If you wish to follow along turn
to Galatians chapter 1 and the same verses I have been on for
the past several messages Galatians chapter 1 let me read those verses
again and then point out the words that I wish to dwell on
at large this morning Galatians 1 verse 13 For ye have heard
of my conversation, or that is my way of life, in time past
in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the
church of God and wasted it, and profited in the Jews' religion
above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceeding
zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me
by his grace to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him
among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood. The phrase that I want to try to concentrate on this
morning is this. And called me by his grace. So my title would be called by
God's grace. Now before I begin, let me say
this. I want to press upon a few things here this morning. But
there are a few things that I will not just press with my thumb. The other day, I think it was
actually yesterday, I had a piece of skin on my finger just begin
to tear loose. Did you ever just pop that piece
of skin off and the blood just starts to pour? Well, I was able
to get just a little tissue and put a thumb on it. And within
a little bit of no time, it was gone. But there'll be some things
that I must lay both hands on like a gaping worm. Because we
poor, metaphorically speaking, in some of these things, when
it comes to be called by the grace of God, we gush forth spiritual
blood, and I mean in a bad way. Now, three things before I get
into the three things I want to try to press upon. Some, as
I have mentioned, harder than others. There's three things
to be established. Look at Matthew, turn to Matthew chapter 22. I'm
not gonna read all that for the sake of time. I'm afraid all
that I have here will be far too lengthy for our bodies to
handle, be dealing with all of this, but Matthew chapter 22. Let me make the statement and
then I'll point out the truth of it from this passage. Matthew 22, specifically verses
one through 14 are the very words of the master himself. Here's
the first thing about being called by God's grace. This is about
calling. There is a call of authoritative
command that has no grace given with the command. Did you hear
what I said? There is a call of authoritative
command without grace given with the command. And we see that
emphasized clearly by our Lord in this parable. He spoke about
this, verse two of Matthew 22, the kingdom of heaven is likened
to a certain king, which made a marriage for his son. And there
were some that were bid to the wedding. You see, that's called. They were bid to the wedding,
and they refused. As a matter of fact, not only
were they bid to the wedding, but they acted toward this certain
king with malice and hatred and murder. The king says, I'll slaughter
them all. Now go out and call others to
the marriage. But look at what it says. Verse
11, this is our Lord's words himself. And when the king came
in to see the guests, these guests had been what? Bidden to come,
called to come. When the king came in to see
the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. He was there with the rest. He
had entered in, if you will, with the rest, right? But what's
this one problem that the king, the king, and that's all who
mattered, that the king noticed, he didn't have on a wedding garment. And he said unto him, friend,
no malice here in the king toward this individual, but justice
still must be served. Now you hear what I'm saying?
No malice here in the king toward this man, but justice still must
be served. And he said unto him, friend,
how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And
he was speechless. Speechless. Then said the king
to the servants, bind him hand and foot and take him away. and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth." Now, what do you think that's a reference to? Eternal
torment under the judgment of the king. Although the king did
not have to have some undue animosity toward the person, but justice
must be satisfied. Okay, this world does not understand
our God in that light But then look at how our Lord summed up
this whole power parable for many are called But few are chosen
So just being called Will not be enough if I do not have on
the wedding garment Second thought about this thing of calling.
Turn to Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46. All right, Isaiah 46. There is a call of predestinating
power. There is a call backed up. Stated
a couple different ways. There is a call backed up by
the predestinating purpose and power of God Almighty And it
may be with or without grace It's all at his sovereign hand
Look at what God said through Isaiah the prophet, verse eight
of Isaiah 46. Remember this, and show yourselves
men. Bring it again to mind, oh ye
transgressors. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God. There is none else. I am God,
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Now that's
true. No matter what No matter what the response of those under
the purpose of God but then look at what God says calling a ravenous
bird from the east The man that execute of my counsel from a
far country. Yeah, I've spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass I have purpose that I will also do it.
I Now many of the writers, those who have written on this book,
Isaiah, and specifically of Isaiah 46, seem to think that Cyrus,
King Cyrus, was the one that Isaiah specifically had in mind
here, or that I should say God had in mind, and was mentioning
through Isaiah. And this may well be so, but
think about it. We can see this call of predestinating
power with grace. And Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. But remember, all flesh had corrupted
God's way. Huh? All flesh had corrupted
God's way. And God brought about his purpose
to save the human race through one man and seven others with
him. There was a There was a call
given to come down into the ark. Was it not? Come down into the
ark. What about Shimei though? Remember
Shimei out there cursing David and throwing rocks at him? David
said, let him alone. The Lord bid him curse. Let him
curse. Maybe he will recruit me good
this day for his cursing. Here is Shimei under the sovereign
hand of God Almighty out there cursing with his lips and throwing
rocks with his hands. And David acknowledged it for
what it was. God Almighty's in absolute control. He called this ravenous bird,
maybe not from the east, but from right in the midst of the
camp of Israel. And he called this ravenous bird,
here he is cursing David and throwing rocks at him. But we
never find any grace. Because we read of Shimei, that
same man under Solomon being slaughtered to death. Because
Solomon said, as long as you stay in Jerusalem, you're safe.
You leave Jerusalem, you're a goner. He left Jerusalem, Solomon had
him killed. You see it? What about Cyrus? Cyrus was one of the kings God
used to bring Israel back into the land. the promised land after
70 years of captivity, yet he gave him no grace. As a matter
of fact, God said of Cyrus, he's my chosen one, my anointed one. So you see, there is a call of
predestinating power, but it may be with or without grace.
It's all at God's sovereign discretion. Look at our context, our text,
or the context, rather, of our text. For you've heard of my
conversation in time past. You see that? But when it pleased
God. Do you see that? God had Saul
of Tarsus right where he wanted Saul of Tarsus. And Saul of Tarsus
was not resisting God's sovereign will. Now let me stop just a
moment. Sometimes we have that little
place, but let's put the hands on it. Theologically men like to come
up with phrases Paul even mentioned it common grace as Opposed to
saving grace. There ain't no such animal I've
used it myself, but I was wrong If I ever use it again Ellen,
I am wrong You see we talked about God's permissive will and
God's decretive will wrong. There's God's will and And everything
in God's will, he decreed. And if you're in a part of that
will and he's decreed for you to do something, bless God you're
gonna do it. And that's just the way it is.
Tell you what we do in these theological circles with these
phrase, we're trying to give God just a little more palatability
to the unbelieving world. We're trying to educate them
into the truth by, as Earl, as you and I, by using terms and
slipping the truth in the back door. Just tell the truth about
God for who he is. Quit trying to use words and
phrases to soften the offense of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. But there's a third call. Turn
to John chapter 10. Now notice in all three of these
examples, I have not even, and I'm not throwing off, all of
this is inspired. Every bit of this book's true.
But I've given you actual examples of these, I will give you, I've
given you examples of two of them, I will give you one for
the third one. All of these come from the mouth of God himself.
This is not Paul's take on it, or Peter's take on it, or my
take on it. This is God speaking directly
through Isaiah. We've seen that, right? God speaking
himself in the person of the Son, Matthew 22. Now are you
John 10? Here's the third one. There is
a call of God by grace. The whole call is motivated by,
its impetus is, its power is the grace of God. It has both right and might that
God exercises in this call to bring about exactly what he purposed
in the call on an individual. Look at it, John 10, these are
the words of the Good Shepherd himself. Truly, truly, or verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold, that climbeth up some other way, the same as
a thief and a robber, and that has for a man who professes to
be a Christ, or a man who preaches a different Christ, other than
the Christ of God, that applies to all of it. But he that entereth
in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter
openeth. Who could the porter be? None
but the Spirit of God, because it takes the Spirit of God to
open up anything unto an individual. To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep
by name. And now he doesn't wait to see
if they'll come. He calleth his own sheep by name
and leadeth them out. Out from where they were, and
according to verse 16, leads them right up unto himself. He says this in 16. and other
sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. There is no doubt as to the effects
of this call. Let us not be as some who try
to fit God's call into our own little box, so it fits our denominational
tag. or doctrines. In our text, remember, Paul recalls
his rebellious days, does he not? And I've already actually
read it. For ye have heard of my conversation,
my way of life in time past, and it was not good toward God,
nor his church, nor his son. But when it pleased God, You
see it? Who separated me from my mother's
womb. So this ain't something God came
up with a little later and said, well, I can use a man like that. He'd been using that man since
the days in his mommy's belly. As Earl used to say, even all
that training Saul of Tarsus had, God gave it to him. Because
now, here's a man when God opened his eyes and opened his ears
and gave him a heart to perceive, he could actually relate to those
who were on the other side still yet. Could he not? He could still
actually relate to all of those Judaizers. And he didn't hate
them. He said, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is what? That they might be saved. But
they don't have a saving knowledge. But when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace. Now here's the three things,
pardon. First of all, God's call by grace. God's call by grace cannot be
separated from the election of grace. Can't do it. It is nothing but an insult to
God Almighty to talk about God's grace, that we believe in God's
grace, and then to reject the election of grace. Now, I said
of grace. Most, I know, there are some
people say, I don't believe in election. Well, of course they're
wrong. The Bible talks about election,
right? That's a given. But there are some say, I believe
in, I used to hear this all the time, we believe in Bible election.
Well, the Bible don't need to be elected. And the Bible don't
do the electing. So there is no such thing as
Bible election. What they meant was, we believe
in our brand of election. And we get it from the Bible,
don't you know? Because of course, you know, a good Bible Belt,
Southern Baptist kind of, we were Bible believers. Here's
what Paul says about the election of grace. And he says it about
Jews. Look at it, Romans 11. I say
then, hath God cast away his people? Now what people's he
talking about? Look at the context. Romans 11, God forbid. For I
also am a what? Israelite of the seed of Abraham
of the tribe of Benjamin. So what people's he talking about? Jews, Israelites, those who are
descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Israel right look God
hath not cast away his people and then here's the kicker which
he foreknew Because remember they're not all Israel which
are of Israel Look which he foreknew what ye not what ye not what
the scripture saith of Elias Another this is no new phenomenon
This is the way it's always been What ye not what the scripture
saith of Elias, or that is Elijah, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel? Say, Lord, they have killed thy
prophets and digged down thine altars. Now I'm left alone, they
seek my life. of what saith the answer of God
unto him. I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, and notice
that the reservation is mentioned before the not bowing the knee.
They weren't reserved because they didn't bow the knee, they
didn't bow the knee because they were reserved. You get that? Now look, and this ain't my take
on it, Paul says it this way, even so, you see, Even so then,
at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. God had those Jews specifically
chosen in Christ to salvation amongst the whole of the nation
of the Jews. In Elijah's time, in Paul's time,
and we have every reason to believe it's still so today. Nowhere
in this book does it ever say it's gonna be different. Look,
even so at this present time, also, a remnant, according to
the election of grace, but then he splantifies it, as Art Newman
Swander used to say. And if by grace, then it is no
more of human action, works. Do you see it? The election of
grace is called the election of grace because it is done by
grace. It had nothing to do with any
act of ours. And if by grace, then it is no
more works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of
works, then it's no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.
Now, how much plainer can it be? The only problem, you don't
need another version. You don't need an updated version.
I get tickled with this, people say, well, I understand the new
King James Version better. No, you don't. You might understand
the words better, but nobody understands and loves and believes
the truth of God apart from an act of God and sovereign saving
grace. A different version doesn't make
it easier for you to believe. It takes an act of God for us
to believe. When are we going to get away
from us thinking we can help God out? Huh? God's call by grace cannot be
separated from the election of grace. The election is absolute
and free toward those of Jewish descent. They had nothing up
on anybody, but all their rebellion through all them years, Helen,
didn't cause God to cast them off completely because he always
had a remnant according to the election of grace. but the election
is absolute and free toward the Gentiles too. Acts chapter 15. And while the word calling here
and election in and of itself is not used, I want us to listen
to what, well, we'll listen to what James says. Acts 15, this
is when they had that big brouhaha down in Jerusalem. And look at
verse 13, and after they had held their peace, James answered
saying, remember, James who wrote the book of James and said faith
without work is dead. He's just as right about that
as anything else. But he says these words, look
at it. Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared
how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them
a people for his name. That's calling by grace. That's
what it is. Look, and to this agree the words
of the prophets. As it is written, after this
I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David
which is fallen down. God's not done with the Jews
yet. What all he's going to do, I
don't know. Some people think they do. I doubt they know as
much as they think they do. Did this book tell us none of
us knows anything yet as we ought to know it? We know what? Mac,
we know he's going to do something, but be careful when you start
trying to say here's exactly what it's going to be and here's
when it's going to happen. Look, but here's the point. I will
build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down,
and will build up again the ruins thereof, and will set it up again,
that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all
the Gentiles upon whom my name is called. You see it? Saith the Lord, who doeth all
these things, known unto God are all his works, from the beginning
of the world. I will use this phrase, some
of you may know what I'm talking about, some of you may not. This
present age, what men call the church age, might be a gap to
us, but bless God, it ain't a gap to God. Now you hear what I just
said? It might have been a gap to media
folk, but it wasn't no gap to God. It's exactly what God had
ordained to take place before the foundation of the world.
There's a third thought about this remember God's Paul call
by grace gonna be separated for the election of grace because
Even this same Luke over in Acts chapter 13 Go back a couple chapters Acts chapter 13 Paul's preaching
and these words are said verse 48 and when the Gentiles heard
this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many
as Were ordained to eternal life believed Not one more Not one
less and not at any other day You see the very day that you
began to believe was ordained of God. I This is not just some
general ordination here. This is not just the election
in general, but this is the election coming to fruition in time under
the preaching of the gospel. And as many as God laid hold
of, that's my words. As many as God breathed spiritual
life into, that's the scripture's words. They believed. They believed. You see, the election of grace
is manifested in gospel power. Paul put it this way to the Thessalonians. I'm not going to turn to it.
It's 1 Thessalonians 1, 4 through 10. He put it this way. I know
your elect of God. Isn't that quite a statement?
I know your election of God. How come? Because our gospel
did not come to you in word only, but in power, and in much assurance,
and in the Holy Ghost. That's how we know. Somebody
says, but preacher, you just, how do I know if I'm one of the
elect? Quit worrying about whether you're one of the elect. Do you
hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and submit to its subject,
its object, Jesus Christ. Now, like I said, you see the
wound starting to open over there? Oh, I just don't, we'll get into
it. I'm going to say I'm going to get ahead of myself. I can't
help it now. Oh, sometimes I doubt whether I'm one of the elect
or not. Have you seen the Lamb's Book of Life? Have you? Then you're not gonna know beyond
an absolute doubt by looking at your name recorded in the
Lamb's Book of Life. You got to look at the characteristics
of those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life written
in this book. And if your characteristics match
up to their characteristics, you can say, whoa, I'm one of
God's elect. There is a warning here. This
is my second thought. There is a warning here. But
let me stop. Go back to 1 Thessalonians 1,
4 through 10. Paul said not only that, not only did our word not
come to our gospel, did our gospel not come to you in word only?
But he said, you became followers of us and of the Lord. Don't
tell me you're a true believer, but you just don't need to be
around God's people. You're a liar. And you may be a deceiver. You
may not mean to lie, but bless God, you're a liar nonetheless.
You became followers of us and of the Lord, and it's gonna leak
out on you to other believers. This is my paraphrase. He said
you became examples to everybody that believed in Achaia. Now
not to the world in general, but other believers will say
something happened to those folks. And it looks just like what happened
to us. But here's another hallmark of that. The gospel didn't come
to you in word only. It come to you in power. Much
assurance. And in the Holy Ghost, you begin
to be a part of God's people. You followed God's people in
the land. And it leaked out on you what
God had done for you. And you're waiting for his son
from heaven. You're turning from idols. Wrong. Turning to God from idols. We originally turned to God,
but I'm still turning from idols turning from idols turning from
idols Turning from and I'll keep doing that till that day Jack.
I awaken his likeness That's a hallmark of what it means to
be called of God But there's a warning here Now this point
don't have a whole lot of great swelling words or scriptures
just this Whatever call I See is my calling Here's the question. Does my call, that I see as my
calling, does it fit being called by God's grace? That's what matters. That's what matters. And as we'll
see here in a moment, God willing, the wound's open now, starting
to bleed. I'll give you more of that in
a moment. I'll show you how that bleeds
here in a moment. Sometimes we've got to have a
tourniquet put on it, because we'll bleed ourselves to emotional
death. And I mean that in a spiritual,
we'll bleed ourselves to emotional death, worrying, worrying, worrying. Somebody says, you sound pretty
confident this morning. I'm not very confident. But this
word is absolute. And we'll see that in a moment.
Remember, here's that warning, not every call is accompanied
by God's grace. Now that's a little frightening
when you think about it, ain't it? Think of this one. Here's
Nebuchadnezzar, proud peacock. God brought him down. Did he
not? My opinion is God gave him grace.
But I can't say that absolutely. You know what I mean? I think
of him as Brother Nebuchadnezzar. But what if I'm wrong? That's
God's business if I'm wrong. Right? That's God's business
if I'm wrong. So here's number three. Now what
I want you to do is turn to, before I even start this third
point, turn to 1 Peter, or I'm sorry, 2 Peter. Chapter one.
2 Peter chapter one. Remember, the call of God, being
called by God's grace, let me put it that way. Being called
by God's grace cannot be separated from the election of grace. And
in all of this call, there is a warning. Not every call is
a call of God's grace. Thirdly, here's the thing, you're
at 2 Peter 1 now. There is a great blessing I will
use this word. I hope I'll show you why in a
moment. There is a great blessing in verifying my having been called
by God's grace. Here's the first part. We are
commanded to make firm. We are commanded to make steadfast. We are commanded to verify the
force of our calling and election by our brother Peter. 2 Peter
1, and let's just read a couple verses. Verse 10, wherefore the
rather, brethren, rather than what? Now not rather than as
he begins, add to your faith, Virtue to your virtue knowledge
to your knowledge temperance. This is verse five six to your
temperance patient patience To your patience godliness to godliness
brotherly kindness to brotherly kindness charity Peter is not
saying wherefore the rather than that he's saying what he just
mentioned Look at it Verse eight for if these things be in you,
do you see it? In other words god almighty.
This is important to you All of these characteristics are
important to you. You see them as a vital necessity
to your spiritual well-being, okay? I mean, this is what, we
live by Christ, but we live through these means God has ordained,
faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, kindness, God is brother,
all those things. For these things be in you and
abound. They make you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful, but here's what in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see that? It's not about
getting better and better, it's about knowing Him more and more.
You see it? Now do I want to be better and
better? Yeah, but let that go. Let that flow as it may. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. All this other
stuff will happen. But look, but he that lacketh
these is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten
that he was purged from his old sins. And if you go to some of
the commentators, they will confuse the ever-loving daylights out
of you. This one says this person in verse nine's lost. Another
one says, well, they're saved, but backslid. And another one
says this and that. Just take it for what it is.
He's nearsighted. He's forgotten what Christ did
for him at Calvary. And when you lose sight of that,
no matter how engaged you are for the here and now, for your
spiritual well-being, you have left the foundation. Christ Jesus
and him crucified. And does anybody ever really
forget they were purged from the rose? I mean, does it really
move from our memory? That's not the meaning of this.
As the early say, he's nearsighted. He's got his mind or her mind
situated on my troubles today, my problems today, my situation
today. And folks, I'm not being mean
to you. We all do the same thing way too often. If we'd be engaged in adding
to, adding to, adding to, and learning about Jesus Christ,
we wouldn't be worrying about me, me, me, would we? We'd be too busy learning about
him, him, him. But yet, we are with me. I am with me. You are with you
far more in your experience than you are with Christ. Let's just
be honest a minute. When you go to sleep, I'm saying
this as a matter, when you go to sleep, you don't go to sleep
with Christ, you go to sleep with you on your mind. What am
I gonna do tomorrow? I wonder how this day went. How
much did I do good? How much did I do bad? Always ask God to forgive you
of your sins before you go to sleep. You ever heard that? We
used to be taught that all the time. Ask him to forgive you
before you even do it. Get some preemptive call out
there because you're gonna fall. God help me because I know I'm
gonna fall. Watch Peter, look. Wherefore
the rather, rather than being so nearsighted, being so caught
up with self rather than Christ. Wherefore the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you,
now think about it, what I said. There is great blessing in verifying
my actually being called by God's grace. For if you do these things, ye
shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Now, I'm gonna see that wound. Well, I've already mentioned
it. Some of you may have already
caught it, but I just don't know whether I'm really one of God's
or not. I just don't know whether God's really called me or not.
Ever been there? Let me ask you, when is it usually
when you think those thoughts? When God's really worked in you
to will and do of his good pleasure? Is it when you've had good gospel
fellowship and heard some good gospel messages and you're just
uplifted? Nah, it's when you screw up.
when you've been a little lazy, when you haven't prayed like
you should have prayed, when you haven't read like you should
have read, when you haven't asked for forgiveness like you haven't
asked for forgiveness, when you haven't been as loving as you
should have been. And Paul's already preached this
message. But he was just in 1 Peter when
he did, you know what we're doing when we do that? We're looking
at us for the abundant entrance. Mm. Do you see it? Do you see
it? Peter commands us to make firm,
in other words, verify this thing's real. Let me tell you something. You and I can do nothing to make
sure it's real. We can't do anything to guarantee
it's real. Well, Lord, if it ain't real
today, I'll do this and you make sure the calling election's sure.
It's either already sure or it ain't. It's either already true
or it's not. In other words, in simple everyday
life, is it real? Is it real with me? Isn't that
it? But you know what's tough? Is
when you're having a rough day with this thing, and you're looking
at you, and you're looking at you, and somebody you have to
be around all day long, they're looking at them, and they're
looking at them. It's two of the most miserable people on
the face of the earth. Huh? Ain't it? Two of the most miserable people
on the face of the earth when your boat's doubting whether
you're called and elected a God or not. I mean, you just wallow
around in the mud of self-righteousness all day long together and just,
well, just to encourage one another in what? In self. In self until
God lifts one or the other or both out of it. But it's also
tough when you look at the Christ and you believe in Christ And
then somebody you gotta be around is just wallowing in self, and
wallowing in self, and wallowing in self. And you try to encourage,
you're not angry, because you've been there yourself. And you
know you can't just lift yourself up by your own bootstraps, because
that's defeating the cause. It's not about us lifting ourself
up by our own bootstraps. So remember, we're commanded
to make firm. That's the way the word is translated
in the New Testament in the Greek, or in the KJV, at least. We're
commanded to make firm, to make steadfast. It is something to
be a force. You understand what I'm saying?
A force. And I have used the word to verify, make sure it's
real. But here's a thought about that.
How do we engage in this? How is it wherefore the rather
brethren give diligence? Do you see that? Apply yourself
to this, but remember it's not apply yourself to this at the
forfeiture of all he's already said, but that the forfeiture
of being in verse nine. Do you get that? You're still,
we're still to be adding to our faith, virtue, to our virtue,
knowledge, to our knowledge, temperance, to our temperance,
patience, to our patience, godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness. Turn to 2 Corinthians 4, and
I'll give you a reason why. I've got two passages. I think
I may have mentioned both of these even last Sunday. Here's how we engage in this,
if you will. Because it is something that
we are to set our minds to. Give diligence to this. But we
can't take any merit for it, Jack. Because it's God that works
in us, both to will and to do. If I ever come out of that melancholy
state, who brought me out of that? You didn't pull yourself
up. He finally said, all right, he
or she's waddled enough. I've given them a good taste
of what self's like. And he begins to lift you back
up again. All right, you're in 2 Corinthians chapter four. I've
got two passages to give you. But before I do, let me say this.
You cannot know your election apart from being called by God's
grace. impossible. That's why Peter
says make your calling an election sure. If you're trying to figure
out if you're one of the elect before you figure out if you're
called, you got the cart before the horse. You're in trouble. You'll never come to any kind
of abundant entrance. You'll just be flailing around
like a fish out of the water. Listen to my word, did. Did,
because remember, don't just be short sighted, nearsighted.
Don't forget that you were purged from your old sins. Now, when
did that take place? When Christ died on that tree.
That's when you were purged from your old sins. Did God, you,
now listen to me. Being called by God's grace is
not having some, I'm not gonna use examples because none of
us had a Saul of Tarsus example. None of us were riding down the
road, and all of a sudden God knocked us off our beast, we
became blind, and God said, I can go down here in three days, I'll
send somebody to you. How many of us went through that?
Anybody here go through that? Now you might have had some peculiar
circumstances, but that ain't what it's about. Because the
peculiar circumstance itself is not the calling. It's to be
called by His grace, not be called by circumstances. Quit talking
about the circumstances, and you can only do that if you've
truly been called by His grace. And talk about what being called
by His grace really is. Did God use the gospel to shine
forth His glory in the face of Jesus Christ into your heart?
Look at it, 2 Corinthians 4. Therefore, seeing we have this
ministry, it's a gospel ministry, as we have received mercy, we
faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,
not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully,
but by manifestation of the what? Truth, truth, truth, truth. No
one's ever called by God's grace that truth has not been at the
forefront of the issue. Truth, truth. Commending ourselves
to every man's conscience in the sight of God But if our gospel
be hid its head to them that are lost how many people were
included in that? You ever been lost you ain't
never been found Everybody was in that way to start with right?
But if our gospel be hid he's not saying if it might be at
my but since it's in the force of sins But if our gospel be
hid its head to them that are lost and in whom the God of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them. For we preach not, do you see
it, ourselves. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ, Jesus the Lord, and our servants for Jesus' sake.
It ain't even for your sake, it's for his sake. It's his glory,
this is what this is all about, but look, for God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness. Just like he did way back, y'all,
let there be light. Now, do you think the elements
that did exist at that time said, okay, are we gonna obey this
or not? Well, let's see. That light was the light of God
himself. The moon and the stars and the
sun weren't even created yet. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts. Do you see that? There it is.
To give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. If your calling did not have
Jesus Christ as the sum and substance, your calling is to no avail. It was not called by God's grace. God didn't call you to something
first, then to that. He calls you to Christ first.
And then it just keeps on going, Christ, Christ, Christ. Can I show that? Yeah, turn to
same letter, 2 Corinthians 10. Remember, did God use the gospel
to shine forth his glory, the glory of his glory in Christ
in your heart? Did he do that? It's that simple,
but you can't work that up. You can't pray it down. You can't
merit it. God just gives it. And bless
God, if he gives it, you gonna know he gave it. I mean, you
might not understand it all right when it happens, but after it's
happened, you be like, that guy, is he a sinner or not? He said,
I don't know if he's a sinner or not, but I know this, I was
blind, now I see. And I know that, I was blind,
now I see. And I see Christ. Tommy, I see
him all over the place in this book. And I know this, when I
don't see him there, the problem's not because he ain't there, the
problem's because I don't see him. There's still some blindness
there. Did God use the gospel to shine
forth his glory in Christ in your heart? But, here's the second
one, does that gospel still conquer your heart and mind? If it did it one time, it's just
what Earl used to call a flash in the pan. It was an emotional,
religious experience. It was not being called by the
grace of God. It may have been called by conscience, may have
been called by peer pressure, may have been called by some
perceived threat of hell or whatever. I'm saying did and does. Does that gospel still conquer
our heart and mind? Look at Paul's words. To the
same people, our brothers and sisters at Corinth, 2 Corinthians
10, 2nd time, verse three, for though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Now let's note as we read before,
we even read further, all of this is still in the present
ongoing tense. It's not about what God just
did back yonder. Chapter four is talking about
what God did, God shined. Now he's talking about what God's
still doing. You see it? Now I've read this Paul for years,
and all of a sudden he just dawned on me. Paul's talking about what
did happen in chapter four, now he's talking about what still
happens. Chapter 10. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Casting, see it's still present on casting down imaginations. Is he still doing that to you?
Is he? And every high thing that exalted
itself against the knowledge of God and bringing, see it's
still present, ongoing tense, bringing into captivity, and
here's the kicker, every thought to the obedience of Christ. Not obedience to Christ, though
that certainly is vital, but it's being caught up with what
he did. who he is, what he accomplished
when he came into this world, what he's doing now as he intercedes
for us. And then look, and having in
a readiness to revenge all disobedience, why? Because we still got it.
Do you see it? Look, look when your obedience
is fulfilled. See, we're called up with an
obedience that is fulfilled. Whose obedience is that? Christ's. Ours is what? Still being fulfilled. But what Paul said in verse six,
this ain't gonna stop until you awake in his likeness. Even Paul himself told, I think
it was the Philippians, I have not yet arrived. I press forward. Why? Because my imaginations,
my thoughts are constantly being crushed by God. Christ's obedience
is always set at the forefront. A couple questions. Why does
God call us by his grace? The first one's evident. There's
no other way to guarantee our deliverance. If it was up to
our works, if it was up to our efforts, if it was up to our
merits, we'd never get there. We'll be constantly striving
and in the end being cast into outer darkness. God's got to
call us by grace because there's no other way. It ain't the best
way, it's the only way. Here's a second thought. God
called us by his grace because he loved us. You hear what I
said? He loved us, but he called us
by his grace because he loves us. Think of it. He still loves us as intently
after we fail as he did before we ever fail when he chose us
in Christ before the world began. Do you get that? when we fell
in Adam. And then when we were born and
manifested, that fallen state, he loved us just as intently
then as he did way back yonder. And you think now that he's called
you by his grace, he's gonna love you less? What did it say
of our Lord concerning his disciples, the 11? Having loved, past tense,
his own, he loved them unto the end. That's why he called us
by his grace, he loved us. He loves us. He predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. He
predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his son, and
he's a workin' that out. And it's tough, ain't it? Because
one thing he does, one thing he does, as he is conforming
us to the image of his son, he lets us know our image ain't
worth squat. What we got in ourselves and
Adam ain't worth any it's all demerit there is no merit whatsoever
and that's tough Because even our brother Isaiah put it this
way even our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight
He predestinated us. He chose us He preserves us He
took care of all of us when we were in the midst of our rebellion
against God. When we were something like Paul.
You heard of my way of life in the time past? And I'm not gonna
tell you all about my life in the time past. My skeletons might
need to stay in the closet. My skeletons need to be covered
by the blood of Jesus Christ. But he preserved me in spite
of myself even then. He could let me go, right? Not only does he preserve us
and is preserving us, he leads us. How many times have we started
down the wrong road? And then he just swats us into
the right one. Just swats you into the right
one. He corrects us in love. In love. It hurts, but it's love. He will have his son receive
us unto himself. Paul puts it this way to the
church at our brothers and sisters at Ephesus, the church at Ephesus.
He put it this way. He will present us to himself. He will present us. So he's the
presenter and he's the one being presented to. We're the ones
being present. He will present us unto himself
without spot or blemish. Now, bless God, we got a lot
of it right now, but that'll be done away with one day. And
I think it was Tim James said, I like them pretty 16-year-old
gals down in the South, them debutante balls. And I mean,
they deck them out to the knives. 16 years old, 15, whatever it
is, and here's what they present them. This is what God's gonna
do with us. He's gonna do it to himself According the Apostle Paul if
we die in Christ Or if we're living when he returns in the
air, we'll be with him where he is forever And he has these words wherefore
comfort one another with These words now we'll sum up by the
apostle paul's words turn to philippians I know there's a
lot of this message. It was from last week, but At
least some of the verses I think it can be summed up this way
We can sum it up This is remember three things the reason god called
us by his grace is because there wasn't no other way It has to
be by grace And he called us by grace because of all of his
great benefits in himself toward us. But we can sum it up this
way, amongst one another. This is the way that we're to
be talking with one another. Don't, it's not about, well,
I just don't know today if I'm really one of God's or not. Make
your calling election, sure, that's something that only I
can engage in for me. I can't engage in it for you,
I can't do it. I will lead you wrong if I try
to do it for you, and you'll do it wrong if you try to do
it for me. I am persuaded, though Tommy don't say it exactly that
way, this is not something we do for one another, that is make
our calling election sure. This is personal. Examine, as
Paul put it this way, Peter put it, give diligence. Paul put
it this way, examine yourselves, whether you're in the faith or
not. Isn't that what he said? But here, we can sum it up this
way. Here's the way we're to be talking to one another. Yeah,
you got doubts, so do I. But if that's what we're always
dealing with, we're both, or all of us gonna be miserable,
right? Look, finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. I don't care how bad you feel,
rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you,
to me, indeed, is not grievous, but it is for you, it's safe.
There's a warning, beware of dogs. There are people who will
rob you of anything you've got spiritually. They will, they'll
rob you even of just a little peace of mind. This world is
waiting to rob it from you, and I don't even know that they really
know they're doing it. They just want to do it. Look. Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit, and that's down in here, not out
here, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ
Jesus, but here's the other place, and have no confidence in ourselves,
in the flesh. You're right, Tommy. Me will
rob me of those blessings just as well. Heavenly Father, These things
in our fallen, even regenerated, Lord, but in
our fallen, corrupt state, this flesh that just hangs on and
hangs on. Lord, we all often, no doubt,
suffer difficulties because of our own unbelief and blindness. Lord, in spite of that, forgive
us of it. correct us in it, lead us away from it, and may we rejoice
in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. We thank you for
all that you've done for us so far. Knowing, Lord, that you
have begun a good work in us, you'll do it until the day of
Christ. In Christ's name, amen.