Good morning. Welcome back to Sunday school. Continuing the larger catechism, welcome back dailies. Let's open with prayer. Our Lord and our God, we thank you for another day. Thank you for breath and life and so many good things that you satisfy us with. Thank you for your word. and the catechism and the confessions that you've given us through your people. Lord, teach us by your spirit this morning and help us to worship you more and more, to glorify you in all that we do. In Jesus' name, amen. All right. So we've got handouts there in the back. We're on question 78 in the larger catechism. I'll read the question and we'll recite the answer together. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers? The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit, whereby they are often foiled with temptations and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God. All right, so the imperfection of sanctification. We've been speaking about sanctification. We said believers are renewed in their whole man after the image of God. That was question 75. We are new creations in Christ. We have new hearts and new affections. We are being renewed in true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness that our father Adam had before his fall. And yet, children, are we perfect in this life? No. No. No. Very good. But if we're united to Christ, we have union with Him, don't we become perfect like Him? No. Not in this life. In this life, our sanctification, our growth in holiness remains imperfect. And we'll seek to answer the question why that is so. The divine seek to give us that answer through the catechism here in question 78. So the imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them. There's a key word in this phrase that we're gonna look at and it'll help keep us perfectly balanced as we go. We'll start with Romans 6. Verses five and six. Our old man, the person who was enslaved to sin and sinned continually, was indeed put to death via faith uniting us to Christ. And we see that in Romans six, five and six. Caleb, you there? Almost. Everybody's waking up still. It's OK. Stretch your muscles. Old man was crucified with him. Turn over to Romans 7. Verse 18, we're going to look at this chapter in more detail in a bit, but just verse 18 for now. Go ahead, Case. For I know that in me that ye do not put nothing goodwill for you, or to willingly disdain with me, but have performed what is good by your heart. So we have the old man crucified with Christ, and in our flesh nothing good dwells. Our old man was crucified with Christ our Savior, and we are no longer slaves to sin. We looked at that in very much detail. But the dominion, while the dominion of our corruption of sin was destroyed, it was not made completely extinct. Not yet. Not in this life. So the key word in our catechism answer is the remnants of sin. The remnants of sin abiding in every part of them. Indeed, every part of our sin nature was dealt a death blow at conversion. When we were convinced of our sin and misery and our utter inability to save ourselves, When we saw the beauty of Christ held forth in the Gospel, and we're united to Him by faith, if we looked at all this, our sin nature had its D-Day, if you will. Grace invaded decisively, and continues to inevitably take over. The Holy Spirit occupied every town in our hearts, every part of us. Similar to Israel taking over the land of Canaan. When they finally entered the land after all those years in the wilderness, the Lord fought for them and utterly destroyed most of Israel's enemies. And yet, some peoples were not destroyed. There were remnants of idolaters amongst God's people. And although the Holy Spirit has conquered our hearts, and we are new creations, remnants of our sin have been left over. rebel desires, not to be 100% destroyed until we reach glory. And because these remnants of sin abide in every part of us, there's a perpetual lusting of the flesh against the spirit. Children, what do we mean when we say flesh? Anybody know? No. We sometimes speak of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Here's a hint, Ephesians 2, 3. Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. The passions of our flesh. We once lived in these passions, the passions of our own desires, our fleshly, apart from Christ, in our own strength, loving that manure that we've talked about over and over. We had passion for it. We loved our flesh. The flesh is what we are apart from Christ. The flesh is the remaining corruption of our nature, those remnants, the remaining sinful desires. So Galatians 5.17, we'll see though we are made new in the whole man. The flesh continues to sinfully desires what we're proving here. Galatians 5, 17. Go ahead. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Thank you. The flesh and the spirit, contrary. Now, there's an error not to fall into here. The Plymouth Brethren, for instance, believe that Christians have two natures, a sin nature and a new nature, a second nature, they would say. They'd say we have these two natures fighting against each other. You can picture the angel on one shoulder, the demon on the other, and you have to figure out who to listen to. But that would fly in the face of the Apostle Paul saying the old man was crucified with Christ. He's done away with. Dabney called this idea absurd. We have one nature and one consciousness, not two. We've been made new and our whole man is being renewed by the spirit of the living God. These continued desires of the flesh are not dominant. They're perpetual, yes, there's that perpetual war, contrary to one another. But the remnants of sin fight, the flesh fights as a defeated rebel. They're just, or it's just trying to cause ruckus, you could say. And ruckus they do cause. Our catechism answer continues by describing what these remnants of sin and continued sinful desires cause in the life of a believer. It says we are often foiled with temptations and fall into many sins and hindered in all spiritual services. Again, sad but true. We deal with temptations arising from internal desires. We even have continued inordinate desires for good things. And while these remnants of desire are not dominant any longer, they're real. They may take a while to be mortified. So now let's look at Romans 7. This is the more in-depth treatment of it. Romans 7, verses 14 through 23. The Apostle Paul describing himself as a converted man, we would argue, over against other traditions. But most Reformed theologians agree. This is describing the Apostle Paul as a converted man. He says this, for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do. If then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find in Allah that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members." Now, there's a lot here. We could ask some questions like, I thought we were new creations. And we keep talking about being renewed in the whole man. Why does Paul say he has sold under sin? Doesn't that seem like the apostle is identifying with his old man? We said that was no good either in the past. As Elder Lewis would say, I'm glad you asked. As a rule, and we find this in Confession of Faith, chapter one, section nine, we compare scripture with scripture. That's how we interpret the harder to understand passages. So 2nd Corinthians 5.17. We keep referencing it, but let's actually read this text. 2nd Corinthians 5.17. All right. All right. Ephesians 4.20-24. but that is not the way you learned Christ. Assuming that you have learned about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. So we've got new creation. We've talked about that, 2 Corinthians 5. Ephesians 4, we see the renewing the new self created after the likeness, the image of God, true righteousness and holiness that Adam had. Or Ephesians 1.4, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. And these are just a few. The scriptures overwhelmingly teach us that believers are new creations being renewed in the whole man. with a purpose of holiness before our great God. So back to Romans 7, how do we understand this then? How do we understand the effects of the remnants of sin and continued desires of the flesh? The Apostle Paul really was foiled with temptations and fell into sins, just like us, right? We fall into temptations, into sins, We do things we don't want to do. Maybe things we used to do before we knew Christ. Those old desires awaken and try to take over at times. Dabney discusses this, and this is his argument. I love it. That was really helpful. He says, on those occasions, on those occasions, we are acting as if we are sold under sin. We are imperfect because of the remnants of our occasional Roman 7 behavior. But if we truly desire opposite, and listen to his language in Roman 7, right? I want to do good. If we truly desire opposite, if the things we want to do are righteous in our inward man, and our practice is not to habitually walk in sin, right? 1 John 3, 9. then we don't identify with the occasion. We identify with the reality. We are new creations. We are being renewed in the whole man. This helps us understand things like David. We've talked about being a man after God's own heart. That was his identity. The reality. A true statement. God said that about him. Does God lie, children? He cannot. David was indeed a new creation being renewed in his whole man. But in the instance of Bathsheba, he acted as if he was sold under sin, giving way to the remnants of his old self. Children, maybe some of you have to be corrected a little bit more than occasionally. Sound right? No. In my house, that's true. That's okay. You're learning, right? The rod of correction and the Word of God are meant to correct, to train. Heck, us adults have sins that we may struggle with more than occasionally. But let's remember, we don't have to stay in that Romans 7 state. And the Romans 7 struggle does not negate the fact that we are, in fact, new creations. Rather, it helps us understand that we will never be perfect this side of glory. It helps us understand the truth of Hebrews 12 verse 1. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, the remnants of sin can so easily ensnare us, cause that ruckus, have us foiled with temptations, fall into many sins. Or Galatians 2, 11 through 13. The Roman seven struggle helps us to understand how even such as the apostle Peter could be found falling into sin. Galatians 2, 11 through 13. Anybody there? Right. Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Apostle Peter, people along with him, even Barnabas, the son of encouragement, was led astray, foiled with this temptation, fell into this pretty gross sin. So the Romans 7 struggle helps us understand why, why we occasionally fall into these many sins. Our catechism answer concludes by stating that because of the remnants of sin abiding in us, even our best works are imperfect and defiled before God. They cannot stand. Isaiah 64 6. No, this one pretty well. Actually struck me this week, though, that in the context, these are the works of believers. Isaiah is speaking of the covenant community. That we are all like an unclean thing and all our righteousness are like filthy rags. The remnants of our sin corrupt every good work that is in us. There's always at least an ounce of pride, right? Who can say? Yeah, I did that 100% with the right heart. An ounce of pride or an ounce of self-righteousness in us corrupts the work. Now, we don't throw them all away. We've discussed how God is pleased to accept them, but why? Not because they're uncorrupted. Look at, I didn't put it in there, but Westminster Confession 16.6. It says, notwithstanding the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight. They're not that. But that He, God, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere. although, here it is, accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. So yes, God accepts our sincere works, but it's not because they're uncorrupted. They are indeed accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. So the sanctification that we've been talking about is imperfect in this life. due to the remnants of sin and those old desires. Continual battle. Any questions on question 78 before we move on? I see some looks. All right, question 79, you can come back. All right, we'll read the answer together after I read the question. Question 79, may not true believers, by reason of their imperfections and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace? True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God and His decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ is continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Right. Notice the answer deals with the truths of our great God in order to assure us of the doctrine of perseverance. This is the pea and the tulip, right? Next week in questions 80 and 81, we'll look at spirit-enabled discerning of ourselves to see whether we can have assurance. But this week we focus on the truths of our God, beginning with his unchangeable love. We're contrasting what we just talked about, the imperfections and the fact that we are foiled by temptation and fall into sin. Well, does that mean that we can fall away from the state of grace? Jeremiah 31 verse 3. How do we know that true believers cannot fall away from the state of grace? Jeremiah 31, verse three. It'll be our first one. The Lord had a period of the old to me, saying, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. Thank you. Salvation is rooted in God's everlasting love. love reaching back to eternity past, to the covenant of redemption. If the everlasting God set his love on someone in eternity past, he's done that, and in time has drawn that person to himself by grace through faith in the Son, all through the applying of the Holy Spirit to them, then that person cannot be lost. The unchangeable love of God rests on him or her. True believers cannot fall away from the state of grace because the love of the Triune God abides on them. So Church, our salvation is rooted in his unchangeable love. And therefore, we will persevere. He said it on us, he applied it to us, we will persevere. John 3.16, right? For God so loved the world because of his love. Love grounds the believer's hope. True believers may also look to God's decree and covenant to give them perseverance. It's the next phrase, 2 Samuel 23 5. While you're turning there, who remembers what God's decrees are? Maybe someone knows shorter Catechism 7. What are the decrees of God? His eternal purpose, His eternal plan. God makes plans and accomplishes them. Sometimes we make plans and they change. But children, can God's plans change? No. That's right, he cannot lie, he cannot change his plans. He does not go back on his covenant promises. And so, King David, near the end of his life in 2 Samuel 23, says this in verse five, who's there? All right. Although my house is not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, For this is all my salvation and all my desire. Will he not make it increase? Thank you. David roots his assurance, the fact that he cannot fall away from the state of grace in God's everlasting covenant established with him. The covenant of grace is unbreakable and true believers are secured within it because of God's perfect decrees. Hebrews 13, verse 20 and 21. And then Philippians 1, 6 after that. I'll get this one. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of Christ secures the true believer so that he cannot fall away. The true believer will be made complete in every good work. And perseverance is a vital piece of salvation that God grants to his people. He will do it. Philippians 1.6. He has covenanted with us. He has decreed. He has decreed our perseverance. He will do it. He will do it. We can take it to the bank. We have an inseparable union with our Savior. Next phrase in the answer. We've talked about this over and over. We are in Christ. We are united to him. 1 Corinthians 1, 4 through 9. The Apostle Paul describing this union with Christ to the Corinthian church. says I think my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus that you were enriched in everything by him in all utterance and all knowledge even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you so that you so that you come short in no gift eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. The true believers experience the grace of God given by Christ in their union with him. And the father will confirm them to the end. Great is his faithfulness. We were called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we have a share in Him that cannot be taken away. Romans 8, 38 and 39. I'm going to have that by memory, maybe. Romans 8, 38 and 39, a great text. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing which shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank you. Nothing in all creation, no created thing, can undo the union to our Lord Jesus, which God the Father accomplished and applied through the work of His Spirit. True believers may also look to the continual intercession of the great high priest on behalf of them. Luke 22, 32. Remember, we discussed the priesthood of Christ. One of the things he does is intercede for us. And here, remember, Jesus is speaking to Peter about his upcoming fall. Peter has all this boldness one minute, and the next minute, cowers to the servant girl. So our Lord Jesus foretells these events, but he also assures Peter. Calvin, verse 32. Thank you. Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And it's not if you return, but when you return, he says. Peter did return, right? His faith persevering because Jesus prayed for him. So we return, we persevere. never completely falling away from the state of grace, because our Lord Jesus prays for us. Hebrews 7, 25. Therefore he's also able to say to the utmost, ye those who come to God through him, that he always lives to make Thank you. Since, since he always makes, always lives to make intercession for them. Jesus is making intercession. His praying for us is a means that God uses to save us to the uttermost. We will persevere because he prays for us. True believers also have the spirit and seed of God abiding in them. Ephesians 1 13 and 14. In him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. We were sealed with the spirit. We have him, the Holy Spirit, as a guarantee of glory. If glory is guaranteed, then we will persevere. 1 Peter 1, 23. See the seed, the Spirit and the seed of God abiding in true believers. 1 Peter 1, 23. Are you there? Chuck. Incorruptible. The seed falling on good ground, the elect of the living God, the bride of Christ is incorruptible. That seed will germinate and it will abide forever. And we conclude that true believers cannot totally or finally fall away from the state of grace. A couple more texts which support this sum total, everything we've discussed really. Jeremiah 32, 40. It's a beautiful text speaking of the new covenant. God says, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. that I will not turn away from doing them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me. Again, we see the everlasting covenant of grace, the unchangeable love directed toward a people for his own possession, and that fear of God put into the hearts of those his people. And the fear of God is put into our hearts, why? Notice, so that they will not depart from him. He anchors us so that we cannot sink. He holds us so that we cannot fall. He keeps us fearing so that we cannot depart. Or from the words of our Savior, Christ in John 10, 27 through 29, It's a very familiar proof text for this doctrine, but they're so good. John 10, 27 through 29. Are you there? Go ahead. My feet hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. No one. Immortality is given, decreed, everlasting life is decreed, and it cannot be taken away. True believers cannot finally perish under wrath and condemnation because they're kept. They've been decreed to be kept for everlasting life. No one can snatch them out of the hand of God. He holds us firmly. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. 1 Peter 1 verses 3 through 5. Says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Again, true believers, inheritance is incorruptible, never fading away. Heaven is reserved for us. And the power of God works to keep us in the meantime. Well, so what? What do we do with this doctrine, knowing the wonder of it? Maybe sit back, as some in the evangelical world do, lackadaisically saying, once saved, always saved. I don't need to do anything. I am secure. Or I'm going to be imperfect, and many temptations and sins will overtake me, but it's not a big deal. Well, may these thoughts never be. That's what we get accused of with this doctrine. But rather, we should take these truths of salvation as our helmet, right? And have confidence to continue the fight. Like the football player's helmet gives him confidence both to endure hits and dish out some hits. Or like the soldier's helmet gives him confidence to enter the battlefield May we know these truths, assent to them, and trust in them, that God will keep us by his power. And may we find more and more reason to glorify him in all that we do. That's what these doctrines are for. To give us confidence, to give us strength. Imperfections will remain, right? There's a whole question on it. Imperfections will remain, but we continue looking to our strong and sovereign God to finish the work that he began in us. All right? Any questions? Imperfection and perseverance. Yes, sir? I have heard churches teach versions of the Sovereign. That presumes that the emphasis is on me, right? Look, everything we've looked at today is looking away from ourselves to Our Lord, to His perfection. There is a place for looking at fruit in our lives and judging us. That'll be all next week. Yeah, usually that question is asked from the wrong perspective. They're looking at themselves. Say what you want. I used to like John Piper. Not so much anymore. One of the things I liked that he said was, how do I know I'm going to be a believer tomorrow? because of God, not because of myself. Questions? Questions? All right. Time's up. Again? Again? No questions? Man, I'm so disappointed. All right, let's pray. O Lord, our God, Father in heaven, we thank you for making us new creations, Lord. Indeed, you took out the heart of stone out of our selves and gave us hearts of flesh, good flesh, moldable flesh. We pray that you would do the work of your Spirit and make us more like our Savior. Rid us of our corrupted flesh. Help us to fight the good fight, Lord, to persevere to the end, knowing that it is you who fight for us, just like you fought for Israel. All those years ago, you have kept every single believer to the end. None has been lost. We praise you for these truths. Overwhelm us with the wonder of them, that we may glorify you more and more, that we may praise you more and more. Prepare us to worship you now, as a body of believers. And bless all of our worship. In Jesus' name, amen.