The Gurantee Of Eternity

The Guarantee of Eternity

Pm Service July 12th 2009

Hebrews 7:23-28

Introduction

Guarantees are great things. If you buy a product with a guarantee and it happens to break during the guarantee period you just bring the product back and the company will replace it, fix it, or give you your money back. You can not beat that!

But not all guarantees- guarantee. I can remember when Lynn, Hunter, and I and Mrs. Fran went to San Antonio for the SBC a couple years ago, we were guaranteed by the Hotel manger that the hotel was in walking distance of the beautiful river walk in down town San Antonio, well it was about a four mile one way walk, and you had to walk through what is the homeless district of San Antonio, you know that street you never see in the tourist magazines.

Life has therefore taught me: guarantees are great but not all guarantees are a sure thing. That means I need to do my homework when I am given a guarantee: if the guarantee is really important to me then I need to be certain that the guarantee is a sure thing.

And there is no place more important to know that the guarantee is a sure thing then it comes to where you are going to spend your eternity. This life is brief and uncertain and eternity is forever. And if I know in my heart that my heavenly destination has been booked and guaranteed and the guarantee is the sure thing then how I live my life today and how I face death tomorrow will be influenced by that guarantee that I have been given.

And so the writer of Hebrews says to us let me remind you of why this guarantee of knowing Jesus as your Savior is the sure guarantee to an eternity in heaven.

Read Scriptures: Hebrews 7:23-28.

I. My salvation is guaranteed because I have the Word of God the Father.

Hebrews 7:21-22 “ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'" Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

If I were to go to Best Buy and buy a television and the store clerk tells me there is a 30 day guarantee if you are not completely satisfied to return it and we will give you your money back no questions asked, I would take comfort in that. And if as I am walking to check out and the store manager sees me and tells me that if I am not completely happy return it in thirty days then I even have greater comfort. And then as I am leaving the store the district manager is walking in and he tells me I hope you enjoy your new television but it you are not completely satisfied bring it back in thirty days then I have even a greater level of comfort. The higher up I went, the greater the comfort level I received.

The Holy Spirit lives within me and He constantly reminds me that He is the deposit of my inheritance. I take great comfort in that. And then Jesus tells me that “he who has the Son has the life and he who does not have the Son does not have the life.” I take even greater comfort in that. But now I come to Hebrews and the Father Himself tells me that Jesus will be forever my priest and the Father will not change His mind gives me the greatest possible comfort.

And in that statement the Father says “I will not change my mind.” There will be times when something comes up in our life that we are certain about a certain thing, and at that moment my mind is made up. However, I made get some more information on the issue, and then I may change my mind. So when I say that I am not going to change my mind, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. But now when the Father makes that statement it means everything. If God says that He is not going to change His mind and Jesus will remain my priest forever; I am assured of eternal salvation.

II. My salvation is guaranteed because Jesus, my priest, will hold his priesthood for all eternity.

Hebrews 7:23-25 “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

I will not pastor this church forever, either God will take me home to be with Him, or He may want me in another town. I can offer you no permanence. But Jesus can.