Read: 1 Peter 1:1-25 Text: v25 [Word/Lord Enduring Forever]
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
The word “Gospel” has a very simple meaning: Good news
Of course, it is good news – good news for guilty sinners who are seeking pardon for and relief from their sins
Not unmindful of the words of the angels at the birth/Christ:
And the angel said unto them, Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
These are not exaggerated words – much ado about nothing
No sinner who feels the weight of his sins will think like that
Part/problem today is getting people to see the seriousness/sin
Used/be: the preacher had a very powerful ally in his preaching
“Common decency and public opinion”
Common decency isn’t so common these days and public opinion has
turned viciously upon the views/opinions of their fathers
Therefore sin has become very attractive and acceptable
Why then (goes the reasoning) would any one want to forsake it?
The preacher really is back to basics here
But there are sinners and there will be sinners who become exposed to
the convicting power of the Spirit/God and who feel the weight of the
guilt/sins and who are compelled to look for relief i.e. to have those
sins pardoned and removed altogether
Where do they find such pardon?
In the Gospel/Christ - In words like v18-19/v23
This is well and good
God could’ve easily left us to perish and none of us could have raised their fist in just anger against Him
This is why/how we preach that salvation is by sheer grace alone
So much then for the fact of the gospel
But what about its foundation?
It is founded on the word/God (text)
This is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you
We go to a Book to get the Gospel
We answer questions with Book/chapter and verse from/Bible
Therefore we must have assurance that the foundation is sure before we start to build a redemption package upon it
Our text assures us that the foundation is sure: (Quote)
There are 4 things we must observe from the text:
1) WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE WORD OF THE LORD?
A/ We know that in times past, God spake unto the OT fathers at many different times and in many different ways (Hebrews 1:1)
This was a communication from Heaven that was delivered by the Spirit/God supernaturally and consequently without error
B/ It was not the natural thoughts of the human pen writer
Doubtless, he might well have been thinking the same thoughts
Not always the case – sometimes it was the very opposite thought:
Classic cases of this found often in Jeremiah:
[i] Even the prophet Jeremiah said,
Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast
prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all
that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. (Jeremiah
28:6)
Nothing more this patriot wanted than for Jerusalem to know deliverance – but the word/Lord said otherwise
Jeremiah was faithful to the word/God which he received
Jeremiah was just the postman – in this case, the bringer/bad news
[ii] Again, there came a time when Jeremiah resolved to be silent
But he could not – he must deliver the message of the Lord: (20:9)
Then
I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.
But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Another example (working the other way) is in the life/Jonah
Jonah’s patriotism went overboard and he wanted to withhold the mercy/God from the ancient Ninevahite foe
He even ran away from the job rather than say what had to be said
But the Lord brought him back and put the words into his mouth:
Arise,
go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that
I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the
word of the LORD.
C/ The Bible does not record the “how” of inspiration
We do not need to know the finer details - Suffice:
For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)
D/ So we have the word/God and we have it recorded/Book
Equally important (practical purposes) to the doctrine/inspiration is the doctrine of Bible preservation
Not sufficient that God should merely give His word without error, but that He should preserve it without error also
How many wicked hands have sought to interfere in this matter
Have been unable to do so
If God can preserve His people as lambs among wolves (Matthew 10:3) – then how can He not preserve His own word?
Amazing but God has even used wicked men to deliver His word!
Balaam comes to mind, especially when he confessed:
And
Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would
give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word
of the LORD my God, to do less or more. (22:18)
E/ So we are talking about this Book that we have in our hands
This Book is none less than the word/God
2) HOW IT CAN BE SAID: THE WORD/GOD ENDURES FOR EVER:
A/ God Himself endures for ever
That the penmen are long gone is meaningless on two accounts:
[i] They have but left this earth – their work being finished
[ii] They were only the human penmen – the real author is God
We do not worry over the secretary when we get a letter
We look at the heading on the notepaper and more importantly, we look for the signature at the bottom of the page
The Book is signed by the Eternal God of God
B/ The word/God cannot be greater or lesser than God Himself
The Word is the expression of the mind and the thoughts are the true expression of the Being who thinks them up
When we think of mere men, we know that they can think one thing even when they are saying another:
The
words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart:
his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. (55:21)
But God must be honest/true Himself
If God is Eternal/endures for ever – then so must His word be
It is backed by the Eternity of the One who wrote/gave it
C/ Even before the world came into being – God’s word was there
He spake the world into being:
Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so
that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
(Hebrews 11:3)
D/ His word is even there now
How does this world consist as it is
How does the earth maintain its precise tilt in its axis?
How does the earth take precisely 365 days to circle/sun?
How does the sun keep shining?
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17)
He speaks the word and it is done
How did the Lord Jesus prevent the waves from sinking /boat?
And
he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
That is the word/Lord enduring forever
There is a law that abounds everywhere else
It is the law of entropy i.e. that things decay
They run down and eventually die
Even powerful men are subject to it
Adolf
Hitler was probably the most powerful man on earth at one time –
He
gave orders and men clicked their heels and ran to ensure that they
were carried out to the very letter
At last Hitler was holed up in a bunker barking out orders to send regiments here, there and yonder who didn’t exist
He was mentally insane and his words totally useless
His once loyal generals were surrendering in their droves
But this can never be said of God
His word always prevails
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:9)
There are men today and they are raising their fist into the very face of God and swearing that they will wipe Him out
You know what He whose word endures forever does?
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)
The
wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
(Psalms 37:13)
It is no mere chance that there is a church on earth today
We are here because the word/Lord endures forever
E/ The word/Lord will be around when heaven/earth are no more
Jesus said: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
What momentous events will mark the passing away of this world
But
the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)
We might ask: What can endure such an occasion as this?
Answer: The word/Lord – it endures forever
3) THE COMFORT WHICH CHRISTIANS CAN TAKE FROM THIS GREAT TRUTH:
A/ As already indicated, it is the fountain from which the gospel stream of living water flows for the salvation of our souls
Do we need to be justified from all things?
Obviously, we do – well where is such justification found?
Not within (where all is corrupt) but without
In Christ’s blood as revealed in the gospel
And we can rest content on this matter because the Book says it
People trust institutions with their savings/pension plans etc.,
What happens?
Those very assuring financial strongholds go to the wall
They cannot read the markets as well as they think
Their projections are often radically left of centre
Is it just me – or does any one never hear of extra money being made instead of less?
People are left considerably poorer, if not desolate
The word/institution did not endure and they could not deliver
Not like this for the Christian
When it says that God will justify the ungodly (Romans 4:5) i.e. the repentant ungodly then it is so – infallibly so
There are no hitches along/way or at the end where it matters
B/ Let’s take another vital matter for the Christian
The great issue of sanctification – power to live for Jesus Christ
Let us not think that we just need Christ to get started and that we can battle the rest out ourselves along the thorny road
Truth: Not one of us could survive two minutes along the road
I accept that the Bible calls us to do many things
We are constantly called upon to watch/pray/persevere etc.,
Let us not be wanting in these spiritual duties
If so, we will find that God will not be wanting in His promises:
We will be more than conquerors through Him etc., (Romans 8:37)
Again – you can be most bold in your faith (no brazen)
And expect to be able to live a God glorifying life – Why?
Answer: Because the word/Lord that gives us many great exceeding precious promises endures for ever
C/ There are promises from this enduring word for you when it comes to the end of the road in this life and a Heaven too:
Even the richest and most powerful men cannot manage death
All they can do is organise great showcase funerals and arrange for their names never to be forgotten afterwards
But the Believer has a lot more
He has the enduring word/God that death for him is but the entrance into the glories/Heaven
Our people die well! (John Wesley)
4) THERE IS A WORD OF WARNING HERE TO THE THOSE WHO ARE DETERMINED TO SIT ON IN THEIR SINS:
A/ The same word that brings joy/Christian also brings gloom to the impenitent and for the same reason: i.e. it endures/forever
To one it is a savour of life/life and the other of death/death
There can be no slacking on the threats just as there is no slacking on the delivery of the promises
B/ Objection: Does it not say that God threatened wrath and then turned it away even after he had threatened it?
Answer:
Yes.
Indeed: But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and
did not stir up all his wrath. (Psalm 78:38)
But this does not relate to the end of His day of grace/mercy
Then: The wicked shall be turned/hell and all nations/forget God
Again: How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
Flee to Jesus Christ while He gives this great assurance: John 6:37
Appeal
THE END