Will God ever give up on me?

David hd his ups and downs as most of us have, but they are strange words that he uses at the opening of this 6oth Psalm:—“O God, Thou hast cast us off.” Is that true? Does God not cast off those who are His? Not one of us who have believed could say that. Cast down we may be, and often are, and good for us too, for “God comforteth those that are cast down” (2 Cor. 7:6), but cast off, never; God cannot deny Himself. He cannot be false to His word. There are wonderful words in the Old Testament which assure us that that could never be. They are meant in the first place for Israel , but we may appropriate them. Take this:—“Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, Even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isa. 46). And again:—“Can a woman forget her sucking child? . . . Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palms of My hands” (Isa. 49). But the New Testament makes assurance more assured, for there we are in our own sphere, and we read, “He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee”. So that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me” (Heb. 13); and most wonderful of all, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8). It is as clear as can be that we shall never be cast off.

David had his ups and downs as most of us have, but they are strange words that he uses at the opening of this 60th Psalm: — "O God, Thou hast cast us off." Is that true? Does God not cast off those who are His? Not one of us who have believed could say that. Cast down we may be, and often are, and good for us too, for "God comforteth those that are cast down" (2 Cor. 7:6), but cast off, never; God cannot deny Himself. He cannot be false to His word. There are wonderful words in the Old Testament which assure us that that could never be. They are meant in the first place for Israel, but we may appropriate them. Take this: — "Hearken to Me, O house of Jacob, Even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isa. 46). And again: — "Can a woman forget her sucking child? … Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palms of My hands" (Isa. 49). But the New Testament makes assurance more assured, for there we are in our own sphere, and we read, "He has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee". So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me" (Heb. 13); and most wonderful of all, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8). It is as clear as can be that we shall never be cast off.

You remember how He speaks of His own in John 10:27-30: ”My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Of His own He says, “I know them.” Of these others, in spite of all their activity, in spite of all their accomplishments, He says in the day of judgment, “I never knew you.” That is a very solemn thing. That answers a question that is frequently put to us. I do not know how many times I have had individuals come to me with a hypothetical case like this: “Suppose a man who joined the church, who professed to be saved, who for a number of years was a very active Christian worker, perhaps a Sunday school teacher, perhaps an elder or a deacon in the church, maybe a minister, but after some years of apparent consistent Christian living and helpfulness in testimony he turns his back on it all, returns to the world, utterly repudiates Christianity, and now denies in toto the gospel he once professed. How does that square with your doctrine of the eternal security of the believer?” That does not touch the matter at all. The apostle John tells us how we are to understand a case like that. He says in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us,” or literally, “That they were not altogether of us.” That is, it is possible to do all the things that I have spoken of and yet never be regenerated. It is quite possible to join a church, to make a Christian profession; it is quite possible to observe the Christian ordinances, to teach and to preach, and yet never be born again. If one teaches and preaches the truth, it will produce good results and will do men good whether the teacher or the preacher be real or not, for it is the truth that God uses. Of course He can use the truth to better advantage when it is proclaimed by a holy man living to the glory of God than when it is proclaimed by a hypocrite. Nevertheless, God uses His truth regardless of who may proclaim it, and that explains how people may do mighty works in the name of Christ and yet never be born again.

From this love there is no separation. Once it is believed—once it gets into the heart in the power of the Spirit—it is there for ever. The Apostle says, “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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). In the first verse of this chapter we are in Christ, and in the last verse the love of God is there, so that where the love of God has got its eternal resting-place, we have got ours through grace; therefore, until Christ can be separated from that love we never can be; and as nothing can separate Him from it, nothing can separate us.

If, in this precious chapter, we have the security of the hand of God the Son and of God the Father, we have also, in the eighth of Romans, our inseparability from the love of Christ and the love of God. This is, perhaps, even more blessed. The challenge is made: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” And the answer is given, in the deep heart-persuasion of the Apostle, writing by the Spirit: “I am persuaded that”—and then in thought, sweeping through the wide range of all hostile powers from the highest heights to the lowest depths; from death with its sting to life and its snares; from the wiles of the Serpent to the hidden and unseen energy of opposing principalities and powers; from the terrorizing influence of things seen to the unknown possibilities of things unseen; and, finally, summing up every imaginable adversary, he says: “nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The love of God finds its anchorage, not in the feeble faith of His people, but “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No storm can drag the anchor thence. It is assured for ever more.

Yes; but it is about us all, for he says nothing shall separate “us”—not “me.” It takes all in The next thing is “life.” Life cannot separate, for Christ Jesus our Lord is now in life and God’s love is in Him. Nor “angels, nor principalities, nor powers”—none of these things can separate us, for Christ is exalted above and over all—“nor things present, nor things to come, nor height”—“for the love of God in Christ is in the height nor depth”—Christ has been into the depths. Whichever way you look, there is not a single thing that exists now, or ever shall, that can separate us from the love of God. Look into death—God’s love has been there! Look at life—God’s love is there! Look at all the vast range of angels, principalities, and powers—the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord is above all! Look at the present things, look at the future things, look up into the height, look down into the depth, the love of God is beyond, above, and has been in Christ beneath all! Look at any other creature, if there is another anywhere to be found—still the Word says, “Nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

The feeblest believer finds no difficulty when the Son of God says, “I KNOW THOSE THAT ARE MINE” and, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me!” We are sure that He knows us. He knows all things, and all men; and we have an inbred consciousness that He knows and loves His own. This is the blessed assurance and encouragement given to us in 2 Timothy 2, in view of the corrupt practices and teachings of Christendom, when “every one who names the name of the Lord” is told to “withdraw from iniquity,” and to “follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart,” for there we are strengthened with these words, “The Lord knows those that are His”! What a stay this is to all who trust in Him! Not one of His sheep ever escapes the vigilance of His watchful eyes! Not one is ever forgotten for one moment by His loving heart! His omniscience, His love, and His omnipotence ever tend the flock for which He died! Yes, He knows us all! Blessed be His name! Blessed be our good and great Shepherd!

In the sentence, "He Who has begun a good work in you," the word "begun" has a solemn, ceremonial connection. "Inaugurated" might be a better word. It was no light matter to begin that work: let us ever remember it cost the life of the Son of God to begin it in any of us: and, if the work was real and true, it was no light matter with us either. But what comfort to look away from ourselves and our failures to Him Who began the work, and know we may count HIM to finish it! "The work which His goodness began, The arm of His strength will complete; His promise is Yea and Amen, And never was forfeited yet: Things future, nor things that are now, Nor all things below nor above, Can make Him His promise forego, Or sever our souls from His love." And let us remember that it is "God which worketh in both to will and to do of His good pleasure." the willing and the working are from God: there is no room to boast. And if it is of GOD, it cannot fail for, "HE FAILETH NOT."

In the second place, we base the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer upon the perseverance and omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit of God. Look at Philippians 1:6. Writing to these saints, the apostle says, when he thanked them for their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Do you see that? Who began the good work in you if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus? The Holy Spirit of God did. It was He who convicted you of sin; it was He who led you to put your trust in Christ; it was He who through the Word gave you the witness that you were saved; it is He who has been conforming you to Christ since you first trusted the Lord Jesus. Having thus taken you up in grace, the Holy Spirit has a definite purpose in view. He is eventually going to conform you fully to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He never begins a work that He does not intend to finish. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” If when you were a poor sinner the Holy Spirit had power sufficient to break down your opposition to God and to bring to an end your unbelief and rebellion, do you think for one moment that He does not have power enough to subdue your will as a believer and to carry on to completion the work that He began?

We have read, in the opening verses of the chapter, of sheep in a fold, such as might have been seen any day in Palestine. Their shepherd the sheep knew, and would follow him, but no one else. Now we learn no longer in a proverb, but in plain language, both that which would characterise Christ's sheep, as well as something about Him, the Shepherd. As for the sheep, they hear His voice, and follow Him. Then, speaking of Himself, He declares, "I know them." Of the sheep's knowledge of Him He here makes no mention. His knowledge of them He makes prominent. How gracious was this! Many an one might question his or her knowledge of Christ. Did they know Him aright? Did they know Him as they ought? And then write bitter things against themselves. Now here He gives no room for such morbid thoughts. The question for them is a very different one. Do they hear His voice? Do they follow Him? Each one should be able to answer this, however haltingly one may follow the Shepherd. Very gracious, then, was it of the Lord thus to speak of His sheep — gracious, too, how gracious, to speak of Himself as He does: "I know them." Nothing can they tell Him about themselves of which He is ignorant. Their circumstances, their trials, their difficulties, their needs — all fully known to Him. What they are as sinful creatures, what they have done in the past, to what they are prone, if not kept — all is perfectly known to Him. What comfort!