In Romans 10:14-17 the Apostle
Paul tells us four things which are impossible. He has declared,
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And
we rejoice to know that it is true. Yet, we must not ignore the fact that Paul
plainly tells us certain things must take place before any sinner can call upon
the name of the Lord and be saved.
1. NO ONE CAN CALL UPON
CHRIST FOR MERCY UNTIL HE BELIEVES ON CHRIST. In order for a man to seek
the mercy of God in Christ by faith he must believe the testimony God has given
concerning his Son - "How then shall they call on him in whom they have
not believed?"
2. NO ONE CAN TRULY BELIEVE
ON CHRIST UNTIL HE HEARS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. "How shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard." Sinners
today are being asked to "believe on Jesus", but the preachers are
not telling anyone who the Lord Jesus Christ is -What He has done - Where He is
now - Or how God in justice saves sinners by the Substitutionary Sacrifice of
his Son. Until a sinner has heard these things faithfully proclaimed he cannot
have or exercise true faith in Christ and be saved. No one is saved where the
gospel is not faithfully proclaimed.
3. NO ONE CAN HEAR THE
GOSPEL OF CHRIST WITHOUT A PREACHER. God has chosen to save sinners by the
instrumentality of gospel preaching. God does not call sinners to Christ by the
voice of angels or the voice of singers. God calls sinners to Christ by the
voice a preacher, by the voice of a man proclaiming the gospel in the power of
the Holy Spirit. "How shall they hear without a preacher?...Faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
4. NO MAN CAN TRULY PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UNLESS HE IS SENT OF GOD. "How shall they preach, except they be sent?" When God intends to call his elect to Christ he always sends a preacher, in the power of the Holy Spirit to that place where his elect are found, just as he sent Philip to preach the gospel to the Eunuch.