who is falling away are given in the last verses of Chapter 5.  Not Hearing the Word is one evidence (vs. 11).  The writer says they have become dull of hearing.  Like those who no longer hear the passing train after years of living by the tracks, these readers had become dull to the word of God.  They sit in congregations week after week and hear the Word, but it no longer impacts their lives as it once did, because they have become dull of hearing.

A second evidence is Not Growing (vv. 12-13).  Here the writer says that they ought to be teachers.  While they have been taught much, they have not grown to the point that they are able to teach others.  Instead, they continually need to be taught the simple things again and again.  The illustration used by the writer compares milk with their intake of God’s Word.  To understand this word picture, we must be reminded of what milk is to babies. In simple terms, it is pre-digested food.  The baby is unable to chew and digest for itself, so the mother eats the food and gives nourishment to the child through her milk.

There is nothing wrong with milk for nourishment when you are a baby.  But as a baby gets older, he needs to learn to eat for himself.  Believers in danger of falling away are those who still depend solely upon milk (pre-digested teaching of God’s Word) for their nourishment.  They should be able to eat (enjoy God’s Word) for themselves, but they cannot.  They continue to rely on others for all they receive.

Such is the sad state of most “Sunday Christians.”  The only nourishment they receive from the Bible is a Sunday morning sermon or Bible class.  The rest of the week, their Bibles sit untouched while their souls go unnourished.  They ought to be teachers by now, but instead someone has to keep teaching them.  Such are in danger of falling away.

The third evidence of falling away is Not Practicing. In Hebrews 5:14, the writer distinguishes between those who are “trained” and those who are not.  Those who have trained themselves have done so by putting into practice what they have learned.  Those in danger of falling away are those who hear but never practice what they have been taught.  This concern was made even more clear in Hebrews 2:1: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we drift away.”

The Effects of Falling Away

The writer also suggests three effects of this condition. First, those who are in danger of falling away have No Building. In Hebrews 6:1, he speaks of laying a foundation in believers’s lives.  Paul uses a similar analogy in 1 Corinthians 3:9-13.

What a sad state is used to describe these believers.  They have the foundation (Jesus) but live in a house with no walls or roof.  No wonder the Christian life is frustrating for them.  They have not built anything upon that foundation.  When the storms of life beat upon them, they have no protection (compare Matthew 7:24-27).

Second, these have No Witness. Hebrews 6:6 describes the shame that such a one causes the Lord Jesus.  Rather than being a light pointing to Jesus, these are continually putting Jesus to “an open shame.”

A story is told about Peter escaping a Roman prison during the persecutions under Nero.  As Peter is fleeing out of Rome, he is surprised to see Jesus going into Rome.  He stopped Jesus and asked: “My Lord, where are you going?”  Jesus replied,” I’m going to Rome to die in your place.”  With that, Peter turned around, returned to Rome, and died a martyr’s death on a cross.  However, when the time came to be crucified, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, saying, “I am not worthy to die as my Lord died.”  When believers do not press on to live for the Lord, they fall away, and “crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame.”

No Fruit is the third effect of falling away.  In verses 7-8, the writer of Hebrews gives an illustration of what he has referred to in Hebrews 6:4-6.  There he pictures two plots of ground.  Both receive the same rain, but they produce different results.  One produces fruits useful to the one who cultivates (the Lord); the other produces thorns and briars.  One who has fallen away produces no fruit for the Lord and His kingdom.

The effects of falling away are serious.  They result in believers having no building, no witness, and no fruit.

End Results

Verses 7 and 8 also speak of the end results of theses two types of lives.  The one that goes on to maturity is “useful” to the Lord and thereby “receives blessing from God.”  The second that falls back and bears only thorns and briars receives a burning.

The Scriptures speak of two types of burnings.  One is for eternity; the other is for testing and purifying.  In 1 Corinthians 3:14-15, the Apostle Paul describes the burning of testing.  There he makes it clear that we will all experience this fire but that some whose works are nothing but wood, hay and straw, will find their deeds completely consumed on that final day.  But what will be the eternal result of this burning?  Will they lose their salvation?  No, Paul clearly states that, though they will suffer loss, “they will be saved though as through fire.”

The writer of Hebrews seems to be speaking of that same type of burning in Hebrews 6.  Notice carefully the words he uses.  The ground is not cursed (which might indicate a loss of salvation) but “near to being cursed.”  And “its end is for burning.”  In other words, God will not take away their salvation, but will expose the sum of their lives to His fire.  And even if all is burned up (1 Corinthians 3:15), they will not be lost.

Read Full Post »

Preface to the Study

The Perseverance of the Saints is an essential corollary to the doctrine of Assurance.  Assurance places the emphasis upon what God has done to secure salvation for the believer – not what the believer has done or will do to secure it.  As such, assurance provides the believer with confidence that God’s work of salvation shall be completed – “He who began a good work in you is able to bring it forth until the day of completion.” (Philippians 1:6).   Some might even refer to this as the preservation of the saints, placing the emphasis on God continuing to keep believers, rather than on what believers do to keep themselves.

Perseverance emphasizes the result of God’s work of preservation.  Believers only persevere because of God’s preservation.  They are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5) and they are presented faultless before His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).  Our assurance is because of what God did in salvation; our preservation is because of what God continues to do in keeping all that He has saved.

Preservation is an essential doctrine.  In reality, it also has impact on our salvation.  For example, in John 6, Jesus says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me and he that comes to me, I will in no way cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of him that sent me.  And this is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all that he has given me, I should lose none, but raise them up on the last day” (John 6:37-39).  Jesus not only saves us; He keeps us.  This is the Father’s will.  And if even one were to be lost eternally, all would be lost eternally, because Jesus would not have done the will of His Father!

In some ways, this issue is a continuance of the previous issue on Assurance.  Thus we begin this issue with another article by A. W. Pink which provides a conversation with “Mr. Humble Heart.”  Here Pink provides, through means of a dialogue, some helpful insights into the nature of true conversion.  We pray that this “conversation” will be helpful to those struggling to come to a full assurance of their faith.  Likewise, the article by J. C. Ryle, “Reasons Assurance is Not Attained,” is designed to provide help for those who wonder why they do not have “confidence to come boldly before the throne.”

The question of “falling from grace” is often presented as proof that some do fall away and lose their salvation.  Since this issue is often misunderstood by well-meaning believers, we have included the article “Falling from Grace” in this issue to help provide some answers to this theological question.

Finally, we have included two excellent sermons by Charles Spurgeon regarding the doctrine of Perseverance and a short section from the Miscellanies of Jonathan Edwards on Perseverance.  Spurgeon preached often on this glorious doctrine to the great comfort and encouragement of many believers.  The greatest task in preparing this issue was sorting through the many sermons he preached on perseverance to find a few to edit and reprint.  The volume was so large and the teaching so wonderful that we have included a number of additional sermons by Spurgeon on Perseverance on our website.  We pray that these will be a great encouragement to you as you read them.

Most of all, the Doctrine of Preservation gives credit where credit is due.  Like the emphasis on Assurance that rests solely on what God has done, the emphasis on Perseverance/Preservation also gives God the glory alone.  Those whom He by His grace has saved, He by His grace will be keep!  To God be the Glory, alone and forever!

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

Read Full Post »

Perhaps no doctrine is of greater importance than justifying faith.  Should we fail to properly understand what faith is and on what it rests, we might mislead many into an eternity apart from Christ.  The Reformers placed great weight on a proper understanding of faith.  They declared that justification by faith alone was the doctrine on which the church stands or falls.  They defined faith carefully so that what the faith which they preached and taught might not be confused with the faith that was normally taught by Rome.

They labored to make certain that “faith” could never be construed as a “work” that one performed or as a “merit” whereby one gained forgiveness of sins.  Conversely, they argued against Roman claims of antinomianism by teaching that true faith was accompanied by good works.  In other words, those who had faith were changed in their lives.

Today there is a need to be especially clear in our teaching about faith.  Most view faith as an act they do.  Wrapped up in such an assumption is the idea that “a profession of faith” is identical with faith.  If they have made a “decision,” that’s all that matters, even if there is no change in their lives.  Biblical faith, however, is different.  It is evidenced by a trusting Christ, a following Christ, and a new love for Christ.  One who has true saving faith is not the same—he is new, he is changed.

It is our hope that the articles in this issue might help you to sharpen your thinking about “faith.”  Read each carefully, repeatedly, and always in light of the Scriptures.  Included are articles by Thomas Watson, a 17^th century English puritan;  Jonathan Edwards, Solomon Stoddard and Joseph Bellamy from 18^th century America, C. H. Spurgeon from 19^th century England, and A.W. Pink from 20^th century England.  Although their writing spanned four centuries, their teachings on faith are in accord.  We pray that each will provide insights to increase your understanding of faith that saves.

Also, we have included an article about three of the characters found in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.  Thank you for your prayers and for your support of this ministry.

By His Grace, Jim

Read Full Post »

Most of the books published on evangelism in our century have taken a man-centered approach to evangelism rather than a God-centered approach. What do we mean by this? Simply that most evangelistic books focus on methods and techniques designed to secure decisions rather than emphasizing the sharing of divine revelation and the dependence on God for all the results. Here are a few books that take a biblical approach that we can recommend to you.

Books on Evangelism:

God-Centered Evangelism by Ralph Kuiper. This is certainly my favorite. It provides the most thorough theology of evangelism and provides a number of excellent chapters. We had attempted to gain permission to reprint one chapter in this issue but we did not hear from the publishers in time. The book is published by Banner of Truth—we highly recommend it!

The Soul Winner by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. This book, published by Eerdmans in 1963, provides some of the best teaching and preaching of Spurgeon on evangelism. In it, Spurgeon defines soul-winning, examines the qualifications necessary to be a soul-winner, and discusses “Sermons Likely to Win Souls.”

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer. Published by Intervarsity Press in 1963, this book certainly qualifies as a contemporary classic on evangelism. In it, Packer examines divine sovereignty and human responsibility as they relate to evangelism.

Books to use in Witnessing:

Come Home Forever by Tom Well (Evangelical Press). This book is an excellent resource to give to non-believers. In it, Wells provides a simple, yet very logical presentation of the gospel. Tom’s other books are also excellent for learning how to provided a clear explanation of the gospel. Also consider his book, Faith: The Gift of God and Come to Me both give a clear explanation of biblical faith.

Peter Jeffery has also provided a number of good resources for evangelism. His Seeking God provides a clear explanation of the gospel, written for someone seeking to understand the gospel. My personal favorite is I Will Never Become a Christian. This small booklet examines various objections non-believers may have toward the gospel and answers them in a clear, logical fashion. He concludes the book with testimonies by people from many different backgrounds and occupations. Both books are printed by The Evangelical Press of Wales.

A Bad Heart and a Bad Record by Al Martin. This short booklet is an excellent resource to share. It clearly explains man’s dilemma and points to Christ as the only answer. (Published through Simpson Publishing Company, Box 699, Broonton, NJ, 07005).

Wasted Faith by Jim Elliff. This booklet causes the reader to make an honest examination of his faith to determine if it is biblical, saving faith. This resource is especially good for those who are “nominal Chiristians” and need to examine the reality of their profession. Jim also provides a number of other resources for evangelism, including booklets on childhood conversion, a conversation on conversion and many other resources. You can find his Website (Christian Communicators Worldwide) through the Links page on our Website.

The Narrow Road that Leads to Life and True Godliness by Bill Nichols. Both of these booklets are short but very clear about the gospel. (Published by International Outreach, P.O. Box 1286, Ames, IA, 50010)

Ultimate Questions by John Blanchard. This is an excellent resource for helping someone understand the gospel. It is available from Evangelical Press).

Books for Church Evangelism:

Evangelism and Your Church by C. John Miller. This small paperback is one of the best resources for equipping your church in evangelism. Miller even provided a 10-week training outline that includes readings from some of the books recommended in this article. It was published by Presbyterian & Reformed.

Tell the Truth by Will Metzger (IVP, 1981) is one of the best training manuals for God-centered evangelism. He examines the content of the message we share, the dynamics of conversion, and the character of the people who witness. His appendix also includes an outline for a training session in a local church.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 2000. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Read Full Post »