Perseverance of the Saints

Pastor Martin turns from Christ's earthly priestly work to examine His continuous heavenly ministry of intercession. He establishes the fact from Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, and Isaiah 53:12, then explains the nature of intercession both by the word used (interposing between two parties with requests) and by the end secured (salvation to the uttermost). He applies the doctrine to show that Christ has the preeminence in every phase of our salvation and that all dealings with the Father must be through the interceding Son.

Pastor Martin expounds the second experiential privilege of adoption — the reality and certainty of God's paternal discipline — from Hebrews 12:1-13. He sets out three principles: the Father's love for his true children constrains him to discipline them (making the mathematical equation Father's love + adoption = discipline), God's discipline aims specifically at conforming us to the family likeness of holiness, and the proper response is to expect, understand, and submit to it. He closes with a sustained exhortation on the goodness of loving parental discipline both in the home and from God's hand.