Spoonful of the old medicine, Pt 3 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain," 1 Corinthians 15:1-2. (Preached in Lewes FPC, Lord's Day morning, September 20th, 2015) THE MARK OF TRUE SALVATION IS HOLDING FAST TO THESE TRUTHS Notice the condition Paul places upon his statement. 'If ye keep in memory (hold fast) what I preached unto you.' Preached, Received, Keep, Stand - the order of advancement for the believer. 1. The mark of the true convert. Perseverance How important to preach this in this day of 'man-invented Christianity'! Job 17:9, Micah 7:7-8. Shorter Ca. Q 36. To keep in memory - means to 'Retain by faith'. 2. Note these usages of the same Greek word. A. To seize. Matthew 21:38. Grab as you would a treasure. B. To Keep. Luke 8:15. Seed falling on good ground and rooting. C. To hold fast. I Thess 5:21 Hold on to that which is believed to be true. When the soul has come in contact with the Word of God then salvation is near. From the use of these words we see that there is much opposition to the sinner laying hold on God's Word. That is when the opposition reaches its height. Luke 9:38-42. Beware of turning back from the gate of Heaven like the rich young man. Matthew 19:21-22.