Can Sinners Be Saved Without The Preaching
Of The Gospel?
Romans 10:14-17
I recognize the
sovereignty of God, and preach it as fully and dogmatically as anyone I have
heard or read recently. "Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever
he hath pleased" (Psa. 115:3). Were it his pleasure to do so, he could
save his elect by the merits of Christ's righteousness and shed blood and the
power of his Spirit without the use of any means whatever. But it is not his
pleasure to do so. I hear men say, "God is sovereign. He can save sinners
with the use of means, without the use of means, or inspite of the means
used." That may be a very logical supposition. And I appreciate the
obvious attempt to protect God's sovereignty. But God's sovereignty does not
need our protection. And the supposition is false, because it is not according
to the Scriptures.
THE FACT IS, GOD DOES NOT SAVE SINNERS APART FROM THE PREACHING OF THE
GOSPEL OF HIS FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE IN CHRIST. (Read Rom.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT ALL
WHO BELIEVE A FALSE GOSPEL ARE LOST? Certainly it
does. Those who trust the helpless god, Jesus, and spirit of free-will, works
religion are as ignorant and lost as the naked tribesman who worships his dead,
helpless totem-pole.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT I
WAS LOST BEFORE I KNEW THE GOSPEL? Of course it does. Men may be sincere in
false religion. They may have great, life changing experiences in false
religion. But no one is saved in false religion, neither you, nor me, nor our
kinsmen, nor our friends. It is the truth, only the truth,
that makes sinners free. God does not use religious lies to save his
elect. A person may mentally know the truth and not be saved. But no one can be
saved who does not know the truth.
WHAT DOES THIS FACT
REQUIRE OF US? We must renounce that former, false religion of works and
confess Christ in baptism (II Cor.
Don Fortner