Sermon #15201 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: Free-Will
or Free-Grace?
Text: Psalm 115:1
Reading: Revelation 13:1-18
Subject: Salvation
by Grace Alone
Introduction:
There is a hideously
ugly monster, a beast that has risen up in the world, whose hide I want to nail
to the wall. This beast has been around for a long, long time. You can read
about him in Revelation 13.
·
He arose from the sea.—The Pagan,
Idolatrous, Gentile World.
·
He has many names; but his name is always
“Blasphemy,” ascribing to man the works of God.
·
He is found in every part of the
world.—He has seven heads.
·
He is very powerful.—He has ten horns.
·
He is found in high places.—He has ten
crowns.
·
He is deceitful, like a leopard.
·
He is destructive, walking through the
forests of darkness with the feet of a bear.
·
He is furious, devouring with the mouth
of a lion.—Multitudes have perished by him.
·
His number is
666.—Frustration!—Failure!—Defeat!
This beast must be
slain. He will be slain—not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of
God—through the preaching of the gospel.
Idolatry
Nothing in all the
world is more foolish, more debasing to humanity, more dishonoring to God, and
more assuredly damning to the souls of men than idolatry. It is pathetic to see
men and women worship gods that other men have made, dumb gods, made by the
hands of ignorant men! (Read vv. 4-8.) Idolatry is a hideous evil.
(Psa 115:4-8) "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. (5) They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they
see not: (6) They have ears, but they
hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: (7) They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they
walk not: neither speak they through their throat. (8) They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."
Illustrations:
The Maian Ruins
Mexicans Worshipping The
Virgin Mary.
Cold
Spring, Ky
But the most
abominable form of idolatry in the world is that which Paul calls “will worship,” the worship of yourself
(Col. 2:23). Those who attribute
salvation in whole or in part to the will, work, or worth of man are the most
abominably evil idolaters in the world, for they worship themselves.
Freewillism is the worship of self. Legalism is the worship self. Free-will works religion makes man his
own savior, for it makes the will, work, or worth of man the determining factor
in salvation.
Now hear me well.—If your salvation in whole or in part is
looked upon by you as something that is dependent upon or determined by your
will or your works, you are a lost, Christless soul, and idolater. You
may talk about God and grace, Christ and redemption, the Holy Spirit and
regeneration; but you really worship yourself.
·
You trust in your own decision. Your
confidence is in your personal goodness.
·
Your peace is derived not from what
Christ has done, but from what you have done.—Redemption is some accomplished
for us, altogether outside us.—Our hope is outside us, not in our experience,
but in God’s Son!
·
In your opinion the thing that separates
you from the damned is not the will of God, the work of Christ, and the call of
the Spirit, but your own will, your own work, and your own worth.
I want to go directly
into the dark, idolatrous chambers of your heart and destroy your gods. My
subject is Free-will (the religion of the beast) or
Free-grace (the
religion of Christ)?
Three Characteristics of
Arminianism
Arminianism, free-will works religion has three characteristics by which it may always be identified. It goes by many different denominational names; but it always has these three characteristics, no matter what denominational name it wears. The religion of the beast can always be identified by these three characteristics. Three characteristics of the religion of the beast are…
1. False
religion always has an exalted view of man.
The Word of God
declares that man is dead in
trespasses and sins, that all men are guilty,
depraved, condemned, and helpless by nature, that there is “none
that doeth good,” that no
man left to himself can or will come to Christ, trusting him alone as Savior
and Lord. Is that, or is it not, the language of Holy Scripture? It
most assuredly is! Yet, all free-will works religion says that, “Though man is
somewhat depraved, he is not dead. Though he is lost, he is not helpless.
Though he sins, he is not utterly sinful. Though he is condemned, he still has
his free-will. Man needs God’s help. He cannot save himself without God’s help;
but his eternal destiny, his salvation, depends upon the work of his own will!
It is not God, but the sinner himself who determines whether he will be saved.”
2. False
religion always gives a demeaning view of God.
God says, “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such
an one as thyself” (Ps. 50:21). Arminians, free-willers, idolaters think
that God is like man, weak, subject to change, frustrated.
·
They do not deny that God is sovereign,
but they talk of “limited sovereignty,” making the Creator in some things (in
most things!) to be subject to the creature!
·
They do not (in word) deny the death of
Christ or redemption by his blood; but they limit the merits of his death and
the efficacy of his blood, making the ultimate factor in redemption to be the
will of man!
·
They do not deny the necessity of the
Spirit’s call; but they make the call of the Spirit to be nothing more than an
influence upon the emotions of men that men have the power to either negate or
make effectual by their own wills!
2.
False religion always gives
sinners something to do to get, keep, or improve God’s favor
upon them.
Though most loudly
denounce salvation by works, when examined closely, all false religion is works
religion. Augustus Toplady
put it this way—“Every religion except one puts you upon doing something in
order to recommend yourself to God…It is the business of all false religion to
patch up a righteousness in which the sinner is to stand before God. But it is
the business of the glorious gospel to bring near to us, by the hand of the
Holy Spirit, a righteousness ready wrought, a robe of perfection ready made,
wherein God’s people, to all the purposes of justification and happiness, stand
perfect and without fault before the throne.”
This is what I am
saying – False religion always makes
room for the flesh to glory. The great contest between the religion of
the world and the religion of Christ is just this – Who is entitled to the praise and glory of the sinner’s salvation?
Is salvation by free-will or by free-grace? To answer that question I make no
appeal to the preachers and theologians of the past, though I thank God for
what he has taught me through the writings of those faithful men who served him
in past generations. And I make no appeal to the preachers and theologians of
the present, though I truly thank God for his faithful witnesses who minister
to my soul. I turn, instead to the Book of God, our only rule of faith and
practice (Psa. 115:1).
Who is entitled to the
praise and glory of salvation? What
does the Bible say? “Not unto us,
O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy
truth’s sake!”
Is salvation by the
free-will of man, or by the free-grace of God? What does the Bible say? “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy!” (Rom. 9:16).
What do I mean when I use that vile, ugly, reprehensible
term – “free-will”? I mean anything decided, determined, or
done by the sinner to attain God’s salvation.—Free-will is the religion of
Lucifer! (Isa. 14:12-14).
(Isaiah 14:12-14) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart,
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of
the clouds; I will be like the most High."
What do I mean when I use that glorious, God-honoring,
all-important term “free-grace”? I mean everything
decided, determined, and done by almighty God to bestow salvation upon his
elect. Free-grace is the sovereign,
voluntary, eternal, immutable, unconditional, uncaused, uncontrolled,
gratuitous bounty of God, by which salvation in all its branches is
accomplished. It is this grace that reigns unto the eternal life of
chosen sinners through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:21).
(Romans 5:20-21) "Moreover the law entered, that the
offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by
Jesus Christ our Lord."
I want us to briefly
examine every aspect of salvation as it is set forth in the Holy Scriptures to
see if there is anything respecting the salvation of a sinner that is ascribed,
in whole or in part, to the will of man, the work of man, or the worth of man,
or if salvation is in its’ entirety ascribed to the free-grace of God alone,
determined entirely by the will, work, and worth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of God.
Illustration: A local Campbellite preacher recently
wrote, “The Bible says that ‘salvation is by grace’; but it never says,
salvation is by grace alone.” He is right. The Bible nowhere says it; but it
teaches it everywhere!
Proposition: It is my intention to show you from the
Word of God that God alone deserves and shall have all the praise of salvation,
because salvation is the work of God alone.
Divisions:
Let’s look at what God says about salvation. For the sake of
keeping our thoughts in order, we will look at salvation from three directions:
1. What God has done
for us.
2. What God is doing
in us.
3. What God shall do
with us.
NOTE:
As we open the Word of God, if you find any place where any
part of salvation is attributed to man’s free-will, I urge you never to hear me
again; for, if salvation is by man’s free-will, I do not know God. I am a false
prophet. However, if salvation is altogether ascribed to God, then you must
never again hear a preacher of free-will, for the free-willer does not know
God. He is a false prophet.
I
First,
let’s look back at what God Has Done For Us.
Salvation begins in
eternity. Long, long before God began
his work of grace in us he began his work of grace for us. If your
thoughts about salvation are limited to what you experience in time, you have a
very limited and perverse view of God’s work. Salvation includes the past, the
present, and the future. I have been saved; I am being saved; and I shall be
saved.
With regard to what
God has done for us, is salvation attributed to the free-will of man, or to the
free-grace of God? Let’s see!
A. In
surveying this momentous, glorious thing called “salvation,” let’s begin where God began, with the eternal
election of his people in Christ.
To whom are we
indebted for this, the first of all spiritual blessings? Pride says, “To me!”
Self-righteousness says, “To me!” Free-will says, “To me!” “Election must be
based upon something God foresaw in me!” Faith joins with the Word of God and
says, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
but unto thy name give glory, for they mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
“’Tis
not that I did choose Thee,
For,
Lord, that could not be;
This
heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst
Thou not chosen me.
My
heart owns none before Thee;
For
Thy rich grace I thirst;
This
knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou
must have loved me first.”
Hear the testimony of
the Apostle Paul (Rom. 11:5-6).
(Romans 11:5-6) "Even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (6) 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."
·
“There
is a remnant.”
·
“According
to the election of grace.”
·
“And
if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace.”
“Grace
ceases to be grace unless it is totally and absolutely irrespective of anything
and everything, whether good or bad, in the objects of it”
Augustus
Toplady.
We
affirm that God’s election of some to salvation and eternal life was a work of
unconditional grace, because grace
and conditionality are two incompatible opposites. The one totally
negates and destroys the other. They cannot exist together, anymore than two
objects can occupy the same place at the same time. If you slip in works, you
push grace out. If you establish grace, you push works out.
·
God’s next work for us revealed in the
Scriptures was the everlasting covenant of grace, ordered
in all things and sure from eternity.
Are
the blessings of that covenant made between God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit conditioned upon our works, or are they conditioned upon
God’s work? Is the immutability of the covenant determined by man’s free-will,
or by God’s sovereign will? Are repentance, faith, obedience and perseverance
conditions of the covenant, or fruits of the covenant? What saith the
Scripture? (Heb. 8:8-12; 2 Tim. 1: 9-12; Rom. 9:9-16).
(Hebrews
8:8-12) "For finding fault with
them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) Not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I
regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For
this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws
into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people: (11) And
they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (12) For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more."
(2 Timothy 1:9-12) "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, (10)
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel: (11) Whereunto I am
appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. (12) For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day."
(Romans
9:9-16) "For this is the word of promise, At this time
will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
(10) And not only this; but when
Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by
our father Isaac; (11) (For the children being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (12) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What
shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? God forbid. (15) For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion.
(16) So then it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Illustration: The Reading Of The Will.
·
The Covenant was established in eternity.
·
The Covenant was put into force at
Calvary.
·
The Covenant is read in the preaching of
the Gospel.
·
The Covenant is received by faith.
·
Faith itself is a covenant gift of grace
(Eph. 2:8; Jer. 32:38-41).
(Ephesians
2:8) "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God:"
(Jeremiah
32:38-41) "And they shall be my
people, and I will be their God: (39) And
I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for
the good of them, and of their children after them: (40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I
will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their
hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
(41) Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them
in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul."
What
do we say, with regard to God’s covenant and all the blessings of it? Was God’s
covenant established upon the will of man, or upon the will of God? The will of
God! Was God’s covenant put into force by the work of Christ, or does it wait
upon the work of man? The work of Christ! Does God’s covenant recognize the
worth of man, or the worth of Christ? The worth of Christ! Is God’s covenant
the result of man’s free-will, or of God’s free-grace? God’s free-grace!
When
we think of the covenant then, and all its blessings, let us sing this song – “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
·
Then, in the fullness of time, God sent
his Son into the world to suffer and die as our Substitute, to make atonement
for our sins and redeem us from the curse of the law.
Read
the Scriptures with me (Isa. 53:6, 8-10; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12; 1
Pet. 1:18-20; 1 Pet. 2:24; Rev. 5:9-10).
(Isaiah
53:6) "All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
(Isaiah
53:8-10) "He was taken from prison
and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out
of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (9) And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise
him; he hath put him to grief: when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
(2
Corinthians 5:21) "For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
(Galatians
3:13) "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:"
(Hebrews
9:12) "Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for
us."
(1
Peter 1:18-20) "Forasmuch as ye
know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last times for you,"
(1
Peter 2:24) "Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live
unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
(Revelation
5:9-10) "And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And
hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth."
NOTE: The whole doctrine of
the gospel stands or falls upon this one point – “How that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures!” (1 Cor. 15:3). Be sure you understand the doctrine of the
Scriptures. I am not preaching a theory of the atonement. I am preaching the
biblical doctrine of the atonement!
(1
Corinthians 15:1-3) "Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also
ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
(2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"
·
Christ died by the will of God!
·
Christ died as a Substitute for God’s
elect! “For the transgressions of my
people!”
·
Christ accomplished the redemption of his
people when he die don the cross by satisfying Divine justice for us!
·
Christ’s work of redemption is a finished
work of grace!
“‘Tis
done! The great transaction is done,
I
am my Lord’s, and He is mine!”
·
To be redeemed is to be forgiven!
·
To be redeemed is to be justified!
·
To be redeemed is to be accepted!
Where
in the Bible are these things said to be the possession of all men? Where are
these great blessings of redemption attributed to the free-will of man? These
works of redemption are the works of God’s free-grace alone!
Redeemed
sinners in heaven, what say you to the great and glorious work of redemption?
Hear their answer – “Thou art worthy, O
Lamb of God, for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!”
Redeemed
sinners upon the earth, what say you about the redemption of your souls? “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
Those
are the great works of God for us, by which we are saved. Not one of them are
dependent upon or determined by man’s free-will. They are all the works of
God’s free-grace in Christ.
·
Electing grace!
·
Covenant grace!
·
Redeeming grace!
“To God be the glory, great things he
hath done!”
·
Secondly,
I want us to briefly consider what God is doing in us (Tit.
3:4-7).
(Titus
3:4-7) "But after that the kindness
and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; (7) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life."
This
is the experimental part of salvation. It is as essential as election and
redemption. As the work of God for us is altogether of grace, so the work of
God in us is a work of grace alone. Listen to the Word of our God – “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh
profitteth nothing!” ((John 6:63).
A. Regeneration is a work
of grace alone
(Eph. 2:1-4).
(Ephesians
2:1-4) "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins: (2) 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: (3) Among whom also we
all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others. (4) But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,"
B. The conviction of sin,
righteousness, and judgment is the work of grace alone (John 16:8-13).
(John
16:8-13) "And when he is come, he
will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) Of sin, because they believe not on
me; (10) Of righteousness, because I
go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
(11) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (12) I have yet many things to say unto
you, but ye cannot bear them now. (13) Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."
C. Faith in Christ is the
work of grace alone
(Eph. 1:19; 2:8; Col. 2:12).
(Ephesians
1:19) "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,"
(Ephesians
2:8) "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God:"
(Colossians
2:12) "Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through
the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
NOTE: When we declare faith
to be necessary to salvation, the Hardshell cries, “There, is not believing a
work? Have you not slipped in works?” No! Faith is God’s work in us!
D. Good works are the
work of grace
(Gal. 5:22-24; Eph. 2:10).
“It is God which worketh in you, both to
will and to do of his good pleasure!”
(Gal
5:22-24) "But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. (24) And they that
are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
(Ephesians 2:10) "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
E. Perseverance is the
work of grace alone
(John 10:27-28; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5; Jer. 32:38-41).
(John
10:27-28) "My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me: (28)
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my
hand."
(Philippians
1:6) "Being confident of this very
thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
(1
Peter 1:5) "Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time."
(Jeremiah
32:38-41) "And they shall be my
people, and I will be their God: (39) And
I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for
the good of them, and of their children after them: (40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I
will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their
hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
(41) Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them
in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul."
We
believe in the perseverance of the saints because we believe in the
perseverance of the Savior.
F. Yes, even
sanctification is the work of grace alone.
Let
me camp here for just a minute. Contrary to the report of some, I do know the
difference between sanctification and justification. I know wherein the two
differ; and I know wherein they agree. They agree in this – Both are works of
grace!
Sanctification
is holiness. To be sanctified is to be made holy. This great work of God is
never once ascribed to the will, or work of man. It is always ascribed to the
grace of God alone. Grace makes unholy men and women holy.
·
By imputed righteousness in
justification.
·
By imparted righteousness in
sanctification.
To
be sanctified is to be made a saint. It is not the pope who makes men saints.
Neither do sinners make themselves saints. Grace alone makes sinners to be
saints!
NOTE: The word “sanctify” is used six times in the New
Testament. The word “sanctification”
is used five times. “Sanctified” is
used 16 times. But never even once, in those 27 places, is sanctification
ascribed to the will or works of man. It is always ascribed to God and his
glorious grace.
We
are said to be sanctified…
·
“Through
the truth” (John 17:19).
·
“By
faith” in Christ (Acts 26:18).
·
“By
the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 15:16).
·
“In
Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2).
·
“In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God” (1
Cor. 6:11).
·
“By
the will of God, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ” (Heb.
10:10).
·
And “by
God the Father” (Jude 1).
But
never, not even once, in the New Testament is sanctification said to be the
result of any man’s will or work. It is the work of God’s free-grace!
What
does God say about the work he is doing in us? He says, “My grace is sufficient for thee!” What have saved men in the past
said about it? “By the grace of God I am
what I am!” And what do you and I say about it? “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for
thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
·
Lastly,
think for a minute about what God shall do with us.
The Lord is not done
with us yet. There are a few things yet to be done. But none of them depend
upon us!
A. Soon the Lord God will
bring us safely across the swelling Jordan into our heavenly Canaan (Ex. 15:16-18).
(Exodus 15:16-18) "Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by
the greatness of thine arm they shall be as
still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass
over, which thoux hast purchased. (17) Thou shalt bring them in, and
plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou
hast made for thee to dwell in, in the
Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands
have established. (18) The LORD shall
reign for ever and ever."
Our dear Savior, who
has led us through the wilderness of life, will not leave us at the edge of the
river. He will bring us into the land of rest. That heavenly city standing
before us…
·
Is Built Upon A Foundation Of Grace.
·
Has A Door Of Grace.
·
Is An Inheritance Of Grace.
As God brought Israel
into Canaan, not for their righteousness, but for his name’s sake, so he will
bring us into glory, not for our righteousness, but for his name’s sake.
Illustration: “He’s got more to lose than me. If I perish, I’ll lose my soul, but God,
He’d lose his glory!”
Illustration: Darrell McClung—“Thank God for that
man in heaven! Thank God for Christ! O how I thank God for the blood of
Christ!” – “I’m still looking for that Man in heaven!”
B. In the resurrection
day the Lord Jesus Christ will complete his work of grace for us, in us, and
with us.
1.
There will be a glorious resurrection!
·
Christ is coming again!
·
He will unite our bodies with our souls!
·
He will conform us to himself perfectly!
·
This mortal must put on immortality!
·
This corrupt, corruptible, corrupting man
must and shall put on incorruption!
2.
There will be a glorious judgment!
That judgment will not
be to decide who shall enter into heaven, but to demonstrate who is worthy and
why! In that great day our God will display in us, to wondering worlds of men,
angels, and devils, the wonders of his matchless grace!
(Ephesians 2:7) "That in the ages to come he might show
the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus."
3.
There will be a glorious presentation!
·
“Then
cometh the end!”
·
“Lo,
I and the children!”
·
“Holy,
without blame, before him!”
(Jude 1:24-25) "Now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever.
Amen."
4.
There will be a glorious introduction!
The Lord Jesus Christ
will introduce us, a great, glorified multitude, which no man can number, into
everlasting glory. There we shall forever increase in the knowledge of, and
love for, and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ.
5.
This
inheritance of heavenly glory, whatever it is, is an inheritance of free-grace!
It is ours by…
·
Eternal Predestination! (Eph. 1:11).
·
Lawful Purchase! (Heb. 6:20).
·
The Gift Of God! (Rom. 6:23).
In heaven’s
everlasting glory this shall be our endless, melodious song of praise – “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
The whole work of
salvation is the work of God’s free-grace by Jesus Christ. He alone shall have
the praise for it. “This is the word of
the Lord…Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts…He shall bring forth the headstone (for the completion of his temple)
with shoutings, crying, grace, grace unto
it!…(His) hands have laid the
foundation of (his) house; his hands
shall also finish it!” (Zech. 4:6-9).
Application:
The believer boasts
not of his free-will, but of God’s free-grace alone (1 Cor. 1:29-31; Phil.
3:3).
·
Grace chose me!
·
Grace redeemed me!
·
Grace called me!
·
Grace keeps me!
·
Grace shall bring me home to God!
·
To God alone I ascribe all praise for his
free-grace. “Not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s
sake!”
1.
Let
every will worshipper be warned!
If
you trust your will, your works, or your worth to any degree, you are yet
without life before God (Gal. 5:1-4).
(Galatians
5:1-4) "Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage. (2) Behold, I Paul
say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. (3) For I testify again to every man
that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. (4) Christ is become of no effect unto
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
“You
are an infidel, if you trust your own righteousness…You have, in the sight of
God, neither part nor lot in this matter. You are spiritually dead while you
pretend to live. Until you are endued with faith in Christ’s righteousness,
your body is the living coffin of a dead soul! A Christian is a believer not in
himself, but in Christ.” (Augusta Toplady)
Cast
off your righteousness. Come to Christ. Trust his blood and righteousness. If
you do, you are an heir of free-grace. You too will sing – “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for
thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
2.
Let
every believer make a clean, public, permanent break with all false,
free-will,works religion (Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor.
6:17 - 7:1).
Come
out of Babylon! Come out and God will receive you!
(2
Corinthians 6:17-18) "Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive
you, (18) And will be a Father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
(2
Corinthians 7:1) "Having therefore
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting (performing) holiness in the fear of
God."
(Revelation
18:4) "And I heard another voice
from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of
her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
3.
Let
every ransomed sinner be humbled (1 Cor. 4:7; 2 Thess.
2:10-14).
(1 Corinthians
4:7) "For who maketh thee to differ
from another? and what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"
(2 Thessalonians
2:10-14) "And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie: (12) That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. (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: (14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let it be ours ever to
extol the matchless free-grace of God in Christ. “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for
thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake!”
Amen.
1 Misc. Sermon #1042 Redeemer Baptist Church, Louisville, KY (May 1992)—Danville 13th Conference (Friday – 09/04/92).—Christian Fellowship Church, North Brunswick, NJ (Sunday AM – 09/21/03).
(Revelation 11:7) "And when they shall have finished their
testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war
against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
(Revelation
13:1-4) "And I stood upon the sand
of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten
horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (2) And the beast which I saw was like
unto a leopard, and his feet were as the
feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave
him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (3) And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and
his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (4) And they worshipped the dragon
which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to
make war with him?"
(Revelation
13:11-12) "And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon. (12) And he
exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
healed."
(Revelation
13:14-15) "And deceiveth them that
dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them
that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had
the wound by a sword, and did live. (15) And
he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image
of the beast should be killed."
(Revelation
13:17-18) "And that no man might
buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number
of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. Let
him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number
of a man; and his number is Six
hundred threescore and six."
(Revelation 14:9) "And the third angel followed them,
saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and
receive his mark in his forehead, or
in his hand,"
(Revelation
14:11) "And the smoke of their
torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,
who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his
name."
(Revelation 15:2) "And I saw as it were a sea of glass
mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and
over his image, and over his mark, and over
the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of
God."
(Revelation 16:2) "And the first went, and poured out his
vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men
which had the mark of the beast, and upon
them which worshipped his image."
(Revelation
16:10) "And the fifth angel poured
out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness;
and they gnawed their tongues for pain,"
(Revelation
16:13) "And I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs come out of the
mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of
the false prophet."
(Revelation 17:3) "So he carried me away in the spirit
into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full
of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
(Revelation
17:7-8) "And the angel said unto
me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and
of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (8) The beast that thou sawest was, and
is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the
book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that
was, and is not, and yet is."
(Revelation
17:11-13) "And the beast that was,
and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition. (12) And the ten horns
which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (13) These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength
unto the beast."
(Revelation
17:16-17) "And the ten horns which
thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (17) For God hath put in their hearts
to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until
the words of God shall be fulfilled."
(Revelation
19:19-20) "And I saw the beast, and
the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against
him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the
mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast
alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
(Revelation 20:4) "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them: and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon
their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years."
(Revelation 20:10) "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."