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JUNE 8, 2008
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6
Today, I would like to look at the last thought of King David in this Psalm. He says something remarkable, namely, that he is sure that he will spend eternity in heaven with God. Specifically, he says, “And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” What makes this statement remarkable is that the world thinks that no one can be certain about eternity. My guess is that about 90% of the world’s population has no clue where it will spend eternity. But all hope for the best.
As you know, the works of the Moslem at life’s end will be weighed in the balances. Only if he is acceptable to Allah will he enter into a pleasant eternity. Hindus believe that they will live on in future reincarnations and that, only when they have worked off all of their karma, will they become a part of the absolute, eternal consciousness. The Buddhist hopes to escape the illusion that this life is meaningful. He seeks to enter into a psychic state of nirvana. Virtually all religions, except Christianity, base their hope for immortal blessedness on their works.
And even a large percentage of those who call themselves Christian are not. Let me give you an example. My mother and my father were Methodist Christians. When my father died, I made an appointment to see his pastor to talk about the funeral arrangement. My dad had kept a small file of “last requests.” He wanted two hymns sung. “Not a problem,” said his pastor. But my father also specifically wrote down these words in big letters: “Eulogize Jesus, not me!” But the pastor had a problem with this request. I was dumbfounded. His reason was very simple: After some small talk, he revealed that he didn’t believe that Jesus really rose from the dead. But he was quick to add, however, that the spirit of Jesus lives on in the lives of Christians. In denying the resurrection, what he believed was that Jesus was not the Savior of sinners. He was just an example to follow.
The funeral was anything but Christian. There was no Trinitarian invocation. In his sermon, the pastor never mentioned Jesus — to say nothing of “eulogizing Christ.” His prayers never ended “in Jesus’ name.” And the Benediction never mentioned God or any of the three persons of he Trinity. And the word “amen” was never said.
Now don’t get me wrong: There are many Bible–believing, Methodist pastors, but this man wasn’t one of them. Jesus, referring to false prophets, said, “You will know them by their fruits,” that is, by the doctrines that they teach.1 And every week this pastor—if he preached what he said in my Father’s funeral sermon—ripped the guts out of the Gospel to his sizeable congregation. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”2 This man was a false prophet. He preached about Jesus, the Example, but not about Jesus, the Savior of sinners.
Now you must remember that, in the church, we see with our ears. How long can a Christian listen to messages about a dead Christ—about one who only lives on in the lives of his people—and still remain a Christian? I don’t know. But I do know that if he keeps listening to such “soul poison” he is in danger falling from the faith. Jesus commented on the false teachers of his day. He said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”3
Can a man who feeds on “soul poison” week after week be certain of eternal life? I suppose it’s possible, but not likely. Why is that? Well, if Jesus is only preached and taught as the great Example, we will constantly hear the Law. Some examples:
My friends, did you hear all of these “go and do” admonitions? Yes, “Go and do this; go and do that! People who hear this kind of preaching and teaching are systematically taught that as long as they do “good things,” there’s a place for them in heaven.” As long as they ask, “What would Jesus do?” and seek to do it, heaven awaits. . . . Or does it?
If a person believes that heaven awaits because he is trying to do good, he has taken in too much “soul poison,” for he is spiritually dead. Indeed, he has become fully committed to salvation by the works of the Law and not salvation by the Gospel, i.e., salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the merits of Christ alone. Regarding such people, St. Paul writes, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”5
Hopefully, the reason you are here today is because you want to hear the truth. You want the Law and Gospel and to hear them rightly divided. And you want the sacraments administered according Christ’s Word of Institution. In short, you want truth. You want truth so you can be certain of heaven!
King David was certain that he would “dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” We Christians can also be certain that we will be in heaven. To the unbeliever, the Christian's claim that he is certain of his salvation seems presumptuous and even arrogant. “What is it,” he wants to know, “that makes you think that you are so holy that you know beforehand that heaven is yours?” The Christian replies, “My certainty is not based upon what I do, but on what Christ has already done for me. For me, i.e., in my place, he lived a sinless life. And for me, in my place, Christ paid for the death and hell that rightly belongs to me.
“So, in Christ, God sees me as one who has already lived a sinless life. In Christ, the Lord also sees me as one who has already paid the penalty of death and hell on the cross. Moreover, his resurrection proves that God has accepted the sacrifice of his Son as payment–in–full for all of my sins.
“And I believe his promise when he says, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.’”6
Yes, to trust in Christ is to possess, as a present reality, forgiveness, and eternal life! Indeed, to trust in Christ means that God himself declares us righteous in his sight. No human being — and not even all the powers of hell — can change God’s “not guilty” verdict. That’s why Jesus said, “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”7 Cling firmly to that promise, beloved, for Christ has set you free from the bondage, guilt, and accusation of sin. Why beat yourself up because of your sins when Christ has unlocked your shackles and says, “Don’t stay in the prison! Come on out of the darkness! I have set you free! You are free indeed!”
Did you hear God’s voice? He is coming to you NOW in his Word preaching his forgiveness. He says, “I am coming to you. Yes, I am coming to you now in my Word. Oh, trust my Word and all is yours.”
That reminds me of an oft–told story. Once an arctic traveler became lost in a blinding blizzard. He and his dog team lost their way. Aware of his plight, he drove fiercely ahead into the roaring gale for many hours until the exhausted dog team could pull no more. The long arctic night set in. Half–frozen, he knew death would come soon. He frantically shouted for help until he could speak no more. He was about to fall asleep for the last time when he thought he heard something ... a faint shout. He tried to shout out, but it was only a weak cry that drifted off into the blackness. The only answer was the voice of the shrill wind. He had given up all hope. A few minutes later he again heard a voice. He shouted as loud as he could. This time there was a reply and he heard the words, “I am coming! I am coming!” Now filled with hope and joy, he gave a shout. This time the voice came running to him. It was an Eskimo friend who went out to search for him after learning he hadn’t returned.
He was saved by a caring voice. In a way, something like this happens to ordinary people like you and me. By nature, we are lost in the cold, spiritual wilderness. Worse than that, we are dead in our trespasses and sins and objects of God’s wrath.8 We are desperately sick, cold, and fearful. So, we continue groping in the darkness to find a way out of the wilderness. But there is no way. Suddenly, you hear a voice, a voice that says, “Friend, friend, I am coming to save you.” He comes and puts you on his dogsled and heads for home.
When you arrive, your rescuer says, “It’s time to get inside.” And once you do, you discover that it is a church. Your rescuer now mounts the pulpit. He’s the pastor. But he speaks the words of the real Rescuer, Jesus Christ. He tells you the words of Jesus who says, “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”9 “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.”10 He continues to preach the Gospel, saying, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.”11 You do trust in Christ, and, behold, God declares you righteous. But you notice that some of the people rescued by the pastor’s voice get up and walk out of the church. Turns out they don’t like the words of the Gospel. So they go aimlessly back into the wilderness
So, my friends, I have a simple question for you: To preach or not to preach?
Ask the lost man. He was as good as dead. But then came the preacher’s voice: “I am coming to save you.” Without the voice the man is dead. So, let me ask you all, “Are you certain of your salvation?” I pray that you are. And just remember: Big faith does not mean big salvation; little faith does not mean little salvation. Any faith, so long as it trusts in Christ alone, is saving faith.
May God grant us the certainty of our salvation so that we can say with King David, “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Endnotes
1 See Matthew 7:15-16. “You shall know them by their fruits,” here, refers to doctrine. In Matthew 12:33, the fruits refer to the behavior of the person. See the larger context in Matthew 12:33-37.
2 See Matthew 7:15.
3 See Mark 7:6-7.
4 It is interesting that those who say that the practice of homosexuality is not wrong, are most often found to be advocates of the social gospel or liberation theology. They also tend to have a very low view of the Bible, e.g., to say that the Bible contains God’s Word, while denying that it is God’s Word. Thus, they feel they can pick and choose which parts of the Bible are God’s Word and which parts aren’t. It is also important that laymen realize (and few do) that the most liberal members of any denomination tend to be their own clergy and theologians who taught them in their respective seminaries.
5 See Galatians 5:4 (RSV). This is another verse that teaches that true Christians can fall from faith. “Once-saved, always saved” is a particularly virulent heresy.
6 See John 5:24.
7 See John 8:36,
8 See Ephesians 2:1, 3.
9 See John 10:11.
10 See John 10:28.
11 See Acts 16:31.
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