(7/28/21) His Love Preserves Us - Grace Groups

His Love Preserves Us
Passage: John 21:15-23

READ 1689 LBCF Chapter 17 - The Perseverance of the Saints

1. Those God has accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect can neither totally nor finally fall from a state of grace. They will certainly persevere in grace to the end and be eternally saved, because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable.

2. This perseverance of the saints does not depend on their own free will but on the unchangeableness of the decree of election, which flows from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father. It is based on the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him,5 the oath of God,6 the abiding of his Spirit, the seed of God within them,7 and the nature of the covenant of grace.8 The certainty and infallibility of their perseverance is based on all these things.

3. They may fall into grievous sins and continue in them for a time, due to the temptation of Satan and the world, the strength of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation.9 In so doing, they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit;10 their graces and comforts become impaired;11 their hearts are hardened and their consciences wounded;12 they hurt and scandalize others and bring temporary judgments on themselves.13 Nevertheless, they will renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.14

Now let's compare this to our section in John. Peter promised he would die for Jesus; we learn quickly that Peter's words have no strength to them. After three denials and cursing to prove his point, we can conclude Peter and the rest of the disciples did not have the strength to follow Christ unto death.

How many times did Peter deny Jesus? How many times did Jesus ask Peter, "Do you love me?" It is not until the third question Peter finally understands Jesus question,

(21:17) Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything;

Peter's reputation is not what caused him the confidence to express his love to Jesus; he destroyed it by denying Christ. Jesus' love and compassion for him gave him the confidence to confirm his love for Jesus.

QUESTION: Do you ever question your love for Jesus based upon your actions? Does this ever cause you to question Jesus' love for you? Why or why not?

Jesus tells Peter that he is going to die by crucifixion. Peter doesn't even flinch at the thought of it now. In his humility, Peter knows the only way he will endure this type of pain is only if Jesus is the one who will help in endure. It is the love of Christ, and his forgiveness is what will fuel Peter for the rest of his ministry. In 2 Peter 1 there is a list of godly attributes that should reflect our daily lives. Peter then concludes in verse 9:

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

QUESTION: Grace, forgiveness, and love is what Peter points to as the motivation for obedience. How is this different than being motivated by fear and guilt?

Three times Jesus tells Peter,
"Feed my lambs"
"tend my sheep"
"Feed my sheep"

QUESTION: How do you think this should happen in our local church? How have you been well fed and cared for in the past?

Praise, Prayer and Confession:
• What can you offer to the Father in praise?
• What is a sin you need to confess?
• What is a burden we can carry?
• What can we take to our Father in prayer?