Good morning to everyone. We're enjoying a nice fall, so I hope you're all getting ready for winter. It's going to come sometime. 

We're going back to 1 Thessalonians this morning. We've been working through Romans 5 to 8 for several weeks, and we're going back to the last message in 1 Thessalonians 5 to finish up that epistle, and then we'll move into 2 Thessalonians, Lord willing. 

We’ve spent the last several weeks studying the doctrine of sanctification in Romans 5 to 8, and what we've discovered is that God has provided for us in Christ a full salvation. As men born in Adam, we were born sinners by nature, separated from a holy God. Romans 5 teaches us that we were made sinners in Adam, that on the inside we were controlled and dominated by indwelling sin, and that sin was continually manifest out through our members. Because we were sinners, every man, woman, and child born into this world in a lost condition is in need of a Savior, and God has provided that Savior in the person and work of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. 

Jesus took on flesh, He became a man, and He paid the penalty for my sins and yours by His one-time all-sufficient death on the cross. He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, conquering sin and death and hell. Romans 1:4 shows us that God was satisfied with Jesus' full payment for the sins of the world, and He signified this by raising Him from the dead with power, it says. Romans 3 and 4 explains to us that in this death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid it all. He accomplished salvation for everyone who will believe, who will put their whole hope, faith, and trust in Jesus alone and what He did in our place. This is justification. 

When we come to Romans 5 to 8, we see that there's so much more than just justification, just a coming back into a right relationship with God, as wonderful as this truth is. Salvation provided by Jesus Christ is much more than a release from the condemnation for our sins. It is more than just a guarantee of heaven; it is eternal life now and forever. Jesus not only justifies us in salvation, but He also regenerates us. He sanctifies us; He lives out His life through us by His grace through faith. These are the truths that we've been studying these many weeks. 

When we placed our faith in Jesus alone, He totally transformed us, taking us out of Adam and placing us into Christ. We were born again; we were made new creations, and now we have the Holy Spirit living in us. In fact, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have come to make their home in us. We died with Christ. And hopefully, after studying through Romans 6 to 8, we now understand the great implications of this death with Christ—death to sin, death to the law, death to the flesh, and a new life through union with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. 

In the last half of Romans 8, Paul highlights one more incredible implication of this great salvation that we have in Jesus, and it relates directly to the verses we're studying at the end of 1 Thessalonians this morning. It is the truth of our security in Jesus Christ—our eternal security because of the full salvation that we have in Him by grace through faith. And that's what we're going to study this morning. 

Look with me at 1 Thessalonians 5:23, please. 5:23 says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us; greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." 

And I'd also like for you to turn over to Romans 8. I want to read some verses in Romans 8 beginning in verse 15. 

Romans 8:15 says, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." 

Now go down to verse 28, please. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is He who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" 

As it is written, "For your sake, we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. "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 shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." 

I've given you four points on your outline. First, God Himself will sanctify you. Second, He will do it. Third, securing Christ. And fourth, a full salvation. 

We see in our text, first of all this morning, that we have a promise concerning sanctification and glorification. It’s interesting to me that the truth of our justification, our legal declaration of righteousness in Christ—that positional truth by grace through faith in Him alone—is so easily understood by those who are Christians who have been saved. We get this. We understand that salvation is not by works, it's not by religion, but it's accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross and dependent on His death, burial, and resurrection. I understand that I am saved in the justification sense by grace through faith in Jesus alone. And anyone who is a true believer in Jesus will affirm this and understand this. 

But, it seems for so many, in their minds, this is the totality of their salvation—a ticket to heaven, a get-out-of-hell free card. And when you start to talk about regeneration and sanctification, holy living, and all the great implications of this eternal life that we possess now, when you start to talk about living like the new man that we are, often the response is, "Well, I'm going to heaven," or "That's not going to send me to hell." This is true. But it pains me to see so many believers not really connect the dots of the truth of our salvation in Jesus and its fullness, and what that means to my daily life and my witness and my great hope. 

This salvation is not just justification. It is that. But it is also regeneration, it is sanctification, and it is glorification and eternity with Jesus in heaven forever. That life doesn't start someday. That life began, and that life I possess the moment I believe Jesus. John 5:24, Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life. He shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." 

In 1 John 5:13, John said, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God." That you may know certainty, that you have present possession, eternal life. 

Now, this is sometimes a difficult truth for us to grasp, to believe, to take for ourselves, and many have struggled with this truth of eternal security in Christ. I think this is due to a lack of understanding of the fullness of the salvation that Jesus provides—the totality of the work that God has done and continues to do and will complete in salvation. 

Let me say this: it would be a funny kind of eternal life if you could lose it. Let's say I believe and I receive life, and then five years later I lose my salvation for whatever reason you would like to propose. That would be, by definition, a five-year life. That is not eternal. But Jesus says, John says, the Bible says, that when I believe Jesus, when I place my faith in Him, God declares me to be righteous, and in fact, imparts the very righteousness of Christ to me, imputes it to my account and my sins to Jesus' account, and I am saved. 

And not only this, but He crucifies me. He causes me to die with Christ, buries me with Him, and raises me to a new life. I am a new creature, a new creation, and all those things we have been studying are true of me—death to sin, death to the law, death to the flesh. And our text tells us this morning promises us that it is God Himself that will sanctify us. That is, bring our outward living, our actions, more and more into conformity to the inward reality of who we are in Christ because of this great salvation. He who has begun a work in you will carry it to completion—will carry it to the day of Christ. This is the promise of sanctification—of conforming us to the likeness, the image of Jesus Christ. 

Romans 8:28 again says, "And we know that all things work together for good." That doesn't mean that all things are good; all things are not good, but God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose, for whom He foreknew, He also predestined. Predestined to what? To be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, these He also justified. Now listen to this: whom He justified, He also glorified. If you're justified, you will be glorified. It's a done deal; it's past tense in the text here. God sees that as done. 

Those who believe in Jesus, who are justified, born again and saved, have a promise of sanctification and of glorification. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. And those whom He justified, every one, He will not lose one but will raise us up at the last day and accomplish this full salvation that He planned before the foundation of the world. We have eternal life; God did this. It's by grace alone, through faith alone, and it is God who will Himself sanctify us and bring this work to consummation and glorification. 

Paul emphasizes in our text: He is faithful who also will do it. He will do it. Jude 1:24 says, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. Amen." 

I'd like for you to turn to Ephesians with me and look at a couple of passages in Ephesians, in chapter 1 at verse 11. 

Ephesians 1:11 says, "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. 

Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 

And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to behead over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." 

This text tells us that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead works in you, my brother, my sister in Christ. His power works in you. 

If you go over to chapter 3 at verse 14, we see another prayer. "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." 

Look at verse 20: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." 

When those who do not understand salvation talk about losing salvation, they will invariably talk about our works or our faith or the lack of power or faith of the believer. But when the Bible talks about security and salvation, it speaks of the power of God. "Now to Him who is able," right? "To do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us." 

Even the Calvinist will teach a doctrine called the perseverance of the saints, but I think a more biblical term is the preservation of the saints. It is God who keeps us. It is God who empowers us by the life of Christ in us, just as we have seen here in Ephesians. 

Turn over to 1 Peter 1 with me, 1 Peter 1, verse 1. "Consider an apostle of Jesus Christ to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 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—listen to this inheritance we have—incorruptible, undefiled, 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." 

We're not kept by our power or by our performance, but by His power and life in us. Yes, we will persevere, but by God's grace and power. 

You might say, "This is all great, but I knew this person who was on fire for Christ, who was saved and was all about Jesus, and then they walked away, they denounced it all, and now they curse the name of Christ and want nothing to do with Christianity. Didn't they lose their salvation?" 

No. No, they didn't. 

I had a pastor's wife who was a teacher at the Christian school my daughter was attending years ago, and she believed you could lose your salvation. I had a talk with her one day, and she said to me, "You know what I just can't stand is when someone walks away from the faith and someone will say, 'Well, they were never saved.'" So I just looked at her and I responded, "You mean like the Apostle John?" 

Because in 1 John 2:19, listen to what John says: "They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us." They went out from us—why? Because they never were of us. They never were saved. And John clarifies, "If they had been of us, they would have continued with us." But they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. Those are pretty clear words, my friends. 

And again, the issue for understanding is the fullness of our salvation in Christ. What happens when a man believes? Certainly, a believer can go astray. Certainly, a believer can fall into sin. No question. 

What believers do is they continue. Hebrews 3 and 4 talk about that. They continue. They don't denounce the faith and walk away. Hebrews 6 talks about that, and Hebrews 10 talks about that—apostates, those who have full knowledge, reject Christ, and walk away. They never were of us. 

What we see in the Scriptures is that the man in Adam, when he places his faith in Jesus alone, is so transformed, so recreated and born again, that the transformation on the inside is so great that there is a necessary change on the outside, and the work that God has done in us cannot be undone by us. We do not have the power to save ourselves, and my friends, we don't have the power to unsave ourselves. We can live like the world. We can act like mere men. We can walk in sin. 

The most miserable man in this world is not the unsaved man. The most miserable man in this world is the saved man living like the unsaved man. But God will chasten him, and God will bring him back; or sometimes God will take him out, according to Acts and 1 Corinthians 11. 

We have the promise of God that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He will keep us by His power and He will complete the work of salvation in everyone that comes to Him by faith. How much more secure could we be? He keeps us by His power. We have an inheritance that's incorruptible; it's undefiled; it's reserved in heaven. 

Who's going to go to heaven and take it? John 10 says Jesus said, "You're tattooed on the palm of the hand of God." Who's going to open His hand and take you out? No one. Clear words. 

We see in our text that God Himself will sanctify you. We see that He will do it, and that we are secure in Christ. And I want to just emphasize in our time here this morning that truly understanding salvation and security in Christ requires a clear understanding of what we have and who we are in Him—a fullness, a full salvation. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful who also will do it." 

The God of peace Himself will sanctify you completely if you have believed Jesus. What does that mean? 

Paul says your whole spirit, soul, and body will be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will do it. What a promise. 

Now go back to the context of these words in this chapter, beginning in verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians 5. Remember the context; it's been a while since we've been there. 

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 

Verse 9 says, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." 

Jesus is coming again. For those who are the sons of darkness, the lost man in Adam, the ones who will not come to Christ by faith, this is the day of the Lord—His wrath and judgment on all unrighteousness on the earth. Jesus will come in judgment for those who have not believed the gospel, who do not have a love for the truth. 

But for those who are in Christ, who have eternal life, His coming is not a time of dread and fear, but a time of deliverance and full salvation. We are not appointed to the time of wrath but rather to obtain salvation. 

And remember the broader context back in chapter 4 for the believer. Chapter 4, verse 13 says, "I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." 

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air—listen to this promise—and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." 

We are not appointed to God's wrath, but to obtain salvation. And Jesus will come and take us to be with Him forever, and He will present us holy and blameless at His coming. We will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. We will be glorified together with Him. The sons of God will be revealed, as Romans 8 says. 

I want you to turn back to Romans 8 at verse 30 and just look at these words at what Paul says here. Verse 30: "'Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, these He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified.' What shall we say then to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" 

"He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" All things there refer to all things to bring us to salvation, to bring us to glorification. 

"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is He who condemns? It is Christ who died." Jesus is the judge. All judgment has been reserved for Jesus Christ. He's our advocate. He intercedes for us. He died for us. 

"And furthermore is also risen, who's even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Here are the great and precious promises for those who believe Jesus, and here's the great question for those who believe that you can lose your salvation: who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" 

And Paul gives us a pretty comprehensive list here of the things that cannot. "Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" As it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things, even when they kill us, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

He says things present or things to come— that’s pretty comprehensive. Are you a believer? Are you saved? Yes? Then nothing present nor anything yet to come can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. 

He says, "nor any other created thing." Let me ask you, are you a created thing? Is Satan a created thing? If you are, then you cannot separate yourself from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Satan cannot separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. 

Nothing—the operative term here—is nothing. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Remember back in 2001, that day—September 11th? Some of you are old enough to remember that day. George Bush came out and made a speech after those tragic events—those attacks on our nation. And he quoted Romans 8. But interestingly enough, you might remember, he stopped short of quoting the whole section. He said, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." And we all went, “He stopped there.” 

My friends, you cannot stop there. Because the key to our salvation is found in the next words, which is “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If you stop short of Christ, then you have no salvation. But if you are in Christ, my brother, my sister, I have great news for you. You're saved forever. 

Now it is usually at this point that someone will bring up works, holiness, and they will make this accusation: "Well, if you are saved forever, if you cannot lose your salvation, then I guess you can just do whatever you want. You can just go on sinning, and it doesn't matter." 

And in this statement, they betray their lack of understanding of the fullness of the salvation that Jesus provides. And I hope you will remember distinctly that this is the very accusation that Paul faced when he taught full salvation by grace through faith. 

Romans 5:20 states, "Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more." So that, for the purpose that, as sin reigned in death in Adam, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace abounds to righteousness. He who is faithful will do it. 

But we must understand the truths of our salvation. We must reckon them to be so, and we must yield to His life and power in us. Holiness, love, is the hallmark of the true believer. We want to live a holy life. God has put that desire in us, and He has provided all things necessary for a holy life. This is, in fact, His intention in saving us, and my friends, I gotta tell you this, it's His expectation for you every day. 

Righteousness comes by grace. Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. And what is the response to this great and powerful truth teaching of Paul? Romans 6:1 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" He gets the same accusation when he teaches grace salvation. "What are you saying, Paul? We should just go on sinning so that grace can abound?" 

And Paul says, "You just don't understand salvation." Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 

And here's the key to understanding eternal security: we died. Jesus saved us to the uttermost—not just paying the penalty, but dealing with the power of sin in us. I hope this all comes to fullness in your minds as we've been studying Romans 5 to 8. We died. 

Our old man was crucified. We died to sin, to law, to the flesh. God dealt with sin in the flesh—in the person and work of Jesus Christ—so that the righteous requirement of the law, that is love, agape love, may be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit—not by the oldness of the law, the letter, but by the Holy Spirit and His life and power in us by grace through faith. 

This is the fullness of salvation that we have in Christ. And this is why we cannot continue in sin. And it is God, by His grace and power, that produces fruit through us as we abide in Christ by faith. 

Paul says, "I through the law died to the law." For the express purpose that I might live to God. It was necessary that I died to the law in order to live to God—Romans 7:1-6, Galatians 2:19. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." 

Now listen to this: "The life that I now live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness, holy living comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." 

"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" 

"Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit? Are you now being made perfect, sanctified? Are you being made perfect by the flesh?" 

It is an understanding and believing God's Word concerning the fullness of our salvation—of who we are in Christ—that we can lay aside these bewitching doctrines, such as losing our salvation. These misunderstandings and false doctrines lead us back into bondage, point us to the law and works, and keep us from focusing on Christ, and cause us to focus on ourselves—trying to live up to the standard, trying to prove to myself that I'm saved, trying to keep my salvation. 

God intends we should live a holy life for His glory, but we need to understand how He intends and why we can do it. We have a full salvation in Him. We have eternal life, and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Get it down, mark it big and plain: We are secure in Christ, and now we live for Him. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for the truth, thankful for the depth of Your Word, which teaches us continually about the greatness of Jesus Christ, the gospel, the salvation He provides. Help us to understand these things and help us to know them and believe them, to reckon them to be true, and then to walk in righteousness and holiness as a witness to the world and first and foremost for Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.