Hebrews, Perseverence and Predestination

1. Hebrews, Perseverence and Predestination Hebrews and Falling Away. Scriptures which point toward Perseverence/Once Saved Always Saved. History of the doctrine of Predestination. Arguments for Predestination. The biblical doctrine of Predestination. Assurance of Salvation in Hebrews.

2. Question: Do you believe in Predestination?

3. Hebrews and Falling Away • They shall never enter my rest 3:11, 4:5 • We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first. 3:14 • They were not able to enter because of their unbelief 3:19 • Be careful not to be found to have fallen short of it. 4:1 • Some… did not go in because of their obedience 4:6 • Let us make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience 4:11 • Do you get the point?

4. OLD TESTAMENT TYPE NEW TESTAMENT ANTITYPE SLAVERY IN EGYPT LOST, SLAVE TO SIN WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS SAVED, BUT LIVING THE LIFE OF A DISCIPLE ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND ENTERING HEAVEN Historical type/antitype in the Exodus

5. Hebrews 6:4-6 Who is he talking to? • a. been enlightened (NT church “enlightened” = baptized) • b. tasted the heavenly gift (salvation?) • c. shared in the Holy Spirit • d. tasted the goodness of the word • e. tasted the coming age (saved) • Yes, you can fall away! Conclusion: You had better move on toward maturity in Christ.

6. Hebrews 6:4-8 • It is impossible… if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance. • They are crucifying the Son of God all over again. • Land that produces thorns… will be burned.

7. Falling Away Hebrews 10:26-31 • Crucifying the Son of God all over again. • Subjecting Jesus to public disgrace • Trampling the Son of God under foot. (Heb 10:29) • Insulted the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:29) • Blasphemed (spoken against) the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:32) • Committed the unforgivable sin (1 John 5:16 ) • What is the “unforgivable sin?” To willfully, deliberately continue in sin. (Hebrews 10:26)

8. Falling Away • Crucifying the Son of God all over again. • Subjecting Jesus to public disgrace • Trampling the Son of God under foot. (Heb 10:29) • Insulted the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:29) • Blasphemed (spoken against) the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:32) • Committed the unforgivable sin (1 John 5:16) • What is the “unforgivable sin?” To willfully, deliberately continue in sin. (Hebrews 10:26)

9. History of the doctrine of predestination. • Augustine of Hippo AD 354-430 “The City of God” • Martin Luther (1483-1546): an Augustinian monk. • Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) Reformed Churches. • John Calvin (1509-1564) “Institutes of the Christian Religion” • A profound belief in the sovereignty of God • Double Predestination and TULIP

10. Sin, Redemption, Salvation • Augustine!!!!! (AD 354-430) • The City of God Soveriegnty • Total depravity • Monoergism (only God) • Predestination • Original Sin • Infant baptism required for salvation • Sacramentalism • Transubstantiation • City and State • Opposed Donatists Augustine of Hippo (from 6th century)

11. Augustine: Evil and Free Will • About Augustine: “Evil arises from the corruption of a nature which is essentially good. What is called evil is good corrupted; if it were not corrupted it would be wholly good; but even when it is corrupted, it is good in so far as it remains a natural thing, and bad only in so far as it is corrupted.” • “A man’s free will avails for nothing except to sin.”

12. Pelagius AD c. 354-430 Works Salvation? Affirmed the existence of free will. “Evil is not born with us, and we are procreated without fault.” Rejected infant baptism. Taught that we become holy through our own effort? More troubling: “Since perfection is possible for man, it is obligatory.”

13. Julian of Eclanum “You [ie. Augustine] think that your Lord is capable of committing a crime against justice such as is hardly conceivable even among the barbarians. Accused Augustine of making God the creator of both good and evil.

14. Q: What is the nature of “the Fall” of mankind? What happened in the garden? • Puritans: “In Adam’s fall we sinned all.” • Romans 5:12-19 What “death” is this in v. 12

15. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 Aristotle Revelation by reason Scholasticism Arguments for existence of God Natural Theology “Summa Theologica”

16. Thomas Aquinas: “God, therefore, is the first cause, who moves causes both natural and voluntary. And just as by moving natural causes He does not prevent their actions from being natural, so by moving voluntary causes He does not deprive their actions of being voluntary; but rather is He the cause of this very thing in them, for He operates in each thing according to his own nature.” In other words, Aquinas believed in free will and not a strict monergism.

17. Martin Luther 1483-1541 Augustinian Monk Faith Alone Grace Alone Scripture Alone Predestination

18. Martin Luther: “Away with James… His authority is not great enough to cause me to abandon the doctrine of faith [alone] and to deviate from the authority of the other apostles and the entire Scripture.” St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw, compared to these others (Romans, Galatians, John) for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.”

19. Ulrich Zwingli 1484-1531 Opposed baptismal regeneration Double Predestination Reformed Theology “Those individuals who end up damned forever in hell are also eternally determined by God for that fate.”

20. John Calvin1509-1564 Institutes of Christian Religion His emphasis: the sovereignty of God TULIP

21. TULIP • Total depravity • Unconditional election • Limited atonement • Irresistable grace • Perseverence of the saint (once saved, always saved) • This entire system is: • Logical and • Built on the doctrine of Original Sin.

22. Jacob Arminius (1560-1609) Opposed Reformed idea of predestination. Are we Arminians?

23. Jonathan Edwards “A Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God.” How do we know we are of the elect?

24. 1800’s America: Predestination LightOnce Saved, Always Saved • Preservation of the Saints • Believer’s Prayer. • Once God saves you, in is impossible to lose your salvation, no matter what.

25. Q: Scriptures which appear to support the doctrine of predestination? • Is a believer in this false doctrine lost? • Q: Scriptures which prove free will and refute predestination?

26. Predestination? • Romans 8:28-30 • Romans 8:31-39 Nothing can separate us (except we ourselves because we • have free will) • John 10:27-29 No one can snatch them out of my hands… • Romans 9:10-21 (read v. 14-18)

27. The Biblical Doctrine of Predestination • First of all, man had “free will”!!! • It is God’s sovereign will that we have free will because he loves us. • Deut 30:19-20 • Joshua 24:15 • Ezekiel 18:19-20 • All of Hebrews. • God predestined all of us to be saved (but he does not force anyone) • Very rarely, God intervenes in history to bring about his will, but even then, he does not, ultimately steal anyone’s free will.

28. God’s Assurance: Hebrews 6:9-20 Two unchangeable things: God’s Word God’s Oath (Genesis 22:16-18) Jesus, your anchor, is behind the veil with the Father

29. God’s Assurance: Hebrews 10:19-23 We have confidenceto enter the Most Holy Place Let us draw near to God… in full assurance of faith. For he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:35-36 Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded…. You will receive what he has promised.