Well, good morning. If you would turn your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 1, this will be our Old Testament text for today. And by means of introduction, I want to make a shameless plug for our Wednesday night study. As we study Hebrews chapter 6 today, it is a historically very difficult text to interpret, and we're going to walk through some of that today. But in Wednesday nights, we are studying through church history. And if you'll remember from a few weeks ago, if you've been with us, that we have been studying through the first couple hundred years of church history. And I'm finding that as we're studying through church history on Wednesday night, it is coinciding directly with either what we're going through in Hebrews, or with our catechism question, or our memory verses. So God is providentially linking all of our various studies together, and today is no exception. So a few weeks ago, we were studying the third and fourth centuries. And there was a heresy called the Novatian heresy. And this heresy surrounded some Roman persecution between the years 200 and roughly 400 AD. And under these Roman persecutions, the emperors, a couple of various emperors, would exhibit drastic persecution on the Christian church. They would kill bishops and they would force people to recant their faith and to worship the pagan gods. Well, after these emperors had ceased, the persecution had lifted. These individuals who had recanted their faith and worshiped the pagan gods wanted to return back to the church. And it was a bishop named Novatius, Novatianus, and he used verses, like in Hebrews chapter six, arguing for these people losing their salvation. They were unable to return to the church because of their sin. Because they had once been enlightened, because they had been baptized, and they had committed such grievous sin, there was now no hope for their readmittance into the church and for repentance. There was another bishop named Cyprian, he argued against this heresy in favor of a more liberal interpretation, liberal not in a negative sense, but favoring a more lenient approach appealing to much broader breadth in teaching of scripture. So this is only one example, and I use it as a shameless plug to please come on Wednesday nights as we study church history. It is super important. Hebrews chapter six, again, very difficult, historically, passage to interpret, and we're gonna go through that today. But if we look through our Old Testament text, where Deuteronomy chapter one, you have in your bulletin verse 22, I'm gonna back up to 21, and we're going to read there. I will have you sit down after verse 25 just because it's a long passage and I don't want to make you stand for 15 minutes as we read. So, Deuteronomy chapter one, if you are there and you are able, would you please stand? And beginning in verse 21. See the Lord your God has placed the land before you. Go up, take possession as the Lord, the God of your fathers has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Then all of you approached me and said, let us send men before us that they may search out the land for us and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter. The thing pleased me, and I took 12 of your men, one man for each tribe. They turned and went up into the hill country and came to the valley of Eshel and spied it out. Then they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us. And they brought us back a report and said, it is a good land which the Lord our God is about to give us. You may be seated. I'm going to continue reading through verse 40 so that we can get the whole context and the whole picture. So verse 26, yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. And you grumbled in your tents and said, Because the Lord hates us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying the people are bigger and taller than we. The cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of Anakim there. Then I said to you, do not be shocked nor fear them. The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight on your behalf just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes. And in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you just as a man carries his son in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place. But for all this, you did not trust the Lord your God who goes before you on your way to seek out a place for you to encamp in fire by night and in cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go. Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and he was angry. And he took an oath, saying, not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers. Except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he shall see it. And to him and his sons, I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the Lord fully. The Lord was angry with me also on your account, saying, not even you shall enter there. Joshua, the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall enter there. Encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit him. Moreover, your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness, by the way to the Red Sea. So a few weeks ago, we were studying the end of Hebrews chapter three and the Hebrews chapter four. And in those texts, the author of Hebrew reminds his readers of the events of Numbers chapter 13 and 14. And we looked at that in detail as well a few weeks ago. And here today in Deuteronomy chapter one, Moses is reminding us of the same errors of Numbers 13 and 14 to this new generation of the people of God. So for some broad context on the book of Deuteronomy, The people of God had experienced 40 years of judgment in the wilderness due to a lack of faith and disobedience for the very act which we just read about. Every person 20 years and older had now died except for Joshua and Caleb, who fully trusted in God and God spared them and had mercy. They would go in and take the land. And then also Moses, who will die before going into the land. The next generation, having wandered in the wilderness for over 40 years, have now reached the plains of Moab, and Moses is reminding them of their history and giving them instruction of the law a second time, hence the name Deuteronomy, which means second law. And as we hear this once again from Moses in a new context, I want us to be reminded of a few things. This previous generation, before This new generation is about to take the land. The generation that had been judged and had now all died. That generation, they experienced something great of God. Number one, they witnessed the deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They physically saw and experienced the judgment of God upon the Egyptians in the 10 plagues. Number two, they were delivered from destruction at the Red Sea. The Egyptians had followed them on their way out, was going to overtake them and destroy them and bring them back. But God parted the Red Sea. They walked through on dry ground, and the Egyptian army was destroyed in their midst. Third, God guided them through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We just read this in Deuteronomy 1. He fed them with manna and quail Each day and drink they drink bitter water made sweet at Mara. They experienced and literally physically tasted the goodness of God They heard the thunderous presence of God at Sinai. They received the law of God at Sinai They observed countless other judgments and mercies of God in their journey to the promised land So every person of this previous generation and witnessed the power of God's mighty works they had literally seen in and tasted the provision of God with their own eyes, with their own mouths. They had witnessed it. And they were given the sufficient word of God. And they were delivered by the power of God time and time again. And even through all of this, what was the response when faced with the seeming difficulty of going in to conquer the land? The Anakim, the Amorites, the people were large. They were going to overtake them. Their cities were fortified to heaven. What was their response? Rebellion. The people feared the prospect of taking the land rather than trusting in the faithfulness of God. And though they had seen God's power and deliverance countless times, they failed to trust in him now. And due to their rebellion, the entire generation would be eliminated and would die in the wilderness, unable to enter God's promise. And now here in Deuteronomy chapter one, Moses is reminding this second generation of the previous generation's failures, and it serves as a stern warning to this new generation to trust in the faithfulness of God and act accordingly above all else as they enter and take the land. Though the previous generation of the people of God were members in a familial context, they were by blood part of the people of God, they were children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And though they had been delivered from the trials in Egypt, and in the wilderness time and time again, and though they had witnessed and seen and tasted the work of God, this in no way assured them entrance into God's promise. Moses warns the new generation on the plains of Moab that faith in God and membership in his covenant family produces something in them. It produces an unwavering faith and trust in the sovereign purpose and word of God. Joshua knew that, and Caleb knew that. And let us be warned from Moses as well, that no matter what families we're born into, no matter what church environment we grew up in, no matter what works of God we have seen with our eyes, our salvation, our assurance are not merited to us on the basis of our works, of these things, of our experiences. Our hope is not in our association with an experience of the covenant community of God, rather our faith begins with unwavering trust in the saving work of our triune God, which gives us steadfast hope and assurance in the trials of life. So now we're gonna move on to our New Testament text, keeping that warning in mind from Moses, that warning to be transformed for God's faithfulness to produce something in us. Our New Testament text today comes from Matthew 13, if you would find that. Verses three through nine, and then 18 through 23. If you are there, would you please stand as we read? So Matthew 13, verse three, and he, Jesus, spoke many things to them in parables, saying, behold, the sower went out to sow, and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell in the rocky places, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some 60, and some 30. He who has ears, let him hear. And then verse 18. Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom the seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary. And when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some 60, and some 30. You may be seated. So this is the parable of the sower. It may be familiar to us. Jesus would often speak to the crowds and to his disciples in parables, just shorter stories with heavenly meanings, with different realities, sometimes allegorical. But Jesus would give these parables to the crowds, and then he would oftentimes explain and expound upon these parables to his disciples. And if you want to understand why he does that, read verses 10 through 16 of the same chapter. So just like Moses warned the people of God on the plains of Moab, Jesus is now warning his hearers and his disciples of various types of people who hear the word of the kingdom and their respective responses. Let's look at each of them quickly. Number one, we have the seed that is sown beside the road. These are those who hear and do not understand And what happens to that seed, the birds eat it, and the evil one snatches it away. Second, we have seeds that are sown in the rocky places. These are those who hear the word, and they immediately receive it with joy. But this joy is only temporary, because when affliction or persecution arises, the sun scorches it, and he falls away. The third type of soil identified is seeds that are sown among the thorns. These are those who hear the word, and when the worries and cares of the world come, they choke it out, and they make it unfruitful. And the fourth seed sown in the good soil. These are those who hear the word and understand it, and it yields a crop. It brings forth fruit. Now, in a cursory understanding of these four types of soil, or four types of individuals on whom the Word of God falls, we notice an easy division. There are those who produce no fruit, and there are those who produce fruit. Three types of ground, beside the road, on the rocky soil, and among the thorns, these produce no fruit. And you have one single soil, the good soil, which does produce fruit. So an obvious understanding would lead us to assume the individuals associated with these three unfruitful soils are not believers. And the seed in the good soil are actually regenerative believers because they produce fruit. And I want us to take a closer look at the seed on the rocky soil and the seed among the thorns. The seed that's beside the road is clear. It immediately withers and dies. It's snatched up. And the seed on the good soil is clear because it produces fruit. But what about these seeds that are sown in the rocky soil and among the thorns? Outwardly, the plant is growing. It seems to grow. It springs up. But what's the purpose of the seed? It's to produce fruit. It's to be harvested. And if there's no fruit, then the seed has no true permanence and no lasting effect. So in like manner, those who have heard the good word of God, perhaps they've made professions of faith, perhaps they've been baptized, perhaps they've been a part of a local church in the past or presently. And it would seem by outward measures, they would seem to be a part of the kingdom. but when confronted with trials of various kinds or the worries of the world, they fall away and are determined not to be true members of the kingdom. And so as we leave Matthew 13 and we begin to look at our sermon text, I want to leave you with one final warning from Matthew chapter seven of Jesus. Again, speaking of producing fruit, this comes from Matthew seven, verses 15 through 19. Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits. Jesus is again providing us a warning both to be fruit producing and to assess those around us and whether or not they are producing biblical fruit. And as we're gonna see in Hebrews chapter six in just a moment, the author of Hebrews continues in like manner. The thrust for today is producing fruit. something should be produced in us because of our knowledge and our entrance into the kingdom of God. There must be maturity and fruit. So if you'll turn to Hebrews chapter six to our sermon text today. We're gonna read verses four through 12. When you're there, if you would stand as we read. Hebrews chapter six, verse four. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they crucified to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain, which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God. But if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being cursed. But beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward his name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. You may be seated. So again, this has been one of the most hotly debated texts in church history. It still is today a difficult text to interpret for many. But why is this text so difficult? Because if it's not interpreted properly and in the proper context, the author of Hebrews seems to indicate that those who were once saved have no assurance and can indeed lose their salvation that was once given to them. But it's important for us to understand here a hermeneutical principle. While this text seems to be a difficult text and seems to say one thing, we have to look within the broader context of all of scripture. What does the preponderance of scripture teach? What do more clear passages teach? Do they teach that salvation is something that you can earn or even lose? No, it does not. So, We're going to walk through this text, and I'm going to show you that even the author of Hebrews, though it might be shrouded and difficult to understand, he is not saying that salvation can be lost. It doesn't even, in my opinion, appear to be so. And so we'll see that here shortly. So again, at the outset, I want to emphasize that if you truly belong to the kingdom of God through the regenerating miracle of the Holy Spirit who imputes the righteousness of Christ to you, and by the righteous and sinless life of Christ, his atoning and sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection, conquering sin and death, and by the foreknowledge and sovereign plan of God the Father, to the praise of his glory, that kind of salvation cannot be lost. If you can do nothing to earn your salvation, you can do nothing to lose your salvation. Ephesians 1 and 2, I would love to go there and just read Ephesians 1 and 2 to you. Because in it is a beautiful description of what our salvation actually looks like and what it took to accomplish our salvation. Ephesians 1 and 2, just some highlights. It was predestined. Our salvation was predestined, foreordained, sealed. We were dead and made alive, not of ourselves, but a gift of God, that he would show us the riches of his surpassing grace. This is not a work that we can accomplish. Our salvation is not something we can do. We need a Savior who is both God, again, tying back to our catechism, who is both truly God and truly man, who identifies with us in every way, yet without sin, who is also God. the union of God and man in Christ is necessary for our salvation. Without Christ, we have no hope. And so the Second London Baptist Confession says this concerning this doctrine called the perseverance of the saints or assurance of salvation or eternal security, all the same thing. This is what it says, the perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, and union with him, the oath of God, the abiding of his spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace, from all which ariseth also, the certainty and infallibility thereof. Salvation is not ours to earn, nor is it ours to lose. So how are we to understand the contents of these early verses of chapter six that seem so difficult? I'd like to bring our attention to the text itself, because I think it offers insights. And if we read it and understand it in context, we will see what his message is. And I don't think it has to be necessarily that difficult so long as we're paying attention to the whole context and not just to certain words. Our eyes and our ears are naturally drawn to certain words like in verses four and five and six, once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, made partakers of the Holy Spirit. and fallen away and impossible. We read these kinds of words and our immediate thoughts are, have I done this? Can I lose my salvation? Have I lost my salvation? Is there any hope for me? Still a sinner. What can I do if I feel this way, and we become fearful. And now we think that our salvation rests squarely on our shoulders and within our power. Our mind is drawn away from the sovereign, electing, regenerating, justifying, sanctifying, and glorifying work of God, drawn away from that to the work of sinful man who tries to earn the favor of a holy God. And if we step back for one moment after reading texts like this, and we catch our breath, and we look at the whole picture, then these words in their proper context will see a much more glorious picture, a picture that brings hope and joy and security and assurance. So we're gonna look at a few observations from the text in a broader context, not just these verses we read, but a little bit wider context, so that we can make some headway in interpreting what this means. We're gonna highlight a general outline of the whole context, We're gonna go from verses 511 all the way through 612, and I'll show you why in just a moment. Then we're gonna define and summarize what the author is intending at here in verses four through six. Third, we'll make a connection about whom the author is speaking in this context. And then finally, we'll see the encouragement to pursue a faith-driven, fruitful ministry in life. So first, our general outline. Again, the broader context from 511 to 612. The initial verse of 511 and the closing verse of 612 offer some hints that show us that this whole section belongs together from 511 to 612. Each of these verses indicate the same general issue, and this issue is bracketed by the author's specific words that he uses. So with our modern English translations, I have the NASB, John likes to use the LSB. In our modern English translations, we don't quite see the translations of these words and how they bracket the text and section off the text for us and give us clues as to the context. So the word translated dull in my translation in verse 11, concerning him we have much to say and it is hard to explain since you have become Dull of hearing that word translated dull is the same word translated for sluggish in 612. So that you will not be sluggish. The word is the same in the original language. And so if we translate the word the same in each case, it becomes easier, easier for us to see how this whole context fits together. And it brackets the entire thought. So for example, now here, Hebrews 511, since you have become sluggish, and then the end of this section, Hebrews 612, so that you will not be sluggish. The author uses this word to bracket and section off for us this context. And so the rest of the outline of this section from 511 11 to 6, 12 looks like this. From 5, 12 to 6, 3, the sluggish and immature believers, they must pursue maturity in the faith. And this is what John detailed for us last week between the immaturity and the maturity of the believer. In chapter 6, 4 through 8, we have a warning to those, in quotes, those who have partaken of the common grace of the life of the body of Christ. And we'll get to that in a moment. And then lastly, six, nine through 12, now the beloved, the author uses the word beloved, should pursue faithful and fruitful ministry and not be sluggish. So now that we have a quick outline of this section, to whom is the author speaking here? Not about whom in verses four through six, but to whom in this whole section is he speaking? Is he speaking to believers? Is he speaking to unbelievers? Well, he's speaking to believers. Look at the pronouns in the section, and I'm just going to go through and pull them out real quick. And 511, you have become dull of hearing. 512, you ought to be teachers. 512, you have need again for someone to teach you. 512, you have come to need. 61, let us press on to maturity. 63, we will do. 69, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you. 610, your work and the love which you have shown toward his name. And then 612, so that you will not be sluggish. This you and this us and this we he is speaking of is clearly believers. Unbelievers are not in need of maturity past the elementary principles of the faith. Unbelievers need the gospel, the basic, true, glorious gospel preached to them over and over and over again until the work of the Holy Spirit penetrates their hearts and saves them. Mature believers, move past this, and they understand their condition and need of salvation, and they move on to what the author talks about here in verse one. They move on, let us press on to maturity and not lay again a foundation of all of these things. Let us mature. So what about these verses in four through six that seem so difficult for us? I'm gonna read them again. Verse four, for in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. What does this mean? Well, in context, the author is juxtaposing what he's just been talking about as pressing onto maturity, the maturing believer, to which he's just encouraged him, with those who have taken part of the common grace in the life of the church. He's warning his readers of the dangers of remaining in a state of immaturity, who rely on milk rather than solid food. Eventually, the milk is not providing the sustenance needed for growth. He is warning that those who remain in a state of immaturity may not truly understand the need for the gracious gift of the gospel. They take part in and they experience many of the common benefits of the life of a church, but they lack any growth and produce no fruit, which we have been warned about, both from Moses and from Jesus. So this isn't so difficult for us to understand, the possibility of experiencing the benefits of being a member of God's people without experiencing a faith that yields fruit and action is something we've already seen. Remember the people of God in Numbers 13 and 14. And Moses recounts for us in Deuteronomy chapter one, which we read today. These were indeed those who had once been enlightened. They had tasted of the heavenly gift, literally. They had tasted the good word of God. They had it delivered to them on the mountain. And they saw the powers of the age to come in the plagues and in the provision over and over again. The entire population of the people of God coming out of Egypt, they were privy to benefits of God's benevolence and grace towards them that we would only dream to see. But when push came to shove, when it was time to take the land, as God had instructed him, and he told them that he would be faithful to them, and that he would go with them and take the land, they rebelled, and God judged them, and they were unable to enter God's promise. And so now the author of Hebrews, he's warning us of the same pitfalls and his readers. Our churches are not immune to this fact. Think of the millions of children who grow up in our churches and experience the common grace of God in the life of the church. They hear the good news of Christ countless times. They witness, though externally, the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. to have the all-sufficient word of God preached to them and read to them week in and week out. Perhaps they see lives changed. They see marriages restored. They see relationships restored. They see people healed of diseases, many other things that they could witness and take part in. But when they go off to college, or they move out of their parents' house, or they get that job and move away, there's no maturity. There's no depth. There's no root. That seed did not produce fruit. And they fall away and they reject the faith. This is a common thing in our culture. And maybe some of you have experienced that in your own families. And next, another example is this idea of the deconstruction movement. This is something that's become popular here over the past few years. People who have professed faith in Christ for years and lived in a manner in which would appear that they were believers but eventually reject God and reject the faith. There are many who profess faith in Christ and they outwardly seem to follow him for some time but eventually deny the faith and reject God. Many of these people have even served in ministry roles or they were high-profile Christians I'm going to give a few examples. I'm sure you can think of many other people that you have followed or listened to or have been an example to you at some point, but then ultimately reject the faith. One example is Joshua Harris. If you're unfamiliar with Joshua Harris, he is a pastor, was a pastor, high profile pastor. worked with C.J. Mahaney at his church, started a Christian publication. Most notably, he wrote a book called I Kiss Dating Goodbye. This was a book that's popular among Christian teens. When I was in that age group and in the early 2000s, promoting biblical relationships and biblical dating and purity before marriage. He would later go on to apologize for that work, and he would leave his pastoral role. He would divorce his wife and reject the faith, and that was an enemy of Christ. Another example some of you may know are guys named Rhett and Link. If you watch YouTube, these guys have a YouTube show called Good Mythical Morning. It has about nine million 9 billion views in the time of its existence on YouTube. Super popular on YouTube. And people have watched them for years. But Rhett and Link grew up just down the road in Harnett County. And they went to college at NC State University. And they would go on to serve as missionaries in Campus Crusade for Christ. Now it's known as CRU. And they would be outspoken believers on their show as they became popular believers. But then the pressures of the culture surmounting and their popularity hanging in the balance They deconstructed their faith and said that it was all a lie, and now they are enemies of Christ. And a final example is someone that I listened to often in my early 20s. There was this movement of Christian rappers who were rapping scripture and reformed theology. And one of those guys, his name was Shilin, and I would listen to this stuff, and this is in the time of my life where I'm being introduced to reformed theology, and I'm hearing this stuff, I'm like, wow, like these guys have a grasp of scripture, and they're putting it into art form, and it's entertaining, and it's awesome. But what did Shiloh do? He recanted his faith, he deconstructed, and now he is an apostate and an enemy of Christ. These types of things, they break our hearts. and we look and we see how can someone, perhaps like Joshua Harris, or Rhett and Link, or Shy Lynn, how can people who have been exposed to the gospel, preached the gospel, seen the work of God, time and again, and then how can they recant their faith and become enemies of Christ? That's the warning that the author of Hebrews is teaching against. There was no fruit, no depth of the root that produced fruit, true, faithful fruit. So our third thing that we're going to look at is about whom is the author speaking? We know to whom he's speaking. He's speaking to Christians, to believers. But in this section, four through six, About whom is he speaking? There's no speculation, the author tells us. We just look at the text. Remember his audience is believers. And in verse four, he shifts. In the case of those who, his tone now changes. And after he describes the experience of common grace by these individuals taking part of the covenant community of God, he ends with a parable A couple of verses that are like a parable, look at verse seven and eight. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled receives a blessing from God. But if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed and it ends up being burned. Does this sound familiar? It sounds an awful lot to me like the parable of the sower that we read in Matthew 13. If the soil yields fruit, and it's useful and productive, but if the soil yields thorns and thistles, no fruit, it's worthless. And yet the rain, the common grace, falls on it all. The fact that it's soil, and the common grace of the rain falls on all the soil, does not make it good soil, and does not mean it will produce fruit. In like manner, Not all among the church who have benefited and experienced the common grace of God in the life of a people of God will produce fruit befitting of a believer. And then lastly, with regard to about whom the author is speaking, verse nine indicates something to us. It clarifies it for us. Now the author here, he transitions back to his audience. Look at the language of verse nine, but beloved, this is a term that is reserved for believers. We are convinced of better things concerning you and things that accompany salvation. He calls them beloved, and he's convinced of things about them that accompany salvation. This insinuates that his previous comments did not accompany salvation. So it's my opinion, and it's quite clear to me from the general context from verses 5, 11, all the way through 12, that the author here, he's warning against the apostate and an immaturity that is fruitless and is in danger of becoming apostate. And finally, we're gonna go through verse from nine to 12. We should be encouraged to hope and full assurance by these last verses. The author, he gives us the application for us today. Starting in verse 10, for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward his name in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. So at the outset today, we saw the difficulty with this passage, difficulty in church history many have had, and the understandings which are flawed. Many have viewed and understood this passage in a way that would argue against a doctrine of eternal security or assurance of salvation. But I would argue that he's doing just the opposite. Verse 10, if you see, it indicates they've previously been obedient. And verse 11 continues to encourage them in their obedience. And what's the end of their obedience? What's the goal? That a continued growth and obedience and bearing of fruit, that produces a full assurance of hope until the end. He's not causing us to be fearful of losing our salvation. He's giving us hope in our fruit. The fruit that we produce because of our salvation is evidence of our hope. This is not unlike Paul. Paul in Philippians 2, 12 through 13, I'll read it for you. He says something similar. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, here it is, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. In a immature believer reading this text, this would cause you to great fear. To work out with fear and trembling and to be terrified of God always questioning your salvation. But Paul is saying something different. As you have always obeyed, that work out your salvation means continue in your obedience. And how do you continue? Because God is at work in you for his good pleasure. continued obedience. Here, also, Peter's encouragement to his audience in 2 Peter 1, verses 5 through 11. Now, for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence. And in your moral excellence, knowledge. And in your knowledge, self-control. And in your self-control, perseverance. And in your perseverance, godliness. And in your godliness, brotherly kindness. And in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter is exhorting fruitfulness, which is all of these characteristics. He goes on, for he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted. He's producing no food, no fruit, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing you. For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. For in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be abundantly supplied to you. So Peter is also commending continued obedience to usefulness, to fruitfulness, And again, just like in Hebrews 6, verse 11 and 12, what is the goal? What is the end? It's the assurance of entrance into the eternal kingdom. So be reminded, obedience and fruit are not the reason for our entrance into the kingdom. That's accomplished through the foreordained work of our triune God. But obedience and fruit are the evidence of our citizenship and assurance of hope. Let us be encouraged so that we will not be sluggish. We will continue to be faithful and fruitful in our obedience to Christ and his revealed word. And as we close, I just want to remind you of the righteous man from Psalm 1. Listen to the language. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers. Would you pray with me? Father, we come before you today worshiping you for who you are and for what you've done We recognize that our salvation is completely out of our hands and in the hands of our sovereign God and you. We can do nothing to earn our way in your favor. The only thing we can do is throw ourselves at your mercy, who by Christ and his sacrificial atoning death, his sinless life, his resurrection, the impartation by the Holy Spirit of his righteousness to us, and him taking our sin and shame and guilt and death upon himself, only by that Are we saved? And that's a gift, nothing that we can conjure up in ourselves. And we are grateful because without your grace, we would never choose you. And we recognize that today. And so we're thankful that you have sent your son and provided salvation for your people. But we also recognize that we have a responsibility and we are to fear We are to pursue fruitfulness and obedience in our Christian lives. And if we're not producing fruit and being obedient, we should be fearful and we should work out our salvation and we should be mindful lest we fall into this warning of the apostate and we were never believers at all. And oh, how much more difficult it will be for us or for those who know the good news and have openly rejected it over and over again. God, we pray that we would not be those people, that you would, as in Philippians, continue to work and to will in us for your good pleasure, that you would give us opportunities for obedience and fruitfulness in your kingdom. so that we can have hope and assurance because of what we see you doing in our lives. So we thank you again today for your word. We thank you for the assurance of our salvation that it is not in our hands. It is only by the blood of Christ that we are saved and we are