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In the meantime let me post a thought. Here is something good to think about.

Are you saved?   Do you know what that means?

God has made a

G racious Election from among

R uined Sinners. Christ's death effected an

A bsolute Atonement for the sins of His people

C ompelling Love effectually calls them to

E verlasting Life

In 2 Peter 1:10 God challenges us in these words: "Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"

Acts 16:31 says, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

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Sermons on Grace  (Printed)

GRACIOUS ELECTION

RUINED SINNERS OR   GOD'S PICTURE of MAN BEFORE CONVERSION

ABSOLUTE ATONEMENT

COMPELLING LOVE

EVERLASTING LIFE OR HIS SEALED FOREVER

GOD'S PICTURE OF MAN BEFORE CONVERSION

Ruined Sinners

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others...That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:" Eph. 2:1-3, 12.

I want to speak to you tonight on "God's Picture of Man Before His Conversion." This is to show that because of the Fall in Adam we all were Ruined Sinners. The real question is just how ruined were we? The answer is not a pretty one at all. In the Fall of Adam every man is so ruined that every part of his being is at enmity against God. We all walked like everybody else. If you think you are different, please look at our text and see that we all walked the same. We walked in the power of Satan. Our walk was according to the course of this world. We just fell right in line and went lockstep together with all other sinners. We were not necessarily worse than other sinners, but we weren't really any better either. It was no trouble to sin. Satan saw to it that we were fully energized to do the things that displeased God. Sinful man today has the power to dream up all kinds of powerful weapons of destruction. Why? Satan empowers their mind to rush to sin. Have you ever seen or heard of some wicked event and asked, "How can he or they do such things?" It is because they are empowered by Satan. He gives the power to devise and to carry out. Everybody else is doing it; so we might as well do it too. No! Dear friends, if everybody else is doing it, it may be that such is a pretty good sign you shouldn't do it.

We walked in the spirit of the one who energizes the children of disobedience. This is speaking of course of all unsaved people. Isn't it amazing though how children do not have to be taught to disobey? They come into this world with such a spirit. You do not have to teach a child to lie; you must teach him not to lie. Likewise you do not have to teach a child to steal; you must teach him not to steal. Why is this? It is because from birth we have in us that spirit of disobedience. The text refers to the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Notice that that spirit is at work in the unsaved person. He works diligently too.

The sinner before his conversion also had a certain manner of life. It was not good one day and bad another day. He may have even had a front of being good regularly, but it was a show. His real manner of life was sinful. Verse 3 spoke of our conversation. Conversation today means to us a dialog of speech between two or more people. When the King James Version of the Bible was translated, however, it meant "manner of life."

That manner of life or conversation was in the lusts of the flesh. The word lusts here means desires. It might refer to the baser lusts of the pervert, but it does not have to be that. The thing that characterizes this lust is the word "flesh". Again this does not have to be always bad. When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, he tempted her regarding fruit that was good for food (Gen. 3:6). Now there is nothing wrong with food. This food, however, was from the tree of which God had said they were not to eat of it. We are not told what it was. We are just told that they were not to eat of it. Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus’ answer was that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. See this is the real problem. Something may be very innocent in itself, but not be what God wants for us. Then it is a lust of the flesh and is not good. One might say that the lust of the flesh is the desire for the material in contrast to desiring the will of God or that which is Spiritual.

Our manner of life was also to fulfill whatever the flesh or mind desired. The key here is the word "mind." Again Satan in his effort to tempt Eve appealed to her mind or intellect. In Gen. 3:5 the Serpent said to her, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." He was appealing to her intellect or mind. One must remember that there were no idols in those days. The word translated gods in our English version there is exactly the same Hebrew word as is in Gen. 1:1. The word is Elhohim. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It is again Elhohim in Gen. 3:5. Satan was really saying to her that if she would just eat of that forbidden fruit that her eyes would be opened and she would be as Elhohim (the God that made them). He attached on to that also the words, "knowing good and evil." You see God is omniscient (all knowing). Satan was saying you will be like Him knowing both good and evil. Just as Eve fell for that temptation we were living to fulfill the desires that could be mustered up in our minds.

Before we were converted we were characterized by the children of disobedience. Our text says, we "were by nature the children of disobedience." That is our very nature was one bent on disobeying God. We did not have to sit around and think up ways in which we could disobey God. That was our nature. That is why you do not have to teach a child to lie or steal, but you must teach him not to do those things. Why? Because he is born with a nature that guarantees he will do those things and more.

Not only did we in our unconverted state walk like everybody else and not only did we maintain a certain manner of life in disobedience, but we were also void of any Spiritual Relationship. In verse one of Eph. 3 you will note that Paul says, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:" Of course he is not talking about physical life. We were very much alive. The truth, however, is that spiritually we were not sick; we were dead. We had no spiritual life whatsoever. We were not a little bit dead. That can't be. We were dead. Why did we not love church? Why did we not love prayer and the Bible? Why did we not love Christ? It was because spiritually we were dead. There was no Spiritual life in us to love those things. We simply did not have any inclination toward anything Spiritual because we did not have any Spiritual life.

We were also aliens and strangers. Verse twelve of Eph. 3 tells us that the unconverted sinner was without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Paul was writing here, of course, to a Gentile church, and he says you were foreigners to Israel. Israel was the people of God. He also called us strangers from the covenants of promise. We didn't know anything about those covenants. We certainly were strangers as to any relationship with them.

That same verse 12 tells us we were without hope. Hope is such a wonderful thing. It can keep one's spirit alive if he just has hope. Think of the devastation of one when all hope is gone. Picture yourself sitting in a hospital waiting room while a very close loved one is on the verge of death. You know that the situation is serious, but you do have hope. Then comes the doctor to talk with you and he solemnly says, we have done all we can do. He has only a matter of a few hours; we have no hope. Your heart drops. As long as there was hope, you held up fairly well. Now what will you do; all hope is gone.

Oh, did I hear somebody say, "But there is still God." Yes, praise God! When all hope is gone, there is God. Our situation before conversion, however, was even more desolate than that. We were described also as being without God in the world. What do you do when you are without hope and on top of that you are without God in the world? This is the hopeless plight of every unconverted sinner.

Is there no hope? Must the sinner perish in his sin? Our hope is still in Christ. Before there ever was a world God chose in Christ a number of Adam's race and gave them to Jesus. Jesus came into this world to seek and to save those lost sheep. Left to himself every sinner is helpless and eternally lost. Look to the cross. Did Jesus die for you? Were your sins laid on Him when He died to make the sacrifice for sins? If so there is eternal hope for you. Is He calling you to come to Him? He is the Way the Truth and the Life and no man can come to the Father but by Him. He Himself said, I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Heed His call today and repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

GRACIOUS ELECTION

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" (Eph. 1:4)

We want to look at the subject of divine election. This is a subject of much misunderstanding and a subject rejected by many people. Nevertheless it is a subject of real importance and of real blessing to those who will accept its truth. I shall deal with it in three thoughts: 1. Those Who Oppose Election, 2. Election the Thrill of the Convicted Sinner, and 3. The Results of Election. Someone said that election could be explained in this manner. God votes for you, the Devil votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote. Such language shows, however, an utter lack of understanding of what Divine election is all about. Let us look then at those who oppose election.

Those who oppose election do not believe or understand the depravity of the sinner. It is the general thought of people that man is inherently good. This is not the teaching of Scripture. Note Rom. 7:18. For I know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Now this is Paul, the great apostle. If he felt it necessary to make this confession, how much more should the rest of us conclude our own depravity. How much good is in us? None! Take it to its limit. Let us ask, "Is there anything in man that can respond to God even?" The answer is no. If there was something in us that could respond to God, would not that something be good? Yet according to the apostle, according to the flesh there is nothing good dwelling in us. If there was something in us that could respond to God, we could not say "how to perform that which is good I find not." Thus we see that man is totally depraved. That does not mean that every man is as bad as he could be. It simply means that every man was so ruined in the Fall of Adam, that every faculty of his being is so corrupted that he cannot do good. If this is true, and it is, then there is nothing man can do to save himself. He must, if he will ever get to Heaven, have something done for him from out of himself. There is where election comes in.

Those who oppose election do not believe or understand God's Sovereignty. Please note Daniel 4:34, 35. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Nebuchadnezzar was the wicked king of Babylon. He had boasted in his achievements as one who was very proud. God purposed to take him down. He sent word by Daniel that Nebuchadnezzar would be debased and would go out and live like a wild beast. This he did after which God brought him back to his senses and restored him to his throne. He testified in the verses above that God returned his understanding to him. He blessed the most High and praised Him. He acknowledged the eternality of the sovereign God. He acknowledged that the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. That is the inhabitants of the earth have no reputation before this sovereign God. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that this God did as He willed in the army of Heaven as well as among the inhabitants of the earth. He affirmed that no one could stay the Hand of God. Neither could any man question the sovereign God as to what He was doing. In this He acknowledged the absolute sovereignty of God. He knew more about God than many people today. God is not a sentimental grandfather; rather He is Sovereign of all Sovereigns. When one really understands this truth, it is not hard to see that this Sovereign can do as He pleases in choosing to save whomever He so desires.

Those who oppose election do not believe or understand the Grace of God. Note with me Rom. 11:5, 6. "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. These verses make the grace of God very plain. Many like to affirm their belief in grace, but then they turn around and add works to it. These verses make it plain that we can't do that. The apostle tells us that if salvation is by grace, then it is no more of works. He affirms that if it is not pure grace without the mixture of works, then it is no more grace. Likewise if works has grace added to it, then it is no more works. The two just do not mix. When one understands that grace must be thus pure without works, it is again not hard to understand that God acts in grace to choose whom He wills. He, the great sovereign, is not bound to choose any of us. If He sent every one of us to Hell, He would be fully within His justice. Nevertheless, He is gracious to elect some out of the world of men for the purpose of saving them for His glory.

Election is the thrill of the convicted sinner. It is fantastic that such a Sovereign would condescend to choose any of us. The fact is, however, that God made a choice. Note our text again, Eph. 1:4. "According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Think of that! Who is the He that did the choosing? It is that sovereign God. God, Whose ways are above our ways and Whose thoughts are above our thoughts, has made a choice. He has a perfect right to do that of course, but oh how marvelous that He has done so. God made a choice.

God Made a choice in Eternity. Sometimes we say in Eternity past. There really is no such thing as eternity past. The reason there isn't is because if it is past it is not eternity. Eternity has neither beginning nor ending no past or future. It is forever and ever now. For the sake of adapting to our human way of looking at things, however, we speak of that time in eternity which is past to us, that time so designated in Scripture as in the beginning. That which we call eternity past is also referred to as before the foundation of the world. It is a time in eternity before the mountains were ever brought forth and before the rivers ever ran down the hills. It is before one man had ever done good or evil; in fact it is before there was a man. It is before God ever stepped out on the morning in eternity and cried "Let there be light." It is in that time when the only Persons who were alive were those of the one Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Note 2 Thess. 2:13. "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Back there in that beginning God chose us in Christ. He sanctified us and thus set us apart for Himself. How could He do that when we were not yet in existence? The great Sovereign God knew us even before we were created. In His eternal decree, because He is God, He could and He did choose out of the men, who would later be brought into this world, a people for His Son. My what a display of Sovereign grace.

The convicted sinner may thrill not only at the fact God made a choice of him but that He made that choice in a time before there ever was a world. Not only that he may thrill at the fact that God made that choice with a definite purpose in mind. Let me call attention to our text once more. (Eph. 1:4) "According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" This is so humbling. We thrill at His choosing us, but what was the purpose. It was not for us. It was not just to keep us out of Hell. Now none of His elect will go to Hell, but that is not the purpose of His choice. The purpose of His choosing us is His glory. It is that we should be holy and without blame before God. What a noble purpose! We who are sinners depraved and ruined in the Fall of Adam are completely unworthy, but He chose us to make us holy. He chose us to make us blameless before God.

Another wonder in all this is the immutability of His purpose. What God has purposed, not all the Devils in Hell can keep from happening. As to His purpose being sure to come to pass, let us note what He said in Isaiah 46:11. "Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it." Do you believe that God will accomplish whatever He has purposed? He says that He will right there. I marvel in that truth. The apostle also tells us about this purpose. in Rom. 8:28-30. Rom. 8:28 is a favorite of many Christians, but too often it is not seen in the light of what it is saying. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Here He outlines His purpose for us and tells us how He will bring it to fruition. It is not that all things work together for good. It is all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Thus we see the promise is limited to those whom He would call according to His divine purpose. Then we see the sovereignty of God again in His foreknowledge. The fact is that in the mind of God in all eternity, He has known everyone of His people. He has had a pre-acquaintance with us. The purpose is seen again in that everyone He foreknew He predestinated them to be conformed to the image of His Son. That is again like being holy and blameless before God. Then we are told that everyone whom He so predestinated He called. Now this has to be more than just a general call going out to everyone. It has to be more, because He then says that everyone whom He called He justifies. The calling here has to be what is referred to as His effectual call. It is compelling love that draws His own to Himself. Then He follows that everyone He justifies He will also glorify. Salvation is of the Lord from start to finish. Likewise we are told that He Which begins a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. In these verses we see His purpose to save His people outlined from eternity in foreknowledge and predestination through His calling and justification to final glorification. What a glorification that will be. All to His glory when we shall see Him we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. So said the apostle John.

Let me tell you now about the results of Election. Just what does it do for us? Election is unto salvation. For the sinner described in the beginning of this message there is very little or no hope. Election turns that around and saves the sinner. Please note 2 Thess. 2:13. "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Many people admit that the Bible teaches election, but they say God's choice is unto service. This verse settles that question flat handed. It plainly says that we were chosen to salvation. Election is not in itself salvation. It is the means whereby God before the world determined to save certain ones of Adam's race according to the good pleasure of His own will. The salvation takes place in time, but it was decreed in eternity past.

Note Ephesians 1:4, 5. "According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." He chose us to make us holy. That can only be in salvation. He does not make unconverted sinners holy.

Another result of election is Adoption into the family of God. That of course is part of salvation too. Think of that! Election is designed to bring us into the very family of God. God has only one begotten Son, but there are many of us, His adopted Sons. Election made it so. We can see in Eph. 1:5 as quoted just above that God predestinated that those whom He had chosen would be adopted into His Family. This is also seen in Rom. 8:15-17. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Thus we see that we are not only made heirs of God by adoption but also joint-heirs with Christ. This is a result of election.

Another result of election is Union with Christ. In Eph. 1:4 we are said to be chosen in Him. That is our very election itself is in union with Christ. Christ is God's Primary Elect One, and each of us who are His people were chosen by God in Christ Jesus before the world. Gal. 2:20 says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Here we see our union with Christ in His crucifixion. Because we were chosen in Him, when He died on that cross for our sins; He represented us in His death. Thus we were united with Him so that when He died, one might say we died because we are in union with Him. The verse above does not just say that we are crucified with Him, however. It also says that now He lives in us. This again is union with Christ. Also the life that we now live in the flesh, we do so by the Lord's creative faith in us. He lives His life in us. What blessed union!

A final result of our election is Glory to God. In Eph. 1:4, 5 we have found that He chose us in Christ and predestinated us unto the adoption of children, but in verse 6 we see the end to which all this was purposed. Note Eph. 1:6. "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Oh, dear reader, God did not save you to keep you out of Hell. His salvation will keep you out of Hell, but that is fringe benefit. God chose you and saved you for His glory. Since salvation is the result of His election and not of our works, you see, we have no room to boast. Instead all the glory goes to God for He made us accepted in the Beloved. Jesus said in John 17:10 "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." Let us praise God then for His marvelous grace and His gracious election.

ABSOLUTE ATONEMENT   Eph. 1:7; 2:16 

The atonement is the central doctrine of the entire Bible.  On it rests all other doctrines.  It is misunderstood by many people, but it is vital that we reemphasize it.  In the Old Testament there was a Day of Atonement.  Atonement is redemption, reconciliation, and remission.  Atonement is not general; it is absolute.

Let us look at the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament.  It was a deep expression of the holiness of God.  This was so manifest that the priest even had special clothes he was to wear on that occasion.  Lev. 16:4 reads, “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired:  these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.”  He must not even put them on except he first take a bath.  All of this is to demonstrate the holiness of the God that our sin has offended.

He must also offer satisfactory offerings.  Going again to Lev. 16 and verses 3, 5-19 we see that the priest must first make a sacrifice for himself.  It is spelled out just what he must offer.  Verse 3 tells us he must offer a young bull for a sin-offering.  He must also offer a ram for a burnt-offering.  The sin offering is because the priest, a man, is also a sinner and must offer a sacrifice for his own sin.  The burnt-offering speaks of satisfaction as it is an offering of sweet smell to God.  It is to show that the priest is himself made acceptable, and it demonstrates God’s acceptance of the proclaimed sacrifice.  There must also be an offering for the people which offering is seen in the two goats of Lev. 16:5.  In verses 7-19 of Lev. 16 we are told how of those two goats one was to be chosen as the Lord’s.  This one would be sacrificed on the altar.  The other one was to be a scapegoat.  When the priest had offered his bull for himself, he would take the blood into the most holy place and sprinkle it on the mercy seat.  His sins must be fully atoned for before he could make atonement for the people.  Then he would take the goat on which the Lord’s lot had fallen and slay it on the altar.  This is the people’s sin offering.  That blood then would be taken into the tabernacle, and it too would be sprinkled on the mercy seat.  He had to make atonement for the holy place because of man’s sin.  Then he must also go out to the altar and make atonement for the altar for it must be hallowed too.  Once the atonement had been made he was to change his clothes and leave them in the holy place, verses 23-25.  Then the animals having been sacrificed were to be taken outside the camp of Israel and burned and the priest's clothes washed.  This signified atonement accomplished until again the next year on the same day.

Blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin, but these sacrifices were showing sin covered until the Redeemer would come and take away sin.  In the meantime, however, the taking away of sin is pictured in Lev. 16:20-22.  The priest would put his hands on the head of the live goat and confess the sins of Israel, after which a designated person would take that goat out into the wilderness and let him go.  This was to picture sins being taken away which could only be done when Jesus Christ would come and take away the sins of the world.

This very elaborate ritual must be done once every year and often with a different high priest because of the death of the previous one.  All of that ritual was to show that Jesus would come as our Great High Priest and once for all offer Himself the sacrifice that would not only forgive sin but take it away.  

Let us notice also that atonement is redemption.  Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”  Redemption is the word that pictures a man going to the slave market and seeing a slave whom he feels would be worthy, he pays the necessary price and removes that slave from the slave block and sets him free.  That is what our salvation is all about.  We were all on the slave block in the market of sin.  There was no reason, however, to redeem us; we had no merit. Our blessed Lord, nevertheless, paid the price in the shedding of His blood to purchase our freedom.  In John 8:36 Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  The atoning death then of our Savior was sufficient price to redeem and set free every one of His elect.

Atonement is also reconciliation.  Eph. 2:16 tells us:  “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” When Adam took of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, he plunged the whole human race into sin (Utter Ruin).  This was such a rebellion against God that God as it were went on an holy rampage.  Even though God slew the animals and made coats of skins, which I believe, pictures salvation, He drove Adam and Eve out of the garden.  God was righteously angry with them.   Since then every man comes into this world estranged from God and under the curse of God.  There is then a wide chasm between the Holy God and rebellious man.  On the cross, however, Jesus paid the price of redemption and as it were took the hand of God (for He was God) and at the same time took the hand of man (for He was Man too) and brought them together for all His elect people.  Rom. 3:25 tells us “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”  Propitiation = appeasement.  The death of our Lord then satisfied the angry God.  Thus He was reconciled to man.  Through the Gospel God calls and His elect are reconciled to God.  Eph. 2:16 is even speaking of a reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through that gospel.

Atonement is once more the remission of sins.  For 4000 years through the Old Testament years the sacrifices could not take away sin.  They made atonement only in the sense that sins were covered over.  Every year on the Day of Atonement sacrifices were made and sin was covered until the next year when it must be done again.  After the one goat was slain in Lev. 16 for the atonement of the people, a fit person would take the “scapegoat” into the wilderness and turn him loose.  Before he would do that, however, the priest would confess the sins of Israel on the head of that goat.  He was thus understood to be taking away the sins of Israel.  This was true, however, only in type; for the same thing must be done again the next year.  Now Eph. 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of grace.”  The atonement then gave us forgiveness or remission of sins.  As Jesus approached the Jordan River, where John was baptizing, John identified Him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.  Taketh away means sins are remitted or forgiven.  The text above also indicates that the sins are taken away or remitted because they were atoned for the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore our Lord’s Atonement is Absolute.  Now what does that mean?  It simply means among other things that Jesus did not die to make all people redeemable, but rather He died in order to redeem His people.  Gal. 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”  How many people were cursed by the law?  Rom. 3:19 says, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law :  that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”  Let no one think that by doing good works and trying to keep the 10 commandments, he may find forgiveness and acceptance with God.  No.  Every man stands before God GUILTY.  Thus no one has a claim on redemption.  Rather Jesus came to earth not to show men how to live, but rather He came to die.  He would die to redeem His people from their sins.  When the angel appeared to Joseph, he told Joseph to go ahead and take Mary to be his wife for the child she was carrying was by the Holy Ghost.  Then he added, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:  for he shall save his people from their sins.

Specifically then who are the people He redeemed?  Did He redeem the whole world or did He redeem His people.  If He redeemed the whole world, then the whole world must be finally saved.  In Acts 20:28 we read “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”  Here he speaks of the church or the flock over which these elders had been made overseers.  Now of course then it was unheard of that people would believe on Jesus, become a Christian, and then remain unbaptized.  So the reference here to church or flock would be expected to encompass all Christians.  The point I would have you see is that it is these people who are called the church or the flock that is said to have been purchased with our Lord’s own blood.  That’s redemption. 

In Eph. 1:14 we read “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”  The earnest here is a term used in reference to the believer’s receiving the Holy Spirit.  That gift of the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance.  What does that mean?  Earnest is like in the purchase of a house one may give to the seller a certain number of dollars not to buy the property but just a small sum to hold the property until financing can be arranged and closing on the property can be arranged.  It is similar to a down payment, but it is called earnest money.  Our receiving the Holy Spirit is like God giving us the earnest of the Holy Spirit to guarantee that He will come again and complete our redemption with the redemption of the body when He takes us to Heaven.  That earnest is to the final redemption of what He has already purchased.  When did He purchase us?  We learned in Acts 20:28 that He did it with His own blood.  Thus He purchased His people when He died to redeem us.

Like wise we see the same line of thought in John 10:11.  Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd:  the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”  He did not say that He gave His life for every individual in all the world.  Rather, He said that He gave His life for the sheep.  Again in verse 15 of the same chapter Jesus said, “As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father:  and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  Here again He is saying that the death of Christ was for a certain people called His sheep.

This atonement which our Lord made for His sheep is Powerful and Effectual.  Let us look again to the first chapter of Eph.  In verses 11 and 12 we read, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  Some picture God as calling all sinners and wringing His hands because as they say He is doing His best to save all men, but men will not let Him.  Well that is not my kind of God.  My God is Powerful.  He is Effectual in all His work.  He does not wring His hands.  He accomplishes the saving for whom His absolute atonement has been made.  He is not limited in the power of His atonement to save those who He purchased in His death according to what He had purposed.  In John 6:37 we read Him saying, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”  The first part of this verse indicates an election.  “All that the Father giveth me…”  God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1:4.  This not only indicated an election; it also guarantees effectual calling.  That is every one of God’s elect will be called of God effectually so that they will willingly come to Christ.  The last part of verse 37 also guarantees the acceptance of the believer before God and that the believer will forever be saved.  He will not cast him out.

Do you believe that Christ died for you?  Then repent of your sin and claim His forgiveness.  Do not fret over whether you are one of His elect.  That is His business.  He commands all men everywhere to repent.  If you desire to be saved and follow Jesus, it is not your doing.  He had to have put that desire in your heart.  Come to Him today, find a Bible Believing Church, be baptized and follow Christ.

 COMPELLING LOVE                  Eph. 1:18, 19; 4:4

This is a most compelling subject.  It is really concerning what we call the effectual call.  In Scripture we learn about a general call that goes out to all men as the Gospel is preached and men are called to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.  This call though sometimes made with great emotional appeal is not effective in drawing the sinner to the Savior.  There is a call in Scripture, however, that is effective.  It is said to be irresistible.

Let us begin with the remembrance that man is never seen seeking God.  Man does not come to Christ because he does not will to come to Him.  John 5:40.  “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”  Jesus is here talking about a fourfold witness to Him.  One of those witnesses is the Scriptures themselves.  In verse 39 He told those Jewish hearers to search the scriptures.  It is interesting that He told them that in those scriptures they thought they had eternal life.  Paul said the Jews had an advantage because unto them were given the oracles of God.  They also had an advantage because Jesus first came to His own, but they received Him not, John 1:11.  Calling their attention to the advantage they had, He directed them to search those scriptures.  He declared they those same scriptures testified of Him or talked about Him.  It is then that He spoke John 5:40.  This was an indictment of their guilt and inability or the ruin of sinners.  It was as if to say, even though they speak of Me, you will not come to me.  It was an indictment of their rebellion to reject Him in spite of what their scriptures said.  This is part of that ruin passed on to us in the Fall of Adam.

We may see this farther in Rom 8:7, 8 where we read, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”  This indicates that man will not subject himself to God and His law simply because of man’s own nature.  Carnal mind here simply means mind of the flesh.  It is said to be enmity against God.  It does not say that men are enemies to God which might describe a given situation in which they are found.  Rather it is talking about man’s own nature.  His mind has the nature of enmity.  This nature then controls man’s deportment.  That is why it is said that this mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  Man will not subject his mind to the law of God, and thus will not obey God or come to Him, because his nature rebels against God.  It is just as much the nature of man to rebel against God as it is for a hog to wallow in the mud.  With such a nature of enmity then it is impossible for man to please God.

Man is thus so bound in his wickedness that there is really little hope for him.  Bound by both his will and his nature, how in the world can he even come to God?  Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:  and I will raise him up at the last day.”  John 6:44.  This does not mean that he is bound by God; it rather means that He is so bound by his nature and will that he cannot will to come to God.  This is farther seen in 1 Cor. 12:3 when the apostle said, “Wherefore I give you to understand. That no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:  and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”  Now he is not saying that man can not form the words and say them.  He is really saying no man can truthfully confess Jesus as Lord except as he is enabled by the Holy Spirit.  That is how completely bound men are in their sins by their own nature and will.

God’s call then is His love reaching out to His people among this fallen race.  First, to what are they called?  Rom. 1:6, 7 will help us with that.  “Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ; To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Still farther we are instructed in 2 Thess. 2:14, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Now what interest does one who is by nature at enmity against Jesus, and by nature cannot even confess Him as Lord without Holy Ghost enablement, have toward being one of His saints or obtaining the glory of Jesus Christ?  None!  Yet that is the thing to which we are called.

Why then did He call us?  It is in accord with His divine purpose as set forth in His eternal decree.  Rom. 8:28 is a verse we often quote or misquote.  Even lost people will say, “Oh well, everything is going to turn out ok.”  They will even say that the Bible says that.  That is not what the Bible says.  Note the verse:  “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  First, it is not addressed to everyone.  It is for them that love God.  That is not the kind of persons we have been describing.  Rom. 8:28 is not for those still bound by their nature and will in a nature of enmity against God.  It is for those who love God, and are the called according to His purpose.  Now we need to know something about that purpose.  It is explained in the verses that follow.  “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called:  and whom he called, them he also justified:  and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

This then is His purpose.  Without it man is helplessly lost.  His purpose determined a people whom God gave to Jesus before the world was ever formed.  According as He has chosen us Him before the foundation of the world… says Eph. 1:4.  His purpose not only determined to save those particular people, but determined to make those persons to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.  In other words He determined to make us like Jesus.  His purpose farther determined to effectually call out of that fallen race those persons He had determined to make like Jesus.  How in the world can He expect that such a fallen race would respond to Him?  It would not naturally.  He would set his love on His people and call them effectually unto Himself.  It would be done so effectively that everyone He so called would be justified (pardoned, sins forgiven).  He would not even give up until everyone called according to His purpose is finally brought to glorification.  That is the purpose of God.

This call is a saving call.  Note 2 Tim. 1:9.  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”  He says that the call mentioned here saved us.  Previously we mentioned the call of the gospel that goes out to all people.  That we call the general call, which makes man responsible.  Yet, no one responds because he is by nature and will bound in rebellion against God.  Here we are talking about a totally different call.  The difference is somewhat like a mother who goes to the door and calls children, come to supper.  Who responds?  Likely, no one.  Soon she comes back to the door again and calls, John, Bill, come to supper.  Guess who goes to supper.  This effectual call is a special call that in His love He applies to those who are His.  He makes His people willing in the day of His power.  This calling is not based on anything we have done to merit it.  It is purely based on His purpose and grace which was given to us in eternity before creation.

This call then is compelling.  Our Lord said in Luke 14:23:  “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

That is not to say that man is compelled against his will to come to Christ.  God has a way of working in men to cause them to do His will even when they may not be aware of what is going on.  God says in Ps. 110:3 “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning:  thou hast the dew of thy youth.”  He so deals with His elect as to make them willing.  No man naturally seeks after God.  His sinful nature keeps him from seeking God.  Through the gospel and His Divine Providences, however, God deals with men so as to remove the excuses and actually makes men willing to come.  Ours is not a religion of the sword.  Baptists have never persecuted anyone.  We often have been the victims of persecution; but we never persecuted.  Other religions have tried the world over to force people to join them by conquering them.  We do not believe in such methods.  Instead it is God who makes us willing.  It is like what is commanded in Phil. 2:12.  Christians are there told to work out their own salvation.  Then in verse 13 following Paul explains, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  It is the believer who does the working out of his salvation, but it is God who creates in him the will or desire to be obedient, and it is God who enables him to persevere in righteousness.  This is what is meant by compelling love.

          God enables the Spiritually helpless.  In 1 Cor. 12:3 we read, “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:  and that no man can say that Jesus Is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”    The inability here is not a physical inability.  Certainly any man who can talk could frame the words and curse Jesus.  Likewise any man who can talk could frame the words and say that Jesus is Lord.  The inability spoken of here is a moral inability.  One who is spiritual will so love God that he cannot bear to curse Jesus.  On the other hand one who is yet unsaved, because of the bondage of his own sinful nature, cannot say that Jesus is the Lord.  It is his nature that will not let him do it.  That is why it is imperative that he have an enabling from the Holy Spirit if he will confess Jesus as his Lord.  Luke said it another way in Acts 11:18.  “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”  Again man is responsible to repent of his own sins, but bound by his old sinful nature, he will not do it until God grants or gives unto him the spirit of repentance.  It is also stated another way in Eph. 2:8, 9.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.”  What is it that is not of yourselves?  It is the grace, the saving, and the faith.  We have neither of them on our own.  Grace in the nature of itself is a gift.  The saving is the result of the grace and is therefore a gift, but even the faith is also a gift for Paul said, all men have not faith.

          God’s work is effectual to His own.  This is borne out in John 17.  This is our Lord’s own high priestly prayer.  In verse one He prayed to be glorified with the Father.  In verse 2 He speaks of the Father having given Him a people.  It was His desire to give eternal life to every one of those who had been given to Him.  In this they would each know God.  It is here stated as a petition in His prayer, but note further I verses 11, 12.  In verse 11 He petitions the Father to keep those same given ones.  He further argues that He has kept them Himself throughout His ministry except for one person whom He calls the son of perdition.  This is Judas Iscariot whom He lost on purpose that the scripture might be fulfilled.

          We thus see the great power of God to work in us effectually and with compelling love make us willing to come.  That powerful love does also beseech us to love Him.  We are told to make our calling and election sure.  Note 2 Pet. 1:10  “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:  for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”  Now you have nothing at all to do with ascertaining your calling or election.  That is purely by the grace of God.  We are, however, admonished to make that calling and election sure.  So how do we do that?  As we are enabled by His Spirit, we are to repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.  It is again what we said earlier that we are to work out our own salvation, but it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.  Won’t you begin today to repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?  I hope you will.  Amen.

HIS SEALED FOREVER

Everlasting Life
Eph. 1:13, 14

            Everlasting Life is a most wonderful expression.  Everlasting Life is not just a living of our fleshly life forever.  Jesus Christ is Himself Eternal Life.  John then tells us that He who has the Son, has life.   In this text we have the reference to the sealing of the Holy Spirit.  Just what does that mean? 

    First, His sealing is a promise.  It is a promise of eternal life notarized.  When we enter into contracts with other people, we often go to a Notary Public and secure his services.  What does he do?  He examines the document and asks the parties to sign at the proper places.  Having thus witnessed both of their signatures, he also signs that he has witnessed the signing of the document.  Then he puts his seal on the paper.  That seal is a legal signature to guarantee before any judge that those signatures have been validly made, and that the document stands as a legal contract between the two parties.  Well, the Holy Spirit’s sealing us is in effect a sealing of the promise of God to the believer that the contract is binding.  God will never break that seal.  In the epistle 1 John 2:25 we read, “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”  The sealing of the Holy Spirit guarantees that the promise made here will never fail. 

            His sealing is like a brand on an animal.  Where animals are allowed to roam freely and mix with animals of another owner, oftentimes they will burn a certain emblem on the animal to identify him as the belonging to that particular owner.  In effect the sealing of the Holy Spirit is God putting His brand on us to identify us as His.  In 1 John 5:11, 12 we read, “And this is the record that God hath given to us  eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

             I mentioned in the beginning that Jesus Himself is Eternal Life.  Let us go to 1 John 5:20.  “And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is  true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God, and eternal life.”  Couple that with the verses 11, 12 given above and one can clearly see that Jesus is Himself eternal life, and any one who has the Son has eternal life now.  Often people will say to me, please pray for me that when I come down to die, I may receive eternal life.  That is not the way it works.  If you do not have eternal life before you come to death, you will not get it then.  It is very imperative that you have eternal life (Jesus) now before you come to death. 

            Let us look at it from the standpoint of Preservation.  Preservation is something God does for us.  His sealing reserved our inheritance.  In 1 Pet. 1:3, 4 the apostle speaks of our having been begotten to a Lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and goes on to say also we are begotten to an inheritance.  In other words this inheritance is ours because we have been born into the family of God  Now that should be preservation enough, but it continues.  This inheritance is said to be incorruptible. It is Incorruptible.  Furthermore, it is said to be undefiled.  Where can you find things that are not defiled.  This inheritance of ours is divinely pronounced undefiled.  We are also told that it fadeth not away.  What an assurance!  Oft tines things are lost simply because of decay and corruption.  Not this inheritance.  Many things are good for now, but they are in the process of diminishing and will one day be completely gone.   Not our inheritance; it fadeth not away.  To top all of that the apostle continued to say that this inheritance is reserved in Heaven.  Note that the inheritance is not in itself, Heaven.  It is something reserved in Heaven.  If we have an inheritance reserved in Heaven, and we do, that would surely reserve Heaven for us too.  Otherwise the reservation in Heaven would be of no consequence.  The apostle does not stop even there.  He goes on to say that this inheritance is reserved for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.  Thus we can see that our preservation is twofold.  Our inheritance is reserved and preserved for us, but we also are kept by God’s power to final salvation.           

            His sealing not only reserved our inheritance, but it preserves us.  The apostle, Paul, was   near to the time of his death, but he bravely stated, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”  2 Tim. 4:18.  Even the Devil can’t kill one of God’s servants until God permits it. 

            There is still more!  His sealing with His decree seals our final adoption.  According to verses 4 and 5 of this first chapter we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  That is by divine decree.  In John 17 our Lord spoke of it as the Father giving those elect ones to Him before the world began.  This is not dependent on anything we do or don’t do.  It is God’s decree in which He has by that decree of predestination assured our adoption as children of God, Eph. 1:2, “Having Predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.”  Furthermore in verses 13 and 14 speaks of our trusting in Christ after hearing the word of truth and goes on to say “in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” which He calls the “earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory>”  The use of this word “earnest” is quite interesting.  We do not use that word very much today.  When we do use it we mean by it with all due diligence.  For instance we might say, he was in real earnest as he ran that race.  That is not the way the word is use here, however.  There is at least one time when we do use it today correctly.  When we propose to buy a house, for instance, we propose to buy it for a stated amount.  The seller or his realtor will ask for an amount of earnest money.  That is not necessarily the down payment which may be more than the amount asked.  What then is that earnest money?  It is an amount of money to hold the house with a promise that you will come back with the balance or a financial arrangement.  It is to guarantee that you will come back with the remainder.  That is the way the word is used here.  When it say you were sealed with the Holy Spirit Which is the earnest of our inheritance, it is saying that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is that initial investment which is to guarantee that the Lord will come back to finish what He has begun in the final salvation of our souls.

            There is also the matter of perseverance.  This is something God does in us.  Our perseverance is necessary.  Matt. 24:13 says “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  Some will argue that if perseverance is required, it becomes salvation by works.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Matt. 24:13 would indicate that enduring or perseverance is required.  I believe that is exactly so.  We have too much easily believism today which seems to say, “Just believe and you are eternally saved regardless of your behavior.”  This promotes unholy living and is not the true teaching of Scripture.  Now do not misunderstand me.  I am not saying that we earn our salvation by our enduring or perseverance.  I am saying that the true believer will endure or persevere. 

            Our perseverance is also coupled with prayer.  Eph. 6:18 reads as follows:  “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”  The true believer then will be one who prays and perseveres.  Our Lord’s sealing assures Our perseverance.  Please note Philippians 2:12, 13.  In verse 12 we are commanded to work out our own salvation:  “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  The apostle took note of their obedience saying they did so always in his presence or while he was with them.  Then he commands them in his absence to continue to obey and to work out their own salvation..  This is followed with verse 13 in which he states:  “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  If anyone was left to his own perseverance alone, he would fail.  The responsibility is placed on us, but we are helpless in the flesh to accomplish it.  Thus he says that God will work in us even the will.  We would not even have the will to please God if left to our flesh.  He worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.  This is why I denied earlier that this is earning salvation by works.  We are not here earning anything.  It is simply an evidence.  For everyone of God’s children He will guarantee their perseverance by working in us the will and the doing that we might continue and be finally saved.